SUNDAY RECAP: NFC STYLE

I apologize for not posting a "Countdown to Gametime" yesterday. The computers were once again down.

Tony Romo- It appears that Dallas should have been starting Romo all year. He's much more elusive at QB than Drew Bledsoe ever was, and he also possesses a very strong arm. He finished 24 for 36 with 270 yards 1 TD and 1 INT. He looked in command all day and established a good rhythm with Jason Witten and Terrell Owens, both of whom had big days. He's a fine fantasy backup QB, and he should be owned in all leagues.

Terrell Owens- T.O. appears to have taken off under new QB Tony Romo. He finished with a season high in both catches (9) and yards (107). The Dallas offense was much more consistent with Romo, and he looked at Owens often throughout the game. It was a shocking win over Carolina, and the Romo to Owens tandem should lead to more wins than originally expected.

Donovan McNabb- Once referred to as an MVP candidate, McNabb had an awful day Sunday as the Eagles suffered a devastating loss to Jacksonville. He finished 18 for 34 with 161 yards in the 13-6 loss. The Eagles are on of the more puzzling team in the NFL, and they face a must win after the bye week against Washington. Regardless of the team's record, McNabb should be started every week.

Donte' Stallworth- In his first game since week 4, Stallworth had 3 catches for 56 yards. The Jacksonville defense shut down the Eagles offense which had been close to unstoppable to first seven weeks. The offense should bounce back and play solid the rest of the season, which means don't take Stallworth out of your lineup.

Brian Westbrook- The Villanova graduate finished with over 100 total yards on Sunday, but the reason he is of note is that he sprained his ankle in the game. Westbrook has the bye to help him recover, but he'll probably be questionable for his week 10 game against Washington. If the Eagles do not run the ball more consistently, they will fail to ever be among the league's elite this season.

Vernand Morency- The Packers backup RB had a breakout game with 101 yards on 11 carries. It would appear that he would steal carries from Ahman Green for the rest of the season, but late in the game he suffered a lower back injury. The injury appears serious, and he should be sidelined for some time.

Ahman Green- Despite the impressive production from Morency, Ahman Green also had an impressive day. Green finished with 106 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. In the past two weeks he has 224 yards and 3 TDs. He appears back to his old form, and with Morency out he should get even more carries. He's a must start against Buffalo next week.

Rex Grossman- If you listened to me and did not over react following Grossman's Monday Night meltdown, you are very happy right now. Rex had a tremendous bounce back game going 23-29 for 252 yards and 3 TDs. Although it was against the 49ers, it was good to see that Grossman showed no ill effects from his game against Arizona.

Thomas Jones- Who didn't have a good game for the Bears on Sunday? Like many others on Chicago, Thomas Jones busted out for a 23 carry 111 yard performance with a TD. IT appears that Jones will hold off Cedric Benson for another year as the Bears starting RB. Ideally, Jones is a third fantasy RB, but with his easy schedule, he could perform well as a second RB.

Michael Vick- Six years later, a giant awoke. We've all been waiting for Vick to compliment his running with adequate passing. His passing has been far more than adequate this season, as yesterday he threw for 291 yards and 3 TDs. Three weeks ago he had never had more than two passing touchdowns in game, but now he has done it in back to back weeks. His next two games are against Detroit and Cleveland, and he should remain you starting QB for the rest of the year, unless he shows any signs of slowing down. If he continues to play this way, he is both one of the most dangerous players in the NFL and fantasy.

Reggie Bush- The rookie RB had his least productive game in the NFL, and it was no coincidence that the Saints lost as a result of this. Late in the game, Bush injured his ankle, but he should be fine for his game next week. One of the most dangerous players in the NFL, still cannot be a viable option for fantasy.

Marques Colston- The leading Rookie of the Year candidate had his best game of the season with 6 catches for 163 yards and 2 TDs. While he's a must start every week in fantasy (especially at TE), one sign of caution is that 3 of his 6 TDs this season, have come late in blowout games with the defense sagged off. He faces a tough matchup next week against Tampa Bay which held him to 3 three catches for 38 yards in their previous meeting.

Bruce Gradkowski- The Tampa Bay offense was completely shut down by both the swirling winds and the swarming Giants defense. Gradkowski showed why he cannot be considered in fantasy leagues as he finished 20 for 48 with 139 yards. His receivers did not help him at all as they dropped numerous balls, but Gradkowski is basically just managing the game at this point of his career.

Jake Delhomme- It was a very sloppy game by the Panthers on Sunday night, and Jake Delhomme's play was one of the main reasons they were upset at home. Delhomme finished with 149 yards, an INT, and a lost fumble. Everytime Carolina was trying to get back in the game they either dropped a pass, fumbled, or threw an interception. It wouldn't wise to start Delhomme until he shows that can put up consistent performances.

Seneca Wallace- The backup QB for Seattle performed about as well as expected. He finished 15 for 30 with 198 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. He made several poor decisions, and if he played a smarter game, Seattle may have won. The Seahawks play a vastly underrated Oakland defense next week, and he's not really worth a roster spot.

Maurice Morris- Once upon a time, there were people on the Maurice Morris bandwagon who believed he was the best backup in the league. Well those people are very quiet now. Morris rushed for 25 yards on 12 carries. The Seahawks can't wait for Alexander to get back as they have virtually no running game currently.

Steven Jackson- All week long we heard that Steven Jackson would be getting more touches. While he didn't have a substantial rise in touches he did have a very good game going for 84 yards on the ground an a TD. The Rams offense is possibly the best in the NFC and all of their starters could bust out any week.

Frank Gore- It appeared that Gore would be in for a tough day against the Bears, but he finished with a very respectable 12 carries for 111 yards. He's become a top 10 fantasy RB in a 49ers offense that has vastly improved from last season.

Matt Leinart- After the performance on Monday Night against the Bears, Leinart appeared NFL ready, but after two lackluster performances that appears far from the case. Leinart was able to only throw for 157 yards and a TD against a Packers defense that gave up over 400 yards passing to Joey Harrington. Leinart should only be owned in deep fantasy leagues until he shows some signs of promise.

Edgerrin James- Edge had one of his most productive games of the season going for 84 yards on 24 carries and scoring a TD. This performance was his best in weeks, but does not appear to be a sign of him turning things around. Sadly, if you were looking to trade him, this could be his highest value all season.