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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Chicago Bears 24

What you need to know

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Brian Griese had a mixed day. He was not impressive until the end of the game. He threw two very bad interceptions under pass rush pressure. Up until the end he would look good but could not close the deal. Half way through the fourth quarter and in overtime he drove Tampa Bay to the win. Griese had 67 attempts and this should be considered when looking at all the passing game results.

Earnest Graham could not run anywhere. But, the Buccaneers only ran fourteen times in this game. He didn't get many opportunities and it might have been because every time he did he was stuffed. Still he did not put much effort forward and lacked vision for alternate running lanes.

Jerramy Stevens was involved in the game plan a lot. He wasn't used on any big plays but when Tampa Bay needed a first down or a good possession reception Stevens was targeted.

Chicago Bears - Matt Forte was a workhorse. He didn't wear down and was running hard and fast in overtime. His offensive line was not very good and he still made yards when there were no holes present. He showed a lot of patience and vision. He was also very effective as the checkdown option and did well catching the ball.

Kyle Orton started to look good in the second half. He hit Brandon Lloyd in the second half and then started to use his WRs. His interceptions were under intense pressure and great defensive plays. Orton actually showed some leadership towards the end of the game and seemed to take command.

Brandon Lloyd led Chicago WRs in targets and receptions for the third game in a row. After one play where he waited for the ball and it was like it woke him up. In the second half Lloyd was the main target and he fought, jumped, and worked to get the ball.

The Chicago offensive line was a disaster. Orton had people in his face all day. The one interception was more the offensive line's fault than Orton. Forte had holes once in a while and most of the time he had to make his own.

What you ought to know

QB Brian Griese, Pass: 38 - 67 - 407 - 2 TD / 3 INT - Brian Griese started out slow and timid. By the end of the game it was a great performance. Although his interceptions were very poor throws and he dumped a few throws for penalties he was able to recover. At times he did not look like a veteran. Then he would put together streaks of completions but Griese couldn't finish the deal. The end second half was a different story. The urgency helped Griese and Tampa Bay went no huddle at the end. Griese was able to wear down the Bears defense and pick them apart. Most of his points came in the fourth quarter and overtime. He looked like a different player at the end of the game and carried the Buccaneers to a win. There was a very bad call at the end of the game that changed everything. Griese pulled the offense together before the play was called and took them by the horns. The conversation must have been good because Tampa Bay drove another 80 yards and won the game.

RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 12 - 16 - 0 - Earnest Graham looked like he didn't know what to do with the ball. He was stuffed on many plays with what looked like little effort and lack of vision. There were times that other spots opened up along the line but Graham could not get there. Warrick Dunn seemed to have no problem shifting and getting a few yards when nothing was there. However, that was not the case for Graham.

RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 5 - 31 - 0, Rec: 4 - 27 - 0 (5 targets) - Warrick Dunn was used mainly in the passing game. However, he did run the ball a few times and he was able to get yards when Earnest Graham could not. He still has his agility and could slide over to a spot to get yards when nothing else was there. Dunn was not a huge part of the game plan.

RB B.J. Askew, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (4 targets) - There were a few passing plays designed for Askew as the primary receiver. He couldn't get the first down on either one like it was designed. The Bears defense swarmed all over him each time he caught the flare pass. He was not a part of the running game besides lead blocking.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 10 - 138 - 0 (17 targets) - Antonio Bryant was the main target in the passing game. There were many times that he was targeted and the Bears made a big hit or defensive play. However, Bryant was not targeted on any TDs. He was able to get yards after the catch all day. When the Buccaneers made it into the red zone it was like a blanket fell over Bryant. He might have been able to score on a few plays that were broken up.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 6 - 57 - 1 (7 targets) - Ike Hilliard was a main focus in the first half. However, he wasn't very effective and did not accomplish much. With all the passes in the second half Hilliard was only targeted five times. There were 51 total targets in the second half. Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton were the primary targets of the second half. In fact, Jerramy Stevens was a bigger part of the passing attack in the second half. In the end Hilliard had a decent game but it did tail off towards the end.

WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 5 - 54 - 0 (9 targets) - Michael Clayton was not a part of the game plan in the whole first half. In the second half he became a huge target for Brian Griese and was a major part of Tampa Bay moving the ball. Clayton was working hard to get free and made some hard catches. Griese to Clayton was starting to create some chemistry. This was the same combination that Clayton had in his rookie season. He did very well for playing primarily in the second half only.

WR Maurice Stovall, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Maurice Stovall had many drops in this game. He wasn't a factor and Griese targeted him only on check downs in the second half.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 5 - 61 - 1 (10 targets) - Jerramy Stevens was a part of the passing plan to attack Chicago. Jon Gruden was counting on his ability to cause miss matches against this defense. It worked well as Stevens was the second leading receiver of the day. He was also targeted in the endzone often and garnered one TD. It was a very impressive performance by the end of the day.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (7 targets) - Alex Smith was targeted downfield many times. He had a few nice receptions on the day but he wasn't a focus of the passing game.

TE John Gilmore, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - John Gilmore was the recipient of the occasional target and only on short plays. Those targets were mostly after Brian Griese experience intense pressure and needed to dump the ball.

PK Matt Bryant 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Matt Bryant did everything he had to do. His longest field goal was for 35 yards. The game winner was a chip shot from 21 yards.

TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay was punishing against the run. The results the Bears attained can be attributed more to Matt Forte's ability and hard work. He just didn't give up and found holes when none were there. However, the Buccaneers did not give up any big plays and this could be a huge reason why they didn't lose the game.

TB Pass Defense - Kyle Orton started to pick on Ronde Barber. He was able to get the offense going by passing to Brandon Lloyd in one on one coverage against Barber. The Bears really started to exploit this pass defense in the second half. There was not as much pressure on Orton in the second half and with the time he could pick them apart. Most of Orton's stats were in the second half. Still, Tampa Bay made two great interceptions that were probably the difference in the game. Gaines Adams slipped Desmond Clark on a screen and scored a TD. Barrett Ruud made a huge takeaway from Matt Forte that would have been a Bears TD.

QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 22 - 34 - 268 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 6 - 21 - 0 - Kyle Orton started very slowly. Much of this was due to the pass rush. The Chicago offensive line was pretty much absent in the first half. Both interceptions were great defensive plays. Gaines Adams slipped around Desmond Clark on a middle screen and took that interception back for a score. The second was a very nice pass to Matt Forte only to have Barrett Ruud strip the ball out of his hands. That also took a TD away from Forte and Orton. Orton was able to connect with Brandon Lloyd part way through the third quarter and the offense started to roll. After that reception Orton gained confidence and took charge of the offense. He was able to pick the Buccaneer defense apart and he paid special attention to Ronde Barber. Maybe he wanted to pay him back for the blind side sack in the first half. Orton was able to practically pass at will the rest of the half. Orton led the Bears on three scoring drives and one missed field goal after the Lloyd reception. He made two great TD passes with one going to Forte and the other to Lloyd. The second half was pretty much mistake free for Orton.

RB Matt Forte, Rush: 27 - 89 - 0, Rec: 7 - 66 - 1 (10 targets) - The Bears blocking was absent for most of the game. Despite that Matt Forte did very well. The defense was all over him and he pushed them backwards to make yards when nothing was there. Forte found holes with his patience and vision. His targets were high because Orton didn't have time or anyone else to throw to during the first half. Forte made something out of nothing on many check down receptions. He had one long reception that would have been a TD if Barrett Ruud would not have made a great steal. He was also targeted again and scored. This guy was a workhorse and didn't wear down even in overtime. He has gained over 300 yards in his first three games.

RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0 - Kevin Jones was only used to give Matt Forte rest. He did do well and rushed hard when given the chance.

RB Jason McKie, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (2 targets) - Jason McKie was used mainly as a lead blocker. He did have a couple receptions on flare passes but didn't do much with them.

RB Garrett Wolfe, Rush: 1 - 38 - 0 - Garrett Wolfe was involved in one of the most exciting plays of the game. He received a direct snap on a fake punt and earned 38 yards and a first down. That was his only action of the game.

WR Brandon Lloyd, Rec: 6 - 124 - 1 (10 targets) - Brandon Lloyd is the most targeted receiver in all three Bears games. After a catch where he waited for the ball his whole attitude changed. Kyle Orton to Lloyd made the Bears comeback possible. Lloyd looked very good in the second half and all of his receptions and stats came in that half. His energy and yards after the catch seemed to ignite the Bears.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) - In the clutch and with the game on the line Rashied Davis alligator armed a pass across the middle. Davis ran out of bounds on another crucial drive and did not strive for more yards. He had three receptions that had no yards after the catch.

WR Marty Booker (1 targets) - Marty Booker was targeted once and was never heard from again.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (4 targets) - Desmond Clark was targeted on a few long throws but nothing deep. He only had two receptions to speak of but had some nice opportunities.

TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Greg Olsen didn't fumble the ball this week. He didn't get targeted for any long plays either. His only target of the second half was Kyle Orton avoiding a sack.

PK Robbie Gould 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Robbie Gould missed what would have been the game winning 49 yard field goal by three yards to the right. At the time no one knew how important that field goal to start the fourth quarter would be. But that was also how close he was to another huge field goal. Gould made three other field goals and an extra point.

CHI Rush Defense - It was good enough that Tampa Bay only rushed fourteen times. Earnest Graham looked like a log carrying the ball and the Bears can do that to people. Warrick Dunn was able to get a few runs off that went past the line of scrimmage. Overall it was a very stifling defense.

CHI Pass Defense - The Bears were picked apart in the fourth quarter and overtime. They were very visibly worn out by the Buccaneers 67 passing attempts. They might have outlasted Tampa Bay if it were not for very poor officiating management and Charles Tillman losing his head. After the whistle was blown a Buccaneer offensive lineman held a Bear down and punched him repeatedly. Two referees were in the area and just tried to talk the players off each other. Charles Tillman ran in and ear holed a Buccaneer and a fifteen yard penalty resulted. Brian Griese took the tired Bears defense on a ride to a loss after that play that would have ended their drive inside the ten yard line. Most of the passing stats came at the end of the game off second chances like this one and the Bears just were not conditioned enough to keep up.

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New York Jets 29, San Diego Chargers 48

What you need to know

New York Jets - QB Brett Favre had a very nice game statistically as the Jets fell behind in the second half and were forced to pass with four wide receivers sets most the second half. He ended up with three passing touchdowns in the game, and two of those came in the fourth quarter as the Jets made a desperate attempt to get back into the game. Despite the good offensive numbers, Favre did not play well. He and his receivers often did not look like they were on the same page and he did throw two costly interceptions in the game, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

RB Thomas Jones and the Jets running game did very little in this matchup. It didn't help that the Jets were down big most the game and were forced to abandon the running game in the second half. He also had a costly fumble in the first half that led to a Chargers' touchdown. Jones only had ten carries for 37 yards in the game.

WR Laveranues Coles had a pretty good game with six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Coles did make the Jets' biggest play of the game on a 41 yard catch down the middle of the field late in the game. WR Jerricho Cotchery had a nice game with ten catches, but most of those came on short passes as he only had 76 yards receiving and did not have a catch longer then 14 yards.

San Diego Chargers - QB Phillip Rivers' night got off to ominous start as his first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. But Rivers would come back and play very well after that initial pass and would throw three touchdowns in the first half. The Jets were unable to get much pressure on Rivers through most of the game and he was able move the ball almost at will against the Jets defense. Rivers almost had a fourth touchdown late in the game as he hit WR Vincent Jackson on a perfectly thrown pass deep down the right sideline, but Jackson was tackled on the one yard line.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson came into this game nursing an injured right toe and he did not look like his usual explosive self, as he averaged less then three yards a carry. But he did see plenty of carries in the game as he had 26 touches and did get his first touchdowns of the year with two goal line scores in the second half. Probably the biggest positive was that he was able to play the entire game and carry a full load of work in this game.

WR Chris Chambers had only one catch in the game, but it was a 27 yard touchdown reception in the first half. TE Antonio Gates caught two passes for 25 yards, including a nice six yard reception for a touchdown in the first half. WR Vincent Jackson was the Chargers' leading receiver with three catches for 74 yards, including a 60 yard reception where he was tackled on the one yard line.

What you ought to know

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 30 - 42 - 271 - 3 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 - Favre found WR Laveranues Coles in the back of the end zone for a three yard touchdown in the second quarter for his touchdown of the game. He had two interceptions in the first half and it seemed that on several plays he and his receivers were not on the same page. He was ten for 16 for 70 yards in the first half but would have a much better half statistically in the second half. The Jets didn't do a very good job of protecting Favre in the first half as the Chargers got good pressure on him and didn't allow time to throw to his receivers deep down the field. Favre was able to pad his stats in the second half as the Jets fell well behind in the game and they had to go to four wide receiver sets the rest of the game. He found WR Chansi Stuckey in the end zone for a third consecutive week early in the fourth quarter for his second touchdown of the game. He would throw for his third touchdown late in the game on a 13 yard pass to TE Dustin Keller. Favre had over 200 yards passing in the second half, but despite the nice statistical numbers he did not look his sharpest and it's clear that Favre and his receivers still need time to gel..

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 10 - 37 - 0, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones only had six carries for 22 yards as the Jets struggled to get into a rhythm on offense and sustain drives in the first half. Things did not get any better for Jones in the second half as the Jets fell behind and had to abandon the rushing game. Jones did run hard in limited action, but did have a costly fumble in the first half.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Washington had a 94 yard kick return and almost scored, but was tackled on the three yard line in the second quarter. He had only one carry in the game and had two catches for 20 yards.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 10 - 76 - 0 (12 targets) - Cotchery had three catches for 19 yards in the first half and did not make much of an impact the first half. In the second half, he was Favre's favorite target as he caught seven passes. He was very effective on the catch and run as most of his receptions were on short passes and he gained most of his yards after the catch. Cotchery was not used much as deep threat in this game as his longest catch was only 14 yards and most of those yards came after the catch.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 6 - 75 - 1 (8 targets) - Coles caught a three yard touchdown pass in the second quarter when he got open in the back of the end zone. He had two catches for only seven yards in the first half. Coles caught a big 41 yard pass midway through the fourth quarter as the Jets were attempting make a comeback late in the game. Coles finished with decent numbers, but the timing between QB Brett Favre and his receivers still seem to be a work in progress.

WR Chansi Stuckey, Rec: 6 - 42 - 1 (5 targets) - Stuckey did not get a pass thrown his way until the second half when the Jets got behind by a lot and they went to a four receiver set. He caught four yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, his third consecutive game with a touchdown.

WR Brad Smith (2 targets) - Smith had no catches in this game, but was on the field for three and four wide receiver sets.

TE Dustin Keller, Rec: 4 - 41 - 1 (7 targets) - Keller led the Jets with two catches for 22 yards in the first half. Early in the second half, QB Brett Favre tried to hit Keller deep in the end zone, but he was doubled covered and the pass was broken up. Keller would get his first career touchdown on a 13 yard completion later on in the game. Only Coles and Cotchery were targeted more then Keller in the game.

TE Chris Baker, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Baker had three catches for 26 yards in the game.

PK Jay Feely 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Feely made his only field goal of the game midway through the fourth quarter with a 32 yard kick.

NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets lost DT Kris Jenkins to a back injury in the first quarter clearly missed his ability to clog up the middle. Despite that, they did a pretty good job of containing RB LaDainian Tomlinson and holding him to 67 yards on 26 carries.

NYJ Pass Defense - CB David Barrett picked off the Chargers first pass of the game and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. But that would be the only highlight for the pass defense. The Jets did not get much pressure on QB Phillip Rivers throughout the game and gave him too much time to throw.

QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 19 - 25 - 250 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - -1 - 0 - Rivers first pass of the game was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, but that was the only miscue for what turned out to be a great first half as he threw for three touchdowns in the first half. He hit FB Mike Tolbert on a one yard touchdown pass out in the flat in the first quarter for his first touchdown pass. His second touchdown came when he found a wide open WR Chris Chambers over the middle of the field for a 27 yard play. Rivers third touchdown came on short fade to TE Antonio Gates for a six yard touchdown. He completed ten for 15 for 102 yards in the first half. Rivers looked poised and in control throughout the game as he hit his receivers with precision and made good decisions. More importantly was that he got excellent protection as the Jets struggled to get a pass rush. Rivers almost had a fourth touchdown to WR Vincent Jackson in the second half on a 60 yard completion, but Jackson was tackled on the one yard line.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 26 - 67 - 2, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) - Tomlinson did start this game despite dealing with an injured right toe and missing most of practice during the week. The big question coming into this game was how much the injury would limit him and would he able to handle his normal workload in this game? Tomlinson got plenty of carries in the first half as he had 15 carries but he only averaged three yards a rush. He didn't seem to have his usual explosiveness as you have to wonder how much his toe bothered him. He did get his first touchdown of the season by diving into the end zone on a two yard run early in the second half. He would add a second touchdown on another one yard run late in the game after a long WR Vincent Jackson catch. One big positive to be taken was that he played the whole game and one can assume his toe must have felt better this week since he finished with 26 carries. With that said, clearly Tomlinson did not look like his old self and is not hundred percent right now.

RB Darren Sproles, Rush: 5 - 38 - 0, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (2 targets) - Sproles only relieved RB LaDainian Tomlinson to give him a breather through out the game as he only had five carries to Tomlinson's 26. But Sproles looked a little more explosive as he averaged over seven yards a carry. He had a nice 21 yard run early in the third quarter and got close to getting into the end zone, but was tackled near the two yard line.

WR Craig Davis, Rec: 3 - 43 - 0 (3 targets) - Davis had a good first quarter catching three passes for 43 yards and all were first down conversions on third downs. He did not catch any more passes in the game.

WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 3 - 74 - 0 (5 targets) - Jackson had one catch for nine yards in the first half. Jackson caught a 60 yard pass late in the game, but was tackled on the one yard line.

WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 1 - 27 - 1 (2 targets) - Chambers first catch of the game came on a 27 yard touchdown pass. He got wide open over the middle on what looked like a coverage mistake by the defense because no one picked him. It was his only catch of the game. No San Diego receiver had more then four catches as Rivers did a good job of spreading the ball around, but it's a little disconcerting that Chambers only got two targets in the game.

TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 2 - 25 - 1 (4 targets) - Gates caught his first pass of the game on a six yard touchdown pass late in the first half. It was his only catch of the first half. He would catch one more pass in the second half for 19 yards.

PK Nate Kaeding 2 - 2 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 12 points - Kaeding made a 36 yard field goal in the first quarter and added a 49 yard kick late in the game.

SD Rush Defense - The San Diego defense held the Jets to only 41 yards rushing and didn't give RB Thomas Jones many lanes to rush.

SD Pass Defense - CB Antonio Cromartie made a nice interception by tipping the ball over WR Laveranues Coles and taking the ball 52 yards the other way for a touchdown. The defense would add another interception later in the game and three sacks.

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Cleveland Browns 10, Baltimore Ravens 28

What you need to know

Cleveland Browns - QB Derek Anderson struggled, especially in the second half. He looked flustered and confused the entire game. His accuracy was terrible and he got several balls batted down at the line of scrimmage. Anderson was lucky to only throw three interceptions.

RB Jamal Lewis ran the ball well, getting the most out of every run. The Browns abandoned the run late in the game, but they were successful against Baltimore's blitzing, including a nice screen by Jerome Harrison that ended up scoring their only touchdown.

WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow could not get going. Whether it involved balls thrown into tight coverage or balls that were not catchable, it led to bad fantasy nights for both studs.

Baltimore Ravens - QB Joe Flacco started the game out extremely hot, completing his first eight passes. Then he made a couple mistakes on coverage reads and threw two interceptions, leading to Baltimore to basically shut down their pass game. Flacco only completed five passes in the final three quarters of the game.

RB Willis McGahee was running with power against the Browns, gaining tough yards in the trenches. He gave up some carries to LeRon McClain (not Ray Rice) when he got poked in the eye and started to bleed from it. McClain ran the ball very well and cashed in on a couple of short touchdown runs.

WR Derrick Mason was clearly Flacco's favorite target, being thrown to seven times. He blew by the Cleveland corner on a double move but the corner held him to save a huge play that likely would have resulted in a touchdown.

What you ought to know

QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 14 - 37 - 125 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Anderson looked awful against the Ravens. He was unable to get anything going against the swarming Baltimore defense. He was sacked four times, had many passes tipped at the line, and inaccurate on throws when he did have an open receiver. Through three weeks, it has looked like Anderson has regressed from last seasons' midseason breakout.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 12 - 56 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) - Lewis seemed to have good vision, making cuts and fighting through defenders for extra yards. He was put on the shelves though when the Browns fell way behind in the third quarter, never getting the chance to wear down the Ravens' defense.

RB Lawrence Vickers, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Vickers caught a few passes out of the backfield as Derek Anderson was pressured.

RB Jerome Harrison, Rec: 1 - 19 - 1 (1 targets) - Harrison was sparsely used, but he made the most of his time. He caught a screen pass when Baltimore blitzed on a third and long and ended up scoring from the 19 yard line.

RB Jason Wright, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0 - Wright saw limited action, but had a couple of nice runs where he showed solid quickness and made some nice cuts.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 27 - 0 (8 targets) - Edwards was covered well by the Ravens, who often were quick to react to his first move and broke up timing routes. He had no chance on a couple of balls thrown his way. He did not have any drops on the night, but he did bobble the ball once. Two of his routes got jumped by the Ravens for interceptions, one resulting in a touchdown.

WR Syndric Steptoe, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (6 targets) - Steptoe served as the number two wide out, but could not make an impact across from Braylon Edwards.

WR Josh Cribbs, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (2 targets) - Cribbs was not used on offense much, being targeted only twice. He caught one ball for 17 yards, while the other target was uncatchable. The Browns did not try to get him the ball behind the line of scrimmage.

TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (13 targets) - Winslow and Derek Anderson did not have their usual chemistry, connecting on only two of 13 passes thrown to Winslow. Winslow seemed to be the focus of the Ravens' gameplan. Many of the balls thrown to Winslow were in extremely tight coverage, with most of the rest being uncatchable. One pass Anderson threw to Winslow had Ray Lewis destroy Winslow on a slant and the ball ended up popping up to be intercepted.

PK Phil Dawson 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Dawson made his only field goal attempt.

CLE Rush Defense - The Browns were solid against the run for most of the game, but gave up a couple longer runs when the Browns offense could not stay on the field. The defensive line was consistent in keeping the Ravens offensive line from pushing them off of the line of scrimmage, causing tough situations often for the running backs of the Ravens.

CLE Pass Defense - The pass defense was impressive, making a few great plays and staying home on their coverage. They did not put too much pressure on Flacco though, which is cause for some concern. Their coverage was tight and their tackling was also impressive, only allowing 129 yards through the air.

QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 13 - 19 - 129 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 6 - -2 - 0 - Flacco seemed to have the offensive coordinator believing in him before the game, and he looked sharp early completing his first eight passes. Then he threw two interceptions that were clear mistakes and proceeded to only throw the ball eight more times in the game.

RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 17 - 66 - 2, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - McClain looked solid filling in for McGahee, often powering through tackles to gain extra yards. He ran for two touchdowns in the red zone and came in ahead of Ray Rice.

RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 15 - 64 - 1, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - McGahee was a workhorse while he was in Sunday. He took a severe poke to the eye and was bleeding from it, causing him to come out of the game. He tried to return with a sunglass mask but came out after his first play back. He did a solid job moving the chains and falling forward when he was in.

RB Ray Rice, Rush: 5 - 21 - 0 - Rice did not see much action, carrying the ball only five times despite Willis McGahee missing much of the game.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 4 - 42 - 0 (7 targets) - Mason was Joe Flacco's favorite target, but he only caught four balls for 42 yards. He made a nice move that could have led to a touchdown but Brandon McDonald held Mason to save it.

WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Williams was the third wide receiver and caught all three balls thrown his way.

WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Clayton caught both short passes thrown to him, but was unable to haul in a deep pass that was just out of his reach

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (4 targets) - Heap has not been targeted much by Flacco this year, and today was no change. He did manage to make a move or two on the two passes he did catch to gain 32 yards.

PK Matt Stover 0 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Stover missed his only field goal attempt in the first quarter on a 48 yard attempt that hit the upright.

BAL Rush Defense - Baltimore was average against the run, giving up consistent gains while the Browns ran the ball. It seemed like they were more focused on the Cleveland's passing attack, often blitzing. They were getting penetration against the Browns but it seemed to be penetration the Browns wanted to allow to open up holes.

BAL Pass Defense - The Ravens dominated the Browns' passing game. They forced three interceptions, hurried Derek Anderson all night, and had extremely tight coverage. They made Derek Anderson look like a back up quarterback.

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Carolina Panthers 10, Minnesota Vikings 20

What you need to know

Carolina Panthers - The Carolina Panthers' offense struggled mightily to move the football in this contest against the Minnesota defense. Able to only muster ten points in the game, the Panthers were shut out in the second half and finished with only 204 yards of total offense. QB Jake Delhomme finished 17 of 29 for 191yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and was sacked five times. Delhomme also turned the ball over twice on fumbles, one of which was returned 19 yards for a Minnesota touchdown.

Steve Smith returned from his two game suspension and got going early as he caught his first pass of the year on team's first offensive play from scrimmage. Targeted a team high ten times, Smith finished the game with four catches for 70 yards and no touchdowns.

The Panthers came into this contest averaging 128 yards on the ground over their first two games, but had a tough time picking up rushing yards against the stingy Minnesota run defense. Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined to average a paltry 2.5 yards on 17 carries and the Panthers finished the game with only 47 rushing yards. Stewart's two yard rushing score was Carolina's only touchdown of the game.

Minnesota Vikings - QB Gus Frerotte made his first start of the year at quarterback in place of the ineffective Tarvaris Jackson and played well enough to lead the Vikings to their first win of the season. Frerotte's numbers weren't spectacular, but his 34 yard touchdown strike to TE Visanthe Shiancoe turned out to be the deciding score of the game. The Viking signal caller finished 16 of 28 for 204 yards with the one touchdown and one interception.

Adrian Peterson was listed as a game time decision because of his hamstring injury, but he did suit up and was able to start for the Vikings. The NFL's leading rusher coming into Week 3 was able to average over 4.5 yards per carry, but finished the game with only 77 yards on the ground. RB Chester Taylor actually had more rushes in the second half as he ran the ball ten times after the intermission compared to Peterson's eight.

The Vikings' defense was the big story of this game as they kept Carolina from establishing any sort of rhythm on offense. Minnesota finished with five sacks and two fumble recoveries and gave up only 3.8 yards per offensive play. CB Antoine Winfield's fumble return for a touchdown near the end of the second half tied the game at ten.

Sidney Rice was inactive this game because of a knee injury. Bobby Wade started at wide receiver in his place.

What you ought to know

QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 17 - 29 - 191 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Things started off good for Delhomme as he was able to lead Carolina on two first half drives that put the Panther's up 10--0. On the touchdown scoring series, Delhomme was two of four for 43 yards with one of those completions being a nice 29 yard pass to WR Steve Smith down the middle of the field. The Panthers' signal caller finished the first half nine of 15 for 115 yards, but his eight completions after halftime only went for 76 yards. In addition to be sacked five times in the game, Delhomme turned the ball over on fumbles twice in the first half. His fumble just before halftime was returned by Minnesota for a touchdown that tied the game at ten.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 10 - 27 - 0, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Williams got the start in this game over Jonathan Stewart and despite his poor numbers running the ball, he actually lead Carolina in rushing. He had good runs of six, seven, and eight yards in this game, but his remaining seven carries averaged less than a yard per carry.

RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 7 - 15 - 1 - Stewart was bottled up all afternoon by the Minnesota run defense as five of his seven carries went for two yards or less. His touchdown run from two yards out was his third of the year and gave Carolina a 10--0 lead in the second quarter. In addition to his rushing duties, Stewart also averaged 29 yards on five kickoff returns. His day running back kicks could have been better if not for the negation of an 86 yard return because of a block in the back penalty.

RB Nick Goings, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Goings' only two touches of the game came with under two minutes remaining in the first half.

RB Brad Hoover, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Hoover's only carry came on a third and one play early in the second quarter on Carolina's only touchdown drive. After appearing to be stopped for a loss on the play, Hoover's second effort resulted in a Panthers first down.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 4 - 70 - 0 (10 targets) - Smith saw his first action of the regular season and was QB Jake Delhomme's most popular target in the game. In addition to hauling in a 16 yard pass on the team's first play from scrimmage, he also had first half catches of 15 and 29 yards. On the play that went for a gain of 29, Smith made a nice leaping catch as he took the ball down to the Vikings 41 yard line. His only other catch came with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but he was targeted a number of times on deeper passes that fell incomplete.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (6 targets) - Despite catching only three passes, Muhammad was the second most targeted Carolina wide receiver. He was the intended receiver on a number of deeper passes, including one down near the goal line, but all of those passes fell to the ground incomplete.

WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (5 targets) - Hackett's biggest contribution to the offense came on a play in which he didn't catch the ball. On Carolina's touchdown scoring drive, Hackett drew a 20 yard pass interference penalty on a third down play that extended the drive. Both of his catches came at insignificant points in the game. Hackett's first reception came with six seconds remaining in the first half and his second grab was with under 30 seconds remaining in the game.

WR Mark Jones - Though not involved in the offense, Jones averaged ten yards on five punt returns.

TE Jeff King, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - King caught all three of the first half passes that were thrown his way.

TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Rosario's long catch of the day came on Carolina's touchdown drive. On a third and nine play, the tight end gained 14 yards as he took the ball down to the Minnesota two yard line.

PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Kasay connected on his only field goal attempt of the game from 43 yards out. He also made good on his only extra point attempt.

CAR Rush Defense - The Carolina run defense gave up 119 yards on 32 attempts for an average of 3.7 yards per rush. Neither Adrian Peterson or Chester Taylor broke any real big gainers, but the two combined to rush for 121 yards.

CAR Pass Defense - Gus Frerotte finished the game completing 16 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. Chris Gamble picked up the first Carolina interception of the year when he grabbed a ball that deflected off the hands of WR Bernard Berrian in the first half. Gamble was able to return the pick down to the Minnesota 46 yard line, but Carolina was unable score any points as the result of the turnover. In addition to the interception, the Panthers' pass defense also sacked Frerotte three times as CB Charles Godfrey and DE Julius Peppers recorded solo sacks, while defensive ends Tyler Braton and Charles Johnson split a sack.

QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 16 - 28 - 204 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0 - Frerotte's best series throwing the football came on the drive that gave the Vikings a 17--10 lead. On a third and seven play with the ball on the Vikings 23 yard line, the Minnesota quarterback eluded the Carolina pass rush and connected with WR Bernard Berrian on a deep pass that went for a gain of 48 yards. Two plays later, Frerotte fired a strike to TE Visanthe Shiancoe who turned the completion into a 34 yard touchdown pass. Later in the game, he led the Minnesota offense on a time consuming, 19 play drive that ended with a Ryan Longwell field goal that put the Vikings up by two scores.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 17 - 77 - 0 (2 targets) - Though he averaged over 4.5 yards per carry, Peterson seemed to be limited somewhat by his hamstring injury as he didn't show the explosiveness we've all come to expect when he rushes the football. He did show some signs of quickness as he sidestepped would be tacklers on longer running plays of nine and 14 yards, but nine of his carries went for three yards or less. Peterson's day could have been somewhat better, but 12 yard rush was called back because of a holding penalty.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 11 - 44 - 0, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (7 targets) - Nine of Taylor's 11 rushing attempts came on 19 play drive that consumed 11 minutes and 34 seconds on the game clock. On that series, he picked up 35 of his 44 yards on the ground. In addition to his duties running the football, Taylor was the most targeted Vikings' pass catcher and would have scored on a 13 yard touchdown reception if it wouldn't have been negated due to a holding penalty. He also averaged 22 yards on two kickoff returns.

RB Naufahu Tahi, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Both of Tahi's catches came on the second quarter drive that led to the Vikings' first field goal.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 3 - 79 - 0 (5 targets) - Berrian's first catch of the game went for a gain of 21 yards, but two plays latter a pass that deflected of his hands was intercepted by Panthers' CB Chris Gamble. His 48 yard catch in the third quarter on a Gus Frerotte deep ball set up the go ahead touchdown. All three of Berrian's catches went for first downs.

WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (6 targets) - Wade started in the place of injured Sidney Rice and led all wide receivers in targets with six. All three of his receptions resulted in Minnesota first downs.

WR Aundrae Allison, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Allison's only catch of the day went for a first down on a second and three play with Minnesota operating from their own 45 yard line. He averaged zero yards on his two punt returns.

WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Ferguson's first catch of the year went for a pickup of nine yards and a first down.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 38 - 1 (4 targets) - Shiancoe's big play of the game came when he hauled in a pass from QB Gus Frerotte that went for a 34 yard touchdown pass. The score was his first of the year. Shiancoe did have a ball in his hands that would have went for a longer gain, but a hard hit by Carolina CB Chris Gamble dislodged the ball and the pass fell incomplete.

TE Garrett Mills, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Mills' only catch of the game came on a third and nine play where he took a screen pass for a 10 yard gain.

PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Longwell made good on his first field goal attempt from 28 yards and then connected on his second attempt from 32 yards out. He also was good on both of his extra point attempts.

MIN Rush Defense - The Minnesota run defense was superb in this game as it held the Carolina rushing attack to a total of 47 yards on 20 attempts. The Vikings did surrender a two yard touchdown run to RB Jonathan Stewart.

MIN Pass Defense - Carolina QB Jake Delhomme finished the game with 191 yards on 17 completions with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Minnesota CB Antoine Winfield forced a fumble by Delhomme that he was able to return 19 yards for a Vikings' touchdown. DT Kevin Williams recorded two sacks on the day with LB Chad Greenway, DE Jared Allen, and Winfield all recording solo sacks.

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Miami Dolphins 38, New England Patriots 13

What you need to know

Miami Dolphins - First off, you'll need to know that the score you just saw at the top was not a mistake. It actually happened. The Miami Dolphins finally showed everyone just what they can do when their running game is on point this past Sunday. QB Chad Pennington was nearly flawless, completing 17 of his 20 passes for 226 yards. His day was the polar opposite of his week two performance, and he successfully quelled any rumors that the team would be replacing him with rookie QB Chad Henne.

The Dolphins offensive line absolutely dominated the Patriots' front four. In addition, they did the same on the pass blocking side; not surrendering a sack and not letting anyone even get near Pennington for the most part. RB Ronnie Brown had a career day thanks to them and it was arguably one of the best overall days we have seen for quite some time. He started off the day with a solid 50 yards and three rushing TDs that still would have had everyone buzzing. However, one 62 yard TD run and a passing TD later, and Ronnie Browns performance was being touted as one for the ages. Overshadowed by Browns career day was Ricky Williams' solid, breakout performance. He finished just shy of the century mark rushing wise with 98 yards, but he also tacked on 21 yards receiving which placed him over the 100 total yard mark for the day.

The targets were relatively spread out in regards to the receivers, with no one player really being favored over any other. The Dolphins force fed Ted Ginn Jr. into the offense, targeting him the most out of anyone for the day with six targets. He converted them into five receptions for 49 yards. He also had one fumble as well. Greg Camarillo was targeted second most with five targets, and continued his week to week improvement finishing with 60 yards on four receptions. Anthony Fasano had the biggest day out of anyone on the team, barreling his way towards 66 yards and one TD on three receptions.

