Week 10 recap - Pt. 1

RAMS 37, SAINTS 29: Rams win! Rams win! This is more like what we expected from this offense all season. It helped having Steven Jackson (76 yards, TD) at something close to full strength, and he even got a bonus passing TD on a trick play to Randy McMichael. It looks safe to use Jackson in the coming weeks, he has some good matchups (at San Fran, Seattle, Atlanta, at Cincy), and you can start to collect some returns on your first-round draft pick. Marc Bulger finally had time to throw (27-for-33, 302 yards), and he spread the ball around well. Drew Brees was still able to put up some numbers, but hot pickup David Patten (3 catches, 37 yards) was a bust. Reggie Bush scored for the second straight week.

EAGLES 33, REDSKINS 25: Just when you're ready to count out Donovan McNabb, he busts out a four-TD game. What do these Philly fans want, a return to the Bobby Hoying days? Brian Westbrook caught two of those scores, and he also got a gimme TD run in the fourth quarter when the Skins let him into the end zone in an effort to get the ball back. Boy, that's gotta stick in your craw if you were playing against Westbrook. Jason Campbell threw three TDs, but they went to two guys who nobody started: Keenan McCardell (1) and former Eagle James Thrash (2). Clinton Portis aka Choo-Choo is back to his alter egos and more importantly back to 100-yard rushing games. Ladell Betts (one carry, five yards) is still MIA.



PACKERS 34, VIKINGS 0: I want to give a special shout out to the Vikings offense for this pathetic performance. I was playing in one league against a guy who started the Green Bay defense, and instead of kicking a 47-yard FG at the end of the game to erase the shutout, Minnesota opted to go for it on 4th-and-7 and, you guessed it, didn't make it. That gave my opponent 10 bonus points for the shutout. Great job, Brooks Bollinger! Of course it didn't hurt that Adrian Peterson took a shot to the knee and had to leave the game with only 45 rushing yards. If he's got to miss any time, Chester Taylor might finally have some value. Taylor had a couple good runs and also had 50 yards on a catch-and-run. And on the Packers side, I whiffed again on my projection for Ryan Grant, who somehow managed 119 yards and a TD against a brick-wall Vikings run D. Brett Favre threw three TDs, one to Donald Lee and two more to Ruvell Martin, who else?

STEELERS 31, BROWNS 28: This one was all about the QBs. Derek Anderson continued to defy the skeptics with three touchdown tosses and had the Browns in position for a game-tying FG as time expired. Ben Roethlisberger (told you to start him) threw two TDs of his own and ran one in. Willie Parker had his sixth 100-yard game. Braylon Edwards caught only one ball, but it was a great one in the end zone.

BRONCOS 27, CHIEFS 11: Travis Henry was a game-time scratch, so rookie Selvin Young stepped in with great results, notching his first 100-yard game and first TD. He's for real. Priest Holmes didn't have a terrible game in his first start in about two years (20 carries, 65 yards), as long as your expectations weren't sky-high. The Chiefs' QB situation is a mess, but WR Dwayne Bowe still picked up 100 yards.

FALCONS 20, PANTHERS 13: Warrick Dunn (85 yards, TD) is still alive). So is Alge Crumpler (30-yard TD catch), who had missed the past two games. Steve Smith was mediocre (five catches, 61 yards) like I warned. So was DeShaun Foster (20 carries, 59 yards), which I didn't expect.

JAGUARS 28, TITANS 13: Tennessee gave up two rushing TDs, one to Maurice Jones-Drew and one to Fred Taylor, after allowing only three all year. Jones-Drew went over 100 yards too, which means my "sit" recommendation was way off. My bad. Vince Young decided to throw a TD pass this week, but he's still probably not startable.



BILLS 13, DOLPHINS 10: So close, but yet so far, Miami. The Fins actually led this barn-burner 3-2 late in the third quarter. It was pretty ugly all around as you can imagine, except for the RBs: Marshawn Lynch scored his sixth TD, and Jesse Chatman ran for 124 yards. J.P. Losman really let me down (12 for 23, 124 yards, no TDs, 1 INT), which of course meant Lee Evans' stats suffered. Thanks, fellas.

Photos by The Associated Press.