New England was 5-1 against Buffalo when Gregg Williams was their head coach, and scored an average of 30 points per game in the victories. The only loss was in the 2003 season-opener, the infamous 31-0 game played just days after the Bills signed recently released-by-the-Pats safety Lawyer Milloy. Williams is now the defensive coordinator of the Saints. ?They are sort of a mirror image of their offense," said Bill Belichick. "They give you a lot of different looks ? they pressure, they man-pressure, they show pressure and drop out of it, they overload,? he said. ?They mix in man coverage, zone coverage. ?Greg is very aggressive; he?s creative. He has a couple new wrinkles for each week. And over the course of four, five, six weeks, you watch him and you kind of don?t know which one of those you really have to prepare for and which one you don?t. They run five or six things that aren?t their normal thing. Are you going to get those or do you just have to waste time on them and they?re going to do something else? It puts pressure on you from a preparation standpoint.?

Last Week: 12-4, giving the season forecast a nice bounce to 112-48. Turkey Day games Green Bay at Detroit: My fellow Lions fans, savor the taste of last weekend?s sweet victory, because it might be the last one for awhile. With Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson both extremely doubtful, so is a Detroit win over the Packers. Green Bay will struggle with some injury issues of its own defensively, but the OL is slowly playing better. The Risdon family tradition of skipping the second half of an already-decided Lions loss in order to feast on Thanksgiving dinner will continue yet one more year. Green Bay 38, Detroit 17. Oakland at Dallas: The Dallas game on Thanksgiving is known in my extended family as the Tryptophan Bowl. Dallas had better not come out sleepy once again, because these Raiders proved on Sunday that the talent is there to beat good teams. Bruce Gradkowski is a great short-term shot in the arm for the moribund Oakland offense, a fiery leader with decent accuracy and an infectious passion. In short, he?s sort of the anti-Jamarcus. He?ll be tested by a very good Dallas defense that is really ratcheting up the pressure. Plug-in safety Alan Ball proved a nice upgrade against the run, and Keith Brooking is playing in coverage better than ever. With the Raiders playmakers just not trustworthy, I like the Cowboys to put up just enough points to outscore the Raiders in a low-scoring field position battle. Fun turkey day diversion: have a glass of wine every time the broadcast shows Raiders punter Shane Lechler and then pans up to the infamous scoreboard. You?ll be lit by halftime! Dallas 20, Oakland 13. New York Giants at Denver: I?m thankful for the NFL Network Thanksgiving night game, which gives millions of beleaguered, stuffed men a legit excuse to get away from the family and watch some football. It?s the one time of the year where I?m glad the NFL Network isn?t available on pretty much every cable company in the country. I say that speaking from my family experience; I can?t get it in Grand Rapids, my parents live on one side of Cleveland and some close family friends on the other and neither can get it, my in-laws live in greater Chicago and can?t get it, my brother lives in Greenville SC and can?t get it, my old house in Richmond VA can?t get it, my brother-in-law in Detroit can?t get it, my friends in Raleigh, Charlotte, Birmingham, suburban Denver, and across the lake in Milwaukee all can?t get it. You might have noticed that I haven?t mentioned one iota about the matchup, and there?s a reason for that...I have no inkling one way or the other. I believe the Broncos have been exposed for what they are, a well-coached but under-talented team with a broken mirror and smoke machine. That would normally send me scurrying to the Giants, but they have some troubling issues of their own. I don?t trust Eli Manning handling Denver?s exotic pressures, and I don?t trust the Giants secondary to contain Brandon Marshall or Eddie Royal, even with a hobbled Kyle Orton throwing it to them. I like the home cooking and altitude advantage for Denver. Broncos 24, Giants 21. Game of the Week New England at New Orleans: In the spirit of brevity, I?m taking the Patriots here for three reasons: 1. Even though the Saints are still playing well in the secondary, all the injury-related lineup shuffling ruins continuity. That?s bad news when facing Wes Welker, Randy Moss, but especially Kevin Faulk out of the backfield and Tom Brady?s knack for quickly identifying weak points. 2. The Patriots are exceptional at taking one thing away from the opposing offense, and the opponent has no idea what that will be until the game unfolds. Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind and Drew Brees is one sharp cookie, but those adjustments often take a few drives to figure out. That?s likely sacrificed opportunities, and you cannot afford those in a shootout. 