All our week 10 content

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Kansas City Chiefs 27

What you need to know

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tampa Bay looked completely out of sync in the first half. They gave up 24 first half points defensively, including a 37 yard touchdown pass on an end around to QB Tyler Thigpen, and offensively looked like a complete mess. However, a 97 yard kickoff return by Clifton Smith sparked the Buccaneers and they added a field goal before half to cut the lead to 24-13.

The second half was a different story on both sides of the ball. Tampa Bay shut down the Chiefs offense and came through in the fourth quarter with two scores. The first came on a trick play of their own as RB Earnest Graham took a handoff and threw a short, three yard touchdown pass to TE Alex Smith. QB Jeff Garcia connected with WR Antonio Bryant from 24 yards out to cut the lead to two points, and then hooked up with TE Alex Smith on the conversion attempt to tie the game and send it into overtime. In the extra session, Matt Bryant connected from 34 yards out after a strange sequence of plays to win the game. Bryant had attempted a field goal on third down that was wide right, but the play was blown dead for a false start on Tampa Bay. They marked off the five yards and the Tampa Bay offense came back on the field. QB Jeff Garcia hooked up with FB Jameel Cook for a short gain to get in closer range for Bryant, who knocked it in for the win.

Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs came out and scored on their opening drive, capping a 12 play, 69 yard drive with a seven yard scoring pass from Thigpen to Bowe. The Kansas City defense came through on the ensuing Tampa Bay possession recovering an Earnest Graham fumble and turning it into a one yard Kolby Smith rushing score.

Kansas City scored on a trick play in the second quarter on an end around passing touchdown from WR Mark Bradley to QB Tyler Thigpen and added a field goal to take a 24-3 lead. However, they allowed 10 points in the final two minutes as the Buccaneers cut the lead to 24-13 at halftime.

The Chiefs were shut down in the second half where they were only able to register one field goal, and the Tampa Bay offense came to life with two fourth quarter scores, a successful two point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter, and a field goal on the opening drive of overtime.

What you ought to know

QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 31 - 43 - 339 - 1 TD / 1 INT - Garcia had a lackluster first half with 110 yards passing and one interception, but he turned it around in the second half to finish 31 of 43 for 339 yards and one touchdown. Garcia hooked up with WR Antonio Bryant with little time left in the fourth quarter to cut the Kansas City lead to two, then connected with TE Alex Smith on a successful two point conversion attempt to tie the game and send it into overtime. In the extra session, Garcia made plays when he needed to and took what was there on his way to leading the Buccaneers on the game winning drive.

RB Earnest Graham, Pass: 1 - 1 - 3 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 19 - 62 - 0, Rec: 5 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) - Graham led the Buccaneers with 19 rushes for 62 yards on the ground and added another five receptions for 29 yards in the passing game. He also lost two fumbles that cost Tampa Bay and was not on the field much in the overtime. Graham did throw a three yard touchdown pass on a trick play where he connected with TE Alex Smith.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 8 - 115 - 1 (10 targets) - Bryant was the most targeted Buccaneer with ten looks for the game, and he finished with a productive eight catches for 115 yards and a 24 yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter. Bryant was targeted twice on third downs and five of his receptions resulted in first downs.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 6 - 55 - 0 (8 targets) - Hilliard received eight targets and caught six passes for 55 yards. He had three catches for first downs, was targeted three times on third downs and on one two point conversion attempt that was unsuccessful.

WR Michael Clayton, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 4 - 57 - 0 (5 targets) - Michael Clayton finished with four receptions for 57 yards on five targets and had three first down receptions that included a big 29 yard catch and run in overtime to help Tampa Bay get into field goal range. On the play, Clayton made a number of Kansas City defenders miss and looked like he did as a rookie.

WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - Galloway was on and off the field throughout the game and was targeted three times. He caught one pass for 22 yards and was thrown to downfield on a few occasions. He still seemed to be limping noticeably and does not seem to be 100 percent.

TE John Gilmore, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (5 targets) - Gilmore was targeted five times and came down with four receptions for 40 yards on five targets. Three of his receptions resulted in first downs.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 2 - 12 - 1 (3 targets) - Smith was targeted three times and caught two passes for 12 yards that included a three yard touchdown reception and a successful two point conversion catch that sent the game into overtime. Smith was injured on the two point reception on what seemed to be a knee injury, but was standing on the sideline for the remainder of the game.

PK Matt Bryant 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Bryant made good from 25, 43 and 34 yards and added one extra point to finish with 10 points. Bryant came through in overtime after he missed a potential game winning field goal on third down that was negated for a false start penalty and came back to knock it through from 34 yards out for the win.

TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay gave up an uncharacteristic 183 rushing yards, nine rushing first downs and one score on the ground, and their inability to stop the run helped take a lot of pressure off of Kansas City QB Tyler Thigpen. For the first time this year, the Buccaneers allowed a back to reach 100 yards, as rookie Jamaal Charles ran for 106 yards. One bright spot for Tampa Bay was a forced fumble by DB Tanard Jackson deep in their own territory that the Buccaneers turned into a score.

LB Barrett Ruud led the way with 11 solo tackles and two assists and Derrick Brooks added nine solo tackles and one assist.

TB Pass Defense - Tampa Bay allowed just 201 net passing yards and had one sack, but they gave up two first half passing scores that helped the Chiefs jump out to a big lead early in the game. Luckily for the Buccaneers, they turned it around and allowed just 40 second half passing yards.

LB Barrett Ruud had the team's only sack and DB Sabby Piscitelli led the secondary with five solo tackles and two assists. DE Gaines Adams, who had three solo tackles, left the game with an injury.

QB Tyler Thigpen, Pass: 14 - 25 - 164 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 22 - 0, Rec: 1 - 37 - 1 - Thigpen finished 14 of 25 for 164 yards and one touchdown passing, added 22 yards rushing on six attempts and caught a 37 yard touchdown pass on an end around play out of the wildcat formation. He did most of his damage in the first half where he threw for 125 yards and scored both of his touchdowns, but couldn't replicate that success in the second half.

RB Jamaal Charles, Rush: 18 - 106 - 0 (3 targets) - Charles got the bulk of his work after the injury to Kolby Smith and looked impressive against the Tampa Bay defense as he rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries to become the first back to reach the century mark against the Buccaneers this season. Charles showed the burst and quickness he displayed in college as well as some great footwork. The only negative for Charles was a lost fumble deep in Tampa Bay territory that the Buccaneers turned into a score.

RB Kolby Smith, Rush: 10 - 46 - 1 - Smith ran the ball ten times for 46 yards and added a first quarter touchdown on a one yard run, but left the game later with an injury and did not return.

WR Mark Bradley, Pass: 1 - 1 - 37 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 4 - 65 - 0 (8 targets) - Bradley had a productive game for the Chiefs as he finished with four receptions for 65 yards on eight targets and added a 37 yard touchdown pass to QB Tyler Thigpen on his only pass attempt of the game. Bradley got the ball on a reverse and hit Thigpen with a nicely thrown ball to connect for the score.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 2 - 29 - 1 (6 targets) - Bowe was targeted six times and finished with two receptions for 29 yards and a seven yard touchdown catch. He received three third down targets and got the score, but for the most part was neutralized by the Buccaneers defense.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 7 - 62 - 0 (12 targets) - Gonzalez was targeted 12 times and finished with seven receptions for 62 yards. He was targeted seven times on third downs and once in the red zone. Six of his receptions resulted in first downs, but Gonzalez had a costly offensive pass interference call against him in the fourth quarter on a third down play he caught for 20 yards. The play was called back and one play later, the Chiefs were forced to punt.

PK Connor Barth 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Barth made good on field goals from 39 and 28 yards and added three extra points to finish with nine points.

KC Rush Defense - Kansas City held the Buccaneers to 81 yards on 25 attempts for just a 3.2 ypc average and gave up just four rushing first downs for the game. They also forced two Earnest Graham fumbles and did not allow a rushing score.

LB Pat Thomas led the defense with seven solo tackles and three assists and Donnie Edwards added six solo tackles and two assists.

KC Pass Defense - The Chiefs gave up 342 net passing yards and two scores, failed to record a sack, and could not get the job done late in the game when it mattered the most. They played with a depleted secondary that was without rookie DB Brandon Flowers and were tested throughout the game. After Kansas City built a big lead, the pass defense allowed Tampa Bay to get back into the game almost solely behind their passing game.

Rookie DB Maurice Leggett had seven solo tackles to lead the secondary.

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Green Bay Packers 16, Tennessee Titans 19

What you need to know

Green Bay Packers - The Packers do like to throw the ball. Aaron Rodgers had forty attempts on the day, finishing with 314 yards and a touchdown. Against a very tough secondary, the Packers had a hard time throwing the ball in the first half, but were able to adjust and did most of their damage after half time.

Ryan Grant had a respectable day, but it remains to be seen how much that had to do with him, and how much was a result of the Titans focus on stopping the Packers air attack. Grant made no spectacular plays but rattled off a trio of ten+ yard gains for first downs, and moved the ball well when the passing game struggled in the early going.

They were able to finally succeed with their passing game because they have more than one weapon. Early on it was Greg Jennings taking the lead in targets (seven, to Donald Driver's two); and in the second half, that trend reversed itself (Jennings, four; Driver, eight). Rookie Jordy Nelson also showed some flash in limited action.

The defense was stout. They were especially tough in the red zone, allowing only one touchdown, but otherwise forcing the Titans to settle for three short field goals.

Tennessee Titans - Kerry Collins was lucky to have no interceptions -- he could have easily lost three to a formidable Packers secondary -- but sometimes you have to be good to be lucky. He had some trouble moving the chains with the passing game, but came through in the clutch in the final drive in regulation (which concluded with Rob Bironas' missed field goal) and again in overtime to help the Titans remain undefeated.

Yes, running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White both see carries, and yes, both looked quite good. But Johnson was clearly the go to guy, whereas White was used more as a situational back. Johnson got the lion's share of the carries, and in addition caught the ball a number of times, while White had no targets. Also important to note is that while White did get the third down short yardage looks, it was Johnson in the red zone, and even inside the five, who saw the ball, not White.

Collins looked to Justin Gage a lot in the first half, but he caught none of his attempts. So in the second half, Justin McCareins saw the ball instead. After not being targeted at all, he saw five balls come his way, catching three. Tight end Bo Scaife remained Collins safety valve, and as a result was targeted nine times.

The Titans defense was stellar, and matched the Packers defense with their mastery in the red zone, allowing one TD, but also forcing them to kick two chip shot field goals.

What you ought to know

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 22 - 41 - 314 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0 - Rodgers had quite a lot of trouble against a strong defense that appeared well prepared for the Packers to throw all day. Even though it started out rough, they did not abandon it, as Rodgers adjusted well and in the second half found a wide open Donald Driver all over the field, after targeting him only twice in the first half. He did not favor any one receiver overall, but seemed to lock on to one or the other for stretches at a time. He was not afraid to throw into tight man coverage, but in most cases, those throws became incompletions.

RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 20 - 86 - 0 (2 targets) - Grant was the primary ball carrier for the Packers, and looked steady all day He had three runs over ten yards (13, 15, 13) and seemed to manage runs in the four to six yard range more often than not. On the downside, once the Packers are inside the ten, they throw more than they run, so he got no carries close to the goal line.

RB Brandon Jackson, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 30 - 0 (4 targets) - Jackson only saw one carry, but was valuable on third downs, where he was often looked to by Rodgers when his downfield receivers were covered. Jackson did well, catching all four of his targets.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 7 - 136 - 1 (10 targets) - Driver was missing in action for most of the first half. He would have gone completely unnoticed if not for his five yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter. But in the second half he announced his presence, and then some. He was targeted eight times and caught six, nearly all for long gains (five first downs of 44, 19, 29, 11, and 20 yards). It was mind boggling how wide open he was on each play, since the Titans secondary had stymied the Packers receivers in the first half.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 3 - 79 - 0 (11 targets) - Jennings was inconsistent, but made a couple of big plays in the clutch. He only had three catches on the day, one of which was began as a simple button hook pattern that he was able to turn into a huge 52 yard gain. He narrowly missed a fourth catch that was called out of bounds (he was arguably pushed out, but the call was not challenged), which would have put him closer to a hundred yards in total.

WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 2 - 34 - 0 (3 targets) - Not many targets for Nelson, however he did look impressive when his number was called. Both catches were for first downs.

WR Ruvell Martin (1 targets) - Martin was targeted once in the end zone, but otherwise was unseen.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - Lee caught all three passes thrown his way, but was generally the third or fourth look for Rodgers, who did not often have time to get that before being pressured to throw.

TE Jermichael Finley, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Finley was targeted in the first half only, once in the end zone and once on a fourth down play (both of which he missed while in very tight coverage). The Packers appeared to like his matchup, since these were clearly plays designed to get Finley the ball.

PK Mason Crosby 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Crosby was perfect on two short kicks (23, 25) and made one longer field goal of 38 yards.

GB Rush Defense - The Packers strangely held the Titans ground game in check all day -- except for one drive in the first half in which they allowed LenDale White a 54 yard gain, and then let Chris Johnson run untouched into the end zone for a 3 yard TD.

GB Pass Defense - The pass rush was good enough to hurry Collins' throws on many occasions, and also sacked him twice (Collins had only been sacked once all season). The secondary was good, too, and were three good bounces away from three interceptions.

QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 18 - 37 - 180 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0 - It's difficult to fault an undefeated quarterback, and no, Collins did not have a bad game. But he had a lot trouble finding any receivers downfield ... too many of his passes were not on the mark ... his short throws were too often hurried and therefore his receiver was not able to get any separation and gain additional yardage. The exception was the final drive of the fourth quarter, and again in OT, in which he effortlessly marched the team down the field and into field goal position. The bulk of his yardage came from dump-offs to his TE or RB.

RB Chris Johnson, Rush: 24 - 89 - 1, Rec: 6 - 72 - 0 (8 targets) - Johnson was dangerous on the ground and as a receiver out of the backfield. He not only saw the bulk of the carries over LenDale White, but more importantly, he also saw carries inside the five, which normally go to White. His versatility and success as a pass catcher ensured that he was the focal point of the offense whether it was a running or passing play.

RB LenDale White, Rush: 8 - 77 - 0 - White broke off a long 54 yard run, and otherwise proved beyond a shadow of doubt that when a two yard gain is needed, he will get you those two yards. He only had eight carries to Chris Johnson's 24, so his opportunities were limited.

WR Brandon Jones, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (6 targets) - Jones proved capable as the third wide receiver. Two of his catches were for first downs and the other two were in the ten yard range.

WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 3 - 42 - 0 (5 targets) - After not being targeted at all in the first half, McCareins was looked to more often after the break. He had catches of 15, 20, and eight yards, and was the most reliable downfield threat for the Titans.

WR Lavelle Hawkins, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Hawkins had a single catch as the fourth receiver on this run first offense.

WR Justin Gage (5 targets) - Gage was unable to pull in any of the balls thrown his way. To be fair, he was always in tight coverage, and Collins is not the most accurate of passers. It was clear from the outset that the Titans wanted to get the ball in his hands; it's just that they weren't able to do it.

TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 4 - 26 - 0 (9 targets) - For a guy targeted nine times, Scaife sure looked underwhelming. Collins continued to look his way, despite the fact that he was well covered the entire game.

