Ultimately though, Manning got one final chance to lead his team to victory, and while achieving four personal milestones against the Falcons, the Giants’ offensive leader attained something that meant more than any individual accomplishment: guiding the Giants to an all-important 34-31 victory in overtime, moving New York (6-4) ahead of the team it beat on Sunday, in the race for the NFC playoffs.

Though Manning had one of the best all-around games of his career, it didn’t begin that way. Following completions, each for double digit yardage, on his first two passes, Manning was sacked. Two plays later, he threw his only interception of the game, before heading to the sideline under a chorus of boos from impatient Giant fans who were antsy at the outset as to whether their team could regain its winning form.

However, after an Atlanta three-and-out, Manning and the Giants got things going offensively on their next possession, going 64 yards on twelve plays in 6:10, taking a 3-0 lead on a 39 yard-field goal by Lawrence Tynes with 2:54 left in the opening quarter.

The Falcons responded though, driving 65 yards on nine plays, taking a 7-3 lead 1:02 into the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run, the first of two scores on the day by running back Jason Snelling (25 rushes, 76 yards), who was the only back who carried the ball for Atlanta with star rusher Michael Turner and also much less used Jerious Norwood each missing the game with injuries (quarterback Matt Ryan had the only other five Atlanta carries, for 14 yards).

The Giants then drove 54 yards to the Atlanta 13, but Tynes missed a 31-yard field goal.

But Manning, who finished the game completing 25 of 39 passes for a career-high 384 yards, marking his first-ever 300-yard game at home, went to work after a sack by New York linebacker Michael Boley completed another Atlanta three-and-out.

The Giants took over at their own 48-yard line after a Falcons’ punt, and moved back to their own 42 after an offensive holding penalty, but it took Manning just two big passes to score from there.

First, he found rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for 30 yards to the Atlanta, and on the next play, he hit tight end Kevin Boss, for the first of three Manning touchdown passes and the first of two scores by Boss. The powerful, 6-foot-6, 250-pound target caught the ball along the right sideline and made a nice sudden stop at the 6-yard line to keep from going out of bounds. That allowed the Falcons’ defense to over pursue Boss a bit, so he could take advantage and get into the end zone to give the Giants a 10-7 lead with 7:01 remaining in the first half.

Atlanta then drove into New York territory but kicker Jason Elam missed a 35-yard field goal with 2:51 left in the opening half.

Later, a couple of Giant defensive ends gave Manning and the New York offense another great opportunity to score, and Manning and Boss delivered again.

Justin Tuck forced a Ryan fumble which was recovered by Osi Umenyiora at the Atlanta 35-yard line. That led to a four-yard touchdown strike from Manning to Boss six plays later. Boss caught the ball in traffic, in the middle of the end zone, putting the Giants ahead 17-7, just fourteen seconds before halftime.

The Falcons quickly got back in the game though, as Snelling scored again, this time from one yard out, pulling Atlanta to within 17-14 just 3:17 into the third quarter.

But on the next possession, the Falcons again couldn’t stop the Giants’ passing game (which accounted for 368 of New York’s 456 total yards and 19 of the Giants’ 24 first downs) as Manning threw a beautiful ball, leading wide receiver Steve Smith (4 catches, 79 yards) on a 51-yard completion to the Falcons’ 23-yard line. Four plays later, with two Atlanta penalties on consecutive plays mixed in, running back Brandon Jacobs (held to just 39 yards on 12 carries) scored on a two-yard run to give the Giants a 24-14 lead with 8:36 left in the third quarter.

The Falcons trimmed the Giants’ lead to 24-17 after an Elam 25-yard field goal capped an 18-play drive with 1:57 remaining in the third period, but again Manning was unstoppable, taking the Giants 74 yards on nine plays in 4:49 for their final touchdown of the game.

After completing to wide receiver Mario Manningham (6 catches for a game-high 126 yards) for 27 yards and finding Boss for another 18 yards, Manning finished the drive with a three-yard scoring toss to one of seven different receivers he hooked up with on the day, fullback Madison Hedgecock. The first score of the season for Hedgecock gave the Giants a seemingly comfortable 31-17 lead with 12:08 to go in the game.

The Falcons however, wouldn’t go quietly. Ryan (26 of 46 for 268 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions), who also completed to seven different players, drove Atlanta 65 yards in twelve plays, throwing to a four-yard scoring pass to undrafted wide receiver Eric Weems out of Bethune-Cookman, pulling the Falcons to within 31-24, with 6:01 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Manning then tried to answer again. He connected with Boss (five catches, 76 yards) on a 26-yard play to the Giants’ 41 yard-line, but the Giants were stopped on their next three plays (two of them, Manning incompletions), and the Falcons took over after a short 35-yard punt by Giants’ punter Jeff Feagles.

