SUNDAY RECAP: NFC STYLE

I apologize for not posting on Sunday, October 15th. The internet was down and it was impossible to update the blog.

Tiki Barber- We saw another one of those huge rushing days for Tiki that we have become so accustomed to the last few seasons. It was very promising to see Tiki have 185 yards rushing against a very good Atlanta defense. It's very discouraging to owners that he does not have a TD this year, but he should finish with about 5 or 6, which means a strong second half.

Jeremy Shockey- This was a very unexpected performance for one of the league's best TEs. Shockey had the slowest start of his career and came into the game with several nagging injuries. Despite all this, he was able to have his first multi-TD game of his career. As long as he's healthy, he's always a must start.

Terrell Owens- This will probably be the quietest and happiest week in Dallas all year. With three TDs on Sunday, Owens officially broke out. He had only five catches for 45 yards, but three of them were TDs. This can't be expected every week because he's not playing Houston every week, but it appears like he may be at the start of a nice groove.

Reggie Brown- Speaking of Owens, his old teammate also busted out on Sunday. Reggie Brown, who was supposed to be the big play WR before Stallworth came, is finding that role again. He finished the game yesterday with 121 receiving yards and 2 total TDs. The Eagles clearly love throwing the ball, and he is becoming a WR 1 with production like this.

Kevin Jones- After having a very disappointing sophomore season, Jones is having a very solid bounce back year. He topped 100 for the first time all year yesterday and also scored a TD. Against a good defense, Jones will surely struggle, but if you rotate him in versus good matchups, he won't disappoint you.

Roy Williams- Another Lion who had a big game on Sunday was their star WR. He showed no ill effects from his neck injury as he totaled 10 catches for 161 yards and a TD. He claims he was only 75%, and if this is true, his owners can't wait till 100%. The Lions were 1/3 on 1st round WRs, and Roy has become a top 10 WR in the NFL.

Drew Brees- Lost in the addition of Reggie Bush is how important the addition of Drew Brees has been to the Saints. In six weeks he has 8 TDs and 3 INTs, while also having a terrific completion percentage. He performed well again on Sunday and finally established a rhythm with Joe Horn. The Saints face some tougher defenses coming up, but Brees should still be a solid starting QB. Watching Scott Rolen tail off at the end of the season could be a concern for Drew Brees owners because Role and Brees had similar shoulder injuries. If you can get good value for him do it, but don't push it.

Bruce Gradkowski- Numbers wise, it was not a too impressive game for the Bucs rookie QB. He finished just 25 for 44 with 184 yards, two TDs, and 1 INT. However, his leadership to lead the Bucs down field for the win was important to see. He doesn't appear to be a rookie the way he plays. He's far smarter than most rookies and shows a lot of poise. In fantasy terms, he's an average backup QB, but it appears he may push Chris Simms out of Tampa Bay.

Steve Smith- Wow. Smith declared before the game he was 100% for the first time all year and then tore apart the feared Ravens defense. He finished with 189 yards and a TD. If he can do this against Baltimore, imagine what he'll do against far inferior defenses. Smith and Torry Holt appear to be the league's best wideouts.

Jake Delhomme- Out of everyone on Carolina, Delhomme is the happiest to see that Steve Smith has returned. Delhomme threw an interception for the first time since week one, but his career high 365 yards overshadowed this fact. Delhomme should regain the status everyone projected as the season progresses. If you stuck with him, congratulate yourself.

Michael Vick- The offensive line gave their QB no time to throw all day, which resulted in a very lackluster performance from Vick. He should have had a much better day as Michael Jenkins and Roddy White both dropped would be touchdowns. The Giants defense had a great gameplan against Vick and Pittsburgh should follow their scheme. Vick is too inconsistent to be an every week start.

Marc Bulger- Everyone doubted Bulger after injuries and the departure of Mike Martz, but Bulger has really thrived under the offense of Scott Linehan. Bulger has ascended to a top 5 QB in fantasy. His schedule becomes harder the rest of the way, but there's no reason to believe that he won't finish with a career year.

Torry Holt- The Rams WR has exploded this year under Linehan and become the best WR in fantasy football. With three more touchdowns on Sunday, Holt has 7 though 6 weeks. His touchdown pace will most likely slow down, but the Rams looks like a pass first offense again which only bodes well for Holt's numbers. His catches yesterday were some of the most impressive in recent memory.

Alex Smith- One of the more surprising stories this season has been the terrific play of second year QB Alex Smith. It seems to be going relatively unnoticed, but Smith has been deadly accurate while throwing for eight touchdowns compared to four interceptions. After a horrible rookie season it appeared the Niners had made a mistake, but Smith and his small hands are off to a great start in a surprisingly high scoring Niners offense.

Matt Hasselbeck- With virtually no running game, Matt Hasselbeck was able to tear apart the Rams defense for 268 yards and three TDs. He doesn't even have all his weapons with Jeremy Stevens and Shaun Alexander out, but Hasselbeck looked dominant on Sunday. I projected that he would turn things around, and this is the beginning of a great rest of the season.

Deion Branch- The newly acquired WR had his first great performance of the year with 76 yards and two TDs. It appears that him and Hasselbeck are very comfortable with each other, and he should be productive for the rest of the season. With so many option on offense, he may not get yards or TDs every week though.

Maurice Morris- People have been high on Morris for some time now, but when given the chance to start he has not performed. He had 23 carries for 74 yards and a key fumble. The Seahawks don't seem very comfortable with him, and he's a better backup than he is a starter in this league.