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New York Giants 14, Cleveland Browns 35

What you need to know

New York Giants - QB Eli Manning did not have his best game as he was picked off three times by the Browns, including one that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. He actually didn't play that bad in the first half as threw for 141 yards and one touchdown, but he struggled in the second half as the offense bogged down and he threw a pair of costly interceptions in that half. He and WR Plaxico Burress, who returned from a one game suspension, didn't seem to be on the same page at times in the game.

New York had no problem running the ball on the Browns as RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Derrick Ward combined for 168 yards on the ground. Jacobs got the Giants' one rushing touchdown as he bulldozed his way in from the seven yard line. Ward reached the century mark in this game on only ten carries in the game and seemed to pick up a first down every time he touched the ball.

WR Plaxico Burress did not look rusty after missing last week due to his suspension and seemed to play hard and poise match difficulties for Cleveland secondary although at times he didn't look to be on exactly the same page as Manning. He caught a three yard touchdown pass by using his height over the much shorter Browns defender in the first half for his only score of the game.

Cleveland Browns - Cleveland's offense and QB Derrick Anderson resembled more like last year's explosive offense as opposed to this year's version that has struggled mightily to score points. Anderson played his best game of the year so far and hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards early in the game for two big plays in the first half, a 49 and 70 yard completions. The plays seemed to give him confidence that he's lacked most the season. He threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to backup TE Darnell Dinkins in the first half and added another 11 yard one to Edwards in the second half. The Cleveland offensive line did a good job of protecting Anderson and giving him time to throw against a formidable New York pass rush. In this game, we saw the Derrick Anderson of 2007, calm in the pocket and making accurate throws, something we had not seen this year up until this point.

WR Braylon Edwards, who has been all but invisible most of the season to this point, had a monster game by racking 154 yards receiving, a career high, and a touchdown. He made two big plays in the first half of this game. He took a short slant 49 yards on the third play of the game after he broke a tackle and sprinted down the sideline. The other big play came later in the half when he got behind the defense and caught a 70 yard pass and was tackled from behind on the four yard line. Edwards would add an 11 yard touchdown pass and a two point conversion in the second half.

RB Jamal Lewis had a solid game as he took a back seat to the Cleveland passing attack most the game, but he finished with good numbers. Lewis ran hard for 88 yards on 21 carries and scored on a four yard touchdown in the first half. The Browns line looked much better in this game as they opened holes for Lewis against a stingy Giants run defense.

What you ought to know

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 18 - 28 - 196 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 13 - 0 - Manning played pretty well in the first half with an exception to an ill advised pass that led to a costly interception. Manning threw a three yard pass to WR Plaxico Burress late in the first half for his only touchdown pass in the game. He completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 141 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the first half. Manning did not play as well in the second half as he had two costly interceptions, including a 94 yard interception that was returned for a touchdown, and the offense sputtered in the second half. The Browns got pretty good pressure most the game even though they only sacked him once.

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 14 - 67 - 1 - Jacobs powered his way into the end zone on a strong run off the left side of the line early in the second quarter for his only score of the game. He carried three Cleveland defenders the last yard and half on the carry as he bulldozed his way over the goal line. But Jacobs only had five carries 29 yards in the first half and only 38 yards in the second half mostly because the Giants were playing from behind most of that half.

RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 10 - 101 - 0, Rec: 2 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) - Ward led the Giants in rushing in the first half with six carries for 37 yards. He would only get four more carries in the second half, but he would make each one count as he gained 64 rushing and did not have a carry longer then 18 yards in the game. The Giants had no problem rushing the ball on Cleveland's defense and Ward was very successful on draw plays up the middle.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 9 - 94 - 0 (9 targets) - Smith had a very nice first half as he led the team with six catches for 70 yards in the first half. He appeared to QB Eli Manning's safety value in the first half as he often hit on short passes beneath the coverage. Smith made some nice runs after the catch in the game and finished the game with nine catches for 94 yards.

WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 4 - 58 - 1 (8 targets) - Burress, who was suspended for last week's game, seemed to play hard and ran good routes to get open in this game. He caught a short three yard pass for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half. Burress used his height to make an easy catch over the much smaller Cleveland defender. He finished the half with two catches for 28 yards. QB Eli Manning didn't play as well in the second half and missed Burress a couple times when he was open. It's possible he and Manning's timing were off a bit because of his mid-season vacation although they've certainly missed practice time before.

WR Amani Toomer (2 targets) - Toomer had no catches in the game and was only targeted twice. One of those targets was near the end zone but, Cleveland intercepted and returned it 94 yards.

TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 1 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) - Boss caught his only pass of the game on a 24 yard pass deep down the middle on the last play of the first quarter.

PK John Carney 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Veteran John Carney replaced K Lawrence Tynes again who has been out with a leg injury since week one. Carney did not get a field goal attempt and only had two extra points in the game.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants lost the battle on the line of scrimmage as the Browns pounded them for 144 yards on the ground.

NYG Pass Defense - The Giants played a lot of man to man coverage which seemed to open the deep ball for Cleveland in this game. The Browns responded with 310 yards passing in the game. The Giants did not get much of a pass rush in this game.

QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 18 - 29 - 310 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0 - Anderson had by far his best game of the season as he showed poise in the pocket and made good decisions. He had an excellent first half going 11 for 18 for 225 yards and one touchdown. Anderson hooked up with Braylon Edwards for 49 yard gain on a short pass that he took down left side line after breaking a tackle. It was by far Anderson longest pass play of the season to this point. But Anderson would go back to Edwards for even a longer pass in the second quarter when he hit him deep for a 70 yard gain when Edwards got behind the defender. The pass was a little underthrown and probably would have been a touchdown if Edwards didn't have to slow up to catch the ball. Anderson got his first touchdown pass on 22 yard pass to backup TE Darnell Dinkins late in the first half after leading his team on a 77 yard drive. Anderson overthrew WR Donte Stallworth on short pass from the Giants eight yard line early in the second quarter on what could have been a potential touchdown. Anderson did get a second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to Edwards on a nice roll out for 11 yards. Anderson played with confidence in this game and made accurate passes throughout the game. He looked more like the quarterback of last year, rather then the one who has struggled this year and had a QB rating of 57 coming into this game.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 21 - 88 - 1, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Lewis had a nice game and ran hard, punishing defending with his physical play. He scored on a four yard run that came after a long pass reception by WR Braylon Edwards. He had 11 carries for 39 yards in the first half and would add 49 yards in the second half.

RB Jerome Harrison, Rush: 2 - 41 - 0, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (2 targets) - Harrison scrambled for 33 yards on his first carry of the game which was a reverse down the left side line early in the second half. He would have one more carry for eight yards in the game and added two receptions for 26 yards.

RB Jason Wright, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Wright's nine total yards came on two touches in the game as RB Jerome Harrison served as the primary backup in the game.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 5 - 154 - 1 (6 targets) - Edwards, who has gotten off to a terrible start this season, took the second pass of the game 49 yards on a quick slant after he broke a tackle and turned a short gain into a big one. Edwards would come back later in the half with even a longer play when he got behind CB Aaron Ross and QB Derrick Anderson hit him on deep pass for 70 yards. He was caught from behind and tackled on the four yard line. He finished the first half with three catches for 129 yards. Edwards would catch an 11 yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter on nice play where the quarterback rolled out and he got open in the back of the end zone. Edwards caught a two point conversion in the fourth quarter after a Browns interception return for a touchdown. In this game, Edwards looked like the big time playmaker most people thought they were getting when they drafted him.

WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (7 targets) - Despite being targeted six times in the first half, Stallworth had only two catches for 19 yards in the first and did not catch a pass in the second half.

TE Steve Heiden, Rec: 5 - 59 - 0 (8 targets) - Heiden started in place of TE Kevin Winslow and made the most of the opportunity. He led the team with eight targets and was second in receiving yards. He had three catches for 31 yards in the first half and had two catches for 28 yards in the second half.

TE Darnell Dinkins, Rec: 1 - 22 - 1 (2 targets) - Dinkins caught only one pass in the game but, he made it count as it was a 22 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

PK Phil Dawson 2 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Dawson hit a 28 yard field goal on the Browns' first drive of the game but missed a 51 yard kick later in the quarter. He would make a second field goal from 26 yards in the third quarter.

CLE Rush Defense - Cleveland's run defense was ripped for 168 yards by the Giants on only 24 carries in the game.

CLE Pass Defense - The Browns seemed to blitz a lot in this game, especially on third down. That led to some turnovers in the passing game. S Brodney Pool got an interception early in the first quarter and CB Brandon McDonald got the Browns' second interception early in the second half. CB Eric Wright had a 94 yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

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Green Bay Packers 27, Seattle Seahawks 17

What you need to know

Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers is still dealing with a shoulder issue. He grimaced but played through it. He even ran sneaks and was aggressive with them. He showed some toughness and even shoved a defenders helmet into the ground when he was getting up after a hard hit. His numbers were great even though he was playing through obvious pain.

Ryan Grant ran hard and worked the whole game. He didn't break any big plays but still pushed the pile and burned up yards.

Seattle Seahawks - QB Matt Hasselbeck was in street clothes. Charlie Frye started as Seneca Wallace was also held back due to injury. Frye was not given the opportunity to throw the ball very much until Seattle had to. Green Bay pinned their ears back and went after him all day and had eight in the box most of the day. The Seahawk offense was not very successful and they did not run many plays so keep that in mind when looking at the offensive production.

Three defensive players are playing with casts. Marcus Trufant, Lofa Tatupu, and Patrick Kerney had casts on their wrists. This did seem to cause problems for all three.

Julius Jones did get most of the touches and he had one great run of 51 yards called back on a penalty. Jones was not afraid to run up the middle this week.

What you ought to know

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 21 - 30 - 208 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 23 - 1 - You could see Rodgers grimacing in the first part of the game as he worked through his shoulder issue. The Green Bay coaching staff admitted that he wasn't going to be throwing four to five passes in a row during this game. Rodgers didn't need to. He did not let the pain show through. After one hard hit Rodgers actually pushed the defenders helmet into the ground as he was pushing himself up off the ground. His throws were very accurate and he hit Greg Jennings in stride on the long TD play. He was hitting timing routes with precision. Rodgers stayed in the pocket and did not rush plays. There were a lot of comparisons being made to Brett Favre because of how Rodgers played through this injury.

RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 33 - 90 - 0 - Ryan Grant just kept hitting the Seahawks and pounding them play after play after play. He worked very hard for his 90 yards and at the end of the game he didn't even look tired. He was not used in the passing game. Grant did not break any big plays and his longest gain was seventeen yards. It was a gutsy and hard fought performance.

RB John Kuhn, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - John Kuhn had a nice TD reception on a play action and blocked for Grant the rest of the game.

RB DeShawn Wynn, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - DeShawn Wynn's lone target was a nice reception but was short of the first down.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 6 - 53 - 0 (10 targets) - Donald Driver was targeted the most and he chipped away at the Seahawks. He took many hard hits across the middle and one was just incredible. Driver was not going to let go of the ball no matter what. He was not able to get many yards after the catch but it was a productive day.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 5 - 84 - 1 (7 targets) - Greg Jennings was the leading receiver even though was not targeted the most. Aaron Rodgers hooked up with Jennings on a 45 yard TD to start the second half and Green Bay never looked back after that. Jennings was the target on long balls but there were only two in this game. Jennings was able to create a few yards after catching the ball.

WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 4 - 42 - 0 (4 targets) - Jordy Nelson was used on a few short throws in the game and made some nice catches that turned into first downs. He took some hard hits but delivered just as much on defenders.

WR Ruvell Martin (1 targets) - Ruvell Martin had one target of the game and he did not secure the ball before he tried to reach for the first down. The play was ruled incomplete rather than a fumble.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Donald Lee had a couple short passes but was not targeted downfield or in the seam all game.

PK Mason Crosby 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Mason Crosby had a very nice 51 yard field goal. He didn't miss any attempts all day.

GB Rush Defense - Green Bay made it very hard for Seattle to run the ball. The only time they broke down all day was when Julius Jones made a 51 yard play. That play may have happened because of the penalty but either way it was negated. The Packers dared Charlie Frye to throw by stacking the box with eight. Seattle was able to get over 100 yards rushing but 30 were on Frye scrambles. The rushing defense stuffed the Seahawks most of the day.

GB Pass Defense - Charlie Frye might not be the way to gauge your pass defense, but he couldn't do much against this defense. Both of the TDs were on short passes. The first resulted on a short field after the Rodgers fumble. The second TD was in garbage time when Green Bay was more relaxed. Green Bay made two very good plays reading Frye to garner both interceptions. Aaron Kampman was putting pressure on all afternoon. At the end of the day Frye didn't even pass for over 100 yards.

QB Charlie Frye, Pass: 12 - 23 - 83 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 30 - 0 - There wasn't much to see because Charlie Frye was handing the ball off most of the game. Frye had six pass attempts in the first half. Most of his passing stats came after Green Bay had a seventeen point lead in the fourth quarter. Even then he threw two bad interceptions and only led one scoring drive.

RB Julius Jones, Rush: 12 - 44 - 0 (2 targets) - Julius Jones had one very nice run for 51 yards that defenders had to catch him from behind. However, that play was called back on a penalty. He only had twelve touches and both of his targets were batted down by lineman before he had a chance to catch them.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 4 - 16 - 0, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Maurice Morris was back this week but he only had four rushing attempts and two targets.

RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 3 - 14 - 0, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) - Leonard Weaver was the main safety valve for Charlie Frye. The rest of the time he was blocking for Julius Jones.

RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0 - T.J. Duckett had a couple touches but was not a big part of the game plan.

WR Koren Robinson, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) - Koren Robinson was the leading receiver and was the target on deep routes. However he only had 22 yards to show for his day.

WR Keary Colbert, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (2 targets) - Keary Colbert made the most of his opportunities by catching one touchdown pass. There were four receivers targeted more than Colbert.2

WR Bobby Engram (4 targets) - Bobby Engram was targeted four times and had two drops. He was covered very well all day and was missed badly on one target.

TE John Carlson, Rec: 4 - 22 - 1 (6 targets) - The game plan seemed to be made around John Carlson. Charlie Frye was not throwing the ball downfield but he seemed to be looking to Carlson first on most plays. Carlson had a hard time with the LBs at times but still was able to haul in what he could. He found the soft spot on the TD reception and had a decent day.

TE Will Heller (1 targets) - Will Heller was targeted one time and was not heard of again during the whole game.

PK Olindo Mare 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Olindo Mare made a very nice 50 yard field goal but did not get any other chances during the game.

SEA Rush Defense - Green Bay just kept coming at the Seahawks and wore them down. The second half was a totally different ball game. Green Bay did not have a huge day on the ground, but Seattle wasn't stuffing them much either. When they worked as a team and had more than one player on the play was the only time they stopped RB Ryan Grant.

SEA Pass Defense - Aaron Rodgers just would not let up. Patrick Kerney had a few sacks slip through his casted hand and Rodgers proved to be elusive. Marcus Trufant could not play up close on WRs and Rodgers took advantage of him all day. The pass rush did not provide a lot of pressure. Rodgers was able to get out of the pocket and make plays. They did cause one fumble and that was the only play of note.

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Carolina Panthers 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27

What you need to know

Carolina Panthers - The Carolina Panthers just never got it going against the Buccaneers. They gave up a first quarter blocked punt that Tampa Bay returned for a touchdown and the Buccaneers used that early momentum to put on a defensive clinic.