Ryan again drove the Falcons, this time twelve plays for 76 yards in 3:14, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez (game–high eight catches for 72 yards), who pulled Ryan’s pass down between two Giants’ defenders in the middle of the end zone, tying the game 31-31, with just 28 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime.

“I am concerned,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said of his defense, which struggled against the Falcons and has done so since dominating during a 5-0 start.

However, the way Manning was going on Sunday, it was a safe bet that if the Giants won the toss to start the extra session, Ryan wouldn’t get the ball back.

They did, and he didn’t.

On third-and-two from the Giants’ 41 yard-line, Manning noticed the help that was originally on his right side of the field, sneaking back toward the middle. That’s when Manning knew he had Manningham, and sure enough, he lofted a nice over-the-back-shoulder fade pass along the right sideline to Manningham, who caught the ball for a 29-yard gain, streaking to the Atlanta 23.

Three plays later, Tynes knocked a game-winning 36-yard field goal inside the right upright, 3:54 into overtime, to complete the Giants’ first win in exactly six weeks.

Although Manning moved into second place on the Giants’ career completions list (with 1,466) and into third place on the Giants’ all-time passing yards list (with 17,077), it was finally getting back in the win column which he focused on most.

“It’s been a long time, 42 days since our last win,” he said. “It felt like it, too. “There are not many better feelings than in a locker room after a win,” Manning said. “It was good to see the high-fives and the smiles, especially when you haven’t had that feeling for a while.”

“It’s nice to win,” Coughlin added. “We were miserable around here for a month.”

In an NFL oddity, the Giants’ victory was the first by the home team in the Giants-Falcons series since November 11, 1979, when the Giants won at Giants Stadium, 24-3. The visiting team had won the previous twelve meeting in the series, the longest such streak in NFL history.

Big Blue won’t have long to relish in its rediscovered feeling of victory. They’ll only have three days off, one of which will be a travel day, as they’ll fly out west, before playing in Denver, on Thanksgiving night. They may be catching the Broncos at the right time though, since they can now relate to the predicament that the Giants were in before Sunday, having lost their past four games after a 6-0 start. Kickoff will be at 8:20pm EST.

Marvelous McNabb throws for a mile…. The Eagles quarterback played very well on Sunday, but no matter how often he threw (55 times) or who he threw the ball to (seven different receivers) it wasn’t enough. While the Eagles fell McNabb’s numbers rose with 35 completions for 450 yards in the air and two touchdowns in a week 10 loss to the Chargers.

Action Jackson will not be stopped…. If you drafted running back Steven Jackson, but had second thoughts because the Rams offense is just bad pat yourself on the back for sticking with the stud. The St. Louis Rams may be 1-7, but that is not stopping “Action” Jackson from having a big season. On Sunday Jackson turned in his third straight 100-yard rushing game with 176 total yards against the Saints. Only twice has Jackson totaled less than 100 yards and for the season he has 1,146 yards of total offense ranking second behind Chris Johnson.
 
Worst of the Worst

When it comes to the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry, the Silver and Black know very little about home-field advantage. Thanks primarily to an inept offense that converted just 12 percent (2/16) of third downs, completed just 13 of 32 passes, and turned the ball over twice, the Raiders lost for the seventh straight time at home against the Chiefs. The Raiders are now 2-7; how did they win two games?

Jury is still Out

Has the Broncos offense finally turned the corner? Well after a fast start on Sunday against the Redskins, it certainly appeared that McDaniels had made the necessary adjustments and the offense was finally right. This was all until disaster struck. After watching Orton complete 11 of 18 for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, the Broncos offense completely disappeared with backup Chris Simms in the game for the injured Orton. With a big matchup with San Diego in week 11 and Simms the likely starter, the offense might regress some before taking any more forward steps. The Jury is going to remain out on Denver’s “Patriot’s West” offense, at least until a healthy Orton returns.

10 Things I Remember From Sunday

(Week 10)

1. The Panthers used their two-headed monster out of the back-field to take down the Falcons; Stewart and Williams combined for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

2. One of my “Four Horsemen” Sidney Rice puts up 201 receiving yards against the Lions secondary.

3. The Titan’s running back Chris Johnson plays like a stud in a league of his own totaling 232 yards and scoring two touchdowns against the Bills.

4. The Redskins offensive line just blew holes into the Broncos defense all day to the tune of 174 yards on the ground.

5. Despite their recent struggles through the air, the Broncos and quarterback Kyle Orton came out gun-slinging in week 10; Orton passed for 193 yards in the first half before leaving with an injury.

