All our week 15 content

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Carolina Panthers 38

What you need to know

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - QB Jeff Garcia had an excellent game as he threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Garcia was able to bye time in the pocket by scrambling most of the game and found WR Antonio Bryant several times on big pass plays down the field. Tampa Bay had not had one pass play of 50 yards or longer all season, and Garcia had two of them in this game. Garcia was under pressure most of the game and was forced to scramble often. He was also sacked five times in this game.

WR Antonio Bryant had a career game as he caught nine passes for 200 yards and had two touchdowns. Bryant was able to get open deep down the field several times and made some big plays for the Buccaneers including a 50 yard touchdown pass early in the second half. Bryant's second touchdown came late in the game where he made an incredible one handed, diving catch in the back of the end zone. Bryant seemed to be open all night and when he was well covered he managed to make great catches. He became only the second Buccaneers second player in team history to have 200 yards receiving in a game.

The Buccaneers never really got the running game going and fell behind in the second half; this forced them to turn to the passing game. RB Warrick Dunn was effective but only had ten carries for 49 yards. RB Cadillac Williams was less effective, only getting 22 yards on nine carries but, did get a rushing touchdown in the game. Dunn looked like the better back in this game but, did not get enough touches and did drop a few passes in the game.

Carolina Panthers - Delhomme didn't have his best game as he was 14 of 20 for 173 and had two costly interceptions in the game. He did have a big play to WR Steve Smith early in the second half when he found him for a 38 yard touchdown pass. But Delhomme took a back seat to the Carolina's power rushing game that looked absolutely dominant against one of the better run defenses in football.

The Buccaneers came into this contest only giving up one rushing touchdown in 12 games this year, but they proceeded to give up four in this game. RB Jonathan Stewart would rush for two; both inside the five yard line, and RB DeAngelo Williams would score two as well, one on a 16 yard run and the other on a 36 yard scamper late in the game. The Carolina offensive line simply wore down the Buccaneers defense and was able run on them at will in the fourth quarter of this game. Both Stewart and Williams looked sensational as they were both able to break tackles on a consistent basis on a very good tackling Tampa Bay defense. Stewart and Williams combined for a 301 yards on the ground against the Buccaneers who came into this game only allowing 95 yards a game.

WR Steve Smith had a relatively quiet first half, but had a big second half including catching a 38 yard touchdown pass early the half. Despite a tough matchup, Smith had little trouble getting open in the second half as he caught six of his game high nine passes in that half. He saw a lot of single coverage in the second half as the Tampa Bay struggled to stop the run. He may have put up bigger numbers in this game but, the Panthers' run game was nearly unstoppable in the second half and they did not need to pass a lot. Smith finished the game with 117 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 24 - 38 - 321 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 - Garcia had a pretty nice first half by going ten for 15 for 120 yards but, couldn't get the ball into the end zone as Tampa Bay continued to struggle in the red zone. Most of Garcia's passes came on short routes but, he did hook up with WR Antonio Bryant for 52 yards deep down the right sideline for the Buccaneers' biggest play of the game. Garcia had a very good second half and he went back to Bryant again early in the half when he hit him for a 50 yard touchdown on a deep pass that was little underthrown, but Bryant was able to get into the end zone this time. He went back to Bryant a couple of times down the field and was able to make some plays. He threw a second touchdown to Bryant late in the game on 15 yard pass. He did a good job of scrambling in the pocket and creating more time for himself.

RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 10 - 49 - 0, Rec: 3 - 13 - 0 (6 targets) - Dunn only had 24 yards on five carries in the first half as he split carries with RB Cadillac Williams (who also had five carries in the first half.) Dunn was the more effective runner but, Williams got the one goal line carry in the first half and would score another goal line carry in the second half. He finished the game a 4.9 average per carry but, only had ten carries in the game. A lack of touches and the fact he shared carries almost fifty-fifty with Williams, limited Dunn in this contest.

RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 9 - 22 - 1, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Williams split carries with RB Warrick Dunn throughout the game but wasn't that effective, only averaging 2.4 yards per carry. He only had nine yards on five carries in the first half and had 13 yards on four carries in the second half. Williams had the only goal line carry for the Buccaneers in the first half but, he was stuffed from the two yard line. He got another chance near the goal line in the third quarter and made a nice move and powered the ball in from the four yard line for this first touchdown in over year. It would be the Buccaneers only rushing touchdown in the game.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 9 - 200 - 2 (10 targets) - Bryant had a career game as he became only the second Tampa Bay player to have 200 yards receiving in one game. He had a very good first half by leading all receivers in the half with 78 yards. He made the longest play of the game when he caught a deep pass down the left sideline for 52 yards in the second quarter. He was pushed of bounds on the two yard line. Bryant burned CB Ken Lucus again early in the second half for a 50 yard touchdown. He actually had to come back for the pass that was underthrown and was able to run into the corner of the end zone for his first score of the game. Bryant put a double move on Lucus and was able to get wide open deep down the field on that play. He had another long catch on a route over the middle with a defender on his back for a 39 yard gain. Bryant then proceeded to throw the ball away from the official after the play and got a delay of game penalty. He would make an amazing one handed, diving catch late in the game for his second touchdown.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Hilliard caught one pass for 12 yards in the first half and added a catch of eight yards in the second half.

WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Clayton had only one catch for 15 yards in the game as WR Antonio Bryant accounted for most of the Buccaneers offense from the passing game.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 5 - 33 - 0 (6 targets) - Stevens almost had a touchdown in the second quarter but had the ball knocked out of his hands in the back of the end zone. Stevens caught one pass for five yards in the first half. He would add four catches for 28 yards in the second half.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 1 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Smith had an opportunity to catch a touchdown in the second quarter but the ball bounced off his finger tips. He would catch a 20 yard pass down the middle of the field in the second half. It was his only reception.

PK Matt Bryant 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 3 XP, 5 points - Bryant missed a 40 yard kick in the first quarter when the ball bounced off the upright. He would make a 20 yard kick in the second quarter. Bryant had an extra point blocked late in the game.

TB Rush Defense - The Buccaneers defensive tackles got pushed around most the game and the run defense completely wore down in the fourth quarter as the Panthers ran wild in that quarter. The Buccaneers gave up over 300 yards rushing and four scores on the ground. This was an uncharacteristic performance for a run defense that has been near the top all year.

TB Pass Defense - CB Ronde Barber intercepted a pass midway through the second quarter for Tampa's first of two turnovers. SS Jermaine Phillips got the second interception of the game for the Bucs on great effort play where he tipped the ball to himself. Tampa Bay would have only one sack in the game.

QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 14 - 20 - 173 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Delhomme didn't play very well in this game early on and didn't protect the ball, throwing two interceptions in the game. He was six for ten for 69 yards and one interception in the first half. He did have one big play when he threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to WR Steve Smith in the third quarter. The Panther offensive line and running attack took over the game midway through the third quarter as the Buccaneers simply could not stop the running game of Carolina. He did make some plays in the passing game when the game was close, but didn't need to make many in the second half because the running game was so dominant.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 19 - 186 - 2, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Williams started the game slow, and then showed the great burst of his by breaking a 40 yard run up the middle midway through the second quarter. It would the first of several long runs in the game. The run put Williams over 1,000 yards for the year. He did a great job of breaking tackles in this game against a very good defense. He is also very elusive when he gets into the open field and has the speed to outrun defensive backs. Williams had seven carries for 63 yards in the first half. Williams did not get the goal line carries in this game as watched from the sidelines as RB Jonathan Stewart ran for two scores from inside the five yard line in the second half. But Williams and the rushing attack got stronger as the game went on and he ripped off another long run late in the game for 41 yards. Williams would get his own touchdown on the same drive as he used his speed to break it outside to the sideline and score on 16 yard run. He would get a second touchdown on a 36 yard run late in the game. Williams looked great in this game as he rushed for a career high 186 yards on only 19 carries against a Tampa Bay defense that had held him to only 27 yards during their last meeting earlier in the season.

RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 15 - 115 - 2 (2 targets) - Stewart had an excellent game as he and teammate RB DeAngelo Williams both looked great as they set a team record for rushing in a game for the second time in a month. He had a two yard touchdown run late in the first half as he was able to punch it into the end zone easily. The Carolina offensive line was able to push around the Buccaneers defense in short yardage situations and Stewart's easy two yard run was another example of this in the game. Stewart had seven carries for 21 yards in the first half but would have a big second half as he racked up 94 yards. He started the second half with a powerful run up the middle for 28 yards, breaking several tackles. Stewart would get his second touchdown of the game on a four yard run in the fourth quarter as the Panthers' offensive line began to wear down the much smaller Buccaneers defense. Stewart ran for 30 yards late in the game as he broke several tackles on the play.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 9 - 117 - 1 (10 targets) - Smith had a big game despite the fact the running game had over 300 yards rushing and had four rushing touchdowns. He caught a short seven yard pass in the second quarter and brought it down to the Buccaneers two yard before being driven out of bounds. Smith had only three catches for 31 yards in the first half but would have a much bigger second half. Smith caught a 38 yard touchdown when he got open deep down the field and made a great catch by keeping both feet in bounds. Smith saw a lot of man to man coverage in the second half because the Buccaneers were struggling to stop the run. He finished with a game high nine catches for 117 yards.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 43 - 0 (3 targets) - Muhammad had two catches for 31 yards in the first half and added one more reception for 12 yards in the second half.

WR Dwayne Jarrett, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Jarrett caught seven yard pass on a quick slant for a first down in the second quarter for his only catch of the game. He did get a pass thrown to him into the end zone and drew a pass interference penalty.

PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Kasay made a 33 yard field goal in the first quarter and added five extra points.

CAR Rush Defense - The run defense did a good job of containing the Tampa Bay run game and holding the running backs to only 80 yards.

CAR Pass Defense - The pass defense did not have an answer for WR Antonio Bryant who had over 200 yards and scored two touchdowns. They did get good pressure on Garcia and sacked him five times.

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New York Jets 14, San Francisco 49ers 24

What you need to know

New York Jets - The Jets kept the game close in the first half but losing the time of possession battle 20:11 to 39:41 played a large part in them losing the game and making them 0-3 against California teams this year, as their offense had fewer opportunities to make plays. In addition, they were unable to capitalize on several opportunities, causing five fumbles but only recovering one. One of the fumbles they forced was recovered in the end zone for San Francisco's first touchdown. The only fumble they recovered did not materialize into any points, as the Jets had a three and out possession resulting in them punting. These missed opportunities were compounded by an illegal blocking penalty that nullified a 99 yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter that would have given them a 21-17 lead. In large part due to the lack of possessions, New York was unable to utilize their running game much. As a result, Thomas Jones only had ten rushing attempts. He made the most of those touches, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, including a touchdown run. Four of Jones' rushing attempts yielded seven or more yards, and he showed good cutback ability on several of his rushes, but was limited by the few touches he had.

Brett Favre was also affected by the limited opportunities he had to get into an offensive rhythm. He did not attempt many deep passes, and did not connect with his receivers on any of the few deep passes he threw, and had one intercepted. Favre attempted 23 short passes and averaged 6.85 yards per completion. He did not get into a rhythm with his receivers. Jerricho Cotchery's first reception came late in the fourth quarter, and Favre did not target Dustin Keller in the second half until there were less than three minutes remaining in the game. His top target was running back Leon Washington, who was used mostly on short screen passes.

New York ran five plays in the red zone on two possessions, and took advantage of those possessions by scoring two touchdowns. They ran the ball four times, with Jones having three of those carries, including a strong inside run for a touchdown. Favre had the other red zone carry, when on a play designed for him to throw to Keller; Keller was covered by his defender, so Favre scrambled into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown since 2006. The only red zone pass thrown was a screen pass to Washington.

San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers dominated the time of possession with some strong running and accurate passing. Although their opening play was an onside kick that the Jets recovered, San Francisco did not let that miscue deter them from executing their game plan. Frank Gore set the tone with some tough, hard nosed inside running, constantly driving forward and fighting for extra yards. Gore left the game during the first drive of the second half, as he sprained his ankle after dragging defenders for a first down. He was helped off the field and taken by cart to be treated, and returned to the sideline without any crutches, but did not return to the game. DeShaun Foster replaced Gore, and while he was not as effective as Gore, did a good enough job of helping the 49ers maintain their advantage in the time of possession. Foster ran hard at the defense, but was unable to break tackles for big gains. Eleven of his 16 carries were for three or less yards.

Shaun Hill played well, spreading the ball around to ten different receivers during the game. Hill targeted Isaac Bruce the most, and the two were in sync most of the time, except on the pass where Hill threw his only interception. Most of the time, Hill got the ball to Bruce in stride, and Bruce showed excellent quickness and elusiveness by running very well after the catch. Four of his receptions went for first downs as a result of his running well after catching short passes. Hill showed good command of the offense, and seemed to have the confidence of his coaches, as he was able to convert a couple of short third down plays into significant gains through the air as a result of aggressive play calling. Hill also had a 28 yard touchdown pass called back as a result of a holding penalty. That drive ended with a field goal, but Hill remained focused and subsequently led his team to another score in large part due to his throwing the ball to his receivers in stride.

The 49ers ran 13 plays on four red zone possessions, and were very efficient, scoring three touchdowns and one field goal. Foster had both red zone touches, but did not gain many yards or score. Hill threw 11 red zone passes to five different receivers, with two of them intentionally thrown away. Jason Hill was targeted three times, and Bryant Johnson and Bruce received two red zone targets apiece. Johnson and Frank Gore accounted for the two passing scores in the red zone.

What you ought to know

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 20 - 31 - 137 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 1 - Favre could not get a rhythm going offensively, and did not attempt many deep passes. The deep passes he attempted were all incomplete, with one of them intercepted. Favre relied more on his short passing game, and did not utilize his starting wide receivers much. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles were targeted once apiece in the first half and ended the game with one catch apiece. Favre and Chansi Stuckey were in sync during the first half as Stuckey was the recipient of four targets, all of them shorter passes that he managed to turn into additional gains with good running after the catch. Most of Favre's passes were short passes, and he never seemed to get comfortable during the game. Due to New York not having the ball much, he was under an aggressive pass rush as San Francisco realized he had to abandon the running game and rely exclusively on the pass, which contributed to his less than stellar numbers.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 10 - 56 - 1, Rec: 3 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones played well with the limited number of touches he had. He showed good burst through the line and excellent cutting ability on a few of his runs, making initial defenders miss him several times. Jones did score his 12th rushing touchdown of the season, which tied him for the franchise lead with Curtis Martin.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 6 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) - Washington was used as a screen pass catcher on most of the offensive plays he was in on, and showed his quickness in making his defender miss, but he was usually stopped for short gains thanks to a swarming 49ers' defense. Washington scored a touchdown on a 99 yard kickoff return, but it was nullified due to a penalty by one of his teammates.

WR Chansi Stuckey, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (5 targets) - Stuckey took advantage of his targets in the first half by catching all four of them and turning short passes into decent gains with some tough running in traffic. The only pass he did not catch was thrown too high.

WR Brad Smith, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith caught both of his targets, but was more remembered for his second reception where he took a vicious but clean hit. He jumped up after being bent backwards, walked a few steps then fell to the ground. After being looked at by New York's medical staff, Smith was able to walk off the field after a few minutes.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) - Coles was not utilized much. Of the passes thrown his way, two were uncatchable, and another one was intercepted despite his best efforts to prevent his defender from holding onto the ball.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Cotchery was targeted deep twice by Favre, but he was unable to catch up to the passes. His only reception came with less than six minutes remaining in the game.

TE Dustin Keller, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (6 targets) - Keller was targeted on the opening drive, and not again until there were under three minutes remaining in the game. He dropped a pass on a third down play that ended the Jets' opening drive, and three of his targets were thrown out of his reach.

TE Chris Baker, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (1 targets) - Baker took a short pass and ran straight ahead for a first down on his only target.

PK Jay Feely 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Feely was not very busy, and made both of his point after attempts. He did not attempt any field goals.

NYJ Rush Defense - New York's defense defended the run fairly well in terms of not allowing any big runs or touchdowns on the ground. However, the 49ers were able to chip away at them all day, to the tune of just under 3.0 yards per rush, and helped control the time of possession. The Jets' defenders were not dominated but they were not dominant themselves. They only allowed two runs over seven or more yards -- both to Gore -- but only had three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. They did cause five fumbles but only recovered one of them.

NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets were unable to provide an answer for Hill. Although they provided an aggressive pass rush and recorded two sacks, they did not do so consistently enough, and he was able to exploit their secondary. New York's pass defenders did intercept Hill once, which led to their offense scoring to tie the game, but overall they were unable to prevent San Francisco's receivers from running their routes and getting open. In addition, 49ers receivers turned short passes into first downs nine times by not only getting open but gaining valuable yards after the catch against the Jets' defenders.

QB Shaun Hill, Pass: 28 - 39 - 285 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0 - Hill got into a rhythm early and for the most part retained it with his receivers. He threw several passes to a spot where his receivers should be, and most of the time, he and his receivers were on the same page. As a result of his accurate timing based passing, Hill's receivers were able to gain yards after the catch a lot of times. Hill showed a very good command of the offense, and usually made good decisions in terms of which of his receivers to throw to. While he did not attempt many deep passes, his accuracy on the short and intermediate passing enabled his receivers to gain yards after the catch most of the time, which helped his overall passing numbers.

RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 16 - 35 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Foster did not enter the game until Gore was injured. While he did not gain a lot of yards, he was instrumental in helping San Francisco retain control of the time of possession with hard running up the middle on the majority of his carries.