QB Jake Delhomme threw three interceptions, one of which Tampa Bay turned into a touchdown and the other two stopped potential scoring drives.

Carolina didn't get much from their running game and finished with just 40 yards on 20 attempts. While WR Steve Smith finished with over 100 yards, one underthrown ball by Delhomme and another drop by Smith each blew potential scoring plays and all of Delhomme's interceptions bounced off his intended receivers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Buccaneers used early momentum from a blocked punt and touchdown return by rookie LB Geno Hayes and aggressive defense that led to three interceptions to come away with the victory. Tampa Bay's offense did just enough with good decisions in the passing game and a steady rushing attack to control the time of possession and grind out scoring drives.

QB Jeff Garcia, who made good decisions all game long, threw for just 173 yards, but connected with TE Alex Smith on a two yard score and did not turn the ball over as he steered the offense to an efficient performance.

RB Earnest Graham had to make the shift to fullback after in injury took out the only fullback Tampa Bay had active, so Warrick Dunn carried the load in the running game. Dunn ran 22 times for 115 yards and Graham added a one yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay's only real big play in the passing game came on a Garcia to TE Alex Smith touchdown toss from two yards out in the first quarter.

What you ought to know

QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 20 - 39 - 242 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Jake Delhomme had a rough outing at Tampa Bay. He completed 20 of 39 passes for 242 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions and ran the ball one time for a one yard loss. All three interceptions came on passes that bounced off potential Panther receivers. Delhomme and Carolina just never seemed to be in sync from the start of the game and Tampa Bay was able to force them to abandon the running game and become one dimensional with the pass, where they came up with all of the big plays. Delhomme underthrew one pass to WR Steve Smith for a 48 yard completion that could have been a touchdown had he led Smith a little more and Smith later dropped a pass that would have been a sure score.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 11 - 27 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams led Carolina with 11 carries for 27 yards on the ground and caught both passes thrown his way for eight yards. He had a long run of just seven yards and was bottled up all game long against the Buccaneers.

RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 6 - 12 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (5 targets) - Jonathan Stewart had just six rushes for 12 yards on the ground and one reception for one yard on five targets in the passing game. He was used on a goal to goal situation, and fumbled the ball but was ruled down. That was his only goal line carry for the game. Neither Stewart nor DeAngelo Williams found much success running the ball against an inspired Tampa Bay defense.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 6 - 112 - 0 (10 targets) - Smith was the most targeted Panther as he finished with 10 looks in the game. He led the way receiving with six receptions for 112 yards. However, Smith was visibly frustrated by the lackluster performance of the offense on the sidelines on numerous occasions, and he dropped a sure touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Smith was also drilled on a reception attempt, lost the ball and it was picked off by the Buccaneers.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 4 - 68 - 0 (7 targets) - Muhammad was targeted seven times and came down with four receptions for 68 yards. He was targeted on a jump ball play in the end zone, but the ball was tipped and intercepted by Tampa Bay.

TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (7 targets) - Rosario was targeted seven times and finished with three receptions for 28 yards. Carolina attempted to get him the ball on third down twice, once on fourth, and tried to hit him deep, so he was a part of the game plan. One pass intended for Rosario was picked off by Tampa Bay.

PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Kasay nailed his only field goal attempt from 20 yards out to finish with three points.

CAR Rush Defense - The Carolina defense did allow Tampa Bay to rush for 142 yards and gave up one rushing score, but in their defense, they were on the field an awful lot thanks to their inept offense. The Panthers defense was on the field for almost 35 minutes as they got no help from the offensive turnovers.

With the Buccaneers rushing the ball 37 times, there were plenty of tackle opportunities for the Carolina front seven. LB Jon Beason led the way with eight solo tackles and five assists and Na'il Diggs added eight solo tackles and one assist of his own.

CAR Pass Defense - The Panthers gave up just 173 passing yards, but that was mostly due to the success Tampa Bay was having running the ball and the short fields given to the Buccaneers on Carolina's three turnovers. Tampa Bay did throw for one score, but it was clear they wanted to lean heavily on their rushing attack. One negative for Carolina was their lack of pressure when the Buccaneers did drop back to pass. They failed to record a sack against Garcia and a Tampa Bay team that has fallen victim to sacks in recent weeks.

DB Chris Gamble led the secondary with six solo tackles and one assist and Richard Marshall added four solos and one assist of his own.

QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 15 - 20 - 173 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 6 - 0 - Garcia didn't post huge numbers against the Panthers, but most importantly for the Buccaneers, he did not make mistakes. He finished 15 of 20 for 173 yards and a two yard touchdown pass to TE Alex Smith and ran the ball three times for six yards. Garcia was helped tremendously by his special teams and defense, so he did not have to shoulder most of the responsibility for offensive production for Tampa Bay. He was pressured by the Panthers, but was able to use his scrambling ability to escape trouble and attempt throws downfield or throw the ball away. Garcia was credited with a fumble on a botched pitch play, but the Buccaneers were able to recover.

RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 22 - 115 - 0, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (5 targets) - As always, Warrick Dunn was used in both offensive phases of the game, but due to early injuries, he was forced to carry the load in the running game for the Buccaneers and he responded well. Dunn ran the ball 22 times for 115 yards and added three receptions for 18 yards on five targets in the passing game. Dunn still has the knack to get "lost" in the trenches and still possesses the shiftiness and footwork he's showed since he came into the league.

RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 5 - 11 - 1, Rec: 2 - 47 - 0 (3 targets) - With Tampa Bay already missing starting FB B.J. Askew and an early injury to backup Byron Storer, Graham was forced to shift to full back for most of the game. As a result, he carried the ball just five times for 11 yards, but he was able to get in the end zone from one yard out in the fourth quarter. On the scoring play, Graham lined up at fullback with Dunn deep in the backfield and took the handoff up the middle for the score. Graham was also targeted three times in the passing game where he came down with two receptions for 47 yards.

WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (2 targets) - Clayton caught both passes thrown his way for 29 yards and continued to show signs of the skill set he showed as a rookie. He ran crisp routes and did a great job blocking in the running game, but he just doesn't get the opportunities in the passing game.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Hilliard was targeted three times, but caught just one pass for six yards. He did have another reception called back for penalty.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Bryant was targeted just twice and came down with one reception for 13 yards.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 3 - 43 - 1 (3 targets) - Smith made the most of his three targets, catching all three passes for two first downs and a two yard touchdown reception.

PK Matt Bryant 2 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Bryant missed his first field goal of the season from 51 yards out, but connected from 37 and 49 yards out and added three extra points to finish with nine points in the game.

TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay was stout against the run, as they held Carolina to just 40 rushing yards on 20 attempts, for just a 2.0 ypc average. They also allowed just two rushing first downs for the game. The Panthers had a long run of just seven yards, and could not get in on their only goal to go situation of the game.

LB's Barrett Rudd and Derrick Brooks each finished with four solo tackles to lead the Buccaneers defense.

TB Pass Defense - The Buccaneers defense continued their strong play, and their secondary came up with all of the big plays against the Panthers. They picked off QB Jake Delhomme three times, all coming on plays where his receivers made plays on the ball. While their front seven failed to sack Delhomme and didn't apply the pressure they'd would have liked, their secondary kept constant pressure on the receiving core, as they swarmed to the ball every time a Panthers receiver was targeted. As strong of a game as they had, it could have been even more impressive. Tampa Bay dropped at least four more Delhomme passes that could have been picked off, but the bottom line was they made the plays they had to and came out with a divisional win. One negative for the Buccaneers was their penalties in the game. They were penalized after each turnover for either excessive celebration, taunting and sideline interference. On a lighter note, DL Jovan Haye was penalized for "doing a cartwheel on the field."

DB's Jermaine Phillips, Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson accounted for the three interceptions and fellow DB Ronde Barber led the secondary with four solo tackles and one assist.

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Miami Dolphins 28, Houston Texans 29

What you need to know

Miami Dolphins - Yes, Chad Pennington was very effective but his overall numbers are the result of two big plays. The Dolphins chipped away at the Texans defense with short passes and by running the ball often. While efficient and even balanced, this offense is not geared around the quarterback.

Running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams split the rushing load 50-50. Both ran well -- and each got red zone carries (seven and five yard TD runs, respectively), but neither really shone. Rookie RB Patrick Cobbs, on the other hand, had two receptions for long touchdowns. One was a very creative looking flea flicker by Pennington (that began with a direct snap to a RB, then a handoff, then an apparent reverse to Pennington, who then threw to a wide open Cobbs for a 53 yard TD.

Greg Camarillo was the go to guy when the Dolphins were playing from behind. But when they were ahead, the WR corps was almost entirely ignored. Ted Ginn had one catch for negative yardage.

The Dolphins utilized their Wildcat offense often, and stymied the Texans with a flea flicker early on. When using this formation, which usually has a RB lined up to receive the shotgun snap, the Dolphins relied heavily on their trio of running backs -- even on passing plays. When they switched to more conventional formations in the second half, the wide receivers and tight ends became more involved.

Houston Texans - QB Matt Schaub started off badly with two early interceptions. He then got to work toward redeeming himself. The result was a nice day numbers wise, culminating in a clutch draw play for a score on fourth and goal with the game on the line and the clock running down.

The rushing duties were split between Steve Slaton and Ahman Green, with Slaton getting about two thirds of the work. Green was inserted in some important situations, however, so it appears that the coaching staff likes what they see, but are limiting his carries in order to keep him healthy.

Andre Johnson showed his 'A' game. With the exception of a fumble that was recovered by the Dolphins in the end zone, he could do no wrong. Schaub targeted him in nearly every situation and Johnson responded with a superstar caliber game.

With Andre Johnson stealing all the attention of the Dolphins secondary, TE Owen Daniels and WR Kevin Walter were able to put up respectable numbers as well. Their opportunities were limited but when Schaub found them, they excelled.

What you ought to know

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 19 - 25 - 284 - 2 TD / 1 INT - Pennington had a huge day, but a good chunk of his yardage came on two big plays, both to RB Patrick Cobbs. One was a trick play that ended up as a 53 yard TD, and the other was a simple screen pass that Cobbs took 80 yards for the score. Beyond that, Pennington was incredibly efficient but unspectacular.

RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 13 - 50 - 1, Rec: 3 - 43 - 0 (3 targets) - Brown and fellow running back Ricky Williams combined for a lot of short gains, often coming short of a first down on third and short. Brown scored a big TD late in the game and was effective as a pass catcher on all three targets. He was used often in the Wildcat offense, usually taking the direct snap.

RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 11 - 46 - 1, Rec: 2 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams shared carries equally with Ronnie Brown. He was given the ball for a five yard TD run, caught the ball well when called on, and was an effective pass blocker.

RB Patrick Cobbs, Rec: 3 - 138 - 2 (3 targets) - Cobbs was the beneficiary of a wild looking flea flicker play that utterly confused the Texans defense, which led to his first reception TD. The second was on a nifty little screen play that looked harmless at first, but he got loose and took it 80 yards to the end zone. Cobbs had no carries on the day.

WR Greg Camarillo, Rec: 4 - 49 - 0 (6 targets) - Camarillo looked great on his first catch of the day, a 33 yard catch and run in the third quarter. The play began a scoring drive in which the Dolphins did not use their Wildcat offense at all. He was Pennington's go to guy late in the game, but earlier, when the team was ahead, he and the other wideouts were virtually ignored.

WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (2 targets) - Ginn was the intended receiver on a deep pass in the first half, his only target until the second half, when he also was thrown to only once, this time for negative yards.

WR Davone Bess, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Bess made a token appearance late in the game. He caught his only target for a first down.

TE David Martin, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (3 targets) - Martin caught the ball each time he was targeted. Pennington did not appear to favor one tight end over the other.

TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (4 targets) - As with the Dolphins wideouts, Fasano seemed to be used more only when the team was playing from behind. His lone catch was an important one, extending the Dolphins' final scoring drive.

PK Dan Carpenter 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Carpenter was good on all four PAT attempts, but had no field goal opportunities.

MIA Rush Defense - The Houston running game was held in check. The defense stopped them a number of times for gains of less than a yard.

MIA Pass Defense - The Dolphins keyed on Andre Johnson, with mixed results. He did burn them eventually, but also, both interceptions came from throws targeting him. The pass rush was effective, with Joey Porter often in Schaub's face.

QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 22 - 42 - 379 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 15 - 1 - Schaub had a rough start, throwing two early -- and costly -- interceptions. Both were off of throws to Andre Johnson, who he got in synch with eventually. Schaub-to-Johnson became the routine, but Schaub was also able to spread the ball around when Johnson was covered. Schaub showed up in the clutch engineering the game winning drive finishing it off with a QB keeper from the 4 yard line with three seconds left on the clock.

RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 15 - 58 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Slaton looked to be sharing carries evenly with Ahman Green, but ended up with a bigger share as the game went on. He was able to break a couple of medium runs (15 & 22 yards) but was also stuffed quite a few times by a tenacious Miami defense.

RB Ahman Green, Rush: 8 - 41 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Green was used often, but rarely stayed in for long durations. He was particularly effective in the second half (3 rushes for 22 yards) but again, did not see the field enough to make any real impact.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 10 - 178 - 1 (18 targets) - Johnson's number of targets is a little high as he was credited on three pass attempts that did not make it to him (tipped or out of bounds). Add to that the two poorly thrown balls that became interceptions and what you have is a pretty impressive ten of 13 targets caught. He came up big in every situation, and especially excelled after the catch. The only flaw in his game was a lost fumble on the Miami four yard line.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 4 - 98 - 0 (7 targets) - Walter was able to get wide open on a few occasions, and Schaub promptly got him the ball. He made a huge catch in the final minute for a 30 yard gain, in which he took the ball to the Miami 11 yard line and was also able to run out of bounds to stop the clock.

WR Andre Davis, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (7 targets) - Schaub had no problem looking to Andre Davis, even in heavy traffic. But Davis was unable to capitalize on most throws. With a couple of better bounces, he could easily have had the same line as Kevin Walter or Owen Daniels.

WR Jacoby Jones - Jacoby Jones warrants mention for his 70 yard punt return in the second quarter. After the TD he hopped up into the awaiting arms of the fans in the end zone, where his mother was sitting!

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 4 - 70 - 0 (5 targets) - Daniels use as a receiving threat was a bit of a secret weapon for the Texans. He was used effectively early on (60 yards in the first half) then safely put away until they needed him again, in this case a clutch first down catch on a late scoring drive.

PK Kris Brown 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Brown booted 27, 33, and 42 yard field goals successfully. He has not yet missed an attempt this season.

HOU Rush Defense - They really held the Dolphins rushing attack in check. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were limited to short gains the entire game.

HOU Pass Defense - The pass rush was especially effective, with Mario Williams leading the way. Despite the score -- and the two Miami receiving touchdowns -- the defense played well. Two big scoring plays by Miami showed that they are somewhat inconsistent, but overall, they did an excellent job. In fact, Miami did not convert a third down until the fourth quarter.

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Detroit Lions 10, Minnesota Vikings 12

What you need to know

Detroit Lions - The Lions kept this game close by playing well on defense but were unable to come away with the victory due to making few big plays on offense. Apart from one big run by Kevin Smith, he and Rudi Johnson combined to average 2.38 yards per carry. Smith only had five carries in the game, all in the first half, as the Lions utilized Johnson exclusively as their feature back in the second half. Johnson attacked the line of scrimmage aggressively, but was unable to gain many yards past the line of scrimmage, although he did use his power to gain an extra yard after initial contact.