New England Patriots - Patriots QB Matt Cassel's second career start looked a lot like how everyone thought his first one would go: Not very well. The USC alum was 19 of 31 for 131 yards, one TD, one INT, and 4.2 yard per attempt average. He looked shell shocked nearly the entire game and failed to cover up the fact that he was hurting after some hard sacks. The only good thing that could be said about his day is that he kept it coming and peeled himself (albeit noticeably reluctant) off the ground after every sack. Backup rookie QB Kevin O'Connell came into the game for Cassel late, going three of four for 25 yards and a 6.3 yard per attempt average.

With such a poor passing game so early on, the running game never got much of a chance to get going. Sammy Morris and Lamont Jordan combined for 49 yards (27 and 22 respectively) on 15 carries. Kevin Faulk also tacked on six yards on one carry. Besides a 17 yard run by Sammy Morris early on in the first quarter, and a nine yard run by Lamont Jordan on the second to last play of the game, there's really nothing else worth noting.

Although Randy Moss was targeted much more than last week, most of the ten were off target and he ended up catching just four balls for 25 yards. Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney fared a bit better, with Welker pulling in six balls for 55 yards and Gaffney catching the same amount for 51 yards and a TD. Gaffney's performance was the highlight of the entire day for the team, and that's saying something when you consider the offense. Luckily for the Patriots, they are heading into a bye week and will have an ample amount of time to fix what went horribly wrong this past Sunday. If body language could talk however, many on the Patriots offense may be expressing a bit of displeasure with Cassel's play thus far.

What you ought to know

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 17 - 20 - 226 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Pennington proved all of the people calling for the Chad Henne era to begin last week wrong with a close to flawless day. Two of his three passes that were not completed would come early in the team's first two drives. Following the second one though, Pennington would go on to complete 16 of his remaining 17 passes for 220 yards. He picked apart the Patriots defense with relative ease, driving the Dolphins to the Patriots goal line three separate times. Once he got them within reach, Ronnie Brown would do the rest.

QB Chad Henne - Chad Henne came into the game late in the fourth, but not due to the same reason as last week. This time around, his job was to just hand the ball off and give Chad Pennington a well deserved early exit from the game.

RB Ronnie Brown, Pass: 1 - 1 - 19 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 17 - 113 - 4, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - It's safe to say that Ronnie Brown has officially returned from his ACL tear that put him on the IR early last year. Brown had an absolute monstrous day, looking quick, fluid, and powerful en route to his 113 rushing yards, nine receiving yards, and five total TDs (one passing). It can be said now that although the team is still going to go with a Brown/Williams duo going forward, Brown definitely has folk's attention.

RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 16 - 98 - 0, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Had it not been for Ronnie Browns absolutely amazing day, the talk of football nation would have definitely been focused on Ricky Williams. He finished with 119 total yards (98 rushing) on 16 carries and two receptions. He was utilized in many trick type plays along with Brown, who was lined up at QB. Williams would come in motion for either a fake play action pass, or receive the ball in a sweep to the outside. The Dolphins did practically every possible variation of this formation set, with Chad Pennington even lining up at WR on some of them. It's not clear on whether or not this is something that they will continue to do or focus on in the future, but Williams was a large part of both it and the entire offensive package set in general. The former Texas Longhorn running back showed many people that he still has what it takes despite his age. Although it's apparent that he's clearly lost a step or two in terms of his speed, Williams looked both powerful and hungry on all of the carries that he was called upon.

WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 5 - 49 - 0 (6 targets) - After an incredibly disappointing first two weeks, Ginn was force fed into the Dolphins offense on Sunday through six, short yardage targets. It was clear even before the announcers confirmed it, but the Dolphins have expressed their desire to get the second year WR more involved in the offense after being practically invisible in the team's first two games. The team's plan is for the majority of Ginn's targets to be short slants or screen-passes so that he can hopefully utilize his strengths (speed and shiftiness) and minimize his time spent blanketed by pass coverage. Ginn did manage to fumble his first catch, although it was the only blemish on the day for both he and the team.

WR Greg Camarillo, Rec: 4 - 60 - 0 (5 targets) - Camarillo was nearly tied with Ted Ginn Jr. in targets but while Ginn was targeted once more, it apparently seems that Camarillo is looking to be the team's primary medium to long range WR option. He has been targeted at least five times per game this year, and his season low five targets against the Patriots on Sunday could have been due to the running games success. He has also progressively gained more and more receiving yards over the past three weeks (37, 49, and 60 yards respectively) this season. Most importantly, it's very apparent that the promising third year WR has become Chad Pennington's favorite wide out on the team so far this season.

WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (1 targets) - Wilford, who was largely believed to be one of the team's top receivers when he was signed, wasn't targeted at all and saw barely any playing time for the first two weeks of the season. He was targeted once on Sunday, and he converted it into a 15 yard reception.

WR Davone Bess, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Rookie wide receiver Davone Bess successfully hauled in his only target for four yards. He also returned three kickoffs for 47 yards and one punt for ten yards.

TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 3 - 66 - 1 (3 targets) - After following his impressive Dolphins debut by being practically invisible in week two, Fasano returned to his former self once again in the teams shocking win against the Patriots. Not only did he have the best receiving day on the entire team, Fasano also looked eager to find contact after two of his three catches left him in open space. When he did find contact, he met it head on and would drive forward for an extra potential yard. It appears his only concern when running after a catch is to gain as many yards as possible, no matter how hard he has to hit whoever's trying to tackle him.

TE David Martin, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Although Martin was overshadowed by Fasano's day, he made worthy contributions blocking in addition to a long reception. His one reception for 21 yards marked the second straight week that he's produced less than the week before (Week one: four receptions for 53 yards, Week two: three receptions for 32 yards, and Week three: one reception for 21 yards). Despite the decline, Martin remains a worthy receiving option for QB Chad Pennington.

PK Dan Carpenter 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Carpenter converted all five of his extra point attempts in addition to knocking through a 39 yard field goal.

MIA Rush Defense - The Dolphins rushing defense didn't have to contend with the Patriots' rushing trio of Sammy Morris, Lamont Jordan, and Kevin Faulk for very long since the Dolphins went ahead early, but even when they did they managed to keep them in check. The unit let up 79 rushing yards total and just 55 yards to the team's three running backs.

MIA Pass Defense - The Dolphins pass defense held Matt Cassel to 131 passing yards and one TD. They picked off one of his passes, sacked him four times, and hurried his throws on a countless amount of plays.

QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 19 - 31 - 131 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 5 - 0 - Cassel's second start looked more like what we thought we might see from him in his first start last week. Unlike in week one, where it looked from the play calling that the training wheels were kept on, the QB was given a more varied, training wheel-less approach in regards to the play selections. He looked unsure, was inaccurate, took a four sack beating, and was constantly hurried all day long. His yards per attempt also finished at just over four. All in all, it was not a good day.

QB Kevin OConnell, Pass: 3 - 4 - 25 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Rookie backup QB Kevin O'Connell filled in for Matt Cassel late in the game. Although his body of work was small and it came at a time when the Dolphins defense was much more concerned with the victory celebration, O'Connell completed 75% of his passes and looked decisive. His yards per attempt clocked in at 6.3 and while it wasn't enough to cause a QB controversy, the rookie showed he could prove to be a worthy option should Cassel continue to struggle.

RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 9 - 27 - 0, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (2 targets) - Morris failed to make the most of his starting job in the wake of Lawrence Maroney's absence other than a 17 yard scamper early in the first quarter. After that, he rushed for ten yards on eight attempts. Again, it was not a good day for anyone on the Patriots rushing offense.

RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 6 - 22 - 0 - Although Jordan had the team's highest yards per carry average, it was only 3.7 and he only received 6 carries. You'd be grasping at straws if you were trying to garner anything positive from anything the offense did on Sunday.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Faulk had six yards rushing on one attempt as well as six yards receiving on two receptions. He did not play his usual role on offense, but then again, neither did any of the Patriots running backs.

WR Wes Welker, Rush: 1 - 19 - 0, Rec: 6 - 55 - 0 (7 targets) - The only consistent part of the Cassel led offense these past two weeks is Wes Welker's involvement and consistency. He was the second most targeted receiver on Sunday (first last week) and looks to be one for the entire time that it takes Cassel to get comfortable in the offense. Welker is the very definition of a safety blanket for a quarterback of Matt Cassel's skill type: Quick, nimble, vacuums for hands, and the ability to do anything or go anywhere that is asked of him.

WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 6 - 51 - 1 (9 targets) - The one, positive, nugget of happenings that you could garner from the Patriots perspective on Sunday would be Jabar Gaffney's solid 51 yard, one TD game. While everyone else on offense was fine and producing the first two weeks, Gaffney was invisible. When everyone on the offense save for Wes Welker couldn't seem to do anything right, he decides to bust out and officially arrive to the regular season. Gaffney got the second most targets on the team and looked to be a favorite of QB Matt Cassel.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 4 - 25 - 0 (10 targets) - It almost seemed like the Patriots were forcing the ball to Randy Moss when it was thrown to him, and when it was thrown to him it wasn't thrown very accurately. The reason for Cassel's affinity for getting Moss the ball and being off target when he does may be because of the attention that Moss has been garnering on nearly every play. The four passes Moss did catch were for short yardage and he finished the day with 6.3 yards per reception average. The week four bye can only help matters, because it's also looked like Cassel and Moss need some quality football bonding time.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Watson converted one of his two targets into a reception for six yards. It came early in the game, when things were looking bright, and his catch marked the last positive thing to happen for the Patriots on Sunday before everything began to head downhill.

TE David Thomas, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) - Despite being targeted three times, Texas University grad David Thomas only caught one of them for four yards.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Unlike most of the rest of the team, Gostkowski was flawless against the Dolphins. He knocked through both of his kick attempts for 37 and 44 yards and successfully booted through his only extra point attempt.

NE Rush Defense - Perhaps even more surprising than the fact that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams racked up 211 combined rushing yards is that it was done against a Patriots team who is quite capable in stopping the run. There is not one positive thing to say about the Patriots rushing defense's performance this past Sunday. Not one.

NE Pass Defense - While not as historically bad as the rushing defenses performance, the Patriots passing defense was picked apart to pieces by Chad Pennington all game. The only thing you could say is that they didn't let up a passing touchdown, but then again, the Dolphins never got much of a chance to attempt many with the epic rushing performances and all.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 6, Philadelphia Eagles 15

What you need to know

Pittsburgh Steelers - QB Ben Roethlisberger was under intense pressure for the entire game, being sacked six times in the first half alone. Game situations forced the Steelers to pass often early, evidenced by just six rushing attempts in the first half. The second half, limited by poor field position, Roethlisberger could not get any time to make any downfield throws, and was held to just 131 yards. QB Byron Leftwich threw for 60 yards in mop up duty after Roethlisberger left with a hand issue (x-rays were negative). Pittsburgh will undoubtedly see more blitz calls by future defenses until they show they can handle it better.

RB Willie Parker had a very quiet game and was not a priority in the offense. Pittsburgh was not able to get him the ball in space and normally productive stretch play runs were snuffed out by the quickness of the Eagles' Defensive line. Backup RB Rashard Mendenhall was not a major factor either, with no carries and only two targets.

WR Hines Ward was unable to jump start Steelers' passing game early. Press coverage by the Eagles' secondary held the normally productive receiver to just four receptions and well under ten yards a catch. Pittsburgh receivers in general lacked aggressiveness and were often seen looking back into the backfield to see if their quarterback was in trouble. This caused them to break off routes and limited run after the catch yards.

Philadelphia Eagles - QB Donovan McNabb was extremely accurate, connecting on his first 15 passing attempts. However, turnovers were costly, denying the Eagles early scoring attempts. McNabb was injured in the first half on a sack and did not come out for the start of the second half. He eventually did return but looked somewhat limited physically. Also, given the Eagles played with the lead for mostly the entire game, he did not have to go deep down the field and had only two plays of 20 yards or more.

WR Hank Baskett led all Eagles pass catchers with nine targets. However, McNabb stayed true to form and spread the ball around to seven receivers. He did come up with some clutch catches over the middle and kept drives alive.

Starting RB Brian Westbrook left the game early in the first half with an apparent ankle injury and did not return. He had only five carries for 12 yards and did not catch a pass. Backup RB Correll Buckhalter proved to be an effective replacement, especially in the passing game. He took a swing pass up the sidelines in the second quarter for the game's only touchdown. He ended up with over 80 total yards.

What you ought to know

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 13 - 25 - 131 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 6 - 0 - The Pittsburgh game plan looked to establish the passing game early and Ben Roethlisberger was able to connect on five short passes on the opening drive which eventually turned into a field goal. After that, he only had eight completions over the rest of the game, despite numerous attempts. Eagles blitzers made Roethlisberger bring the ball down numerous times and he was basically running for his life. He was not able to make any plays when the pocket broke down, something he has done often in his career. Press coverage on the outside made big plays hard to come by, with the longest gain just 16 yards. On one rare deep ball, Roethlisberger forced a pass into double coverage and the result was a CB Asante Samuel interception. The Steelers' offensive line was porous and had numerous false start and holding penalties. Poor play calling was also in evidence with few screens and draws called to slow down the Eagle attack.

RB Willie Parker, Rush: 13 - 20 - 0 - Willie Parker was hemmed in all day by the Eagles defense. He was unable to get anything going and had no space to run. His longest gain was just eight yards and often he was hit in the backfield. Blitzing linebackers took away his speed and he could not get to the outside. RB Rashard Mendenhall had no carries and was targeted twice, catching one ball. He made an obvious mistake in pass protection leading to a hit on Roethlisberger. After that, he was not in the game very much. RB Mewelde Moore and FB Kerry Davis, each had one carry and the Steelers' running backs were not involved in the passing game.

WR Nate Washington, Rec: 5 - 51 - 0 (8 targets) - Washington did most of his damage on the final drive when Leftwich was in the game. He did get a few deep looks during the game, including the interception mentioned earlier.

WR Hines Ward, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (9 targets) - Hines Ward had several balls thrown his way, but a strong pass rush prevented much accuracy by Roethlisberger, so many were incomplete. He caught a few short and intermediate passes in the first half and did get the lone target in the red zone in the first quarter. The passing game was totally ineffective so owners should not read too much into the unproductive results from Ward this week.

WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 3 - 32 - 0 (8 targets) - Holmes was the victim of Roethlisberger's many incomplete passes throughout of the game. His first and second catch was on back to back plays in the first quarter, a 16 yarder and a six yarder. After that, only one more catch for ten yards came his way. Numerous balls thrown were uncatchable. QB Byron Leftwich took over for Roethlisberger.

TE Heath Miller, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (4 targets) - Miller caught one pass on the first drive and then was mostly active in the fourth quarter where he picked up over half of his yards on the final drive when Leftwich was in the game and the Eagles did not blitz much. Miller was kept in to block a lot and that limited his opportunities.

PK Jeff Reed 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Reed hit a 37 yard field goal early and a 53 yard field goal late in the first half. He had no other opportunities.

PIT Rush Defense - The Steelers held the Eagles' rushers to under three yards a carry. The loss of Westbrook and the pass-oriented emphasis of the game plan made the Eagles throw significantly on first down, so running plays were limited.

PIT Pass Defense - The Pittsburgh pass rush was solid recording three sacks and other QB pressures. SS Troy Polamalu made an athletic interception and CB Bryan McFadden added another.

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 24 - 35 - 196 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - McNabb came out throwing the short passes often seen in Philadelphia's offense early and marched the Eagles on an 85 yard drive in the second quarter for the game's first score. An earlier drive looked equally as promising, but was snuffed out by a fumble by FB Tony Hunt. McNabb was steady in the pocket, but never looked to take off and run. Only two passes were 20 yards or more and very few deep pass plays were called. An attempted flea-flicker in the second quarter exposed McNabb to a big hit by LB Lamar Woodley driving his upper body into the turf. He was in obvious pain, but played through to halftime. It was later diagnosed as a chest injury. McNabb did not come out for second half warm-ups and was replaced for two series by backup QB Kevin Kolb. He did return and seemed to be less than 100 percent. Owners should keep an eye out for the upcoming week's injury news. Overall, it should be noted that the early loss of Westbrook took away McNabb's most significant weapon and impacted the Eagles' play calling.

RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 10 - 43 - 0, Rec: 6 - 44 - 1 (6 targets) - Buckhalter began the game as a compliment to Westbrook, seeing early action as a receiver out of the backfield. After Westbrook was hurt, that continued that trend and was a major factor. His best play was a swing pass on a third and long where he beat LB James Harrison and took off down the sideline's for the game's lone touchdown. Buckhalter was also productive in the running game and had a healthy 4.3 yard per rush average. If the injury to Westbrook extends beyond this game, Buckhalter would be a useful waiver wire target. Third stringer RB Lorenzo Booker picked up 11 yards on carries.

RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 5 - 12 - 0 - Westbrook came out on the first drive and carried the ball just three times, held to limited gains. The second drive where he was injured produced only two more carries. His injury was to his ankle on a freak play where one foot landed on the back leg of another player and he could not get his balance. He limped off, took some treatment on the sideline, and walked very gingerly into the locker room and did not return.

WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 8 - 85 - 0 (8 targets) - Baskett ended up with the best day among Eagle receivers making the most of his opportunities. Donovan McNabb looked for him in the middle of the field, and he was able to take some big hits to keep drives alive. His best play came in the second quarter where he took in a third and long catch which eventually led to the Buckhalter TD score.

WR DeSean Jackson, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 5 - 40 - 0 (7 targets) - Jackson was not a major factor this week coming off previous big games. His small stature presents problems for him being able to break tackles and he could not find much open space against the normally physical Steelers' secondary. 18 of his total yards came on one play.

WR Jason Avant, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (4 targets) - Avant caught his first target at the start of the game, a 19 yard catch on a third down, but did not get his second catch until late in the second half.

TE L.J. Smith (2 targets) - Smith did not make a catch but earned a red zone target, one where a low throw from McNabb was not caught. That led to a field goal. His other target, this time from Kolb, was intercepted.

PK David Akers 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Akers hit a pair of 31 yard field goals and connected on his lone extra point. He had no other opportunities.