TE Alge Crumpler (1 targets) - Crumpler was a complete non-factor as a receiver. Adding insult to injury, the one pass that was thrown to him went sailing over his head.

PK Rob Bironas 4 - 5 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 13 points - Bironas made chip shots of 22, 25, and 31 yards. In the fourth quarter, he missed a potential game winning field goal of 47 yards, and then redeemed himself in overtime with a successful 41 yard kick.

TEN Rush Defense - They allowed no big plays, but did not exactly shut down the Packers ground game. One got the feeling that they were a little soft against the run mainly because they were working on shutting down the Packers potent passing game.

TEN Pass Defense - Until Rodgers and Driver found a way to hook up again and again in the second half, this defense looked nothing short of amazing. Pressure on the quarterback was consistent, and Rodgers often had no open receivers. CB Cortland Finnegan was a hair away from intercepting the ball on more than one occasion.

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New York Jets 26, Buffalo Bills 17

What you need to know

New York Jets - The New York Jets, fresh off a sloppy victory against the Chiefs in week eight, shuffled up to Buffalo in search of their fifth victory of 2008. Struggling to find rhythm all game, the Favre led Jets hit big plays on both sides of the ball and were able to escape Ralph Wilson Stadium with a much needed interdivision victory.

Favre played a less familiar role as he had to manage the game and keep the chains moving against a fast and stout Bills defense. He delivered by completing all but nine passes, enduring his second game of the season where he has failed to record a touchdown pass. On the ground the Jets aided the passing game by putting in a workmanlike effort and keeping the offensive unit on the field. Led by Thomas Jones' 69 yards, the Jets rushed 25 times and averaged just less than four yards per carry. Jones again, was the only player to record an offensive touchdown as he took a third quarter handoff and scampered seven yards for the score.

This slugfest was ultimately decided by the defensive units and the Jets brought it for four quarters, limiting a very strong Buffalo offense to only 17 points and less than 300 yards of total offense. They registered five sacks and two interceptions on the day which was highlighted by Abram Elam's' beautiful 92 yard interception return for a touchdown late in the first quarter. It was this type of day for the streaky Jets as their defense kept them in the game and made the plays when they needed to, improving as a team to 5-3.

Buffalo Bills - The Buffalo Bills looked to put a little separation between the Jets and themselves in the standings, welcoming them to Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first of their two meetings this year. Trent Edwards led the only semblance of an offense as Buffalo struggled mightily on the ground and was inconsistent through the air, turning the ball over three times in total.

Edwards, forced to throw 35 times, was able to complete 24 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown. He was able to spread the wealth to eight different targets however he became a victim of a non-existent running game as the Jets played the pass for most of the day forcing Edwards into two crucial interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Like the Jets, Buffalo was only able to record one offensive touchdown when Trent Edwards found Derek Fine in the front of the end zone for an eight yard score. On the ground, the Bills did not have any success rushing 16 times for 32 total yards. Both Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson were featured and had much more success receiving out of the backfield.

The Buffalo defense made game changing plays however was unable to overcome their own miscues as they allowed 26 points in total and were unable to get to Bret Favre and record a sack. The lack of pressure eventually caught up to this unit as they could not get off the field and gave up large chunks of yards while enduring long drives. The lone bright spot for the Bills defense came in the fourth quarter as Jabari Greer intercepted a Bret Favre pass, taking it 42 yards for a Bills touchdown.

What you ought to know

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 19 - 28 - 201 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0 - Brett Favre took the role of game manager against Buffalo as he made efficient throws and moved the chains. He completed 19 passes for 201 yards, hitting five different receivers in the process. Favre took some shots downfield throughout the game having one pass result in an interception which was returned for a touchdown by Jabari Greer.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 12 - 69 - 1, Rec: 6 - 38 - 0 (8 targets) - Jones had a solid game as he went over 100 total yards rushing and receiving while punching in the Jets only offensive touchdown. He has continued his hard nosed running as he now has four touchdowns in his last four games. He also showed his dual threat ability out of the backfield and he was able to bring in six of his eight targets for 38 yards.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 7 - 13 - 0, Rec: 2 - 42 - 0 (3 targets) - Leon Washington again provided the spark for the Jets, making his presence felt on the second play of the game as he took a screen pass 40 yards into Bills territory and setting up the first three points of the game for New York. He totaled 55 yards on nine touches and was the clear second option running on the ground for the Jets.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 6 - 62 - 0 (8 targets) - Cotchery saw a team high eight targets and was able to record six receptions for 68 yards. He was looked to early and often and had a few nice runs after the reception. He is still a clear first choice in Favre's progressions and is relied upon heavily in the Jets passing attack.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (5 targets) - Coles had a quiet day catching three balls for 40 yards. Early in the game he was clearly open on a third down play however Favre was unable to see him, throwing the ball through the back of the end zone, and settling for three points.

WR Brad Smith, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 - Brad Smith rushed one time for five yards.

TE Dustin Keller, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (5 targets) - Keller saw an increased number of looks on the day but was only able to come away with two grabs for 19 yards. He was targeted more than recent games and did receive a red zone target from Favre on a second down play early in the first half.

PK Jay Feely 4 - 5 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points - Feely had a busy day while making some very clutch kicks and assuring the Jets points on their drives. He connected on four of his five attempts while converting both of his PAT opportunities.

NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets rush defense was stellar and benefited from a crippled Bills ground game. Forcing Lynch to the sidelines, New York was equally successful bottling up Fred Jackson as they allowed less than two yards per carry against a Bills team who success is directly predicated on rushing the football. They made big plays by getting pressure and forcing Buffalo into some very tough third down situations where their secondary then was able to excel and make the big play.

NYJ Pass Defense - With the Bills running game staled the sole defensive emphasis was placed on the Jets pass defense to deliver, and deliver they did. They forced Trent Edwards into two bad interceptions while also bringing pressure from the outside, as Darrelle Revis had a huge fumble recovery off of his sack deep in Bills territory. They protected against the deep ball and forced the Bills passing attack to earn every yard they gained. In the end it was interceptions by Revis and Abram Elam that sealed the victory for the upstart Jets.

QB Trent Edwards, Pass: 24 - 35 - 289 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Edwards had a rough game as he was forced to throw an unwarranted number of times; completing 24 of his 35 pass attempts for 289 yards and a score. Early in the game Edwards connected with rookie Derek Fine on an eight yard score, which would eventually be the only offensive score for Buffalo. With the lack of a ground game Edwards faced an uphill battle most of the day. He was continuously forced to throw into Nickel coverage and had some mistakes capitalized on as two of his three turnovers resulted in ten points for New York.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 9 - 16 - 0, Rec: 3 - 52 - 0 (4 targets) - Lynch opened up the game strong, taking a screen pass for a big 52 yard gain, however retired to the sidelines shortly thereafter. Announcers got word that Lynch was feeling ill and had to be replaced by backup running back Fred Jackson. He was seen throughout the first half with a towel over his head however he did manage to return after halftime. On the day Lynch was only able to gain 16 yards on the ground as he found much more success through the air, catching three of his four targets for 52 yards.

RB Fred Jackson, Rush: 7 - 15 - 0, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (6 targets) - Jackson was called upon to replace the ill Marshawn Lynch and like Marshawn, was able to find much success through the air. He grabbed three balls for 25 yards while chipping in an additional 15 yards on seven carries.

WR Lee Evans, Rec: 4 - 41 - 0 (8 targets) - Evans saw a team high eight targets against New York, managing to come down with half of them as he posted 41 yards on four grabs. He was shut down pretty well on his deep routes and was forced to chip and peck on short routes. He was the main option for Edwards on the day and some pressed coverage as Buffalo was playing with a hobbled wide receiver corps.

WR Roscoe Parrish, Rec: 3 - 51 - 0 (6 targets) - Parrish, filling in for the injured Josh Reed saw six targets and was able to contribute by catching three balls for 51 yards. The highlight reel kick return man showed off his impressive speed and elusiveness by gaining good yardage after the catch, including a short grab on a third and fifteen play that he was able to turn into a 22 yard first down grab.

WR James Hardy (1 targets) - Hardy saw only one target on the day and it was an incomplete pass.

TE Robert Royal, Rec: 5 - 70 - 0 (6 targets) - Royal had six looks go his way and was the Bills leading receiver because of it. He caught five balls for 70 yards and was targeted deep down the seam on a couple plays. Royal showed good hands and a nice ability to run after the catch as he powered his way for some tough yardage late.

TE Derek Fine, Rec: 4 - 43 - 1 (4 targets) - The rookie tight end had a great game as he caught all four of his targets for 43 yards against New York. Running a lot of double tight end formations Fine took advantage of his opportunity by catching the only touchdown of the game for the Bills. He took an eight yard route and sat in the front of the end zone where Edwards was able to zip a quick pass to him for the big score.

PK Rian Lindell 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Lindell was quiet against New York connecting on one of his two field goal attempts. He drilled a 53 yard field goal in the third quarter to cut the Jets lead to six however was unable to connect on his next attempt from 43 yards out.

BUF Rush Defense - The Bills rush defense held the Jets under 100 yards on the day however was unable to come up with any big stop when they needed it as Thomas Jones averaged over four yards per carry and was able to record his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. On the field for entirely too long, the Jets long drives wore down the Buffalo defense and kept the clock moving. While they were stout and defended their end zone they could not force the Jets into many punting situations as they allowed the Jets to come away with points on five offensive drives.

BUF Pass Defense - The pass defense was good in coverage, but again was unable to apply much pressure to an aging Favre. They did not record a sack on the day as the Jets quarterback was kept upright for 60 minutes of football. The lone bright spot on the day was a big 42 yard interception return by Bills cornerback Jabari Greer early in the fourth quarter. This touchdown would be the bills last points scored on the day as the Jets ate up eight minutes and 41 seconds on their ensuing drive to put their fifth victory on ice.

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Miami Dolphins 26, Denver Broncos 17

What you need to know

Miami Dolphins - QB Chad Pennington looked very poised and made a number of very nice touch passes. They nickel and dimed Denver to death, and it worked in pulling out the nine point victory.

It was a breakout game for WR Greg Camarillo, who caught a career high eleven passes for 111 yards. He abused the Denver secondary all game long.

The RB combo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams didn't put up huge statistics, but they efficiently got the job done. Each player served a key purpose on the drive that led to the game winning touchdown.

Denver Broncos - QB Jay Cutler showed that he can have a terrible game in real life but still put up top fantasy stats, as he tossed a pair of touchdowns and went over 300 yards on a day when he threw three bad interceptions.

WR Brandon Marshall grew increasingly frustrated with his lack of involvement throughout the game, as Miami's defensive backs did an admirable job of keeping him contained. After the game, he had some very critical comments of both the offensive and defensive units for the Broncos, most importantly regarding Jay Cutler's inability to get him the ball in one on one coverage.

The much ballyhooed debut of rookie running back Ryan Torain failed to live up to its billing. The rookie handled just three carries for a total of one yard as Denver's rushing attack was completely stifled.

What you ought to know

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 23 - 40 - 281 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -1 - 0 - Pennington didn't put up eye-popping statistics, but he did an admirable job of standing tall in the pocket and facing pressure all game long. While he was only sacked twice, Denver still got in his face on more than a few occasions. But Pennington never wavered, calmly finding Greg Camarillo on roughly half of his completions. The timing and connection between the two was obvious, and the Pennington/Camarillo connection used the short passing game to perfection all day long. Pennington didn't throw any touchdowns, but he brought Miami to several scoring drives and never really made a huge mistake with the ball. He was bailed out of two potential interceptions when his receivers got their hands on the ball at the last moment, but it's no sure thing that the balls would've even been picked off anyway. Even his turnover was more of a great play by Denver than it was a bad decision or bad pass by Pennington. And he saved his best for last, completing not one but two long completions late in the fourth quarter on a touchdown drive to seal the victory. Facing a third and 19, he found Ronnie Brown for a screen pass that picked up 18 and put the team in position to convert the ensuing fourth down play. Later, Miami faced a third and 13 and again Pennington faced a relentless pass rush. And again, he found his man, this time Ricky Williams for a 23 yard gain. While neither play went for a score, both were critical in eventually setting up the touchdown that put the Dolphins up by nine and put the game out of reach.

RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 20 - 59 - 1, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (3 targets) - Most of Brown's fantasy production came on two isolated plays. He had 89 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the game, but thirty of those yards came on one run and the touchdown was a two yard plunge off the right tackle on a play when he wasn't even really touched. Oddly enough, on the thirty yard run he actually stumbled at the beginning of the play. Denver's defense may have thought he was down, because he caught a lot of them off-guard when he showed up scampering into the secondary. All this is not to say he was ineffective; he ran with authority, showed nice elusiveness, and broke many an arm tackle on the afternoon. It's just that he wasn't really tested much because the Dolphins were able to use their short passing game as a sort of running game. The Wildcat formation may have seen the end of its run, however, as Brown couldn't get much going out of that particular package. The first few versions cost Miami a handful of yards and a waste of a few downs. But then Brown took an eight yard loss on a rollout where he was sacked while intending to throw the football, and the formation wasn't used again. Brown caught a break when he was charged with a fumble late in the first half. He lost the ball at the five yard line, but replays clearly showed that he was down before the ball came loose. Following an official's review, he was in fact ruled down and the ball was returned to the Dolphins.

RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 6 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams had very little involvement during the game, but came up with one of the biggest plays of the entire afternoon late in the fourth quarter. Facing a third down and 13, Pennington found Williams in the flat for a 23 yard pickup. Two plays later, Ronnie Brown waltzed into the end zone for the touchdown that put the game fully out of reach.

WR Greg Camarillo, Rec: 11 - 111 - 0 (16 targets) - Camarillo had a coming out party, with a career high 11 receptions for 111 yards. He was also targeted an astounding 16 times, far overshadowing any other player on the Miami roster. He was able to get open underneath almost at will. He displayed great hands on a fourth quarter reception, right around the time he began to take over the game. It got almost comical how easily he was able to get separation from the Denver defensive backs. Camarillo isn't really known for having blazing speed, yet the Denver secondary opted to give him a lot of cushion underneath and consistently pick up 10, 12 yards at a clip. Miami was all too happy to continue to do just that, and it proved to be Denver's downfall in the end as they allowed a few first downs too many.

WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (7 targets) - After last week's breakout performance, a lot of people expected Ginn to come into this game against a depleted Denver secondary and really make his mark. Instead, it was teammate Greg Camarillo who enjoyed a huge statistical day. Ginn wasn't entirely silent with three grabs for 38 yards, but it was hardly evidence of a player ready to leap to the next level. He also dropped a very catchable pass along the sideline that would've added another 10-15 yards to his stat line. On his first reception of the game, he caught a quick slant towards the middle of the field. He had a couple of players in front of him and then a lot of daylight, but he was barely tripped up on the play. With his speed, it's entirely possible that he could've gone the distance had he beaten that defender.

WR Davone Bess, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - Bess made one of the most terrific catches of the afternoon in the first half. On a low pass, Bess slid across the field on his back while reaching his hands up over his body. He secured possession, brought the ball into his chest, and made a very tough catch. He saw very limited action the rest of the way, but he showed enough on that play to deserve a mention.

TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (6 targets) - Fasano dropped the first pass intended for him in the game, but quickly made up for that by catching a thirteen yard reception moments later. He went on to add a 24 yard grab later in the first half, but didn't catch another ball after that. In the second half, nearly all of the Miami pass attempts went to either Greg Camarillo or Ted Ginn. His biggest contribution in the second half was getting his hands on the ball and breaking up a pass that would've been intercepted by S Calvin Lowry.

PK Dan Carpenter 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points - Carpenter blasted his first two attempts from 45 and 47 yards out. He later added easier kicks from 23 and 41 yards away.

MIA Rush Defense - The Denver Broncos, long held as the gold standard for what a proficient NFL rushing attack should look like, ran the ball 12 times for 14 yards. The only time Denver ran for fewer yards in a game was October 22, 1972 against the Raiders, when they gained just thirteen on the ground. Sometimes, statistics don't tell the whole story. This time, they do. There's nothing much to add, except to say that Miami was consistently meeting Denver rushers in the backfield all game long and the Broncos are fortunate that they managed the fourteen yards they DID get.

MIA Pass Defense - Miami opened about as well as a team can hope to when they intercepted Jay Cutler's very first pass of the game. Five pass plays later, CB Will Allen broke off his assignment from Brandon Stokley and jumped the route to intercept a ball intended for Brandon Marshall. Allen returned it 32 yards the other way for a touchdown and a 13-0 Miami lead. (Yeremiah Bell should've added a second defensive touchdown midway through the third quarter, but he dropped what would have been an easy interception and touchdown return.) The Allen interception wasn't the last time Marshall would be frustrated by a pass intended for him. Miami caught a huge break late in the third quarter when Marshall seemingly hauled in a 77 yard touchdown pass. The receiver was whistled for a very questionable offensive pass interference penalty, which killed all of Denver's momentum. Cutler's first pass of the fourth quarter was intercepted, and Miami was in control. LB Joey Porter may have helped contribute to the interception by egging on both Cutler and Marshall following the interference penalty, and Porter's contributions weren't limited to mind games. He picked up another sack, adding to his career high and league-leading total of 11.5.

About the only negative for Miami was late in the fourth quarter when their coverage in the deep secondary grew a bit lax. They nearly allowed two bomb touchdowns to Brandon Stokley and Brandon Marshall. Fortunately for Miami, the pass to Stokley was overthrown and the pass to Marshall slipped through his fingertips in the end zone.

QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 24 - 46 - 307 - 2 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Cutler's day began as inauspiciously as possible when his very first pass attempt was intercepted by Jason Allen. His sixth pass of the game was then also intercepted, this time by Will Allen. And this time, it was run back for a touchdown. At that point, Cutler was 1-6 for five yards and two interceptions, and looked headed for a career-worst day. But he regrouped after the interceptions and really settled down to turn in a solid fantasy performance, if not for real life. His finger didn't seem to be bothering him any. He made a very strong throw off his back foot for a completion to TE Daniel Graham in the third quarter, and his fastball didn't seem to be lacking any zip on an earlier touchdown pass to Eddie Royal. If anything, Cutler was done in more by emotions than anything else. Late in the third quarter, he appeared to have thrown a 77 yard touchdown pass to WR Brandon Marshall down the sideline. Marshall was whistled for offensive pass interference on the play, and the call was negated. Opposing LB Joey Porter, one of the all-time trash talkers of the NFL, got in Cutler's ear following the play and Cutler was later seen angrily flinging his towel onto the ground. Perhaps as a result of his frustration, Cutler tried forcing his first pass of the fourth quarter into heavy coverage, and the ball was picked off. Cutler just missed a touchdown on two separate occasions on Denver's final possession. The first one was a deep ball intended for Brandon Stokley. Stokley had broken free of his defender, but the ball was badly overthrown. Later, Brandon Marshall had a deep ball go right through his hands for what could've been a 41 yard touchdown grab.

RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 7 - 4 - 0, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - With rookie Ryan Torain making his debut, most people were unsure how much that would affect Pittman's workload. While Torain saw just three touches, Pittman still couldn't get on the field long enough to make an impact. Pittman, who entered the game nursing an injury, suffered a re-injury to his neck and had been used very sparingly to that point anyway. Furthermore, the first time Denver got to the five yard line, it was Torain and not Pittman who got the call and took the handoff.

RB Peyton Hillis, Rec: 7 - 116 - 1 (5 targets) - Almost unbelievably, Hillis was clearly the offensive star of the game for the Broncos. He hauled in a team high seven passes for 116 yards and a score, including a 47 yard catch and run and a highlight reel hurdle. Hillis was very active in the passing game right from the outset, snagging three first half receptions despite entering the game with just one career reception. In the second half, it was more of the same. He caught a short pass in the flat and was met by DB Yeremiah Bell. Yet instead of trying to plow over Bell (as most fullbacks would do), Hillis decided to leap over Bell. It worked beautifully, as he somehow managed to get his 6'2" 250 pound frame over the defender. He later added a great grab along the sideline off a touch pass from Cutler. It would be more than a bit surprising to see Hillis keep up anything close to this type of success, but with the Denver running back situation such as it is year in and year out, every name could potentially be an important one. Hillis certainly made sure people remembered his name with a big time performance in this game.

RB Ryan Torain, Rush: 3 - 1 - 0 - Torain's much anticipated first NFL carry came with about five minutes left in the first quarter. Following an Eddie Royal kick return to the five yard line, Torain lined up in the backfield and took the first down handoff up the middle. He picked up three yards on the play, but was stopped short of the end zone. On his only other two carries on the afternoon, he totaled minus two yards. With such a limited sample size, it's difficult to get a gauge on how he looked. Essentially, he looked like a little used rookie.

WR Eddie Royal, Rec: 7 - 69 - 1 (11 targets) - With Brandon Marshall blanketed all game long, Royal had a little more room than usual to work with. A little bit more. He was still garnering a lot of attention of his own, but he still managed to shake free long enough to pick up a team high seven receptions. Late in the first quarter, he ran a kickoff return back 95 yards to the Miami five yard line but couldn't push it across for the touchdown. Apparently, he was waiting for others to share in his success. He made up for coming up short on the return by catching a two yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler two plays later. Royal was poked in the eye on a pass play early in the second half, but he turned out to be fine.

WR Brandon Stokley, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (7 targets) - To give an idea of the kind of afternoon Brandon Stokley had, all you really need to know is that two of the first four passes intended for him were intercepted. And on the other pick, Will Allen (who had been covering Stokley) broke off his coverage so he could intercept the pass. In other words, when Stokley was around the ball, generally bad things happened. Late in the fourth quarter, he managed to get himself open down the seam but the ball was overthrown and fell incomplete.

WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (12 targets) - Marshall didn't register his first reception of the game until there was a minute remaining in the third quarter. Miami's secondary did a terrific job in coverage on Marshall and didn't allow him to get near the ball let alone gain yards after the catch. He subsequently grew increasingly frustrated as the game went on, sulking his way back to the huddle or the sideline on several occasions. And just when it appeared as if Marshall had broken free for a 77 yard touchdown reception, the play was whistled back for an offensive pass interference call on him. By the letter of the law, he interfered on the play. Realistically speaking, however, receivers have gotten away with far less than Marshall without being called. Some might say it served Marshall right for hot-dogging it the last ten yards on his way into the end zone. We, however, aren't here to judge. In any case, the long touchdown was negated and it really deflated the entire team and home crowd. Marshall did manage to draw a long pass interference penalty in the end zone later in the fourth quarter that set up the Hillis touchdown catch, but that does very little to help Marshall's stat line. On Denver's last-gasp desperation possession, Marshall had a potential 41 yard touchdown go right through his hands in the end zone. At first, it appeared to be good defense on the play. Upon further review, it was apparently that Marshall simply missed the ball.

TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - Graham, whose role is much more that of blocker than pass catcher, made a nice adjustment to catch a 23 yard pass down the seam but that was his only action.

TE Nate Jackson, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Jackson's only reception of the game was a two yard pickup. While he is technically the pass-catching tight end with Tony Scheffler sidelined, in reality what that means is that the wide receivers and running backs see a bit more work. Jackson is not an integral part of the passing game.

PK Matt Prater 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Prater drilled a 50 yard field goal that would've been good from 65+ yards away. But on his next attempt, he hooked a 49 yarder wide to the left. If nothing else, the 50 yarder gave even further evidence that he's got one of the league's best legs. He's now booted five field goals of fifty yards or more this season, tying a team record.

DEN Rush Defense - For the most part, Denver held Miami's rushing attack in check. They stifled the Wildcat formation repeatedly, and allowed just 75 yards on 29 carries (2.6 YPC). The 30 yard scamper up the gut by Ronnie Brown early in the game was a bit excusable, because he slipped in the backfield and several Denver defenders may have mistakenly believed he was already down. But it wasn't necessarily the amount of yardage that was crucial, but the timing of when they allowed it. Late in the game, Miami was facing a fourth down and one at the Denver 35. A defensive stop would've given Denver the ball at their own 35 with six minutes remaining and trailing by only two points. However, little-used Lousaka Polite pushed ahead for the one yard pickup and a first down. Later in the drive, Ronnie Brown took a handoff to the right side of the formation and waltzed into the end zone untouched for the score. That put Miami up 26-17 and put the game essentially out of reach.

DEN Pass Defense - At times, Denver got decent pressure on the quarterback. They sacked Pennington twice and Ronnie Brown once more. With CB Champ Bailey out, replacement Karl Paymah made a fantastic diving grab of an interception down the right sideline. But far too often, Denver's defenders came up just shy of actually making the big play. For example, twice on Miami's late touchdown drive they were in position to be stopped. But both times, Denver failed to deliver the knockout punch. The Broncos completely sold out and came with an all out blitz on Chad Pennington on a third and 19 drop-back, but he floated a screen pass to Ronnie Brown that went for 18 yards. They punched a fourth down run up the gut for a conversion on the next play. Later on that same possession, the Dolphins faced a third and 13 situation. Again, Pennington faced intense pressure and again he managed to find one of his running backs -- this time it was Ricky Williams for a 23 yard pickup and a first down to the two yard line. Ronnie Brown punched it in for a score on the next play.

To make matters worse, LB D.J. Henderson suffered a torn MCL in his left knee and S Marlon McCree sprained his ankle on the aforementioned 18 yard screen pass to Brown. No immediate update was given on their condition, but we will keep you updated throughout the week. They've got a quick turnaround as they play Thursday night against the Browns.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Washington Redskins 6

What you need to know

Pittsburgh Steelers - After a tough first half in which he completed only five passes for 50 yards with one interception and one rushing touchdown, Ben Roethlisberger sat out the final two quarters with what was reported as a shoulder injury. Byron Leftwich quarterbacked the Pittsburgh offense during the second half and led the Steelers on two scoring drives that resulted in 13 points. Leftwich finished the game seven of ten for 129 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

After missing the last four games because of a knee injury, Willie Parker made his return and had himself a busy game getting 21 carries that he took for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers didn't seem interested in easing Parker back into the offense as he was the only running back to receive a carry in the first half and he finished the night with all but five of the team's 26 rushing carries. Backup Mewelde Moore had only four runs, but he did contribute on offense by catching three passes that went for 45 yards.

After giving up a couple of first quarter field goals, the Pittsburgh defense shut down the Washington offense for the rest of the game. Surrendering only 221 yards, the Steelers picked off two passes and recorded seven sacks. The team's special teams also came up big when a blocked punt near the end of the second quarter gave Pittsburgh the ball at the Redskins' 13 yard line and set up the team's first touchdown of the game.

Washington Redskins - In a game in which points and yards were tough to come by for Washington, the Redskins' offense struggled to move the football and pick up first downs. Jason Campbell had a rough night, completing only 56% of his passes for 206 yards with zero touchdowns and his first two interceptions of the year. Contributing to the quarterback's problems was a steady pass rush by a Pittsburgh defense that kept Campbell from delivering the ball down the field.

Clinton Portis came into this contest as the NFL's leading rusher, but had a rough time picking up yards against a Steelers' run defense known for its stinginess. Carrying the ball 13 times, Portis gained only 51 yards after surpassing 120 rushing yards on the ground in his previous five games. Though stymied in the run game, the Redskins' running back did haul in seven passes that went for a total of 73 yards.

Chris Cooley led all Redskins' pass catchers with 11 targets that went for eight catches and 78 yards. Washington wide outs had a quiet night combining to total only 55 yards on nine grabs. Santana Moss was out of the game for most of the second half, but he did see a target late in the fourth quarter.

What you ought to know

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 5 - 17 - 50 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1 - Through the team's first five drives, Roethlisberger completed only one of nine passes for nine yards and an interception. The pick came on a batted pass that bounced off an offensive lineman and popped into the arms of a Redskins' defender. Roethlisberger scored from one yard out on a quarterback sneak that gave the Steelers a 10--6 lead near the end of the second half. He missed the entire second half with what was reported as a shoulder injury.

QB Byron Leftwich, Pass: 7 - 10 - 129 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Leftwich came into the game at the start of the third quarter after starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his shoulder in the first half. His first pass of the game was a beautiful deep ball to WR Nate Washington that went for a gain of 50 and helped set up the team's second touchdown. Later on in the game, the backup quarterback led a 12 play, 77 yard drive that he capped with a five yard touchdown toss to WR Santonio Holmes.

RB Willie Parker, Rush: 21 - 70 - 1 - Though he didn't rack up big yardage numbers on the ground, Parker proved he was healthy enough to return from his knee injury by rushing the ball 21 times in this contest. On a second quarter run, Parker showed no effects of the injury when he made two defenders miss on a couple of quick moves that resulted in a pickup of six yards. His one yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Steelers a 16-6 lead and was his first touchdown since week one.

RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0, Rec: 3 - 45 - 0 (4 targets) - Though serving as the backup running back, Moore's biggest contribution in this game was in the passing game. Catching three of his four targets, he had one catch that he took for a gain of 25 yards and another reception that he took down to the Washington one yard line. In addition to his duties on offense, Moore averaged 20 yards on three kick off returns.

RB Najeh Davenport, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - His only carry of the game came on the team's first drive of the second half when he received a rush on a third and one play.

WR Hines Ward, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (6 targets) - Ward's first target of the game fell to the ground incomplete, but on the play he was able to draw a 43 yard pass interference penalty. He had a 14 yard catch that he took within inches of the end zone, but he was unable to get the ball across the goal line for the touchdown. All of Ward's grabs came on third down plays that resulted in first downs.

WR Nate Washington, Rush: 1 - -6 - 0, Rec: 2 - 59 - 0 (4 targets) - Washington's big play of the game came when he hauled in a 50 yard pass from QB Byron Leftwich early in the third quarter. His only other catch came in the first quarter and went for a pickup of nine. Washington also received a rush on an end around, but he ended up losing six yards on the play.

WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 3 - 30 - 1 (12 targets) - Though targeted a team high 12 times, Holmes only had three catches in the game. His five yard touchdown catch and run was the wide out's second score of the season. Holmes was also targeted a couple of times in the end zone, but both of those passes were incomplete. In addition to his contribution on offense, he also averaged 7.5 yards on four punt returns.

TE Matt Spaeth, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Spaeth's only grab of the game came in the second quarter and went for a pickup of six.

TE Heath Miller - Miller did not have a ball thrown his way in this game. Near the start of the third quarter, it was reported that the tight end was on the sideline with ice on his right calf and ankle.