RB Frank Gore, Rush: 14 - 52 - 0, Rec: 3 - 13 - 1 (3 targets) - Gore ran well while in the game and posted solid numbers for in essence half a game's work. As he injured his ankle during San Francisco's first drive in the second half and did not return to the game although he was on the sideline after being checked out by the medical staff. Gore came close to breaking several runs, but was stopped by the last line of defense a few times. He did catch a touchdown pass in the red zone before and caught all of the short passes thrown to him.

RB Michael Robinson, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Robinson had minimal involvement in the offense.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 6 - 70 - 0 (11 targets) - Bruce showed great quickness while running mostly short and intermediate routes, and got open routinely. He then utilized his quickness to great effect by gaining significant yards after securing the catch several times. Bruce turned short passes into first downs four times as a result of his running after the catch. He and Hill were on the same page throughout the game, except for the play where Hill threw an interception. Both players discussed the play immediately afterwards, and got back on track.

WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 6 - 49 - 1 (7 targets) - Johnson ran a variety of routes, and was able to get open most of the time he was targeted. His only missed target came when he got open deep but Hill missed him. Johnson used his size effectively in addition to his route-running, exemplified best on his touchdown catch.

WR Jason Hill, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (6 targets) - Hill ran short routes exclusively, and did well to get open several times and fight for extra yards after catching the ball. He was going in for San Francisco's first touchdown but was stripped of the ball before he could cross the end zone. Fortunately one of his offensive linemen recovered the fumble for the touchdown.

WR Dominique Zeigler, Rec: 2 - 44 - 0 (3 targets) - Zeigler showed big play ability by showing good speed to gain several yards after the catch on both of his receptions. He was well covered in the end zone on the one pass he did not catch.

TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Davis caught all the passes thrown to him, including one for 20 yards where he ran a very good route and caught the ball well in traffic.

TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Walker showed good route running ability, getting open on the pass he caught, on a second pass where the ball was thrown behind him, and on a 28 yard pass play that he scored on but did not count because of a holding penalty on an offensive lineman.

TE Billy Bajema, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Bajema's involvement in the passing game was minimal.

PK Joe Nedney 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Nedney made both of his point after attempts and his only field goal attempt, which was from 32 yards.

SF Rush Defense - San Francisco's rush defense was not tested much, as Jones only had ten carries. However they gave up 5.6 yards per carry and a rushing touchdown while defending those ten carries. Jones got past the line of scrimmage on nine of his ten carries.

SF Pass Defense - The 49ers only allowed 137 passing yards in 31 pass attempts, and recorded an interception. They benefited by the Jets calling a high number of short pass plays, but their pass rush helped force Favre to check down to shorter passes at times. All of their three sacks came with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter with two on the last two plays of the game.

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Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 16

What you need to know

Minnesota Vikings - Owners of Adrian Peterson who watched the Tennessee Titans carve up the Detroit run defense on Thanksgiving were likely licking their chops with the matchup presented in this game. Unfortunately for Peterson owners, Detroit's defense bent but did not break as Peterson ran for 102 yards on 25 carries without a score.

Backup QB Tarvaris Jackson came on in relief of an injured Gus Frerotte and looked far better than the starter. He led the Vikings to 17 second half points against Detroit without turning the ball over, after Frerotte had led the team to just three first half points while turning it over twice.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe continued his impressive campaign, snagging a team high five passes for 65 yards including a touchdown.

DE Jared Allen suffered what looked to be a potentially nasty knee injury late in the first half. He returned to play in the second half, however, and actually had two sacks and a forced fumble.

Detroit Lions - WR Calvin Johnson proved once again that he doesn't need a lot of work in order to be effective. He caught just three passes, but one of them was a 70 yard touchdown bomb. That alone gave him a productive fantasy day.

QB Daunte Culpepper turned in arguably his finest performance as a Lion. He did lose two fumbles, but he made good decisions with his passes, and made a vintage Culpepper pass on a perfectly-thrown 70 yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson. Culpepper may have injured his arm on the next to last play of the game, however.

RB Kevin Smith had 90 hard fought yards from scrimmage, including 63 on the ground. Considering the state of the Detroit offensive line and the effectiveness of Minnesota's defensive line, this has to be considered a very good performance by Smith.

What you ought to know

QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 8 - 10 - 105 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -1 - 0 - Gus Frerotte injured his back trying to make a tackle attempt after his second interception of the first half. It was his final play of the afternoon after leading the Vikings to just three first half points. Jackson took over in the second half, and proved to be an immediate upgrade. Jackson threw just one pass on his opening series, but just his mere presence may have been enough to create running room for the backs. It was reported at halftime that Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli said he was going to alter the team's defensive strategy to account for Jackson's rushing abilities. It showed, as Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor combined to rush for 47 yards and a touchdown on four carries during the team's opening drive in the second half. Jackson later went on to toss a touchdown pass of his own off a rollout, to TE Visanthe Shiancoe. He didn't have a favorite target, instead spreading the ball around to whoever was open. Jackson only made one big mistake, when he floated an ill-advised pass into a crowd of Lions while under pressure. He was bailed out when no one on Detroit could haul the pass in. He made up for that duck with a perfectly-thrown third down pass to Bobby Wade to extend one drive and showed outstanding touch on a high floating screen pass to Chester Taylor that went for another first down to extend that same drive. If nothing else, Jackson has at least started a conversation about whether he deserves to start going forward regardless of the health status of Gus Frerotte.

QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 7 - 10 - 70 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Frerotte injured his lower back late in the first half and did not return to the game. Prior to the injury, he was playing terribly. He had turned the ball over with two costly interceptions and had led the Vikings to just three first half points. He had very little pocket presence and failed to stand tall when there was pressure on him. The first interception was just a bad read by him, as he failed to see Ryan Nece step into the passing lane in front of Bernard Berrian. The second interception was a case of a pass being batted at the line and picked off. It was during a tackle attempt on that play that Frerotte hurt his back. He was being checked out and stretched on the sidelines and his return was deemed questionable, but he didn't make another appearance the rest of the way. It's also worth noting that Tarvaris Jackson played very well in his place the rest of the way, throwing for 100 yards and a touchdown on ten pass attempts without a turnover.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 23 - 102 - 0, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (1 targets) - Peterson had a very odd game. Despite facing one of the league's worst rushing defense coming in, he was bottled up for most of the first half -- that is, when he even got the ball. He simply wasn't given many opportunities by the coaching staff to make plays before halftime. In the second half, with Tarvaris Jackson filling in at quarterback for Gus Frerotte, more holes opened up for Peterson. He took advantage by breaking several nice runs, though he failed to get into the end zone. He had a nice 21 yard run early in the third quarter that took Minnesota to the Detroit 17 yard line. He left the game, seemingly to get a one play breather, but Chester Taylor ensured that it would be longer than one play by taking the ensuing handoff 17 yards off the right tackle for an easy score. Peterson never came close to scoring the rest of the way to finish with a fairly disappointing 102 yards. On a more positive note, the 100 yard effort was his eighth of 2008, tying Robert Smith's team record for a single season.

What made the game even more odd was Peterson's trouble holding onto the football. He fumbled his second carry of the game, but it bounced out of bounds. Later, he lost a fumble on a run up the middle but it was challenged by the Vikings and eventually ruled that he was down by contact. He fumbled a third carry out of bounds and finally, lost the handle on a handoff from Jackson in the fourth quarter. While his stat line will show that he didn't lose any fumbles, he certainly had issues hanging onto the football in this one.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 6 - 27 - 1, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (2 targets) - Taylor played a pivotal role in this game for Minnesota, scoring the team's first touchdown of the afternoon from 17 yards out. Granted, the key to the run was the terrific downfield blocking on the play but he still did a nice job of reading the blocks and finding the end zone. Taylor also showed great open field moves on a 12 yard reception to open the fourth quarter, a play that could have easily gone for a two or three yard gain. Finally, Taylor came up with a huge 14 yard screen pass reception with Minnesota facing a second and 13 situation late in the fourth quarter. That conversion enabled them to run an additional 1:33 off the clock and essentially end the game.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (6 targets) - Berrian saw a fairly healthy amount of targets, but was never able to get enough separation to do much with those targets.

WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - Wade caught just two passes, both of them fairly short looks. But the second reception came on a critical third down and four as Minnesota was trying to run time off the clock. Wade showed exceptional hands in reaching out in front of him to haul in a very tough catch and extend the drive. Had he not made the play, the Lions would have gotten the ball back with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, down by just one. As it stands, Detroit didn't get the ball back until 27 seconds remained in the contest following a tack-on field goal by the Vikings.

WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Rice caught just two balls in the game, one on the team's opening drive and the second one about 45 minutes later early in the fourth quarter. The latter reception was on third down and kept a drive going that eventually led to a Visanthe Shiancoe touchdown.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 5 - 65 - 1 (5 targets) - Shiancoe had several nice receptions down the seam, which was really where Detroit was at its softest defensively. In addition to leading the team in receptions and receiving yardage, Shiancoe also caught the only passing touchdown of the game for Minnesota. On the play, he gave a great block fake before quickly getting to his feet out into the flat. QB Tarvaris Jackson rolled out off a play-action fake and easily found the big tight end for the score, which turned out to be the eventual game-winner.

PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Longwell connected on kicks of 35 and 50 yards, both of which were made with ease. The fifty yarder was a huge kick with just 27 seconds left in the game. It extended Minnesota's lead from one to four, meaning Detroit needed a touchdown to win.

MIN Rush Defense - Allowing 76 yards on 27 carries (2.8 YPC), Minnesota held Detroit in check for most of the game. Interestingly, the fact that Detroit was able to get to 27 carries says more about how bad the Minnesota offense was than anything about the defense. Typically, teams are able to move the ball on Detroit so well and put up so many points that the Lions either A) Abandon the run game early, or B) Don't have the ball long enough to have that many carries in a game. So considering the state of the game and the back-and-forth nature of it, the Vikings were solid.

MIN Pass Defense - Minnesota pulled off the difficult (and not very successful) combination of getting good pressure on Daunte Culpepper while at the same time allowing him to buy extra time repeatedly with his feet. This will sound odd, but even though Culpepper was sacked three times in the game (Drew Henson was sacked a fourth time on the final play of the game) and lost two fumbles, he was able to elude would be tacklers and find someone downfield on more than a few occasions. He completed passes to eight different players, so he wasn't locking in on any one guy. That's a good thing, because the Vikings were making a conscious effort early on to make sure Calvin Johnson didn't beat them. On one particular overhead replay, no fewer than four Minnesota defenders converged around Johnson while leaving several other receiving options wide open. So Culpepper simply took what the Vikings were giving him.

Still, despite all the attention being focused on Johnson, it wasn't enough to prevent him from turning in the game's biggest play. Late in the third quarter, Johnson ran right by CB Cedric Griffin on a deep route. S Darren Sharper was late getting over to help over the top, and Johnson flew right by him too en route to a 70 yard touchdown reception.

The Vikings did come up big on the last possession of the game, however. With Detroit needing a Hail Mary bomb just to have a shot at winning, Viking defenders converged around Culpepper and sacked him with two seconds left in the game. With just one more shot, Drew Henson came in to attempt a Hail Mary but he, too, was sacked -- this time, to end the game for good.

DE Jared Allen had the other two sacks in the game (as well as a forced fumble) for Minnesota, both coming in the second half after what looked like an ugly knee injury late in the first half. He was on the ground briefly after being cut down by Detroit OL Gosder Cherilus. Allen tried going after Cherilus, but was restrained by teammates. After being checked out on the sideline, he returned in the second half and looked even better than he did pre-injury.

S Madieu Williams appeared to slightly tweak his right hamstring very early on while making a tackle on Kevin Smith, but he remained in the game.

QB Daunte Culpepper, Pass: 14 - 24 - 220 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 7 - 0 - From the outset, Culpepper looked determined to put on a good performance. He showed nice elusiveness early on in avoiding the oncoming pass rush, rolling out for a 28 yard completion to Keary Colbert. Later, he took off and displayed his still-impressive strength in running over DB Bennie Sapp on a third down scramble that resulted in a first down. His play was heady, his passes were accurate, and his ability to find the open man consistently was what kept his team in the game. He turned back the clock quite a few years on a 70 yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson. The toss by Culpepper was one of the most well thrown balls any quarterback has thrown all season long, hitting Johnson perfectly in stride down the sideline.

Unfortunately, it wasn't all good for Culpepper. The Detroit offensive line left him vulnerable far too often, at one point completely missing a block on DE Jared Allen, who shot through the line for the easiest sack he's ever gotten. Culpepper had two early opportunities to convert fourth downs, but on one he was hit as he threw and on the other he tried to sneak up the middle but ran right into the heart of Minnesota's defensive line. The last key situation he was involved with was on a third down pass play to Calvin Johnson. Johnson appeared to make a diving catch on a third and long pass, a reception that would've given the Lions a first down at the Minnesota eight yard line. Replays showed no conclusive angle of the ball being dropped, but after officials reviewed the play it was determined that the ball definitely hit the ground. Unless they had a different set of replays than the ones shown on television, there is no way anyone can say without question that the ball hit the ground. It was an unfortunate call in a season full of unfortunate events for Detroit.

Culpepper had probably his best game in a Detroit uniform, coming very close to leading the Lions to their first win of the season. Had it not been for a misinterpretation of the replay challenge rule, he may have done just that.

To make matters worse, the Lions got the ball back with one last shot at a desperation heave toward the end zone. Culpepper dropped back to pass, but was hit as he released the ball and appeared to injure his arm. He was replaced for the game's final play by Drew Henson.

QB Drew Henson - Henson came in for the game's final play. After Daunte Culpepper injured his arm attempting a Hail Mary pass, Henson attempted to do the same on the last play. Unfortunately, he too was sacked and the game ended without a long pass attempt even being made.

RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 22 - 63 - 0, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (3 targets) - Detroit's offensive line was opening holes for Kevin Smith early on, but the Vikings soon closed those holes up. Smith was running hard, but there was simply nowhere for him to go for most of the afternoon. In the fourth quarter, he had a bit more success (five carries for 21 yards) and added a few receptions to make it a respectable performance. But with Pat and Kevin Williams still in uniform for Minnesota and Jared Allen flying all over the field, it was difficult for Smith to establish any sort of a rhythm. Basically, he did what he could with the limited opportunities he was given.

On one of his passing targets, Culpepper threw a corner fade to him in the end zone. LB Chad Greenway, with his back to the football, made a great play by knocking the ball away blindly and preventing the score.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - Johnson has been relegated to strictly backup status. He had just two offensive touches in the game, gaining a total of one yard from scrimmage.

WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 3 - 84 - 1 (7 targets) - Johnson didn't catch his first pass of the game until just before the two minute warning in the first half, and he only caught three passes the entire game. But one of them happened to be a 70 yard touchdown bomb down the left sideline that gave him a fine fantasy performance. He ran a fly pattern right by CB Cedric Griffin and hauled in the deep ball from Daunte Culpepper right in stride. He maintained his footing and outraced both Griffin and S Darren Sharper the rest of the way to the end zone for the score.

He had earlier been targeted on a corner fade in the end zone, but got his feet tangled with CB Antoine Winfield and fell to the ground as the pass sailed over both players for an incompletion.

Later, Johnson caught what appeared to be a key third down reception with just under six minutes remaining. He dove to the ground and caught a 13 yard pass that gave Detroit a first and goal at the Vikings' eight yard line. The call on the field was challenged by Minnesota. Despite the fact that the call was a completed pass and there was no inconclusive evidence to suggest otherwise, the ruling was inexplicably overturned and ruled an incompletion. The Lions had to settle for a field goal, and never got close to scoring again.

WR Keary Colbert, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) - Colbert hauled in a key 28 yard reception on third and nine during Detroit's opening drive, but wasn't the primary target on the play. Daunte Culpepper had eluded the pass rush and found Colbert on the run, which explains why he was only thrown to twice more the rest of the way.

WR John Standeford, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (5 targets) - Though he only caught one pass, Standeford was actually the second favorite target of Daunte Culpepper in this game. Ironically enough, Standeford's one chance to make a big play was actually a play on which he wasn't targeted. He had broken free down the sideline and was wide open, but Culpepper failed to see him, instead checking down for a short completion.

TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 1 - 27 - 0 (2 targets) - Gaines had one wide open long reception downfield late in the first half on a deep crossing route, but was looked to just once after that and the pass fell incomplete.

PK Jason Hanson 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Hanson connected from 25, 23, and 39 yards out. He had a shot at a fourth field goal, but head coach Rod Marinelli opted to go for it on fourth down and one late in the first half. The Lions were stuffed on the play and came away empty. Of course, the flow of the game would've been completely different had they kicked that first half field goal, so there are no assurances that Hanson would have even attempted the 39 yarder late in the game.

Hanson also made a nice play in preventing Darius Reynaud from scoring a first quarter kick return touchdown.

DET Rush Defense - For the most part, the Lions held Adrian Peterson in check. Despite entering the game with the league's worst run defense and facing the league's top rusher to date, they only allowed Peterson to run for a modest 102 yards on 23 carries. They really bottled him up in the first half, though he did find a few more lanes and some bigger holes to run through after halftime. Still, they employed a 'bend but don't break' philosophy that prevented him from taking any to the end zone on them. The problem for the Lions is that they didn't account for Chester Taylor quite as well. Following a 22 yard run by Peterson early in the second half, Taylor came in and took his first handoff all the way for a 17 yard score.

One thing the Lions did do well was force fumbles, as they caused Adrian Peterson to put the ball on the ground three different times. Unfortunately for Detroit, two of them were right on the sidelines and fell out of bounds. And the third was challenged and eventually overturned to down by contact. Had any of those balls bounced differently in Detroit's favor, the outcome of this game could've been very different.

