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, RealGM executive editor Christopher Reina created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which teams truly control 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 2008 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New York Giants: 9.4 The defending-champions stand alone with the NFL?s second-best record and have regained the lead spot. The Giants have topped this list in three of the last four weeks. 2. Philadelphia Eagles: 9.4 Even after their win against the Falcons, the Eagles still sit at the bottom of their division. The Dolphins, No. 6 on the list, are the only other last-place team in the top-fifteen. 3. Washington Redskins: 7.7 The Redskins hold the third spot and are also the third NFC East team on the list. After allowing the Lions to hang close for longer than expected, Washington hosts Pittsburgh in a primetime battle this Monday night. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.4 The Steelers, who held the top spot after Week 7, fall to fourth after losing to the Giants at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon. 5. Tennessee Titans: 6.1 The Titans quieted a majority of their critics on Monday night with an impressive win over the Colts. Nearly midway through their season, they lead the AFC South by an astounding four games. 6. Miami Dolphins: 4.4 The Dolphins are one of only two teams, along with the Vikings, in the top-fifteen with a losing record. Miami can thank their Week 3 (26.6), Week 5 (15.3) and Week 8 (11.6) TC totals. 7. Carolina Panthers: 4.3 Carolina moved into first in the NFC South with a big win over the Cardinals and can now enjoy their bye-week before traveling to Oakland. 8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4.0 The Buccaneers moved down after a listless four-point loss to the Cowboys, but they could sky-rocket up the rankings with the Chiefs coming up. 9. Minnesota Vikings: 3.3 The Vikings needed a week off after their debacle against the Bears in Week Seven. 10. Baltimore Ravens: 2.6 Baltimore?s dismantling of the Raiders allowed them to move up three spots. They?ll have a chance to continue surging against the hot-and-cold Browns on Sunday. 11. Atlanta Falcons: 2.4 Matt Ryan didn?t back down to his hometown Eagles in Philadelphia, but the Falcons lost and slid down five spots. 12. Dallas Cowboys: 2.1 The Cowboys stay put thanks to a tough, but impressive, win over the Buccaneers. Is Tony Romo that good, or could Brad Johnson be that bad in Wade Phillips? downfield offense? 13. Chicago Bears: 1.7 The Bears actually moved up two spots on their bye-week. What more can you ask for? 14. New England Patriots: 1.4 Bill Belichick has figured out a way to win even when Matt Cassel struggles. That?s bad news for the rest of the AFC. 15. Buffalo Bills: 1.3 Buffalo looked bad against Miami, and will have no relief with the rival Jets on the docket. This isn?t a time for the Bills to stumble; the Patriots have rallied to tie for the AFC East lead. 16. Houston Texans: 0.6 The Texans feasted on the Bengals and have quietly won three-consecutive games. They?ll face the Vikings on Sunday, a matchup much tougher than Cincinnati. 17. Arizona Cardinals: 0.6 The Cardinals lost a tough one to the Panthers, but still have a two-game lead in the dreadful NFC West. 18. San Diego Chargers: 0.5 Philip Rivers still leads the NFL in quarterback rating, 107.8, but the San Diego defense simply can?t stop anyone. They are allowing nearly 25 points per game. 19. New York Jets: 0.5 The Jets were lucky to have escaped their game against the Chiefs will a win on Sunday. Brett Favre needs to make better decisions if this team is going to challenge for a playoff spot. 20. Green Bay Packers: 0.0 After some rest, the Packers will travel to Tennessee. 21. New Orleans Saints: -0.2 The Saints needed a victory in London badly, and got it in a shootout with the Chargers. Drew Brees (2,563) has almost 500 more yards than any other quarterback in the league. 22. Denver Broncos: -2.4 After their bye-week, the Broncos will host the surging Dolphins. We?ll have to see which Denver team shows up. 23. San Francisco 49ers: -2.6 Mike Singletary has brought his no-nonsense approach to the 49ers in just one short week. Can Shaun Hill help resurrect the team?s struggling offense? 24. Indianapolis Colts: -2.8 Peyton Manning?s sub par season continues. He threw a pair of interceptions against the Titans, one coming in the fourth quarter as he looked to drive the Colts down field and get back into the game. 25. Jacksonville Jaguars: -3.2 After a tough loss, the Jaguars have the horrid Bengals on the schedule. If Cincinnati?s porous defense and abysmal offense don?t cure Jacksonville, nothing will. 26. Cleveland Browns: -4.1 Cleveland?s win against the Jaguars in Jacksonville could help turn their season around, but they?ll have to knock off the Ravens this weekend to reach .500 and move up in these rankings. 27. Seattle Seahawks: -6.8 Seneca Wallace turned in a strong performance for the Seahawks against the struggling 49ers. Was it a sign of things to come in Seattle, or has San Francisco become that bad? 28. Oakland Raiders: -8.4 Oakland remains exactly where they were one week ago despite a demoralizing 29-10 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. 29. Kansas City Chiefs: -9.1 Tyler Thigpen had his best start in Week Eight as the Chiefs almost upset the Jets. Their -0.3 TC was their second-best best of the year. 30. St. Louis Rams: -9.7 The Rams were close to beating the Patriots this weekend, but all they came away with was a -7 TC in a seven-point loss. 31. Detroit Lions: -10.5 Detroit was just a fraction of a point away from remaining last in back-to-back weeks. They?ll battle the Bears, who they posted their third-best TC of the season against (-8.8) in Week Five, at Solider Field on Sunday. 32. Cincinnati Bengals: -10.6 The Bengals move into the basement after the Rams and Lions took turns occupying it in recent weeks. They play the Jaguars this weekend with the chance to either slide up or pad their ?lead?.