6. The “Old man” in Arizona Kurt Warner took a while to get started, but once he did he was unstoppable completing 29 of 38 passes for over 300-yards and two touchdowns.

7. The Bengals defense showed up on Sunday against Big Ben and the Steelers recording four sacks and a forced fumble in their 18-12 win.

8. Steven Jackson is a one man wrecking crew in St. Louis rushing for 131 yards and catching nine balls for another 45 yards.

9. Who is Brandon Gibson, likely the next Waiver wire darling after catching seven passes for 93 yards.

10. Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning; Sunday night against the Patriots he passed for 327 yards with four touchdowns.

Remember to check back for more “Monday Morning Huddle!”

More than five years after being traded for Manning, San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers, who was a Giant for all of about 45 minutes on Draft Day in 2004, directed a final minute, game-winning, 80-yard touchdown drive to beat the Giants, 21-20, at the Meadowlands on Sunday, in the first meeting between Manning and Rivers since their trade.

In their first trip back to the Meadowlands to play the Giants since December 23, 1995 (a 27-17 San Diego victory), the Chargers brought the nice San Diego weather with them on an uncharacteristically warm November day in New Jersey, and their recent stretch of hot play as well.

For at least one day, San Diego could definitely feel like they got the better of the deal, even though most football followers, even among those who either cover or root for the Giants, have ranked Rivers as slightly better than Manning to this point in their careers.

Entering Sunday’s showdown, Rivers’ had a better quarterback rating (93.4 to 77.1), completion percentage (61.9 percent to 56.1 percent), yards-per-game average (215.8 ypg to 203.4 ypg), and touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio (89:40 to 111:82).
However, most who feel that Rivers has been the more accomplished of the two passers, also agree that the Giants have had the biggest leg — or with a quarterback comparison, the biggest arm –- up on the trade since Manning leads in the one statistical category which matters most: one Super Bowl victory (including a Super Bowl MVP) to no Super Bowls reached yet for Rivers.

On Sunday, the results were remarkably similar between the two quarterbacks who will always be associated with each other throughout the rest of their careers and whatever future legacies they leave behind.

Throwing for 215 yards on 33 attempts, Manning completed 25 passes, increasing his career total to 1,441, moving him past one former Giant (Charlie Conerly, 1,418 completions) and just six completions behind another — Kerry Collins, who ranks second on the Giants’ career completion list.

Rivers meanwhile, was about the same, going 24 for 36, for 209 yards.

Where they differed was that Manning did not turn the ball over, while Rivers threw two interceptions, but while Manning tossed a pair of touchdowns, Rivers threw touchdown passes on all three of San Diego’s scores.

In terms of just one game on Sunday, Rivers ultimately had the last laugh, and more importantly for both teams, the Chargers (5-3) and Giants are now going in opposite directions, with San Diego winning their past three games after a mediocre and inconsistent 2-3 start, while New York lost its fourth consecutive game after looking like an elite NFL team at 5-0. The Giants have already matched the total number of losses they had in 2008.

Perhaps expecting a Manning-Rivers back-and-forth shootout, the 78,774 fans in attendance witnessed a scoreless game after one quarter.

The Giants had a chance to strike early, but came away with no points after driving 68 yards on eleven plays, in 7:23, on the game’s opening possession, after holder Jeff Feagles couldn’t get a snap down on a 38-yard field goal attempt.

That play would come back to haunt the Giants in the one-point loss, and appropriately, Feagles’ fumble on the play was recovered by Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman, who despite being suspended by the NFL for abusing steroids in 2006, is a three-time pro bowl selection after being selected by San Diego in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft using a draft pick that the Chargers acquired when they traded Rivers for Manning.

On the final play of the first quarter, Rivers threw just before pressure from the back side, from Giants’ linebacker Michael Boley (who returned from injury), and from defensive end Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Antonio Pierce, both up the middle, got to him, to complete a key 3rd-and-10 pass to tight end Antonio Gates (game-high 67 yards on 5 receptions) for a 19-yard play to the Giants’ 10-yard line.

That set up a Rivers 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who caused Giants starting left cornerback Corey Webster problems on several occasions during the game. Jackson’s catch gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

But, Manning went a perfect 9-for-9 to march the Giants right back on their longest drive (in terms of time) in over sixteen years, taking New York 79 yards on 16 plays in 10:35, to tie the game, 7-7, on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:20 left in the first half, to wide receiver Steve Smith, who led the Giants with eight catches for 57 yards.