3. Don?t think for a minute that the Patriots aren?t fiercely proud of their perfect regular season two years ago, and that they desperately want to preserve the rarity of such an accomplishment. It?s a similar vein to how the 72 Dolphins treated it, though less obnoxiously than Mercury Morris & Co....for now. New England 33, New Orleans 31 Prime Leftovers Pittsburgh at Baltimore: I?m going to waffle on this one, folks. If Big Ben and Troy Polamalu both play and are effective in the game, Pittsburgh wins. If Dennis Dixon takes more snaps at QB than Roethlisberger, and Polamalu plays less than half the snaps, Baltimore will roll at home. The grey area is if one plays and the other doesn?t, which could very well happen. I think Baltimore?s offense has cooled a bit, but they still hung in with the Colts last week even with little working well. Pittsburgh?s dreadful special teams and propensity to forget about the run for extended periods give the Ravens enough of an opening to even up these two in the playoff race. Ravens 28, Steelers 24, but if both Big Ben and Polamalu play, flip the score. Indianapolis at Houston: This isn?t the mismatch of prior years, but as the Texans once again proved Monday night, they still aren?t ready to hang with the big boys. As much improved as they are, particularly in the defensive back seven, they still find ways to lose where teams like the Colts find ways to win. I expect Matt Schaub to have good success and for the Texans D to keep Peyton Manning relatively in check, but when the game is on the line I simply cannot foresee Houston pulling it out. Sorry, Texans fans, but your team reminds me a great deal of the Toronto Blue Jays of recent years--good enough to win some other divisions, but not built to beat the teams in their division and not quite deep enough or loaded enough to crack the playoff ceiling. Colts prevail, likely on a late Houston mistake, a la the decision to run a QB dive to get two feet closer for the potential game-tying field goal instead of running a quick throw to freakazoid WR Andre Johnson to get a few yards closer and make it much more likely. That?s why I?m not a coach, and why Gary Kubiak won?t be one much longer either...Indy 32, Houston 28. Arizona at Tennessee: I?m thisclose to jumping on the Vince Young bandwagon, not necessarily because of how well he?s played lately but also because of how well he?s handled playing well. That is a major step in the maturity of a young QB finding his way in the NFL, and it?s a hurdle that kept tripping Young in years past. When paired with a simplified, more focused defensive scheme and increasing health of those practitioners of said defense, these are the Titans most everyone expected to see. They get a real test in Arizona, which is quietly racking up victories in unexpected ways. Only 10 teams have more rushing yards in the last four games than the Cardinals, and Arizona ranks 8th in the league over the same time period in yards per first down rush (5.1 YPA). Remember that when the talking heads blabber on about how Arizona won?t win because they can?t run the ball. Having said that, I get the strong guttural feeling that these Titans are on a historic mission, and Kurt Warner?s grogginess doesn?t help the Cards. This is victory #5 in a row of an impending 10-game winning streak that takes them from 0-6 to the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs. Tennessee 27, Arizona 17. Warm Stuffing Washington at Philadelphia: This is a real dangerous game for Philadelphia, which comes in having lost two of three, with the win a squeaker over the immolating Bears. Washington continues to play very solid defense; every Monday, fans of their most recent opponent bemoan their offense while ignoring just how talented the Skins are on D. Philly?s offense relies almost exclusively on the home run play, and the Skins are very adept at pitching around the sluggers and making the bottom of the order beat them. The Eagles have enough weaponry to get that done, but the 9.5-point spread seems awful high even with Washington?s inept offense. Take the Skins and the points, but the Eagles for the 17-10 win. Carolina at New York Jets: Death-gasp game for two teams still clinging to the longest of playoff hopes. There?s an intriguing contrast here in how the coaches have handled the rockiness. Carolina coach John Fox has stayed the course with his conservative game plan and turnover-prone QB Jake Delhomme, making few tweaks and believing that all the work over the summer and in prior years will pay off. Jets coach Rex Ryan has decided to expand his role in the offense, more specifically in mentoring rookie QB Mark Sanchez. They have changed defensive attacks almost weekly, and fluctuate wildly between asking Sanchez to be a careful came manager and then asking him to take over games with his arm all by himself. I think the handling of panic by the Panthers will prevail here, though I do agree with Coach Ryan that Sanchez needs a different voice in his ear. Short-term