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 2008 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New York Giants: 9.1 The Giants got lucky against Cincinnati and that Ohio luck ran out in Cleveland largely due to Eli Manning?s three interceptions. 2. Philadelphia Eagles: 8.8 The Eagles were 6-for-12 on 3rd down, compared to just 2-for-12 for the 49ers. The Eagles were down 17-26 to start the 4th quarter, but a L.J. Smith TD, three David Akers' field goals, and a cherry on top Juqua Parker interception for a touchdown gave the Eagles a 40-26 victory that probably looks a little better on Monday than it did on Sunday. 3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8.0 The Steelers needed that bye week to get healthy and should get a nice tune up against the Bengals before an extremely difficult run against the Giants, Redskins, Colts, and Chargers. 4. Washington Redskins: 7.4 The Redskins finally turned the ball over against the Rams, and it ended with a loss in a game they should have won with tremendous ease. 5. Atlanta Falcons: 5.0 Mike Mularkey?s offense was just good enough to get Jason Elam into range for five field goals and one miss. Matt Ryan and the Falcons are 4-2 and could once again be the NFC South's worst to first team. 6. Tennessee Titans: 4.8 Coming out of the bye week, the Titans need to improve their 3.6 yards per carry average, which is 28th in the NFL. 7. Dallas Cowboys: 4.8 Would Terrell Owens complain about his touches if pundits talked about his TD-creating blocks as his TD-creating passes? I?m not sure Owens will get many looks from Brad Johnson on those short crossing routes if he still can?t get off the line of scrimmage bumps. 8. Minnesota Vikings: 4.6 Adrian Peterson rushed for over 100 yards for the first time since Week 2 against the Colts on Sunday. 9. Miami Dolphins: 3.9 Patrick Cobbs won?t score two long touchdowns every week, so the Dolphins missed a great opportunity to steal another road win. 10. San Diego Chargers: 3.9 Philip Rivers averaged a very good 11.3 yards per pass against the Patriots. Without a truly reliable running game, the Chargers are leaning on Rivers more than ever. 11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3.9 The shocking Warrick Dunn resurgence continues, as he had 115 yards on 22 carries and three receptions for 18 yards against the Panthers. 12. Carolina Panthers: 3.0 DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were held to 2.5 and 2.0 yards per carry apiece. 13. Baltimore Ravens: 2.2 Teams with rookie quarterbacks won?t win many games when they have to throw the ball 38 times even if they do complete 28 of those passes. Playing from behind doesn?t suit Joe Flacco or the Ravens. 14. Arizona Cardinals: 1.9 Steve Breaston is averaging 100.3 receiving yards per game over the past three weeks. 15. Buffalo Bills: 1.4 Buffalo?s -3 takeaway/giveaway differential is 13th in the AFC and will catch up with them against teams other than the Rams and Raiders. 16. Chicago Bears: 1.2 The Bears held Michael Turner to just 2.2 yards per carry, but the secondary yielded 301 yards to Matt Ryan without forcing an interception (White: 112, Douglas: 96, Jenkins: 58). 17. Denver Broncos: 1.2 The Broncos have been outplayed in each of their past four games (five if you count the Chargers) and haven?t been nearly as good as advertised, especially on defense. 18. New York Jets: 0.6 Thomas Jones had two rushing TD's and one reception for a TD to give him three for the day. 19. New Orleans Saints: 0.4 Drew Brees? 26-for-30 for 320 yards and three TD's is about as efficient of a performance from a quarterback as you will ever see. 20. San Francisco 49ers: -0.6 Since his two impressive performances in wins against Seattle and Detroit, J.T. O?Sullivan has had passer ratings of 59.6, 55.9, and 49.2 in the last three weeks. 