PHI Rush Defense - The Steelers posted just 33 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Philadelphia was able to limit RB Willie Parker by consistently getting penetration and keeping him from the perimeter where he usually can be effective. Coming out in the third quarter, Pittsburgh tried to establish Parker, but to little real yardage. Later, the field position and score prevented many running plays.

PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles pass rush made its presence felt early on in the game and clearly dominated play. They were able to pressure and hit QB Ben Roethlisberger seemingly at will and only his athletic ability kept the sack totals under double digits. They ended up with seven sacks, two forced fumbles and a safety.

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Detroit Lions 13, San Francisco 49ers 31

What you need to know

Detroit Lions - The Lions struggled to get much going in their passing game, as QB Jon Kitna managed just 146 passing yards on 15 of 30 passing. Kitna was able to connect on a 34 yard touchdown pass to RB Rudi Johnson in the fourth quarter, but that was the lone bright spot for Detroit through the air.

Rookie RB Kevin Smith was benched early in the game and gave way to veteran RB Rudi Johnson, who led the Lions with 14 carried for 83 yards, and added 48 yards on three receptions in the passing game, including the aforementioned touchdown reception.

Detroit's two talented receivers, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, were held in check by the 49ers secondary. Johnson led the wideouts with four receptions for 40 yards, and Williams totaled just two catches for 18 yards.

San Francisco 49ers - J.T. O'Sullivan and the 49ers offense looked sharp from the get go against the Lions. O'Sullivan led the club on three first half scoring drives all resulting in touchdowns, giving San Francisco a 21-3 halftime lead. Of the first half scores, two came on scoring strikes from O'Sullivan to WR Isaac Bruce and TE Delanie Walker.

Frank Gore ran like a man possessed against the Lions, as he finished with 27 carries for 130 yards that included a four yard touchdown run. Gore also chipped in with four receptions for 32 yards in the passing game. San Francisco also got a rushing score from DB and KR Allen Rossum, who scored from one yard out on a fourth and goal call.

Eight different receivers caught passes for San Francisco, and WR Isaac Bruce and TE Delanie Walker each caught touchdown passes through the air.

What you ought to know

QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 15 - 30 - 146 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 19 - 0 - Jon Kitna struggled to find his rhythm against Detroit, as he completed 15 of 30 passes for just 146 yards, one touchdown, an interception and a fumble. Kitna was unable to get anything going with his talented receiving corps, and the only Detroit touchdown of the game didn't come until late in the fourth quarter. Kitna hobbled off the field late in the game following a sack with an apparent leg injury.

QB Dan Orlovsky, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 1 INT - Orlovsky relieved Kitna following the injury late in the fourth quarter, and had his only pass attempt intercepted.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 14 - 83 - 0, Rec: 3 - 48 - 1 (4 targets) - Rudi Johnson got the call early in the game and responded with some respectable numbers, even with Detroit down big from the start. Johnson totaled 83 yards rushing on 14 attempts and also added 48 yards on three receptions and a 34 yard touchdown through the air. Johnson also had a fumble, but Detroit was able to maintain possession.

RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 3 - 14 - 0 - Smith was benched early in the game and finished with just three rushes for 14 yards. With the way Rudi Johnson played, Smith's time may start to be limited.

WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (10 targets) - Johnson was targeted a team high 10 times for the game, but came down with just four receptions for 40 yards. He got three third down targets, and was thrown to deep down field a few times, so Detroit was making a point to try to get him the ball.

WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) - McDonald got four targets and came down with two receptions for 13 yards. He was targeted twice on third down.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (7 targets) - Roy Williams was targeted seven times, but finished with just two receptions for 18 yards.

TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Gaines was targeted three times and finished with one reception for 15 yards.

PK Jason Hanson 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Jason Hanson connected from 44 and 51 yards out and added one extra point to finish with seven points.

DET Rush Defense - Detroit's defense had a hard time bringing down 49er RB Frank Gore, who rushed for 130 yards on the ground. For the game, San Francisco totaled 182 rushing yards and totaled 11 rushing first downs. The 49ers scored twice on the ground, where Gore took one in from six yards out and DB Allen Rossum took it in from one yard out on fourth and goal.

LB Ernie Sims led the way defensively with 11 solo tackles and two assists and LB Paris Lenon chipped in with six solo tackles and one assist.

DET Pass Defense - The Lions didn't fare well in their pass defense, as they allowed two passing score, failed to force a turnover, and only had one sack.

DL Corey Smith recorded the only sack of the game for Detroit.

QB J.T. OSullivan, Pass: 16 - 23 - 189 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 8 - 32 - 0 - O'Sullivan had a solid performance against the Lions, where he finished with zero turnovers and was sacked just one time. He finished 16 of 23 for 189 yards, and touchdown scores of six yards to WR Isaac Bruce and 24 yards to TE Delanie Walker. O'Sullivan also showed some mobility out of the pocket as he rushed eight times for 32 yards.

RB Frank Gore, Rush: 27 - 130 - 1, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (4 targets) - Frank Gore had a huge game against Detroit, where he rushed 27 times for 130 yards and a four yard rushing score and added four receptions for 32 yards on four targets in the passing game. He even lined up at QB for a play, where he took a third down snap and rushed for three yards. Gore once again showed why he is the building block of the 49ers offense.

RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 (4 targets) - Foster had just two rushing attempts for one yard and failed to make a reception on his only target.

WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - 18 - 0, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) - Battle was targeted four times and finished with three receptions for 22 yards. He also had one rush for 18 yards.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 2 - 19 - 1 (4 targets) - Bruce had just two receptions for 19 yards, but included in that was a six yard touchdown reception. He finished with four targets in the game.

WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets) - Johnson caught the only pass thrown to him for 25 yards.

TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 3 - 44 - 1 (3 targets) - Walker made the most of his three targets, as he hauled in two first down receptions and a 24 yard touchdown reception.

TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (5 targets) - Davis received five targets, but came down with just one reception for 17 yards.

PK Joe Nedney 1 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Nedney missed a 43 yard attempt, connected on a 25 yard field goal and added four extra points to finish with seven points for the game.

SF Rush Defense - The 49ers were lucky to have jumped out to such a big lead, as they allowed Detroit to run the ball 20 times for 116 yards, at 5.8 yards a clip. With such a big cushion on the scoreboard, they focused more on slowing down the Lions passing attack and their talented receiving core.

LB Patrick Willis totaled four solo tackles and two assists and LB Takeo Spikes forced a fumble that San Francisco was unable to come up with.

SF Pass Defense - San Francisco's secondary played a great game and focused on containing the Detroit wideouts, holding the Lions to just 124 net passing yards and getting to QB Jon Kitna for four sacks in the game. They held the 49ers to just five of 13 on third downs and held the duo of Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams to a combined six catches for 58 yards.

DL Justin Smith and DB Tarell Brown each recorded interceptions and Smith and LB Parys Haralson each recorded sacks. LB Roderick Green added two sacks of his own.

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Kansas City Chiefs 14, Atlanta Falcons 38

What you need to know

Kansas City Chiefs - It is difficult to express just how out of place rookie QB Tyler Thigpen looked for about 28 minutes of this game. He finally had some success late in the half, running the Chiefs two minute drill; five of his seven first half completions came on that final drive. Prior to that, he had two completions for a grand total of 7 yards. He was somewhat better in the second half, in a more limited role as the Chiefs gave the ball to Larry Johnson more often, but the damage had been done. His three interceptions on the day were of the ugly variety, not a bad bounce among them. All in all, it appeared that the Chiefs asked too much of him.

Larry Johnson had to wait until the second half to get anything going, which he began with a 48 yard scamper. In the first half he carried the ball a paltry six times. Why the Chiefs coaching staff had more confidence in their rookie QB going to the air so frequently than they had in Johnson's running will remain a question mark. Once he got the opportunity, Johnson showed quite clearly that he's still got a lot of gas in the tank.

Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez are the only viable receiving threats on this team, but without a reliable quarterback to get them the ball, even that is in question. Bowe had six balls thrown officially targeted to him before one of them was close enough to actually catch. Gonzalez was double covered all day, yet still caught four of his seven targets.

Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan is making somebody look smart right about now. He looked like a seasoned veteran against a lackluster Chiefs defense. The game plan focused mainly on the running game, but he made the most of his limited chances; again and again, he found the open receiver when he needed to. The highlight was a perfectly thrown bomb to Roddy White for a 70 yard score.

Michael Turner (23-104-3) was the difference in this game. He started off slow, but once he got going, was absolutely unstoppable. Jerious Norwood chipped in with 105 yards of his own (75 rush, 30 rec), but was the second option behind Turner. Of note is the fact that early in the game, the two backs split time evenly, and briefly Norwood had the edge in carries. Then Turner got loose for a 38 yard gain and saw most of the important carries from then on.

Roddy White is clearly Matt Ryan's go to receiver. In addition to his long touchdown, he was targeted twice in the red zone, and all of five his catches were for first downs. Michael Jenkins was a steady number two option, but did not get enough opportunities to be noticed.

What you ought to know

QB Tyler Thigpen, Pass: 14 - 36 - 128 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 18 - 0 - Thigpen had a rough day, starting his first NFL game after having come off the bench last week. He struggled to find open receivers until the 2 minute drill to end the first half, in which he found Dwayne Bowe for a touchdown. He was constantly pressured and showed that he can scramble when needed, but was unable to overcome the Falcons tight coverage. The coaching staff showed confidence in him after the touchdown -- by leaving him in for the second half -- and he responded with a better second half. On the downside, he threw three interceptions on the day, and they weren't even close to a Kansas City receiver.

RB Larry Johnson, Rush: 24 - 121 - 1 - The Chiefs gave up early on Johnson, it seemed. He had only six first half carries, for 11 yards. In the second half, his first carry was for 48 yards (which ended in a fumble out of bounds). With the score still close enough to eke out a win, he was leaned on more heavily and responded with a number of good rushes, making one wonder why they didn't do this earlier. He was not used at all in the passing game.

RB Jamaal Charles, Rush: 7 - 38 - 0, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (5 targets) - Charles has seemingly taken on the role of pass catching back for the Chiefs, and got a handful of carries in garbage time.

RB Kolby Smith, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Smith caught one pass and rushed the ball once. He was strictly a backup in this game as Jamaal Charles was the beneficiary when Johnson was rested.

RB Mike Cox (1 targets) - Cox, the starting fullback, was used primarily as a blocker.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 4 - 43 - 1 (12 targets) - Bowe was targeted six times before he finally caught the seventh throw, which happened to be for a touchdown. On each missed ball, it was a case of a poorly thrown pass or the fact that he wasn't open (and Thigpen threw it anyway). Despite his low catch total, he is clearly the most reliable option for the Chiefs.

WR Marques Hagans, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Hagans was targeted only once, for a short first down.

WR Devard Darling, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (5 targets) - All five of Darling's targets came in the first half. He did not look particularly dangerous on any of them, but the blame still falls mainly to poor QB play.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (9 targets) - Gonzalez was often double covered, and when he did pull in the catch, he was promptly tackled. He was his old reliable self, but was never a threat to get more than a short gain each time.

PK Nick Novak 0 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - His only field goal attempt, of 32 yards, went wide right.

KC Rush Defense - They had their hands full, and in the end could not stop the tandem of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. Especially Michael Turner.

KC Pass Defense - No sacks, no interceptions, pretty much tells the story. They made a rookie quarterback look like a veteran, despite the fact that the Falcons did not go to the air often.

QB Matt Ryan, Pass: 12 - 18 - 192 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 15 - 0 - Ryan showed exceptional poise throughout the game, running an efficient albeit run heavy Falcons offense. No sacks, no interceptions, no mistakes of any kind. The emphasis on -- and overall success of -- the ground game helped him immensely as the KC defense had no choice but to key on the run. When he did drop back to pass, he had plenty of time to find his man, notably on a deep pass to Roddy White that became a 70 yard score.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 23 - 104 - 3 - Michael Turner was an absolute monster. He started the day slowly, and actually split carries evenly with Jerious Norwood early in the game, but once he got going the Falcons made him the focus of the offense. Of note are his three touchdowns on the day, all short yardage carries (two, four, and, one yard). He was nearly impossible to take down; one time he literally dragged a clinging KC player five yards and still didn't go down.

RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 11 - 75 - 0, Rec: 1 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) - Norwood was actually splitting carries evenly with Michael Turner in the first quarter. Once Turner showed the hot hand, Norwood was relegated to a change of pace role. Late in the contest, with the game well in hand, he got most of his yards on a nice 44 yard off tackle run. He was targeted twice in the passing game, and showed good hands and agility in turning a short screen into a 30 yard gain. Norwood also returned kickoffs.

RB Ovie Mughelli (1 targets) - Mughelli, the starting fullback, was targeted once on a short 'safety' route, but he was otherwise used exclusively as a blocker.

WR Roddy White, Rec: 5 - 119 - 1 (7 targets) - White made the highlight catch of the day on a deep route, hauling in a bomb from QB Matt Ryan for a 70 yard TD. Despite the focus on the running game, White was easily Ryan's preferred receiver when they did go to the air, and he showed why, catching five of seven balls thrown his way.

WR Harry Douglas, Rush: 1 - -8 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Douglas caught both balls thrown his way, for short gains. He was also featured on a reverse, but was stopped for negative eight yards.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - Jenkins did nothing spectacularly, but looked capable when he got the chance. The offence did not pass enough to give him many opportunities, however.

WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Robinson caught one pass early in the game, but later left the game with a knee injury.

WR Brian Finneran (1 targets) - The veteran wideout did not show up on the score sheet, but was targeted once on a short route.

TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Peelle did not factor into the passing game. The Falcons second TE, was targeted once, and caught the ball for a 7 yard gain.

PK Jason Elam 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Elam was perfect on the day: one field goal (27 yards) and five PATs.

ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons seemed to stop Larry Johnson early in the game, forcing the Chiefs to essentially abandon the run. When the Chiefs ran later in the game, the defense was good but not great, allowing Johnson to rack up a number of good carries.

ATL Pass Defense - It's difficult to criticize them, but take this stellar effort with a grain of salt due to an inexperienced opposing QB. They blanketed the KC receivers early, and late in the game put the icing on the cake with an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The pass rush was the most impressive aspect as they gave Thigpen very little time to throw.

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Arizona Cardinals 17, Washington Redskins 24

What you need to know

Arizona Cardinals - QB Kurt Warner and the Cardinals seemed content to play a conservative style of offense for much of the game. The Cardinals had no plays longer then 20 yards until almost the fourth quarter. Although the offense put up 17 points and moved the ball decently, the group seemed to lack urgency and rhythm.

RB Edgerrin James had a solid game. He appeared to be focused on avoiding negative plays. What James lacks in speed he more then makes up for with his great vision and cut back ability. He did this frequently on his route to 93 yards on the ground.

WR Anquan Boldin was held to a reasonably quiet day. The star WR was coming off of a three TD game from the previous week but was held to just three total catches on the day.

Washington Redskins - QB Jason Campbell continued his maturation process under head coach Jim Zorn's new west coast offense. Campbell had a solid and very efficient game going 22 for 30. The strength of this offense has been the high percentage nature of the throws. There were very few longer throws which contributed to the modest 193 yards gained.

RB Clinton Portis continued his steady play in back to back games. Portis finished the day with a score and 87 total yards. The Redskins continue to follow the left side of their offense for the majority of their better runs. Only three run plays went to the right side of the line.

TE Chris Cooley is what makes the Redskins offense go. While he is not the big play threat, his catches and energy gave this team a rhythm and identity. On two of the three TD drives Cooley was a key cog in getting the offense down the field. He and Campbell have improved week over week and Cooley is definitely the safety value for Campbell.

What you ought to know

QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 16 - 30 - 192 - 2 TD / 1 INT - Warner had an uneven performance after a very slow start in part due to long drives by the Redskins. Warner had only one passing attempt in the first quarter as Washington had the ball for over ten minutes during the first quarter. In the second quarter, Warner and the Cardinals started to move the ball using WR Larry Fitzgerald and on the ground with Edgerrin James. At times it appeared that Warner was locking onto Fitzgerald as his primary look. On the day Warner was able to throw two touchdowns and had another called back on a penalty. Warner did throw one interception where the ball was knocked into the air and a diving Carlos Rogers made the pick. The highlight of the game for Warner was throwing a perfect deep ball to Larry Fitzgerald for a 62 yard strike for a touchdown.

RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 18 - 93 - 0, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (1 targets) - James ran the ball well against a solid Redskin defense. During the game he showed excellent vision and ability to cut his plays to the backside. He was able to gain positive yards on almost all of his carries except for one. James was not part of any packages once the Cardinals entered the red zone. On his 18 carries James was able to come up with 93 yards. James lost a fumble which was the Cardinals' first turnover of the young season which led to a Washington field goal.

RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 5 - 23 - 0, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) - The rookie running back, Hightower, continued to see short yardage and red zone time. Hightower was the target on a red zone trick play. Kurt Warner tossed the ball back to WR Jerheme Urban who then threw the ball back the entire width of the field to Hightower. The throw put Hightower off balance which led him to fall on the play or he would likely have scored on the play. Hightower struggled on his only short yardage situation getting stuffed for no gain on a third and short. His best runs came downhill when he had a head of steam and could set up behind his blockers.

RB Tim Castille, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - The FB saw very little work other then catching a short dump off pass that went for four yards.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 7 - 109 - 1 (13 targets) - The lanky receiver was Warner's primary target all day and at times perhaps to the Cardinals detriment. Warner was often locked into watching Fitzgerald and ended up taking two sacks on the day. Fitzgerald displayed great route running all day and was successful in getting separation throughout the game. This was no more apparent then on his 62 yard touchdown catch. He completely faked out the safety and continued to simply out run the corner on his way to an easy score. Fitzgerald finished with over a hundred yards for the 15th time in his young career.

WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 3 - 25 - 1 (5 targets) - The Redskins' secondary did an excellent job of limiting Anquan Boldin in the Cardinals' passing game. Boldin was primarily used in underneath and shorter routes and seemed to draw some double coverage. The Redskins limited Boldin to a mere three catches for a total of 25 yards. Despite the quiet day he was able to score a touchdown. Fred Smoot had drawn the coverage assignment and gave Boldin a huge cushion which led to an easy pitch and catch with Warner.

WR Jerheme Urban, Pass: 1 - 1 - 18 - 0 TD / 0 INT (1 targets) - His big play of the game came on a lateral where Urban in turn threw the ball to running back Tim Hightower. The play set up the eventual touchdown catch by Boldin. Urban only saw the field in four wide sets and was not able to catch his only other target during the game.

WR Steve Breaston (2 targets) - The third wide receiver was held without a catch on the game. Breaston was in the line up in all sets that featured three or four receivers. Breaston was targeted twice; both were deep throws in the post. One of the targets ended up being intercepted and returned deep into Cardinals' territory. This turnover led to a Washington touchdown two plays later.

TE Ben Patrick, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (1 targets) - One of the game changing plays was a fourth and one in the first half. Patrick got free and uncovered in the Redskins' secondary after a play fake. Warner hit Patrick and he would have scored had the play not got called back by a contested and argued delay of game penalty. On his other target Patrick made a nice catch fending off a defender and hauling in a play that gained 19 yards.

PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Rackers was perfect on his lone field goal attempt of 26 yards. He was also successful in converting both of his extra point attempts.

ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals were able to hold Clinton Portis and company to 136 yards and a score. The biggest trouble the defense had was stopping the run during the fourth quarter. The Redskins really started to dominate the time of possession and eat up large chunks of time during their last few drives.

ARI Pass Defense - The secondary gave up two scores through the air. Washington QB Jason Campbell was also able to complete 73% of his passes. Although the Cardinals only gave up 187 yards it was not an impressive outing.

QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 22 - 30 - 193 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 26 - 0 - Campbell had a highly efficient stat line throwing for an overall completion rate of 73%. His 22 of 30 went for a total of 187 yards and two scores. He also had another would be touchdown to Devin Thomas called back due to an undisciplined penalty from his offensive line. Although the offense struggled some during the second and third quarters, Campbell was very good when he needed to be. His opening drive was impressive as he went four for four on the way to a Clinton Portis score. He displayed good arm strength and continued improved decision making with no interceptions on the day. In the fourth quarter, Campbell got the offense rolling again with frequent hook ups to TE Cooley and his big play guy Santana Moss.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 21 - 68 - 1, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) - Portis continued his success of running to the left from last week. Only three of his 21 carries went right. Most of his larger gains were again to the left on toss and sweep type plays. Portis displayed his normal patient running and hitting the hole hard when needed. Portis scored almost untouched on a short draw play. All in all it was a solid day stat wise for Portis.

RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 4 - 23 - 0 (1 targets) - Betts saw limited action getting only four carries on the day. Betts ran hard and got some tough yards after contact. He was able to amass 23 yards for the day.

RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Mike Sellers was not a huge factor in moving the ball for Washington. On one of his targets he dropped the ball in the flat while wide open. This won't help him get future looks.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 7 - 75 - 1 (10 targets) - Moss scores again. This is his sixth straight game with a touchdown. Moss was dangerous after the catch all game long. It seemed on every play he needed to be surrounded and gang tackled. Moss scored on a WR screen play, he patiently waited for his blocks before powering his way over a couple of defenders to find the end zone. He finished the day with seven balls for 75 yards and the one score.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Pass: 1 - 1 - 11 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) - Randle El flexed his passing prowess in this game. To follow up the razzle dazzle play by the Cardinals earlier in the game, the Redskins came up with one of their own. On an end around play Randle El dialed up a pass to TE Chris Cooley. The play went for 11 yards. In his career, Randle El is an astounding 18 of 22 in his passing attempts. Aside from the trickery, Randle El was a non factor in the game only catching three balls for 23 yards. With the new west coast offense he is primarily being used on crossing and short routes.

WR Devin Thomas, Rush: 1 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (5 targets) - His line reads one catch for seven yards, but there is much more to the story. Fantasy fans will want to hear that Thomas was used exclusively when the Redskins utilized three wide receivers. Also, of note Thomas would have scored a 68 yard touchdown had it not been called back for a personal foul on the offensive line. Throughout the course of the day Thomas was targeted deep on the majority of his looks. Thomas was called for pass interference on two separate occasions for pushing off and nullifying one gain. Thomas also had one carry on an end around. The rookie looked good in the open field and made a few defenders whiff on tackles.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 7 - 72 - 0 (7 targets) - Cooley had a big game. Cooley is quickly becoming his young quarterback's favorite target. His line read seven catches for 72 yards, many of the catches being key third down conversions that sustained scoring drives. The Redskins continue to move Cooley around in various formations to create mismatches. He was often lined up in the slot to get him one on one with slower linebackers and safeties.

TE Todd Yoder, Rec: 2 - 4 - 1 (2 targets) - The rarely used Yoder caught his first touchdown of the year on a clever play action fake from inside the five yard line. He showed excellent concentration as he had to hold off the defender who was waiving his arms directly in his face.

PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Kicker Shaun Suisham went one for two on his field goal attempts. He boomed a 48 yarder early in the game and was no good from 52 yards. This play got the attention of head coach Jim Zorn who absolutely tore a strip off holder Durant Brooks. Brooks the holder, had not been able to get the ball down on one of Suisham's attempts last week. The hold appeared to be fine. However, coach Zorn obviously didn't like something he had seen. All three extra point attempts were converted

WAS Rush Defense - The Washington defense played solidly against the duo of Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. James had gotten off to a quick start. After the half the defense was able to limit yards and often put Arizona in second and long situations. Arizona ran for 116 yards on 23 carries.

WAS Pass Defense - The Washington secondary should be commended for not allowing Fitzgerald and Boldin from having a huge day. Warner was sacked twice and never looker truly comfortable in the pocket. Carlos Rogers came up with a key interception that led to the game winning score. A great job was done by this under rated group.

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Dallas Cowboys 27, Green Bay Packers 16

What you need to know

Dallas Cowboys - The Dallas Cowboys improved to 3-0 and picked up their first victory ever at Lambeau field.

QB Tony Romo made a few mistakes including a red zone interception, a Cowboys recovered red zone fumble for a large loss, and two intentional grounding calls. However, he hit WR Miles Austin for two deep plays and led the team to a convincing victory over another legitimate contender in the NFC.

RB Marion Barber and RB Felix Jones lit up the Packers defense for over 200 yards on the ground including two rushing touchdowns. Jones ran for a 60 yard touchdown dash down the left side and Barber barreled over defenders while racking up 142 yards on the ground.

WR Terrell Owens and WR Patrick Crayton were both held in check. Owens had two drops and Crayton did not reel in a single reception. The attention Owens received opened up opportunities for other Dallas players. Seldom used WR Miles Austin pulled down two deep balls and ended-up with over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. TE Jason Witten was reliable as usual.

The Cowboys defense let up a lot of yards through the air but only allowed one touchdown which was on a one yard sneak by QB Aaron Rodgers. The Packers were forced to settle for a field goal on three occasions. Green Bay RB Ryan Grant was held to 54 yards and the Packers only converted 28% of third downs.

Green Bay Packers - QB Aaron Rodgers tasted the agony of defeat for the first time as a starter against the Dallas Cowboys in week three. Rodgers played well overall but was only able to get his team into the end zone once in the loss.

Rodgers did not make any mistakes and put up some gaudy yardage statistics but the team was forced to settle for a field goal three times. The lack of big scores allowed the Cowboys to jump out to a big lead in the second half and put the game away.

RB Ryan Grant was healthy but after the team fell behind he was seldom utilized. RB Brandon Jackson only carried the ball three times but looked fast and agile.

WR Greg Jennings put up another 100 yard receiving game and WR Donald Driver caught a beautiful deep pass for a 50 yard gain but like all of the Packers receiving options they were held without a score. TE Donald Lee was mostly targeted when the team was far behind and trying to catch up late in the game.

The Packers defense held WR Terrell Owens and WR Patrick Crayton in check but allowed a couple of deep bombs to reserve WR Miles Austin. They were also unable to stop the two-headed running attack of RB Marion Barber and RB Felix Jones, letting up over 200 yards and two scores on the ground.

The Packers were only four of 14 on third down conversions.

What you ought to know

QB Tony Romo, Pass: 17 - 30 - 260 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - QB Tony Romo continued to be mistake prone despite his gaudy stats. He fumbled for a 14 yard loss in the red zone, threw a red zone interception, and was flagged for two intentional grounding plays. Romo finished with nice stats overall and is still a huge part in the effective, high powered Cowboys offense.

Romo was under pressure on his 52 yard touchdown bomb to WR Miles Austin. He stepped up to avoid pressure and let the ball go before a pair of defenders closed in on him. He also had a couple of passes dropped by WR Terrell Owens.

RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 28 - 142 - 1, Rec: 3 - 15 - 0 (4 targets) - RB Marion Barber continued to prove that he is an every down feature back in the NFL, although he did fumble twice and almost lost a third early in the game. His only fumble for a turnover happened along the sideline late in the fourth quarter as the team was trying to seal the victory. The Packers recovered and brought the ball downfield and scored -- but it would prove to be too little too late. He also nearly fumbled the ball earlier in the game but grabbed the ball before a defender could jump on it and had another fumble grabbed by Dallas TE Tony Curtis.

Barber ran strong and hard as usual for the duration of the game as he racked up 142 yards on the ground. He was also used frequently in goal line and goal to go situations.

RB Felix Jones, Rush: 6 - 76 - 1, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Rookie RB Felix Jones is a great change of pace back for the Dallas Cowboys as he spelled RB Marion Barber throughout the game without reducing the scoring potential of the Cowboys offense. He ran off a beautiful 60 yard scamper down the left side for a touchdown in the second quarter.

WR Miles Austin, Rec: 2 - 115 - 1 (3 targets) - WR Miles Austin, only playing because WR Sam Hurd was inactive, made the most of his opportunity by hauling in two long passes including a 52 yard touchdown that clinched the win for the Cowboys. Austin looked speedy and was reliable as a deep threat for QB Tony Romo, as the top two Dallas receivers were unable to get anything going in the victory.

WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (7 targets) - WR Terrell Owens dropped two balls that he could have caught including one on the first drive of the game for Dallas where he appeared to fall backwards as the ball was thrown. Later in the game, another well thrown ball bounced right off of his hands. The Packers did consistently provide safety help to the cornerback who was defending Owens. It won't show on the stat sheet but he was a huge factor in the game drawing extra attention and coverage opening up the defense for the other Dallas players.

Owens was the target of WR Patrick Crayton's pass.

WR Patrick Crayton, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT (2 targets) - WR Patrick Crayton was held without a catch in the victory and his play was overshadowed by the big game of WR Miles Austin. Crayton also attempted a pass but it was incomplete.

TE Jason Witten, Rec: 7 - 67 - 0 (9 targets) - TE Jason Witten continues to be QB Tony Romo's most reliable target.

TE Tony Curtis, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - TE Tony Curtis was playing fullback for the Cowboys in some situations in week three. He also recovered a fumble by RB Marion Barber.

PK Nick Folk 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - PK Nick Folk was perfect for the day on field goal and extra point attempts.

DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys rush defense held the Packers running game largely in check. The Packers were forced to abandon the run for most of the second half as they fell behind by a wide margin.

The only rushing touchdown was a quarterback sneak from the one yard line by QB Aaron Rodgers.

DAL Pass Defense - The Cowboys were able to get consistent pressure on QB Aaron Rodgers. The young quarterback was forced to scramble out of the pocket regularly and had numerous passes deflected before they hit their targets.

Despite the pressure, the Packers were able to put up a lot of yards in the air but the Cowboys buckled down when necessary and limited the Packers to zero touchdowns through the air.

DB Adam Jones forced a fumble, recovered it, and returned it for a nice gain on the second play of the game. He also had an interception bounce of his hands late in the game.

DL Jay Ratliff was impressive on his sack of QB Aaron Rodgers as he bowled right over OL Tony Moll and wrapped up Rodgers for a loss.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 22 - 39 - 290 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 10 - 1 - QB Aaron Rodgers suffered the first loss of his young career. He did not force the ball or make any major mistakes. They were simply unable to punch the ball into the end zone when close. They also had trouble converting third downs.

His deep pass to WR Donald Driver was a thing of beauty as he hit a wide open Driver in mid-stride for a 50 yard gain. He also appears to have a strong rapport with WR Greg Jennings and frequently went to TE Donald Lee when they were trying for some quick scores late in the contest.

RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 13 - 54 - 0 - RB Ryan Grant was healthy enough to take on the bulk of the carries for the Packers. The team fell behind relatively early and they were forced to take it to the air and abandoned the running attack. On his first carry of the game, he fumbled the ball and Dallas recovered, which setup a field goal.

Grant only had one carry on a goal to go situation, carrying the ball from the eight yard line. He did not score.

RB Brandon Jackson, Rush: 3 - 20 - 0, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - RB Brandon Jackson was the second running option for the Packers in the loss as RB Ryan Grant was healthy enough to take the bulk of the load. On his limited carries, Jackson looked quick and capable and made a nice juke move to avoid a tackle on one play. He also had a nice gain on his only reception. All of Jackson's carries came in succession in the third quarter.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 8 - 115 - 0 (10 targets) - WR Greg Jennings continues to perform as the top wide receiver for the Packers. Jennings had another 100 yard receiving game but like all of the Packers receivers he was held without a score.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 76 - 0 (7 targets) - WR Donald Driver was a reliable target for QB Aaron Rodgers. He showed that he is still a top notch receiver, catching a 50 yard pass in mid stride and then making an acrobatic jump over a diving tackler to add a few extra yards to the play.

WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 4 - 42 - 0 (9 targets) - Rookie WR Jordy Nelson looked hesitant at times including one play where he pulled up on his route to avoid a big hit. He also did not appear to drop back far enough to take a lateral from WR Donald Driver which resulted in the play being called back due to an illegal forward pass penalty. QB Aaron Rodgers continued to target the young receiver repeatedly in the fourth quarter.

WR James Jones (2 targets) - WR James Jones was held without a catch in the loss.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 5 - 41 - 0 (5 targets) - TE Donald Lee had a solid game receiving for the Packers but was not able to get into the end zone. Three of his receptions came in the final quarter as Green Bay was attempting to mount a large comeback.

PK Mason Crosby 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - PK Mason Crosby did not miss a field goal or extra point attempt in the loss.

GB Rush Defense - The Green Bay run defense had a lot of trouble trying to stop the Cowboys running game as RB Marion Barber and RB Felix Jones ran for over 200 yards combined on the ground.

LB Brandon Chillar apparently had the wind knocked out of him in the third quarter and he missed a few downs but later returned.

GB Pass Defense - The beat up Green Bay secondary was exploited on two occasions by WR Miles Austin, however they were able to keep WR Terrell Owens and WR Patrick Crayton in check. TE Jason Witten had a big game receiving over the middle for the Cowboys.

DB Al Harris and DB Nick Collins were both injured during the game and missed time. CB Charles Woodson was slowing getting after one tackle and the team was also playing without DB Atari Bigby who was inactive for the match up.

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Oakland Raiders 23, Buffalo Bills 24

What you need to know

Oakland Raiders - In a very bizarre but not all that shocking story, reports are surfacing out of Oakland that head coach Lane Kiffin is going to be fired early this week, perhaps as soon as Monday morning. This news has been waiting to break for some time now, and it appears that the team's second loss of the season has proven too much for longtime owner Al Davis.

With expected starting RB Darren McFadden slowed by a sprained toe, the rushing duties were split 50-50 between he and Michael Bush. Bush was the more effective of the two backs, and McFadden seemed to have a tough time early on maintaining his footing.

JaMarcus Russell's fantasy line was very top heavy. Over half of his passing yardage came on one long pass play, and he earlier had punched in a rushing touchdown from a yard out. He didn't play terribly, but aside from those two plays he wasn't very effective.

Buffalo Bills - Second year starting QB Trent Edwards had a breakout game. He has played well to this point, but facing a nine point deficit in the fourth quarter, he was the reason the Bills were able to come back and win it. He showed poise and determination, and projected a calm confidence in methodically bringing his team back.

RB Marshawn Lynch found the end zone twice more, giving him four scores in the season's first three games. Neither touchdown was particularly easy, as he had to fight through tacklers on each play (and for most of the other parts of the game as well).

WR Josh Reed came up with several key receptions in the fourth quarter to keep drives alive, fellow WR Lee Evans chipped in as well, and Roscoe Parrish caught a crucial touchdown pass. It's been a long time since Buffalo had two fantasy relevant wideouts, but on this day at least, they had three.

What you ought to know

QB JaMarcus Russell, Pass: 9 - 19 - 156 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1 - Russell showed good mechanics on short and intermediate throws as well as a big arm on the deep balls. But he's still having trouble putting any kind of touch on the fade patterns and end zone passes. He got lots of time to throw the ball all afternoon, but didn't always put it where it needed to be. He would alternate a perfect throw to Ashley Lelie with a weak fade to the corner. He'd then drill one up the middle to Johnnie Lee Higgins for an 84 yard touchdown pass, moments after overthrowing the back of the end zone. He certainly isn't helped along by his receiving corps, that's for sure. Aside from the aforementioned Higgins, he didn't have another wide receiver step in and make a big play all game long. What's more, it was difficult for Russell to put up eye-popping stats when the team was throwing the ball just three times the entire second half. There's protecting the lead, and then there's playing scared. The Raiders appeared scared to death to entrust the game to their young quarterback, which made very little sense considering how well he protected the football on all but one play (failure to protect the football on a hit from LB Paul Posluszny).