PK Jeff Reed 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 3 XP, 5 points - Reed made his only field goal of the game from 35 yards out. He connected on only two of his three point after attempts.

PIT Rush Defense - The Steelers held the Washington ground game to only 60 yards on 15 rushes for an average of four yards per rush. The defense did allow RB Clinton Portis to rip off a 22 yard gain in the first quarter.

PIT Pass Defense - The Steelers' pass defense held QB Jason Campbell to 24 completions on 43 attempts for 206 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Pittsburgh also frustrated the Redskins' passing game by recording seven sacks.

QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 24 - 43 - 206 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 - Under constant pressure throughout the game, Campbell struggled to throw the ball down the field as his 24 completions averaged just over nine yards. Having a hard time completing passes to his wide receivers, Campbell threw a lot of short passes to TE Chris Cooley and RB Clinton Portis. Campbell did come close to scoring a touchdown, but he was stopped at the one yard line on a fourth quarter rush.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 13 - 51 - 0, Rec: 7 - 73 - 0 (11 targets) - Portis finished the game with only 51 yards on the ground and 22 of those came on a first quarter run on the team's third drive of the game. Though he struggled picking up yards on the ground, the running back did contribute in the passing game by averaging ten yards on seven grabs including a long gain of 29. Portis was the intended receiver on QB Jason Campbell's first interception of the game.

RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Alexander's only rush of the game came on the team's fourth drive.

RB Rock Cartwright - Though not involved in the offense, Cartwright averaged 18.8 yards on four kick off returns.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Randle El led all Washington wide outs with 22 receiving yards on his three catches. He also averaged 6.3 yards on three punt returns.

WR Devin Thomas, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - All of Thomas' targets came in the fourth quarter with Washington trying to make a come back.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (7 targets) - Moss had a quiet night averaging only seven yards on two catches. Moss wasn't in the game for much of the second half through he was the intended receiver on a fourth quarter pass with four and half minutes left in the game.

WR James Thrash, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) - Thrash's only grab of the game came on Washington's second series. He was the intended receiver on QB Jason Campbell's second interception of the game.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 8 - 78 - 0 (11 targets) - One of the few bright spots for Washington in this game, Cooley hauled in nine of his 11 targets. Four of his catches went for gains of 12 yards or more with his long reception going for a pickup of 14. Cooley was targeted near the end zone late in the game, but the pass fell incomplete.

TE Todd Yoder (1 targets) - Yoder's only target of the game came in the second quarter.

PK Shaun Suisham 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Suisham made good on field goals from distances of 43 and 44 yards. He had no extra point attempts in this game.

WAS Rush Defense - The Redskins rush defense did a good job against the Pittsburgh ground game as they gave up 64 yards on 29 carries for an average of 2.2 yards per rush. The defense did allow one yard rushing touchdowns to QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Willie Parker.

WAS Pass Defense - Washington allowed Pittsburgh quarterbacks to complete 12 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In addition to intercepting one pass, the defense also recorded four sacks.

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Detroit Lions 23, Chicago Bears 27

What you need to know

Detroit Lions - Although it had been a nice week of weather in Chicago, the field conditions were sloppy as players were slipping around all game. This affected players' ability to cut, and even resulted in a missed extra point.

It was an up and down day for Dan Orlovsky, as he struggled out of the gate, put together a few nice drives, and then finished the game struggling again. Orlovsky completed 28 of 47 passes for 292 yards, throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions as well. The key to how well he was performing seemed to lie in the Bears' ability to get pressure on him. When Orlovsky was being pressured, he was taking lots of sacks and got pressured into a couple turnovers. However, for the middle portion of the game the Bears were unable to pressure him, allowing him to develop a good rhythm with his receivers and lead the Lions on a 20-0 run.

WR Calvin Johnson saw the majority of Orlovsky's targets, being thrown to 18 times. Although Johnson only managed to bring in eight of these targets, in his defense most of them were not catchable. Johnson continued to look like a man among boys, highlighted on his leaping touchdown catch on a fade route in the second quarter. He finished the afternoon with 94 yards and a score.

RB Kevin Smith did not get the start, but did get the bulk of the work for the Lions. He started off the scoring for Detroit capping off a drive with a one yard touchdown run, finishing the day with 53 total yards and a touchdown. Rudi Johnson saw a smaller workload, getting only eight carries to Smith's 14. In his limited work, Johnson was not very effective, racking up 32 total yards on ten touches.

Chicago Bears - It was a Bears' fan worst nightmare when Kyle Orton went down at the end of the second quarter with an injury. Orton was attempting to run for a first down when he was knocked out of bounds, and as he was falling his cleat got caught on a defender's kneepad, twisting his ankle towards the outside. Orton was clearly in pain and had to be carted off the field, and did not return to the game.

In Orton's absence it was the return of Rex Grossman, who did a good job filling in and leading the Bears past the Lions. Grossman threw for one touchdown and ran in for another, but only finished the game with 58 passing yards, completing nine of his 19 pass attempts. He did throw an interception, but the ball was batted in the air at the line of scrimmage.

RB Matt Forte looked quick and fresh coming out of the bye week, running for multiple long gains against the porous Lions' defense. Forte did not score any touchdowns, but took 22 carries for 126 yards, an impressive 5.7 yards per carry. Forte came within inches of a score, but a defender tripped him up just short and Grossman ran it in later in the drive.

What you ought to know

QB Dan Orlovsky, Pass: 28 - 47 - 292 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 2 - 0 - Orlovsky opened the first series taking a sack, and on third down he threw an interception. Calvin Johnson slipped on his cut on the play, causing him to not get to the spot Orlovsky expected. With this start, it appeared the Lions were in for another long afternoon, but surprisingly they turned it around. As the first half wore on, the Bears struggled to get pressure on Orlovsky, which gave him plenty of time to find his receivers and put together nice drives. The Lions second scoring drive ended with a 17 yard touchdown pass on a fade route to Calvin Johnson, a nicely thrown ball that only he had a chance to catch. The following drive, Orlovsky found Shaun McDonald in the corner of the end zone for his second touchdown.

RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 14 - 37 - 1, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Smith had a decent day, running for 37 yards and a score. Early in the second quarter Smith capped off a long Lions drive with a one yard touchdown run, the highlight of his afternoon. Throughout the game the Lions elected to pass much more than throw, passing as a pose to running on about a two to one ratio.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 8 - 19 - 0, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Johnson got the start for the Lions, but was not very effective in his playing time. He took eight carries for 19 yards, a pathetic 2.4 yards per carry. When Smith proved to be more effective, Johnson did not see much more action.

WR Calvin Johnson, Rush: 1 - -6 - 0, Rec: 8 - 94 - 1 (18 targets) - Johnson caught a touchdown on a nice fade route early in the second quarter, making a leaping catch and landing with both feet inbounds. Most of the throws Johnson was getting through the game were short slanting routes, usually good for an easy five or six yards. Although he caught under half his targets, he only had a couple dropped balls, so he really was not at fault for the poor percentage. Johnson finished the afternoon with eight receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.

WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 6 - 65 - 1 (6 targets) - McDonald was an important part of the Lions' passing game, hauling in all six of his targets for 65 yards and a touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, McDonald made a great diving catch in the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown. Later in the fourth quarter, McDonald made a great catch on third down where he managed to snag a pass thrown behind him and get the first down.

WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (6 targets) - Furrey turned his six targets into four receptions for 40 yards. His long reception of the afternoon was for 22 yards, and he did not have any scores.

TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 6 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) - Gaines was the second most targeted Lions' receiver, catching six passes for 64 yards. Late in the third quarter, Gaines had his longest reception of the afternoon when he got open down the sideline and was hit for a 19 yard gain. In the Lions' comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter, Gaines caught a short reception but dropped the ball on the hit, losing the fumble.

PK Jason Hanson 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 3 XP, 5 points - Hanson slipped on an extra point attempt, resulting in the kick being blocked.

DET Rush Defense - The rush defense failed Detroit again, as they allowed 126 yards on the ground to Forte. Not only that, but Detroit also allowed each Chicago QB to run for a touchdown against them. All in all, it was not a good day to be a Detroit defender.

DET Pass Defense - Detroit's pass defense only allowed 166 yards passing and a touchdown to the Bears' quarterbacks combined in the game. Detroit also got an interception on a ball that was tipped at the line of scrimmage, a rare turnover for the unit.

QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 9 - 19 - 58 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 3 - 1 - Grossman replaced Orton in the third quarter due to his injury, and although he didn't dazzle he did what he needed to for the Bears to win. Despite leading the Bears to the win, Grossman didn't look comfortable, dancing around in the pocket and releasing wild throws. He also threw an interception, which came in the fourth quarter on a ball that was batted into the air at the line of scrimmage. In the fourth quarter, Grossman ran in the ball for a one yard score.

QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 8 - 14 - 108 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 7 - 1 - Orton was injured on a freak play at the end of the second quarter. Scrambling for a first down, Orton was tackled out of bounds, and his cleat caught on the knee of a Lions' defender and twisted his ankle to the outside. Currently it is being called a high ankle sprain and he is scheduled for an MRI on Monday. While Orton was in the game, he looked pretty good, completing eight of 14 passes for 108 yards. Orton also ran in a five yard touchdown before his afternoon was finished.

RB Matt Forte, Rush: 22 - 126 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (3 targets) - Forte's longest run of the game came in the third quarter, when he got behind a blocker on a run to the right and burst through for a 20 yard gain. In the fourth quarter, Forte broke off a nice run in the red zone, barely getting tripped up at the one and coming just short of the touchdown. Forte finished the game with 126 yards on 22 carries, a major cause for the Bears' success.

RB Jason McKie, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - McKie caught a short pass from Grossman early in the third quarter and plowed ahead for a nine yard gain. He also had a carry in the red zone, but came up a couple yards short.

WR Devin Hester, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0, Rec: 4 - 42 - 0 (5 targets) - Hester lost a fumble early in the second quarter on a kickoff return, having the ball stripped away from him, giving Detroit the ball deep in Chicago territory. Early in the third Hester had his defender beat deep but Grossman overthrew him, squandering a touchdown opportunity. However, Hester did catch his other four targets, good for 42 yards. He also took an end around carry which should have been a loss, but he turned it into a gain for eleven yards.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 5 - 64 - 1 (8 targets) - Davis was the most targeted Bears' receiver, being thrown to eight times. Midway through the third quarter Davis caught a short pass slanting across the middle, and managed to dive into the end zone for a six yard touchdown. Davis finished the game with five receptions for 64 yards and a score.

WR Marty Booker (2 targets) - Booker was targeted twice but unable to bring in either for a reception.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (6 targets) - Clark had a key third down drop late in the second quarter that could have extended the Bears' drive, but instead they had to settle for a field goal. Besides the drop, Clark caught four targets for 36 yards. The only other target he didn't catch was not anywhere near him.

TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (5 targets) - Olsen had a quiet game, catching two passes for ten yards. On the Bears' second drive Olson was wide open on the goal line, but Orton slightly overthrew him.

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

CHI Rush Defense - The Bears' rush defense shut down the Lions, forcing them to abandon the run. The Lions' running backs combined for only 56 yards on 22 carries; however Kevin Smith did manage to score a one yard touchdown in the second quarter.

CHI Pass Defense - The Bears' pass defense had an inconsistent game, half of it getting great pressure on Orlovsky and the other half getting nowhere near him. As expected, the Lions' pass attack fluctuated based on which was occurring. When the Bears' had pressure on Orlovsky, they forced him into two interceptions and sacked him once. However, when they couldn't apply pressure, Orlovsky torched them for two touchdowns.

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Arizona Cardinals 34, St. Louis Rams 13

What you need to know

Arizona Cardinals - After a rather slow start, the Arizona Cardinals simply dominated this game scoring 24 second quarter points en route to their fifth victory of the year and their second road win. The Cardinals offense amassed 510 yards of total net offense and led in every phase of the game including scoring a defensive touchdown for their first score.

Once again QB Kurt Warner's was outstanding throwing for 23 of 34 for 352 yards and two touchdowns. Warner had 252 yards in the first half alone and is clicking on all cylinders in this offense. He competed passes to eight different receivers. His touchdown passes were to Anquan Boldin and Jerheme Urban.

The official RB Tim Hightower era for the Cardinals has begun as the rookie got his first NFL start and responded with a powerful game rushing for 109 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown, (a 30 yard run up the middle to put the Cardinals up 17-7.) Hightower looked so impressive that All-pro RB Edgerrin James never saw the field.

WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald had their normal solid games with Boldin catching his league leading eighth touchdown pass in the third quarter. Boldin finished the game with six catches for 85 yards. Fitzgerald caught six balls for 81 yards.

St. Louis Rams - After leading 7-0 early, St. Louis was outmanned in every phase of the game and had no answers for the Cardinals' offense. The team turned the ball over three times and had only 13 first downs. Their lone highlight was an 80 yard score from Bulger to little known receiver Derek Stanley, who made a sensational one handed grab for the touchdown. How bad was the offense? QB Marc Bulger was the team's leading rusher with 32 yards on three scrambles.

Although QB Marc Bulger connected on an 80 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, he finished the game 16 for 33 for 182 yards. He was hurried often and threw two picks one for a defensive touchdown. He looked out-of-sync the entire game.

RB Steven Jackson played sparingly and was still suffering the effects of his leg injury. He recorded only seven carries for 17 yards. RB Antonio Pittman was used more often and finished with 10 carries for 12 yards.

WRs Torry Holt (six catches, 58 yards and a touchdown) and Derek Stanley (one catch for 80 yards) had the only Rams scores.

What you ought to know

QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 23 - 34 - 342 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0 - Once again, Warner played a steady game throwing for 342 yards on 23 for 34 attempts with two touchdown passes. It was Warner's second consecutive 300 yard game. He completed passes to eight different receivers, including touchdown tosses to WR Jerheme Urban (56 yards) and Anquan Boldin (seven yards.) Warner has now thrown for two or more touchdowns in seven of the Cardinals' first eight games.

RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 22 - 109 - 1, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - The official Tim Hightower era for the Cardinals has begun as the rookie got his first NFL start in place of Edgerrin James. Hightower looked impressive and ran hard recording his first 100 yard game, (109 yards on 22 attempts for one touchdown.) His touchdown run was up the middle for 30 yards.

RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 6 - 62 - 0, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (6 targets) - Arrington had his best game of the year contributing 139 yards of total offense (62 yards rushing, 57 yards receiving and a 20 yard kick return.) Arrington was effective catching short passes from Warner and had a long run of 30 yards, and a long catch of 35, which was the last play of the first half.

RB Terrelle Smith, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith caught one ball out of the backfield for 18 yards and a first down.

WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0, Rec: 6 - 85 - 1 (10 targets) - Boldin scored his league leading eighth touchdown (7 yards) early in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 31-7 lead. He continues to show no ill-effects from the facial injury and simply caught everything that was thrown to close to him. He had two rushes for eight yards and each were direct snaps from the shotgun formation.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 81 - 0 (12 targets) - Like Boldin, Fitzgerald caught six balls for 81 yards and was open most of the game. Fitzgerald had a long catch of 33 yards and picked up most of his yards after the catch.

WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (4 targets) - Breaston had his lowest output in some time catching only two balls for 39 yards.

WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 1 - 56 - 1 (1 targets) - Urban had his longest touchdown catch of the year late in the second half when he caught a tipped ball deep down the right sideline for the score, which put the Cardinals up 24-7 late in the first half.

PK Neil Rackers 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Rackers connected on two field goals on the day, a 36 and 30 yard effort. He was perfect on four of his extra point attempts.

ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense did not give up a touchdown and held the Ram rushing attack to only 61 yards on 20 attempts. When you consider 32 of those yards went to Marc Bulger on scrambles, the Cardinal rush defense held the Rams running backs to 29 yards in 17 attempts.

ARI Pass Defense - The Cardinals pass defense gave up two touchdowns, an 80 yard effort in the first quarter and a meaningless three yard score to Torry Holt early in the fourth quarter. Take out the 80 yard score and they held the Rams to 106 yards over the course of the game. The had two sacks on the day, and scored when Antrel Rolle took an interception 40 yards for Arizona's first score.

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 16 - 33 - 186 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 32 - 0 - Bulger had a mediocre game throwing for two scores (80 yards and three yards) and finished the game 16 for 33 for 186 yards. Bulger, who was pressured often, completed passes to six different receivers, yet did throw two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Bulger was the team's leading rusher with 32 yards all on scrambles out of the pocket. He fumbled once.

RB Antonio Pittman, Rush: 10 - 12 - 0, Rec: 4 - 15 - 0 (4 targets) - Pittman started the game but found the running tough against a stout Cardinal defensive front. He finished the game with only 12 yards on ten attempts. His longest run was nine yards. Pittman's four receptions were short passes out of the backfield and only totaled 15 yards. He had no room to run all day long.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 7 - 17 - 0 (2 targets) - Jackson was feeling the effects of his thigh injury and did not start this game. He only had seven rushes for 17 yards with a long run of ten yards. He caught one ball for zero yards, and had one drop.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 6 - 58 - 1 (10 targets) - Holt had 58 yards on six catches with one touchdown, a short three yard effort. His stats were a result of an ineffective Ram's offense. His longest catch was only 15 yards.

WR Donnie Avery, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (9 targets) - Avery had only three receptions for 26 yards and no touchdowns. He was targeted nine times, many of them deep in the Cardinals' secondary.

WR Derek Stanley, Rec: 1 - 80 - 1 (2 targets) - Stanley recorded his first NFL catch and touchdown with a spectacular one-handed grab in the first quarter over Cardinals defender Adrian Wilson. Stanley caught the ball while being well covered and ran untouched down the sideline to give the Rams an early lead. It was his only catch on the day. He was targeted on the Rams' two point conversion attempt, though.

PK Josh Brown 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Brown did not attempt a field goal and was a perfect one for one on his extra point attempts. On the Rams second touchdown, they elected to go for two instead of kicking the extra point.

STL Rush Defense - The defense was outmanned with the size of the Cardinals' offensive line as the rush defense gave up 179 yards including a 30 yard touchdown to rookie Tim Hightower. They allowed the Cardinals to average 5.4 yards per rushing attempt. They did, however, stop the Cardinals on a fourth and goal o the team's first possession in the first quarter.

STL Pass Defense - The pass defense gave up 352 yards and two touchdown passes including a 56 yard touchdown grab by Jerheme Urban late in the first half. The team failed to record an interception, but did record one sack.

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Dallas Cowboys 14, New York Giants 35

What you need to know

Dallas Cowboys - The Dallas Cowboys were thoroughly outplayed the entire game by the New York Giants. They only ran plays on the Giant side of the field on four possessions. A series that was an example of how poorly the offense operated occurred when Dallas got the ball on the Giant 16 following a turnover. Two plays later, Dallas gave the ball back when Terrell Owens was stripped of the ball immediately after catching it.

Brad Johnson got the start under center, but he was replaced at half time due to his ineffectiveness in moving the team. Johnson completed less than half of his passes and only threw for 71 yards during his half of work. It appeared on two separate occasions that Dallas was prepared to pull Johnson out of the game before halftime, but they decided to leave him in as the game was still reasonably close on the scoreboard.

The lack of a passing offense had a negative effect on the Cowboy rushing attack as the Giants had little trouble stopping the run. Marion Barber had little room to run as he was usually greeted by defensive linemen in the backfield before he could get going.

Terrell Owens was the only receiver who was able to have any type of success. Both quarterbacks looked to him often, but he was unable to get out into the open field where he could gain any type of yardage after hauling in the pass.

New York Giants - Eli Manning had little trouble in moving the Giants down the field against a Cowboy defense that was missing some key contributors in the backfield. Manning only had to throw 27 times as they were able to easily move the ball on the ground. The Giants outgained the Cowboys by over 130 yards and the score could have been a lot worse if not for two turnovers that led to all of Dallas' points.

The Giants relied on the two headed rushing attack of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to control the clock and keep the Dallas defense on the field. The two backs together totaled 180 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns as they pounded away at the Cowboys front seven.

No single receiver had an outstanding game statistically as Manning spread the ball around to six different receivers, with three of them catching one touchdown pass apiece. Steve Smith was his favorite target during the first half, where he grabbed all five of his receptions.

What you ought to know

QB Brooks Bollinger, Pass: 9 - 16 - 63 - 1 TD / 1 INT - Bollinger started the second half in relief of an ineffective Brad Johnson and was only a slight improvement. His first pass attempt was intercepted and his second attempt was a completed for a loss of 12 yards. He never seemed to settle down and get into the flow of the game, as he was not able to complete more than two passes in a row. His throws were slightly off target, usually behind the receiver and he almost had a second interception on a poorly thrown pass. He did lead the Cowboys to their loan offensive touchdown, but that drive was aided by a roughing the passer call that gave the Cowboys a first down on third and six incompletion.

QB Brad Johnson, Pass: 5 - 11 - 71 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Brad Johnson got his third consecutive start in place of the injured Tony Romo and was only able to play one half before giving way to Brooks Bollinger. Johnson was hurt by his limited mobility in the pocket, poor decision making, and a weak throwing arm. He was sacked twice and was under pressure on numerous other times. His two interceptions were the direct result of poor decisions on his part as neither pass was close to being caught by the intended receiver. It was a slight surprise that Johnson was allowed to finish the first half as television cameras showed Bollinger getting ready to go into the game twice during the first half.

RB Marion Barber, Rush: 19 - 54 - 0, Rec: 1 - -12 - 0 (1 targets) - Barber did have some success running the ball in the first half with Brad Johnson under center, gaining 33 of his 54 yards. Unfortunately, 21 of those yards came on a single carry during the second quarter. That was one of the very few times that he was able to gain any significant yardage as he was usually met by at least one defensive player in the backfield. His only action in the receiving department was on a screen play in which the Giants successfully snuffed out the play and immediately tackled him for a 12 yard loss.

RB Tashard Choice, Rush: 5 - 27 - 0 - Choice did not see game action until the third quarter where he had two rushing attempts in relief of Marion Barber on the lone touchdown drive. He did see more action during the fourth quarter, after the Giants had scored their final touchdown as Dallas rested Barber during the later stages of the blowout.

WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 5 - 36 - 1 (9 targets) - Owens was limited due to poor quarterback play and excellent coverage by the Giant defense. He was well covered on most plays as the defenders were right there to bring him down immediately after catching the ball. His longest catch was his touchdown reception and was on one of the few occasions that he was able to find an opening in the defense.

WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 4 - 46 - 0 (8 targets) - Patrick Crayton led the team in receiving yards with 46. He had little time to get open as his quarterbacks were usually under pressure, or they were unable to get the ball close enough to him where he had a good opportunity to make the catch. Crayton was usually the second option in the passing game as the Cowboys tried to get the ball to Terrell Owens.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (2 targets) - Roy Williams was the third receiver for the Cowboys and had the longest reception of the game on a great one handed catch along the left sideline during the first quarter.

TE Martellus Bennett, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (4 targets) - Bennett rotated in with injured tight end Jason Witten and managed three receptions. One of the receptions came on a tipped ball that was originally intended for Patrick Crayton. He is a hard runner to bring down after the catch and he fought for extra yards that got the team close to first down yardage on two of his receptions.

TE Jason Witten (4 targets) - Witten started the game despite having a broken rib, but was clearly limited as he was unable to catch any of the passes that were thrown in his direction.

PK Nick Folk 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Folk did not attempt any field goals, but was perfect on his two extra point attempts.

DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys rushing defense was unable to slow down any of the New York backs as they pounded the defense for a total of 200 yards and two touchdowns.

DAL Pass Defense - Eli Manning had a poor day against the Cowboys pass defense as they limited him to a total of 147 yards passing. They were able to sack him four times, caused two fumbles, and intercepted him once. The lone interception was returned for their only score during the first three quarters.

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 16 - 27 - 147 - 3 TD / 1 INT - Manning didn't roll up big yards but he did lead a balanced attack to victory against a tough Dallas passing defense. He was not needed to try and win the game through the air as New York was able to easily move the ball on the ground. 126 of his 147 passing yards came during the first half as the Giants roared out to a 14 point lead at half time. His numbers could have been better if not for a dropped 17 yard touchdown pass by Plaxico Burress

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 17 - 117 - 1 (1 targets) - Jacobs split time with Derrick Ward but was the most successful back in the offense. He ran with purpose and refused to be brought down easily. He did show the ability to make tacklers miss on a couple of runs during the second quarter. 11 of his 17 carries came in the first half as the Giants wore down the Cowboy defense by holding onto the ball for just over 20 minutes. During the second half he gained almost half of his total yardage against a defense that was clearly affected by the constant pounding by the two running backs.

RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 12 - 63 - 1, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Splitting time with Brandon Jacobs, Ward served as a change of pace back due to his pass catching ability out of the backfield. Ward shared duties with Jacobs in the first half, getting just less than half of the carries, but was given the bulk of the work during the fourth quarter as New York was putting the game away. He scored the final touchdown on a tough run on the right side of the field on the next play following Plaxico Burress' dropped touchdown reception.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 5 - 20 - 0 - Bradshaw saw extensive action during the fourth quarter after the final touchdown.

RB Madison Hedgecock (1 targets) - Hedgecock dropped a sure reception on the only pass thrown his way.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 5 - 29 - 1 (9 targets) - Steve Smith did not start but was clearly Manning's favorite receiver during the first half. Manning and Smith seemed to be on the same page as they were able to connect for a first down on the opening drive and on two consecutive plays for a touchdown during the first quarter.

WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (6 targets) - Burress started, but appeared to be an afterthought in the passing game until the fourth quarter. During the first three quarters of action Burress only saw three passes thrown in his direction, all coming in the first half. This changed on the lone touchdown drive of the fourth quarter as he was targeted twice, but he dropped the second target which was a sure touchdown pass that was only thrown slightly behind him. This was one of two dropped passes, with another of targets being on the interception that was returned for a touchdown.

WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 2 - 26 - 1 (3 targets) - Toomer made the most of his limited targets as he was able to gain either a first down or a touchdown on both of his receptions.

WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Rotating in as the fourth receiver Moss caught his only pass for a short two yard gain during the third quarter.

WR Domenik Hixon (1 targets) - Hixon only saw one pass thrown in his direction during his limited time in the offense.

TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 3 - 30 - 1 (5 targets) - Kevin Boss played a key role during the opening drive as he was involved on the first and last play of the drive. He proved to be a reliable target for Manning as the two seemed to be on the same page during the drive. After the initial drive he was rarely used as the Giants seemed to be content with running the ball.

PK John Carney 0 - 0 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 5 points - Carney did not attempt any field goals, but was a perfect five for five on extra points.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants rushing defense was excellent in holding Dallas backs to a total of 81 yards rushing. They were able to shut down Marion Barber, with the exception of two runs during the first half, as Dallas was unable to get any type of offense going.

NYG Pass Defense - Giants defenders were able to get pressure on the Dallas quarterbacks, sacking them four times. They also benefited from bad decision making on the part of both quarterbacks as they intercepted them three times on passes that the intended receiver did not have a chance to catch.

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New England Patriots 15, Indianapolis Colts 18

What you need to know

New England Patriots - The New England Patriots continue to use a very conservative and safe offensive game plan during life without QB Tom Brady. QB Matt Cassel was able to lead the team on a series of long, sustained scoring drives that ate up a lot of clock and kept the vaunted Colts offense off of the field. A bizarre misuse of time outs in the second half by head coach Bill Belichick limited the Patriots chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.

Belichick challenged a play on the field in the third quarter because he thought the Colts had twelve defenders on the field but the challenge failed. The Patriots then burned a time-out because of confusion at the line of scrimmage. The final timeout was called by Belichick as he ran out onto the field as his team was attempting to convert a fourth and one in the red zone. The team converted but the time out had been called before the play. The team was forced to settle for a field goal.

Cassel was limited mostly to screens and passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. He did not regularly target his outside receivers until the second half. Despite the offense's limitations they managed to score on long, time-consuming drives throughout the first half and into the second.

Since RB Laurence Maroney, RB Lamont Jordan, and RB Sammy Morris are all injured, the Patriots relied on the duo of free agent rookie RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and veteran RB Kevin Faulk. Both backs played well and were instrumental in the team's ability to control the ball.

WR Randy Moss and WR Wes Welker pulled in thirteen combined receptions but did not manage to run much with the ball after the catch because of the Colts' swarming defense. WR Jabar Gaffney dropped a sure touchdown in the second half and the team was forced to settle for a field goal.

TE David Thomas was flagged for an unnecessary roughness call late in the fourth quarter for leveling a Colts defender after the play was whistled dead. Green-Ellis had nearly reached a first down but instead the Patriots faced a third and long situation that eventually turned into a fourth and 15. The team went for it on the fourth down because they had run out of timeouts and only four minutes remained in the game. They failed to convert the first down and the Colts went on to win the game.

The Patriots defense was generally unable to stop the Colts' passing game but prevented any big gains on the ground.

Indianapolis Colts - The Indianapolis Colts faced a must-win situation today and managed to pull out the victory despite having a defense that struggled to stop the dink and dunk offense of the New England Patriots.

QB Peyton Manning had a solid game and spread the ball around to a variety of receivers. He was accurate and strong and had the offense firing on all cylinders throughout the game.

RB Joseph Addai returned from injury and ran well but he was unable to get a single run over five yards. RB Dominick Rhodes served as the back-up running back and did not see much playing time.

WR Reggie Wayne looked good and had a solid game despite a lingering injury. WR Marvin Harrison was grabbing his back at the end of the first half and appeared to be in great pain but finished the game. WR Anthony Gonzalez hauled in two touchdown passes. TE Dallas Clark played well and lined up as both a tight end and wide receiver in the win.

The defense struggled despite playing against the conservative and safe play calling of the Patriots. New England was able to put together a string of long, time-consuming scoring drives with mostly run plays and short passes.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 25 - 34 - 204 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 20 - 0 - QB Matt Cassel continues to run a very conservative offense for the New England Patriots. He was able to lead the team on a series of sustained drives in the loss but rarely went deep. Many passes to the wide receivers were at or behind the line of scrimmage. The team continued to use a lot of short passes and screens.

Cassel was also forced to run for a few first downs but managed to avoid sacks. His only interception was deflected into the hands of DB Bob Sanders on a fourth and fifteen late in the fourth quarter.

Cassel also lined up as wide receiver when the Patriots used the wildcat formation.