As a result of their ineffective rushing game, and having to start the untested Dan Orlovsky at quarterback as Jon Kitna did not make the trip to Minnesota, Detroit tried to rely on a short passing game. Orlovsky found himself under intense pressure from the Vikings' pass rushers, and as a result the Lions mixed in some designed rollouts for him. He showed good poise in the face of the pass rush, although he did not make big plays while in the pocket. However, he seemed comfortable rolling out, as he was able to get additional time to throw. He showed a strong arm when given time to throw, and directed most of his long passes to Calvin Johnson, and seemed most comfortable with him.

The Lions attempted five plays on two possessions in the red zone, and came away with one touchdown and a field goal. They only ran twice, with Smith and Johnson getting one carry apiece. Orlovsky lost the ball on the snap on one red zone possession, was sacked on another, and connected on the only red zone throw he actually threw, to Johnson for a touchdown.

Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings made enough adjustments against an aggressive and tough Lions defense to generate enough big plays to stay close throughout the game and kick a field goal at the end to eventually win the game. Adrian Peterson overcame losing two fumbles and a slow first half to help Minnesota come away with the victory. Peterson had 25 rushing attempts while backup Chester Taylor only had five carries. Between the two, 20 percent of their carries were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Gus Frerotte played well, and although he was blitzed frequently by Detroit, remained poised and led his team to victory. He displayed a strong arm on occasions, and was accurate on his shorter throws as well. Most of his incompletions came as a result of successful blitzes by the Lions, but he maintained his composure and kept fighting to keep his team's drives moving. Frerotte benefited from some big plays by his receivers, as Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade and Jim Kleinsasser all turned shorter, accurate passes into big gains. Berrian broke free from his defender and outran the other Lions en route to an 86 yard touchdown. Frerotte spread the ball around, but seemed in sync mostly with Berrian.

The Vikings ran nine plays on three red zone possessions, and came away with one touchdown, a lost fumble, a missed field goal and the game winning field goal. Eight of the plays were running plays, with Peterson carrying the ball six times and Taylor the other two. Peterson had gained a first down on his run where he lost a fumble just one yard from the end zone. He was the featured player by far once Minnesota got into the red zone.

What you ought to know

QB Dan Orlovsky, Pass: 12 - 21 - 150 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Orlovsky showed poise at times, but was rattled at others, none more evident than when he took a snap in his own end zone and ran out of the end zone for a safety while trying to elude the Vikings' pass rush. He was under duress for a good portion of the game, and as a result threw short passes from the pocket. However, when he rolled out to throw a pass, he displayed a very strong arm and the confidence to go deep to his receivers and try to make big plays. He seemed most confident in Calvin Johnson as his go-to receiver for big plays, as Johnson was the only receiver he threw a deep pass to.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 17 - 38 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Johnson started the game, but although he received the bulk of the running workload, was unable to capitalize on his opportunities. He ran hard and with power, but although he would gain an extra yard or two after contact, he was unable to break free for any runs in excess of ten yards. He seemed to be tackled just as it appeared he was gaining momentum through the line of scrimmage.

RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 5 - 62 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith ran hard, but did not have any opportunities in the second half, despite breaking off a 50 yard run while showing good ability to make defenders miss as he got to the second level of the defense. Apart from that run he did not come close to making any additional big plays.

RB Jerome Felton, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - The fullback was used almost exclusively as a blocker, and had one failed short yardage carry.

WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 4 - 85 - 1 (8 targets) - Johnson and Orlovsky had a solid connection, with Johnson not only being targeted the most, but being the only deep target in this game. He was targeted five times on deep patterns, which he ran well, getting open on most of them thanks to a combination of excellent speed and good route running. Johnson displayed good hands as well as running after securing shorter passes. He left the game after absorbing a hard hit late in the game, on a controversial play where it was ruled he had fumbled, and did not return afterwards.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) - Williams was not targeted often, and was targeted only on shorter routes. The only pass he did not catch was one he actually caught, but part of his foot was correctly ruled out of bounds.

WR Mike Furrey (1 targets) - Furrey was targeted once, but it was on an important third down play with less than five minutes remaining in the game. He got open past the first down marker, but Orlovsky missed him, forcing Detroit to punt.

WR Shaun McDonald - McDonald played sparingly but did not have a pass thrown his way.

TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (3 targets) - Gaines caught the short passes thrown his way, but fumbled one of them. Fortunately, Roy Williams was able to pick it up and retain possession for Detroit.

TE John Owens, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Owens' involvement was minimal.

PK Jason Hanson 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Hanson made his only point after attempt as well as the only field goal he attempted, which was from 40 yards.

DET Rush Defense - Detroit's rush defense did a commendable job limiting the big plays by Peterson in the first half, but although they forced him to fumble twice and recovered them, he was able to make several significant plays. The Lions used an aggressive run blitz, which was effective in spurts, but overall they gave up over 100 yards rushing to Peterson and over 4.0 yards per carry to Peterson and Taylor combined.

DET Pass Defense - The Lions were aggressive and blitzed Frerotte often. Four of their five sacks were due to effective blitzes, and they recorded their first interception of the season. However they fell victim to a few big plays that had significant impact on the outcome of the game. Three different Vikings receivers took short passes and turned them into gains of 34, 46 and 86 yards as Detroit's defenders did a poor job of stopping them.

QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 18 - 33 - 296 - 1 TD / 1 INT - Frerotte faced a very aggressive pass rush and had difficulty establishing a rhythm early. However he remained calm and kept making enough passes to complement his running game, by looking for focusing on the short to intermediate passing game that enabled him to pass the ball earlier. He only threw deep three times, and instead tried to deliver the ball to his receivers in stride to better enable them to gain yards after the catch. Frerotte seemed most comfortable throwing to his wide receivers, as both Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade were targeted the most.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 25 - 111 - 0, Rec: 1 - -5 - 0 (2 targets) - Peterson ran with aggression and finished off his runs by attacking the defenders. He lost two fumbles while striving for extra yards and being hit in timely fashion by the defense. Peterson showed great acceleration through the line of scrimmage, and only the Lions' swarming defense prevented him from gaining even more yards. He was the featured person in the Vikings; red zone offense, garnering six of the eight red zone running plays.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 5 - 21 - 0, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) - Taylor did not have many opportunities during the game, but took advantage of his limited opportunities by averaging just over4 yards per carry, and 11 yards per reception.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 5 - 131 - 1 (7 targets) - Berrian and Frerotte continued to develop their rapport, with Berrian showing he could run shorter and intermediate routes well. He showcased his speed and elusiveness by turning several shorter passes into long gains, including running one in 86 yards for a touchdown. The only passes Berrian did not catch were one that was thrown too low and anther where Berrian's defender was called for a foul.

WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 4 - 71 - 0 (7 targets) - Wade was used mostly on shorter routes, and a couple of intermediate routes. He ran them precisely, getting open and showing good ability to run in the open field.

WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Ferguson was used exclusively as a short yardage, possession receiver.

WR Aundrae Allison (5 targets) - Although Allison did not have a reception, he was more involved than his lack of stats suggest. He managed to get open deep three times, but Frerotte missed him twice and he was able to get a penalty called on the defender covering him on the third pass. That penalty was on Minnesota's final drive, which resulted in the game-winning field goal.

TE Jim Kleinsasser, Rec: 2 - 40 - 0 (2 targets) - Kleinsasser turned a short pass into a significant gain, and his second reception went for a first down on the Vikings' final drive.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Shiancoe caught the only pass thrown his way.

PK Ryan Longwell 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Longwell made his only point after attempt, had a 38 yard field goal attempt blocked and made the game winning kick from 26 yards.

MIN Rush Defense - Minnesota's rush defense was very effective, holding the Lions running backs to 50 yards on 21 carries, except for a 50 yard run by Kevin Smith. They held up to the strong running attempts by Rudi Johnson and did not allow him to break free for big gains.

MIN Pass Defense - The Vikings' pass defense was aggressive, and prevented Orlovsky from becoming comfortable in the pocket. They blitzed at times, but generated a lot of their pressure from their front four, led by defensive tackle Kevin Williams' four sacks. Their pressure caused Orlovsky to roll out of the pocket on designed plays in an effort to buy some more time, and forced him to run out of the end zone for a safety. Fittingly, the game ended with Minnesota sacking Orlovsky.

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Chicago Bears 20, Atlanta Falcons 22

What you need to know

Chicago Bears - Matt Forte carried the ball 20 times for 75 yards, while catching five passes for 34 yards. He was able to score on a late third quarter three yard run up the middle, but was later stacked at the line on a fourth and one late in the game. Forte did not face much competition for carries from backup Kevin Jones, and is clearly the focal point of the Bears offense.

Kyle Orton attempted 43 passes, completing 26 for 286 yards and a touchdown. The Bears appear confident in Orton running the offense, as he lead an impressive late game drive to put the Bears in the lead. Despite the heartbreaking loss, he is in no risk of losing the starting job.

Devin Hester is starting to resemble a professional receiver. Hester gained career highs of six receptions on 12 targets for 87 yards. He was targeted deep three times, narrowly missing on big plays a few times, but his intermediate route running has clearly improved significantly.

Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan completed 22 of 30 attempts for 301 yards and a touchdown against an injured Bears secondary. Amidst constant pressure, Ryan showed excellent pocket presence to avoid the rush to buy himself time on numerous occasions. Though there have been criticisms about a lack of arm strength, Ryan made a number of tough throws, and looked very impressive the entire game.

Roddy White caught nine of his 16 targets on the day, for 112 yards and a touchdown. White had a second score nullified by an offensive pass interference call, but it's clear rookie Matt Ryan has the utmost confidence in the emerging receiver.

With the exception of a 23 yard gain in the second quarter, Michael Turner had trouble finding running lanes, being stacked for negative or no gain in 11 of his 25 carries. Despite a lack of effectiveness, he remained a large part of the Falcons offense throughout the game. Though he only gained 54 yards in the game, he regularly needed to be gang tackled to be taken down.

What you ought to know

QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 26 - 43 - 286 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Orton completed 26 of 43 passes for 286 yards, while throwing one touchdown for 17 yards to Rashied Davis. Orton looked deep frequently, though his longest gain was for 22 yards. Despite being without the Bears apparent top receiver Brandon Lloyd, Orton did a nice job using all of his weapons, especially out of the two tight end formation, where both Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen were heavily involved. With the Bears down by two scores late, Orton was able to bring them back, primarily with the hurry up offense, to take the lead with only a few seconds to play. The Falcons were able to pull off the win, but Orton certainly didn't do anything to hurt them. He played a good game, and his job security has probably never been better.

RB Matt Forte, Rush: 20 - 76 - 1, Rec: 5 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - Matt Forte had 20 carries for 76 yards, while catching all five of his targets for another 34 yards. His only touchdown of the game came on a three yard carry up the middle. He had a chance for a second touchdown late in the game on fourth and one from the one, but he was stacked up at the line and the Bears turned it over on downs. Forte runs with great patience, waiting for blocks, but is also capable of hitting a hole hard and decisively when it's presented. The Bears run their offense around Forte, and Kevin Jones only had two carries in the game, so that figures to continue.

RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0 - Kevin Jones only carried the ball twice for three yards. He spelled starter Matt Forte throughout the game, but he was not a big threat to Forte's carries.

RB Jason McKie, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - McKie's only carry of the game came late in the fourth quarter on third and one from the one yard line. Needing a touchdown to come within one score, McKie got the call and was stuffed for no gain.

WR Devin Hester, Rec: 6 - 87 - 0 (12 targets) - Devin Hester caught exactly half of his 12 targets for 87 yards. Though he was looked at deep three times, he seemed to be developing a nice rapport with Orton on intermediate routes. His longest gain was for 17, but five of his catches were for first downs. He seems to have matured as a route runner, and also played a full compliment of downs. His receptions and yardage were career highs. He assumed his role as both primary kick and punt returner, failing to make an impact at either.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 4 - 41 - 1 (6 targets) - Starting for an injured Brandon Lloyd, Davis caught four passes for 41 yards and a 17 yard touchdown. Kyle Orton found him deep over the middle on that score. He was targeted six times.

WR Marty Booker, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (6 targets) - Booker caught three of his six targets, for 33 yards. He was targeted in the endzone twice, both in tight coverage.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 5 - 50 - 0 (7 targets) - Desmond Clark was used frequently both in single and double tight end formations, catching five passes for 50 yards. Orton really seemed to emphasize utilizing the tight end, whether it be Clark or Greg Olsen. He was targeted seven times in the game.

TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 3 - 41 - 0 (7 targets) - Olsen caught three of his seven targets for 41 yards. Kyle Orton targeted Olsen twice on jump balls in the endzone, both of which were into tight coverage. They made an effort to get Olsen the ball there, but he couldn't come down with one. As with Desmond Clark, Olsen was looked at frequently in both single and double tight end formations.

PK Robbie Gould 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Gould hit on both of his field goal attempts, the longest being from 36 yards out. He was successful on both of his converts.

CHI Rush Defense - The Falcons ran for 79 yards on 23 carries, for an average of 3.4 yards per carry. With the exception of a 23 yard carry by Turner, and a 21 yard direct snap to Jerious Norwood, the Falcons did a great job of limiting the Falcon runners to small gains.

CHI Pass Defense - Charles Tillman was injured early in the second quarter, leaving the Bears' secondary somewhat inexperienced. Matt Ryan looked outstanding, completing 73 percent of his 30 attempts for 301 yards and a touchdown. It's difficult to say whether it was a weakened Bears secondary, or if it was Ryan simply playing that well. Overall, the Bears were beat deep a few times, and given they were up against a rookie, put up a pretty weak performance.

QB Matt Ryan, Pass: 22 - 30 - 301 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Ryan completed 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown. Ryan looked composed against a tough pass rush, often buying himself time with great pocket presence. His touchdown came on a three yard slant to his favorite target, Roddy White. Ryan had another 14 yard touchdown nullified by penalty, when White was called for offensive pass interference. Ryan showed great touch on many of his throws, while also proving he could get the ball deep down the field. By the way he played, if you didn't know him, you would certainly think he was a veteran.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 25 - 54 - 0 - Turner struggled throughout the day, as the Bears constantly stacked up the line. He finished with only 54 yards on his 25 carries, while 11 of those went for either zero or negative yards. Despite a lack of effectiveness, the Falcons stuck with him. He did have a 23 yard carry in the second quarter. Turner had a fumble ruling overturned. Backup Jerious Norwood only received three carries.

RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 3 - 31 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Norwood again showed to be electric with the ball in his hands, but his largest contribution came on special teams with an 85 yard kick return that gave the Falcons a good opportunity to go up by two scores very late in the fourth quarter. Norwood also took a direct snap, faked a handoff to Michael Turner, and took the ball himself for a 21 yard gain. He finished the game with only three carries though, for 31 yards, while catching one of his two targets for six yards. Norwood fumbled on a strange play where the defense also fumbled, and Atlanta ended up recovering the ball for a new set of downs.

WR Roddy White, Rec: 9 - 112 - 1 (16 targets) - It appears as though Roddy White has emerged into a premier receiver. Matt Ryan constantly looked White's way, getting him the ball nine times for 112 yards. Atlanta's only touchdown of the game came on a left slant where Ryan found White for the three yard score. White had a 14 yard touchdown nullified by penalty earlier in the game, when he was called for offensive pass interference. He was injured on that play, however returned the next series without apparent limitations. He was targeted on an amazing 16 of Ryan's 30 attempts.