RB Darren McFadden, Rush: 14 - 42 - 0, Rec: 3 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - McFadden started the game despite suffering a sprained toe a week ago, but he was a starter in name only. He and Michael Bush split the 28 carries between them, with McFadden getting much of the work on first and second down with Bush coming in for short yardage and third down situations. In truth, McFadden was in and out of the lineup for the entire first quarter. The toe issue seemed to bother McFadden at times, particularly when he tried to plant and cut off the foot. He lost his footing on two successive runs in the first quarter, and then went on to slip two more times in the first half. Each time he fell he was trying to make a cut. It unfortunately cut into his effectiveness big time, because nearly a third of his carries (four out of fourteen) resulted in a slip and fall. The injury seemed to bother him less as the game went on, as he showed an ability to run over defenders rather than trying to go around them. It was a testament to his versatility that he essentially turned into a power back halfway through the game and altered his style to adjust for his weakness. He nearly picked up a touchdown in the third quarter, but had it vultured. After successive six yard runs put the Raiders on the Buffalo one yard line, QB JaMarcus Russell took the handoff and dove in for the score.

RB Michael Bush, Rush: 14 - 55 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Although fellow halfback Darren McFadden got the start, Bush played plenty. He and McFadden both had fourteen carries, with the majority of Bush's damage coming on third down situations (something the team also enjoyed great success with in Week 2). The offensive line was creating big lanes for him, and he responded with a nice burst. Two items of note are: A) It was McFadden, not Bush, who was getting red zone carries in the third quarter, and B) It was Bush, not McFadden, who was getting fourth quarter carries as the Raiders were trying to pick up first downs and run out the clock. It should also be noted that they were unable to do so.

WR Javon Walker, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Walker saw three balls head his way in the early part of the first quarter (one of which was in the end zone), and then he essentially disappeared the rest of the way. He made his first catch of the year early on but was certainly not an integral part of the offense.

WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (7 targets) - Lelie saw much more action than any other Oakland receiver, but that doesn't mean he did anything with the targets he saw. In fact, he caught just one of the seven passes that went in his direction. He was thrown to three times in the end zone, each successive pass further from being a touchdown than the one before it.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rec: 1 - 84 - 1 (1 targets) - After opening the game with a 69 yard kick return, it appeared as if Higgins' contributions to the outcome were going to be relegated to special teams play. But after a Buffalo score had cut the Raider lead to 16-14, QB JaMarcus Russell found a streaking Higgins down the middle of the field for a quick hit. Higgins caught the ball in stride, and nobody was going to catch him from behind, despite the fact that his premature celebration caused him to slow down at the 35 yard line. He was actually tackled into the end zone by Donte Whitner, which worked out well because it offset his taunting penalty.

WR Ronald Curry (1 targets) - Curry is clearly not someone to be relied upon in most formats. He didn't see one pass his way until late in the fourth quarter, a long pass that was well overthrown.

TE Zach Miller (2 targets) - Miller, once expected to be Oakland's leading receiver this year, has been little more than an afterthought through three games. He only saw two passes his way in this game, neither of which was caught.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - For much of the afternoon, Janikowski was the Raider offense. He booted in three first half field goals to help establish a 9-7 lead. Oakland managed to turn those field goals into touchdowns in the second half, however, so he remained at three field goals for the day. He did save a touchdown on a kick return in the second quarter, a play that was very big at the time it happened.

OAK Rush Defense - On a per carry basis, the Raiders did a fine job against a solid Buffalo rushing attack. It's just that they had to make too many plays due to the offense never staying on the field. Even when Oakland's offense was successful (for example, the long touchdown pass to Higgins), the offense was on the field for little more than a moment before sending the defense back out. Buffalo RB Marshawn Lynch employs a rushing style specifically designed to wear out the opposition, and that's just what he did in this game. The Raiders stood very little chance of containing him all game long, though they came pretty darn close. The stats are going to show you that Lynch had 83 yards and two scores on the ground. But the truth of the matter is that the Raiders held him to 3.6 yards per carry and held him in check on most of his runs.

OAK Pass Defense - Oakland was doing a fine job in containing Trent Edwards, until the fourth quarter, that is. The Raiders had a good pass rush early on and were forcing Edwards to hold the ball far too long. What's more, the CB combination of Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall was shutting down WRs Lee Evans and Josh Reed. The defensive front was able to force a fumble on Edwards, while Asomugha forced another on Lee Evans just before the half as Buffalo was driving to score. The Raiders were also the beneficiaries of what appeared to be a bad call. On a quick slant, both Hall and Lee Evans appeared to have their hands on the ball. Rather than rule simultaneous possession (which would've kept the ball in Buffalo hands), the officials called it an interception and it surprisingly stood up to review. However, in the fourth quarter things began to unravel a bit. Prior to that interception, Edwards was just 9-19 for 93 yards and zero touchdowns. After that interception, he was 13-18 for 193 yards and a score. He was able to read the Oakland blitzes and looked dare I say, Manning-esque in leading the offense. This was due in part largely to the outstanding play of Edwards but also because the Raiders were suddenly having issues. A perfect illustration was when S Gibril Wilson was whistled for a personal foul penalty and ejected from the game after an open-handed punch to the facemask of Josh Reed. In fairness, he was being dragged down by his shirt unnecessarily. But as a veteran, he knows that it's always the guy who retaliates that gets caught.

QB Trent Edwards, Pass: 24 - 39 - 279 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0 - Edwards didn't look great at the beginning of the game. The Oakland defense was applying intense pressure on him, and he was making matters worse by holding onto the football way too long. The fumble can be directly attributed to this, as he was winding up to pass when the ball was knocked from his hand. It wasn't all bad for Edwards in the first half. Despite the pressure (or perhaps because of it), he was forced to improvise quite a bit. He did, flipping a backhand pass Darian Barnes for a 25 yard pickup and later showing good improvisational skills in avoiding the oncoming rush to find Marshawn Lynch for a first down late in the third quarter. But it was the fourth quarter that he really came alive in the game. He had thrown an interception in the third quarter. Where that might have rattled most quarterbacks, Edwards used it as sort of a rallying cry. Prior to the fumble, he was just 9-19 for 93 yards and no touchdowns. But after the pick, he went 13-18 for 193 yards and a difficult touchdown pass to Roscoe Parrish. The Parrish touchdown was spectacular in that Edwards had a defender right in his face and about to introduce him to the turf. But rather than cover up, Edwards lofted a perfect pass to the near corner to Parrish, who waltzed into the end zone and cut it to a two point game. All throughout the drive, Edwards was under pressure. Yet all throughout the drive, he was calm and collected. His release was extremely fast, and he always seemed to be moving down the field. It's not a stretch to suggest that mechanically speaking, he looked a lot like Peyton Manning on the field. No one is suggesting he'll put up those numbers, but it's a nice start for a young player like Edwards.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 23 - 83 - 2, Rec: 4 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) - Having now scored four times in the team's first three games, it's probably safe to say that Marshawn Lynch is off to a great start. He added two touchdowns in this game and played with the ferocious determination that made him a high first round pick a year ago. Early on, it was tough to find running lanes. So, he just made them himself. He was simply running over people to get his yardage. Then after displaying his power for awhile, he went back to his agility. His first touchdown run was outstanding, because he needed to not only withstand the potential punishment of a tackle, but he also had to somehow find a way to remain inbounds and stretch the ball over the pylon -- oh and have I mentioned that he had to do all of this while going into the end zone sideways? His second touchdown was just as impressive, though far less difficult. He simply powered it in from five yards out, but this time he brought the entire team with him. They got a great push up front, and nobody was keeping him out of the end zone on that one. He was simply piling up yardage on the game-winning field goal drive (4 carries, 19 yards), and finished up with 114 yards from scrimmage and the two scores.

RB Fred Jackson, Rush: 5 - 24 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) - After a big game a week ago, Jackson had a very quiet afternoon. He totaled just six touches, and was seen on the sideline holding his shoulder after a big hit early on in the third quarter. There was no immediate update on whether the injury will affect him going forward, but we'll keep you updated on anything.

WR Josh Reed, Rec: 6 - 72 - 0 (8 targets) - Reed caught a game high six balls for a team high 72 yards and appeared to be Trent Edwards' favorite target in the second half. Perhaps part of that could be explained by the fact that CB DeAngelo Hall was covering Reed and giving him loads of room to work with on every play. The result was Reed's best single-game performance since the 2003 season.

WR Lee Evans, Rec: 4 - 65 - 0 (10 targets) - Evans had an extremely up and down afternoon. Mostly down. With the Bills driving into Oakland territory late in the first half, Evans caught a ball and was about to be tackled on the sideline. He handled the football carelessly, and CB Nnamdi Asomugha forced a critical fumble. Head coach Dick Jauron emphasized his faith in Evans by going right back to him to open the third quarter with a 34 yard pass play. But Evans showed later that quarter why he maybe shouldn't be trusted so much when he was unable to wrestle a ball away from CB DeAngelo Hall on what was eventually ruled an interception. Evans also negated a 38 yard pass play when he was whistled for offensive pass interference in the third quarter.

WR Roscoe Parrish, Rec: 3 - 42 - 1 (5 targets) - Parrish wasn't extensively used throughout the game, though he did catch one of the biggest and most important grabs of the entire day when he hauled in the touchdown that cut the Raider lead to 23-21.

WR James Hardy (1 targets) - After scoring a key touchdown last week, Hardy saw just one target all afternoon. It resulted in a drop, and it didn't come until late in the fourth quarter.

TE Robert Royal, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - Royal didn't light up the stat sheet by any means, and he was more of a safety valve than anything. That said, he did catch four passes and could provide some value to a fantasy team starving for a tight end, especially since it appears that the Buffalo offense is vastly improved from last year's version.

PK Rian Lindell 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Lindell ended up the hero of the game after connecting on the winning kick from 38 yards out as time expired. He needed redemption after pushing a 46 yard attempt just wide in the third quarter. In fairness, it was into the wind and the weather conditions were not great after halftime. The Bills had also earlier passed up an opportunity to kick a 53 yard field goal, instead opting to go for it on fourth and two. Marshawn Lynch converted the attempt, but WR Lee Evans fumbled on the next play to turn it over.

BUF Rush Defense - The Bills held the Raiders' vaunted two-headed attack of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to just 97 yards on 28 carries and no scores. Granted, Bush hasn't seen much action in his professional career and McFadden is clearly limited by a toe injury, but the Bills still made the stops when they needed to. About the only time they caved was on a goal line situation in the third quarter. Trailing 9-7, they allowed two straight six yard runs to McFadden before allowing JaMarcus Russell to plow in from a yard out. Aside from that one series, however, the Bills were pretty stout in this phase.

BUF Pass Defense - The Buffalo defense made one glaring error in this game, and fortunately for them it didn't cost them the win. Trailing 16-14 late in the fourth quarter, Johnnie lee Higgins was allowed to roam free across the middle of the field for a quick slant. QB JaMarcus Russell put the ball right on target and in stride, and Higgins did the rest in racing for the 84 yard score. The Bills employed a sort of 'bend but don't break' strategy, as they allowed Oakland to penetrate deep into their territory several times only to come away with field goals. This can be attributed in large part to the pass defense of Buffalo to keep the Raiders out of the end zone.

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Jacksonville Jaguars 23, Indianapolis Colts 21

What you need to know

Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars controlled the time of possession for most of the game thanks in large part to a stout running game and an accurate short passing game, to pull away with the victory in a very close game that came down to a 51 yard field goal by Josh Scobee with four seconds remaining. Jacksonville came into the game with an inefficient two touchdowns in seven red zone tries, and seemed to be experiencing the same struggles early on. They had two drives of 70 or more yards that resulted in a field goal and a failed fourth down play inside the Colts' 10 yard line, and followed those drives up with an interception to culminate a drive that took eight minutes and 41 seconds. However, despite missing four of their top offensive linemen, the Jaguars showed a tremendous commitment to running the ball, especially in the second half when they dominated the time of possession, keeping the ball for 12 minutes 40 seconds in the third quarter and the first 12 minutes and 33 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Jacksonville's offensive linemen did a much improved job of blocking, and Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew did the rest. They both ran for over 100 yards, with Taylor carrying the ball 26 times, and Jones-Drew 19, including one for a touchdown. Taylor ran with very good power, attacking the line of scrimmage and routinely dragging defenders with him for extra yards. Jones-Drew complemented Taylor well, showcasing his explosiveness and speed when in the open field.

Jones-Drew was the only player targeted in the first half by David Garrard, but Garrard spread the ball to other players in the second half, although Matt Jones was the only one to receive more than two targets in the second half. Garrard threw mostly short passes as the Jaguars' running game gave him favorable down and distance plays, which helped negate Indianapolis' pass rush. His receiving options were hindered as Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson were inactive due to injuries, and Dennis Northcutt left early due to a leg injury. Overall, Garrard did a good job of placing the ball where his receivers could usually gain some yards after the catch.

The Jaguars ran 12 plays in the red zone, and came away with a touchdown and field goal along with a failed fourth down attempt. Eight of these plays were in goal to go situations, and they ran the ball six times. Taylor and Jones-Drew had three carries each, with Jones-Drew running one in for a touchdown. One of the two goal line passes was to Jones-Drew, while the other was intentionally thrown away. Jacksonville showed a strong commitment to the run and utilized both of their running backs between the tackles on most of their plays.

Indianapolis Colts - The Colts managed to remain in the game despite the significant disparity in time of possession by being efficient with some of their possessions. Early on Peyton Manning was in sync with his receivers, and Joseph Addai ran well, but the passing game sputtered afterwards until late in the game when they took the lead. Indianapolis rode the strong running of Addai and accurate passing by Manning to take a 14-10 halftime lead, but gave up an interception for a touchdown in that half. Thanks to Jacksonville's dominating the time of possession in the second half, and taking the lead, the Colts relied heavily on the passing game, but had very few opportunities.

Addai ran the stretch play well, was quick to the hole, and displayed a good burst as he attacked the second level of the defense. He was very effective in the first half, but had limited opportunities in the second half, although the coaching staff displayed a lot of confidence in him by calling a running play for him late in the fourth quarter from the two yard line. He rewarded their confidence in him by scoring the second of his touchdowns to give Indianapolis the lead late in the game.

Manning was accurate for stretches, but inaccurate at other times. He missed receivers who were open seven times during the game. Admittedly at times his passes were rushed due to pass rushers being in his face as he too was missing some starters on his offensive line. However, there were times when he had time and just overthrew his target, including Marvin Harrison twice and Reggie Wayne once. Manning did make an effort to get Harrison involved, and targeted him ten times, by far the most targets any of his receivers had. Harrison ran good routes, and showed good burst in and out of his routes, and could have had bigger numbers if not for Manning missing him as he got open deep just outside the end zone, and for defenders committing penalties on him on a couple of other plays. Dallas Clark returned and was the recipient of the first play of the game, where he made a very good catch and turned up field for a 29 yard gain. He caught the first four passes thrown to him, but left briefly after being hit on his fifth target in the second half. He was not targeted afterwards.

The Colts ran seven plays inside the red zone, with six of those plays inside the five yard line. Manning attempted three passes, one to Harrison for a touchdown, while the other two were incompletions, thanks to Jacksonville's pass rush, which tipped one pass at the line of scrimmage, and forced Manning to throw the ball away on the other. Addai received the three goal line carries, and scored twice.

What you ought to know

QB David Garrard, Pass: 16 - 22 - 167 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 - Garrard did a very good job of getting first downs when he had to with the passing game. He was very accurate on his throws, which were mostly of the short variety. Garrard relied on his running game, and usually only had to throw short passes in order to gain a first down and keep the chains moving. He remained in the pocket most of the time, and only scrambled for yards twice. Apart from his interception when he forced the ball into double coverage while escaping the pocket, he was safe and accurate but did not have many opportunities to make big plays in the passing game.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 26 - 121 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Taylor carried the ball with great determination, attacking the line of scrimmage and refusing to go down at first contact. When he got through the line of scrimmage, Taylor showed very good cutback ability and speed to get by the first defender who came up to tackle him. He was very involved in this game emotionally also, cheering his teammates on from the sidelines.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 19 - 107 - 1, Rec: 4 - 59 - 0 (4 targets) - Jones-Drew ran with great power, explosion and elusiveness, breaking tackles routinely and also making defenders miss at other times. He was very effective in the first half, turning short passes into good gains by using his speed and elusiveness in the open field. He limped off the field briefly at one point, but returned shortly thereafter and ran with the same power and authority he displayed earlier.

RB Montell Owens, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - The reserve fullback made a great catch of a ball that fluttered his way after it was deflected by a defensive lineman and converted it into a first down.

RB Greg Jones, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones was very effective as a blocking fullback, but turned his one target into a first down play.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (5 targets) - Jones was the most targeted player, and was asked to run short routes exclusively. He did a good job of that, and used his size to put himself between the defender and the ball and make the catch. All four of his receptions were for first downs.

WR Reggie Williams, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams was targeted exclusively on short passes, and caught one while the other was intercepted. He was also used on a reverse that did not gain any yards.

WR Mike Walker, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Walker was overthrown on his first target, but made his first catch of the season with eight seconds remaining to help keep the Jaguars alive.

WR Dennis Northcutt - Northcutt left very early with a leg injury and was not involved in the game.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Lewis was the only tight end targeted in the game, and caught both of his targets. His receptions were for first downs.

PK Josh Scobee 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Scobee made both of his point after attempts and all three of his field goal attempts, which were from 26, 21 and the game winner from 51 yards.

JAX Rush Defense - Jacksonville's defense did not do a good job of containing the Colts' running game, giving up an average of 5.67 yards per carry to Indianapolis' running backs. In addition to that, they allowed two short-yardage rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars were unable to get penetration on running plays and the linebackers and safeties had to provide support on most of the running plays.

JAX Pass Defense - The Jaguars did an effective job of blitzing Manning with their linebackers. They were able to disrupt some of his throws and although they only recorded one sack, intercepted him twice. The pass rush pressure generated by the Jaguars also resulted in Manning having to hurry some of his throws, which enabled their defensive backs to make plays on the ball to prevent receptions. However, they did allow the Colts to drive on them seemingly at will late in the game when Indianapolis scored to take a lead with just over a minute remaining.