RB Kevin Faulk, Pass: 1 - 1 - -2 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 10 - 60 - 0, Rec: 5 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) - RB Kevin Faulk had another strong game in an increased role. He was a threat out of the backfield as both a runner and receiver. As long as the Patriots are low on backs, Faulk should continue to be a main feature in the Patriots conservative offense.

Faulk also took a couple of snaps out of the wildcat formation. He ran it once and passed to WR Wes Welker on the second attempt. He also failed to score on a two point conversion attempt.

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Rush: 15 - 57 - 1, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis appears to be a find for the Patriots. He runs powerfully for his size and seems to keep pumping his legs until he can't go forward anymore. He was a big reason the team was able to maintain such long drives and eat up the clock.

RB Heath Evans, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0 - RB Heath Evans only had two carries in the loss despite the lack of running backs for the Patriots.

WR Wes Welker, Rec: 7 - 37 - 0 (7 targets) - WR Wes Welker ended up with a bunch of receptions but not many yards. He was often targeted at or behind the line of scrimmage. The Colts quick defense was able to snuff out the quick pass plays and limited Welker's yards after catch ability.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 6 - 65 - 0 (8 targets) - WR Randy Moss was not even targeted in the first half. His first catch in the second half was only for a yard but eventually QB Matt Cassel was able to work him into the action.

WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - WR Jabar Gaffney let a well thrown wide open touchdown pass go through his hands in the second half. The Patriots were forced to settle for a field goal following that drop. Otherwise, Gaffney was not a big part of the offense.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (7 targets) - TE Ben Watson had two balls intended for him batted away by Colts defenders but otherwise he was not a large factor in the offense.

TE David Thomas, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - TE David Thomas received a costly unnecessary roughness call in the fourth quarter after RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis nearly gave the team a first down. The penalty resulted in a third and 16 for the Patriots and they were unable to recover and eventually turned the ball over.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 3 - 3 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points - PK Stephen Gostkowski was perfect on the day.

NE Rush Defense - The Patriots run defense limited RB Joseph Addai's yardage in his return from injury and did not let up big plays on the ground.

NE Pass Defense - The Patriots pass defense was unable to get much pressure on QB Peyton Manning and he had a very strong game spreading the ball to his receivers despite the limited time of possession for the Colts.

CB Terrence Wheatley appeared to injure his hand in the first half and was seen going to the locker room.

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 21 - 29 - 254 - 2 TD / 0 INT - QB Peyton Manning threw the ball well and spread the ball among a variety of receivers. Despite the limited possessions, Manning put up strong numbers and the entire offense looked confident and capable. He hit WR Anthony Gonzales for two touchdown passes on the right side and seemed to make the pass every time the team needed a first down.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 17 - 32 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - RB Joseph Addai returned from injury and looked fairly strong. He was able to gain yardage but failed to put together any long runs and did not have any carries for more than five yards.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 4 - 15 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - RB Dominick Rhodes spelled RB Joseph Addai at times but returned to his back-up status.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 5 - 65 - 0 (7 targets) - RB Reggie Wayne played well and did not show any signs of slow down from the injury that had him listed as questionable heading into the match-up. He ran well and showed some nice footwork to avoid defenders and get out of bounds when necessary. Wayne also lined up in the slot for one play instead of his usual outside position and showed incredible determination on his two point conversion catch in the back of the end zone.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 4 - 50 - 0 (7 targets) - WR Marvin Harrison grabbed his back and appeared to be in severe pain on the final play of the first half. He had grabbed a first down pass but failed to get out of bounds as he was hit very hard by the defender. He then sat on the sideline for a second and continued to grab his lower back as he went back to the line of scrimmage.

Harrison also returned a punt.

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 4 - 55 - 2 (7 targets) - WR Anthony Gonzalez caught two touchdown passes in the win. The first catch was an over the shoulder grab as he ran into the end zone. QB Peyton Manning hit him in nearly the same spot for the second touchdown as Gonzalez turned around and grabbed the ball before the defender could swat it away.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (5 targets) - TE Dallas Clark continues to be a reliable target for QB Peyton Manning. He lined up both as a wide receiver and a tight end.

PK Adam Vinatieri 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - PK Adam Vinatieri was perfect in the victory. He hit a rare 52 yard field goal that proved to be the game winner in the fourth quarter.

IND Rush Defense - The Colts rush defense had trouble with RB Kevin Faulk and RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Patriots were able to string together numerous long drives that ate up a lot of clock and yardage.

IND Pass Defense - The Colts pass defense was unable to get persistent pressure on QB Matt Cassel. The Colts were able to snuff out some of the screens and quick passes that the Patriots attempted and for the most part kept WR Randy Moss in check. Luckily, WR Jabar Gaffney dropped a sure touchdown in the second half because he was wide open and had a clear path to the end zone.

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Jacksonville Jaguars 19, Cincinnati Bengals 21

What you need to know

Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars were outplayed in all facets of the game for the first three quarters, before mounting a fourth quarter rally that fell short. They were unable to put together many effective drives on offense, and had no red zone plays in the first half. Jacksonville could not generate much in their running game, with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew combining for 3.0 yards per carry. Both running backs were forced to evade Cincinnati's defenders behind the line of scrimmage many times. It was only because of their ability to evade the first defenders that their yards per carry average made it to 3.0, as the Jaguars' offensive linemen were dominated at the line of scrimmage. Half of the running plays by Taylor and Jones-Drew resulted in less than two yards gained. As a result of the inept running game, coupled with falling behind by three scores, Jacksonville was forced to rely on their passing game.

Jacksonville's offensive linemen did not fare much better pass protecting, and as such, their passing attack was inconsistent throughout the game. David Garrard was under pressure throughout, and as a result had to rush several passes and throw others away. As he has for most of the season, Garrard targeted Matt Jones the most, usually on intermediate routes with a few short routes mixed in. Jerry Porter and Marcedes Lewis made big plays for Garrard, with both players getting open deep for big gains. Lewis was knocked out of bounds three yards away from getting in the end zone. However, in large part due to the pass rush he faced, Garrard was forced to check down for modest gains or throw the ball away in an attempt to preserve the drive and for the most part could not sustain drives. Even when they had chances to score, the Jaguars came up empty more often than not. They needed a touchdown by their special teams to make the game a one possession game late in the fourth quarter.

Jacksonville did not have any red zone plays in the first half, and ran eight such plays on two possessions in the second half. They distributed the plays evenly with four rushing plays and four passing plays. Garrard and Jones-Drew had two carries apiece, with Jones-Drew scoring a touchdown one play after Garrard tried an unsuccessful quarterback sneak into the end zone. Marcedes Lewis was targeted on two of the passes, catching one pass and taking it to the six yard line, and getting open in the end zone but having the pass deflected before it got to him. Porter was the intended receiver on a two point conversion play to tie the score, but that pass was deflected by his defender. The Jaguars' offensive ineptitude was demonstrated on a play in the third quarter when they ran three plays for no yards three yards from the end zone, went for it on fourth down, but had to kick a field goal because of a false start.

Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals earned the win by playing soundly on offense and defense. On offense, Cedric Benson set the tone with tough, aggressive running right up the middle of the line and running over defenders as he tried to gain extra yards after contact. Nineteen of Benson's 24 carries went for positive yards, including one for 20 yards and another for 30 yards. Benson showed excellent power on most of his runs and his aggressive running enabled him to earn his first 100 yard game, including a rushing touchdown, as a Bengal. He appeared to be most comfortable executing the offense.

Ryan Fitzpatrick played soundly and intelligently, usually taking what the defense gave him and capitalizing on that with accurate passes. Fitzpatrick also showed good mobility by eluding Jacksonville's pass rushers and running for significant gains a few times. Each of Fitzpatrick's rushes gained 12 or more yards. He targeted T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson the most. He connected with them on their shorter routes, but missed several opportunities on deep pass plays. Johnson, who caught two short passes for touchdowns, got open deep inside the twenty yard line twice, but Fitzpatrick missed him both times. Fitzpatrick also missed deep opportunities with Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry, overthrowing Henry who had gotten open just outside the end zone. Fitzpatrick did not let his missed deep opportunities affect the other aspects of his passing, and was very poised and accurate when focusing on the shorter and intermediate passes.

The Bengals ran seven plays on three possessions inside the red zone, and were very efficient, coming away with three touchdowns. They ran the ball four times, all of the carries by Benson, who ran right up the middle of Jacksonville's defense for his touchdown. All three of Fitzpatrick's red zone passes were to Chad Johnson, who caught all of them, including two for a touchdown.

What you ought to know

QB David Garrard, Pass: 23 - 38 - 229 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 6 - 23 - 0 - Garrard was under duress throughout the game and could not get into a consistent rhythm passing the ball as a result. He made some good plays in getting the ball to his playmakers, but they were few and far between. Garrard tried to be aggressive and make plays with his arm, but misfired on most of those attempts. Ten of the fifteen intermediate and deep passes he attempted were incomplete as a result of him missing his receivers, either overthrowing them or throwing the ball where the defensive backs were able to deflect the ball. When given time to throw, he proved accurate, but Garrard was forced to rush most of his passes in this game. When he tried to elude the pass rush and run for yards, he was forced toward the middle of the field where reinforcements limited his yards rushing.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 10 - 33 - 1, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (2 targets) - Jones-Drew did not have many opportunities, as he had a limited number of touches. He did manage to display his power on his scoring touchdown run, but was otherwise stifled on his rushing attempts, as he was forced to evade Bengals' defenders in the backfield on several of his rushes. He did run very well on both his receptions, turning short passes into gains of 13 and 16 yards. Due to the limited touches, his numbers were modest, even with the touchdown.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 5 - 12 - 0, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets) - Taylor's impact on the game was minimal. He had few opportunities and had to run hard just to get to the line of scrimmage to gain positive yards. To add insult to injury, Taylor's longest run, which was less than ten yards, was called back due to an offensive penalty

RB Greg Jones (1 targets) - Jones' contributions were as a blocking fullback.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 7 - 69 - 0 (11 targets) - Jones received nine of his targets in the second half, and caught seven of those nine passes. He ran a variety of routes well, mostly intermediate with some shorter ones thrown in. Jones demonstrated excellent hands in coming down with a few catches in traffic. Of the four targets he did not catch, three were thrown out of his reach and the other was intercepted by a Bengals linebacker who was playing zone. Jones was adept at gaining yards after the catch, running well in traffic and managing to lean forward for extra yards after being tackled.

WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (5 targets) - Northcutt worked from the slot on short routes and although did not break any big runs, managed to get open when his number was called.

WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 2 - 38 - 0 (4 targets) - Porter was not thrown the ball until the second half, and had some opportunities to make big plays. He showed excellent leaping ability and hands in catching a deep pass along the sideline while being covered. Porter was also the intended target on a two point conversion play towards the end of the game, but was well defended.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Williams was targeted exclusively on short passes.

WR Troy Williamson (2 targets) - Williamson was targeted deep on both of his targets, but on both occasions the pass was deflected in the end zone.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 4 - 38 - 0 (6 targets) - Lewis displayed good hands in catching some tough passes. He also had a couple of targets in the red zone, getting knocked out of bounds at the three yard line, and having a pass deflected as he broke open in the end zone.

TE Greg Estandia, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - Estandia caught the only pass thrown to him.

PK Josh Scobee 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Scobee made his only point after attempt and both of his field goal attempts, which were from 52 and 26 yards.

JAX Rush Defense - Jacksonville's defense did not do a good job of containing the Bengals' running game, giving up an average of 4.33 yards per carry to Cedric Benson and 17.33 to Ryan Fitzpatrick. They were unable to contain Benson on most of his carries, and after losing defensive tackle John Henderson for fighting, provided even less resistance to Cincinnati's rushing attack.

JAX Pass Defense - The Jaguars gave an inconsistent effort in their pass defense. They did not allow any big plays deep but could not stop the Bengals short passing attack. They intercepted Fitzpatrick twice, but one was called back due to encroachment. However, they dropped two possible interceptions that could have resulted in scores had the defensive backs held on to the ball first, as they had nothing but open field in front of them. Although they sacked Fitzpatrick twice and intercepted him once, they were victimized by two passing touchdowns.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Pass: 21 - 31 - 162 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 52 - 0 - Fitzpatrick played efficiently, showing good decision making and touch on his short passes. While he missed a few opportunities to connect on deep pass plays, he did not let that affect his decision-making, and routinely made the right decision in terms of who to pass to. Even on the deep pass plays he missed, his targeted receiver was open, but overthrew them. Fitzpatrick also displayed good running ability, rushing for 18, 12 and 22 yards in large part to having a good burst. He focused on Houshmandzadeh and Johnson with 16 of his 31 passes, and was in rhythm with them on short passing plays.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 24 - 104 - 1, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Benson ran hard and with good power throughout the game. He attacked the line of scrimmage and showed good cutting ability for someone with his size once he got past the defensive line. Benson accelerated well when he had the opportunity to get through the traffic in the middle of the field, where the majority of his running plays went. He ran with confidence and seemed to always fall forward when tackled.

RB Chris Perry, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Perry played sparingly, and had caught his only target.

RB Kenny Watson, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Watson's contributions were minimal.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 7 - 65 - 0 (11 targets) - Houshmandzadeh showed his versatility as a receiver in this game by running a wide variety of routes successfully. He was asked to run short routes in the first half, and did so very well, managing to get open most of the time. In the second half, he ran more intermediate and deep routes, and showed good hands and running after the catch. Houshmandzadeh had the distinction of having two of the passes thrown his way intercepted, although one was a free play where Fitzpatrick threw deep to him as a Jaguars lineman had committed an encroachment penalty.

WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 5 - 37 - 2 (8 targets) - Johnson was productive in the short passing game, catching two passes for touchdowns, as a result of excellent route running, and good hands. He showed his route running and speed on a deep pass play where he got open heading towards the end zone, but Fitzpatrick missed him. Johnson punctuated the game by kissing his head coach on the sideline after catching one of his touchdowns.

WR Antonio Chatman, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Chatman did not have much of an impact.

WR Chris Henry, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Henry had minimal impact, but contributed to it by dropping a pass that he should have caught. He was targeted deep once, but although he broke open at the end zone the ball was overthrown.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Kelly was used as an outlet receiver on two short throws and mostly for his blocking.

TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Utecht caught both short passes thrown to him and ran well after the catch to secure first downs.

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

CIN Rush Defense - Cincinnati's rush defense set the tone early and did not allow Jacksonville's running backs to gain many yards past the line of scrimmage. Their linemen and linebackers penetrated the line of scrimmage consistently, flowed aggressively to the ball and kept Taylor, Jones-Drew and Garrard in check. Apart from a rushing touchdown to Jones-Drew, they shut the Jaguars' running game down, holding them to less than 3.25 yards per attempt as a team. They forced Jacksonville to only attempt 15 rushes by their running backs.

CIN Pass Defense - The Bengals' pass defense was aggressive throughout the game. They applied pressure on Garrard throughout, both with a four man rush and by blitzing, which they did frequently. They disrupted Garrard's timing and forced him into one interception and many hurried throws. Cincinnati's defenders sacked Garrard three times and knocked him down on several other pass attempts and did not allow him to get into a rhythm consistently. Their defensive backs also played well and managed to deflect a few passes that could have resulted in big gains. Most of the time though, Garrard's passes were off target due to the pass rush.