WR Harry Douglas, Rush: 1 - -11 - 0, Rec: 5 - 96 - 0 (6 targets) - Rookie Harry Douglas gave the offense a spark, catching five of his six targets for 96 yards. Showing some excellent deep speed, fellow rookie Matt Ryan found Douglas deep down the middle for a beautiful 47 yard gain. He was also used on an end around, though it went for negative 11 yards. He played behind Michael Jenkins, but gives Ryan a more dynamic vertical threat to look to opposite Roddy White.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 4 - 58 - 0 (5 targets) - Jenkins started the game opposite Roddy White, and caught four passes for 58 yards. None were larger than on the second last play of the game where Ryan found Jenkins deep down the left sideline for a 26 yard gain, going out of bounds with one second left. Kicker Jason Elam kicked the game winning field goal on the next play. He was targeted five times, dropping one he could have probably caught in the endzone.

WR Brian Finneran, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) - Brian Finneran caught three of his four targets for 29 yards. He did drop a pass, but Ryan showed confidence throwing to him in tight coverage.

TE Ben Hartsock - Hartsock started the game at tight end, but Ryan did not look his way all day. His primary contribution is in the blocking game.

PK Jason Elam 5 - 6 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 16 points - Elam went from zero to hero in just a few minutes. With the Falcons up by six points late in the game, Jerious Norwood returned a kickoff 85 yards to put the Falcons in field goal range. Elam would eventually miss left badly on a 33 yard attempt that would have put the Falcons up by two scores with less than three minutes to play. Elam got redemption on the last play of the game, when he nailed a 48 yarder to win the game by two. Overall he made good on five of his six attempts, and was also successful on his only convert attempt.

ATL Rush Defense - As a team the Bears ran for 75 yards on 30 carries, an average of 2.5 yards per carry. Matt Forte had one run of 20 yards, but otherwise the Falcons were successful limiting his gains. The Falcons run defense had an impressive stand late in the game, where they stopped Jason McKie on a goalline plunge on third down from the one, and then again on fourth and one did the same to Forte.

ATL Pass Defense - It was far from a lockdown performance, but the Falcons did a satisfactory job of covering the Bears receivers. The longest receiving gain on the day by the Bears was for 22 yards, so they did well to keep the ball in front of them despite numerous deep attempts by Kyle Orton. They sacked Orton just once, and the pass pressure was generally about average.

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Dallas Cowboys 24, Arizona Cardinals 30

What you need to know

Dallas Cowboys - The Dallas offense started slowly, going three and out on three of their first four possessions and fumbling the ball away on the fourth. Of the 166 total yards in the first half, 55 came on the long touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Patrick Crayton. The offense began to click on the opening drive of the second half as Romo led the team down the field on a 12 play drive to take the lead for the only time. The defense failed to hold the lead as the Cardinals scored on their next two possessions to take a 21-14 lead. The Cardinals advantage did not last long as Dallas scored ten points in the final two minutes to tie the game. The final points came on Nick Folk's second attempt from 52 yards after Arizona called timeout just before the first attempt (which was blocked).

Tony Romo had an excellent day statistically despite being under heavy pressure from the Arizona pass rush. Despite having to rush his throws in the face of a pass rush, he threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Dallas tried to establish the running game with Marion Barber early but was not able to have much success in the early stages of the game. Barber was only able to gain 26 yards in the opening half, with nine coming on a single carry. Things did not get better in the second half as Barber had little room to move with linemen getting penetration into the backfield.

With the Cardinals defensive secondary concentrating on taking away the deep passing game Dallas had to rely on Jason Witten moving around in the middle of the field to loosen up the defense. Witten had some success, catching four of his six targets, but Dallas was unable to consistently connect with their other receivers.

Arizona Cardinals - The difference in the game was the Cardinals special teams unit, which was directly responsible for the first and last scores. J.J. Arrington opened up the scoring by taking the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown. The final score occurred when they blocked a Dallas punt on the opening possession of overtime and returned the ball three yards for the winning score.

Arizona backs had little room to run, and the lack of a solid running game could have cost the Cardinals as they were trying to run out the clock in the fourth quarter. With Edgerrin James having little success the team turned to rookie Tim Hightower to run out the clock on the final two drives. Hightower did have some success, but was unable to gain a first down on the ground and they had to give the ball back to Dallas both times.

Kurt Warner was unable to connect with any of his receivers on deep passes due to the Dallas ends providing pressure. He was able to compensate by going to an offense based on shorter passing routes in the second half and led the Cardinals to 17 points in a 15 minute span between the third and fourth quarter.

Steve Breaston had a career game while starting in the place on an injured Anquan Bolden. Breaston hauled in eight of his ten targets for 102 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Most of his damage came in the second half as the Cardinals were coming from behind.

What you ought to know

QB Tony Romo, Pass: 24 - 39 - 321 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Romo finished with excellent numbers, but one would not have expected it after the first half. He had an average first half, only completing nine of 15 for 81 yards before throwing a 55 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Patrick Crayton with a minute to go before half time. His low yardage totals were the result of being forced to throw it to his closer targets due to being under pressure. The pressure was most effective when it was coming from the back side and caused him to fumble three times, losing one. He did almost have another fumble in his own end zone that was recovered for a Cardinal touchdown but that call was changed after Wade Phillips challenged the call on the field, saying that Romo's arm was still in the passing motion. The second half went better as Romo led the Cowboys on a scoring drive on their first possession. Romo was six of seven on the drive, and capped it off by throwing a perfect pass to the front corner of the end zone to Miles Austin. Two possessions later Romo threw a short screen pass to Marion Barber, who took it 70 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown to pull Dallas to within three points. On the next passion Romo led the team 34 yards in less than 50 seconds to set up the game tying field goal.

RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 17 - 45 - 0, Rec: 11 - 128 - 1 (12 targets) - Dallas used Marion Barber on the ground during the first quarter as they tried to establish a running game. Barber carried the ball on five of the first nine plays from scrimmage, but was only able to gain a total of eight yards. With the Cowboys unable to get anything going on the ground with Barber they decided to use him in the passing game to try and help get the offense going. Barber was targeted five times in the second quarter as Dallas began to have some success moving the ball. He touched the ball on seven of nine plays during one sequence in the second quarter. Barber did not seem to lose any quickness as the game wore on, even though he did not get much of a breather due to an injury to Felix Jones. His ability to catch passes out the backfield played a key role in getting Dallas back in the game. His key play occurred on a screen pass with 2:17 left in the game that he took down the left sideline for a touchdown to pull the team to within three points. Barber broke through tackles and managed to stay in bounds as first the defense tried to knock him out of bounds. When he saw an opening toward the middle of the field he cut back and headed straight for the end zone.

RB Felix Jones, Rush: 3 - 22 - 0 - Felix Jones was used to give Marion Barber an occasional rest and proved to be an excellent change of pace back. Where Barber was unable to find any room to run, Jones was able to use his speed to beat the defense to the corner and turn up field for big gains. However, his day ended early due to a hamstring injury during the third quarter.

WR Terrell Owens, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (9 targets) - The Cardinals defense concentrated on trying to take Owens out of the passing offense and they were successful. Owens faced double teams and rarely saw single coverage. Owens did start to become more successful after the defense had to divert some attention over to Patrick Crayton. Due to the excellent coverage on Owens, he was held to catch four receptions, three coming in the second half. His best reception came on a pass in the third quarter where he had to reach forward while standing on the sideline. He somehow managed to catch the ball and stay inbounds.

WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 3 - 84 - 1 (6 targets) - Crayton benefited from the defense concentrating on trying to stop Terrell Owens. With Owens being well covered for most the first half Tony Romo found himself having to locate Crayton on deep routes. Crayton was well covered also, but did manage to find some open areas in the secondary to catch three passes, all in the first half. His most important reception was his last one as Tony Romo connected with him on a deep route down the middle for a 55 yard score.

WR Miles Austin, Rec: 1 - 14 - 1 (3 targets) - Playing as the third wide receiver in the Cowboys offense Austin only saw limited action, but he did make an impact with his only reception. He ended the opening drive of the second half by catching a perfectly thrown pass just inside the pylon for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a seven point lead.

TE Jason Witten, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (6 targets) - Jason Witten saw most of his action in the second half after the offense began to have success moving the ball. His good hands gave Romo a reliable target over the middle of the field that would either give them a first down or get them within reasonable distance of a first down. He was at his best during the second half as all three of his receptions were on the three scoring drives. The first reception was on a key third and five play that gave the Cowboys a first down and led to a scoring pass three plays later. His last reception was his most important as it put the Cowboys in position for the game tying field goal.

TE Tony Curtis, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Curtis caught the only pass thrown his direction just before the two minute warning in the first half.

TE Martellus Bennett (1 targets) - Bennett dropped the only pass thrown his way. Had he been able to hold on to the ball he had an open path to the end zone.

PK Nick Folk 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Folk was one of two on field goals, hitting the left upright from 36 yards out and making the game tying field goal from 52 yards out on the last play of regulation.

DAL Rush Defense - The Dallas defense was rock solid against the run, only allowing a total of 50 yards for the entire game. Cardinals running backs had to fight for every yard and the lack of a running game would lead to the Cowboys having a chance to tie the game.

DAL Pass Defense - The pass rush was able to get pressure on Kurt Warner, but were only able to sack him once. Even though they were only able to get one sack they did manage to force Warner into two turnovers. The pressure caused problems for the offense as they were unable to convert on any third down play during the first half.

QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 22 - 30 - 236 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -1 - 0 - Kurt Warner had a difficult game as he was facing constant pressure from the Dallas down linemen. Warner was forced to move around in the pocket in order to find time to throw, and was forced into two turnovers in the first half. Unable to generate any type of offense during the first half the Cardinals adjusted their game plan to call for shorter passing routes to take some of the pressure off of Warner. Warner did well with the new game plan, throwing for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 7 - 20 - 0, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (5 targets) - Tim Hightower was used in the first three quarters to give Edgerrin James a rest. But with the team unable to establish any type of running attack he began to see more time on the field due to his pass catching ability out of the back field. Hightower was in the game during the fourth quarter as the team was trying to run out the clock.

RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 9 - 29 - 0 (2 targets) - James was focus of the offense in the first half as the Cardinals tried to get their offense started through their running game. James found the going tough, as he had little room to maneuver through any holes that may have opened. As the game wore on James found himself sharing carries with Tim Hightower, and did give way to the fresher back during the fourth quarter when the Cardinals were trying to put the game away by keeping the ball on the ground to keep the clock moving.

RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Arrington's impact in the game was felt on special teams as he took the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touch down. His only other action was as a third down back when Tim Hightower needed to catch his breath.

WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 8 - 102 - 1 (10 targets) - Steve Breaston had a career game, with 102 yards receiving and one touchdown. He was Warner's main target as the Dallas defense worked to take Larry Fitzgerald out of the offense. Breaston was able to catch passes no matter if he was open or well covered. He was helped out by a quarterback who had the ability to place passes in spots where only he could catch them on those instances where he was well covered.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 5 - 79 - 1 (8 targets) - Larry Fitzgerald started slow, only catching one pass during the first half. He made up for the lack of production in the first half by having a great second half. He was well covered by the Dallas defensive backs, but he still managed to use his body to shield the defender or to out jump the defender for the ball on his second half receptions. His touchdown pass was a beautiful reception where he caught the ball on a fade route and managed to keep both feet inbounds. However, he almost scored two plays before that when he made an outstanding catch and was originally ruled to have gotten both feet down inbounds but had the play over turned when the replay official ruled that his left foot touched the out of bounds marker.

WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) - Urban was only able to catch one pass, and that only resulted on a one yard gain during the second quarter.

WR Early Doucet, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Doucet caught the only pass that was thrown in his direction during the fourth quarter as Arizona was trying to run out the clock.

TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Pope only saw limited action in the passing game as he was mainly utilized to help the offensive line block. His last reception gave the Cardinals a third and one that they were able to successfully convert on their last touchdown drive.

PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Rackers made his only field goal attempt, from 41 yards.

ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense was able to limit the Cowboys backs to 77 yards rushing, and held Marion Barber to 2.6 yards per carry. They keyed on stopping Barber and were able to take away his running lanes and forced him to stay in the middle of the field where the linebackers were able to help out.

ARI Pass Defense - The pass rush was able to get some pressure on Tony Romo and tried to disrupt his timing with the receivers. For most of the first half they were successful, causing one fumble and forcing Dallas to go three and out during the early stages of the game. They were burned on two long scoring passes, the last of which was aided by poor tackling by the defensive backs as they were unable to force Marion Barber out of bounds on his long touchdown reception.

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Oakland Raiders 3, New Orleans Saints 34

What you need to know

Oakland Raiders - The Tom Cable era kicked off with high hopes, but the attempt to establish a more potent Raider attack fell terribly flat. Veteran offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who served in the same capacity in both Atlanta and San Francisco, handled the play calling. Before the game, Cable and Knapp announced that they were going to allow JaMarcus Russell to cut loose and throw the ball more frequently and utilize more downfield routes. It's a great strategy if you have the right personnel.

While Russell showed brief flashes of improvement he is still not very accurate and continues to make poor decisions. He threw one interception but four other potential picks were dropped, two by S Roman Harper. New Orleans defenders seemed to know which plays were coming and often jumped pass routes. Russell completed 13 of 35 for 159 yards, but in his defense, Oakland receivers dropped five passes and seldom came back to the ball to help him out. TE Zach Miller caught three passes for 46 yards, WR Ronald Curry caught three for 32 yards, but that was about it. Ashley Lelie was targeted an incredible 11 times but only caught one pass. His best play of the game came when he committed offensive pass interference to prevent a Saint interception.

Justin Fargas started the game, found little room to run, but looked completely healed from the groin injury. He led the Raiders rushing attack with 35 yards on ten carries. Even though Darrin McFadden also looked healthy, he didn't enter the game until the second quarter. Apparently the bye week helped him recover from his turf to injury. Michael Bush played in the fourth quarter during mop up time, but the rushing attack was an after thought, especially as New Orleans pulled further and further ahead.

Because the offense had such a hard time moving the ball with any consistency the defense was given the impossible task of holding the Saints offense. Oakland only trailed 14--3 at halftime, but the defense tired out in the second half and the rout was on.

New Orleans Saints - The Saints put on a clinic and dominated this game from start to finish. The offense amassed a total of 441 yards while the defense had little trouble shutting down the new look Raiders' offense.

Drew Brees, the NFCs offensive player of the month for September, had an almost typical afternoon, hitting his first 16 passes in a row. He finished the game 26 of 30 with three touchdown passes and a QB rating of 144.4. He completed passes to three tight ends, three wide receivers, and three running backs, and the balls kept flying even when the game was out of reach. The last touchdown was scored in the fourth quarter, with Deuce McAllister in the backfield, on a two yard pass to TE Mark Campbell off play action.

McAllister gained 65 yards and did the heavy lifting inside. He seemed completely healed from his latest knee surgery, especially when he ran over people four yards down field. His presence in the backfield really helps this offense. It enables New Orleans to spread out defenses and open up the field. Reggie Bush scored one touchdown on a three yard run and another on a 15 yard pass.

Sean Payton and Tom Cable have known each other for a long time. Payton was on the staff at San Diego State when Cable got his coaching start as a graduate assistant. After the game the two spent several moments chatting at the 50 yard line. Maybe Payton was explaining that he wasn't running up the score, he was just running the offense.