The game remained tied until late in the third quarter, when Rivers took advantage of another short punt by Feagles, something which has seriously plagued the Giants while facing good opposing quarterbacks during their current losing streak.

After a 31-yard punt by Feagles, Rivers drove the Chargers 51 yards in on six plays in 3:03, to give his team a 14-7 lead on a 2-yard touchdown toss to tight end Kris Wilson, with 3:51 left in the third quarter. Webster helped set up the score, being called for pass interference in the end zone against Jackson, on a 29-yard heave by Rivers, who was hit as he threw.

Manning again responded though, taking the Giants 70 yards on 10 plays in 4:42, to set up a 38-yard field goal by kicker Lawrence Tynes, to cut the Chargers’ lead to 14-10 with 14:09 left in the game.

Then, after the Giants’ defense forced its only three-and-out of the game, New York got great field position at the San Diego 39-yard line after a 13-yard punt return by Domenik Hixon.

The Giants needed only six plays from there, to take a 17-14 lead with 8:58 remaining in the game, on an 8-yard Manning touchdown pass into the far left corner of the end zone to tight end Kevin Boss.

The defining moment of the game — and depending on how things plays out over the next several weeks, maybe of the season — then came for the Giants after both teams traded punts.

Taking over at the San Diego 21-yard line after a Feagles’ 46-yard punt out of bounds, Rivers, on first down, threw over the middle and was intercepted by cornerback Terrell Thomas at the Chargers’ 37-yard line. Thomas returned the ball 33 yards to the San Diego four-yard line, with just 3:14 left in the game.

If the Giants score there, as they should have, they likely win the game and have a much different outlook on their season right now.

Instead, New York went into ultra conservative mode, rather than attacking to try to win the game, partly because of a holding penalty on right guard Chris Snee which immediately pushed the ball back to the 14-yard line.

Manning then completed to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for no gain. On second down, running back Brandon Jacobs ran up the middle for five yards to the Chargers’ 9-yard line. And, on 3rd-and-goal, the Giants again ran the same play, Jacobs for five yards up the middle, to the San Diego four-yard line.

All that did was set up a Tynes 22-yard field goal to put the Giants ahead 20-14, with 2:07 left in the game, giving a good quarterback like Rivers plenty of time to send New York to yet another defeat.

And that’s exactly what Rivers did, completing six of eight passes, taking the Chargers 80 yards to win the game. The game-winning drive was capped on the second touchdown catch by Jackson, this time on an 18-yard pass from Rivers with just 21 seconds left in the game.

On the play, Webster was again beaten by Jackson, but mostly because he never received help that should have been there. Cornerback Bruce Johnson was locked in on Gates, who running an inside route, and he never made a break to his left in time to give help to Webster who was watching Jackson run the outside fade route toward the far right corner of the end zone.

Rivers is simply too good for that without enough pressure on him, nor the help from Johnson on Jackson, Rivers easily went over the top of Webster leading Jackson for the game-winning score.

Ultimately, the Giants never got enough pressure on Rivers for most of the game, hitting him only five times, and because of that, their whole season is now under pressure.

Fittingly, it was Merriman who sacked Manning to end the game, preventing the Giants from getting off one last play from their own 29-yard line.

After the game, Rivers described his long-awaited initial meeting with Manning and the Giants, who are less than two years removed from a Super Bowl title as “A big emotional win.”

He added, “The link between me and Eli Is always going to be there. So yeah, it’s a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it’s fun. [The trade] didn’t weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there.”

The same can be said for Manning and the Giants, who heading into their bye week on a four-game losing streak, have much greater concerns on their own minds, with their season slipping away.

Analysts, commentators, radio hosts and the average fanatic, pegged Denver Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels and the Broncos organization idiots for trading star QB Jay Cutler for a pedestrian, middle-of-the-pack Orton.

Cutler, the golden-armed and erratic signal-caller is as talented as it gets. People thought it unfathomable that in a time when there’s such a scarcity of young All-Pro QB’s, Denver and its apparently immature rookie coach would even entertain trades for Cutler, a 26-year-old gunslinger who just set Broncos single-season passing records with 4,526 yards, 384 completions and eight 300-yard passing games.

It’s not like Orton was performing exceptionally in Chicago. The scruffy, former Purdue QB was much maligned in The Windy City. He was often yanked from games, demoted and his ordinary play didn’t exactly make fans think he was the next Sid Luckman. Orton’s never thrown for over 3,000 yards and he’s never had more than a modest 18 TD passes.