DET Pass Defense - In the first half, the Lions simply befuddled veteran QB Gus Frerotte. He threw two interceptions, one of which Ryan Nece slid over in coverage to make a nice play on and the other coming on a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage. Frerotte had open receivers at times due to Detroit making a concerted effort to stop the run, but it mattered little as Frerotte was rarely able to make plays. The Vikings came away from the first half with a total of just three points, and Detroit was very much in control. After Frerotte injured his back, backup QB Tarvaris Jackson took over the reins. Jackson really only made one bad decision the entire time he was in, and Minnesota relied on a combination of Jackson tossing short passes and Adrian Peterson finally breaking a few decent runs. This enabled them to put up 17 second half points on their way to the victory. The Lions got very little pressure on Jackson. The one time they did get to him, he was hit as he threw and sent a floater about 15 yards downfield. With four Detroit defenders in the area, it appeared to be a sure interception. But as has been the case for most of the season with the Lions, two of the defenders ran into one another and the ball was jarred loose, falling to the ground for an incompletion.

LB Paris Lenon appeared to reinjure his left shoulder while making a tackle on Chester Taylor late in the fourth quarter.

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Cleveland Browns 9, Tennessee Titans 28

What you need to know

Cleveland Browns - QB Ken Dorsey showed why he is not a regular NFL starter as he lacked good accuracy. Dorsey seemed like he was so focused on not throwing interceptions that it caused him to be way too tentative.

RB Jamal Lewis and the Cleveland rushing attack did not get much going at all. Josh Cribbs, a former Kent State quarterback, ran the wildcat formation a few times and had the most success on the ground for the Browns. The Browns gave up on running the ball for the most part and used Jason Wright for most of the game as a receiving back.

WR Braylon Edwards was targeted 16 times on the day, but only caught three passes due to Dorsey's inaccuracy. Nobody on the Browns had success and considering they had 43 passing plays -- that is disheartening.

Tennessee Titans - QB Kerry Collins did not have to do much for the Titans to earn the victory. He had one nice passing touchdown to Justin Gage, but other than that did not do too much because they ran the ball extremely well.

RB LenDale White and Chris Johnson teamed up for a 235 yard beat-down on the Browns' rushing offense. Both of them hit holes quickly and showed good vision and both scored a rushing touchdown in what was an impressive showing by both of them.

WR Justin Gage and Bo Scaife received 11 out of the 16 balls Kerry Collins threw to receivers and tight ends. Gage and Scaife only caught two balls each, but Collins only completed 14 passes to the entire team and four of those were to RB Chris Johnson

What you ought to know

QB Ken Dorsey, Pass: 22 - 43 - 150 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Dorsey was asked to carry the load as the Browns gave up on the run early. He was hesitant on his throws as he looked afraid to make mistakes. He only threw one interception, but was not productive through the air. The Browns only gained 150 yards on his 43 passing attempts and a lot of the passes were just not close to their targets.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 7 - 7 - 0, Rec: 2 - 3 - 0 (3 targets) - Lewis could not get anything going on the ground and the Browns quickly abandoned the run. It was not a pretty sight, but to be fair Tennessee really did not worry much about Ken Dorsey.

RB Jason Wright, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0, Rec: 5 - 40 - 0 (11 targets) - Wright came in and played the majority of the game because the Browns could not run the ball at all. The Browns like Wright in the backfield when they're passing the ball. He caught only five of the 11 balls thrown his way, mostly on dump down passes from Dorsey.

RB Jerome Harrison, Rush: 2 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Harrison did not see much action, as the Browns gave up on the run and opted to use Jason Wright out of the backfield most of the night.

RB Lawrence Vickers, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - Vickers served as the fullback and caught the only ball thrown his way for a loss of one yard.

WR Josh Cribbs, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 24 - 0 - Cribbs was not involved at wide receiver, but did have a play at quarterback in the wildcat formation. He ran the ball six times from the formation and was the most successful Browns player on the ground.

WR Syndric Steptoe, Rec: 4 - 20 - 0 (6 targets) - Steptoe has been getting more action as the weeks have gone on, and Sunday he caught four of the six passes thrown his way for 20 yards. He seemed to run solid routes though, despite his short yards per catch.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (16 targets) - Edwards got targeted a lot by Dorsey, but not many of them were close to being catchable. Three catches looks atrocious on 16 targets, but it was really Dorsey's fault and not Edwards this week.

WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Stallworth seems to have fallen out of grace with the offensive coordinator in Cleveland. He missed the early part of the season and is now looking at a third string role in the offense.

TE Steve Heiden, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) - Heiden got the majority of the workload at tight end because Winslow was out with an ankle injury. Heiden's longest catch was for eight yards.

TE Darnell Dinkins (1 targets) - Dinkens is the third string tight end and got in on a couple snaps because Winslow was out.

PK Phil Dawson 3 - 4 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points - Dawson made three of his four field goal attempts, missing a 44 yard kick.

CLE Rush Defense - The Browns could not solve the Tennessee rushing attack and allowed 235 yards plus two touchdowns to the LenDale White and Chris Johnson tag team.

CLE Pass Defense - Cleveland largely held Kerry Collins in check, only allow 155 yards and yielding two interceptions; however they did not force any sacks.

QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 14 - 23 - 155 - 2 TD / 2 INT - Collins was not impressive against the Browns. He threw two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions on only 155 yards passing. He did not need to do too much though as most of the load was carried by the Tennessee rushing attack.

RB LenDale White, Rush: 24 - 99 - 1, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - White pounding the ball through the defense, and really looked solid out there. He was one yard short of 100 yards rushing, but he did score his 14th touchdown of the year on a three yard run. White did a nice job of being patient and then bursting through the defense for a big man.

RB Chris Johnson, Rush: 19 - 136 - 1, Rec: 4 - 30 - 0 (5 targets) - Johnson looked great against the Browns. He got through holes really fast and had a couple of long runs through the secondary including a 25 yard touchdown run. Johnson also caught four of the five passes thrown his way for 30 yards, making him Tennessee's leading receiver.

RB Ahmard Hall, Rec: 1 - 28 - 1 (1 targets) - Hall caught a pass out of the backfield and ran it for a 28 yard touchdown. He usually does not get much work besides blocking, but this was a nice reward.

WR Justin Gage, Rec: 2 - 18 - 1 (6 targets) - Gage was targeted six times and caught a nine yard touchdown. On two of the six targets, the ball was intercepted. Gage continues to be Collins' favorite receiver but it did not seem like he was getting much separation Sunday against a Browns secondary that has been playing well as of late.

WR Brandon Jones, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones split time with McCareins on the outside, but got more work. He still only caught two passes for 18 yards on three targets, though.

WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 1 - 20 - 0 (1 targets) - McCareins did not see much action on Sunday, as the Browns allowed Tennessee to run the ball effectively. He caught the only ball thrown his way.

TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (5 targets) - Scaife had an uneventful game as the Titans ran the ball a lot, only catching two of the five balls thrown his way.

TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 1 - 20 - 0 (1 targets) - Crumpler was the back up tight end behind Bo Scaife, but he did have a nice 20 yard catch in the little action he did see.

PK Rob Bironas 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Bironas made all four of his extra points.

TEN Rush Defense - The Titans dominated the Browns' rushing attack. It wasn't a pretty sight.

TEN Pass Defense - Only getting one sack and one interception versus Ken Dorsey plus 43 passing attempts is not impressive, but they did only allow 150 yards through the air.

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Miami Dolphins 16, Buffalo Bills 3

What you need to know

Miami Dolphins - The game time temperature in Buffalo, New York, was 16 degrees but the wind chill put it below zero. The warm weather Dolphins are just 2-7 in Buffalo's home games in December, but this game was played inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, where it was a balmy 72 degrees.

Chad Pennington did another masterful job directing the Miami attack. He threw pinpoint passes, avoided turnovers, and hit eight different receivers in completing 23 of 29 for 181 yards and one touchdown. His favorite target was rookie Davone Bess, who caught nine passes for 74 yards. His next favorite receiver was TE Anthony Fassano, who caught three passes and the lone touchdown. Ronnie Brown rushed 16 times for 70 yards and backfield mate Ricky Williams carried 11 times for 40 more. Each caught two passes. The Miami defense limited Buffalo to just 163 yards of offense, while Joey Porter registered two sacks late in the game to bring his season total to 16.5.

Miami's win completes the first sweep of the Bills since 2003. At 8--5, with three games remaining in the regular season, Miami is tied with the Jets and Patriots for first place in the AFC East Division. A year ago at this time they were still winless.

Buffalo Bills - Bills' fans were outraged that the Miami game was being played inside a climate controlled dome in Toronto and the players couldn't have played much worse in the blizzard back in Buffalo. They failed to score a touchdown in their second straight game and their offensive is in critical condition.

J.P. Losman was inaccurate, indecisive, and infuriating. He completed 13 of 27 for 123 yards but seven of his passes were badly overthrown. He also gained 53 yards on five desperate scrambles. The Miami defense held Marshawn Lynch in check. They played eight men near the line on first down and brought in extra defensive backs on second and third downs. Lynch only averaged 2.4 yards per carry on 13 tries. Lee Evans, who has had some monster games against the Dolphins in the past, only caught three passes for 23 yards. Josh Reed led the Bills' receivers with five balls for 58 yards. While the Bills' offense only converted one of ten third down opportunities and held the ball for just over 22 minutes, the Buffalo defense did a laudable job of holding Miami to one touchdown and four field goal attempts.

Buffalo has made news as they've scheduled annual regular season games outside the United States. The five year $78 million deal includes five regular season and three preseason games with the NFL responsible for setting dates and opponents. Located about 100 miles north of Rich Stadium, the Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) is home to the Toronto Blue Jays and the CFL Toronto Argonauts.

What you ought to know

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 23 - 29 - 181 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 - Pennington had another masterful game, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers controlling the clock for almost 38 minutes, and avoiding turnovers. He earned a QB rating of 104.2, based on 23 completions in 29 attempts and one touchdown, and his 181 passing yards puts him over 3,000 yards for the season.

While new management and a new coaching staff deserve credit for Miami's turnaround, Pennington was a key off season acquisition. He may not put up great fantasy numbers but he gives his team a chance to win and he doesn't lose many games. Pennington threw for 314 yards and one TD against Buffalo in week eight.

RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 16 - 70 - 0, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Brown averaged 4.4 yards per carry. The Wildcat offense was not very successful, but Miami still ran it half a dozen times throughout the game. Brown shows no effects from his knee surgery, and is trying to make this the first season of his pro career not cut short but injury.

RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 11 - 40 - 0, Rec: 2 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams averaged 3.6 yards per carry but had a 14 yard TD run called back on a holding penalty. He seemed to be especially well received by the fans who remembered him from 2006 when he played for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

RB Lousaka Polite, Rush: 3 - 7 - 0, Rec: 2 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - Polite was called upon twice in and short yardage situations to move the chains, which he did.

RB Patrick Cobbs (1 targets) - Cobbs failed to catch the one pass thrown to him and was not a factor.

WR Davone Bess, Rec: 9 - 74 - 0 (11 targets) - Since replacing Camarillo, Bess has emerged as Miami's number one target and led all receivers with nine grabs for 74 yards. Bess is fast and quick and they design ways to get him the ball in space. In his last game against the Rams he caught six passes for 84 yards following his five catch, 87 yard effort against New England.

WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Wilford made his second and third catches of the year in the second half of the game. His appearance coincided with the disappearance of Ted Ginn, Jr.

WR Ted Ginn, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Ginn was only targeted in the first half. In Miami's first meeting against the Bills Ginn had a breakout game catching seven balls for 175 yards.

TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 3 - 36 - 1 (3 targets) - Pennington's second favorite receiver in the game, Fasano scored the only TD on a 20 yard pass in the first quarter. It was his fourth touchdown of the season.

TE David Martin, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Miami uses Martin when they set up in a two tight end formation. He has decent hands, Pennington is not afraid to throw to him, and he's a good blocker.

PK Dan Carpenter 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Carpenter hit field goals from 50, 35, and 27 yards but missed one from 48 yards late in the game. The rookie free agent from Montana, who beat out Jay Feely in training camp, was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November.

MIA Rush Defense - Miami bunched the line on first down and limited Marshawn Lynch to just 31 yards on 13 carries. The Bills rushed for a total of 84 yards, but Losman picked up most of that scrambling.

MIA Pass Defense - While the Dolphins did not intercept Losman, they sacked him four times, including two by Joey Porter. Miami also benefited from the Buffalo quarterback's wildness.

QB J.P. Losman, Pass: 13 - 27 - 123 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 53 - 0 - Losman has a strong arm because it's really hard to overthrow both Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish multiple times in the same game. The unofficial total was seven overthrown passes, but the worst came in the third quarter. Evans put on a double move and the corner grabbed him as he broke into the clear and streaked up field. Losman launched a rocket but no penalty was called because the pass was so far over thrown that it was ruled uncatchable. In the second quarter Losman over threw him on the sidelines but Evans leaped up, made an improbable one handed catch, but landed well out of bounds. It was the best catch you'll never see.

Losman had a few moments of clarity when he threw a good pass or scrambled away from the rush and hit a receiver for a first down, but they were too few. His one interception was especially costly, an under thrown pass in the end zone that killed their only serious scoring opportunity. In relief appearances this season Losman completed 26 of 38 for 313 yards with one TD and one INT, but this was his first start since November 2007. The former first round draft pick will be a free agent next season and has stated that he will not re-sign with Buffalo. To their credit, the Bills have expressed no interest in wanting him back.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 13 - 31 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (4 targets) - Lynch was held in check by the Miami defense. He also flat out dropped two passes right in his hands that would have picked up rare Buffalo first downs to keep drives alive. With three games to play, Lynch has rushed for 875 yards.

RB Fred Jackson - Jackson was active and played in the game but was not statistically involved in the offense.

WR Josh Reed, Rec: 5 - 58 - 0 (6 targets) - Reed led all Buffalo receivers with five catches for 58 yards. He made a great one handed grab in the third quarter and turned it into the 23 yard gain. Receivers have the opportunity to make outstanding catches that make highlight shows when their quarterback is not accurate.

WR Lee Evans, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (6 targets) - Although targeted twice in the first half, Evans made his first catch in the third quarter. Three of the passes he missed were poorly thrown but Evans had at least one opportunity for a big play. He beat the corner and found himself streaking all alone toward the end zone only to see the pass overthrown by 15 yards.

In nine pervious games against Miami, Evans had eight touchdowns. Although he only averaged 7.7 yards per reception in this game, he is still on pace to average over 15 yards per catch for a fifth consecutive season.

WR Roscoe Parrish, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - On the third play of the Bills' first drive Losman tried to hit Parrish streaking down the left sideline but overthrew him. It was an sign of things to come. The Bills are still trying to figure out ways to utilize Parrish in their offense. He also returned two kickoffs for 40 yards and two punts for 11.

WR Steve Johnson, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - The rookie from Kentucky made his one catch in the first quarter.

WR James Hardy (1 targets) - Hardy was hit hard just as his only target arrived in the first quarter but he fumbled the ball. Josh Reed recovered for an apparent first down, but the play was challenged. Review showed he never had possession in the first place and it was therefore just an incomplete pass. At 6'5" he would have made a better target for the Bills' ill fated fade route in the end zone instead of the 5' 10" Lee Evans.

TE Derek Schouman, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Schouman caught one pass for five yards but was mainly a non factor in this game.

TE Robert Royal (1 targets) - Royal missed the last game with a hamstring injury but returned to the lineup. Unfortunately he dropped a pass in the third quarter that hit him in the hands and would have been a first down.

PK Rian Lindell 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Lindell nailed his only field goal attempt from 40 yards out.

BUF Rush Defense - The Bills' offense only had the ball for about 22 minutes which left their defense out to dry. Still, while Miami rushed for 115 yards, they only averaged 3.4 yards per carry and neither Ronnie Brown nor Ricky Williams cracked the century mark.

BUF Pass Defense - Pennington performed surgery on the Bills secondary. He completed 23 of 29 for 180 yards and enabled Miami to control the ball for almost 38 minutes. Joey Porter had two sacks and now has 16.5 on the season.

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Kansas City Chiefs 17, Denver Broncos 24

What you need to know

Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs battled all game on the road, but came up just short against the division leading Broncos, falling to 2-11. Tyler Thigpen completed 17 of 32 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions on the afternoon, which wasn't enough against a Broncos secondary susceptible to the pass this season. Dwayne Bowe led all receivers with seven receptions for 96 yards, though was kept out of the end zone. Tight end Tony Gonzalez did catch a touchdown to go with five catches for 73 yards. With Mark Bradley out with calf problems on both legs, Jeff Webb was the only other receiver to catch a pass, with eight yards on a single grab. Out of the backfield, Jamaal Charles added three receptions for twelve yards and Jackie Battle lost two yards on his only catch.

Though the Chiefs led for much of the first half and parts of the second half, the Chiefs didn't focus on running the ball against the Broncos. Larry Johnson carried the ball just eleven times for 36 yards, while Jamaal Charles received one carry for thirteen yards. Tyler Thigpen had six official carries for 34 yards, including a four yard draw where he was stuffed at the end of the game from the five yard line on fourth and goal.

Denver Broncos - Though the Broncos entered with a gameplan to run the ball against the Chiefs, a strained right hamstring sidelined rookie Peyton Hillis in the second quarter, and forced the Broncos to the air game to get their eighth win of the season. The home win gives them a three game division lead with three games to go over the San Diego Chargers.