21. Indianapolis Colts: -0.8 Is Peyton Manning finally back? He was 19-for-28 for three TDs against a very good Ravens' defense. But even more promising is Marvin Harrison?s day and his two TD's. 22. Green Bay Packers: -2.2 Greg Jennings had more yards receiving (84) than the entire Seahawks (83). 23. Jacksonville Jaguars: -2.8 The Jaguars are 2-0 when Maurice Jones-Drew rushes for over 100 yards in 2008. 24. Houston Texans: -2.9 The Texans had 11 more first downs and 115 more total yards but nearly gave the game away to the Dolphins with a -3 turnover differential. 25. New England Patriots: -4.2 Staying in California all week or not, the Patriots were terribly outplayed by the Chargers. 26. Cleveland Browns: -5.4 This was truly the break-out game that Braylon Edwards needed, with five catches for 154 yards. 27. Cincinnati Bengals: -7.8 Ryan Fitzpatrick had a 71.8 passer rating against the Jets. 28. Seattle Seahawks: -8.2 Charlie Frye had a 53.4 passer rating against Green Bay, and Matt Hasselbeck won?t be available for the Tampa Bay game. 29. Kansas City Chiefs: -9.5 The Chiefs have just 71 first downs but a halfway respectable 3rd down success rate of 38.7. 30. Oakland Raiders: -10.5 The Raiders were able to neutralize Reggie Bush as a punt returner, but he scored from 3-yards out and also on a 15-yard pass from Drew Brees. 31. Detroit Lions: -12.6 I thought Peter King was being especially hard on the Dan Orlovsky end zone gaffe, but there was no denying that it looked like a Pop Warner play that a 12-year-old would be embarrassed about. 32. St. Louis Rams: -15.0 How does a team get their first win despite recording only eight first downs and getting outrushed 2-to-1 and recording only 4.8 yards per pass? Chip away enough for three field goals and convert a 75-yard TD on a fumble recovery.

The Redskins signed former NFL MVP running back Shaun Alexander to a one-year deal and punter Ryan Plackemeier. Both players will be reunited with Redskins' Coach Jim Zorn, whom they worked with in Seattle.

Shaun Alexander will be brought into visit the Redskins on Tuesday, and they likely will sign him to a contract, according to two sources close to the situation. Alexander, released by the Seahawks during the offseason, has visited the Saints, Bengals, and Lions, but this is appears to be his first real chance of landing a job.

Redskins' running back Clinton Portis doesn't believe that Coach Jim Zorn had the team ready for their game against the Rams on Sunday. "I think it was loose. It was people smiling everywhere: us, coach," Portis said of the past week. "You know, we overlooked a team that came here ready to play. And honestly, we've been the underdogs since I've been here, and we came out with fight every game we was the underdog. Win, lose or draw, we came out to fight. So for us to expect St. Louis not to come out and fight, I don't know how we let them shock us like that." "You know, it's some games that we really should come in and dominate. I think this was one of those games. . . . I think it's a focus thing. You know, the previous four games the focus was there. We knew that we couldn't go out and put ourselves in that position. We come out today, and all of the sudden you start to get patted on the back, and you feel like you're a better team."

Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor is expected to return for the team against the Rams on Sunday after having surgery less than three weeks ago. Taylor practiced Friday for the second time this week and coach Jim Zorn believes that he looks up to speed. "That's good to hear," Taylor said of Zorn's assessment. When Taylor awoke Thursday after practicing Wednesday, his leg "felt like [he] used it. It's sore, which it should be. It's only been two and a half weeks."

