It may be early still, but I am going to name my 2009 NFL All-Rookie Team.
Quarterback : Matthew Stafford - The Lions set a NFL rookie record with five touchdown passes in one game, which also tied a team record. He leads all rookie quarterbacks in attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes, and passing yards per game.
Running Back : Knowshon Moreno - The Broncos first round draft pick leads all NFL rookies with 688 yards so far.
Running Back : LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia - The Eagles second round draft pick has 528 rushing yards while playing a part time role much of the season until recently.
Wide Receiver : Percy Harvin, Minnesota - The Vikings first round pick does a bit of everything. He has 42 receptions, 91 yards on 11 carries, and five touchdowns.
Wide Receiver : Austin Collie, Indianapolis - The Colts fourth round draft pick has been a huge help towards the Colts undefeated season. He leads all rookies with 43 catches and has four touchdowns already.
Tight End : Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit - Despite missing two games, the Lions second first round draft pick leads all rookie tight ends with 30 receptions and has two scores.
Tackle : Michael Oher, Baltimore - He has started in all games. Mostly at right tackle for Baltimore this year, and including a few at left tackle when incumbent Jared Gaither was hurt. He shut down All-Pro Jared Allen one game, and has been largely spectacular most of the season.
Tackle : Eben Britton, Jacksonville - The second round draft pick has started in every game he has played, missing one from injury. He and first round pick Eugene Monroe should bookend each other for a long time.
Guard : Louis Vasquez, San Diego - Despite missing weeks two and three from injury, this third round pick has started every game and is a big part of the Bolts resurgence.
Guard : Andy Levitre, Buffalo - The second round pick has started all games for the Bills, and recently showed his versatility by moving to left tackle to replace the injured Demetrius Bell for awhile. He and fellow rookie guard Eric Wood, the first round pick who started every game until he broke his leg week ten, should anchor the Bills trenches for years.
Center : Alex Mack, Cleveland - He has struggled at times, but his future appears bright. He has started every game for the Browns so far.
Defensive Tackle : Roy Miller, Tampa Bay - The third round pick has 25 tackles and two sacks so far.
Defensive Tackle : Terrance Knighton, Jacksonville - The Jags third round draft pick leads all rookie defensive linemen with 29 tackles.
Defensive End : Matt Shaughnessy, Oakland - The Raiders third round draft pick has 16 tackles and two sacks.
Defensive End : Everette Brown, Carolina - The first round draft choice has 15 tackes, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks.
Outside Linebacker : Brian Orakpo, Washington - The Redskins first round draft pick leads all rookies with seven sacks, which is also the 12th most in the league.
Outside Linebacker : Brian Cushing, Houston - The first round pick leads all rookies with 99 tackles, which is the fifth most in the league. He also has recorded a safety, three interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and defended 12 passes.
Middle Linebacker : James Laurinaitis, Saint Louis - The Rams second round draft pick is second amongst all rookies with 85 tackles, which is the 12th most overall. He also has two interceptions and a sack.
Safety : Louis Delmas, Detroit - The Lions second round pick is third in rookie tackles with 61 tackles, and he has a sack, interception, and touchdown off of a fumble recovery.
Safety : Jarius Byrd, Buffalo - The Bills second round draft pick is leading the NFL with eight interceptions.
Cornerback : Jacob Lacey, Indianapolis - The undrafted free agent, along with third round pick Jerraud Powers, might be the most valuable rookies to the Colts. Both were thrown into the starting lineup after injuries decimated the secondary. He is fifth amongst rookies with 56 tackles, Powers is fourth with 58, and he has an interception and 11 passes defended.
Cornerback : Vontae Davis, Miami - The first round draft pick has two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and he and fellow rookie Dolphin CB Sean Smith appear to have the staring jobs locked up for years ahead.
Kick Returner : Percy Harvin - He has two touchdowns already, which leads the NFL, as does his 29.8 per return average.
Punt Returner : Quan Cosby, Cincinnati - The undrafted free agent is second in the NFL with 30 returns, and third with 335 yards. His 11.2 yards per return leads all rookies.
Kicker : Ryan Succop, Chiefs - The seventh round selection leads all rookies with 65 points, and has missed just four kicks, one from being blocked, all season.
Punter : Kevin Huber, Cincinnati - The Bengals fifth round choice leads all rookies with 54 punts for 2,453 yards, as well as 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Now on with my week 13 picks.
I went 8 - 5 last week, dropping me to 109 - 50.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons
Both teams are in desperation mode right now. A loss will cripple their playoff hopes. The difference is that Atlanta is hurting at quarterback and running back right now.