What he does do better than Cutler, however, is win. Orton’s 27-12 career record is impressive. And it’s a direct indication of his worth as a QB. Orton used to give Bears coach Lovie Smith fits. Smith would replace him with Brian Greise or Rex Grossman, but he always had to come back to Orton because he won games. He just was pretty ugly doing it.

Orton’s accuracy is his other value. His 9 TD passes and one pick can attest to that. Orton is no Eli Manning. He has pinpoint accuracy and many of his passes are indefensible. If he throws a pass it is with purpose. Having strong offensive players in Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokely, along with the always effective Denver ground game, has made Orton a better player. We are seeing how much of a play-maker he can be, in the right system with the right coach.

To the untrained eye, it still seems like a trade that never should have happened. Most felt that McDaniels and Cutler needed to cut the crap, sit down and make peace for the good of the team. But looking back, it is obvious that McDaniels didn’t let bravado influence him. He decided from early, that Cutler was not the type of quarterback nor personality, that he wanted leading his team. Just look at the irrational manner in which Cutler reacted to the trade rumors.

McDaniels, as a proclaimed quarterback guru, entertained the Matt Cassel trade talks because he felt he could continue to smoothly mold Cassel into his offensive system. Cassel was a hot commodity because he thrived under McDaniels’ tutelage. Cassel replaced Tom Brady as Pats QB, after Brady was injured and led the Pats to an 11-5 record in 08’. With McDaniels as his QB coach and offensive coordinator, Cassel shocked the NFL with his veteran-like poise.

If McDaniels could eliminate the problem of having to reign in Cutler enough to get his precision-based system executed properly — and get a young QB with potential in return — then of course he was trying to trade Cutler. McDaniels understands that numbers don’t always equate to wins. And his confidence is undeniable. He believes in his system and himself more than any QB Denver could have.

The past decade has seen the NFL change offensive philosophies from an emphasis on downfield passing, to a quick strike, efficiency first, approach. This style enabled a mistake-free, bland QB like Trent Dilfer to win a Super Bowl. No picks. No mistakes. Just run the offense with little fan fare.

It’s like a choice between cars. Denver had the Lamborghini in Cutler, but the maintenance costs and gas mileage was killing them. On some days, the car wasn’t worth the trouble. On other days, it was the most beautiful thing on wheels. It made heads turn and people get excited. It’s a brash, statement car. It’s performance shows obvious superiority.

Orton is like a Toyota, delivering unimpressive, but dependable and easy to manage performance with humble excellence. There are fewer burdens and less risk.

Cutler’s gun-slinging style and combative and highly sensitive personality made him a bad fit for what McDaniels was trying to do. He couldn’t afford to have Cutler questioning his authority and trying to usurp power before McDaniels even established a locker room presence or set a tone for the season.

Well, the trade that shocked Denver set the tone. A new sheriff was in town and he called the shots. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could happen.

On April 2, 2009, the Bears traded Orton (along with their first and third-round draft picks in 2009 and their first-round pick in 2010) to the Denver Broncos for Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler and the Broncos’ fifth round pick in 2009. It was supposed to live on as a day of infamy for Denver fans. The day a young, punk coach came in and traded away the next John Elway because of a personality conflict.

Instead, getting off to a fast start and being undefeated has squashed public backlash. Maybe this kid knows what he’s doing after all.  McDaniels, 33, is the second youngest coach in the NFL. He is also a disciple of Bill Belichick. He has a wealth of football knowledge. He worked under Bill Saban in 1999-2000 at Michigan State. And then rose from Belichick’s personal assistant to offensive coordinator of the most prolific offense in NFL history. With McDaniels running the show, in 2007, the Patriots set records for touchdown with 75 [67 on offense, 50 passing, 17 rushing TD’s].

For now, McDaniels has turned a potential disaster into a minor miracle. As long as the Broncos win and Orton plays mistake free, efficient football, McDaniels will be the man. The new Mike Shanahan.

Denver is a decade –thirsty for a Super Bowl trip and they don’t care who delivers. The town’s love affair with the prettier choice at QB is slowly waning. They just want a winner, and the team of McDaniels & Orton is delivering that.

Last Sunday we saw some old stock rebound off the market floor and regain new life when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck took the field. Against the Jaguars, the Seahawks quarterback was silky smooth passing for 241 yards and tossing four touchdowns to lead his team to a much needed win.

Hasselbeck played like a savvy and crafty veteran last Sunday completing 60 percent of his passes averaging eight yards per pass and his 35 fantasy points were tops among all quarterbacks last week.

Week Five’s “Mr. En Fuego”

QB-Matt Hasselbeck (Sea)

30 pass attempts, 18 pass completions,

241 yards passing, four touchdowns!!

3 runs, 23 rushing yards.