Using my custom position-by-position Field Impact Counter (FIC), we can safely and accurately rank quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends by an objective statistical measurement. The importance placed on specific positions is far different in football than it is in basketball, baseball, and hockey. Because of this, we have separated salaries by position instead of having a single common pool. Quarterbacks are compared to quarterbacks. Running backs are compared to running backs. Wide receivers are compared to wide receivers. There are only four positions on the football field where we can truly use statistics to rank a player?s performance in the same ways we can for the other three major sports. Intangibles such as how a running back picks up the blitz or how well a wide receiver blocks for his downfield runners do not appear on stat sheets and in order to get a truly objective statistical ranking, these elements are unfortunately overlooked. Players are ranked from highest to lowest by the total FIC for the season, not per game because players only give contribute to a team when they are playing. * More information about the FIC at the bottom of this article. Beside each player?s actual salary, we slide in raw cap value figures of the position, ranked top to bottom, which determines their ?deserved? salary. The player who has the highest FIC receives the highest ?deserved? salary. The player with the second highest FIC receives the second highest salary. The player with the hundredth highest FIC receives the hundredth highest salary. We then calculate the percentage increase or decrease from the actual and deserved and that figure becomes their Reina Value. The Reina Value is a valuation system that quickly determines how players perform in relation to their contracts or in the case of the NFL, their cap value. - Drew Brees' lead narrows as he threw two interceptions and completed just 56.5% of his passes. - Kyle Orton threw for 334 yards against the Lions, which was the highest total of Week 5. - J.T. O'Sullivan had two hatricks against the Patriots- touchdowns and interceptions. It also felt like he only threw for three first downs, but it was actually just seven. - Eli Manning had the highest QB rating on Sunday, going 19-for-25 for 267 and two TDs. - Reggie Bush is still leading this category despite rushing for just 3.3 yards per carry and the fact that three of his 2008 TDs are not being accounted for in this statistic. - Ronnie Brown had a streak of four straight games of 100 or more yards early in 2007. He's on a streak of two, can he move past the halfway point this week in Houston? - Brandon Jacobs' 136 yards against the Seattle was his second highest single-game output (Week 16 in 2007 against Buffalo, 143). - For LaDainian Tomlinson, is it the big toe or something bigger? His 3.7 yards per carry is helped significantly by the end of that Raiders game. The Dolphins held him to 35 yards in 12 attempts, while Darren Sproles was able to get 24 in six. - With eight grabs for 132 yards and a TD, Roddy White has moved up to the third slot in these rankings. His steady improvement has given Matt Ryan a great target to throw to. - Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson have gradually been falling after their initial success in the early weeks, but combined for 31 yards (23 and 8 respectively) in Week 5. - Finally getting a chance in 2008, Steve Breaston has responded with 122 yards in Week 4 and 77 in Week 5. - Steve Smith is on pace for his highest yards per catch of his career (16.4), but hopefully that shoulder holds up. - Jason Witten had a typical 79-yard, 1 TD day against the Bengals while also giving the Dallas runners some key blocks on the line, including the Felix Jones TD. All of the Tony Gonzalez records could be temporary if Witten continues this pace for another 8-10 years. - Chris Cooley went 15 games without 100-yards receiving before his 109 afternoon in Philadelphia. Field Impact Counter Formulas Quarterbacks .25 Completions - .5 Incomplete Passes + .1 Yards + 4 Touchdowns - Interceptions + First Downs - Sacks .5 Rushing Yards - Rushing Attempts + 5 Rushing Touchdowns + Rushing First downs - Lost Fumbles Running Backs + 5 Rushing Touchdowns + .5 Rushing Yards - Rushing Attempts + Rushing First downs - 5 Rushing Fumbles + Receptions + .5 Receiving Yards + 5 Receiving Touchdowns + Receiving First Downs - 5 Receiving Fumbles Wide Receivers/Tight Ends 5 Touchdowns +.5 Receiving Yards + Receptions + First Downs - 5 Fumbles

