It was an interesting week in the NFL, with whole divisions either winning or losing together, and that is only the half of it. Some of the rookies played extremely well, others played terribly, while many, like Colt McCoy were happy just to leave with their heads intact. Im kind of surprised things are turning out the way they are, but either way, we are heading down the stretch with some very important games on the menu.

Sam Bradford (SCU Rookie of the Week, again)

I don’t think anyone is playing on the level that Sam Bradford is, at least in terms of the rookie crop. Chris Long was on Rome today talking about how important he is to the team, and I 100% agree. Bradford played great against a Chargers team that was supposed to be in or around the Super Bowl this year, and came away with a win. St Louis has already eclipsed its win total from last year, and with Bradford at the helm, they looked primed for a few others. His cards are performing as expected, but Tebow is still keeping pace. Someone needs to explain that one to me, because it is ludicrious to think that anyone should be carrying half of the value that Bradford is so far.

Colt McCoy

I was shocked to see that McCoy was being forced onto the field as fast as he was. Surpsingly, he didn’t play all that horribly, despite throwing a pick on the first drive of the game. McCoy settled in and threw for an impressive 281 yards on 23 completions, something that I think shocked even the Steelers. He managed a TD pass as well, which was a nice completion to Ben Watson, but did throw another interception later in the game. He at least showed he deserved to be on the field, and Im sure the Browns were happy they kept him. They did get blown out, but it could have been A LOT worse.

Tim Tebow

Who is the only big name QB not to get a start so far? You guessed it. Tebow was given a little more of a chance this Sunday, even though all of his plays were called rushing plays. He got into the endzone, which was covered nationally by Yahoo and just about every other news source, despite the fact that they lost. I thought it was pretty funny that every time they showed the highlight, the annoucers were talking about how good of a kid he is. Either way, his cards started jumping the minute he crossed the goal line, even to the point that they were on the same level as the front runner for the ROY.

Dez Bryant

Although the Cowboys lost in epic failure fashion to my Vikings, Bryant caught a nice TD pass on a bobble that showed some talent. It was his only catch of the game and was quickly forgotten when he drained a good 10 seconds off the clock late in the fourth quarter by not knowing to go down immediately after being hit. Bryant has a long way to go, and I would easily say he has to prove it quickly or the Cowboys are going to have more problems than they already do.

Jahvid Best

Its beginning to show that Best is severely hampered by the team he plays for, and his production completely reflects that. Best had 12 carries for 16 yards which must not have been very pleasing for the people who started him this week on their teams. His cards will continue to carry nice price tags because of his initial production, but I doubt they will go up until Stafford gets back on the field and gives him more of a chance.

Ryan Mathews

The guy was going at a 5 yard per carry clip, but San Diego still went completely the opposite direction. I think that the team has MAJOR issues in terms of both coaching and ownership, so its going to be awhile before Mathews is used correctly. Mike Tolbert continues to get the goal line carries for some reason, it will be interesting to see if that continues. His cards have been on a continued downswing, and that is where I have jumped on a few. Not a bad investment at the price he is at now.

Mike Williams

Tampa Bay had problems breaking through against the Saints, and Williams didn’t help much. He had 45 yards receiving, but was held without a score for the first time in a while.Williams is still a top contender for the ROY, and will continue to be so as long as he keeps bringing it like he has.

Aaron Hernandez

If there was one guy who was quietly being a complete beast, its Aaron Hernandez. The guy has put up numbers despite being the second tight end, and that is pretty impressive. The Pats love them guys like Hernandez, and its always less than shocking to see bit players doing well there.

Dexter McCluster

McCluster wowed early on, but has done very little since. In a high scoring game, he was barely a factor, and that is where collectors should be worried. KC was going all over Houston, and McCluster barely touched the ball. People still value him as the top Group B rookie, and I just don’t think its warranted any more.

The Rookie Graveyard

Jimmy Clausen – when Colt McCoy can come in and do what he did against the Steelers, Clausen’s pile of acceptable excuses gets smaller.

Ryan Mathews – I see now that its more of a team issue than anything, but he has done nothing so far.

CJ Spiller – Buffalo was off this week, but Spiller will need to come back with a vengence to earn the value he has gotten.

Matchups to Watch

Colt McCoy vs the Saints – If he plays, this will be interesting.

Ryan Mathews vs the Patriots – A tough defense could provide a place to shine if he does well.

Sam Bradford vs the Bucs – This could be the time to set your auction to complete after.

Jimmy Clausen vs the Niners – Again, see above.