What you ought to know

QB JaMarcus Russell, Pass: 13 - 35 - 159 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0 - The game plan called for Russell to throw the ball early, often, and deep. Unfortunately, he didn't always throw the ball where he was supposed to, and when he did, five of his passes were dropped. Four other passes were dropped by New Orleans defensive backs so maybe he has to learn to throw the ball with more touch. He has the tools. Maybe all he needs is more experience and quality receivers.

Besides improving his accuracy, he needs to work on decision making. When he scrambles away from pressure and the field opens up like the Red Sea and a first down is just a few yards and a hook slide away, he shouldn't instead decide to throw downfield into triple coverage.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 10 - 35 - 0 (1 targets) - Fargas got the start and while he only averaged 3.5 yards per carry he appeared to be completely healed from the groin injury. He still shared carries with McFadden and this remains a RBBC. The backfield seems crowded and there are rumors that Fargas might be traded soon.

RB Darren McFadden, Rush: 8 - 30 - 0 (1 targets) - The bye week apparently helped McFadden recover from the turf toe injury. While his limited appearance in this blowout is difficult to assess, he appears to be healthy once again. In earlier games, when he tried playing with the injury, he often lost his footing and slipped when he tried to cut. While this remains a RBBC it seems only a matter of time before he takes over.

Even if McFadden is completely healed and becomes the feature back, however, he could still be limited by the Raiders game plan. Kiffin was fired, at least in part, because of his commitment to running the ball.

RB Michael Bush, Rush: 3 - 9 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - With Justin Fargas back in the lineup Bush was relegated to backup duty. He saw action late the game but his role will remain minimal unless and until the backfield situation changes.

RB Justin Griffith, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Even though the big blocking back caught one pass in the third quarter he should not be on your fantasy roster.

WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 3 - 32 - 0 (6 targets) - Curry is a reliable possession receiver, but shouldn't appear on your fantasy roster even as bye week replacement.

WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (11 targets) - When the Raiders announced that they were going to throw more deep passes apparently Lelie was the intended downfield target. Unfortunately, he has never been known for precise routes or great hands. His best play of the game occurred when he committed offensive pass interference to prevent a New Orleans interception.

WR Javon Walker, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Walker was targeted once in each of the first three quarters.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rec: 1 - 35 - 0 (2 targets) - Higgins certainly made the most of his opportunities, turning one short pass into a 35 yard gain which set up a FG attempt. He also returned a punt 39 yards to the Saints' 35 which set up Oakland's only points of the game.

WR Chaz Schilens, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) - With the game out of reach in the fourth quarter Schilens, a 6'4" rookie from San Diego State, got into the game and caught one pass for nine yards.

TE Zach Miller, Rec: 3 - 46 - 0 (5 targets) - The lone bright spot for the Oakland offense, Miller caught three passes for a team high 46 yards.

TE Tony Stewart, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - The veteran Stewart passed a personal milestone by hauling in a seven yard pass in the fourth quarter. It was the first pass he ever caught for Oakland, even though he has been with the team for over a year.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 1 - 3 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Janikowski missed field goals from 57 and 59 yards, but nailed a 24 yarder.

OAK Rush Defense - The Raiders surrendered 122 yards on the ground to a team committed to the forward pass.

OAK Pass Defense - Oakland was unable to generate anything resembling a pass rush on Drew Brees which allowed him to sit back and pick them apart. He completed his first 16 passes in a row and hit a total of nine different receivers.

QB Drew Brees, Pass: 26 - 30 - 320 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0 - Brees performed laser surgery on the Raiders defense. At the end of the first half he had completed 17 of 19 passes for 196 yards and a QB rating of 109.7. Then he got hot. Brees finished the game completing 26 of 30 passes, good for three touchdowns and a QB rating of 144.4. Using multiple formations and interchangeable personnel, Brees methodically guided the Saints offense up and down the field all afternoon. In all honesty, there were times when it looked more like a scrimmage.

RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 14 - 27 - 1, Rec: 3 - 40 - 1 (5 targets) - Bush continues to be a big play player in this offense and is used as both a runner and a receiver. While he only gained 27 yards on 14 carries, he scored the first New Orleans touchdown on a three yard run in the second quarter. He was more effective as a receiver, as Sean Payton used multiple formations to get advantageous match ups with safeties and linebackers. Bush caught three passes for 40 yards including a 15 yard TD pass and run in the third quarter, but was benched in the fourth quarter with the game out reach.

RB Deuce McAllister, Rush: 13 - 65 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - McAllister led all rushers on the day, picking up 65 yards on just 13 carries and catching both passes thrown his way for an additional seven yards. He has only scored one touchdown this season and was again held out of the end zone but TDs should soon be coming.

McAllister has knocked most of the rust off following another off season knee surgery as the Saints were been willing to ease him back into combat. When healthy, he is a genuine difference maker and it's difficult to over rate his presence in the New Orleans backfield. He runs so hard that he literally wears down defensive linemen and linebackers by the fourth quarter. He forces teams to account for him which opens up the field for everyone else.

RB Mike Karney, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 3 - 3 - 0 (3 targets) - Primarily a devastating blocking back, Karney got more involved than usual. He carried once for two yards, but he showed he has good hands, too. He caught three passes in all, including a key first down on a third down catch.

RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 3 - 18 - 0 - Before McAllister returned to the lineup, Thomas posted some good numbers. He gained valuable experience but didn't get into this game until the outcome had already been determined. He picked up 18 yards on three carries in the fourth quarter.

RB Aaron Stecker, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 1 (1 targets) - The backup running back and special teams player entered the game late to replace Reggie Bush. He caught a short screen at the seven yard line and followed a few nice blocks into the end zone.

WR Lance Moore, Rec: 7 - 97 - 0 (9 targets) - Moore has proven to be more than just a replacement, and caught seven passes for 97 yards. Brees is not afraid to go to him even in tight coverage. He has very good hands and knows how to get open. It will be interesting to see how New Orleans uses Moore when Colston returns.

WR Devery Henderson, Rec: 2 - 68 - 0 (2 targets) - Henderson managed to maintain his 30+ yard per catch average in this game, picking up 68 yards on two grabs. While he is not a reliable possession receiver, he is a legitimate home run hitter.

TE Mark Campbell, Rec: 3 - 37 - 1 (3 targets) - The veteran tight end caught the Saints' last touchdown of the afternoon in the fourth quarter. He was shaken up earlier in the game and had to be helped to the sidelines, but returned and was rewarded. His TD came from the two yard line off play action as he was able to drift out into the corner of the end zone.

TE Billy Miller, Rec: 3 - 53 - 0 (4 targets) - Miller has shown to have pretty good hands and is doing an okay job filling in for Shockey.

TE Sean Ryan, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Ryan saw action when Campbell was sidelined but was unable to hang onto either pass.

PK Taylor Mehlhaff 2 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - The Saints' sixth round draft choice from Wisconsin was resigned this week after Martin Gramatica was placed on IR. He missed his first field goal attempt and shanked a kickoff out of bounds, but then he settle down. He hit the next two FG attempts, one from 33 yards and another from 44 and converted all four extra points.

NO Rush Defense - The Raiders only gained 85 yards on the ground and were only able to generate 226 total yards. LB Jonathan Vilma led the team with seven tackles and four assists.

NO Pass Defense - Russell only completed 13 of 35. The Saints were able to pressure him although the only sacked him twice, both by Bobby McCray. Jason David recorded the only interception but four other potential picks were dropped.

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New England Patriots 10, San Diego Chargers 30

What you need to know

New England Patriots - New England looked to be in disarray, the most glaring example of which was offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel apparently having some strong words for coach Bill Belichick as both men walked off the field near the end of the first half. A series of plays on the first drive of the second half sums up their offensive game pretty well. The Patriots had first and goal at the Chargers' one yard line, but failed to score on four straight plays. It was the first time since 2003 that the Patriots failed to score a touchdown when they had first and goal at the one yard line. Of note: Randy Moss was not on the field for any of the four plays.

The Patriots had poor production from the passing game. Matt Cassel simply isn't getting it done. He made poor decisions, didn't show great accuracy, and gave up on plays far too quickly just to avoid a sack. WR Randy Moss regressed back to being a bystander for much of the game. As if it wasn't evident in the statistics, Moss didn't do much and didn't seem terribly interested in doing much either.

With RBs Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan both inactive, the majority of the rushing duties fell to Sammy Morris. But despite getting the touchdown, Kevin Faulk was the more effective of the two runners despite only coming in for third downs and obvious passing situations.

San Diego Chargers - WR Vincent Jackson exploded in this game, with 134 yards and a touchdown on just five receptions. He was able to really stretch the field against overmatched defensive backs and helped put the game away early.

QB Philip Rivers bounced back after a very sub-par outing a week ago to post terrific numbers. He topped 300 yards and threw for three touchdowns, and could have had a fourth if not for an Antonio Gates drop.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson once again had a very uneven performance. While the final numbers look solid, he still looked sluggish for most of the game. On a late reception, however, he gave a glimmer of hope for the weeks to come by showing some very nice moves in the open field to pick up some extra yardage.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 22 - 38 - 203 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 7 - 29 - 0 - Cassel played very poorly for the Patriots. It took him nearly forty passes just to top 200 yards (5.3 YPA) and he failed to get the team into the end zone until the game was already well out of reach. On the team's final two possessions (trailing 30-10), he went 7-10 for 74 yards. Up until that point, he was 15-28 for 129 yards (4.6 YPA) with no touchdowns and an interception. He was also sacked four times, including once at the goal line even though tight end Ben Watson was wide open five yards to his left. Cassel was only intercepted once, but that was only because every time a San Diego defender got near him to apply pressure, he threw the ball into the ground. He very nearly tossed a second interception, but it was ruled that CB Quentin Jammer hadn't maintained possession all the way to the ground. Cassel also nearly lost a fumble, but it was recovered by New England just before S Eric Weddle could pounce on it. Cassel did make two decent throws to Randy Moss downfield, but both were knocked away on nice defensive plays by the aforementioned Jammer. On the one instance that Cassel had Moss wide open in the end zone, his pass was nowhere near the intended target and it fell incomplete. Against one of the worst statistical defenses in all of football to this point, Cassel led the Patriots on exactly two scoring drives - one of which came with a short field after a turnover and with San Diego in prevent defense mode.

RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 10 - 26 - 1, Rec: 4 - 49 - 0 (5 targets) - With both Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan inactive, it was up to Morris and Kevin Faulk to pick up the slack. Morris saw the heavier workload, both in terms of carries and receptions though it's tough to say who the more effective player was. It doesn't matter much, because unless one player really outperformed the other, this is going to be a RBBC between whoever the healthy backs are. Morris was somewhat surprisingly active in the passing game. He took a 28 yard screen pass right to the doorstep of the end zone on New England's opening drive of the second half, but was taken down at the one yard line. He was given a run that went for no gain, and then was thrown to in the end zone on third down, but that fell incomplete. The Patriots were eventually stuffed on fourth down, coming away with nothing. But Morris punched in a garbage time rushing touchdown late in the game as San Diego's defense really softened up.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 8 - 48 - 0, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Faulk looked quicker and more fluid running the ball than Sammy Morris did, but at this stage of his career it's pretty obvious that Faulk is never going to be more than a change of pace, third down option for this New England team. That's not a bad thing, as he excels in the role. But no matter how good he looks running the ball, he's not likely to see a 20 carry game in the near future.

WR Wes Welker, Rec: 9 - 73 - 0 (11 targets) - With the Chargers effectively removing Randy Moss from the gameplan, New England had no choice but to attack with mostly short routes underneath the defense. That is where Welker is most effective, and nothing changed on that front in this game. He caught a game high nine passes but for just 73 yards, as San Diego wrapped up very quickly each time he caught a pass. He had an uncharacteristic drop late in the fourth quarter that would've likely gone for 10+ yards had he held on. He never came close to scoring, as New England was very rarely near the end zone.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (9 targets) - It's difficult to say who the bigger culprit in the game was. Was Matt Cassel to blame for not getting the ball to Randy Moss? Or was Moss to blame for failing to give maximum effort at times? Whatever the case, it's obvious that Moss was unable to take advantage of a pass defense that has been absolutely shredded by previous visitors. Moss almost caught two long passes from Cassel, but CB Quentin Jammer made fine defensive plays on both to knock the ball away. Later, Moss got open against CB Antonio Cromartie in the end zone, but the pass was well off the mark and fell incomplete. Moss didn't seem particularly upset by the loss, as he was seen laughing on the sidelines late in the game. That isn't typically something to read into with most players, but because of recent news about Moss' lack of motivation it's certainly something to keep an eye on. Moss owners have to be concerned by the team's complete lack of cohesion on the offensive side of the ball, and no player is suffering from it more than Moss.

TE Ben Watson (3 targets) - Watson had a 21 yard reception negated by an offensive holding penalty. But that wasn't even the most crucial near-connection of the game for Watson. From the San Diego goal line, Watson broke free into the left side of the end zone and was wide open on a play action fake. Matt Cassel failed to see him, instead looking to his right the entire time. Had he found him, and Watson held on, it would've been an almost uncontested score.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Gostkowski badly hooked a 48 yard attempt wide to the left on his first field goal try, but later connected easily from 47 yards out.

NE Rush Defense - For most of the game, they did a solid job of keeping RB LaDainian Tomlinson in check. That could be party due to the fact that they were ensuring Tomlinson wouldn't beat them and forcing Philip Rivers and the passing game to beat them. If that was indeed the game plan, it worked. Rivers certainly did beat them. They effectively removed Tomlinson from the equation, as he picked up just 74 yards on 20 carries (27 of which came on one late third quarter run when the game was just about out of reach anyway). DE Jarvis Green injured an ankle early in the first quarter and was immediately carted off to the locker room. No update was given immediately after the game.

NE Pass Defense - Even though the New England offense is much less effective with Matt Cassel running it than with Tom Brady, one would've expected that the vaunted New England defense would rise up to save the day. For this game at least, that was very far from the case. The first play of the game was a 48 yard pass to WR Vincent Jackson, and from there it just got worse and worse. The covering CB on the play, Deltha O'Neal, was also beaten on a long touchdown pass to Malcolm Floyd. The Chargers threw the ball all over the field, and New England was powerless to stop it. They couldn't get any pressure on Rivers up front, and failed to sack him or even hurry him once. And the defensive backs were completely unable to hang with the San Diego wide receivers (and that was despite Chris Chambers missing the game with an injury).

QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 18 - 27 - 306 - 3 TD / 0 INT - Right from the outset, Rivers looked very calm and poised in directing the offense. Some of that may have had something to do with the fact that no New England defender got within five yards of him all night long. His very first pass of the game was a 48 yard bomb to Vincent Jackson, and that really seemed to suck the life out of the Patriots defense. They were very concerned with the deep ball, which freed up Rivers to remain in the pocket for as long as he needed. He put just about every pass right where it needed to be, and his accuracy on the deep passes was outstanding. He hit Malcolm Floyd for a long touchdown, hit Jackson for another bomb in the second half, and connected with Jackson and Antonio Gates on short scores. He nearly had an earlier score to Gates, but the tight end dropped what would've been an easy seven yard touchdown. Facing a defense as stout as New England's has been, one cannot ask Rivers to play any better than he did.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 20 - 74 - 0, Rec: 3 - 44 - 0 (3 targets) - The final tally of 118 yards from scrimmage looks solid against a defense like New England, but it was how Tomlinson picked up the yardage that is still a bit disconcerting. He gained 55 of his total yardage output on two plays, meaning he had just 63 yards on his other 21 touches. Obviously you can't discount the big plays, but Tomlinson typically gets between four and five yards per touch even without the big plays. In this game, he averaged just three. And on his rushes alone, it was 2.5 without the long run. Granted, most good running backs will enhance their per carry average with one or two big gains. All this is meant to illustrate is that he's not typically moving the pile forward in normal Tomlinson fashion. Announcer John Madden commented repeatedly on Tomlinson's inability to push off on his right foot, which Tomlinson himself acknowledged to Madden before the game. He says the toe injury is getting better by the week but that it's still not all the way healed yet and it is still difficult to make cuts using his right foot to plant. His first big gain of the game came late in the third quarter when he broke loose for a 27 yard run. Later in the fourth quarter, he took a screen pass and turned upfield for 28 yards. On that play, he demonstrated two very nice moves to shake off defenders in the open field. Still, he failed to find the end zone despite seeing touches inside the ten yard line. While he's not all the way back to form, he is showing steady progression every week and could round into form after the Week 9 bye. In the game, Tomlinson went over 11,000 rushing yards for his career. He is the fourth-fastest to accomplish the feat (after Eric Dickerson, Jim Brown, and Barry Sanders).