Chances are you saw a majority of the thirteen games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Five, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the first weekend of October. We will also showcase each game's top FIC* (field impact counter) performers using RealGM editor Chris Reina's innovative statistical system and calculate each team?s Trench Counter**. Washington 23, Philadelphia 17 Team Trench Counter: Redskins +6.5, Eagles -6.5 The Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) jumped out to a very quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Washington Redskins (4-1) had the last laugh on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Brian Westbrook scored on a 9-yard run on Philadelphia?s first possession, and then DeSean Jackson returned a punt 68 yards after a three-and-out on Washington?s first drive. The Redskins hung around, thanks to spotless defense and three field goals through the remainder of the first half, and remained hot in the third and fourth quarters. Washington took a 16-14 lead on an 18-yard pass by Antwaan Randle El to tight end Chris Cooley and put the game away on a 4-yard touchdown run by Clinton Portis in the fourth. David Akers kicked a field goal midway through the quarter to pull the Eagles to within a score, but for the second-straight week they couldn?t reach the end zone late. Donovan McNabb, 17-for-29 with 196 yards, and Jason Campbell, 16-for-29 with 176 yards, were nearly identical, but the latter was able to come away with the victory. Brian Westbrook, who started but missed time with a chest injury, has 86 total yards while Portis burned Philadelphia?s usually stout rush defense for 145 yards. Neither team committed a turnover. Game FIC Scores - Jason Campbell, WAS: 15 - Donovan McNab, PHI: 18 - Clinton Portis, WAS: 57 - Brian Westbrook, PHI: 41 - Reggie Brown, PHI: 46 - Chris Cooley, WAS: 68 N.Y. Giants 44, Seattle 6 Team Trench Counter: Giants +26.4, Seahawks -26.4 The New York Giants (4-0) looked even better without Plaxico Burress on Sunday than they did in the first three games of the season with the elite receiver. The Giants drubbed the Seahawks (1-3) in East Rutherford thanks to the tremendous play of both Eli Manning and running back Brandon Jacobs. Manning went 19-for-25 with 267 yards and a pair of touchdown, with backup David Carr going 1-for-1 with 5 yards and a touchdown in garbage time near the end of the game. Jacobs rushed fifteen times for 136 yards and two scores in the victory. Matt Hasselbeck continued to struggle, going 11-for-21 with 105 yards and an interception, as the Seattle offense had a very difficult time moving against New York. Receiver Deion Branch made his season debut for the team, grabbing three passes for 31 yards, but had to leave in the second half with an injury to his foot. Julius Jones rushed for 61 yards on seventeen carries for the Seahawks, who went 1-for-11 on third down. Giants' receivers Domenik Hixon, four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Sinorice Moss, four catches for 45 yards and two scores, played terrific in the absence of the suspended Burress. Game FIC Scores - Eli Manning, NYG: 35 - Matt Hasselbeck, SEA: 6 - Brandon Jacosbs, NYG: 69 - Julius Jones, SEA: 21 - Derrick Ward, NYG: 20 - Domenik Hixon, NYG: 60 - Bobby Engram, SEA: 39 - Sinorice Moss, NYG: 37 - Amani Toomer, NYG: 36 Miami 17, San Diego 10 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +15.3, Chargers -15.3 The Miami Dolphins (2-2) have already won more games than they did in the entire 2007 season after they defeated the San Diego Chargers (2-3) at home on Sunday. Chad Pennington managed a terrific game, going 22-for-29 with 228 yards and a touchdown, while Ronnie Brown had 125 yards and a score of his own on the ground. Brown scored on a 5-yard run on a direct snap in the second quarter, the team?s new go-to play, giving Miami a 17-3 lead. The Dolphins? defense didn?t force any turnovers, but they sacked Philip Rivers twice and held LaDainian Tomlinson in check. Rivers went 13-for-28 with 159 yards and a touchdown while Tomlinson ran for just 35 yards on twelve attempts. Rivers connected with former-Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers for a 17-yard score in the third quarter, but San Diego wasn?t able to score again as Miami held on for their second-straight victory. Greg Camarillo was the game?s leading receiver with six catches for 68 yards, including a 17-yard strike from Pennington that gave the Dolphins the lead in the second quarter. Game FIC Scores - Chad Pennington, MIA: 26 - Philip Rivers, SD: 14 - Ronnie Brown, MIA: 49 - LaDainian Tomlinson, SD: 22 - Ted Ginn Jr, MIA: 35 - Vincent Jackson, SD: 30 - Anthony Fasano, MIA: 27 - Antonio Gates, SD: 7 Indianapolis 31, Houston 27 Team Trench Counter: Texans +3.1, Colts -3.1 The Indianapolis Colts (2-2) stormed back with seventeen points in the final four minutes as they knocked off the Houston Texans (0-4) at Reliant Stadium. Sage Rosenfels, who started in place of ill quarterback Matt Schaub, went 21-for-33 with 246 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in the loss while rookie running back Steve Slaton tore up the Colts? defense for 93 yards and two trips to the end zone. Andre Johnson, Rosenfels? top target, caught nine passes for 131 yards and a score as Houston took