Aside from your normal weekly studs, when playing with the fantasy football stock market, the key is always finding great value and knowing when to drop dead weight. After five weeks now of gridiron action there are plenty of stocks on the move;

Week five Stock Exchange Notes:

How your fantasy stocks are doing as of last Week…

The Quarterbacks…

Fire (Rising stock): The Texans’ quarterback Matt Schaub is on the move again with his stock on the rise. Last week Schaub complete 70 percent of his passes for 371 yards and tossed two touchdowns.

Fire (Rising stock): The Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb has only played one game in the past several weeks, but his 264-yards passing and three touchdown passes performance last weekend has his stock on the rise.

Ice (falling stock): The Titans’ quarterback Kerry Collins has been off target this season completing just 54 percent of his passes. Collins also has five turnovers in his last three games and passed for only 164 yards and no touchdowns last week.

The Running Backs…

Fire (Rising stock): Last Sunday against a very tough Raven defense, Cedric Benson did where 40 others had failed. He rushed for more than 100 yards, totaling 136 yards on the day.

Fire (Rising stock): The Bronco’s rookie runner Knowshon Moreno had a solid day as the starter last week totaling 124 yards of offense against the Patriots.

Fire (Rising stock): The Giants shifty small running back Ahmad Bradshaw was dynamite a week ago against the Raiders, doing most of his damage in the first half. Last week Bradshaw scampered his way to 110 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns.

Ice (falling stock): Against the Browns last week, running back Fred Jackson was just a shell of himself. The Bills’ back gained only 30 yards on the ground and added a just a mere 17 yards receiving.

The Wide Receivers…

Fire (Rising stock): Last week no receiver was as hot as the Cowboys Miles Austin. The speedster blew past the Chief’s secondary for 250 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

Fire (Rising stock): Owners were waiting and he finally arrived. Last Sunday Falcons wideout Roddy White exploded for 210 receiving yards and tow scores catapulting his way up our stock charts.

Fire (Rising stock): The Cardinal’s receiver has been up and down a bit this season, but no question last week Larry Fitzgerald was hot. The wideout grabbed five passes for 79 yards, including two touchdowns.

Ice (falling stock): The Bengals receiver Laveranues Coles was held without a catch last week against a shaky Baltimore secondary ranked 26^th against the pass.

Ice (falling stock): The Patriots receiver Julian Edelman had only 15 yards receiving last week; something he’s likely to see reoccur more with the return of Welker.

The Tight Ends…

Fire (Rising stock): The Buccaneer’s tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. blew up for big numbers last Sunday as did his stock. Winslow had a huge game catching nine passes for over 100 yards and scored twice.

Fire (Rising stock): The Texan’s tight end Owen Daniels, after a slight stumble is climbing up the charts again coming off his eight receptions for 94 yards last week.

Ice (falling stock): The Jet’s second year tight end Dustin Keller is not having quite the season most thought. Through five games this season he has just 12 catches, including the infamous donut on Monday night.

STOCK WATCH

Pure Speculation

With Fred Taylor out indefinitely, it appears the running duties will belong to Sammy Morris. Last Sunday against the Broncos Morris toted the rock 17 times (2^nd highest total of carries in a game this season for a New England running back) for 68 yards. Morris also adds the dimension of a pass receiver with 134 receiving yards this season. With no other runner in the Patriot’s backfield having quite the same success, this could be the Morris show looking ahead.

The Ram’s offense has yet to get anything going this season other than running back Steven Jackson. Last Sunday quarterback Marc Bulger made his return to the field and seemed to click with his number one wideout Donnie Avery. Bulger could be playing for a job as the season goes and Avery could benefit. These two made a few highlights last season for the reel and with a favorable matchup this Sunday, both could be looking to repeat. Avery has big play potential, but we have yet to see it; Sunday could be a good day to be looking.

It doesn’t take a genius to see a big arm with a talented wideout equals great things. In Miami this appears to be the potential with wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and the team’s newly discovered passer. Quarterback Chad Henne and Ginn Jr. connected on one big play for a 53 yard scoring strike against the Jets. If Henne is as good as he looked Monday night, with still 11 games left on the schedule Ginn Jr. could be hooking up with his field general for several more strikes along the way.

This Week’s “Stock Trends”

Need to know what stocks to play?

Here’s how they are doing;

(thumbs up)

Peyton Manning, QB-Colts

The best of the best, Manning’s stock has been riding a whirlwind; this season he’s thrown 12 touchdowns and passed for over 1,600 yards (329 yards per game) in his five starts this season.