RB Darren Sproles, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Sproles saw very little work as the team leaned heavily on LaDainian Tomlinson. Even with San Diego up 30-10, Sproles remained on the sideline as Tomlinson ran out the last few offensive plays for San Diego.

RB Jacob Hester, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Hester fumbled away his second career carry as the Chargers were trying to run out the clock and protect their big lead. Immediately upon reaching the sidelines, Hester was met by LaDainian Tomlinson. It appeared Tomlinson was either offering words of encouragement or instruction. In any case, Hester didn't receive another touch in the game.

WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 5 - 134 - 1 (12 targets) - Starting WR Chris Chambers missed this game with an ankle injury suffered last week. That elevated Jackson to top wide receiver status, and he lived up to it and then some. Without question, Jackson was the most dangerous player on the field for either team in this game. His evening started off with a bang, as he hauled in a 48 yard bomb almost with one hand on the very first play from scrimmage. He scored late in the first half from four yards out, evidence that the team was looking to him at all spots on the field -- both deep balls and in the red zone. Jackson seemed to be able to get open any time he wanted. On the Chargers' second offensive play of the third quarter, Jackson again hauled in another deep ball -- this time for 59 yards. Two plays later, he badly beat his defender and drew a 32 yard pass interference penalty in the end zone. That play helped set up an Antonio Gates score. Jackson filled in more than adequately for the injured Chambers, and perhaps even secured a more prominent role in the offense going forward.

WR Malcom Floyd, Rec: 3 - 75 - 1 (4 targets) - Floyd took a page out of the Chris Chambers school of efficiency and turned a relatively meager four targets into three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Floyd's first target of the game was also his first target of the season, a 49 yard touchdown right down the seam and in the end zone for the score. It appeared that the ball may have hit the ground just after the catch, but there was no challenge issued and it was barely mentioned by the announcers. Floyd was later targeted in the end zone on a fade pattern but the ball fell incomplete.

TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 4 - 35 - 1 (5 targets) - Despite scoring a short touchdown, Gates' evening could've been a lot better. He dropped a sure seven yard touchdown in the flat on the one yard line during San Diego's opening possession. The defender wasn't close to him; it was simply a matter of turning towards the end zone too quickly. As mentioned, he did add a one yard score in the second half that helped put the game out of reach, but was largely quiet outside of that.

PK Nate Kaeding 3 - 4 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 12 points - Kaeding made three relatively easy field goals (25, 35, and 23) but missed his only kick of a significant distance, banging one off the left upright from 44 yards out.

SD Rush Defense - For seemingly the first time all season long, the Chargers hit like they meant it and tackled like they needed to. The big gain for New England went for just thirteen yards, and Charger defenders were quick to swarm to the ball at all times. They still allowed over four yards per rush, but much of that came late in the game when the outcome had already been decided and San Diego's defense was letting up a bit. They made a huge goal line stand early in the third quarter. With the Patriots at the goal line, the San Diego defense rose up and stopped them on four successive plays (two of them run plays) to really stem the tide and get all of the momentum.

SD Pass Defense - Defending the pass is made easier when the opponent's quarterback is repeatedly bad and the opponent's biggest playmaker isn't making any plays. CB Quentin Jammer did a phenomenal job in coverage on WR Randy Moss, most times locking up in one on one coverage with him. And more often than not, Jammer was able to make the play to knock the pass away. There were two occasions where Moss had seemingly beaten him, but Jammer made up for it. On one play, Moss tried to bait him by waiting until the last possible second to reach up for the ball, but Jammer wasn't fooled by it and knocked it away at the last moment. On another, Moss raised his hand up as he ran downfield and called for the ball. Matt Cassel delivered it where it needed to be, but Moss momentarily juggled it before Jammer swiped at it and knocked it out of bounds. In the second half, Moss beat CB Antonio Cromartie in the end zone on a deep ball but the pass was delivered woefully short of its intended target and fell incomplete.

Up front, the team finally got a good pass rush on an opponent. Cassel was sacked four times, and was pressured a lot more than that. He had to rush many throws, and wasn't able to look for much downfield aside from those three throws to Moss. Probably the biggest series of the game was a goal line stand made by San Diego early in the second half. New England had a first and goal at the Chargers 1 but four plays later, they came away with zero points (two of the plays were pass plays, and the last one resulted in a sack).

Jammer appeared to intercept a ball intended for Moss, but it was ruled that he didn't maintain possession all the way to the ground and the play was ruled an incomplete pass.

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Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Denver Broncos 17

What you need to know

Jacksonville Jaguars - Fred Taylor suffered an injury early in the first quarter, allowing Maurice Jones-Drew to receive the bulk of the carries and take on the role of a featured back. Jones-Drew made the most of his opportunity, finishing the day with 125 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Taylor returned to the game in the fourth quarter, but was used minimally.

QB David Garrard did an excellent job of managing the game, completing 25 of 34 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown. Garrard benefited from excellent play from the offensive line, often having all day to throw, but even when he found himself under pressure he stayed calm and was able to find receivers downfield.

The Jaguars defense came up with three big turnovers in the first half, which was a big part of why they won the game. One of the turnovers came when Denver was deep in Jacksonville territory, but a Jaguars' defender stripped the ball from Marshall, robbing the Broncos of a scoring opportunity.

Denver Broncos - QB Jay Cutler looked strong out of the gate, leading the Broncos to a touchdown on the team's opening drive. However, Cutler fumbled the ball on the first play of the Bronco's next drive, starting a string of three consecutive Bronco drives with turnovers. The only interception Cutler threw was on a deep ball to Marshall, but he overthrew him allowing the safety to pick off the ball. Cutler finished the day with 192 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Michael Pittman received all of the Broncos' carries, running for 109 yards on 20 attempts. Pittman looked explosive all afternoon, often racking up extra yards after contact and making defenders miss. As long as Selvin Young and Ryan Torain remain inactive, look for Pittman to continue to receive the bulk of the work.

What you ought to know

QB David Garrard, Pass: 25 - 34 - 276 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 8 - 7 - 0 - Despite losing a fumble, Garrard did everything the Jaguars asked of him, throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown. Garrard showed a good arm, completing a 70 yard pass that would have taken the team down to the one yard line, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. Garrard's lone touchdown came in the third quarter when he found his tight end Mercedes Lewis wide open for a 30 yard touchdown.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 22 - 125 - 2, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - In Taylor's absence, Jones-Drew received the bulk of the Jaguars' carries, making the most of his opportunities. Jones-Drew scored his first touchdown in the second quarter on a one yard run, giving Jacksonville a lead that they would not relinquish. Jones-Drew's second touchdown came in the third quarter, when he found a hole up the middle and busted off a 46 yard touchdown run. When Jones-Drew wasn't scoring, he was living up to his reputation as a human bowling ball, often pushing the pile and breaking tackles to gain important extra yards.

RB Greg Jones, Rush: 1 - 13 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones made the most of his playing time, racking up 34 total yards on four touches. His lone carry went for 13 yards, and his long reception of the afternoon was for 11 yards.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - On Taylor's second touch of the game, he took a big hit, the majority of which was absorbed by his head and neck. The hit caused Taylor to fumble the ball, but the Jaguar's main concern was his health as he left the game and didn't return until the fourth quarter. Upon his return he was used minimally, only being targeted on two passes and getting one carry. However, Taylor came through on this carry as he fought for some big extra yards to get the Jacksonville first down, allowing them to run out the clock and win the game.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 7 - 69 - 0 (10 targets) - Jones was the most targeted Jacksonville receiver in this game, hauling in seven of his ten targets for 69 yards. Jones mostly caught short passes, his longest on the afternoon going for 14 yards.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 4 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) - Williams caught all of his targets for 21 yards. His longest reception of the game was for eight yards, as he was utilized only in the short passing game.

WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 3 - 42 - 0 (5 targets) - Northcutt caught three of his five targets, good for 42 yards. His long reception on the afternoon came at the end of the second quarter, when he caught a pass for 20 yards to put the Jaguars in field goal range. Unfortunately, Garrard fumbled on the next play and Jacksonville didn't score.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 3 - 64 - 1 (5 targets) - Lewis caught three balls, two of which went for long gains. He first caught a 27 yard pass where he found himself wide open across the middle of the field. Later, he scored Jacksonville's final touchdown of the afternoon when Garrard found him for a 30 yard touchdown. Lewis caught the pass about five yards out of the end zone, but bounced off of two tacklers to get the ball in for the touchdown.

TE Greg Estandia, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Estandia caught two balls for 26 yards in this contest. His long reception was for 19 yards in the third quarter, which eventually led to Jacksonville's final touchdown.

PK Josh Scobee 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Scobee made all of his kicks, so there is nothing significant to report in the kicking game.

JAX Rush Defense - The Jacksonville rush defense struggled stopping Michael Pittman, who averaged over five yards a carry against them. However, they never found themselves backed up on the goal line and never allowed Pittman to score a touchdown.

JAX Pass Defense - The Jaguars' pass defense struggled out of the gate, allowing Denver's opening drive to go for a touchdown, but quickly buckled down as they frustrated Cutler the rest of the afternoon. The defense came up with big turnovers on the next three Denver drives, forcing two fumbles and an interception. Although Cutler threw for two touchdowns, the defense did enough to come away with the victory.

QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 21 - 37 - 192 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 22 - 0 - Cutler had ups and downs in this contest, opening the game with a touchdown drive but turning the ball over the next two possessions. Cutler lost his fumble on a play where he was running for the first down, but didn't secure the ball and dropped it when he took a hit on the arm. The next drive, on a third down, Cutler threw an interception on a deep attempt to Brandon Marshall, not very costly since it basically worked as a punt. Cutler finished the afternoon with 192 yards, two touchdowns, and two turnovers, certainly not his best day.

RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 20 - 109 - 0, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) - Pittman was the only running back to take the field against the Jaguars, racking up 109 yards on 20 carries. Pittman showed great power and versatility, leaping over defenders and breaking tackles to gain extra yards. He had long runs of 20, 18, and 11 yards, with many of his other carries going over five yards as well. He certainly looked strong, and should continue to lead the running attack as long as Selvin Young is hurt.

WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 9 - 98 - 0 (19 targets) - Marshall was targeted early and often, catching nine balls for 98 yards. He looked like he was on pace for a big day when he caught three balls for 45 yards in Denver's opening drive, however the Jaguars did a better job of containing him after that. A dark spot on Marshall's day was when he caught a pass in the second quarter deep in Jacksonville territory, but had it stripped from him and lost the fumble to Jacksonville. Later in the third quarter, Marshall was also overthrown on a deep ball that would have been a sure touchdown.

WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (6 targets) - Jackson only caught three of his targets for 18 yards. The majority of these yards came on an 11 yard reception, his long of the afternoon.

WR Brandon Stokley, Rec: 3 - 29 - 1 (4 targets) - Stokley caught an 11 yard touchdown on the Broncos' opening drive, fighting for an extra three yards after the catch to get in the end zone. However, early in the second quarter Stokley caught his final pass of the afternoon as he was injured on the play, and didn't return to the game. He finished the afternoon with 29 yards.

WR Glenn Martinez, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Martinez caught two of his three targets for 20 yards, his longest going for 11 yards. Martinez also had a big punt return into Jacksonville territory to set up Denver's second touchdown.

TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 1 - 11 - 1 (1 targets) - Graham made the most of his lone target in this contest, catching an 11 yard pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

TE Nate Jackson (1 targets) - Jackson found himself wide open near the end zone early in the third quarter, but was overthrown on what would have been a sure touchdown. It was his only target of the game.

PK Matt Prater 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - There is nothing significant to report in the kicking game, Prater made all of his kicks.

DEN Rush Defense - Maurice Jones-Drew plowed through the Denver rush defense, scoring twice and racking up over 120 yards. Denver was never able to come up with a big stop, especially at the end of the game, as Jacksonville controlled the ball for the final five minutes and ran out the clock for the win.

DEN Pass Defense - Although Denver's pass defense only allowed one touchdown, Garrard was still able to pick them apart for key first downs and big gains. Denver struggled getting pressure on him, giving him plenty of time to make his throws, and explaining his success. All in all, it was not a good effort from the Denver defensive unit as a whole.

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Philadelphia Eagles 40, San Francisco 49ers 26

What you need to know

Philadelphia Eagles - The Philadelphia Eagles fell behind in the third quarter and seemed to be losing momentum but the defense came through to keep the 49ers from scoring for the rest of the game as they pulled in three turnovers in the fourth quarter.

QB Donovan McNabb did not face much pressure from the 49ers' defense and spread the ball among his receivers. He located the ball well for his receivers and only turned the ball over once.

RB Correll Buckhalter filled in sufficiently for injured RB Brian Westbrook. He looked fast and ran well throughout the game. He racked up the yards through the air and on the ground for the Eagles in the win. RB Lorenzo Booker was not a factor and dropped a pass from McNabb that he should have caught.

WR DeSean Jackson was a major threat until he was injured late in the game. McNabb split the rest of the targets between WR Hank Baskett, WR Greg Lewis, and WR Jason Avant. WR Kevin Curtis did not make his first appearance of the year as rumored. He was listed as inactive before the game.

The Eagles defense played well against the 49ers offense, holding them to one touchdown. They held the 49ers to two early red zone field goals. One of the San Francisco touchdowns came on a blocked field goal.

San Francisco 49ers - The San Francisco 49ers had many chances to potentially win this game but struggled for most of the second half with wasted timeouts, a series of turnovers, and costly penalties.

At one point the 49ers scored 17 unanswered points but ultimately failed to keep their momentum and fell apart as the second half progressed. After the Eagles jumped back into the lead in the second half, the 49ers failed to get anything going offensively and J.T. O'Sullivan committed turnovers on three consecutive late possessions as the Eagles ended up running away with the game.

QB J.T. O'Sullivan played reasonably well for the first three quarters but ultimately became mistake-prone as the game wound down and the 49ers fell too far behind to come back.

RB Frank Gore was solid as usual, racking up the yards on the ground and punishing defenders. RB Michael Robinson saw a bit of playing time but mostly on gimmick plays. FB Zak Keasey left the game in the first half with an arm injury and did not return to action. He was seen on the sidelines with a heavy wrap around his arm.

The receivers for the 49ers were generally quiet in the loss. WR Josh Morgan made an athletic, leaping catch in the fourth quarter but dropped one he should have had for a first down in the first. WR Arnaz Battle and WR Isaac Bruce were both relatively quiet. TE Vernon Davis had his best game of the season and ran well with the ball after the catch. He was targeted frequently by O'Sullivan.