loss, long-term gain for New York. The return of Charles Godfrey at safety and the strong play of rookie Sherrod Martin carry the Panthers to a 26-21 win. Jacksonville at San Francisco: The Jaguars have quietly won three in a row while the Niners are fading away to playoff oblivion. But those three JAX wins have not exactly been impressive, and SF can claw back into the wild card mix with a couple of wins in a row, but it has to start here. That means Alex Smith has to summon the same type of performance he displayed in relief in the Houston game, and not the Alex Smith that deservedly got benched that we?ve seen the past few weeks. Color me pessimistic, because there are too many things that Smith just doesn?t do well, things that a smart defense can exploit--even one like Jacksonville that gets almost zero pressure on the QB. Pretty much all the matchup checkmarks go to the Jaguars, who can run the ball and stop the run, and they don?t turn the ball over. I think this is the type of game that demonstrates why Mike Singletary?s coaching style has a very short shelf life; they?ve already heard all the fire and brimstone speeches and intense exhortations from Iron Mike, and he?s pushed all in on too many smaller hands. Having said that, the more I wanted to finish this off by picking Jacksonville, the more my body told me San Francisco. It might be the black bean tostada I had for dinner, but when that cool, crampy, tingling sensation overcomes me like it is right now, it?s almost never wrong. San Fran somehow wins 27-24. Stomach Upset of the week Miami at Buffalo: If you read last week?s forecast, you might recall my research on midseason replacement coaches. Twelve of the last 15 mop-up coaches, as my friend Desmond likes to call them, have won game two. I did a little more digging with the help of the good folks at BetUS.com and found that 10 of those did that feat as at least seven point underdogs (opening line was MIA -3.5), and all but one of the home coaches won. That?s an awful lot of history going against the Dolphins, even in the face of pretty much all rational thought. So even though Buffalo lost yet another starter (G Eric Wood) to yet another freakishly nasty injury, I?m not fighting history, Recent history in this series also favors the Bills, who have won the last five against Miami at Ralph Wilson Stadium and have won 12 of the last 14 over the Fins when the temperature is below 45 degrees. Kickoff forecast: 39 and partly cloudy. Buffalo 23, Miami 20. Cold Turkey with Lumpy Gravy Games Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Atlanta is remarkably consistent at winning games they are supposed to win and losing games they are expected to lose. It makes them fairly easy and reliable to forecast, like a strong northwest wind producing lake effect snow showers off the Great Lakes in winter. A quick check reveals I?m 9-1 on Falcons games this year. This is a game they should win, even without Michael Turner, though the Bucs aren?t quite the pushover they were before Josh Freeman took over. Still, the Bucs are a mess with Coach Morris firing Jim Bates, his defensive coordinator. That means a coach younger than some of his players has already axed both coordinators in less than 3 months. Desperation isn?t any prettier with Tampa?s bad run defense and scattershot offense than it is after 10 Killian?s on Cougar Night at your local watering hole. Atlanta slogs to a 24-13 road win. Seattle at St. Louis: Another classic ?something?s gotta give? game. St. Louis can?t stop the run at all, while Seattle averaged less than a yard per carry last week on the ground and has topped 80 yards rushing just once on the road all year. The Rams have shown some improvement recently, though losing Marc Bulger isn?t going to help. Steven Jackson will have to do it all, and fortunately for the Rams he?s one of the few players in the league capable of doing so. It?s real hard for a team to go 1-15, and the defensive uptick in St. Louis leads me to believe they notch win #2 here against a Seattle team that hasn?t even been close on the road this year. St. Louis 17, Seattle 13. Chicago at Minnesota: One of the biggest mismatches you?ll ever see shapes up in this game. The Minnesota defensive line versus the Chicago offensive line brings to mind the Polish trying to ward off the German panzer attack with mounted cavalry. That didn?t go to well for Brigadier General Julian Filipowicz (see Dr. Fletcher, I paid attention in your sorry European WWII class!), and it won?t go well for Jay Cutler either. Vikings 33, Bears 17. Kansas City at San Diego: Beware overconfidence. Pittsburgh found that out the hard way last week, and the Chiefs could very well make the Chargers pay for it this week too. I like the way the Chargers secondary and pass rush have stepped up, and their OL is playing better every week. That should be enough, but it bears repeating: beware overconfidence. Chargers 30, Chiefs 24. Cleveland at Cincinnati: Any time a team bursts out with an