After having an interception returned for a touchdown early, Jay Cutler rebounded to lead the Broncos to victory by completing 32 of 40 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns to go with the one interception. Cutler looked the way of Brandon Marshall frequently, who came up big and caught eleven passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Eddie Royal sprinkled in six catches for 42 yards throughout the game and did a good job of keeping the chains moving. The tight ends played a big role in this game, with five receptions and 61 yards from Tony Scheffler and three catches for 32 yards from Daniel Graham. Before exiting with an ankle injury, receiver Brandon Stokley caught two passes for 19 yards, and was spelled by Darrell Jackson, who came up with fourteen yards on a pair of receptions. Filling in for Peyton Hillis after he was injured, Tatum Bell recorded two catches for sixteen yards to add to the eleven yards Hillis picked up on a single grab.

Before exiting with a strained right hamstring, Peyton Hillis was on his way to a very good game, with eight carries for 58 yards and a touchdown, and was the focus of the Broncos offense. Tatum Bell was the only other tailback on the gameday roster, and came in to pick up 52 yards on eleven carries. The Broncos used wide receiver Eddie Royal on three end arounds, which he picked up thirteen yards on. Jay Cutler scrambled for sixteen yards on eight official attempts.

What you ought to know

QB Tyler Thigpen, Pass: 17 - 32 - 187 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 34 - 0 - Thigpen completed just 53 percent of his passes for an average gain of 5.8 yards per attempt, but with no interceptions earned a passer rating on the day of 70.7. Unfortunately he struggled in the red zone, and was unable to tie the game up late with multiple opportunities to do so from the five yard line. In addition to missing Dwayne Bowe through the air, he also came up just short on a draw play as he was stuffed at the one yard line on fourth and goal.

RB Larry Johnson, Rush: 11 - 36 - 0 - Johnson was hardly given a chance to get going in this game, and only averaged 3.3 yards with his eleven carries. His long on the day was eleven yards, but his lack of activity in a close game played a bigger role in his poor stats. Johnson was given just three carries in the second half of a close game.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 7 - 96 - 0 (12 targets) - Bowe led the team in receptions, but was kept out of the end zone against the Broncos secondary that did not have Champ Bailey. Bowe was targeted twice late in the game in the end zone, though at least one ball was not really catchable. Bowe was targeted frequently in the two minute offense in the first half as well.

WR Jeff Webb, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (3 targets) - With Mark Bradley out, Jeff Webb lined up in many formations, but finished with just a single grab. All three targets came on a single series in the second quarter of this game.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 5 - 73 - 1 (11 targets) - Gonzalez proved again to be the best playmaker on the Chiefs, catching their only offensive touchdown, and averaging 14.6 yards per reception.

PK Connor Barth 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Barth connected on his only field goal attempt from 26 yards, and made both extra point attempts.

KC Rush Defense - The Chiefs gave up 110 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries to the Broncos traditional tailbacks, but also allowed Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal to add 29 additional yards.

KC Pass Defense - Though they came up with an interception that they returned for a touchdown early, they were unable to shutdown Brandon Marshall as the game went on, and gave up 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air.

QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 32 - 40 - 286 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 8 - 16 - 0 - Cutler rebounded from an early interception to complete 80 percent of his passes for an average gain of 7.2 yards per attempt on his way to an 86.0 passer rating. Cutler put the game on his shoulders and looked for Brandon Marshall in key situations to lead the Broncos to their division leading eighth win of the season.

RB Tatum Bell, Rush: 11 - 52 - 0, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Bell entered the game and was used sparingly after the Broncos had featured the running game extensively early, perhaps a telling sign. Bell did average 4.7 yards per attempt, though more than half of his yardage came on a 28 yard carry in the second half. Depending upon the injury status of Peyton Hillis and Selvin Young, Tatum Bell could be the sixth different featured running back for the Broncos this season, joining the aforementioned plus Michael Pittman, Ryan Torain and Andre Hall.

RB Peyton Hillis, Rush: 8 - 58 - 1, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Hillis was averaging 7.3 yards per rush, but a nice catch on a eleven yard reception ended with his leg coming down straight against the ground, and caused him to exit with a strained hamstring. The extent of this injury will be evaluated further, though Mike Shanahan did not sound optimistic in his post game conference, suggesting it was a bad strain which could cause him to miss some games.

WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 11 - 91 - 2 (12 targets) - Marshall averaged just 8.3 yards per reception in this game, but came up with two very big catches in the end zone amongst eleven on the day to help lead the Broncos to victory, and caught almost everything in site. With his big day, Marshall passed the 80 reception and 1000 yard receiving mark on the season in twelve games played.

WR Eddie Royal, Rush: 3 - 13 - 0, Rec: 6 - 42 - 0 (7 targets) - Royal only averaged 7.0 yards per reception in this game, but including three rushing attempts and two kickoff returns, touched the ball eleven times for 95 all purpose yards against the Chiefs. The lone target which Royal did not record a catch was initially ruled an eleven yard catch, but overturned on a challenge.

TE Tony Scheffler, Rec: 5 - 61 - 0 (6 targets) - Scheffler followed up a big game against the Jets with another good performance, average 12.2 yards per reception. Fellow tight end Daniel Graham added three receptions as the Broncos lined up in a number of two tight end sets with Peyton Hillis and Brandon Stokley both sidelined during this game.

PK Matt Prater 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Prater made a 33 yard field goal, but missed a 48 yard field goal in the first half. Prater connected on all three extra point attempts.

DEN Rush Defense - The Broncos shutdown the Chiefs running game, allowing just 49 yards from their tailbacks, though the linebackers struggled to contain an elusive Tyler Thigpen, who finished with 34 yards on the afternoon.

DEN Pass Defense - Though they were playing without Champ Bailey, the Broncos held Tyler Thigpen and the Chiefs to just 187 yards and one touchdown despite the Chiefs game plan to try to beat them through the air.

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Dallas Cowboys 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 20

What you need to know

Dallas Cowboys - QB Ben Roethlisberger was unable to take advantage of good early field position and the turnovers his defense was able to generate for him early. His completion percentage was very low in the first half, apparently affected by the cold weather and windy conditions. He only had 63 yards at the break. In the second half, Roethlisberger was more effective and led a clutch drive to tie the game with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Dallas's defense predominantly kept both safeties deep, so Roethlisberger was able to work the middle of the field with the tight end and slot receivers. Overall, Roethlisberger could not get much time most of the game to make any big downfield throws, getting sacked five times.

RB Willie Parker got the start and was very tentative in the first half. He was held in check for most of the half and had just 14 yards on eight carries at the break. He was held to just 25 rushing yards in the game and was no better in the second stanza. RB Mewelde Moore was clearly the more effective back in fewer opportunities. Moore was also a factor out of the backfield where he connected four times with Roethlisberger. It is looking like a committee approach for the Steelers down the stretch this season.

WR Santonio Holmes played a very solid game working the sideline patterns. Ben Roethlisberger was able to find Holmes on a deep pass for 47 yards on a third and long that may have saved the game for Pittsburgh. He ended up with 82 yards. He had two other looks in the red zone and either one of those would have given him great final numbers. He also had a few good punt returns if your league awards special team yards.

Pittsburgh Steelers - QB Tony Romo was unable to sustain any drives early in the game but did get his team down the field for a field goal which tied the game at halftime. He connected on half of his passing attempts in the first half, but that only resulted in 91 yards. This was directly related to how effective the Steelers' pass rush was and the tight coverage on Cowboys wide receivers. The Cowboys made a few adjustments at halftime and Romo was able to avoid sacks in the second half, by staying with shorter routes to his checkdowns. His overall numbers were sub par, with just over 200 yards against three interceptions.

RB Tashard Choice, starting in place of an injured Marion Barber, was semi-effective at the first half with 44 yards on 12 carries. He was even better in the second half in both the running and passing games. The rookie gained more yards than any running back has against the top ranked Steelers' defense. Dallas was very determined to keep the ball on the ground. Choice proved to be effective as a replacement, with 88 yards rushing on 23 carries and had 78 receiving. He ended up with 166 total yards.

WR Terrell Owens was held without a catch in the first half. He did finally connect with Romo on a touchdown in the early third quarter when he outfought a Steelers defender in the end zone. He added a few more catches but ended up with only 32 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Tony Romo, Pass: 19 - 36 - 210 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0 - Romo was not his usual self in the game, coming off a broken finger and also was affected by the tough playing conditions. He was not able to avoid the turnovers and gave Pittsburgh the ball four times. His hand got stepped on early in the game and that may have contributed to his problems. He was high on many throws, but also his receivers did not seem to help, running the wrong pattern more than a few times. One key mistake by TE Jason Witten led to a critical interception that sealed the game for Pittsburgh. Romo looked as if the cold weather may have affected his game.

RB Tashard Choice, Rush: 23 - 88 - 0, Rec: 5 - 78 - 0 (8 targets) - Choice played well all day, given he is only a rookie. The team's offensive line was able to control the line of scrimmage and he made the most of it. Even against the tough Steelers' rush defense, Choice was able to break a few tackles and showed some elusiveness that made others miss. He had a significant role in the passing game on swing passes, one of which he took down the sideline for a big 50 yard gain in the first half.

WR Terrell Owens, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 3 - 32 - 1 (8 targets) - Owens was only able to connect for 32 yards from QB Tony Romo in the second half after being shutout early on. His longest reception was just 12 yards. He was used a running play for a short gain. Noticeable was high number of incomplete passes, two of which were picked off, but that was more a function of Romo trying to force the ball rather than Owens's hands.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) - Williams was not a major part of the offense, despite getting the ball thrown to him a reasonable amount. In the first half, he beat single coverage for a first down. In the second half, he got another along the sideline. The lack of another dynamic threat to Owens is a contributor to the Cowboys' offensive struggles in the second half of the season.

WR Patrick Crayton (1 targets) - Crayton did not have a catch.

TE Jason Witten, Rec: 6 - 62 - 0 (9 targets) - Witten connected on five catches for 53 yards the first half. He was a major target for Romo for much of the game and that showed in his overall numbers. However, poor communication with his quarterback resulted in a costly interception and another incomplete pass which sealed the loss. Also of note was Witten missed a few plays in each half with injuries. Owners should keep an eye out for that report this week.

PK Nick Folk 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Folk connected on a 44 yard field goal and another 33 yarder along with an extra point. He had no other opportunities.

DAL Rush Defense - The Steelers posted less than three yards rushing per play. Dallas was able to contain RB Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker all day. LB Brady James was a force. A key goal line stand held Pittsburgh scoreless early in the fourth quarter and appeared to give Dallas the game. Their defense played well enough to win today.

DAL Pass Defense - The Cowboys' pass rush was quite effective until late in the game and the Steelers' passing game struggled to move the ball in the entire first half. Things changed in the fourth quarter, just enough to deny Dallas the game. DE DeMarcus Ware got a sack, one of five his unit registered today and had a few more pressures.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 17 - 33 - 204 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 17 - 0 - It was said before the game that a lingering shoulder injury to Roethlisberger was mostly cleared up. His play did nothing to prove that. He was unable to move the ball effectively during the first half and absent any passing rhythm for most of the game. He did regain his rhythm in the fourth quarter and was able to spread the ball to his wideouts and tight end. The most significant drive was late in the game and he showed good mobility and was able to find WR Nate Washington twice, the second time was down to the eight yard line. Roethlisberger then went to TE Heath Miller for a touchdown to tie the game. His patience was tested but he avoided forcing the ball into tight coverage for the most part. On the down side, the sacks and serious hits that have been a constant for him along the way this season were back and he held the ball way too long.

RB Willie Parker, Rush: 12 - 25 - 0 (1 targets) - Parker has not been the same player since he has returned from a slate of injuries a few weeks ago. He ended up with only 25 rushing yards and did not catch a pass. Parker's overall numbers reflect the fact that his speed is gone for the past few games and cannot get the edge, his usual main weapon. He is not on the field when the Steelers' offense moves the ball and HC Mike Tomlin has a big decision to make about Parker's future role.

RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 5 - 22 - 0, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (6 targets) - Moore did not get another start and came off the bench. He ended up with 58 total yards and just missed a touchdown catch when a perfectly called screen pass deflected off a rusher. Moore's overall numbers were slightly deceiving as he made some key plays during the few times the Steelers' offense moved the ball well. Moore was involved in the passing game as usual. He could be the starter if Parker's effectiveness remains in question. Moore had been the most effective back for the Steelers this season.

WR Nate Washington, Rec: 4 - 58 - 0 (8 targets) - WR Nate Washington did most of his damage in the second half. The Cowboys' secondary took Washington away for much of the game on deep passes, but he came through on a scoring drive late in the game, showing improved hands. He reeled in a clutch catch on the on the final drive which lead to the Steelers' only offensive TD.

WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 3 - 82 - 0 (7 targets) - Holmes was the most targeted player for Roethlisberger in the red zone (twice), but could not connect on his opportunities close to the goal line. His impressive speed was on display as he hauled in a long pass beating DB Anthony Henry down the sideline. Holmes draws most of the defense's attention throughout of the game and has had uneven success beating it this season. His breakout game seems just around the corner frustrating his fantasy owners.

WR Hines Ward, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (4 targets) - Hines Ward had only a few balls thrown his way and caught only one pass. Despite this week's outing, Ward is typically the most consistent option in the passing game for Pittsburgh.

TE Heath Miller, Rec: 3 - 20 - 1 (4 targets) - TE Heath Miller made the most of his limited opportunities in the passing game. The Cowboys lost track of him on a flat pass and he carried a defender into the end zone.

PK Jeff Reed 2 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Reed hit a 41 yard field goal and another 24 yarder and two XP's. He had one other FG opportunity and missed from 45 yards.

PIT Rush Defense - The Steelers gave up 95 total yards rushing, with 88 of it to a rookie running back. Some of that can be attributed to the size of the Dallas offensive line, but the Steelers' run defense had been playing well all season, so this was not a typical performance.

PIT Pass Defense - The Pittsburgh pass rush was a major factor in the game, recording three sacks, and several other QB pressures, mostly from OLB James Harrison who also forced a fumble. The Cowboys did adjust and protected Tony Romo a little better in the second half. Steelers' pass defense was also quite effective in getting a hand on many balls to generate three interceptions, one of which DB Deshea Townsend returned for touchdown.

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Oakland Raiders 7, San Diego Chargers 34

What you need to know

Oakland Raiders - QB JaMarcus Russell was having a very poor game when things got even worse. He had his right ankle rolled up onto late in the first half, and he did not return to the game. There was no immediate update on his condition.

TE Zach Miller was the only reliable target for the Raiders, once again leading the team in receptions and yardage.

RB Darren McFadden had just three offensive touches in the entire game, as Oakland rarely had the ball long enough to sustain any drives to get him involved.

San Diego Chargers - QB Philip Rivers tied a career high with three touchdown passes despite throwing the ball only 22 times. The primary reason was that he twice found WR Vincent Jackson for deep balls downfield that really boosted his passing numbers.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson looked as good as he has in quite some time, nearly reaching the 100 yard mark and finding the end zone.

WR Vincent Jackson did what few players have been able to do this season -- he beat Nnamdi Asomugha on a deep ball, and then added another on CB Chris Johnson to finish with a career day.

What you ought to know

QB Andrew Walter, Pass: 8 - 17 - 61 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Walter filled in to start the second half in place of the injured JaMarcus Russell. Russell had turned the ball over three times prior to halftime and had failed to deliver any points. Walter didn't fare much better, though he only turned it over once (a terrible pass with three Chargers in the immediate area of the football) while failing to deliver any points. It took him 17 pass attempts just to get 61 yards, and the Raiders weren't able to get anything going downfield. He missed a wide open Ronald Curry for what could have gone for a nice gain, but other than that there just wasn't much there to be had. He was visibly frustrated by a lack of effort on the part of RB Darren McFadden on a fourth down pass attempt that could have kept a drive going, though he didn't follow it up by discussing it with him on the sideline. Walter himself was guilty of failing to keep a drive going when he was stuffed on a third and one run midway through the third quarter.

QB JaMarcus Russell, Pass: 9 - 13 - 68 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Russell's evening was doomed right from the outset. On Oakland's very first possession, he dropped back to pass from his own 12 yard line. LB Shaun Phillips got to him for the sack, and in the process jarred the ball loose. San Diego recovered, and scored a touchdown three plays later to open a 10-0 lead. Following a punt and another San Diego touchdown, Russell took three pass attempts to register another turnover -- this time an interception. After another punt on the next possession, they eventually got the ball back with just under three minutes remaining in the half. Russell's third pass of the drive was also picked off. He was hit as he threw, sending a wobbly pass into the air that was easily snagged by LB Stephen Cooper.

Following that pass attempt, Russell was checked out on the sideline for a possible injury. He was soon carted off to the locker room, and as the second half began it was reported that he was officially, mercifully, out for the game. The diagnosis was a right ankle injury, and he'll be re-evaluated later this week.

Before leaving, Russell did have a nice rapport with TE Zach Miller, who had four first half receptions. On one particular pass, Russell showed terrific arm strength by making a perfect pass across his body to the right side of the field to find Miller on the run for a 21 yard pickup. Unfortunately for Russell, tosses like that were very few and far between.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 12 - 50 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Fargas ran hard and every yard he got he fought for, but there just wasn't enough room for him to do much damage. The Raiders rarely had the ball enough for him to get into a rhythm, and they failed to score a single offensive point in the game. The one time they came close to scoring, they to the San Diego 18 yard line. Four plays later, they had lost 26 yards and were punting from the 44. That's the kind of day it was for the Raiders. Fargas didn't help the cause much by playing very poorly in pass protection. He whiffed entirely on several blocks, one of which turned into a fumble by QB JaMarcus Russell deep in their own territory.