The defense failed to stiffen when necessary and the team squandered a third quarter lead. A pair of 49ers' defenders were seen arguing with each other as they walked off the field at one point.

The defense managed to make one big play as they blocked a long PK David Akers field goal attempt at the end of the half and ran the ball into the end zone for a score as time expired.

What you ought to know

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 23 - 36 - 280 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - QB Donovan McNabb was effective in the victory for the Eagles. He was sharp and had plenty of time to pass. He was not rushed very often and made smart decisions. His receivers had success running with the ball after the catch and McNabb placed the ball well for his receivers which helped lead to some nice gains.

RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 18 - 93 - 1, Rec: 7 - 85 - 0 (9 targets) - RB Correll Buckhalter filled in well for the injured RB Brian Westbrook. He looked sharp and quick and had a big day through the air and on the ground. He slammed through the middle from the one yard line for his only touchdown. He failed to convert on a third and one rushing attempt in the third quarter but was effective for the game overall.

RB Lorenzo Booker, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - RB Lorenzo Booker did not see much action in the victory. He dropped one pass that he should have caught.

WR DeSean Jackson, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 6 - 98 - 0 (11 targets) - WR DeSean Jackson appeared to be injured late in the second half and did not return. He was a big threat for the Eagles throughout the game including a 26 yard catch down the sideline where he just managed to get both feet in bounds as he caught the ball at the seven yard line. He caught two balls just out of bounds including one that would have been a touchdown. He also had one reception that he brought down to the opponent's two yard line.

WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 4 - 38 - 1 (7 targets) - WR Hank Baskett did not appear to have full possession of the ball on his first reception which was for 16 yards and on third down but the referee called it a reception. The 49ers did not challenge and the Eagles went on to score a touchdown.

WR Greg Lewis, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) - WR Greg Lewis was not much of a factor in this game.

WR Jason Avant, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (2 targets) - WR Jason Avant was not much of a factor in this game.

TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 1 - 2 - 1 (2 targets) - TE L.J. Smith caught one pass in the victory. It was for a touchdown. He did not figure into the offensive plans much besides that grab.

PK David Akers 4 - 5 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 16 points - PK David Akers is struggling with long field goals. His 38 yard field goal barely made it through the uprights. The play was challenged by the 49ers but upheld. He also had a field goal blocked at the end of the first half that was returned for a touchdown. It was a low kick and the 49ers easily put a hand on it. He was four of five on field goals and perfect on extra points.

PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles run defense did the best they could against RB Frank Gore but he still managed to put up over 100 yards on the ground and score a touchdown.

PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles pass defense corralled three turnovers late in the game that sealed the victory. The 49ers did not have a big game through the air and the Eagles secondary did a solid job of preventing any big plays.

QB J.T. OSullivan, Pass: 17 - 30 - 199 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 31 - 0 - QB J.T. O'Sullivan committed three turnovers in the final minutes of the game which effectively ended the 49ers' hopes for a comeback victory over the Eagles. He played fairly well up until the middle of the third quarter but once the 49ers gained the lead the offense seemed to fall apart. They were unable to get anything going for the rest of the game despite having a chance to go back ahead until the final few minutes of regulation.

The team wasted their second half timeouts due to sloppiness and a failed challenge on a field goal, so O'Sullivan was unable to stop the clock late in the game. He also showed an ability to scramble for decent gains when necessary.

RB Frank Gore, Rush: 19 - 101 - 1, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - RB Frank Gore was once again effective running the ball for the 49ers. He hit the holes well and ran with speed and power. He converted on a fourth and one with a nice second effort to reach the first down.

RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 3 - 4 - 0 - RB DeShaun Foster did not look good running the ball. He failed to convert on a third and one and did not attack the line of scrimmage.

RB Michael Robinson, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - RB Michael Robinson took a direct snap on one play but it was called back due to a false start. Robinson also took a handoff and lateraled the ball to RB Frank Gore as he rounded the corner.

WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (4 targets) - WR Arnaz Battle had a quiet game through the air for the 49ers.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (6 targets) - WR Isaac Bruce was mostly quiet in the loss. He had one ball swatted away by a defender late in the game that would have been a catch for a first down.

WR Josh Morgan, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (4 targets) - WR Josh Morgan only hauled in one catch in the loss but it was an athletic, leaping catch over the middle for 25 yards during the 49ers failed comeback attempt. He had a drop in the first quarter that would have resulted in a first down and the team was forced to settle for a field goal.

TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 6 - 75 - 0 (8 targets) - TE Vernon Davis played well in the loss. He looked strong running with the ball after the catch. He was overthrown in the red zone by QB J.T. O'Sullivan in the third quarter with a lot of space in front of him. His first reception came in the backfield and he sliced his way through the defense for 24 yards which helped to set up the team's second field goal. He was also whistled for a costly offsides call as the team attempted to score before the end of the first half. He caught three passes for a loss, as well.

PK Joe Nedney 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points - PK Joe Nedney was perfect on the day. He appeared to injure his shoulder in the first quarter while making a tackle on a kickoff but he continued to kick.

SF Rush Defense - The 49ers rush defense had trouble stopping RB Correll Buckhalter, who filled in adequately for the injured RB Brian Westbrook.

SF Pass Defense - The 49ers pass defense also struggled. They did not get much pressure on QB Donovan McNabb. They managed one interception but could have reeled in on or two more on the day. They let up a lot of yards after the catch, especially to RB Correll Buckhalter.

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Baltimore Ravens 3, Indianapolis Colts 31

What you need to know

Baltimore Ravens - QB Joe Flacco continued to regress as he again allowed the pass rush to force him into ill-advised throws, three of which resulted in interceptions. In addition, Flacco twice fumbled the ball, and while both were recovered by the Ravens, they likely did little to help his confidence.

While RB Willis McGahee started his second straight game at RB, he was quickly supplanted by rookie Ray Rice. This was less a result of McGahee's play, which was solid, as it was due to the fact that Baltimore fell far behind the Colts early and the Ravens coaching staff likely didn't want to risk injury.

Early season Superman RB LeRon McClain reverted to Clark Kent against the Colts as he fumbled away his only reception and gained a total of negative two yards on his only two carries.

Indianapolis Colts - QB Peyton Manning was in vintage form as he eviscerated the Ravens defensive backs on the way to three TDs and 170 yards in the first half alone. Throughout the game he threw deep as often as he threw short, and connected more often than not. Manning looked to be back.

After RB Joseph Addai left the game in the Colts' second series with a hamstring injury, Dominic Rhodes replaced him and ran reasonably well against a tough Ravens defense. While he averaged just under three yards per carry, he did show some elusiveness and power that will serve him well against lesser foes should Addai miss any length of time.

WRs Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison shredded the Ravens DBs (Chris McAlister in particular) and combined for 201 yards and three TDs as each displayed speed and separation all day long.

What you ought to know

QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 28 - 38 - 241 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 3 - 12 - 0 - Flacco capped off a week during which he was named the Ravens' starting QB for the rest of the season by putting in a performance that might make his coaching staff question the wisdom of that decision. On his second pass attempt of the game, Flacco once again demonstrated that he does not make the best decisions under pressure. In the face of a looming pass rush, he tossed the ball into an area of the field solely occupied by four Colts defenders. While none of them caught the ball, one did knock it up into the air where a fifth defender was able to bring it down. Flacco almost brought the Ravens' second series to a similarly disastrous end as he bobbled a hand-off to RB Ray Rice (Rice fell on the ball to prevent the turnover inside his own ten yard line.) Flacco suffered his second pick mid-way through the second quarter on a deep pass intended for Mark Clayton. While the pass was well-placed to avoid the covering CB, it did not arrive fast enough to elude a nice break on the ball by Colts FS Antoine Bethea. Flacco would add a third interception in the fourth quarter, and do so the only time that the Ravens were able to get deep into Colts territory. While Flacco would ultimately end up with 241 passing yards (54 of which came on a nice, deep pass to Derrick Mason during fourth quarter garbage time), his performance in this game was anything but impressive.

RB Ray Rice, Rush: 6 - 23 - 0, Rec: 7 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) - After being shunted to the sideline as the third RB behind Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain earlier in the season, Rice emerged, somewhat surprisingly, as Baltimore's #1 offensive option in this game. This may have been more a function of the fact that Baltimore very quickly fell behind than anything else. Whatever the reason, Rice showed that he could be a versatile part of the Ravens offense if given the chance. While he failed to break any long runs, Rice was able to hit the holes and dance his way to a 3.8 yards per carry average on his six rushes, and in the passing game he actually ended up seeing more targets (nine) than any other receiver. While none of these were particularly far downfield, Rice showed that he was able to convert on his pass receiving opportunities and generate yardage through the air. With 87 total offensive yards, Rice finished the day as the most productive RB, WR or TE on the field for the Ravens.

RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 8 - 18 - 0, Rec: 4 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - While he started the game as the #1 RB, and did finish with the most carries, McGahee saw very little action in the second half. This was largely a function of the fact that the Colts were up big and early and the Ravens' coaching staff was likely reluctant to risk any injury. When he was on the field, however, McGahee was not particularly effective. While he showed some speed in hitting the hole and making cuts to bounce outside, McGahee was unable to get to the second level and create any big plays.

RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - After spending the early part of the season earning a spot on many deep-league fantasy starting rosters, McClain probably frustrated a lot of owners with this game. While an active Willis McGahee ensured that McClain's touches would not be plentiful, he uncharacteristically failed to make the most of his opportunities. On his first touch of the game he hauled in a short pass but then promptly fumbled the ball away for no immediately apparent reason. On his first (and only) two rushes, he lost a combined two yards. After those performances, the Baltimore coaching staff had apparently seen enough, and when McGahee was not on the field, it was Ray Rice who trotted out to replace him.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 6 - 70 - 0 (7 targets) - While he was regularly targeted in the passing game, Mason turned in a quiet performance (as did virtually every Raven), with a single notable exception. Late in the game, as the contest was no longer in doubt, Mason was able to get down field and corral a long pass for a gain of 54 yards.

WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 6 - 53 - 0 (7 targets) - Due to his speed, Williams saw a healthy amount of action in the game given how quickly the Ravens fell behind. He seemed to make the most of his opportunity as far as converting his chances (he caught six of his seven targets), but was unable to break free for any big gains.

WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 3 - 13 - 0 (5 targets) - Despite the need for Baltimore to be taking shots down the field early, Clayton was rarely looked to and ended the day with only the barest impact on the stats sheet.

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (3 targets) - Heap ended the day as a non factor, hauling in only a single catch on his paltry three targets.

PK Matt Stover 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Stover converted on his sole field goal attempt from 37 yards out. These three points were the only ones standing between the Ravens and a shut-out.

BAL Rush Defense - With the Ravens able to knock out Joseph Addai early, Baltimore was forced to contend with Dominic Rhodes coming out of the Indianapolis backfield. Even so, while they held Rhodes to an average of under three yards per carry, they still gave up some important runs and a long, 38 yard run in the second quarter that led, shortly thereafter, to Indianapolis' third touchdown.

BAL Pass Defense - The Ravens' pass rush was able to put pressure on Payton Manning early, even recording a sack on his second pass attempt (The rush was more of a jail-break and Manning actually knelt down to accept the sack instead of risking being hit by at least four Ravens simultaneously.) That effort would not be consistent over the rest of the day, however, and any pressure was more than off-set by the defensive backfield's consistent inability to cover the Colts' wide-receivers. As a result, when Manning was forced to throw the ball early, he was still able to complete his passes more often than not. The only reason that the Colts did not abuse that back-field all day long was because they build such a large early lead, the running game ended up being the focus in the second half.

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 19 - 28 - 271 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - As he has spent much of the early part of the season shaking off the rust resulting from two off-season knee surgeries that kept him out of pre-season action, Manning has not looked like the dominant QB of recent years. That changed against the Ravens. It was the Payton Manning of old that took to the field this Sunday, making his owners -- and those of WRs Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison -- very happy. Deep throws reigned supreme as Manning regularly took long shots down the field, starting with his first pass attempt deep over the middle towards the end-zone and Reggie Wayne -- an incompletion. Manning certainly made up for that early miscue in the Colt's second series as he rifled a long pass down the right side, hitting Harrison (who had cleanly beaten the Ravens' Chris McAlister) in stride for a touchdown. Manning ended the next Indianapolis series in similar fashion as he connected with Reggie Wayne on a 22 yard corner pass for six points. The third of Manning's three TDs on the day came late in the second quarter as Manning fired a 5 yard play-action pass to Marvin Harrison. Having built a 24-0 lead at the break, it was hardly a surprise that Manning's fireworks lessened in the second half, and while he still threw the ball 11 times for roughly 100 yards, none of his throws were of any particular note.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 25 - 73 - 1 (2 targets) - Called upon to replace the injured Joseph Addai starting with the Colts' third series, Rhodes produced a workmanlike performance that was short on flash (though not totally without it) but solid, especially considering he was facing the stalwart Ravens defensive squad. Two plays would end up constituting the high points of Rhode's day. The first came late in the second quarter and saw Rhodes elude a tackler in the backfield and then pinball, spin and blast his way through five tackles en route to a 38 yard gain to the Ravens' 13 yard line. The second capped off the opening drive of the third quarter -- a one yard run for the Colts' fourth and final TD of the day.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0 - Addai's day ended almost before it began as he left the game due to injury early in the first quarter after only two carries for three yards. On the play where he was injured, it was not immediately apparent what the injury was, and the only indication he was hurt was the fact that he limped of the field and never returned to the game. Later the injury was revealed to be a hamstring issue.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 8 - 118 - 1 (11 targets) - As Peyton Manning's favorite target on the day, Wayne was given plenty of opportunities to make plays, and make them he did. While he narrowly missed an opportunity to pull in a TD pass between two defenders on the Colt's first possession, he quickly atoned for that incompletion. During the Colts' third series he hauled in a 22 yard corner route pass over his left shoulder for six points (his 50th from Manning.) Even though Wayne finished with 118 yards in addition to that score, and thus turned in an impressive fantasy day, it could have been huge. On the next series after his score, Wayne almost pulled in a pass at the goal-line pylon that was thrown just out of reach. Then, in the fourth quarter, he did catch a long, 63 yard TD, but the play was nullified by an offensive holding penalty.

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 4 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) - While he played plenty of snaps, Gonzalez was far and away the third option in the Colts' passing game as fellow WRs Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison regularly had success deep. As a result, Payton Manning rarely had to look to the shorter routes Gonzalez was tasked with running, leaving the young wide-out to accumulate only 33 yards on four receptions.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 3 - 83 - 2 (8 targets) - Though he was targeted eight times -- second behind only Reggie Wayne -- Harrison was only able to convert three into receptions. Fortunately for Harrison's owners, two of those went for six points each. On the first, Harrison blew by the Ravens' Chris McAlister to get wide open for a 67 yard first quarter touchdown strike. On the second he ran a short five yard route into the end-zone between defensive backs and easily snagged Manning's bullet pass. Harrison could have had yet another touchdown earlier in the game when he was again able to gain separation with a clear path to the end-zone, but QB Peyton Manning overthrew him just slightly. Harrison may be getting on in years, but he demonstrated today that, when healthy, a defense best not underestimate him.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (2 targets) - Clark was not an active part of the Colts' passing game as they were having a lot of success further downfield and the TEs were used as additional blocking to counter Baltimore's pass rush. When Clark was given the chance, however, he converted both of his targets into receptions and 17 total yards.