a 27-10 lead into the final five minutes of the game. Peyton Manning, who looked confused in the first half, finished the game with 247 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on 25-for-34 passing in the comeback win. Joseph Addai had 71 rushing yards and a score, but it was the defense that got Indianapolis back in the game with the clock seemingly against them. After Manning hooked up with Tom Santi in the end zone with 4:04 left, linebacker Gary Brackett forced a fumble by Rosenfels and returned it 68 yards for a quick score. Three plays later, Robert Mathis forced another fumble, which set up a quick connection between Manning and Reggie Wayne to give the Colts a 31-27 win. Game FIC Scores - Peyton Manning, IND: 31 - Sage Rosenfels, HOU: 27 - Steve Slaton, HOU: 43 - Joseph Addai, IND: 26 - Andre Johnson, HOU: 80 - Reggie Wayne, IND: 61 - Dallas Clark, IND: 46 - Owen Daniels, HOU: 29 Atlanta 27, Green Bay 24 Team Trench Counter: Falcons +8.1, Packers -8.1 Aaron Rodgers? shoulder didn?t seem to bother him, but a late interception cost the Green Bay Packers (2-3) against the Atlanta Falcons (3-2). Rodgers went 25-for-37 with 313 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while rookie Matt Ryan went 16-for-26 with 194 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception of his own. With the Packers trailing 20-17 midway through the fourth, Rodgers was picked off in Green Bay territory. Michael Turner, who had 121 yards on twenty-six carries, scored on a 2-yard run after the interception to give Atlanta a two-possession lead with 3:35 left in the game. Rodgers led the offense down the field quickly, going 72 yards for a touchdown in 1:39, to trim the Falcons? lead to just three points, but the Packers couldn?t recover an attempted onside kick. Turner then ran on three-straight plays, earning a first down, and Ryan kneeled twice to end the game. Game FIC Scores - Aaron Rodgers, GB: 41 - Matt Ryan, ATL: 29 - Michael Turner, ATL: 40 - Ryan Grant, GB: 24 - Roddy White, ATL: 79 - Greg Jennings, GB: 53 Chicago 34, Detroit 7 Team Trench Counter: Bears +16.4, Lions -16.4 The Chicago Bears (3-2) routed the Detroit Lions (0-4) on Sunday at Ford Field, thanks to tremendous play by their defense and quarterback Kyle Orton. The Chicago defense had four sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble against Detroit while limiting the Lions to just 185 yards of total offense. Orton went 24-for-34 with 334 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Devin Hester and Matt Forte for the scores. Forte, who had 61 total yards, added a rushing touchdown in the victory. Rookie running back Kevin Smith was the lone star for the Lions, with 56 total yards and the team?s only touchdown. Jon Kitna was 8-for-16 with 74 yards before he was forced out of the game with back spasms at halftime. He was replaced by Dan Orlovsky, who went 13-for-23 with 97 yards and an interception while leading the Lions on their only scoring drive near the end of the third quarter. The Bears did, however, intercept Orlovsky on his second pass attempt, with Charles Tillman bringing the ball all the way back for a 26-yard score. Game FIC Scores - Kyle Orton, CHI: 45 - Dan Orlovsky, DET: 6 - Jon Kitna, DET: 1 - Matt Forte, CHI: 30 - Kevin Smith, DET: 29 - Roy Williams, DET: 55 - Rashied Davis, CHI: 55 - Calvin Johnson, DET: 10 Carolina 34, Kansas City 0 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +26.2, Chiefs -26.2 The Carolina Panthers (4-1) soundly defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (1-4) on Sunday after dominating in all facets of the game. Jake Delhomme went 14-for-22 with 236 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while DeAngelo Williams ran for 123 yards and a pair of scores. Williams also caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme in the second quarter. Carolina?s defense notched three sacks, two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles, as they held Kansas City to just 127 total yards. Damon Huard went 10-for-21 with just 86 yards and two interceptions while Tyler Thigpen went 5-for-10 with 37 yards in the fourth quarter. Larry Johnson had just two yards on seven carries, and the Chiefs managed just 25 total rushing yards on seventeen attempts. Dwayne Bowe caught five passes for 57 yards, and tight end Tony Gonzalez made history, becoming the NFL?s all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end with 10,075 for his career. Game FIC Scores - Jake Delhomme, CAR: 30 - Damon Huard, KC: -1 - DeAngelo Williams, CAR: 70 - Larry Johnson, KC: -6 - Steve Smith, CAR: 54 - Dwayne Bowe, KC: 34 Tennessee 13, Baltimore 10 Team Trench Counter: Titans -6.7, Ravens +6.7 The Tennessee Titans (5-0) stormed back in the fourth quarter to knock off the Baltimore Ravens (2-2) and keep their perfect record intact. Kerry Collins went 17-for-32 with163 yards and two interceptions, and a timely touchdown strike to