Kyle Orton, QB-Broncos

Over the past several weeks, Orton’s numbers have gradually getting better. In his last two starts Orton has completed 55 passes for 573 yards (286.5 yards per game) and thrown four touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB-Steelers

Not normally a big stats guy, the Steeler’s big armed quarterback has been pretty warm over the past several weeks. In his last three starts Big Ben has 886 yards passing, six touchdown throws, and just two picks.

Steven Jackson, RB-Rams

His stock is not great yet, but the Ram’s running back seems to be one of the safest. Despite an inept offense, he’s averaging 108 yards per game of offense (rushing and receiving).

Michael Turner, RB-Falcons

With his three touchdowns last week, Turner is one of the hottest stocks on the market. Turner has now scored in his last three starts and is averaging 86 yards on the ground over the same span.

Hines Ward, WR-Steelers

The All-Pro Receiver has been locked-in and steady the last two weeks with 15 receptions, 198 receiving yards, and a touchdown.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR-Seahawks

The Hawks high priced free agent has been doing his best the past two weeks to earn his keep with 13 receptions for 180 yards, including two touchdowns last week.

Brandon Marshall, WR-Broncos

The 4^th year wideout from Central Florida has been on the move up the charts over the past couple of weeks. Marshall has 17 receptions for 222 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games.

Vernon Davis, TE-Niners

The 4^th year tight end has re-emerged as a playmaker this season, 15 receptions for 190 yards receiving and three touchdowns in his last three games.

Brent Celek, TE-Eagles

This season the Eagle’s tight end has been a steady play and in his last three games he’s caught a total of 20 passes for 266 yards and a score.

Dallas Clark, TE-Colts

Perhaps one of the best stocks on the market today, Clark is averaging eight catches for 73 yards per game in his last three starts.

(thumbs down)

Trent Edwards, QB-Bills

The Bills quarterback is just back stock this season. Even with two talented wideouts like Owens and Evans, Edwards can only muster five touchdowns to six picks. In his last three starts he thrown five picks to just one touchdown and averaged a meager 166 yards per game passing.

Jason Campbell, QB-Redskins

Campbell has regressed in his last two starts completing just 27 passes for a total of 315 yards with three touchdowns and four turnovers.

Larry Johnson, RB-Chiefs

The running back has been receiving a steady diet of carries, but just can find any holes. In his last three games he’s averaging more than 19 carries per game, but just 42 yards on the ground.

Brandon Stokley, WR-Broncos

The Bronco’s slot receiver has been missing in action in his team’s last three games. Stokley has only six catches this season and has gone without a grab in his last three games.

Michael Clayton, WR-Buccaneers

The sixth year receiver has been anything, but reliable this season. Clayton has just 10 grabs and has gone without a catch in two of his five starts this season.

Zach Miller, TE-Raiders

Clearly the team’s best pass receiving option, Miller has just 15 receptions this season stuck on a struggling offense. His 69 yards last week was his best production thus far this season and through the team’s first five games, he has yet to score.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE-Lions

The rookie tight end has yet to record more than four catches in any one game and is averaging a paltry 31 yards receiving per game.

Remember to check back every week for more “Fire & Ice!”

Then a casual glance at the television screen makes you boot up the computer and start scribbling all over again.

You see the graphic footnote on ESPN that Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell threw six of nine complete passes, and you’re thinking, “brother man is making progress” – then the “analysis” talks about what Russell didn’t do well; while showing two of his three incomplete attempts.

Now 67 percent completions are pretty good by any standard; except when it describes the efforts of a Black quarterback – and, even more specifically, a National Football League quarterback.

Cue whistling…

(Agent C. M. Piper looked over his entry notes as he closed the window tab on the computer screen. It was nearly four o’clock on the West Coast, and time for the tele-conference. Piper allowed himself to briefly ponder his time in Canada. Four o’ clock meant High Tea and the old Vancouver hotel where he had his first cucumber “samich” – bringing a smile to his face; the food could definitely be replaced, but the ceremony was cool…

Piper dialed in awareness of the two minute warning window, which now showed 48 seconds and counting. The constant cyber – attacks on RBG made such methods necessary; and in spite of the fact a call took a few seconds, the rerouting was what consumed most of the time.

Seconds later, a female voice came over the line. “This is RBG Control. I confirm Agent Craig Buchanan; Executive Director Mack McClain; Agent George Wheelwright; Agent Chanticleer Piper.

“Big MAMA*{MODIFIED ANALOG MASKING APPARATUS} has secured the area, and you are now free to converse.”

Exec Director McClain opened the meeting. “Gentlemen – the purpose of this meeting is to light a match to a pair of gasoline drawers. The No Former (Slaves) League has stepped up its efforts to mollify, vilify, and nullify all evidence of the Black quarterback.