unprecedented output like the Browns did last week, the question becomes, ?Was it legit?? I watched the game twice, studying Brady Quinn and all his successes, and I quickly concluded it had a lot more to do with some awful Lions coverage than sustainable greatness by Quinn and his greenhorn receivers. For all those great plays, Quinn also threw some real clunkers, and he makes his receivers work for the catch far too often. It worked against Detroit?s collection of misfit corners, but the Bengals have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. They also have a superior pass rush and better run defense, one that consistently smothers the types of runs that Jamal Lewis attempts. I think Cleveland gleaned enough offensive confidence to crack double digits, but that just won?t cut it in The Jungle. Bengals roll 33-10. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games Last week: 3-2, 39-21 on the season Florida 32, Florida State 10 Clemson 24, South Carolina 20 Stanford 38, Notre Dame 29 Georgia Tech 33, Georgia 21 BYU 20, Utah 17

The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Click here for more information on the Trench Counter For the 2009 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New Orleans Saints: 10.7 After a one week intermission, the Saints have reclaimed the top spot with their 38-7 (+16.4 Trench Counter) thrashing of the Buccaneers. The Saints rushed for 183 yards and two Mike Bell touchdowns while keeping rookie Josh Freeman to a 33.1 passer rating day. 2. Indianapolis Colts: 9.6 I love the balance of the Colts air game these days; Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne and Tom Santi each had 80 or more yards on Sunday. That trio of course doesn't include Dallas Clark, who was held by the Baltimore linebackers to his lowest reception output (one reception) since Opening Night of 2008 against Chicago. He did, however, score a touchdown with that lone reception. 3. New England Patriots: 9.0 The Jets neutralized Randy Moss again on Sunday, but having Wes Welker healthy in the rematch made all the difference, as he caught 15 balls for 192 yards. He is projected to finish the season with an astonishing 126 receptions. 4. Minnesota Vikings: 7.2 Brett Favre had a near perfect, 22-for-25, four TD, zero interception day, but somehow his 141.7 passer rating wasn't as good as Tavaris Jackson's 144.3 during his own eight attempts. While Adrian Peterson rushed for a pedestrian 82 yards on 24 carries, Minnesota's defense held Justin Forsett to nine yards on nine carries. 5. Green Bay Packers: 7.2 With Sunday's win, the Packers improved to 3-0 when Greg Jennings has over 100 yards receiving. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6.8 Super Bowl teams don't lose to the Chiefs under any circumstances, but there were enough flukish occurrences to excuse the loss. Hines Ward finished with over 100 yards for the fourth time this season and 24th for his career; the veteran receiver has never had five 100 yard games in a single season. 7. New York Giants: 4.4 The difference between the 2009 Giants and the 2008 edition continues to be on the ground, where they averaged just 2.4 yards per rush on Sunday and were fortunately bailed out by Eli Manning's 384 yards. 8. San Diego Chargers: 4.4 The Chargers have now won five in a row since the 23-34 loss at home on Monday night to Denver in Week 6. They host Kansas City this week and then travel to Cleveland the next, which should assure them of traveling to Dallas in an attempt to extend the streak in Week 14 to eight games. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.5 Bernard Scott filled in very well for the injured Cedric Benson, rushing for 119 yards on 21 carries (5.7 average), but the Bengals gave up 10 points in just a matter of seconds in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati is now 0-10 while playing in Oakland. 10. Philadelphia Eagles: 3.3 LeSean McCoy proved himself to be more than adequate in replacing Brian Westbrook, rushing for a career high 99 yards during his second 20 rushing attempt game. 11. Dallas Cowboys: 3.3 The Cowboys were just 3-for-11 on 3rd down, while allowing Washington to convert seven of their 15 opportunities. Dallas is ranked 17th in 3rd down percentage this season, down from their ninth rank showing in 2008. They are ranked 12th defensively in 3rd down situations, which isn't too significantly off of their eighth ranked finish a season ago. 12. Baltimore Ravens: 2.5 The Ravens returned the Colts ground game to the anemic 3.0 yards per rush version, but they gave up 9.6 yards per Peyton Manning pass (in spite of the two interceptions). Most importantly, the Ravens went 0-for-4 in the red zone. 13. Denver Broncos: 1.7 Denver is just barely hanging on the positive side of the Trench Counter. The Broncos rushed for 6.8 yards per carry against San Diego, but were 0-for-4 in the red zone and were -3 in turnover differential. 