Alge Crumpler with 1:56 left in the game that gave the Titans the three-point win. The Ravens kept Tennessee?s ground game in check, holding Chris Johnson and LenDale White to just 48 combined yards as defense dominated the game. Rookie Joe Flacco went 18-for-27 with 153 yards and two interceptions while Willis McGahee (64 yards) and Le?Ron McClain (51 yards and a touchdown) moved the ball well on the ground. The two teams combined for 316 total yards in the game, less than a good number of teams did themselves in Week Five. Each team punted four times, with Matt Stover?s missed 45-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter weighing heavily in the outcome of the game. Game FIC Scores - Kerry Collins, TEN: 14 - Joe Flacco, BAL: 13 - Le'Ron McClain, BAL: 28 - Chris Johnson, TEN: 8 Denver 16, Tampa Bay 13 Team Trench Counter: Broncos -2.9, Buccaneers +2.9 The Denver Broncos (4-1) held on for a big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) at Invesco Field on Sunday afternoon. Jay Cutler wasn?t terrific, but he did enough, going 23-for-34 with 227 yards and a touchdown, to help lead the Broncos to victory. Michael Pittman and Selvin Young combined for 77 rushing yards while Brandon Stokley led Denver with six catches for 52 yards and a score in their three-point win over the defensively-oriented Buccaneers. Brian Griese, who went 13-for-19 with 88 yards, was replaced by Jeff Garcia after injuring his arm. Garcia went 13-for-17 with 93 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in the close loss. Griese replaced Garcia as the starter after the team?s season-opener, and it was rumored that Tampa Bay was looking to rid themselves of Garcia soon after. Warrick Dunn and Earnest Graham tallied 133 yards on the ground, but the Bucs ran out of time as the Broncos got the ball with less than two minutes left and recorded a pair of first downs to preserve their lead. Game FIC Scores - Jay Cutler, DEN: 30 - Jeff Garcia, TB: 16 - Brian Griese, TB: 6 - Warrick Dunn, TB: 36 - Earnest Graham, TB: 35 - Michael Pittman, DEN: 27 - Brandon Stokley, DEN: 37 - Brandon Marshall, DEN: 16 - Tony Scheffler, DEN: 37 New England 30, San Francisco 21 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +11.3, 49ers -11.3 The New England Patriots (3-1) erased the memory of their embarrassing loss to the Dolphins in Week Three, thanks to a close win over the San Francisco 49ers (2-3) at Candlestick Park. Matt Cassel went 22-for-32 with 259 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, probably not enough to prove that he?s the man over rookie Kevin O?Connell with rumors swirling that the Patriots are close to making a quarterback change. Luckily for Cassel, New England ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns, both by Kevin Faulk, and the defense kept the 49ers from exploding. J.T O?Sullivan went 14-for-29 with 130 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Frank Gore had 78 total yards and a receiving touchdown while Isaac Bruce caught three passes for 49 yards and a pair of scores. San Francisco sacked Cassel five times but couldn?t keep the Patriots from gaining yards on the ground. Both teams scored three touchdowns, but the difference was the three field goals kicked by Stephen Gostkowski as New England scored on six of their twelve drives. Game FIC Scores - J.T. O'Sullivan, SF: 23 - Matt Cassel, NE: 22 - Frank Gore, SF: 36 - Kevin Faulk, NE: 38 - Randy Moss, NE: 66 - Isaac Bruce, SF: 38 Dallas 31, Cincinnati 22 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +8.8, Bengals -8.8 The Dallas Cowboys (4-1) won a surprisingly close game over the Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) on Sunday at Texas Stadium. Tony Romo went 14-for-23 with 176 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while Carson Palmer went 23-for-39 with 217 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception of his own. The difference was on the ground as Felix Jones and Marion Barber combined for 180 yards and a touchdown in the victory. The Bengals managed just 61 yards, between Chris Perry and the recently-signed Cedric Benson, in the game. Palmer hooked up with T.J. Houshmandzadeh midway through the fourth quarter for their second touchdown of the game, bringing the Bengals to without two points of the Cowboys after a failed two-point conversion. On their next possession, Dallas converted twice on third down leading to a 15-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Patrick Crayton that gave the Cowboys a 31-22 lead with less than two minutes remaining. Game FIC Scores - Tony Romo, DAL: 25 - Carson Palmer, CIN: 24 - Felix Jones, DAL: 49 - Marion Barber, DAL: 25 - Terrell Owens, DAL: 41 - TJ Houshmandzadeh, CIN: 60 - Jason Witten, DAL: 53 Arizona 41, Buffalo 17 Team Trench Counter: Cardinals +11.5, Bills -11.5 The Arizona Cardinals (3-2) handed the Buffalo Bills (4-1) their first loss of the season on Sunday after quarterback Trent Edwards went out with a concussion early in the first quarter. J.P. Losman replaced Edwards and played well, but the Buffalo defense was poor for the first time this season. Kurt Warner went 33-for-42 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in the victory while Losman went 15-for-21 with 220 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in the loss. Arizona?s defense was feisty on Sunday, recording five sacks, grabbing an interception and collecting three fumbles. Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower, taking advantage of good field position, combined for 94 yards and three touchdowns against Buffalo?s usually stifling defense. The win gives the Cardinals sole possession of first place in the NFC West while the loss has trimmed Buffalo?s lead in the AFC East to just a half-game. AS the Bills will enjoy a bye in Week Six, they hope Edwards is healthy enough to face San Diego in two weeks. Game FIC Scores - Kurt Warner, ARI: 40 - JP Losman, BUF: 23 - Trent Edwards, BUF: 3 - Tim Hightower, ARI: 28 - Edgerrin James, ARI: 23 - Fred Jackson, BUF: 21 - Marshawn Lynch, BUF: 23 - Steve Breaston, ARI: 46 - Larry Fitzgerald, ARI: 43 - Lee Evans, BUF: 57 Pittsburgh 26, Jacksonville 21 Team Trench Counter: Steelers +9.5, Jaguars -9.5 Despite falling behind early, the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) gritted out a tough win over the rival Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) on Sunday night. Rashean Mathis intercepted Ben Roethlisberger on the first drive of the game, returning the ball 72 yards for a touchdown, but Pittsburgh hung tough and received an unexpected boost from running back Mewelde Moore. Moore rushed for 99 yards with several of Pittsburgh?s running backs out with injuries, and Roethlisberger finished the game 26-for-41 with 309 yards, three touchdowns, and the aforementioned interception. David Garrard went 18-for-32 with 200 yards and a touchdown for the Jaguars, but the Steelers limited Jacksonville to just 38 rushing yards on nineteen attempts. Maurice Jones-Drew gave the Jaguars a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter, but the Steelers answered with thirteen points in the second quarter to take a lead into the half. After a scoreless third, Garrard hooked up with Marcedes Lewis for a 24-yard touchdown that gave Jacksonville a 21-20 edge. However, Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for an 8-yard score with 1:53 left in the game to give the Steelers the victory. Game FIC Scores - Ben Roethlisberger, PIT: 37 - David Garrard, JAC: 21 - Mewelde Moore, PIT: 44 - Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC: 21 - Hines Ward, PIT: 57 - Santonio Holmes, PIT: 37 - Heath Miller, PIT: 33 Minnesota 30, New Orleans 27 Team Trench Counter: Vikings +9.9, Saints -9.9 It took a field goal by Ryan Longwell in the final minute, but the Minnesota Vikings (2-3) defeated the New Orleans Saints (2-3) in Louisiana on Monday night. Gus Frerotte went 19-for-36 with 222 yards and a touchdown, while running back Chester Taylor threw a 4-yard touchdown of his own in the victory. The New Orleans defense held Adrian Peterson in check, limiting him to 32 yards on twenty-one carries. Drew Brees went 26-for-46 with 330 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. Reggie Bush had 93 total yards, and returned an NFL-record two punts for touchdowns for the Saints. Brees gave New Orleans an early lead with a touchdown strike to Devery Henderson, but Antoine Winfield blocked a field goal and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown five minutes later to tie the score. Minnesota took a 20-10 lead into the half, but Bush came to the rescue in the third. He returned a punt 71 yards with 1:46 left in the third and book ended a Martin Gramatica field goal with another touchdown return midway through the fourth. Frerotte answered on the next possession, throwing a 33-yard touchdown to Bernard Berrian to tie the game after missing a play following a rough hit in the backfield. After Gramatica missed a potential game-winning field goal from 46 yards out with 2:04 left on the clock, the Vikings quickly got into field goal range after a 42-yard pass interference call that brought them down to the Saints' fourteen yard line. *The NFL Reina Value **Explaining The Trench Counter

Running back Brian Westbrook was a full participant in practice for the first time in two weeks on Friday and appears likely to play Sunday when the Eagles host the Redskins, according to an Associated Press report.

Redskins' cornerback Byron Westbrook doesn't believe that his brother Brian will play in Sunday's battle between Philadelphia and Washington. Westbrook also hinted that the Eagles may be hiding the severity of the ankle "strain" Brian suffered Sept. 21 against the Steelers. "I'm definitely more optimistic than I was last week," Brian Westbrook said. "I'm close. I'm getting closer daily."