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Philadelphia Eagles 26, Seattle Seahawks 7

What you need to know

Philadelphia Eagles - QB Donovan McNabb got off to a very slow start that included a bad interception in the end zone, but recovered early enough to go on and have a very good day that included just shy of 350 yards passing and two TDs

RB Brian Westbrook followed up his career rushing day last week with an average performance this week due to the obvious focus that the Seattle defense placed on stopping him.

TE Brent Celek, filling in for the injured L.J. Smith had a career day as he was used in a wide variety of situations and ran an equally wide variety of pass routes. Of his six receptions four went for over 25 yards.

Seattle Seahawks - QB Seneca Wallace got off to a smashing start tossing a 90 yard TD pass on Seattle's first play. It was all downhill from there. Over the rest of the game he amassed only 79 more passing yards, and while he didn't throw any interceptions, it wasn't for lack of trying.

RBs Julius Jones and Maurice Morris split the team's carries almost evenly and while both had the occasional impressive run, neither had enough opportunity to make a significant impact.

WR Koren Robinson took the first pass of the game 90 yards for six points and ended the day as the most targeted Seattle receiver.

What you ought to know

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 28 - 43 - 349 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 - The game got off to a rough start for McNabb. On his first play he was flushed from the pocket and, when tackled, coughed up the football (albeit out of bounds). His performance took a while to improve as he started the game 0-7. While he then began to complete passes (including a long completion to his TE Brent Celek who was only pulled down inside the Seattle 20) any chance for a score died when McNabb was picked off in the end zone as he tried to force a play that really wasn't there. Shortly thereafter, however, something seemed to click and the Donovan McNabb Philly fans have come to know suddenly appeared. He began finding his receivers and marching the Eagles down the field en route to ending the first half with ten straight completions that included two TD tosses. On the first, just past the mid-point of the second quarter, McNabb spotted WR Reggie Brown in man coverage and connected with him for a 22 yard score. On the second score, with under a minute remaining in the first half, McNabb found eligible lineman Todd Herremans for the wide open one yard TD toss. While, yardage wise, McNabb was more effective in the second half, hitting on 75% of his passes for 183 yards, he did not throw for any more scores.

RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 20 - 61 - 0, Rec: 6 - 35 - 0 (8 targets) - It was a frustrating day for Westbrook, and, in turn, for his owners. He was never really able to get on track as the Seahawks clearly made keeping him in check their top priority. Whether the play called for Westbrook to go outside or up the middle, he was met by a pack of defenders almost immediately, and he simply wasn't able to break free except on rare occasions. Even then he generally only added an extra yard or two and his longest run went for only eight yards. In the passing game Westbrook also commanded intense defensive attention that kept him from making any big plays. All in all a very ho-hum day for one of the league's most dynamic backs.

WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 6 - 83 - 0 (11 targets) - Curtis, still likely trying to get back into starting WR rhythm, started slow. He dropped the first two passes that QB Donovan McNabb tossed his way, and then appeared to injure his wrist on the third (another incompletion that was close to being intercepted.) As the game moved into the second quarter, however, Curtis became much more sure-handed and narrowly lost out on a TD reception in the final minute of the first half as he was pushed out of bounds at the one yard line after a 26 yard gain. While that play would be his longest on the day, Curtis continued to be productive in the second half, and appeared more and more to be settling back into his featured role in the Eagles' passing attack.

WR DeSean Jackson, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (8 targets) - The dynamic Jackson was used in a number of ways to try and get him in the open field and was tied with RB Brian Westbrook for second on the team with 8 targets. His first touch was on an end around that went nowhere, but his second was on a short crossing route that saw Jackson demonstrate the elusiveness of a pinball as he zig-zagged through the defense for a 15 yard gain that set up an Eagle TD on the next play. Even given his playmaking ability, and the Eagles' interest in exploiting it, however, Jackson was unable to haul in many of the passes thrown his way, and that limited his stats on the day.

WR Reggie Brown, Rec: 1 - 22 - 1 (1 targets) - Brown was almost invisible during much of the game, but midway through the second quarter he found himself in man-coverage at the Seattle 10 yard line. QB Donovan McNabb quickly got him the ball, and, when the covering Seahawk, Marcus Trufant, lost his footing, Brown was able to scamper into the end zone for a 22 yard score -- the Eagles' first of the day and Brown's first of the season.

WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets) - Baskett was not an important part of the Eagles' passing attack, though his single 25 yard reception was an interesting moment in the game as the question of whether he got both feet in bounds resulted in the Seahawks burning one of their timeouts through a challenge on the play.

TE Brent Celek, Rec: 6 - 131 - 0 (6 targets) - With fellow TE L.J. Smith out with injury, Celek was given the chance to start at TE, and he made the most of it. He was QB Donovan McNabb's most reliable target, and he announced his presence fairly early as he raced downfield for a 44 yard reception in the second half of the first quarter. On his next reception he took a dump-off at the line of scrimmage and bounced down the field for 27 yards. Celek continued his heroics in the second half, and on consecutive receptions in the third quarter racked up another 54 yards (a 39 yard streak down the middle and a 15 yard screen pass). In the end, Celek had the best day of his short career and proved he is more than capable of filling in for Smith.

PK David Akers 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points - Akers had a busy day, kicking two extra points and connecting on all four FG attempts from distances of 39, 24, 42 and 39 yards respectively.

PHI Rush Defense - Facing the two headed RBBC of Julius Jones and Maurice Morris, the Eagles defense was very effective in shutting down the run. Neither Seattle RB was all that impressive, and while Seattle managed 86 yards on the ground, 28 came on a single play, and another 26 came late in the fourth quarter when the Philadelphia defense was much more concerned with stopping the pass and protecting their lead.

PHI Pass Defense - On their first defensive play, the Eagles gave up a 90 yard TD pass to Koren Robinson. Aside from that lapse, they played very well. The pass rush gradually grew more and more effective as the game wore on, forcing Seahawk QB Seneca Wallace to choose between either hurling ill-advised passes or taking the sack. In the end, the Eagles allowed fewer passing yards over the entire rest of the game than they allowed on that first, 90 yard play.

QB Seneca Wallace, Pass: 13 - 29 - 169 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - On the Seahawks very first play from scrimmage, Wallace dropped back to pass at his own 10 yard line, spotted a wide open Koren Robinson and hurled the ball to him. 90 yards later, Seattle was up 7-0 on the longest play in the team's history. It would be the high-water mark for Wallace, and would go a long way toward making his day look better than it actually was. The rest of Wallace's game was filled with short completions, long incompletions and questionable decision making. While none of the many ill-advised passes Wallace blindly threw up in the air ended up as interceptions, a number of them easily could have. To be fair, Wallace did look to have a second long (34 yard) TD midway through the third quarter but WR Keary Colbert was unable to hold onto the ball for the score.

RB Julius Jones, Rush: 10 - 41 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - On the day, the Seahawks were clearly committed to using a committee at RB, so even though Jones got the start and finished with the most carries of any Seattle back, he was unable to get enough opportunities to amass many yards or any scores. When he did receive his carries, he faced a tough Eagles defense that prevented him from making many plays and he seemed to get swallowed up on each carry almost as soon as he hit the line. To the extent that he was able to rack up some yards, over half of them (26) came on consecutive carries late in the fourth quarter when the Eagles were more concerned with pass defense and protecting their 19 point lead.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 8 - 43 - 0 - While fellow RB Julius Jones received the start and ended with more carries, the rushing duties were divided almost evenly between he and Morris. Morris' slashing style and ability to make a cut and hit a hole was somewhat more effective against the Eagles' defense early. It also enabled him to notch a 28 yard scamper in the third quarter. Even so, between splitting carries with Jones and the Seahawks needing to turn to the passing attack more and more as the game wore on, Morris never really had much of a chance to shine.

WR Koren Robinson, Rush: 1 - -4 - 0, Rec: 4 - 105 - 1 (10 targets) - On the first play from scrimmage, Robinson flew down the field 30 or so yards and found a soft spot in the Eagles' defense. QB Seneca Wallace spotted him and delivered the ball in stride. Taking advantage of a few blocks and some weaving moves, Robinson took the pass another 60 yards to the end-zone. It was the longest play in Seattle Seahawks history. While Robinson saw plenty of passes over the rest of the game as he did have some success getting open, and was easily ended the game as Wallace's favorite target, he was unable to make any additional plays of note.

WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) - Despite starting at WR, Engram was almost a complete non-factor in the passing game as a result of both QB Seneca Wallace's struggles and the fact that Engram was used almost exclusively on short routes that gave little opportunity for yards after the catch.

WR Keary Colbert (3 targets) - Despite starting at WR, Colbert failed to haul in a single pass throughout the game. His most glaring incompletion was a third-quarter pass that Colbert had in his hands in the end-zone, but he was unable to hold on as he was hit by Eagles safety Brian Dawkins.

TE John Carlson, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (5 targets) - Carlson, the Seahawks' leading receiver coming into the game, had a rough outing. On the first target that came his way -- a third down toss early in the second quarter -- he dropped an easy reception that would have kept his team's drive alive. It would be emblematic of the frustration he experienced most of the day. To the extent he amassed any receiving yards, much of it came on a single 23 yard reception with less than a minute remaining in the first half as the Eagles were defending deep and allowing passes underneath that coverage.

PK Olindo Mare 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Mare was only asked to kick a single extra point, and he did.

SEA Rush Defense - The Seattle rush defense, using their speed, did an excellent job on the day of keeping the Eagles' Brian Westbrook under control and forcing Philadelphia to make their plays through the air. The longest play they allowed on the ground went for only eight yards, and they finished the day allowing only an average of 2.6 yards per rush.

SEA Pass Defense - While the Seattle pass defense appeared to get off to a strong start, holding Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb to only three completions on his first 13 pass attempts, it soon became clear that this was more a result of the Eagles' offense being out of synch than sound defensive play. McNabb followed up his slow start by going 25 of 30 for almost 300 yards. The Seahawks pass rush, while it occasionally flushed him from the pocket, nonetheless gave him enough time to look downfield, and the defensive backs -- in particular Marcus Trufant -- seemed unable to handle their assigned receivers.

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Houston Texans 21, Minnesota Vikings 28

What you need to know

Houston Texans - Math Schaub was taken out due to a knee injury and not his play. Sage Rosenfels moved the team much better in the second half but that could be due to half time adjustments.

Owen Daniels was catching the ball down the sideline, up the middle, and on outs all day long. It was a very impressive performance for the TE.

Andre Johnson was not targeted much in this game because the Vikings doubled him up all day. There were few times that Matt Schaub would throw to him. Sage Rosenfels didn't seem scared of the coverage and threw the ball to him anyway.

Minnesota Vikings - Bernard Berrian looked for real. What you won't see in the box score is that two incompletes could have added a score and almost another 100 yards to an already great day.

Adrian Peterson proved why everyone likes him so much. He couldn't get anything in the first half but wore the defense down and started to make big runs in the second half.

The Minnesota defense was just punishing. The stat line says it all: five sacks, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

What you ought to know

QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 21 - 29 - 224 - 2 TD / 1 INT - Sage Rosenfels moved the team pretty well in the second half. The QB change was made due to an injury to Matt Schaub and not due to his play. The Texans did move much better in the second half. It might have been due to halftime adjustments, but Dick Enberg with CBS said "They are responding to Sage Rosenfels' arm." Rosenfels was able to get the team up and down the field and did bring the Texans back into the game. His throws were on target and he wasn't afraid of the tough coverage on Andre Johnson. However, he seemed to hit a road block in Viking territory. On one third down he forced a ball into the endzone when the team was in field goal range. That interception cost the team three points. In one half he was able to throw two touchdowns and pass for over two hundred yards. It just wasn't enough to beat the Vikings. Adrian Peterson took over in the fourth quarter and kept the Texan offense watching the game.

QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 11 - 16 - 139 - 0 TD / 1 INT - There was intense pressure on Matt Schaub and he took a hard hit in the late second quarter. He played the rest of the quarter, but was benched after half time. He wasn't horrible, but he didn't seem to move the team up and down the field very well. He also had two fumbles lost and an interception that was intended for Vonta Leach. It did not look horrible but Schaub was not impressive either.

RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 16 - 62 - 0, Rec: 8 - 56 - 0 (8 targets) - Steve Slaton had a busy day as Ahman Green was inactive. He was used a great deal in both sides of the offensive game plan. The Minnesota defense did not give Slaton much running room but he was able to make some plays and break a few tackles.

RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) - Vonta Leach was only used as a short passing alternative and a few of his targets were to avoid sacks.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 4 - 62 - 1 (6 targets) - Andre Johnson was double covered all day. Matt Schaub went a different direction most of the day. Johnson barely dropped a long pass in the first half that would have added nicely to his numbers. Once Sage Rosenfels was in he did try to pass the ball to Johnson more no matter what the coverage was. The touchdown catch was a very nice hookup between Rosenfels and Johnson.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 4 - 47 - 0 (7 targets) - Walter had many targets but didn't do much with them. He dropped two passes and was not able to do much with the ball after the catch. He also didn't fight much for what would have been a game tying score. That play turned into an interception. He did have a nice 28 yard reception but the rest of the day was very quiet.

WR David Anderson, Rec: 2 - 12 - 1 (2 targets) - David Anderson had one touchdown and another possession reception but he was not focused on.

WR Jacoby Jones, Rec: 1 - 31 - 0 (1 targets) - His one reception of the game was a nice deep route with some nice yards after the catch. His main part of the game plan was returning kicks which he did well when they didn't kick it out of bounds or corner him.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 11 - 133 - 0 (13 targets) - Owen Daniels was the star of the day for the Texans. He caught the ball from the slot, wideout, tight-end, and in motion. He was a focal point for the offense. He did not get targeted in the endzone but that would have been the icing on a great day. Daniels ran over defenders and fought for the ball to get every catch and every yard. He even had one catch that he had to slide down to get.

TE Joel Dreessen, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) - Joel Dreessen had a nice catch for a first down, but was not heard from again.

PK Kris Brown 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Kris Brown only had PATs and no attempted field goals today.

HOU Rush Defense - The Texans were able to stifle the Vikings rushing attack in the first half. Adrian Peterson had a lot of touches but could not get many yards. But in the second half and mainly in the fourth quarter we were reminded what all day means. Adrian Peterson made defenders miss and busted tackles and gained over 100 yards in the second half alone.

HOU Pass Defense - The pass defense was open to the big play. Bernard Berrian dropped a deep pass that might have been another touchdown. The interception return for a touchdown was the only bright spot. There was not a lot of pressure outside of Mario Williams. The Vikings just loaded up his side and didn't have many problems. In the second half the Vikings didn't need to pass much and they didn't.

QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 11 - 18 - 182 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 - The three touchdowns are impressive and it was a pretty good day. The interception was on a bobble by Bernard Berrian that he should have caught. Frerotte only had six attempts in the whole second half. The numbers could have been even better. He wasn't afraid to go deep and only missed on one deep route. There were a few drops and a couple deep routes that were barely out of bounds. Two of those catches could have put Frerotte well over 200 yards for the day.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 25 - 139 - 1 - It didn't look like there would be much to report on Peterson. Then the third quarter came to an end with a 40 yard run. After that Adrian Peterson ran at will. He was able to make people miss and break tackles. He put a lot of meaning to all day and wore the defense down. The touchdown was on the first drive, but the yards were all at the end of the game. It was impressive once the fourth quarter ended. His running probably won the game for Minnesota because it kept Sage Rosenfels off the field.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 7 - 38 - 0, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (2 targets) - Chester Taylor was not used much outside of giving Adrian Peterson a rest. He did do a very good job with the few touches that he had.