14. Arizona Cardinals: 1.6 The Cardinals suddenly have a potent running game, which will be an invaluable element they were missing in the playoffs last season. Tim Hightower and Benie Wells rushed for 110 yards and 74 yards respectively, while the team combined for a 6.1 yards per carry average. 15. Houston Texans: 1.6 The Texans desperately needed a win in their rare national television appearance on Monday, but were undone by LenDale White's second touchdown of the season and two 50-yarders from Rob Bironas. 16. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0.7 With three consecutive victories, the Jaguars now are in second place all by themselves behind the Colts in the AFC South despite a -36 season point differential. 17. San Francisco 49ers: 0.0 I don't believe it is necessarily a coincidence as much as a symptom of playing behind, but Veron Davis has scored seven of his eight touchdowns and 470 of his 601 yards during San Francisco losses. 18. Miami Dolphins: -0.1 This third act of Ricky Williams' career has been nothing short of extraordinary. He is rushing for a 5.3 yards per carry average, which beats out his 4.8 per carry average when he led the NFL in yards with 1,853 during the 2002 season. 19. Atlanta Falcons: -0.3 With Michael Turner shelved, Matt Ryan kept Atlanta in the game and took care of the ball for the first time since Week 3 by not throwing a single interception. 20. Washington Redskins: -0.5 The Redskins will limp out the rest of the season, or at least the next week or so with Rock Cartwight getting carries at running back. He averaged a respectable 5.2 yards per carry and also caught seven balls for 73 yards in Washington's loss at Dallas on Sunday. 21. New York Jets: -1.5 Thomas Jones rushed for 421 yards and five TDs on 74 attempts in October, while behind held to 282 yards and one TD on 69 November attempts. 22. Seattle Seahawks: -1.9 I have continuously liked Seattle as a sleeper, but they realistically needed to get a win either at Arizona or Minnesota (more importantly Arizona because of the potential NFC West tiebreaker) to have a realistic playoff shot. They could very conceivably run the table over their final six (at St. Louis, 49ers, at Houston, Buccaneers, at Green Bay, Titans) and finish 9-7, but they would need a ton of help from the teams who play Arizona including Detroit in Week 15 and St. Louis in Week 16. 23: Carolina Panthers: -2.4 DeAngelo Williams continued another late season surge by rushing for a season-best 9.4 yards per carry, but the Panthers still lost 17-24 to Miami at home. 24. Buffalo Bills: -2.4 The Bills had to travel to a sparse Jacksonville Stadium to get their first legitimate Terrell Owens spotting, as the receiver caught nine balls for 197 yards including a 98-yard TD. 25. Chicago Bears: -2.7 Matt Forte's sophomore struggles remain ubiquitous, particularly in light of Kahlil Bell's 81 yards on four carries. 26. Tennessee Titans: -4.9 Vince Young now has a 95.5 passer rating during the month of November, all wins for Tennessee. 27. Kansas City Chiefs: -5.1 Despite the Dwayne Bowe suspension, Matt Cassel had his best game in a Kansas City uniform in Sunday's overtime win over Pittsburgh, finishing with a 100.4 passer rating. 28. Detroit Lions: -8.6 Matthew Stafford had his first 100+ passer rating game in Sunday's thrilling victory against Cleveland. He is now 2-6 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -8.8 With Tampa Bay's decision to fire defensive coordinator Jim Bates, they have hired and fired coordinators on both sides of the ball since September. Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik will need to begin making lasting decisions if they want to stick around long term. 30. St. Louis Rams: -9.8 Steven Jackson continues to perform admirably for a Rams team going nowhere fast; he extended his 100-yard game streak to four in Sunday's 21-13 loss to Arizona. Jackson must feel a lot like Russell Hammond when he looks around that St. Louis locker room. 31. Oakland Raiders: -13.4 Bruce Gradkowski won't win any style points, but his 73.5 passer rating kept the Raiders in the game to setup their miraculous comeback victory over the Bengals. Two of Oakland's three victories have come against likely playoff teams. 32. Cleveland Browns: -15.1 Whether Brady Quinn is dating Alica Sacramone or can take a punch better than Jimmy Clausen, I'm not entirely sure, but he did have an excellent 21-for-33, 304 yards, four TD, zero interception game on Sunday, albeit against a porous Detroit defense.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn't believe that the team is playing their best football yet. New Orleans is 10-0 heading into Week 12's action. "I feel like we haven't peaked yet. ... I feel like the sky's the limit for this team," Brees said after Sunday's 38-7 win over the Buccaneers. "It only gets harder. By no means can we sit back on what we've accomplished thus far. Every team we face would love to give us that first loss." The Saints will look to go 11-0 with a win against the Patriots next Monday night.