PK Adam Vinatieri 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Four extra points and a single 37 yard field goal constituted the entirety of Vinatieri's otherwise unremarkable day.

IND Rush Defense - Despite having lost their punishing, run-stopping safety Bob Sanders, the Colts held the Ravens to only 51 yards on the ground. Of course, most of this was due to the fact that Baltimore was forced to go to the air early and often to try and catch up on the scoreboard. Even so, when the longest run by the opposing RBs goes for only seven yards, it's a good day.

IND Pass Defense - It has been shown early on this season that an aggressive pass rush can force the Ravens' QB Joe Flacco into making mistakes. The Colts followed exactly that game plan. The Colts were able to generate pressure on virtually every play (and registered four sacks) while also providing solid coverage downfield that gave Flacco no easy outlets. The end result was a day that saw the Ravens complete only one long pass play in fourth quarter garbage time despite the fact they needed quick points to climb out from an early scoring hole. The Colts' pass defense was a big reason for Baltimore's frustration.

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Cincinnati Bengals 14, New York Jets 26

What you need to know

Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals made their second visit to the Meadowlands this year and were still in search of their first victory. They were playing without their starting signal caller as Carson Palmer's elbow gave way for Ryan Fitzpatrick to make his second start of the year, a start that had its fair share of ups and downs. Fitzpatrick completed 20 of 33 passes on the day as he totaled 152 in the losing effort, failing to find the end zone through the air.

The day was just as difficult for the Bengals on the ground, as Fitzpatrick, their quarterback, was also their leading rusher. He carried six times for only 23 yards and was the only Bengals player to score an offensive touchdown. The real workhorse duo was Chris Perry and Cedric Benson who were able to combine for 20 yards on 15 rushes, often gaining negative yards as they were met quickly in the backfield.

Through the air, Cincinnati had some success as they had two receivers over forty yards and five catches. Chad Johnson led the way as he hauled in five balls for 57 yards while TJ Houshmandzadeh added seven catches of his own for 49 yards. They often faced third and long situations and continuously found themselves making catches three to four yards short of the first down markers.

New York Jets - The Jets looked to gain more momentum coming off their bye week as they hosted the Bengals in very winnable conference matchup. Brett Favre and company did not disappoint as they efficiently rolled up 252 yards of offense in an impressive 12 point victory.

The Jets used running back Thomas Jones extensively against the Bengals and was a huge factor, as he found the end zone on three separate occasions, setting the tone with his first score and never looking back. After Jones' first two touchdowns the Jets led 17-14 and were headed into the locker room for halftime. The second 30 minutes was more of the same as the Jets pitched a second half shutout and iced the game on Jones' third touchdown of the day.

Through the air, Favre and his cast of receivers found more of the same success as previous weeks, connecting once through the air for a score and picking apart a very outmatched Bengals secondary in the process. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles each had eight receptions in the win as they were the primary targets for Brett Favre, often making big gains after the catch.

What you ought to know

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Pass: 20 - 33 - 152 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 23 - 1, Rec: 1 - -3 - 0 - Fitzpatrick made his second start of the season and struggled through most of the first half. Out of their five total possessions in the first half, Fitzpatrick only managed a first down on one of them, the final drive of the second quarter. It was this drive where he took the Bengal's down the field in 14 plays and scored on a quarterback sneak. He managed not to throw an interception, however was sacked five times in total, fumbling once.

RB Chris Perry, Rush: 11 - 14 - 0, Rec: 2 - 2 - 0 (7 targets) - Perry had a lackluster performance on the ground as he was unable to find daylight for most of the game. He averaged just around one yard per carry and was only able to turn his seven targets into two receptions.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 4 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Benson did not fair well on the ground as he only gained six yards on four carries. He saw one target come his way which fell incomplete.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 7 - 49 - 0 (8 targets) - Houshmandzadeh was the most targeted Bengals receiver as he saw eight looks his way and was able to bring in seven of them for 49 yards. He was a consistent target when the Bengals crept into the red zone and was stopped short of the goal line on Cincinnati's first scoring drive. Like Johnson, Houshmandzadeh did not get much of an opportunity for a big play downfield.

WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (6 targets) - Johnson was targeted a total of six times on the day as he caught five of those targets for 57 total yards. He worked some surprising short routes due to the lack of time that Fitzpatrick had in the pocket and was rewarded with a plethora of quick hitting passes to move the chains in the second half.

WR Chris Henry, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) - Henry, serving as the third receiving option, saw four balls come his way as he was only able to record one catch for 13 yards. He was targeted in the end zone once; however the pass fell incomplete as he was unable to keep his feet in while securing the ball.

TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (6 targets) - Utecht was used more extensively than previous games as he caught four balls for 32 yards. He was a clear last option however was able to find some space underneath, as he provided his young quarterback with a reliable outlet when his primary targets were covered.

PK Dave Rayner 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Rayner had no field goal opportunities and connected on his only two PAT attempts.

CIN Rush Defense - The Bengals rush defense was actually stout for most of the day as they held Jones and company in check. Jones failed to eclipse the 70 yard plateau however was successful at finding the end zone twice on the ground. They did not allow many big runs against New York however could not come up with the big stop when needed as they allowed the Jets to control the clock and the line of scrimmage.

CIN Pass Defense - The Bengals pass defense gave up its fair share of big plays but to their credit, they also were opportunistic, picking off two potential Brett Favre touchdown passes and returning a fumble for a touchdown on the Jets opening drive of the game. They allowed less than 200 yards through the air, and gave up only one touchdown pass, which came on a quick dump pass in the flat to Thomas Jones. Had it not been for their two interceptions deep in Bengals territory, this game would have quickly gotten out of hand.

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 25 - 33 - 189 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Favre had a very efficient day as he completed all but eight passes for 189 yards and a score. Although quiet, Favre did a great job of moving the chains and keeping the offense on the field. His one touchdown pass came early in the game as a play fake brought the defense in, allowing Favre to hit Thomas Jones in the flat for the score. Favre had his mind on the end zone twice more in the contest; however both passes were off the mark and resulted in two Bengal interceptions.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 17 - 65 - 2, Rec: 3 - 13 - 1 (3 targets) - Jones was definitely the focal point of the offense against an outmatched Bengal defense as he had 20 touches, finding the end zone three times in total. Jones scored twice out on the ground as he was able to gain 65 yards on 17 carries, running hard and downhill with purpose. His other touchdown came on one of his three receptions as he took a quick pass out of the flat for the score.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 5 - 7 - 0, Rec: 4 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Washington played a complementary role and used his speed and vision catching passes out of the backfield. He caught four of his five targets and was a vital part in moving the chains and keeping the offense moving downfield.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 8 - 61 - 0 (12 targets) - Coles had a team high 12 targets and managed to haul in eight catches for 61 yards. He has become consistently in sync with Favre as the season has progressed and is getting many looks his way. His routes against the Bengals were mostly underneath where he used his size and quickness to elude tacklers, getting positive yards after the catch.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 8 - 85 - 0 (11 targets) - Cotchery saw 11 targets on the day and turned out another good game as he caught eight balls for 85 yards. He caught shorter routes most of the time and turned out some big gains as he ran hard after the catch. One of his missed opportunities came on Favre's first interception as Cotchery was open down the sideline, only to see the ball under thrown for an interception.

WR Chansi Stuckey, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Stuckey had one target on the day which fell incomplete.

TE Chris Baker, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Baker saw one target on the day as he managed to come down with the catch for a six yard gain.

TE Bubba Franks (1 targets) - Franks' only target was on Favres' second interception of the game as the pass fell short and into the hands of a Cincinnati defender.

PK Jay Feely 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Feely hit both of his field goal attempts and was perfect on his PAT tries.

NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets rush defense was stout all day and allowed no room to run both inside and outside of the tackles. They gave up a little over one yard per carry and forced the Bengal's into third down and long passing situations. It was obvious with Palmer on the sidelines, that New York was going to put an extra defender in the box and make Fitzpatrick win the game with his arm, which he was unable to do.

NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets pass defense benefited from obvious passing situations as they defended third and long on the first four Cincinnati drives. It was not until the fifth drive of the game, last of the first half that the Jets allowed their first first down. They put pressure in the face of Fitzpatrick, bringing him down five times in total and forcing a fumble. They missed on a couple more big plays later in the game as they pitched a shutout in the second half of what was a convincing Jets win.

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St. Louis Rams 19, Washington Redskins 17

What you need to know

St. Louis Rams - The Rams shocked the world Sunday afternoon, marching into our nation's capital and beating the Washington Redskins outright in a thrilling game that went right down to the very last play. The Rams offense was serviceable at best, and ultimately relied on the defense to win the game.

QB Marc Bulger had a decent day with everything considered completing just under 58% of his passes for 136 yards. RB Steven Jackson was given the ball 22 times of which he was able to amass 79 yards on. About the only thing that was above average for the Rams offense on Sunday was WR Donnie Avery, who had a very respectable game with 73 receiving yards on four receptions.

Washington Redskins - The Redskins had multiple opportunities to put the dagger in the Rams Sunday afternoon. They failed to capitalize on all of them, ultimately falling to one of the worst teams in the league and at home no less. It was a textbook game example of the phrase "Any given Sunday."

QB Jason Campbell continued his steady improvement and progression in the newly installed West Coast Offense, completing nearly 70% of his throws for 208 yards. RB Clinton Portis also continued upon his career year, running for more than 100 yards for his third straight game and tacking on two rushing touchdowns for good measure. WR Santana Moss had a second straight game in which he was nearly non-existent, while Antwaan Randle El hauled in five balls for 87 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 15 - 26 - 136 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - At face value, completing nearly 60% of your throws for 136 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions on the road against an NFC East powerhouse could very well appear solid. If that was all there was to the story, you could even say that the QB succeeded in managing the game and minimizing his mistakes. Luckily for Marc Bulger, two errant throws he slung for sure interceptions were dropped and had the defenders managed to hold on, the Rams could have very well left FedEx Field 0-5. Although the offensive line managed to protect Bulger a lot better than they had in the first four games, Bulger still looked lifeless and without any drive at all. Indeed, the team may have very well begun to give up on the season until they were gift-wrapped a road win against a strong NFC East team. The whole thing could very well give the Rams (and more importantly Marc Bulger) just what they needed to turn their season (and attitudes) around.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 22 - 79 - 0, Rec: 3 - 32 - 0 (5 targets) - The Redskins were given a steady dose of Steven Jackson for the majority of the game, with the Oregon State alum also being targeted five times in the passing game. Although he finished the game with a 3.6 average yards per rush, he ran for 79 yards on what's considered a very solid rushing defense in the Washington Redskins. Most importantly, he looked healthy and played a major part in driving the offense downfield in order for place kicker Josh Brown to convert all four of his field goal attempts.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 5 - 23 - 0 (12 targets) - Despite being targeted the most out of all the Rams receivers, Holt only managed to finish the game with 23 yards on five receptions. With rookie WR Donnie Avery emerging as a legit receiving option, Holt should at least enjoy having a capable WR on the other side of the field to take a bit of attention off of him. However, he's going to need the offensive line to give QB Marc Bulger ample time to scan the field and find him, because the way things are going -- that isn't happening very often.

WR Donnie Avery, Rush: 1 - -5 - 0, Rec: 4 - 73 - 0 (5 targets) - The Rams up and coming rookie WR Donnie Avery yet again staked his claim as Isaac Bruce's replacement on Sunday, leading the team in receiving yards with 73 and hauling in four of his five targets. With all of the talk that's been focused on rookie WRs Desean Jackson and Eddie Royal, Avery is very quietly going about his business and having a very commendable year -- especially when you consider the team that he's stuck on.

TE Joe Klopfenstein, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Klopfenstein didn't factor too much into the teams overall offensive game plan and was targeted three times during the entire game. Of those targets, he converted two receptions for ten yards.

PK Josh Brown 4 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 13 points - Brown was on the money all game long, going four for four, and including a 51 yarder as well as a 49 yarder that clinched the victory as time expired. Along with the defense, Brown was the main reason the Rams pulled off the upset.

STL Rush Defense - The Rams defensive unit managed to force and then subsequently recover three fumbles. The rushing defense didn't do too much to slow down Clinton Portis, with the rejuvenated Miami University RB rushing for 129 yards and 2 TDs on the day.

STL Pass Defense - The passing defense, in addition to the clutch forced fumbles and recoveries, managed to hold Jason Campbell to just over 200 yards passing with no touchdowns as well as limiting all of the Redskins WRs under 100 yards receiving. They didn't manage to pick off Campbell at all, but it was a gutsy effort overall from the pass defense in particular -- without whom would have made a victory highly unlikely.

QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 18 - 26 - 208 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 19 - 0 - Campbell had a very promising day on Sunday despite the loss. He completed just under 70% of his passes for 208 yards and most importantly, no interceptions. He appears to be adjusting very well to the newly installed West Coast offense and looked comfortable while avoiding many a strong pass rush by the Rams. It appears that Campbell has finally found himself in a new system in which he can both learn quickly and excel while doing so.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 21 - 129 - 2, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Portis continues to play well, exhibiting the rare combination of quickness and power with each and every one of his runs. He's adjusting well to the West Coast system, with the team's strategy to play off of the spread ability of the passing game with Portis' hard running, reckless-abandon, running style proving to be very effective. Portis' two rushing TDs on Sunday escalated his total to six for the year.

RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 7 - 32 - 0, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Betts contributed well with the opportunities given to him, finishing the game with 4.6 yards per carry on seven attempts as well as tacking on 18 receiving yards on two receptions. Betts left the game mid-way through the fourth quarter with a knee injury. As of Sunday night, no new information on the injury has been given.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 5 - 87 - 0 (9 targets) - Randle El tacked on yet another solid game to his 2008 resume, nearly eclipsing the century mark and finding himself the most targeted WR for the entire game. Santana Moss' great start to the season appears to have shifted the majority of the focus from opposing defenses on Moss, leaving Randle El plenty of room to use his quickness to get open. So far in the new offensive system, Randle El and QB Jason Campbell have been developing a very strong rapport.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) - Moss was not a factor for the second straight week in a row, hauling in just two catches for 22 yards. After a hot start to the season, Moss' drop-off could either be attributed to a larger focus from opposing defenses or a portion of the West Coasts philosophy of spreading the ball out to all available wide outs. In the interests of paying attention to what was shown on this past Sunday, it's definitely more likely to be the former.

WR James Thrash, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) - Despite catching only two passes for 19 yards, it was actually a season high for Thrash, who's played a part in the team's offensive game plan but in no way a big one.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (6 targets) - After a slow start to the season in which he was barely targeted in the passing game, TE Chris Cooley has once again returned as a tour de force factor in the teams overall plans. He converted five of his six targets against the Rams for 57 yards and no TDs. There weren't many red zone opportunities for the Redskins on Sunday, so it wouldn't be fair to judge the zero TDs too harshly.

PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Suisham converted his only field goal attempt of 38 yards and both of his extra point attempts.

WAS Rush Defense - While the Redskins rushing defense didn't shut down Steven Jackson, they did contain him in an effort that held him not only under 100 yards, but under 80 as well. An early reverse handoff to WR Donnie Avery was also quickly snuffed out and stopped five yards behind the line of scrimmage.

WAS Pass Defense - The Redskins pass defense held Marc Bulger to just 136 yards passing and should have picked him off twice if the defensive backs had been able to hold onto the ball. Although it may have been a credit to the Rams poor passing attack, the Redskins still would have none of it and despite the dropped interceptions proving a key factor to the overall outcome of the game, hindsight is always 20/20.

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