Eagles 34 Falcons 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
The Bucs are not a great team, but their coaching issues a big part of the problem. Carolina has underachieved all season. Some Panther fans are happy that Matt Moore may start at quarterback this week, while others think it won't matter. Moore is an unknown X-factor, due to his throwing only 69 balls in three years. A toss up, but thinking promising Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman will get the win.
Buccaneers 17 Panthers 16
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
Miami has had some positives this year. They got their young quarterback playing experience, and witnessed the rebirth of running back Ricky Williams. Unfortunately, the Patriots will be too much to handle for the Phins.
Patriots 26 Dolphins 16
Saint Louis Rams @ Chicago Bears
Running back Steven Jackson is beat up and hurting, but the Rams keep giving him the ball. A big reason is that he is their only weapon, and he is second in the NFL in rushing yards right now. Chicago is in a turmoil of their own, and fans are calling for massive changes from the coaching staff to the roster. This is a game Bears QB Jay Cutler steps up.
Bears 23 Rams 17
Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals need this win bad to maintain a hold of the AFC North. Detroit should consider shutting down prized rookie Matthew Stafford for the year, because he is beat up.
Bengals 27 Lions 13
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are undefeated for a few reasons besides talent. They are reliant and never quit. Titans QB Vince Young has rallied the team to five straight wins, with running back Chris Johnson a big reason behind it. If Johnson gets off in this game, like he has been doing all season, the Titans have a good chance to deal the Colts that first loss of 2009.
Titans 26 Colts 24
Oakland Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Raiders have recently shown a little improvement on offense after a quarterback change. It still isn't enough to deal with an angry and desperate Pittsburgh team clinging to playoff hopes.
Steelers 31 Raiders 13
New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins
I expect a very good Redskins defense to keep this close, but Washington can never close out a game because of terrible coaching.
Saints 26 Redskins 20
San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns
The Bolts are missing three starters on defense, but they have good depth. Their offense has been on fire lately, and will be too much for the worst team in football.
Chargers 41 Browns 9
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
Denver is still very much in control of their playoff destiny, but they need to keep winning to stay ahead of teams nipping at their heels. Kansas City is not one of those teams.The Chiefs are trying to finish strong, so it won't be an easy win for Denver.
Broncos 23 Chiefs 17
Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
After losing their last three games, Houston has pretty much buried their playoff hopes. They either rally this week or go home. Jacksonville was absolutely horrible last week in their loss to the 49ers, and this inconsistency has been the theme of the young team all year.
Texans 27 Jaguars 24
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Dallas needs this win to keep a game ahead of the Eagles for the race to the NFC East crown. The Giants lose this week, they are pretty much done. The Jints have failed to dominate the trenches lately, and Dallas needs to take advantage of that.
Cowboys 31 Giants 23
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
The Niners still have faint hopes in winning their division, while Seattle does not. San Francisco is better in the trenches, and they should ride running back Frank Gore's back to victory.
49ers 27 Seahawks 20
Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals
Game Of The Week
This is a scrum that sees two record setting quarterbacks with a Super Bowl ring in their resume. Minnesota has an excellent defense, so Arizona must run the ball well to give balance to their offensive attack. The Cardinals have a good defense themselves, and both can be explosive on special teams. The sharpness of Cards QB Kurt Warner will be key.
Cardinals 38 Vikings 34
Baltimore Ravens @ Green Bay Packers
This will be a very fun game to watch. The defensive weakness of the Ravens is pass defense, which is the Packers strength. The Packers have a good defense, but their offensive line is the key to this game. Baltimore has a very good front seven, and that should make the difference.
Ravens 27 Packers 23
NFL Power Rankings
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. New England Patriots
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. San Diego Chargers
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Denver Broncos
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Arizona Cardinals
14. Atlanta Falcons
15. Tennessee Titans
16. New York Giants
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Miami Dolphins
19. San Francisco 49ers
20. Houston Texans
21. New York Jets
22. Seattle Seahawks
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Chicago Bears
25. Kansas City Chiefs
26. Oakland Raiders
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Redskins
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31. Saint Louis Rams
32. Cleveland Browns
2 comments:
Hard to rate tackles when you don't see them all, but Phil Loadholt has been pretty good in MN as well.
I like what Harvin and Collie have done to the receiving units for their teams. I had Harvin as the most exciting player coming out of college last year, and he's a good all-around player indeed.
Stafford, if anything, has sure shown his toughness in a blue collar town like Detroit. They might finally have a good quarterback there.
Post a Comment