The Saints, Colts and Vikings remained the cream of the crop in the NFL with wins of varying degrees in Week 11. We will calculate each team's Trench Counter*. Miami 24, Carolina 17 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +0.3, Panthers -0.3 Ricky Williams led the Miami Dolphins (5-5) past the Carolina Panthers (4-6) on Thursday night. Williams rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns and added two receptions for 19 yards and another score. Chad Henne went 17-for-29 with 179 yards and a touchdown, while Williams handled most of the rushing duties with Ronnie Brown out. Davone Bess led Miami in receiving with six catches for 63 yards. The Dolphins held Carolina to three points through the game?s first 45 minutes. Jake Delhomme was steady, but the Panthers were manhandled early on. Delhomme went 19-for-42 with 227 yards, one touchdown and an interception. DeAngelo Williams had 122 yards on just 13 carries and Steve Smith, who was involved in a minor car accident prior to the game, caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. New Orleans 38, Tampa Bay 7 Team Trench Counter: Saints +16.4, Buccaneers -16.4 The New Orleans Saints (10-0) separated themselves from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) in the second quarter to extend their perfect run. Drew Brees finished with just 187 yards, but tossed three touchdowns. Pierre Thomas (92 yards) and Mike Bell (75 yards and two scores) helped New Orleans control both the clock and the ground game. Robert Meachem had just two catches for 10 yards in the win, but both resulted in trips to the end zone. Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman struggled, going 17-for-33 with 126 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Tampa Bay rushed for 119 yards in the loss, while Antonio Bryant led the team in receiving with just three catches for 40 yards. The Buccaneers? defense wasn?t able to slow down Brees and the Saints; they failed to record a sack against the quarterback. N.Y. Giants 34, Atlanta 31 (OT) Team Trench Counter: Giants +2.9, Falcons -2.9 The New York Giants (6-4) won for the first time in five games after dispatching of the Atlanta Falcons (5-5) on Sunday afternoon. Eli Manning tossed for 384 yards, three touchdowns and an interception at home. The Giants were limited on the ground, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to run for just 73 yards and a score, but Manning?s aerial attack was just enough. Mario Manningham led New York in receiving with six catches for 126 yards. Matt Ryan played well, going 26-for-46 with 268 yards and two scores, but Atlanta?s defense couldn?t stop Manning from posting his first-ever 300-yard effort at Giants Stadium. Jason Snelling, filling in for the injured Michael Turner, totaled 76 yards and two touchdowns, and Tony Gonzalez recorded eight catches for 82 yards and a score. The Giants won the toss and the game on a 36-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes. Minnesota 35, Seattle 9 Team Trench Counter: Vikings +27.3, Seahawks -27.3 Brett Favre was nearly perfect as the Minnesota Vikings (9-1) dominated the Seattle Seahawks (3-7) at the Metrodome. Favre went 22-for-25 with 213 yards and four touchdowns. With the game in hand, Tarvaris Jackson threw for 77 yards and a score. Adrian Peterson didn?t find the end zone, but rushed for 82 yards on 24 carries. Sidney Rice, who has emerged as Favre?s top target, had six catches for 89 yards and two scores. Matt Hasselbeck went 19-for-26 with 231 yards and an interception, while Justin Forsett led Seattle in rushing with just nine yards and a score. The Vikings limited the Seahawks to 212 total yards, including just four net rushing yards in the game. Kansas City 27, Pittsburgh (OT) Team Trench Counter: Chiefs -0.9, Steelers +0.9 The Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) in overtime on a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. Matt Cassel went 15-for-30 with 248 yards and two scores and Jamaal Charles led the Chiefs in rushing with 58 yards on 17 attempts. Chris Chambers led in receiving with four catches for 119 yards, including a 61-yard burst that set up Succop?s game-winning field goal. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 398 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, but left the game in overtime after suffering a possible concussion. Rashard Mendenhall rushed the ball 21 times for 80 yards and Willie Parker tallied just 24 yards on six touches. The defending Super Bowl champs have lost two straight heading into a game against the rival Ravens. Jacksonville 18, Buffalo 15 Team Trench Counter: Jaguars -0.3, Bills +0.3 David Garrard connected with Mike Sims-Walker on a three-yard pass with less than a minute remaining to give the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) a comeback win over the Buffalo Bills (3-7). Garrard finished with 215 yards, the score and an interception. Maurice Jones-Drew had 66 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Terrell Owens had his best day as a member of the