RB Darren McFadden, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (5 targets) - McFadden has been campaigning for more involvement in the offense. While he didn't get his wish in the form of touches in this game, he has no one to blame but himself if he doesn't see an increase next week. His statistics aside, he showed very little desire on a peculiar play in the fourth quarter. Facing a fourth down, Andrew Walter floated a ball to McFadden out in the flat. Had McFadden reached up and made the play, he'd have gotten the first down with ease. But McFadden, sensing that a defender was close to him and about to lay him out, pulled his hands down at the last moment to protect himself. As it turned out, there were no defenders all that close to him and he would have made the catch with room to spare. Instead, the ball sailed over his head for an incompletion and a turnover on downs.

On the bright side, he made several nice tackles during the San Diego interception returns and also made a reception as he was being undercut from behind by one of his offensive line teammates.

WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (8 targets) - For all those targets, Curry's lack of productivity is startling. His longest catch of the game went for just nine yards. He could have had a big gain late in the game as he broke free across the field towards the sideline on a deep out cut. QB Andrew Walter, however, showed very little accuracy in sailing the ball well beyond him and out of bounds for the incompletion.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - Higgins was thrown to just three times, all in the first half, and was a very small part of the offense. His long reception was just 12 yards, and he failed to make any big plays despite Oakland throwing almost non-stop in the second half.

TE Zach Miller, Rec: 8 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) - The lone offensive bright spot, Miller once again led the team in catches and yardage. Many tight ends have had big games against San Diego this year, and while his final stat line may not look like much, it is huge relative to his teammates. He also had to deal with a halftime quarterback change due to injury, yet maintained his production in the second half when Andrew Walter came in. Miller was involved in a scary moment late in the first half when he was seemingly hit in the head or chest during an interception. He remained on the ground for some time, eventually made his way to the sidelines, and in the second half he made his way back into the game.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Janikowski's only kick attempt of the game was an extra point following a kick return touchdown. The Raider offense couldn't take advantage of a porous San Diego defense and came up with zero offensive points.

OAK Rush Defense - The Raiders were unable to stifle LaDainian Tomlinson early on, as he was dragging would be tacklers for extra yardage on just about every play. On his touchdown run, the linemen and fullback opened up a truck-sized hole for Tomlinson and he marched right through for the score completely untouched. The Raiders had even more trouble with backup Darren Sproles. Sproles was far too quick and elusive for Oakland defenders, and more often than not he left them grasping at air. He took two short screen passes for touchdowns and added another thirty yards on the ground. Even QB Philip Rivers got in on the action, with a career long eleven yard scramble and another key third down run to keep the chains moving. In total, San Diego ran for 158 yards on the ground to Oakland's 54. That figure and the turnover differential account for the lopsided final score in this one.

OAK Pass Defense - From the opening drive, things went poorly for the Raiders. All-Pro CB Nnamdi Asomugha let WR Vincent Jackson beat him downfield for a deep ball. Asomugha attempted to interfere with Jackson repeatedly, but he was so far out of position that he had no idea where the ball actually was. By the time he was done mugging Jackson, the ball still hadn't come down yet. When it finally did, Jackson cradled it in for a 46 yard gain. That wasn't the only time Jackson got behind an Oakland defender on the day. Later, he beat CB Chris Johnson for a 59 yard touchdown reception, one of the easiest scores of the year for the Chargers. On the play, Jackson ran a simple fly pattern down the sideline. Johnson misread the route, and by the time he realized Jackson was still running, it was far too late. Jackson caught the ball about five yards beyond where Johnson was, and from there it was off to the races.

Up front, the Raiders got absolutely no pressure on Philip Rivers whatsoever. With all day to read the field, he didn't come close to turning the ball over either.

Both of the other two touchdown passes were screens to Darren Sproles. On the first one, he made one quick cut to the inside and took off for the end zone as if shot from a cannon. On the second one, Oakland was in an all-out blitz. The Chargers picked it up, and Sproles had nothing was given an escort to the end zone courtesy of Mike Goff for the easy score.

QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 10 - 22 - 214 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 19 - 0 - Rivers had a very unique stat line, completing under 50% of his passes but still managing to throw three touchdowns and go over 200 yards through the air. All on just 22 pass attempts. The primary reason for this is because he hooked up on two bombs with WR Vincent Jackson, one for 46 yards and one for 59. The first pass represented the first time in seven games that Rivers has completed a pass for more than forty yards. The connection came on a third and two pass, and was targeted right at Oakland's (and arguably the league's) top corner man, Nnamdi Asomugha. Later, Rivers found Jackson perfectly in stride for the long touchdown as well. Along the way, he mixed in a couple of shorter touchdowns to undersized RB Darren Sproles. Each of those touchdowns was simply a terrific individual effort by Sproles, who took off like a bullet as soon as he had his hands on the ball. On the second score, Rivers did a nice job of floating the ball to him just over the oncoming pass rush, and there was mostly daylight in front of Sproles for the easy score.

Rivers nearly added another touchdown late in the first half when he tried to find Malcolm Floyd with a pass along the end zone sideline. The ball sailed just a bit, however, and Floyd was unable to remain inbounds and control the pass.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 25 - 91 - 1 - Tomlinson began the evening looking like he was well on his way to a huge game and a likely 100 yard performance. He consistently moved the pile, and the Chargers opened up a huge early lead. Included in that early lead was a touchdown run on which Tomlinson waltzed into the end zone completely untouched. His blocking up front looked great, and he finished the first quarter with 49 yards on 12 carries. He did briefly leave the game after a huge hit by S Hiram Eugene, but didn't look fazed by it on the sideline. When the second quarter opened, Darren Sproles was in the game and was the beneficiary of the next four touches, including a touchdown off a screen pass. Tomlinson returned shortly thereafter. But for the remainder of the game, he was in and out of the lineup a lot. It was unclear whether it was a coaching decision or if Tomlinson was simply taking himself out, but he rarely remained in the game after a rushing attempt, instead jogging towards the sideline on just about every one. He didn't appear to be injured in any way.

Late in the game, announcer Cris Collinsworth showed video analysis of Tomlinson's go to jump cut move. In past seasons, Tomlinson has been able to make that cut and explode out of it. But now, he seems to make the cut and that's it. If there is a tackler waiting for him, he is unable to muster up the burst to accelerate by him, as he did in the past. Whether that is something that can be corrected going forward or next season is unclear.

Finally, Tomlinson lost a 25 yard rush in the fourth quarter when TE Antonio Gates was whistled for a holding penalty. It should be noted, however, that without the holding penalty there is no way Tomlinson would have turned the corner and gotten 25 yards in the first place.

RB Darren Sproles, Rush: 9 - 30 - 0, Rec: 3 - 34 - 2 (4 targets) - Sproles had a huge game, and had it not been for an overzealous official it could have been even bigger. For starters, he caught two touchdown passes, both of them coming on screens and both of them featuring Sproles appearing to be shot out of a cannon immediately after making the catch. The Raiders had all kinds of trouble even getting a hand on Sproles, let alone actually tackling him. He made a hard cut back early in the game that announcer Cris Collinsworth said looked like, "The LT of old" (a reference to LaDainian Tomlinson in his younger years). The one that got away for Sproles was a punt return touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He burst up the left sideline for what appeared to be an 86 yard punt return touchdown. The play was called back due to an illegal block in the back penalty, though Antoine Cason (the offending party) made very little contact with the would be tackler and didn't appear to disrupt his route any.

RB Jacob Hester, Rush: 7 - 18 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) - Hester ran hard and moved the pile more often than not, but the holes weren't there for him to break any big runs. After last week's increased involvement in the offense, he once again took a back seat to Darren Sproles as the primary backup to LaDainian Tomlinson.

WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 5 - 148 - 1 (9 targets) - Jackson turned three short receptions and two incredibly long receptions into a career day against Oakland. On San Diego's opening drive, he beat All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha down the right sideline for a gain of 46 yards. He also drew a pass interference flag on the play, but it wasn't needed because Jackson managed to make a tough catch and hang onto the football as he was essentially being tackled. Three possessions later, Jackson again tried that side of the field -- this time against CB Chris Johnson. Again, Jackson beat his man deep down the field, this time for a 59 yard touchdown. That score put the Chargers up 24-0 and effectively put the game out of reach. The 148 receiving yards represented a career high for Jackson.

WR Malcom Floyd, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) - Floyd, who has seen his role in the offense drastically increased in recent weeks, was thrown to just twice. One of them, however, came in the end zone and he very nearly came down with the score. He was wide open near the left sideline and Philip Rivers fired a pass in his direction. Had the ball gotten there a little sooner or a bit closer to the field, Floyd may have had a shot at it. As it was, it was a bit too close to the sideline and Floyd was unable to keep his feet inbounds or his hands on the ball.

WR Chris Chambers (1 targets) - Chambers was mostly covered by Nnamdi Asomugha, who effectively removed him from making any meaningful impact. The only pass thrown Chambers' way was a deep ball down the sideline that had very little chance of being completed.

TE Antonio Gates (3 targets) - For the first time in 80 games, Gates failed to register a single reception. It couldn't have come at a much worse time for Gates owners, being the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. It wasn't entirely Gates' fault, however, as the Chargers simply didn't need him much. They were up 10-0 by the end of the first quarter and 27-7 by halftime thanks to two long catches by Vincent Jackson and two short screen passes to Darren Sproles. Gates was thrown to once in the end zone, but it was sort of a desperation pass by Philip Rivers on third down very early on.

Last week, commentators discussed Gates as possibly having injured himself late in the game. He didn't look to be visibly hobbled any in this game; it seemed to be more a case of San Diego taking the air out of the ball very early on.

PK Nate Kaeding 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Kaeding booted two fairly easy field goals, one from 20 yards out and another from 39.

SD Rush Defense - After jumping out to a 10-0 first quarter lead that eventually ballooned to 27-7 by halftime, the Chargers pretty much knew the only way for Oakland to get back into the game was through the air. So that certainly helped with the rushing numbers. That's not to say the Raiders would have been successful had the game remained close. After all, they did run it 16 times and accumulated just 54 yards. Justin Fargas was the primary runner, handling the ball 12 of those 16 times for 50 of the 54 yards. But his long gain went for just eight yards and he was never in danger of establishing a rhythm or taking over the game. The San Diego defense did a great job of not allowing the Oakland offensive line to create many holes, and it showed in the stats.

The only semi-big play the Raiders had in the second half was a third and one QB sneak attempt by Andrew Walter in the third quarter. He was stuffed, and the Raiders punted.

SD Pass Defense - For the first time really all season, the Chargers got a lot of pressure on the opposing quarterback. They swarmed both JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter, which led to three sacks, three interceptions, and a forced fumble. LB Shaun Phillips, in particular, was very active (2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble).

As has usually been the case this season, the player that did the most damage against them was the opposition's tight end, this time Zach Miller. But the difference in this game is that none of the other skill position players turned up their game whatsoever. The Chargers were constantly harassing the quarterback, which in turn meant the defensive backs and linebackers could play tighter coverage without fear of being beaten deep. It was clear that the defensive pressure up front was directly responsible for the turnovers in the defensive backfield.

On one of the interceptions, LB Stephen Cooper made a lateral to CB Antonio Cromartie to try and get a bigger return. Cromartie, who has been slowed by injury for much of this season, dropped back about fifteen yards before turning the corner and getting back upfield. He looked pretty good, displaying some nice moves in the process, but couldn't quite elude the barrage of tacklers to really break free towards the end zone.

San Diego nearly added a fourth interception late in the fourth quarter when CB Quentin Jammer jumped a route. He made a diving play on the ball, but dropped it for an incomplete pass.

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New England Patriots 24, Seattle Seahawks 21

What you need to know

New England Patriots - QB Matt Cassel was solid throwing for 268 yards with one TD and more importantly, zero interceptions. Wes Welker was clearly his favorite target.

Gostkowski added another field goal to start the second half scoring, as he connected from 42 yards out. After another Seattle touchdown in the third, the Patriots came out swinging in the fourth quarter with 11 unanswered points to win the game. Gostkowski added another field goal form 27 yards out and Sammy Morris ended scoring for the game with a one yard touchdown run. New England went for two following the score, and was successful, as Cassel hit WR Wes Welker for a two point conversion to give New England the lead 24-21.

The Patriots defense came up big with two minutes left, sacking Seattle QB Seneca Wallace, forcing and recovering a fumble that sealed the deal for New England.

Seattle Seahawks - Seattle opened the game with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Seneca Wallace to WR Deion Branch. Wallace connected with TE John Carlson from ten yards out for their other first half score, and the Seahawks took a 14-10 lead into the break.

Branch caught his second score of the game from four yards out in the third quarter that followed a New England score, but that was the last points the Seahawks put on the board. New England ran off 11 fourth quarter points that Seattle could not answer, and Seneca Wallace lost a fumble on the team's last possession that ended the game for the Seahawks.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 26 - 44 - 268 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 7 - 14 - 0 - Cassel had another productive game for New England, as he finished 26 of 44 for 268 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. He completed passes to six different receivers, but was locked in on Wes Welker for most of the game. His only touchdown of the game came on a two yard scoring pass to TE Ben Watson. Cassel made another big play for the Patriots on their last score of the game, where he connected with WR Wes Welker for a successful two point conversion to give the team a three point lead late in the game.

RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 11 - 36 - 1 - Morris led New England in rushing with just 36 yards on 11 carries, but did score from one yard out late in the fourth quarter for the go ahead score.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 3 - 16 - 0, Rec: 5 - 22 - 0 (6 targets) - Faulk was used in the passing game, where he caught five passes for 22 yards on six targets, and he also added 16 yards rushing on three attempts on the ground.

RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 4 - 18 - 0 - Jordan contributed 18 yards rushing on four attempts and did not record a catch.

WR Wes Welker, Rec: 12 - 134 - 0 (18 targets) - Welker was the most targeted receiver, with 18 for the game, and he finished with 12 receptions for 134 yards. Four of his targets came on third down and eight of his catches resulted in first downs. Welker also caught a two point conversion on the last score of the game to give New England a three point lead late in the contest.

WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 4 - 48 - 0 (9 targets) - Gaffney was targeted nine times and finished with four receptions for 48 yards.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 3 - 56 - 0 (10 targets) - Moss was targeted ten times in the game, and he finished with three receptions for 56 yards. Two of his targets came on third downs, and three of his receptions resulted in first downs.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 1 - 2 - 1 (1 targets) - Watson caught his only target of the game for a two yard touchdown.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Gostkowski made good from 50, 42 and 27 yards out and added an extra point as he finished with 10 points for the game.

NE Rush Defense - New England gave up a total of 134 yards rushing on 26 attempts, for a 5.2 ypc average, but did not allow a rushing score. For the game, they allowed seven rushing first downs.

LB's Jerrod Mayo and Mike Vrabel each recorded six solo tackles and one assist to lead the defense.

NE Pass Defense - The Patriots allowed just 205 net passing yards, but recorded just one sack and gave up three scores through the air. The Seahawks were seven of 12 on third downs and had 11 passing first downs for the game.

DB Brandon Meriweather finished with six solo tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble to lead the secondary.

QB Seneca Wallace, Pass: 20 - 28 - 212 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 47 - 0 - Seneca Wallace played extremely well for Seattle, as he finished 20 of 28 for 212 yards, three touchdowns and one turnover, and added 47 yards rushing on three attempts in the run game. He completed passes to six different receivers and was only sacked one time. His first score came on a 14 yard pass to WR Deion Branch, who caught a second touchdown pass from four yards out in the third quarter. In between the Branch scores, Wallace connected with TE John Carlson from ten yards out for his third score. The only negative for Wallace came at a crucial point in the game. He was sacked and lost a fumble with two minutes left that sealed the game for the Patriots.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 14 - 39 - 0, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) - Morris led the team in carries, with 14, and he finished with 39 yards rushing. He also caught two passes for 19 yards on three targets in the passing game.

RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 5 - 32 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Weaver contributed 32 yards on five attempts on the ground and added a four yard reception on his only catch of the game.

WR Deion Branch, Rec: 4 - 88 - 2 (7 targets) - Branch was targeted seven times, and he did some damage with those looks, as he finished with 88 yards on four receptions that included touchdown receptions of 14 and four yards. Branch also had a 63 yard reception on a short catch and run that he took across field and made people miss for a big play.

WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 4 - 27 - 0 (5 targets) - Engram was targeted five times in the game, three on third downs, and he finished with four receptions for 27 yards.

TE John Carlson, Rec: 8 - 69 - 1 (9 targets) - Carlson was targeted nine times, and he finished with eight receptions for 69 yards that included a ten yard touchdown reception. Four of his catches resulted in first downs.

PK Olindo Mare 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Mare did not attempt a field goal, and kicked three extra points to finish with three points in the game.

SEA Rush Defense - Seattle played well against the run, as they gave up just 84 yards on 25 attempts, for a 3.4 ypc average. They did allow a one yard touchdown run, but gave up only four rushing first downs for the game.

LB Lofa Tatupu led the way defensively with seven solo tackles and one assist.

SEA Pass Defense - The Seahawks gave up 260 net passing yards and had three sacks, but they allowed just one passing score from a New England offense that's been putting up points through the air all year long. New England did have 16 passing first downs, half of which were completed to WR Wes Welker.

DE Baraka Atkins led the defensive front with five solo tackles and two sacks.