RB Naufahu Tahi, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Naufahu Tahi earned one reception just so he could appear in the stat lines.

WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Bobby Wade was used again in some short receptions. There were only eighteen passing attempts total. There just wasn't a lot more Wade could do.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 2 - 104 - 1 (7 targets) - This was an impressive performance. Berrian was targeted early and often. Many of his targets were deep throws. One was overthrown and another in double coverage that Berrian just missed. Another was bobbled but could have been a touchdown. He was just inches from a huge day. On his first touchdown he fought for the ball, then made a guy miss, and then outran a DB for the score. It was a quiet second half and Berrian was only targeted once. But, there were only six attempts during the whole second half. The first half was most impressive.

WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 1 - 8 - 1 (1 targets) - On only his fourth reception of the year, Sidney Rice caught a touchdown.

WR Aundrae Allison (1 targets) - Aundrae Allison had one very nice reception on a deep route but he pushed off and it was called back.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 1 - 25 - 1 (2 targets) - Visanthe Shiancoe had a very nice touchdown catch. He also had a key drop that could have cost the Vikings. That catch would have been a first down and the Vikings could have run the clock out.

PK Ryan Longwell 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Ryan Longwell was only called on the field for extra points today.

MIN Rush Defense - "The Firm" of Williams, Williams and Allen were in full force. Steve Slaton could not run up the middle at all. The linebackers contained the run when the Texans tried to go outside. There were not many rushing attempts in the second half. But, when the Texans needed a few yards for a first down they went to the pass. It was like they Texans were conceding that they couldn't run the ball.

MIN Pass Defense - The pass rush was relentless. The Vikings did not need to blitz and they still had a lot of pressure. The interceptions might have been a huge product of that pass rush. There were five sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Most of this was in the first half. The Vikings had a tougher time trying to contain Sage Rosenfels. The interception was in the endzone and took points away from the Texans. The passing yards were high in the second half because the Texans had to play from behind.

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Baltimore Ravens 37, Cleveland Browns 27

What you need to know

Baltimore Ravens - QB Joe Flacco had a good game, showing off his arm strength and ability to protect the ball. He was solid, making good decisions and did not take any bad sacks. He found Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton for the majority of his yards, including two long touchdown passes. QB Troy Smith was rarely used and did not attempt a pass.

RB Ray Rice broke some big runs late in the game, showing great vision and speed. He did not get any goalline carries though, as those went to LeRon McClain. McClain scored one touchdown but was unable to get into the end zone on two runs from the two yard line in the fourth quarter.

WR Derrick Mason had a huge day, catching nine of the 11 balls thrown his way for 136 yards and a touchdown. Mark Clayton was also targeted 11 times, most of them downfield. Clayton only caught four of them but one of them was a 47 yard touchdown catch.

Cleveland Browns - QB Derek Anderson is a streaky quarterback. He looked terrible for the first three drives of the game, and then looked unstoppable until the Browns got up 27-13 then lost it and could not get anything going. He shows flashes of brilliance, but cannot sustain it. He looked like he lost confidence towards the end of the game.

RB Jamal Lewis had a tough time running against the Ravens. He only netted 49 yards on 19 carries. He seemed to force the ball up the middle, even when it looked like a bounce out would be beneficial.

WR Braylon Edwards caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, but he dropped a beautiful deep pass that would have gone for a touchdown. It killed the Browns' offensive momentum and really was the turning point in the game.

What you ought to know

QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 17 - 29 - 248 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 2 - 0 - Flacco looked sharp out there, leading the offense to a big day. He threw the ball on 29 of Baltimore's 70 plays, showing that he is gaining confidence from the coaches. He had several very nice passes, including a 47 yard pass to Clayton that was on the money. Flacco did not force action when there was none either, remaining calm despite being pressured often by Cleveland.

QB Troy Smith, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Smith was used a couple of times on option plays but did not attempt to throw the ball. Whenever he came in the entire offense looked confused as he did not have a headset in his helmet.

RB Ray Rice, Rush: 21 - 154 - 0, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) - Rice stated off slowly against the Browns, but he broke out in the second half and ended up with an impressive 154 yards rushing. He had a 60 yard run that looked like he should have scored but was knocked out at the two yard line, which resulted in a field goal.

RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 14 - 34 - 1, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - McClain was the goal line and short yardage back once again. He successfully got in for one touchdown, but failed to get in late in the fourth quarter from the two yard line on two attempts. While he did not get into the end zone on that series, he did show the ability to run over people and push the pile on other carries.

RB Lorenzo Neal, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Neal was the fullback for the Ravens and saw a little action out of the backfield, but nothing significant.

RB Willis McGahee - Early reports were that McGahee would start and then share time with McClain and Rice but McGahee did not see any playing time against the Browns

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 9 - 136 - 1 (11 targets) - Mason had an amazing game, catching nine of the 11 balls thrown his way. He managed to break one of the shorter passes for a 28 yard touchdown, his longest reception of the day. He hauled in everything Joe Flacco threw his way and it was an impressive showing.

WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 4 - 87 - 1 (11 targets) - Clayton saw 11 targets, the most he has seen this year. Most of them were downfield against fairly good coverage, but he did beat the secondary for a 47 yard touchdown reception early in the game. He was very involved in the passing game and seemed to have the confidence of Joe Flacco.

WR Yamon Figurs (1 targets) - Figurs served as the third wide receiver, which was seldom used on Sunday by the Ravens.

TE Todd Heap - Heap stayed into block on almost every down, and the plays he did leave the backfield did not result in targets to him.

PK Matt Stover 3 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 13 points - Stover made all three of his field goals, but the Ravens punted on what would have been a 52 yard field goal in the first half, showing a lack of faith in his power.

BAL Rush Defense - The Ravens absolutely dominated the Browns' rushing attack. They allowed no runs longer than seven yards and a total of 64 yards on 23 carries.

BAL Pass Defense - The Ravens allowed the Browns to gain a rhythm in the middle of the game, but that was ended in the fourth quarter when Edwards dropped a would-be long touchdown catch and Terrell Suggs intercepted a screen pass and returned it for a touchdown. They put a lot of pressure on Derek Anderson and eventually forced him into a mistake.

QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 17 - 33 - 219 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 - Anderson struggled to string together catches against the Ravens. When he did, he looked amazing; however he was not able to maintain momentum throughout the game. Anderson had a really nice deep pass to Edwards but it was dropped, and it seemed like he lost confidence after that. He threw a bad interception on a broken screen play shortly after that was returned for a touchdown.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 19 - 49 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) - Lewis was unable to get anything going against Baltimore's stout rush defense. It seemed like they stacked the middle against him, but Lewis still seemed to force his runs there regardless of the lack of holes.

RB Jason Wright, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 3 - 22 - 1 (4 targets) - Wright was utilized as a change of pace back and scored on a short flat route in the red zone. He showed good vision and quickness to get to the pylon before the defense could close on him.

RB Jerome Harrison, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Harrison was sparsely used on the day, but did look quick while he was out there.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 4 - 86 - 1 (9 targets) - Edwards continued his reputation of a great playmaker with inconsistent hands. He caught four balls for 86 yards and had a nice touchdown catch to start the third quarter. Despite that, he dropped a beautiful deep pass from Derek Anderson that was right on the money that should have resulted in a touchdown. Edwards just seems to lose focus sometimes when the ball is coming to him.

WR Syndric Steptoe, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (5 targets) - Steptoe had a rough day, catching only two of the five balls thrown his way and fumbling the ball early in the game. He served as the second wide receiver in place of Donte Stallworth.

WR Josh Cribbs - Cribbs did not see much time on offense, but did show off his return skills, with a touchdown and several good runbacks.

TE Kellen Winslow, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) - Winslow played a solid game catching five of the nine targets thrown his way for 64 yards. He did not receive any red zone targets, but did break up a terrible pass from Derek Anderson from being intercepted.

PK Phil Dawson 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Dawson made both of his field goals including a booming 54 yard kick that would have been good from 60+ yards.

CLE Rush Defense - The Browns were stingy against the run for most of the game, but ended up wearing down and giving up a few big runs to Ray Rice. They ended up giving up 193 yards on the ground and simply lost control. They did have an impressive goalline stand from the two yard line, but overall just look exhausted against the Ravens.

CLE Pass Defense - The Browns had pretty good coverage against the Ravens, but failed to consistently put pressure on Joe Flacco. This ended up causing them to allow several big plays, one each to Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton.

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Atlanta Falcons 24, Oakland Raiders 0

What you need to know

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons set the tone right off the bat and never gave Oakland a chance to get back in the game. They scored on their first four possessions and midway through the second quarter led 24--0.

Michael Turner had no trouble finding holes in the Raiders defense as he carried 31 times for 139 yards in three quarters of work. As a team, the Falcons averaged 4.4 yards per carry as they amassed 252 yards on the ground. Jerious Norwood scored from 12 yards out while special teams standout Jason Snelling added 47 yards in mop up duty.

Matt Ryan had an efficient day completing 17 of 22 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers, but Michael Jenkins caught both TD passes and Roddy White caught five for 54 yards.

John Abraham recorded three sacks; one forced fumble, and also drew a holding penalty. The Falcons now have three straight home games with a chance to move up in the NFC South division standings.

Oakland Raiders - The Raiders were totally blown out, and it would take the most optimistic Oakland fan with the rosiest of rose-colored glasses to find anything positive in this game. By the end of the first half they trailed 24--0 and had been out gained 309 yards to negative two. They didn't pick up a first down until the third quarter and were only able to gain 77 total yards all afternoon.

JaMarcus Russell continued his uninspired play, hitting six of 19 for 31 yards and one interception. Michael Bush filled in for the inactive Darren McFadden by rushing three times for minus 2 yards but leading all Oakland receivers with three balls for 15 yards.

Time of possession is often a misleading statistic, but not in this case. Atlanta controlled the ball for 45:15, Oakland 14:45.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Ryan, Pass: 17 - 22 - 220 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 1 - 0 - It's easy to forget that Ryan is just a rookie. His first four Atlanta drives resulted in scores including two touchdown passes to Michael Jenkins. Throughout the game, Ryan had his choice of targets running wide open through the Oakland secondary and spread the ball around to eight different receivers. More importantly, he didn't lose focus when his team had a big lead. In the fourth quarter, when his coach wanted him to call a time out, Ryan waited until the play clock had run down to :02 seconds before signaling to the ref. It's called "situational awareness," a trait found in all great quarterbacks.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 31 - 139 - 0 - Turner carried 31 times for 139 yards, though his longest run was only 16 yards. Whenever Atlanta wanted to pick up yardage it seemed all they had to do was hand off to Turner. He was held out of the end zone, but once the Falcons got the lead they didn't really try to run up the score.

RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 13 - 63 - 1, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Norwood was effective as a change of pace runner and scored on a twelve yard run. He also caught two passes for 20 yards, but was benched in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

RB Jason Snelling, Rush: 8 - 47 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - The NFL's leading special teams tackler got a chance to play some offense in the fourth quarter, racking up 47 yards on eight carries and picking up 12 yards on a screen pass.

RB Ovie Mughelli, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) - The powerful blocking back got in on the offense fun, catching two passes for 23 yards.

WR Roddy White, Rec: 5 - 54 - 0 (5 targets) - Well on his way to his second 1,000 yard season, White caught five passes for 54 yards.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 2 - 64 - 2 (3 targets) - Jenkins made the most of his limited targets, catching two for touchdowns. On the first he beat former Falcon teammate DeAngelo Hall for 37 yards, on the second he got away from Stanford Routt for a 27 yard TD.

WR Harry Douglas, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - The rookie who made Joe Horn expendable saw limited playing time. He caught one pass in the first quarter and tried a reverse in the third quarter that only gained two yards. He also averaged 6.5 yards on two punt returns.

WR Brian Finneran (1 targets) - The popular Falcons veteran was targeted once in the first quarter but did not make the catch. He had beaten DeAngelo Hall down the right sideline but the pass was under thrown.

TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (3 targets) - Normally a TE, Peelle lined up in the backfield a few times and was an effective blocking back for Atlanta runners. He also caught three passes, all in the first half, for 33 yards.

TE Ben Hartsock, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Hartsock made the scoring sheet in the fourth quarter.

PK Jason Elam 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Elam was good from 48 yards out but missed from 51. He also hit all three PATs.

ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons had no trouble with either Justin Fargas or Michael Bush. The Raiders rushed for 67 yards, though 46 came on two JaMarcus Russell runs.

ATL Pass Defense - John Abraham sacked Russell three times and Oakland only managed to net ten yards passing. For the entire game.

QB JaMarcus Russell, Pass: 6 - 19 - 31 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 46 - 0 - Russell made enough bad plays to warrant his benching if Oakland had a better quarterback on the roster. They don't. In the fourth quarter, with the Raiders finally in the red zone, he locked on Javon Walker and threw a bad interception. Later, with their last possession, they went for it on fourth and 17. Falcon S Lawyer Malloy blitzed and Russell astutely threw the ball away.

On the plus side Russell single handedly accounted for over half of the team's offense by gaining 46 yards on two running plays, one by design, and one by necessity.

RB Michael Bush, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0, Rec: 3 - 15 - 0 (4 targets) - Bush was pressed into duty when McFadden was scratched. He lost two yards three carries but led the Raider receiving corpse by grabbing three passes for a total 15 yards.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 6 - 23 - 0 - Fargas started the game but left in the second quarter with an arm injury. He returned briefly in the third quarter but was absent in the fourth. He picked up the Raiders first first down in the third quarter on a 12 yard scamper around left end.

WR Javon Walker, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (4 targets) - The leading Raiders target, Walker managed to catch one pass for seven yards. Late in the game he was open for an instant in the end zone but the pass was under thrown and intercepted.

WR Ronald Curry - The seven year veteran has reportedly been benched, but got into the game for one play. He was lined up in shot gun formation in the Raiders' version of the Wildcat, only to have the play blown dead by illegal procedure. Former coach Lane Kiffin experimented with that play only with McFadden taking the snap.

WR Ashley Lelie (1 targets) - One first quarter target was the extent of Lelie's offensive contribution.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins (1 targets) - Higgins was targeted once in the third quarter and returned four kickoffs for 107 yards.

TE Zach Miller, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - The leading receiver for Oakland this year, Miller grabbed two passes for nine yards.

TE John Madsen (1 targets) - The former Utah standout, who was cut by the Raiders but recently resigned, dropped a fourth quarter pass that hit him in the hands.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 0 - 0 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points - A very quiet afternoon for Janikowski who only had to kickoff once to earn a game check.

OAK Rush Defense - The Oakland defense had no answers for the third best rushing team in the NFL. They surrendered 252 yards as three runners averaged 4.4 yards per carry.

OAK Pass Defense - Atlanta threw the ball to maintain a balanced attack and Ryan completed 17 of 22 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, the Raiders offense did not pick up a first down until the third quarter and the defense was on the field for over 45 minutes.

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