Bills, catching nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 98-yard connection with Ryan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick had 297 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. A majority of the news surrounding the Bills over the last week has pertained to possible coaching candidates. Green Bay 30, San Francisco 24 Team Trench Counter: Packers +4, 49ers -4 The San Francisco 49ers (4-6) made things interesting, but couldn?t complete a comeback against the Green Bay Packers (6-4) at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers had 344 yards and two touchdowns and Ryan Grant tallied 129 yards and a score in the important victory. Greg Jennings was Green Bay?s third offensive star, grabbing five balls for 129 yards and a score. The 49ers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to make things close, but the early shortcomings of their defense ultimately doomed them. Alex Smith finished with 227 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while Frank Gore ran the ball just seven times for 59 yards. San Francisco was forced to throw the ball early after falling behind 23-6 in the first half. Detroit 38, Cleveland 37 Team Trench Counter: Lions +1.2, Browns -1.2 Matthew Stafford found rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew in the end zone with no time left on the clock to push the Detroit Lions (2-8) past the Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Ford Field. Stafford finished with 422 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions and appeared to hurt his shoulder on play prior to the game-winning strike. Kevin Smith had 149 total yards and a score, while Calvin Johnson led Detroit in receiving with seven catches for 161 yards and a score. Brady Quinn had his best afternoon in the NFL, going 21-for-33 with 304 yards and four touchdowns, but Cleveland?s defense couldn?t back up the young quarterback. Jamal Lewis ran for 75 yards, while Mohamed Massaquoi led the Browns in receiving with five catches for 115 yards and a score. A defensive pass interference call helped Detroit steal the victory. Dallas 7, Washington 6 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys -2.4, Redskins +2.4 Held scoreless for nearly the whole game, the Dallas Cowboys (7-3) defeated the Washington Redskins (3-7) on a late touchdown. Tony Romo found Patrick Crayton in the end zone for a 10-yard score with just 2:41 remaining in regulation. Marion Barber had 99 yards and Felix Jones added 49 yards in the victory. Miles Austin led Dallas in receiving with four catches for 47 yards as the Cowboys? offense struggled for the second straight week. Jason Campbell went 24-for-37 with 256 yards and an interception. Rock Cartwright, who got a bulk of the carries with Clinton Portis out (concussion) and Ladell Betts suffering an injury in the game, ran 13 times for 67 yards. He also led the team in receiving, grabbing seven passes for 73 yards at Cowboys Stadium. Indianapolis 17, Baltimore 15 Team Trench Counter: Colts -0.3, Ravens +0.3 Peyton Manning struggled, but the Indianapolis Colts (10-0) remained perfect with a dramatic win over the Baltimore Ravens (5-5) at M&T Bank Stadium. Manning went 22-for-31 with 299 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Joseph Addai had a strong game, rushing for 74 yards and a score on 19 attempts. Pierre Garcon led the Colts in receiving with six catches for 108 yards, while Dallas Clark?s one-handed, three-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter made highlight shows around the country. The Ravens had a chance to hand the Colts their first loss of the season, but Joe Flacco was intercepted by linebacker Gary Brackett on what could have been Baltimore?s game-winning drive. Flacco had 256 yards and an interception and the Ravens? offense stalled often. They settled for five field goals, despite forcing three Indianapolis turnovers. Derrick Mason had nine catches for 142 yards in the loss. Arizona 21, St. Louis 13 Team Trench Counter: Cardinals +10.9, Rams -10.9 Kurt Warner left in the second quarter with an apparent head injury, but the Arizona Cardinals (7-3) had enough to get past the St. Louis Rams (1-9). Warner had 203 yards and two touchdowns before leaving. Matt Leinart went 10-for-14 with 74 yards in relief. Tim Hightower (110 yards on 14 carries) and Beanie Wells (74 yards and a score on 14 touches) helped Arizona dominate on the ground. As usual, Larry Fitzgerald (87 yards and a touchdown) and Anquan Boldin (103 yards and a score) led in receiving. Marc Bulger went 19-for-37 with 215 yards and an interception. Steven Jackson was the lone offensive star for the Rams, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. St. Louis held Arizona scoreless in the second half to pull within one possession midway through the fourth quarter. Oakland 20, Cincinnati 17 Team Trench Counter: Raiders -1.8, Bengals +1.8 The Oakland Raiders (3-7) shocked the Cincinnati Bengals (7-3) on a late field goal in regulation. After Bruce Gradkowski connected with Louis Murphy on a 29-yard