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Jacksonville Jaguars 10, Chicago Bears 23

What you need to know

Jacksonville Jaguars - Maurice Jones-Drew doesn't know that Jacksonville is out of the playoffs. At least he plays and produces like he is playing for it all. He was pushing forward and fighting for every yard as if it were a playoff game.

Fred Taylor can still run well and passed O.J. Simpson and Corey Dillon to climb to sixteenth on the all time rushing list. He is within 100 yards of John Riggins for fifteenth.

David Garrard struggled against a tough Bears defense. He didn't get a lot of help from his receivers who dropped several passes.

Chicago Bears - Matt Forte didn't explode but was very solid as he continues his outstanding rookie season. In this game, he broke Gale Sayers' Bears rookie yards from scrimmage record.

Kyle Orton showed some mobility in the pocket finally. He was able to move in the pocket to avoid the rush and make passes. He didn't scramble but he rarely did before the injury. But finally, he's back to being able to maneuver in the pocket to avoid the rush.

What you ought to know

QB David Garrard, Pass: 19 - 38 - 178 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 11 - 0 - It was a tough game for David Garrard. He was under a lot of pressure and the Chicago secondary knocked down many of his passes. There were three passes knocked down by defensive lineman in addition to the screens they knocked down. When Garrard did have a chance to throw the ball he did a great job in the cold weather. There were multiple drops during this game. Most were on very good passes and there was no excuse. Garrard did run a few times but his lanes closed up very fast.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 12 - 55 - 0, Rec: 7 - 47 - 1 (9 targets) - Maurice Jones-Drew showed that he plays with pride. The season is long from over for him. He was pushing piles, breaking tackles, and running over defenders to get every yard he could. He even bounced Brian Urlacher on one play. It was an impressive performance on a day when he was not given much room to run. He was also the leading receiver on the day and the most targeted. On his first catch of the day he ran over and delivered the blow to Mike Brown. At the end of the third quarter Drew took a hard hit to the head. He was seen dazed and groggy afterward but he made it back in the game. Drew just looked like a machine all day.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 13 - 53 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - This game was a milestone day for Fred Taylor. He passed O.J. Simpson in the first quarter to move into seventeenth place all time rushing. Then in the second quarter he passed Corey Dillon for sixteenth. He only needs 100 yards to pass John Riggins for fifteenth all time. Fred Taylor actually looked like a young RB in this game. On his second run he bounced of two defenders sending them to the turf. He averaged over four yards per carry against a very tough Bears defense. Most of his yards were on second efforts, a good move, or pushing the pile. He also broke many tackles.

RB Montell Owens (1 targets) - Montell Owens started at fullback in place of the inactive Greg Jones. Owens dropped an easy pass on a crucial third down conversion.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (7 targets) - Matt Jones didn't have a great day. Most of that was due to double coverage or very tight bump and run coverage.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Reggie Williams had a few key drops and did not put much effort forward. His play made you know exactly where the Jaguars have quit on the season talk was coming from. Williams did not play well at all.

WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Dennis Northcutt was targeted on outs for possession receptions. He was used when they needed him but nothing was substantial.

WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 1 - 27 - 0 (3 targets) - Jerry Porter has some nice receptions and one very nice long pass. He was hit hard in coverage on two targets. Coach Jack Del Rio says that Porter is a totally different person now. Porter definitely has not given up and played very hard in a losing effort.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (8 targets) - Marcedes Lewis was the second leading receiver on the day. He had two receptions that he lost on great defensive plays. He was pushing hard to get the ball all day.

TE Greg Estandia (2 targets) - Greg Estandia had one dump pass and then the Hail Mary at the end of the half. Nothing else was sent his way.

PK Josh Scobee 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Josh Scobee had a nice 42 yard field goal in very cold weather. The cold didn't seem to affect his kicking.

JAX Rush Defense - Matt Forte was held in check pretty well but the Bears could run for the first down when they needed to. It wasn't a shut down performance but it wasn't horrible either. The Jaguars did hold the Bears to under 100 yards and were able to get the ball back to their offense. However, it wasn't enough to stay in the game.

JAX Pass Defense - Although they didn't allow many yards they did allow enough for the Beats to score two touchdowns. It was a day when Kyle Orton was able to throw the ball pretty much where he wanted to. There was only one sack on the day and the interception was a good play on an underthrown ball. Those were the only plays of note for the pass defense.

QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 20 - 34 - 219 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Kyle Orton looks like his mobility is back. He didn't have to run out of the pocket due the lack of pass rush pressure. However, he was able to move around in the pocket to step up to throw the ball. There was no notice of a limp at all. He was able to connect for two touchdowns to both of his TEs. There were many dropped balls that could have changed the passing stats a great deal. The cold weather might have affected his WRs, but not his passing. The touchdown pass to Olson was a laser that was incredible to watch.

RB Matt Forte, Rush: 21 - 69 - 0, Rec: 5 - 37 - 0 (6 targets) - Matt Forte set the rookie yards from scrimmage record for the Bears in this game. He passed Gale Sayers to accomplish this task. The defense was pretty tight on Forte all day and he made the most of it. He showed his power pushing defenders for more yards. Forte didn't just hit the hole, he burst through the hole. But, he didn't get into the end zone or break 100 total yards. He did work hard and moved the piles at least.

WR Devin Hester, Rec: 5 - 80 - 0 (9 targets) - Devin Hester was the leading Bears' WR. He was very active in the game plan and ended up with 80 yards. He had a couple drops but they were not on a lack of effort. Hester was also active in punt returns but not kickoffs.

WR Marty Booker, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (5 targets) - Marty Booker was tackled hard and landed on his shoulder. He left the game and did not return. There was no update at the end of the game. Booker was proving to be a reliable possession receiver and kept the Bears moving the chains. It will be tough on the Bears if he cannot come back.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Rashied Davis biggest stat of the day was dropped passes. He had two very easy catches that he just dropped the ball. It could have been a much better day for Davis.

WR Brandon Lloyd (1 targets) - Brandon Lloyd had one deep target. He was not used much in the game.

TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 3 - 52 - 1 (5 targets) - Greg Olson was targeted deep and short on the day. The touchdown was a veteran move where he blocked out the defender then turned and reached to break the goal line. He also turned one short pass into a long gain.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 8 - 1 (3 targets) - Desmond Clark's first reception of the day was the first touchdown for the Bears. He was target two more times but all of his targets were short passes. He just missed a second touchdown when Orton threw behind him to avoid the coverage.

PK Robbie Gould 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Robbie Gould had three field goals on the day but they were all less than 40 yards.

CHI Rush Defense - The Bears were getting pushed around. It was a bend but don't break defense. The Jaguars would get some nice runs and then the Bears would hold on second and third down. Both Jaguar RBs average over four yards per carry but didn't have many because the Bears would stop them on third down. It wasn't impressive but it did get the job done.

CHI Pass Defense - Three sacks, one interception, and many blocked passes kept the Jaguars from moving the ball. The pass coverage was relentless and David Garrard completed only 50% of his passes. Most of the incompletes didn't make it past the scrimmage line. The DBs knocked many passes down or knocked the ball loose on contact. It was a very tough day for the Jacksonville passing game.

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Washington Redskins 10, Baltimore Ravens 24

What you need to know

Washington Redskins - The Washington Redskins simply did not have enough firepower to overcome the potent defense of the Baltimore Ravens and turned the ball over three times in the loss.

QB Jason Campbell was hounded by the Ravens all day and was forced to throw under pressure regularly. He was hit as he was throwing numerous times and had many balls knocked away from defenders.

RB Clinton Portis left the game in the second half and did not return. No official reason was given by the team for his absence but it was likely injury. RB Ladell Betts filled in but was only useful as a receiver.

WR Santana Moss and WR Antwaan Randle El had trouble making any big plays and their production was limited overall. Randle El caught a touchdown pass on fourth and goal from Campbell but the team had benefitted from excellent field position following DB LeRon Landry's interception of QB Joe Flacco. TE Chris Cooley was not a factor in the game.

The Redskins defense played well. They allowed two long scoring drives but held the Ravens to a plethora of three and outs and short drives. The Ravens benefitted from a number of turnovers.

Baltimore Ravens - The Baltimore Ravens defense dominated the game and provided the offense with enough opportunity to put up the points necessary to win.

QB Joe Flacco was not very solid in the win. He was inaccurate and tossed a few floaters that were luckily not intercepted by Washington. He did not shy away from contact with defenders but was not hurt by the collisions. He was read well by DB LaRon Landry on his only interception.

RB Willis McGahee and RB Ray Rice both left the game in the second half with injuries. Rice injured his leg after being tackled and McGahee suffered a shoulder stinger. RB LeRon McClain played well and racked-up over twenty carries. He ate up most of the fourth quarter by running the ball on ten of the twelve plays on the Ravens' final scoring drive.

WR Mark Clayton and WR Derrick Mason did the best they could with Flacco's erratic passes. Mason was forced to come back on the ball on his touchdown score despite being wide-open on his way into the end zone. TE Todd Heap made a great diving catch on a floating pass and put up a big gain on a fourth and one pass from Flacco in the flat.

The Ravens defense dominated throughout the game. DB Ed Reed pulled down two interceptions and also returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Ravens also partially blocked a punt and harassed QB Jason Campbell all game.

What you ought to know

QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 21 - 37 - 218 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0 - QB Jason Campbell was under constant pressure from the tough Ravens' defense. He was often hit as he was throwing the ball and had many passes deflected away from his receivers. His first interception came on a ball that was thrown as he was hit in the arm. It floated in the air and DB Ed Reed snatched it out of the air just before it hit the ground. His second interception to Reed came in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and iced the game for the Ravens.

Campbell also nearly fumbled the ball but the referees had ruled the play dead by forward progress before the ball came lose. The Ravens attempted to challenge the play but could not.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 11 - 32 - 0, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) - RB Clinton Portis did not play for most of the second half and RB Ladell Betts took over as the primary ball carrier. Portis ran hard when he was active but the stifling Ravens defense kept in check. Portis also had one fumble but the call could have gone either way. The Redskins challenged that it was a fumble but the referees did not overturn it.

It wasn't said during the game why he stopped carrying the ball. He was seen standing on the sidelines in the fourth quarter.

RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 6 - 3 - 0, Rec: 3 - 57 - 0 (5 targets) - RB Ladell Betts filled in for RB Clinton Portis after he left the game in the second half but did not figure into the Redskins' offensive game plans much before that happened. He was the team's most prolific receiver in the loss because of some effective after the catch scampers.

RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 2 - 16 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - RB Mike Sellers saw only limited playing time in the loss.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 5 - 47 - 1 (8 targets) - WR Antwaan Randle El hauled in the team's lone touchdown on the day on a fourth and goal in the fourth quarter that put the team within seven points. QB Jason Campbell hit Randle El just over the goal line and the received snatched the ball before two defenders could knock it out of the way.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 4 - 48 - 0 (7 targets) - WR Santana Moss was able to run well with the ball after the catch when given room but was unable to come up with a big play. He converted a first down from a screen pass on third and fifteen deep within the Redskins' own zone.

WR Devin Thomas, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (6 targets) - WR Devin Thomas was targeted 6 times by QB Jason Campbell but was not a big factor in the game.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - TE Chris Cooley only managed one reception in the loss for the Redskins.

PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - PK Shaun Suisham missed badly on a 48 yard field goal but connected on 43 yarder and his only extra point attempt.

WAS Rush Defense - The Redskins dealt well with the consistent rushing attack of the Baltimore Ravens for the first three quarters of the game. However, the Ravens controlled the ball in the final quarter when RB LeRon McClain ran the ball ten times in twelve plays on the Ravens' final scoring drive while eating up nearly eight crucial fourth quarter minutes.

WAS Pass Defense - The Redskins did not have much trouble with QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens' passing game. DB LaRon Landry read Flacco well and jumped a route to pick him off in the fourth quarter. The interception set up the Redskins' only touchdown in the game.

QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 10 - 21 - 134 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 11 - 0 - QB Joe Flacco was not very effective in the victory but managed the game well enough to win. He was unable to hit his receivers deep regularly. His touchdown pass to WR Derrick Mason was underthrown and the wide-open Mason was forced to come back to the ball and fight off the defender before falling into the end zone.

He tried to force the ball on his only interception and that turnover set up the Redskins' only touchdown score of the game. Flacco also threw a number of inaccurate passes and tossed a few dangerous floaters that luckily did not end up in a defender's hands. He also did not shy away from contact from defenders when running with the ball.

RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 20 - 61 - 1 (1 targets) - RB LeRon McClain was the team's only healthy running back by the fourth quarter. He was very effective at eating up the clock in waning minutes of the game and was crucial in setting up the team's final score that put the Redskins out of reach. He ran the ball on ten of the twelve plays on the Ravens' final scoring drive that took almost eight minutes off of the clock.

RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 11 - 32 - 0, Rec: 1 - -8 - 0 (2 targets) - RB Willis McGahee suffered a shoulder stinger and did not return to the game after his fumble in the second half.

RB Ray Rice, Rush: 3 - 31 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - RB Ray Rice left the game because of a bruised leg following a reception in the third quarter. He did not return.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 3 - 60 - 1 (6 targets) - WR Derrick Mason was wide open on his fourth quarter touchdown but QB Joe Flacco's throw was too short and Mason was forced to come back to the ball and battle with the defender for the ball before scoring.

WR Mark Clayton, Rush: 1 - 12 - 0, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (5 targets) - QB Joe Flacco tried to hit WR Mark Clayton deep down field for a sure touchdown but Clayton became tangled up with the defender and the referees ruled that it was incidental contact. Clayton also took one handoff in the fourth quarter.

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 2 - 54 - 0 (3 targets) - WR Todd Heap made a beautiful diving catch on a floating pass from QB Joe Flacco. On fourth and one, late in the game, the Ravens sold the running play and then Flacco hit Heap in the flat for a long 24 yard gain.

PK Matt Stover 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - PK Matt Stover appeared to injure his leg and limped off the field but did not miss any action. He was perfect on kicks for the day but does not kickoff for the Ravens.

BAL Rush Defense - The Ravens run defense was very stout in the victory. The Redskins were not able to get much going on the ground, especially after RB Clinton Portis left the game.

BAL Pass Defense - The Ravens pestered QB Jason Campbell all game. They hit him as he threw the ball and deflected a substantial number of passes. DB Ed Reed pulled down two interceptions.

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Philadelphia Eagles 20, New York Giants 14

What you need to know

Philadelphia Eagles - The Philadelphia Eagles took their slim playoff hopes on the road in search of their seventh victory of the season. To do so they would have to hand the conference leading Giants their second loss of the year and shut down the power rushing attack of Brandon Jacobs and company. Behind the physical play of their defense, the Eagles shut down the New York offense, limiting them to only 211 yards of offense in a physical 20-14 victory.

Eagles' workhorse running back Brian Westbrook had a big game, combining for 203 total yards on 39 touches, finding the end zone twice and scoring the only two Philadelphia touchdowns. His two touchdowns came from the outside the red zone as he ran his first score in from 30 yards out and added a 40 yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory. Leading the Eagles through the air, Donovan McNabb managed a mistake free ball game, throwing for 191 yards and a score. He orchestrated an offensive attack that converted 66 percent of their third down attempts and rolled up over 300 yards of total offense in the vital six point victory.

Defensively, Philadelphia proved to have the game plan on how to shut down the power offense that New York has put on display this season. Stacking the box, the Eagles were able to limit New York to only 100 yards on the ground, which was well below their average output. The secondary buckled down as well, putting all sorts of pressure on Eli Manning, limiting him to 123 yards through the air and keeping the big play Giants from gaining any sort of momentum.

New York Giants - The New York Giants looked to roll along and build on their impressive 2008 campaign, welcoming in the underdog Eagles and looking to clinch the NFC East title. Struggling to find any rhythm or capitalize on any opportunity presented, Manning and the Giants sputtered out of the gate and never came to life, falling to the Eagles by a score of 20-14. Manning completed less than 50 percent of his passes for 123 yards, including a one yard toss to Darcy Johnson for the Giants only offense touchdown of the game.

On the ground Brandon Jacobs began to heat up only to be forced out of action in the third quarter due to an injury. He saw his day come to an early end after gaining 52 yards on ten carries and gave way to Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. The backup duo combined for only 48 additional yards as they often faced eight defenders in the box, daring Manning to beat them in the cold and windy conditions.

Defensively the Giants kept themselves in the game, but in the end could not hold the Eagles offense in check as they allowed long sustained drives and multiple consecutive third down conversions. The New York special teams unit made some noise just before the half, blocking a David Akers field goal and returning it 70 yards for the touchdown as time expired in the second quarter. This momentum could not be carried over to the second half as Philadelphia came out and won the second half, domination time of possession and handing New York their second loss of the season.

What you ought to know

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 19 - 30 - 191 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 20 - 0 - McNabb managed a flawless game in the blustery conditions, moving the Eagles down the field and controlling the clock. He led the way and converted 12 of 18 third down attempts, using his arm and his legs to help his cause. Throwing for 191 yards, he completed 19 of 30 attempts and was able to find Brian Westbrook on an underneath route as the two hooked up for a 40 yard touchdown score.

RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 33 - 131 - 1, Rec: 6 - 72 - 1 (8 targets) - Westbrook did it all, leading the Eagles in rushing and receiving while scoring the only two Eagles touchdowns of the game. He showed good burst when hitting the second level of defenders and was tough to take down after contact. In the passing game he was used in different formations, being set in motion to get a mismatch in coverage. On his 40 yard touchdown catch he was matched up with linebacker Antonio Pierce who he proceeded to leave in his tracks, beating him on an underneath dump pass. Westbrook looked as healthy as ever, running hard, breaking tackles and taking the game into his own hands at times.