“Constant castigation by mainstream media has placed every Black field general at risk. Previous attacks, which were once discreet, have become flat-out blatant when skills of Black QBs are assessed in comparison to white QBs.

“Although we know some among the Black intelligentsia have eschewed conventional wisdom as to what the symbolism of this means, the time has come to address this untruth about Black QBs and create a better atmosphere in which we can energize a collective conscience. That said, I want to get to the field reports, and Agent Buchanan, you can set it off.”

Buchanan cleared his throat. “Chief, the situation in Minnesota is deplorable. Progress for Tarvaris Jackson has been severely compromised by the actions of the Vikings front office, head coach Brad Childress and owner Ziggy Wilf.

“I mean they went out of their way to move up and get Jackson the year he was drafted; then they tell the kid that he’s the guy; then pull him after 2 games.

“After they bury him, he has to bail out the team when Gus Frerotte gets hurt. All he does is go 3-1 down the stretch and leads his team to a division title and the playoffs. His reward for his efforts – was to have his job handed over to Brett Favre’s old ass.

“Favre comes back and debuts as the starter; goes 1-4 and almost throws a pick; meanwhile Jackson goes 12-15, 202 yards and a TD bomb. The mainstream media, of course, downplays Jackson and apologizes for Favre. Oh, and by the way- they’ve sold over 3000 season tickets since Favre signed.”

“Hmmm – well, can’t say I’m surprised,” said McClain. “Big Wheel – whatcha got for me?

“Boss the view from the Left Coast is spotty, to say the least,” said Wheelwright. “It seems everyone in the Bay Area is looking to give Jeff Garcia the starting job over JaMarcus Russell.

“Nothing from what I’ve seen would indicate that’s even remotely close to happening; but I can tell you that many Raider fans can sense something positive happening this year with the team.

“They drafted very well last year, and with McFadden, Bush and Baby Bear Fargus, they have an outside shot of stealing the AFC West division title. Denver’s got problems, Kansas City’s rebuilding, San Diego’s got Norv Turner – need I say more?”

The laughter lightened the sense of urgency as McClain’s tone matched the moment. “In that same vein, I feel this and the data collected from the past couple of seasons seems to be leading us to the previously stated conclusion,” sighed the Chief.

“Hey, Chief – I would like to take a different approach to this, if possible,” chirped Piper.

“Okay, Agent Piper – what’s on your mind?

“I think it’s safe to say everyone at this conference can see the plausibility of conspiracy; but I feel there’s more to it;

“We spoke on the Vikings and Raiders as places where the Black QB is under siege. Well we also know these teams have a shot to win a Super Bowl.

“After Doug Williams rocked the house in SB XXII, I think the league hierarchy underestimated Williams’ ability to lead; to this day, some are still saying he was ‘lucky’ or ‘hot’ the day he and Washington kicked their golden boy John Elway’s ass.

“So what I’d like to do is to have a budget authorized where we can put together investigative teams of RBG personnel to get to the crux of the matter, which I feel is a deliberate attempt to ensure a Black field general will never again have the sufficient fire power to destroy a great White notion like Williams did in the Super Bowl.”

McClain took in Piper’s words, pausing several seconds before he spoke. “I know how lazy this generation of information gatherers have been in working to present the truth; most of them couldn’t or wouldn’t know how to work a real beat.

“You couple that with what possible benefits we could provide in debunking many of the untruths perpetuated by this machine, and the pluses to this far outweigh any potential liabilities.

“Alright, Piper – you’ve got your funding; get the proof, and Buchanan and Wheelwright will work with you on this as code file RBG-072908, with you as lead Agent. Information will be on need-to-know until final draft of presented data.

“Gentlemen, Big MAMA is alerting us our masking aura is dwindling. Let’s wrap this up and convene again after Agent Piper’s first draft directive. Good evening – and good luck.”

Piper smiled after hanging up the phone, excited over the chance to provide in earnest a scenario for stopping future Field Generals from taking their rightful place on the field.

As the rum slid down his throat, Piper highlighted his playlist; and found Monk’s “Misterioso” running. The volume clicks up, and the somber chords tapped him where he lived; magic fingers providing acupuncture for the soul.

“Well, the untruth is out there,” thought Piper. So – first things first; and, as if straight out of the Detectives’ Manual, Piper knew the place to be – was back at the scene of the crime – Super Bowl XXII.

To be continued…

Copyright 2009 Michael – Louis Ingram

michaelingram@blackathlete.com

mike@fotballreportersonline.com