pass that tied the game, the Raiders recovered a fumble on the kickoff and Sebastian Janikowski drilled a 33-yard field goal to win the game. Gradkowski, starting in place of JaMarcus Russell, went 17-for-34 with 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Carson Palmer had 207 yards and an interception, but rushed four times for seven yards and two touchdowns. Bernard Scott, starting in place of the injured Cedric Benson, ran 21 times for 119 yards. Larry Johnson made his Cincinnati debut, tallying just five yards on two attempts. Chad Ochocinco led the Bengals in receiving with four catches for 67 yards at the Oakland Coliseum. New England 31, N.Y. Jets 14 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +16.6, Jets -16.6 In the wake of their controversial loss to the Colts last week, the New England Patriots (7-3) thumped the New York Jets (4-6) at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady had 310 yards and a touchdown, while New England?s defense atoned for the miscues last Sunday night. Laurence Maroney rushed for 77 yards and two scores on 22 touches in the win. Wes Welker had a career-day, catching 15 passes for 192 yards. Leigh Bodden had three picks, including one for a touchdown in the game. Mark Sanchez continues to look like a rookie. He went 8-for-21 with 136 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Thomas Jones rushed for 103 yards, but was New York?s only real offensive stud. Jerricho Cotchery connected with Sanchez three times for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Jets? other score come on a four-yard blocked punt return by Brad Smith. San Diego 32, Denver 3 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +15.6, Broncos -15.6 The San Diego Chargers (7-3) dominated the Denver Broncos (6-4) to gain control in the AFC West. Philip Rivers went 17-for-22 with 145 yards and a touchdown in the win as San Diego featured their ground attack in a game that they had won in the first half. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown and Mike Tolbert added 58 yards and another score on just seven carries. San Diego?s defense had three sacks. Chris Simms started the game, but was replaced by the hobbled Kyle Orton after going 2-for-4 with 10 yards and a fumble in very limited duty. Orton finished with 171 yards and an interception. Knowshon Moreno (80 yards) and Correll Buckhalter (35 yards) played well, but a fumble by Moreno ended what looked like a sure touchdown drive by Denver. After starting 6-0, the Broncos have lost four straight games. Philadelphia 24, Chicago 20 Team Trench Counter: Eagles +2.6, Bears -2.6 The Philadelphia Eagles (6-4) got all the key plays they needed in the fourth quarter as they beat the reeling Chicago Bears (4-6) on Sunday night. Donovan McNabb went 23-for-32 with 244 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while rookie LeSean McCoy rushed 20 times for 99 yards and a score. DeSean Jackson led Philadelphia in receiving with eight catches for 107 yards and a score. Both Jackson and McCoy lost fumbles, but the Eagles' defense helped limit Chicago to one touchdown. Jay Cutler looked tentative all night, going 24-for-43 with 171 yards, one touchdown and an interception, which came on the Bears' final drive of the game. Kahlil Bell had 81 yards on just four carries and Matt Forte rushed 14 times for 34 yards in the loss. The Bears settled for field goals five times, while the Eagles blocked one in the fourth quarter. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Saints running back Reggie Bush and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis did not travel with the team to Tampa Bay. A team spokesman said Saturday that the pair of players had been downgraded from doubtful to out with knee injuries.

The death of the mother of Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide, according to an Associated Press report on Friday. Mina Brees, an attorney from Austin, Texas, died August 7 while visiting Colorado. Grand County coroner Brenda Bock concluded this week that the 59-year-old Brees died of a prescription drug overdose and ruled the death a suicide.

Saints running back Reggie Bush has missed two practices this week to rest his left knee. It's the same knee that Bush had surgery on last December to repair cartilage. New Orleans coach Sean Payton is hopeful that Bush can practice on Friday.

Jeremy Shockey doesn't believe LeBron James could become a competent NFL player. "Everyone trust me Lebron James could not play in the NFL! espn is crazy to even think he could even make a practice squad. hes a 4.9 40 time," wrote Shockey on his Twitter page. Shockey plays tight end, the position LeBron would likely have his best shot of success at.

The Saints have reached an agreement with safety Chris McAlister, according to a source. McAlister was cleared by doctors a week ago to play despite knee problems that have been nagging him for years. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter the Saints cut quarterback Chase Daniel on Tuesday, leaving a roster spot for McAlister.