RB Lorenzo Booker, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Booker received only one target on the day, which was good for a one yard reception.

WR DeSean Jackson, Rush: 2 - -9 - 0 (3 targets) - Jackson had a quiet game on offense seeing only three targets and failing to record a reception. Against the pass rush of New York he seemed to be a clear third to fourth option on passing plays as McNabb relied on the quick and safe passes to his back and tight ends.

WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 2 - 42 - 0 (4 targets) - Curtis was having a solid and productive day before leaving the game after suffering a concussion early in second quarter. In his limited action he was a main threat in the passing game, seeing four balls come his way, and catching half of them for 42 yards.

WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Baskett as well only saw two targets against the tough Giants' secondary, catching both passes for 16 yards. Being used on intermediate routes, Baskett worked the sideline and was able to bring in both of his passes for short gains.

WR Greg Lewis, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Lewis saw only two targets come his way as well, catching one of them for a seven yard gain.

WR Jason Avant, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Avant saw only two targets come his way as he was able to catch one ball for a nine yard gain.

TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 6 - 44 - 0 (7 targets) - Smith finished tied with Brian Westbrook in receptions after catching six of his seven targets for 44 yards. He was targeted on the Eagles first offensive play of the game and was a definite mismatch for the Giants linebackers. Finding space open underneath Smith fought hard after the catch and required a horde of Giant defenders to bring him down.

PK David Akers 2 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Akers had two field goals blocked however was able to convert on his two other attempts, including a big field goal from 51 yards out. He converted both of his PAT tries to finish with eight points in the game.

PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles stacked eight in the box early and often, doing anything they could to shut down the run and force Eli Manning to throw. They did what they had to do, using key third and fourth down defenses to slow the Giants attack. They allowed over four yards a carry to Jacobs and company but benefited from a team effort led by their fast flying secondary.

PHI Pass Defense - The pass defense for Philadelphia gave the Manning led Giants fits for most of the day. They could not get to the Giants signal caller but played a solid game in the secondary, giving up minimal gains and getting their offensive unit back on the field. They had a few near interceptions in coverage and as always, met the receiver as soon as they made the catch.

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 13 - 27 - 123 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Manning was off for most of the day and did not benefit from the weather or the mistakes of his teammates. He threw for a paltry 123 yards and chipped in a late touchdown with 20 seconds left to play in the game. Between his receivers dropping a couple of passes and the physical play of the Eagles defense Manning held firm and did as much as he could to keep New York in the game. He did not turn the ball over once and seemed to be confident in the pocket trying to lead the comeback.

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 10 - 52 - 0 - Jacobs looked determined on the ground, getting off to a quick start but being forced out of the game due to an injury on his second run of the third quarter. He finished the game with 52 yards on ten carries which was good for leading rusher stats on the New York side. In his limited action, Jacobs looked good and was running with much more power than he showed last week against the Redskins. He picked his lane and ran downhill decisively, falling forward at time to minimal gains of three to four yards. On his second run, opening up the second half, Jacobs suffered an injury and was forced to miss the rest of the sidelines. He did not return.

RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 8 - 39 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Spelling the injured Jacobs, Ward struggled to put in his usual workman-like effort. He carried only eight times for 39 yards as the Giant's found themselves behind and needing to throw. Through the air he managed to grab his only target, good for a two yard gain. When running, Ward looked mobile and quick successfully picking up where Jacobs left off and running well behind that solid offensive line of New York.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 5 - 9 - 0 - Bradshaw was used to spell Ward once Jacobs left the game with an injury. He pitched in with five yards on nine carries and did not see a target in the passing game.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 4 - 47 - 0 (5 targets) - Steve Smith finished the day as the Giants leading receiver even though he only saw five targets come his way. Catching four of five looks, Smith used the underneath routes and his elusiveness to get good yardage after the catch and prove to be the go to guy for Quarterback Eli Manning. He totaled 47 yards receiving using two of his catches to move the chains for New York.

WR Domenik Hixon, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (9 targets) - Hixon struggled in the loss catching only three of his nine targets and dropping a wide open deep ball on an early first half pass from Eli Manning. This play pretty much summed up his day as Philadelphia was always on him, often breaking up passes with solid hitting. He gained only 30 yards however was a clear trusted option for Eli Manning. He was looked at early and often and was given multiple opportunities to be a playmaker on offense.

WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (7 targets) - Toomer was defended well on the day, catching only two of his seven targets for 25 yards. He could not find his normal pockets in the secondary as the Eagles threw various defensive packages at the Giants for four quarters. He was a second favorite target of Manning's with his seven looks and still appears that he can run with even the toughest of NFL defenses.

WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Moss saw limited action, catching one of his two targets for a 13 yard gain. Moss was also used to return kickoffs.

TE Darcy Johnson, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - Johnson saw one target late in the fourth quarter from one yard out, bringing it in for a touchdown and pulling the Giants to within six with about 20 seconds to go in the game.

TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) - Boss was used sparingly in the passing game, seeing only four looks come his way and catching only one pass. His five yard total was the lowest since week 11 as Boss was a key target for the Philadelphia defense with Plaxico Burress out.

PK John Carney 0 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Carney had his lone field goal attempt blocked early in the first half. Due to the windy conditions affecting the Meadowlands, New York elected to go for it on a few key fourth down plays, limiting Carneys opportunities.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants rush defense played a less than stellar game against the visiting Eagles, allowing a big touchdown run to Brian Westbrook who fought for every yard he gained. They could not get off the field or make the big stop when they needed it. They allowed Philadelphia manageable second and third down situations and did not seem to control the line of scrimmage. There were more than a few plays where this usually smart unit over pursued the play and gave up large chunks of yardage.

NYG Pass Defense - The New York pass defense played a pretty good game, keeping everything in front of them and not getting beat deep. They were physical with the Philadelphia receivers however they could not contain Brian Westbrook through the air, giving up 72 yards to him alone and allowing him to break free for a 40 yard touchdown catch and run. He presented a mismatch for whoever they put on him and his runs after the catch helped keep the tired Giants defense on the field for 35 plus minutes.

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Houston Texans 24, Green Bay Packers 21

What you need to know

Houston Texans - Matt Schaub made a triumphant return after missing four games with a knee injury. Schaub got the Texans on the board early; on the third play of the game, Schaub stood tough against two Packer pass rushers and absorbed their blow while lofting the ball to Kevin Walter. Walter was able to adjust to the underthrown pass while two Green Bay defensive backs fell down leaving him a clear path to the end zone for a 58 yard touchdown. Schaub ended the game with 414 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie running back Steve Slaton had another strong game. Slaton finished with 120 yards and surpassed 1,000 for the season. He also added 40 yards on three receptions.

Houston put up 549 yards of total offense in the game, but kept the Packers alive with four costly turnovers.

Jacoby Jones muffed two punts during the game. He recovered the first, but Green Bay recovered the second mistake and drove the rest of the field for a touchdown.

Green Bay Packers - The Packers entered the game with playoff hopes fading fast. After suffering another late home loss, those hopes are on life support. Although Green Bay's defense gave up more than 500 yards of offense, the unit helped keep the team in the game by creating four timely turnovers that led to all of the Packers' points. Green Bay leads the NFL with 114 points created from takeaways this season.

Despite being outplayed for much of the game, Green Bay took a 14-13 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Houston answered with a touchdown and two point conversion before the Packers tied the game at 21 with six minutes to play. However, once again the Packers' hopes were dashed late (this time on the final play of the game) when Kris Brown kicked a 40 yard field goal as time expired.

Aaron Rodgers played well enough to win. Rodgers completed 19 of his 30 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers with no player catching more than three passes.

Ryan Grant played well. Grant totaled 104 rushing yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.

Will Blackmon returned a kickoff for a 99 yard touchdown late in the first half, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 28 - 42 - 414 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Schaub saw his first action since week 9 after missing four games with a knee injury. He showed no signs of rust. Schaub was able to roll out and scramble without problems. He also showed that he could stand in the pocket and take a hit in order to deliver a pass. Schaub's 414 passing yards were a career high. Charles Woodson nearly intercepted a Schaub pass in the first half. Schaub was penalized for intentional grounding once in the game.

RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 26 - 120 - 0, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (3 targets) - Slaton totaled 160 yards of offense on the day. He topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark during the game. Slaton has the speed to create big plays; he had five plays of at least 12 yards in the game, including a 34 yard run and a 21 yard reception. Slaton is also proving adept at running between the tackles and will likely be a staple in the Texan offense for years. Slaton did lose a fumble in the red zone that likely cost Houston points.

RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 3 - 48 - 0 (3 targets) - Leach, the big fullback, caught all three of his targets. He had receptions of 21 and 22 yards. Leach welcomed contact by refusing to go out of bounds. A fifteen yard facemask penalty was added to his 21 yard gain. Leach was penalized for a false start.

RB Ryan Moats, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 - Moats had two three yard runs.

RB Cecil Sapp, Rush: 1 - -3 - 0 - Sapp had one attempt on a third and short. He was stuffed for a three yard loss by Desmond Bishop who reached the backfield unblocked. Sapp had no chance on the play.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 6 - 146 - 1 (9 targets) - Walter caught his eighth touchdown pass of the season on the game's third play. He was able to adjust to Schaub's underthrown pass and jog to the end zone for a 58 yard touchdown after the Packer defenders collided. Walter was targeted deep a few other occasions and also hauled in a 46 yard catch. Walter fumbled the football, but was spared when the officials ruled him down instead. Because the whistle had blown, the play was not reviewable.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 4 - 55 - 1 (9 targets) - Johnson entered the game leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. He caught four passes for 55 yards. His 11 yard touchdown catch and two point grab gave Houston a seven point lead in the fourth quarter.

WR David Anderson, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - Anderson chipped in three receptions for 34 yards.

WR Andre Davis, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) - Davis had a 21 yard reception. His other catch went for one yard. He was also targeted deep on another Schaub attempt.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 6 - 65 - 0 (6 targets) - Daniels tied for the team lead with six catches. Daniels nearly had a touchdown, but fumbled on his way into the end zone in the second quarter.

TE Joel Dreessen, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Dreesen caught his only target for a four yard gain.

PK Kris Brown 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Brown hit the game winning 40 yard field goal as time expired. He was wide right, however, on a 41 yard attempt to close the first half. Brown did hit a 30 yard try on his first attempt. He converted his only extra point try; the Texans went for two on their other touchdown.

HOU Rush Defense - The Packers rushed for 108 yards and averaged better than five yards per attempt. Ryan grant had all but four of those yards, including a six yard touchdown run. DeMeco Ryans led the unit with seven solo tackles and two assists.

HOU Pass Defense - Aaron Rodgers was effective at times against the Houston pass defense. Rodgers passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes of 63 and 59 yards. However, Green Bay was only one of ten on third down conversions. Dunta Robinson picked off a Rodgers pass. DeMeco Ryans and Tim Bulman each had sacks.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 19 - 30 - 295 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Rodgers completed nearly two thirds of his passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers spread the ball around to nine different Green Bay receivers with no Packer catching more than three passes. Green Bay struggled to sustain drives, however; the Packers did not successfully convert a third down until the fourth quarter and only converted one during the game.

Rodgers completions included a 63 yard pass to Greg Jennings and a 59 yard pass to Donald Driver. He lost a 45 yard completion to Driver due to offensive pass interference. The pass was right on the money. Rodgers also missed Driver on another potential big gainer early in the game, but that might have been due to the fact the Dunta Robinson grabbed the receiver once Driver had beaten him.

Rodgers gained four yards the only time he ran. He also avoided a potentially crushing sack near the Green Bay goal line and was able to dump off a pass for a six yard gain.

RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 19 - 104 - 1, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Grant was effective, gaining 104 yards on his 19 attempts (no other Packer running back had a carry in the game.) His six yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay their first lead of the game. Grant has been slowed by injuries this season, but looked good in this game. He caught his only target for an eight yard gain.

RB Brandon Jackson, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Jackson caught two passes for six yards in the first half. He had no rushing attempts.

WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 3 - 25 - 1 (6 targets) - Nelson caught the second touchdown of his rookie season. He lost a 12 yard catch to a penalty, but picked up a ten yard gain on the very next play.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 3 - 75 - 0 (6 targets) - Driver was often targeted deep in this game. He caught a 59 yard pass and had a 45 yard catch called back due to offensive pass interference. Driver also beat Dunta Robinson early in the game, but was held and couldn't catch up to Rodgers' pass.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 2 - 74 - 0 (7 targets) - Jennings was targeted a team high seven times. He had receptions of 63 and 11 yards.

WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Martin had a 16 yard catch and another reception for a one yard gain.

WR James Jones, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones caught two passes for 20 yards.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 3 - 48 - 1 (3 targets) - Lee's 20 yard catch was Green Bay's first touchdown. He also had a 25 yard gain.

TE Tory Humphrey, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (1 targets) - Humphrey caught his only target for a 22 yard gain in the first half.

TE Jermichael Finley (1 targets) - Finley was targeted once unsuccessfully.

PK Mason Crosby 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Crosby hit all three of his extra point tries.

GB Rush Defense - Houston rushed for 141 yards at 4.5 yards per attempt. Steve Slaton was effective. Slaton had runs of 12, 13, and 34 yards. Mike Montgomery forced a Steve Slaton fumble that was recovered by Johnny Jolly. Desmond Bishop led the unit with eight solo tackles and three assists.

GB Pass Defense - Matt Schaub passed for a career high 414 yards and two touchdowns. However, the pass defense created two turnovers: Tramon Williams intercepted a pass. Desmond Bishop saved a touchdown by forcing Owen Daniels to fumble at the one yard line. Williams recovered the loose ball.

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Cincinnati Bengals 3, Indianapolis Colts 35

What you need to know

Cincinnati Bengals - This was a classic case of the Bengals beating themselves. Every time they got a drive going, without fail, they would turn the ball over before they were able to score. Most of the blame can be put squarely on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was effective at times, but also threw two interceptions and gave up a costly fumble.

Since they never had a lead, the running game never had a chance to find its legs, but in limited duty, Cedric Benson showed a powerful burst through the line and came up with a few impressive runs for first down yardage.

The receiving corps was efficient but none were game breakers. The Bengals took what the Colts gave them in the passing game, which meant a lot of short gains with little yardage after the catch.

Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning played as if he hasn't lost a step. He picked apart the Bengals defense to the tune of an 81% completion percentage, en route to 277 yards and three TDs.

Joseph Addai went down briefly, but the injury appeared to be minor and he did return to the game before long. He looked otherwise healthy and may have been more productive in a closer game. As the Colts ran away with this one, Dominic Rhodes got most of the playing time in the second half.

As usual, the WR carousel kept on turning, with each of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Anthony Gonzalez having their moments. Manning spread the ball around a lot, and as a result no one receiver had a monster day. Both tight ends, Dallas Clark and Gijon Robinson, were also heavily involved in the passing attack.

What you ought to know

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Pass: 18 - 26 - 170 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 17 - 0 - Fitzpatrick fought hard, but made three huge errors that essentially cost the Bengals the game. On the opening drive, they were actually moving the ball well, when Fitzpatrick took off on a scramble -- down the middle of the field, in heavy traffic -- and lost the ball while diving for the first down. His two interceptions both resulted in Indy touchdowns, and more importantly erased any progress the offense had been making. He did look very capable at times, but the bottom line is that his mistakes overshadowed everything else.

QB Jordan Palmer, Pass: 4 - 6 - 30 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Carson Palmer's younger brother entered the game after Fitzpatrick's second pick was returned for a touchdown. He went four for six for 30 yards and an interception, against the Colts prevent defense.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 16 - 57 - 0, Rec: 2 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Benson had a respectable yardage total, and exploded through the line when he handled the ball. Unfortunately for him, being down 21-3 meant that the running game as a whole was more or less abandoned in the second half.

RB Chris Perry, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - Perry only had one carry and gained no yards on the play.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 8 - 75 - 0 (9 targets) - Houshmandzadeh was a very reliable target, hauling in every ball thrown his way (minus one that was actually tipped at the line of scrimmage). Unfortunately, nearly all of those passes were for short gains.

WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 5 - 79 - 0 (5 targets) - Johnson quietly had a respectable game, though he was never a threat to score. He was only targeted five times, but caught all five.

WR Chris Henry, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (5 targets) - Henry did nothing to distinguish himself, playing as the third WR behind two guys who generally see a lot of targets.

WR Andre Caldwell, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Caldwell saw limited action as a receiver, and also returned kicks.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 3 - 7 - 0 (4 targets) - Kelly was only used as a last option in the passing game.

PK Shayne Graham 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Graham successfully made his only FG attempt, a 19 yard chip shot.

CIN Rush Defense - The Bengals stopped the Colts for a loss of yards a number of times, but also let Dominic Rhodes get loose for a 17 yard touchdown run. It was an up and down day for the unit.

CIN Pass Defense - At first, it appeared they were having some success, as they blanketed Manning's wideouts. But once Manning proved that it didn't matter, by throwing to whomever was open (namely the second tight end), and then they had their work cut out for them. It was not a good day.