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 15 - 29 - 216 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 12 - 0 - Manning did not get into a consistent rhythm during the game. He looked excellent in short bursts, but in part to his lack of opportunities, seemed uncomfortable at times. Manning made good decisions in terms of where to throw the ball and to whom, but at times missed the receivers. At other times, such as on their last drive, he seemed in sync with his receivers and moved his team to the go ahead score with a commanding passing performance. Another contributing factor to Manning being off target at times was the Jaguars blitzed he and his depleted offensive line frequently, which disrupted the timing with his receivers. He did show the arm strength to make all the throws asked of him.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 16 - 78 - 2, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Addai ran very well when given the opportunities, and capitalized on his goal line opportunities with two touchdowns. He ran with excellent vision, making the right reads and accelerating quickly into the second level of Jacksonville's defense routinely. Given the limited number of offensive possessions the Colts had, Addai had an excellent game.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 2 - 24 - 0 (1 targets) - Rhodes played sparingly, and had one nice run for 20 yards.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 4 - 40 - 1 (10 targets) - Harrison only caught four of the ten passes thrown his way, but he was open for a couple of passes that were off the mark, and drew a penalty on his defender on another occasion, and felt he did on yet another play designed for him that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Harrison ran his routes precisely, and was used on short, intermediate and a couple of deep routes, and was the first option on the touchdown catch he made in the corner of the end zone.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 3 - 74 - 0 (5 targets) - Wayne did not have many opportunities, but showed his big-play ability when given the opportunity. His route running was exemplary, which resulted in him being wide open for most of the passes thrown his way, a couple of which were errant. Wayne was pushed out of bounds at the two yard line late in the game to set up the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (3 targets) - Gonzalez dropped one pass, and came up short on one of his receptions, as he fell backwards after catching a long third down pass that stalled a possession. He displayed good speed and running after the catch ability on his receptions, but was not featured much in this game.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 4 - 47 - 0 (5 targets) - Clark caught the first four passes thrown to him and picked up where he left off with Manning. He ran a variety of pass plays, mostly short and intermediate routes, and appeared comfortable returning from his injury. He left the game after being hit hard on his fifth target, but returned.

TE Tom Santi, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Santi's lone reception came on a third and ten play on Indianapolis' final drive, which he took for seven yards, setting up a more manageable fourth down play.

PK Adam Vinatieri 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Vinatieri made all three of his point after attempts, and did not have any field goal attempts.

IND Rush Defense - Missing Bob Sanders, Indianapolis' rush defense was pushed around by a Jacksonville offensive line that was missing three starters. Although the Jaguars showed they were committed to running the football, the Colts were unable to slow them down, and as a result were on the field for the vast majority of the second half. In addition to giving up a rushing touchdown and 100 yards rushing to both Taylor and Jones-Drew, Indianapolis gave up over 5.0 yards per carry to these two players on 45 rushing attempts.

IND Pass Defense - The Colts' pass defense was aggressive, but that aggressiveness was counteracted by Jacksonville focusing almost exclusively on short passes which prevented them from having the time to sack Garrard or disrupt many of his passes. While they did not allow big plays, Indianapolis' defensive backfield allowed a high percentage of completions, with several of those completions resulting in first downs and extending Jacksonville's drives.

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New Orleans Saints 32, Denver Broncos 34

What you need to know

New Orleans Saints - The Saints came out throwing and would keep it up in another shoot-out at Invesco Field at Mile High. QB Drew Brees had a huge 400+ day in the yardage department, but only one TD.

RB Reggie Bush was pretty much the catalyst for New Orleans' offense all afternoon, equally solid on the ground, in the air, and in the end zone twice. Pierre Thomas got most of the short yardage and goal line work, including two touchdowns. Deuce McAllister was active, but spent the entire game watching from the sidelines.

With WR Marques Colston still out Brees spread it around, though his main targets were TE Jeremy Shockey, WR Lance Moore and, of course, Bush. Robert Meachem had a big 74 yard catch.

Denver Broncos - QB Jay Cutler wasn't quite as accurate as last week, still putting up good yardage and a couple TD tosses, to go along with a costly interception.

RB Selvin Young was the primary back, but once again Andre Hall got his share of carries and Michael Pittman was the man at the goal line, scoring once. It looks like the Broncos will continue to get their hundred yard rush games, but now the total is divided among these three.

WR Brandon Marshall tallied most of Cutler's yards and nearly duplicated his big numbers from last week, on fewer receptions. TE Tony Scheffler was a distant second in yardage, but didn't visit the end zone. Eddie Royal had a rather quiet day.

What you ought to know

QB Drew Brees, Pass: 39 - 48 - 421 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Brees put the ball in the air nearly 50 times as the Saints had to come from behind early and often, playing catch up all afternoon. He was pressured occasionally, but only sacked once. Though Brees wasn't intercepted he did have a couple hiccups in his day, a muffed exchange from center on third and goal that resulted in no points and a two point conversion pass that sailed above and just out of reach of Reggie Bush. No Marques Colston, so Brees hit nine different teammates with the most passes going to Bush, including his lone TD toss, but the most yardage to Robert Meachem, thanks to a 74 yard connection.

RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 18 - 73 - 1, Rec: 11 - 75 - 1 (15 targets) - He was all over the place, and all over the stat sheet, though it wasn't all roses. Bush coughed up the ball in the second quarter and Denver ran it in for a TD. Aside from that, he took a hand off 23 yards for one touchdown and a swing pass six yards for the other, and nearly had a two point conversion, but Brees was high with the throw. Bush also had a score called back due to a holding penalty, though he got one of his TDs later on that drive.

RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 6 - 15 - 2, Rec: 3 - 8 - 0 (3 targets) - Thomas scored two rushing TDs and would have had a third, but Denver's D stuffed him on fourth and goal. Late in the game the Saints were driving for a go ahead score, but on third and one at the Denver 24 Thomas was pushed back a yard by D.J. Williams and New Orleans tried a 43 yard field goal that missed the mark.

WR Lance Moore, Rec: 7 - 78 - 0 (7 targets) - He seemed to be on the same page with Brees as he caught all seven balls thrown his way, tops for WRs.

WR Robert Meachem, Rec: 2 - 86 - 0 (2 targets) - Though he was only thrown to twice Meachem made his two looks count as he hauled in one for a big 74 yard gain, He was close to scores on both getting stopped at the Denver six and five yard lines.

WR Devery Henderson, Rec: 2 - 42 - 0 (4 targets) - Henderson managed to hold on to half the passes Brees threw his way, for 19 and 23 yards.

WR David Patten, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Somewhat surprisingly Patten wasn't involved to any great extent in this game, catching his only two targets for a total of 12 yards.

TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 8 - 75 - 0 (10 targets) - Shockey was busy catching eight passes, despite looking a little less than 100%. He was easily Brees' second favorite target after Bush.

TE Billy Miller, Rec: 2 - 41 - 0 (2 targets) - He obviously isn't the key TE here, but he made a nice contribution with his two catches.

PK Martin Gramatica 1 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - After being perfect so far this season he missed a chance to possibly win it for New Orleans. Gramatica missed a 43 yard attempt wide right, with 2 minutes left in the game. Earlier in the day he was wide left on a 51 yarder at the end of the first half.

NO Rush Defense - All in all the Saints' rush defense was just average, holding the Broncos to just over a hundred total yards on the ground, along with a single TD. Their highlight came after Denver's defense put up a goal line stand and took over on the one. New Orleans' run stoppers crashed into the Broncos backfield and tackled RB Andre Hall for a safety.

NO Pass Defense - Maybe being banged up and still holding Jay Cutler to two passing TDs is a minor victory, but the Saints are hurting. They did manage one interception and forced a fumble to stop two Broncos drives.

QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 21 - 34 - 264 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0 - Cutler was a little less accurate with his passes than last week, but still managed to connect with his favorite target, Brandon Marshall, for big yardage and a TD. His other scoring toss went to TE Nate Jackson. He had one sail high on WR Brandon Stokley in the end zone, and Marshall dropped a catch at the one yard line. It's apparent that Cutler knows this offense well and isn't afraid to use all its (and his) tools. It's also apparent that until the Denver defense can plug some holes, he'll have to keep throwing the ball.

RB Selvin Young, Rush: 11 - 65 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Young was utilized first and most often in this game and posted a fine 5.9 per carry average, but it's clear Coach Shanahan is going to spread the rushes among his three running backs. And with so many receiver options here the RB position didn't get many balls thrown their way.

RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 5 - 2 - 1, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - He continues to be the guy when Denver is at or near the goal line. And he scored again. Not many yards, but he's gotten a TD or two every week.

RB Andre Hall, Rush: 6 - 25 - 0 - Hall had about half the carries of Selvin Young and didn't see a lot of action this week. The one action he did see that he'd surely like to have skipped was in the second quarter. The Broncos were at their own one yard line with Hall in the backfield. He got the handoff from Cutler and was promptly smothered in the end zone for a safety.

WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 6 - 155 - 1 (13 targets) - Marshall does it again. He didn't get a record number of catches, but the six he did get went for plenty of yards and another TD. He also dropped a catch at the one yard line. On Marshall's 35 yard TD reception he was initially ruled out of bounds at the back of the end zone, but after a challenge and review showed he got both feet down with control of the ball, the decision was reversed for the score. And he probably should have caught more of Cutler's throws than he did.

WR Eddie Royal, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0, Rec: 4 - 11 - 0 (7 targets) - On paper Royal had little impact in this game, but he almost scored when he caught a ball at the end zone but couldn't stay in bounds. Jay Cutler tried to force another pass into Royal's hands at midfield, but that one was picked off by the Saints' Mike McKenzie. He also had a six yard carry.

WR Brandon Stokley, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) - With so many talented mouths to feed, Stokley was his usual quiet, yet efficient self going for a total of 29 yards. He also just missed a TD when Cutler's pass to the end zone was too high.

TE Tony Scheffler, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (5 targets) - Not quite the game Scheffler had last week though he still got several looks. Unfortunately, he also had a fumble that was recovered by the Saints and stopped a Bronco drive at the New Orleans eight yard line. A review of the play showed that Scheffler seemed to be still trying to get possession of the catch when it popped out, but the call stood.

TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Graham, who has turned into more of a blocking TE, had one catch in the game.

TE Nate Jackson, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - The man named the starting tight end at the beginning of the season made his only pass target count with a one yard TD catch at the back of the end zone.

PK Matt Prater 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - So far, so good for Jason Elam's replacement. Prater was good on all four extra points and nailed both field goals.

DEN Rush Defense - They seem like a faucet that runs hot and cold, with some annoying leaks. They did force a Reggie Bush fumble and return it for a touchdown. And they did put up a nice goal line stand in the second quarter, and halt the Saints' late game drive pushing Pierre Thomas back on third and one. But they also gave up three rushing TDs.

DEN Pass Defense - 421 passing yards given up? One sack? This is a unit that needs work and until they show otherwise, look to be a nice match up for opposing teams.

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Houston Texans 12, Tennessee Titans 31

What you need to know

Houston Texans - The Texans, coming off an unexpected week off due to Hurricane Ike, were inconsistent. They wasted three excellent scoring opportunities to score touchdowns after driving inside the ten yard line. The Texans were only able to come away with three total points from those drives, turning the ball over on down the other two times. Matt Schaub missed on his first six passes and was only four of 14 in the first half. The passing game did not show signs of starting to click until the second quarter after the Texans were able to break off a few successful runs.

Steve Slaton was the workhorse for the Texans, breaking off two long runs in the first half to help open thing up for the passing game. The rushing game was not as effective in the second half with the Texans being forced to rely on the pass after falling behind 21 to 12 at the half.

With Matt Schaub unable to connect with his number one receiver, Andre Johnson, it was up to Own Daniels to give the passing game a consistent receiver. Daniels was able to provide the spark needed to move the offense through the air in the first half by getting open and turning short passes into long gains.

Tennessee Titans - Tennessee was able to hold on for the win thanks to a defense that tightened up when it was needed the most. The defense stopped the Texans from scoring touchdowns three times from inside the ten yard line, two of those times coming on fourth and short yardage situations.

Kerry Collins was not able to get into a good groove as he was rarely able to complete more than a couple of passes in a row. The offensive line did give him plenty of time to throw and locate his open receivers.

With Justin Gage out with a groin injury Justin McCareins was able to step into the role of number one receiver and performed admirably. McCareins was Collins' go to receiver on deep routes and the tight ends worked the short yardage areas of the field as the Titans built a nine point first half lead.

The Titans running backs shared the workload, with LenDale White and Chris Johnson getting 16 carries each. However, White was the main back in the first half regardless of the game situation. Johnson spelled him occasionally in the first half, but saw the majority of his action in the second half as Tennessee was running out the clock.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 17 - 37 - 188 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 3 - 12 - 0 - Matt Schaub was not able to guide the offense through the air for the majority of the first half. He missed on his first six attempts, and most of those passes were not catchable. His first interception was caused by his throwing the ball short to a receiver that was covered. His second interception was the result of a poor decision to force the ball to a double covered Andre Johnson while throwing off of his back foot. That pass was returned for the final score of the game. Schaub passes were generally not on target, which caused his receivers to have to reach and attempt to make tough catches. He was under pressure by the Titans front four most of the game and the Texans were able to counter that by having him throw the ball on designed roll out passes.

RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 18 - 116 - 1, Rec: 4 - 8 - 0 (5 targets) - Steve Slaton made his first NFL start and showed that he may be taking over the top running back position in Houston in the near future. He displayed breakaway speed on two runs in the first half, a 50 yard carry where he broke free of a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and a 25 yard carry when he burst through the line. He had an excellent first half, finishing with 104 yards and one touchdown. Slaton is a decisive runner who, if given a small hole to run through, will explode through it and get to the second level. However, he was not helped out by an offensive line that did not give him many holes to run through and he had to break tackles in order to gain positive yards.

RB Chris Taylor, Rush: 6 - 15 - 0 - Taylor only saw carries when Slaton needed a breather.

RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Leach performed as the lead blocker for Steve Slaton did manage to catch one of the two passes thrown his way.

WR Kevin Walter, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 15 - 0 (10 targets) - Walter turned his ten targets into four receptions on the strength of short pass routes that were designed to pick up enough yards to make the second or third down play more manageable. He did drop some passes that were catchable.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (11 targets) - Andre Johnson was plagued by an inaccurate quarterback. Matt Schaub tried to get the ball to him seven times in the first half, but they were only able to complete one of the passes. Johnson did drop three catchable balls, one of which was knocked out of his hands while in the end zone. With most of the passes coming his way uncatchable he was not able to get into any type of rhythm with Schaub.

WR Andre Davis, Rec: 2 - 60 - 0 (3 targets) - Andre Davis, the Texans kick returner, was only to connect once with Matt Schaub, but that reception was on a deep pass that gave the Texans great field position on the Titan 31 yard line and led to the first points of the game.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 4 - 71 - 0 (6 targets) - The most reliable receiver for the Texans was Owen Daniels. He was able to haul in four of his six targets. His two longest receptions were on designed plays where Schaub would roll out to his right and hit Daniels on a designed screen. Daniels would be wide open and then turn up field and gain a lot of yards after the catch.

TE Joel Dreessen (1 targets) - Dreessen was not able to come up with the only ball thrown his way as he saw action in two tight end sets during the first half.

PK Kris Brown 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Brown was perfect on both of his field goal attempts. His missed extra point was the result of a bad snap.

HOU Rush Defense - The Texans were able to keep the Titans' backs in check for the majority of the game. They were hurt by two Kerry Collins bootlegs in the first quarter where he was able to gain 30 yards. Titans' backs were the most effective by going up the middle, but were not able to break off any real long gains.

HOU Pass Defense - The pass defense got off to a good start, intercepting Kerry Collins on the first Titans' play from scrimmage. Unfortunately they were not able to keep it up. The front four of the line was not able to get pressure on Collins and the backs and receivers were able to gain extra yards due to poor tackling by the Texans defensive backs.

QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 14 - 26 - 189 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 30 - 0 - Kerry Collins did not finish with great statistics, but he did enough to lead his team to victory. He made good decisions throwing the ball. He only made one mistake, and that was on the first play from scrimmage when he threw behind the intended receiver resulting in an interception. Collins was effective due to his offensive line giving him plenty of time in the pocket to locate his receivers. Collins helped himself on the ground by gaining 30 yards on designed roll out plays where he took off down the field when he saw an opening.

RB Chris Johnson, Rush: 16 - 74 - 0, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) - Chris Johnson did not see much playing time in the first half as the Titans chose to use LenDale White to wear down the Texans defense. Johnson was used as a change of pace and as a receiver out of the backfield. In the second half when they were trying to run down the clock and maintain possession Johnson was the primary ball carrier as the team decided to go with the fresher back.

RB LenDale White, Rush: 16 - 49 - 2 - White was called upon early and often as the Titans used him to wear down the Texans run defense. He was used a majority of the time in the first half, but did come out in passing situations. White showed patience in waiting for his hole to develop instead of plunging straight ahead into the line. His two touchdown runs were on short yardage plays where he found his assigned hole early and ran through it with authority.

RB Ahmard Hall, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Hall's only carry came on a key third and one play where he gained the yardage needed for a first down.

WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 4 - 90 - 0 (7 targets) - McCareins got off to a poor start. He was the target on the first pass of the game, which was intercepted when Kerry Collins threw behind him. On his next target he caught the ball but promptly fumbled it away. Things did improve from there as he was able to provide Collins with a reliable downfield target.

WR Brandon Jones, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Brandon Jones started in the place of Justin Gage, but did not see any passes thrown his way after the first quarter. He made the most of his limited action by catching two passes on the initial touchdown drive.

WR Chris Davis, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis was only able to come down with one of the two balls thrown his way.

TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 3 - 26 - 1 (5 targets) - Bo Scaife served as the primary tight end, and was the only receiver that scored. His scoring reception was on play where he was left alone in the flat and he was able to turn a short reception into a score.

TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Crumpler was used in two tight end sets and was able to catch two passes for key first downs, the first reception coming on a second and 12 play that kept a touchdown drive alive.

PK Rob Bironas 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Bironas was perfect on his only field goal attempt and on all three of his extra points.

TEN Rush Defense - The rushing defense gave up a total of 146 yards, however 75 of those yards came on two excellent runs by Steve Slaton. The defense did appear to tire some toward the end of each half, but was able to keep the Texan backs in check when it counted at the end of the game by stopping Slaton just shy of the first down marker on a forth and one during the fourth quarter.

TEN Pass Defense - The pass rush was able to get pressure on Matt Schaub and force him into rushing his throws and making poor decisions. Even though the defense was only able to record three sacks, they were able to force him into plays that he did not want to make. The final nail in the coffin was a 99 yard interception return for a touch down in the fourth quarter on a poorly thrown pass into double coverage.

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Cincinnati Bengals 23, New York Giants 26

What you need to know

Cincinnati Bengals - The Cincinnati Bengals took the field in search of their first victory of the year against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. In what was a game that came down to the wire, Carson Palmer and the Bengals came up short in a heartbreaking overtime defeat.

Palmer, who did all that he could to keep the Bengals in the game, completed 27 of 39 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Chris Perry was able to make an impact, rushing for 74 yards and a score on an even 20 carries. Adding a couple catches through the air, Perry's day was far overshadowed by T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati's leading receiver on the day. Houshmandzadeh caught a team high 12 passes for 146 yards and a fourth quarter touchdown.

In the end it was not in the cards for Cincinnati as the defense gave way, allowing a game winning field goal on the first possession of overtime. They allowed over 400 yards of total offense as they kept Eli Manning upright, not recording a sack or forcing a turnover. The final nail in the coffin occurred early in overtime as Eli Manning stepped up against blitz and hit Amani Toomer with a 31 yard strike, setting up the game winning field goal and sending Cincinnati to 0-3.

New York Giants - The Giants looked for their first 3-0 start since 2000 and had to fight tooth and nail to get there as Cincinnati gave them all that they could for 60 plus minutes. Eli Manning had another solid September day playing mistake free football while throwing for 289 yards and a key touchdown.

Manning was aided by the power rushing attack that was again present in a big way at the Meadowlands. The two headed rushing attack, looking similar to the old "Thunder and Lightning" tandem of 2000, managed to move the ball, amassing 115 yards on the ground and pounding in the first Giants score of the game. Giants' running back Brandon Jacobs wore down the Bengals front on 14 carries as he made way for Derrick Ward who helped by contributing 80 yards on only nine carries. The success came just as easy through the air as Manning hit eight different targets, with four receivers gaining over 40 yards or more. Amani Toomer led the way as he grabbed five balls for a team high 64 yards.

The New York defense was again asked to deliver pressure on the defensive side of the ball. Deliver they did as they caused havoc for Palmer and the Bengals, using various blitzes to record six sacks against an overmatched offensive front. In the end the defense bent but didn't break as they made a red zone stand, forcing a game tying field goal and not letting up the go ahead score as time expired in regulation. After one more crucial stop in overtime, the Giants offense took control, orchestrating a drive that saw John Carney connect on his fourth field goal of the day and give their Giants their first 3-0 start in eight years.

What you ought to know

QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 27 - 39 - 286 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 23 - 0 - Carson Palmer put in a great effort on the road, completing 69 percent of his passes for 286 yards and a touchdown. He relied heavily on T.J. Houshmandzadeh, looking his way early and often to move the chains and find the rhythm the Bengals offense has lacked early in the season. Palmer was able to engineer two fourth quarter drives, one that put them ahead late in the fourth quarter while the other allowed them to kick a field goal and force overtime.

RB Chris Perry, Rush: 20 - 74 - 1, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) - Perry put in another solid effort, leading the way on the ground for the Bengals by gaining 93 total yards and finding the end zone on a 25 yard scamper. He ran well against the physical front and worked both inside and outside of the hash marks. He was able to bring in two of his three targets but gained a meager 19 yards as he was mostly utilized on his 20 rushing attempts.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 12 - 146 - 1 (15 targets) - Houshmandzadeh and Palmer had no trouble getting in synch as Houshmandzadeh saw a team high 15 targets and was able to haul in 12 of them for 142 yards and a score. He was everywhere downfield as his speed caused a major mismatch for the Giants secondary unit. He was hit multiple times on underneath hot routes where he was able to show off his quick feet and elusiveness gaining big yards after the catch. In the fourth quarter, he found a seam and was able to bring in an 11 yard catch for his first receiving touchdown of the year.

WR Antonio Chatman, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 6 - 70 - 0 (6 targets) - Chatman was a very vital possession receiver, providing a safe outlet for Carson Palmer who targeted him six times. Chatman made the most of his looks hauling in all six targets for 70 yards and was often matched up on a linebacker as most of his routes were run within five yards from the line of scrimmage. On the last offensive play of the game, Chatman was hit on a short pass but was unable to get into the end zone for the win.

WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) - Johnson saw seven looks go his way but was only able to bring in three of them for 29 yards through the air. There were times where Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer looked seemingly frustrated as they were unable to get on the same page with their routes.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 4 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Kelly was a consistent safety valve downfield for Carson Palmer. He brought in four of his five targets for 22 yards. He caught the on mostly short routes and put his size to use as he fought for tough yards after the catch.

TE Dan Coats (2 targets) - Coats saw two targets and was unable to record a reception.

PK Shayne Graham 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Graham was good on all three of his field goal attempts while he also was able to add 2 PAT conversions.

CIN Rush Defense - The Bengals rush defense looked hungry early but wore down late as they allowed another 100 plus yards on the ground. Derrick Ward gained 80 yards rushing while Brandon Jacobs pounded out substantially less yardage but was able to find the end zone for an early score. Late in the game Ward found success running against the Cincinnati front and played a major role in the fourth quarter drive that allowed New York to take a three point lead.

CIN Pass Defense - The Cincinnati pass defense was manhandled by Eli Manning and his front five. They allowed 289 yards through the air and could put no pressure on Manning as they failed to record a sack and allowed many big gains. This defense, which has yet to define themselves, had their chance to start the overtime period as Manning and the Giants won the coin toss and elected to receive. With just over nine minutes to go in overtime the Bengals brought pressure but were unable to get to Manning as they gave up a 31 yard completion to Amani Toomer and allowed New York to kick the game winning field goal.

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 26 - 43 - 289 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Manning had another productive game completing 60 percent of his passes and not turning the ball over once. He spread his 26 completions over eight targets, throwing for 289 yards and connecting with tight end Kevin Boss for his only passing touchdown of the day. With four and a half minutes to go and trailing by four points, Manning successfully led a nine play, 68 yard drive that included a crucial third and ten completion. He looked poised in the pocket and did not force much downfield, doing a good job of taking what the defense gave him.

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 14 - 35 - 1 (2 targets) - Jacobs did not gain much yardage on the day but ran downhill with authority as he totaled 35 yards on 14 carries, finding the end zone for his first touchdown of the year. He pounded the defense most of the day and gave way to Derrick Ward late who was having much better success against a worn down Bengals front. He saw two targets on the day however he was unable to record a reception.

RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 9 - 80 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Ward was used to spell Jacobs as a change of pace back and contributed mightily on the ground as he gained 80 yards on only 9 carries. He showed good elusiveness when getting to the second level of the defense and broke off some big runs to set up the Giants for scoring opportunities. His biggest run of the day came on the Giants go ahead fourth quarter drive as Ward took the first play from scrimmage across midfield on a 22 yard run. It was this run that set the tone and allowed the Giants to move the ball downfield for the go ahead score.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 2 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Bradshaw saw a limited role against the Bengals, rushing only twice for two yards and adding a five yard reception on his only target.

RB Madison Hedgecock, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Hedgecock was used as a primary blocker and saw one target, which was good for a nine yard reception.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 7 - 60 - 0 (8 targets) - Smith was a big possession receiver for Manning and the Giants as he brought in seven of his eight targets for 60 yards. He showed excellent hands and ran well after the catch, fighting for tough yards before being taken down. On the Giants go ahead drive in the fourth quarter, Smith snagged a short pass from Manning on a third and long and drove hard to the sticks, picking up the new set of downs and keeping the crucial drive alive.

WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) - Toomer was targeted nine times against the busy Bengals secondary, hauling in five balls for 64 yards. He was a great option for Eli Manning who had trouble getting the ball to his main deep threat and provided the much needed spark to get them in scoring range during overtime. With less than 10 minutes to play in overtime Toomer hauled in a 31 yard catch, toeing the sideline and getting both feet down before falling out of bounds. It was this grab that put the Giants in field goal range for the winning score.

WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 3 - 45 - 0 (9 targets) - Burress had his first pedestrian game of the season as he caught three of his nine targets for 45 yards. He was in a physical battle all day with the Bengals defenders and had a rare drop in open space. Cincinnati did a good job of getting to Burress right as the ball was arriving causing an incomplete pass and not letting Plaxico run after the catch.

WR Domenik Hixon, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) - Hixon only saw four targets on the day and managed to bring in three of them for 29 yards. His lone incomplete was on a deep ball down the seam that would have been a big gain had it not been thrown high, and just out of his reach.

TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 3 - 51 - 1 (5 targets) - Boss saw more action in the passing game and was able to bring in three receptions on a season high five targets. He showed off his hands and concentration, snaring a tough sideline reception while falling out of bounds as well as brining in his first touchdown of the season on a bullet thrown through traffic by Manning.

PK John Carney 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points - Carney was solid in his busiest game of the season thus far connecting on all four of his field goal attempts while adding two PAT conversions. Carney also showed off that he still has a little life left in his legs as he connected on a big 46 yard field goal in the third quarter.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants rush defense was workmanlike in their effort, staying away from the big play and bottling up the Bengals on the ground. The physical play of the front four allowed less than four yards per carry against a speedy Bengal rushing attack

NYG Pass Defense - The New York pass defense took their lumps at times but persevered through the heat and pressure to make the big stop when it counted. They applied pressure from end to end and everywhere in between as Fred Robbins fought for two sacks of his own and was also able to contribute three tackles stuffing the middle. The only blemish on their record was on a third and four play where Palmer was able to hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh down the seam, connecting for a 17 yard score, and putting the Bengals ahead with just over four minutes in the game.

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St. Louis Rams 13, Seattle Seahawks 37

What you need to know

St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger faced a fierce pass rush, but even with time to throw he wasn't always accurate. Even playing from behind through the entire game didn't help his numbers. Bulger only hit 18 of 31 for 184 yards and one touchdown, despite the fact that Seattle was playing deep zone coverage in the second half to prevent quick strike touchdowns. They didn't need to. The Rams offense has morphed from 'The Greatest Show on Turf' a few years ago into "The Steven Jackson Show."

Jackson led St. Louis in both rushing and receiving and accounted for 128 of the team's 240 net yards. Unfortunately, he only averaged 2.9 yards on each in his 23 attempts. He also caught five passes for 62 yards but did not score a touchdown. Rookie Donnie Avery caught three passes for 24 yards, Torry Holt caught four for 37 yards, and Dane Looker caught one pass and scored the only St. Louis touchdown.

Including this game, the Rams have been outscored 116--29. Seattle out rushed St. Louis 240 yards to 65 and dominated the game on both sides of the ball from start to finish.

Seattle Seahawks - There was nothing wrong with the previously winless Seahawks that a visit from the Rams couldn't cure. Seattle led 27--6 at halftime and cruised home with a lopsided victory.

Matt Hasselbeck had only completed 45% of his passes through his first two games, but hit 12 of 20 for 172 yards and one touchdown against St. Louis. In the second half Seattle ran the ball more and Hasselbeck was limited to seven pass attempts.

Julius Jones made a case for being the number one back by rushing for 140 yards on 22 carries and scoring on a 29 yard run in the first quarter. T.J. Duckett saw extended duty in the fourth quarter and posted 79 yards and two TDs. Billy McMullen led the battered Seattle receivers with four balls for 75 yards, while rookie TE John Carlson chipped in with two grabs and fellow rookie Michael Bumpus, playing for Bobby Engram, caught his first TD pass.

Seattle amassed 407 yards of offense and moved the ball seemingly anytime and anyway they wanted. No one seemed to notice that Maurice Morris, Bobby Engram, Deion Branch, or newly signed retread Koren Robinson didn't play. The Seahawks have a bye week coming up and are hoping to get back Morris, Engram, and Branch for week 5.

What you ought to know

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 18 - 31 - 184 - 1 TD / 1 INT - The Rams offense is sluggish but it isn't all Bulger's fault. He isn't being called on to carry the team. He's more of a game manager, alternating between handing off to Steven Jackson and throwing mainly safe short passes. He threw a touchdown pass to Dane Looker, one interception, and earned a QB rating of 72.5.

In his last three games against Seattle Bulger totaled one TD pass and five interceptions.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 23 - 66 - 0, Rec: 5 - 62 - 0 (5 targets) - Even late in the fourth quarter when the Rams were way behind Jackson kept getting his touches. He only averaged 2.9 per carry, but took a short swing pass for 50 yards which set up their only TD. Jackson accounted for over half of the Rams total offense.

RB Travis Minor, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Minor's role in this offense is minor.

RB Dan Kreider - In the first quarter Julian Peterson beat Kreider's block, sacked Bulger, and recovered the fumble which led to Seattle's first touchdown.

RB Antonio Pittman - Pittman was active for this game but did not show up on the stat sheet.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 4 - 37 - 0 (8 targets) - He caught Bulger's first pass of the game but most of his targets came in the fourth quarter with the game hopelessly out of reach. Holt seemed like an after thought most of the game. He was targeted just three times in the first half as St. Louis fell behind 27--6.

WR Donnie Avery, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (5 targets) - The first wide receiver taken in the 2008 draft saw limited duty but looked promising. He's quick and Bulger needs to practice getting him the ball on time.

WR Dante Hall, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Hall has a minor role in this offense but returned two punts for 28 yards and averaged 23.2 yards on five kickoff returns.

WR Dane Looker, Rec: 1 - 21 - 1 (6 targets) - Looker scored a touchdown on the only catch he made.

WR Eddie Kennison (1 targets) - Kennison saw limited action late in the game.

TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - McMichael caught two passes for 12 yards, but has been the Rams' top receiver through two games.

TE Joe Klopfenstein - Klopfenstein was active for this game but did not show up on the stat sheet.

PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - The former Seahawks kicker, who signed a rich contract to play in St. Louis, was loudly booed as he made 43 and 29 yard field goals and converted his only PAT.

STL Rush Defense - Seattle rushed for 245 yards. Julius Jones gained 140 on 22 attempts for a 6.4 yard average and scored one touchdown, while short yardage specialist T. J. Duckett added 79 yards on 19 carries and scored twice.

STL Pass Defense - While the Rams' pass defense might look good on paper, limiting Hasselbeck to 172 yards and one touchdown, Seattle raced out to a 27--6 lead halftime lead. In the second half Hasselbeck was only called on to attempt seven passes.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 12 - 20 - 172 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 19 - 0 - Hasselbeck loves playing St. Louis. While his final stats only showed 12 completions for 172 yards and one touchdown, his QB rating was 104.6. After they built a big lead in the first half he only attempted seven passes in the second half. He hopes to get Engram and Branch back into the lineup week five after Seattle's scheduled bye week.

He entered this game with a 48.6 QB rating, but in his last four games against the Rams he threw eight touchdowns.

RB Julius Jones, Rush: 22 - 140 - 1, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Julius Jones made a case to be the number one back by averaging over 6.4 yards per carry as he ran for 144 yards. His one touchdown came on a 29 yard tackle breaking dash up the middle in the first quarter, but his workload decreased in the second half after Seattle built a big lead.

RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 19 - 79 - 2 (1 targets) - Duckett scored one touchdown in the second quarter and another in the fourth, but in this game he was more than just a short yardage specialist. He carried 19 times, mostly in the second half, and averaged 4.2 yards per rush. His role will be reduced when Maurice Morris returns, but Duckett will continue to be the goal line guy.

RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 - Weaver is the blocking back and his carries came in the first half.

RB Owen Schmitt, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - The big rookie from West Virginia saw limited action in the fourth quarter.

WR Billy McMullen, Rec: 4 - 76 - 0 (8 targets) - Seattle's leading receiver, McMullen averaged 19 yards per catch. Keep an eye on him when Branch and Engram return to see if he continues to have a role in this offense.

WR Michael Bumpus, Rec: 2 - 29 - 1 (3 targets) - The Washington State rookie scored Seattle's first touchdown, but his role in the offense was limited. He played in Bobby Engram's slot and may see even less playing time when Engram returns. He also fumbled a punt that resulted in a Rams field goal. He averaged 5 yards on his four other punt returns.

WR Keary Colbert, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Colbert, obtained from Denver in a trade this past week, saw limited duty and caught one pass for eight yards.

WR Courtney Taylor, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Taylor got into the game in the fourth quarter and caught his only target.

TE John Carlson, Rec: 2 - 38 - 0 (3 targets) - The big Notre Dame rookie has been a pleasant surprise for Seattle so far. He averaged 19 yards for both first half receptions but Seattle put the passing attack on the back burner in the second half.

TE Will Heller, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Heller caught his single target in the fourth quarter.

PK Olindo Mare 3 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 13 points - Mare remains perfect on field goal attempts, hitting two from 38 yards and another from 28. He converted all four extra points.

SEA Rush Defense - Seattle limited Stephen Jackson to just 2.9 yards per carry and held him out of the end zone.

SEA Pass Defense - Bulger was sacked once and fumbled which led to Seattle's first touchdown. The Seahawks allowed 184 passing yards but 50 came on one play, which started out as a short swing pass to Stephen Jackson. Dane Looker scored the only touchdown for the Rams on a third and goal from the 21 yard line. Bulger's QB rating was 72.5.

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