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 26 - 32 - 277 - 3 TD / 0 INT - Manning looked like he was tuning up for some playoff football. The opponent may have been a weaker one, but he just dominated, throwing at will to the open receiver on any given pass play. It was one of those days that one suspects he could have doubled his total numbers if he had wanted to.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 10 - 31 - 1, Rec: 3 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Rhodes scored early on while briefly spelling Addai. It was a 17 yard scamper and proved to be his longest of the day. Near the end of the game, he got the bulk of his carries while Addai was rested.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 10 - 26 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Addai was used primarily in the first half. Later in the game he was rested. He had one 16 yard run called back, and saw the ball inside the five, once.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 5 - 48 - 0 (7 targets) - If first down conversions meant anything in fantasy, Wayne would be the man to have on your team. All five of his receptions were for first downs, and he narrowly missed a sixth on a spectacular fingertip grab that just slipped out of hands as he went to the turf in a diving catch.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 3 - 78 - 1 (4 targets) - Harrison had a quietly productive day, with a single short touchdown and a 67 yard gain among his three catches. He was targeted one other time, in the red zone.

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 3 - 27 - 1 (3 targets) - Gonzalez was not even targeted in the first half, but found the end zone in the second half. He caught all three passes thrown his way.

TE Gijon Robinson, Rec: 6 - 69 - 0 (7 targets) - Robinson was often open on swing routes and got a good chunk of yardage as a dump-off option.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 4 - 29 - 1 (5 targets) - Clark made up for an earlier fumble with a late touchdown catch.

PK Adam Vinatieri 0 - 0 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 5 points - Vinatieri was limited to extra point duty this week. He was 5-for-5 in PAT attempts.

IND Rush Defense - The Colts actually did not look that great against the run, despite the low yardage total. They let no big plays through, but did appear to be getting beat a little too often at the line.

IND Pass Defense - Kelvin Hayden accounted for one touchdown on an INT return, and another INT that resulted in a score once the offense got the ball. The rest of the Colts were pretty good, too, limiting the Bengals to a lot of short passes. The longest pass they gave up was 26 yards.

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St. Louis Rams 10, Arizona Cardinals 34

What you need to know

St. Louis Rams - The Rams put up a valiant effort all for naught as they turned the ball over three times and gave up two second half Arizona defensive touchdowns en route to their seventh straight loss.

QB Marc Bulger threw for 226 yards on 22 of 37 attempts and one touchdown. Much of Bulger's yardage was achieved when late in the second half with the game was already decided. He involved everyone in the offense as he completed passes to ten different receivers.

RB Steven Jackson ran hard but only had 69 yards on 19 carries. Jackson appears to be over the injuries that have plagued him this season.

WR Torry Holt was the Rams' leading receiver with 61 yards on five catches. Holt was held without a catch in the first half gained much of his yardage late in the second half, on the Rams' last two drives, when the abandoned the running game.

Arizona Cardinals - QB Kurt Warner's continued his MVP type season completing 24 of 33 for 279 yards and one touchdown. Warner had over 200 yards passing in the first half and ran the Cardinals offense with his usual precision. He completed passes to six different receivers. His lone interception came when he was scrambling to his right and threw back across the middle of the field.

RB Tim Hightower scored the Cardinals' rushing touchdown (one yard) and set a Cardinals rookie record for most touchdowns in a season with ten. Hightower finished the game with 12 carries for 32 yards.

WRs Steve Breaston, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald continue to roll. The three tiered tandem had their usual productive game with Breaston leading the receiving corps with seven catches for 90 yards, 58 of the yards coming on a deep post pattern in the second quarter. Fitzgerald got the lone TD reception (12 yards) and finished with six catches for 71 yards. Boldin had five catches for 62 yards. All have great timing and rhythm with Warner.

What you ought to know

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 22 - 37 - 228 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -5 - 0 - Bulger's stats were aided by the Rams' abandoning the run game in the second half and playing catch up. His touchdown pass went to Steven Jackson (three yards) to bring the Rams within seven points. While only sacked once, Bulger was hit often and threw two interceptions, one that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown. He completed passes to ten difference receivers.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 19 - 64 - 0, Rec: 4 - 3 - 1 (5 targets) - Jackson actually looks like he is over his nagging injuries that have plagued him for the last few weeks. He looked quick on his feet, and found some success with his longest run came on a cutback when he scampered 32 yards. Jackson scored the lone Rams touchdown on a three yard pattern over the middle. Jackson did lose two fumbles in this game, one of which was returned 11 yards for a Cardinals touchdown in the third quarter.

RB Antonio Pittman, Rush: 4 - 26 - 0, Rec: 2 - 41 - 0 (3 targets) - Pittman got most of his 67 total yards from scrimmage in the second half when the game was already decided. His longest rush was nine yards. He took a screen pass 27 yards late in the fourth quarter.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 5 - 61 - 0 (8 targets) - Holt was the Rams' leading receiver with 61 yards on five catches. Holt did not have a catch in the first half. Much of his yardage was acquired in the fourth quarter in garbage time.

WR Dane Looker, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (7 targets) - Looker had two catches for 27 yards with a long of 15 yards. He threw one pass on a reverse that was incomplete.

WR Donnie Avery, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (6 targets) - Avery had only two catches for 18 yards, but could have had a better game as he was targeted deep a couple of times, at least one time when he was wide open and the ball was overthrown.

TE Joe Klopfenstein, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (2 targets) - Klopfenstein finished with two catches for 37 yards and no touchdowns. Both catches came on back to back plays in the fourth quarter.

PK Josh Brown 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Brown had two field goal attempts missing one a 42 yard effort wide right in the second quarter and then connecting from 51 yards out in the fourth quarter. Brown was perfect on his only extra point attempt.

STL Rush Defense - Held the Cardinals to only 63 yards rushing and gave up a one yard touchdown run to Tim Hightower. The stats are more of a result of the Cardinals being a pass first team.

STL Pass Defense - The pass defense gave up a touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald (12 yards) but did very little to stop the Cardinals offense that moved the ball at will. On the day, they gave up 279 yards, one score, had one interception and a sack.

QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 24 - 33 - 279 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Warner continues to put up MVP type numbers and was well in command of this game tossing 279 yards on 24 of 33 attempts. Warner's lone interception was when he scrambled to his right and three across his body into the center of the field, a throw he normally doesn't attempt. He completed a short 12 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald and completed passes to six different receivers. He was sacked only once.

RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 12 - 32 - 1 (1 targets) - Hightower attempted only 12 rushes in the game for 32 yards, but did score his tenth touchdown (one yard) on the Cardinals' first possession of the game. The touchdown, his tenth of the season, set a Cardinals' rookie rushing record for the most touchdowns for a season.

RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 5 - 22 - 0, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (5 targets) - Arrington had 52 yards from scrimmage (22 rushing on five carries, three catches for 30 yards) and looked strong. His longest run was 16 yards. Arrington is mainly a third down back for the Cardinals offense.

RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 3 - 11 - 0 - James carried the ball three times for 11 yards and also looked strong.

WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 7 - 90 - 0 (8 targets) - Breaston was the game's leading receiver with 90 yards on seven catches. His longest catch was a 58 yard effort deep up the middle. Breaston did have an 18 yard catch called back that would have put him over the century mark for the game.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 73 - 1 (9 targets) - Fitzgerald had 73 yards on six catches with the lone Cardinals receiving touchdown of 12 yards. He was targeted deep twice and had a long catch of 23 yards. Fitzgerald just missed another touchdown on the Cardinals' first drive of the game, when he was stopped on the one yard line after a 14 yard catch.

WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 5 - 62 - 0 (6 targets) - Boldin had five catches for 62 yards, but was kept out of the end zone. His longest catch was a slant pattern for 36 yards.

PK Neil Rackers 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Rackers connected on two field goals on the day 44 and 22 yards. He was perfect on all four of his extra points attempts.

ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense gave up 85 total rushing yards, but did not give up a rushing touchdown. They scored once when Darnell Docket recovered a Steven Jackson fumble and ran it in from 11 yards.

ARI Pass Defense - The Cardinals pass defense surrendered 228 yards, but also had a score when rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie took a Bulger pass 99 yards for a touchdown. The defense sacked Bulger only once, but pressured him often. It was an over all good defensive effort, albeit from one of the worst offenses in the league.

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Atlanta Falcons 25, New Orleans Saints 29

What you need to know

Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan was outstanding in throwing the ball for a season high 315 yards and only one interception. He showed poise in the pocket and moved around when necessary to buy time for his receivers to get open.

Roddy White benefited from Ryan's outstanding game by having a career game himself. He hauled in ten passes for 156 yards, but failed to find the end zone on a day where each team seemed to be exchanging scoring drives in the final quarter.

Michael Turner led all Falcons rushers with 61 yards, but found the going tough in the second half. He contributed a nifty touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Falcons on the board but was unable to find any significant running room most of the game.

New Orleans Saints - The Saints have no chance at making the playoffs, but could play the role of spoiler for potential playoff teams as three of their final four games are coming against teams that are fighting for the playoffs. They put forth a solid effort in coming from behind against a good Falcons defense.

Pierre Thomas was outstanding as the lead running back in the offense as the Saints worked to establish a running game instead of just airing the ball out. Thomas saw the bulk of his work in the second half as the Saints wore down the run defense and took the lead for good with a solid drive late in the fourth quarter.

Drew Brees did not have an outstanding day statistically, but was effective in leading the offense on successive scoring drives in the fourth quarter to take the lead twice. He did not turn the ball over and was not under pressure for most of the game.

Jeremy Shockey was a big part of the passing game during the first half. He was able to find open spots deep down the field while being isolated against linebackers and the Saints took advantage of the mismatches early.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Ryan, Pass: 24 - 33 - 315 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 13 - 1 - Matt Ryan showed the poise of a veteran quarterback in trying to lead the Falcons to victory in a venue that they have not won in since 2002. His coaches are showing faith in him by letting him run a no huddle offense during certain situations. He rarely faced pressure from the Saints defense, but when he did he was able to scramble around outside the pocket and would pull up just a yard or two from the line of scrimmage and connect with a receiver downfield. That ability played a hand in his touchdown run as the defenders were expecting him to pull up and throw the ball instead of continuing to run downfield. On two occasions he made plays that most quarterbacks would not make by rifling passes to receivers who were well covered, and somehow getting the ball past the defender. He has a nice touch on short passes, as seen on his lone touchdown pass that was thrown high and to a spot where only his receiver could catch it. Ryan was only victimized by two dropped passes, but each of them had the potential for long gains. His only bad pass came on his interception, the pass was bad and the defensive back was able to jump the route and intercept the pass to give the Saints excellent field position for their only touchdown drive in the first half.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 18 - 61 - 1 (1 targets) - Turner was the Falcons leading rusher with 61 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown run came during the second quarter on a run where there was not hole in the left side of the line and he cut back to the right and made it easily into the end zone. Most of his carries occurred between the tackles, which limited his production. On most plays he appeared to be tentative in plunging into the line of scrimmage if there was not a hole available, almost giving up on the play and allowing himself to be tackled. If there was a hole, no matter how small, he was able to slip through for a decent gain. His only target was on the opening play of the game where he was wide open in the left flat. However, he dropped the pass as it appeared that he was trying to run before he secured the ball.

RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 5 - 18 - 0, Rec: 4 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) - Norwood saw significant playing time rotating in with Michael Turner, and contributing in the passing game. He has good hands, bringing down a pass with one hand while moving on a screen play. Norwood has better speed to the corners than Michael Turner and is more valuable on sweep and misdirection plays. Norwood had to leave the game limping in the fourth quarter and did not return.

RB Jason Snelling, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Jason Snelling's value came as a part of the Falcons short yardage package. He dropped the only pass thrown his way, and it was a costly drop on a third down play that could have gone for close to first down yardage.

RB Ovie Mughelli, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Mughelli's action was limited to blocking for the running backs and short yardage work. His only carry came on a second and one play on the opening drive of the game.

WR Roddy White, Rec: 10 - 164 - 0 (14 targets) - Roddy White had a career day receiving with 164 yards. He was able to catch balls regardless of coverage, and even wrestled the ball away from a defender on one occasion. His numbers could have been even greater if not for two mistakes made in the first quarter. He was the target on the Ryan interception when the defensive back jumped the route and White did not have an opportunity to catch the ball. On another play, with the team backed up on their own two yard line, he made an excellent grab along the right sideline and appeared to get both feet down inbounds. However, he was called for a push off on the defensive back, negating a long play. In the second half he had an 18 yard reception negated by a holding penalty, but Ryan came right back to him on the next play for a 26 yard completion.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (5 targets) - Michael Jenkins had a quiet game, seeing his targets spread out almost evenly by quarter. All of his receptions were valuable, with four of them resulting in first downs. Jenkins made a valuable grab on a two point conversion attempt that put the Falcons up by three points in the fourth quarter.

WR Brian Finneran, Rec: 2 - 8 - 1 (4 targets) - Finneran is a good fit for the role that he plays in the Falcons receiving corps. He is the third receiver, and at times the most reliable pass catcher. His first reception was a fantastic grab along the right sideline in the end zone. Matt Ryan threw the ball high, where he would have the best chance to come down with it, and he barely came down with both feet inbounds. His second reception came on a bullet pass that split two defenders.

WR Harry Douglas, Rec: 2 - 45 - 0 (3 targets) - Harry Douglas provides the Falcons passing offense with a deep downfield threat that is able to stretch the defense and keep them from rotating coverage toward Roddy White. His first reception came on a deep fade route where he just outhustled the defensive back for the ball. The final pass thrown in his direction was on a wide receiver screen that he weaved his way through traffic for a key 17 yard gain on their final scoring drive.

TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Justin Peelle had an uneventful game serving as an extra blocker. His only reception gave the Falcons a second and one situation on their final touchdown drive.

PK Jason Elam 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Elam made his only field goal and did not get to attempt an extra point on one touchdown when the Falcons decided to go for two points.

ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons rush defense was gashed by draw plays during the first half. Reggie Bush took one handoff deep into the secondary and would have scored on the play but he cut back into a blocker instead of cutting outside. During the fourth quarter they were unable to stop Pierre Thomas from gaining first downs and running out the clock.

ATL Pass Defense - Drew Brees was held to a low 230 yards passing, but the low totals were by design of the Saint offense and not due to any pressure applied by the linemen or great coverage by the defensive backs. The defensive backs did a good job of covering the receivers, but the defense could not overcome the mismatches gained by the Saints lining up their tight end and running backs outside.

QB Drew Brees, Pass: 18 - 32 - 230 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 - Drew Brees only threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as he rarely took any deep shots downfield. The game plan was for Brees to take what the defense gave him and to use formations that would take advantage of mismatches with Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush. Brees was able to move the ball downfield by mixing in short and medium range passes with an occasional deep pass to keep the defense honest. He made no mistakes and did not face much pressure as the Saints would keep an extra blocker in to help out on deep passing plays.

RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 16 - 102 - 1, Rec: 1 - 7 - 1 (1 targets) - Pierre Thomas got the start as the Saints opened up in a one back offensive set with three receivers. Thomas ran hard and failed to go down easily, having to gain yards sometimes when there was little to no room to run. His long runs early in the game came on draw plays that caught the defense off guard. Later, when the defense began to tire, he was used on running plays between the tackles and the occasional outside run. His receiving touchdown came on a play where he was not the intended target but was the recipient of a dump off pass. On the next drive he scored the game winning touchdown when he picked his way through a small hole in the left side of the line and fell into the end zone.

RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 10 - 80 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 1 (6 targets) - The Saints lined Reggie Bush up in different spots to try and take advantage of mismatches. He was used as a traditional running back during the first half and took a handoff up the middle for 43 yards on a designed draw play on their second offensive series. Two plays later he scored the game's first touchdown by catching a quick slant out of the receiver position. Bush struggled between the tackles and when given the ball on outside runs he would seek out the sidelines if he was going to run into a group of defenders.

RB Deuce McAllister, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - McAllister only received one carry, in a third and one situation in the first half and failed to convert the third down.

WR Devery Henderson, Rec: 3 - 72 - 0 (3 targets) - Henderson did not have a big game but each of his receptions played an important role in the Saint victory. His first two receptions were during the two minute drill at the end of the first half as they were driving for a score just before halftime. His final reception was a 36 yard quick slant route where he put some moves on the defender and worked his way into the open field.

WR Lance Moore, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (7 targets) - Despite not starting it appears that Moore may be one of Drew Brees' favorite receivers. They were unable to connect on the majority of their intended plays, but it did not stop Brees from looking to him for a big play. Brees attempted to connect with him three times during the first half, but was unable to due to Moore either running the wrong route or the ball being thrown to high.

WR Marques Colston, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (9 targets) - Getting the start, Colston was the most targeted receiver on offense. However, he was not able to convert the high number of targets into a good game statically due to excellent coverage by the defense. He came close to having a big day as two passes were knocked away and he came down out of bounds on a deep ball in the third quarter. In addition to the good defensive play he had one pass that was dropped and a 20 yard reception that was overturned by a holding penalty.

TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (6 targets) - Jeremy Shockey made an impact by lining up as a wide out and creating mismatches with defensive personnel. His excellent route running ability allowed him to get into the open part of the defense for deep gains. The holes in the defense were there due to the safeties having to play deep against the threat of the deep ball. Shockey was almost able to connect with Brees on a touchdown pass when he was isolated on a linebacker along the right sideline, but the ball was thrown just a little too high.

PK Garrett Hartley 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Hartley connected on all three field goal attempts and both of his extra points.

NO Rush Defense - The Saints rush defense did an excellent job of controlling the line of scrimmage and stopping the inside running game. They did this by putting seven and eight players in the box on downs where they felt like the Falcons were more than liable to run the ball.

NO Pass Defense - The Saints were not able to generate much of a pass rush on Matt Ryan and he made them pay by constantly hitting his receivers and moving the ball down the field easily using the passing game. The lack of pass rush was due to a lack of depth along the defensive line due to injuries.

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