I love seeing amazing finishes in the NFL, they tend to be some of the more exciting things you can watch during the year. This week we had a few, and some of the rookies featured pretty prominently in the wins/defeats. Next week may actually even more important for some of the guys, especially when we start to get an idea of who are the contenders, and who are the pretenders.

Sam Bradford

I am literally shocked that Bradford is leading the team the way he is. They beat a Seahawks team that has had their share of convincing wins, and Bradford played better than I expected him to. He threw for 2 TDs and close to 300 yards, and the Rams came away with their second win this year. When you think that they will end up having a better record than the Vikings after next week, you can color me surprised.

Jimmy Clausen

Clausen has had rough go at it because of the way the Panthers’ offense has been playing, and yet he still put them in a position to win on the last drive of the game. I watched this game because it was the nationally broadcast contest here in Texas, and I thought Clausen had some nice plays in both the first and second half against a team that should have destroyed them. He didnt throw any picks and had a ridiculously nice pass to save the game in the closing minutes. He did have some pretty boneheaded rookie mistakes, as well, but none of them prevented the team from moving forward. Is he on Bradford’s level right now? No. Is he going to turn out nicely for the Panthers, signs are pointing somewhat towards yes rather than no. He probably wont do anything if Steve Smith continues to be on the shelf after the injury yesterday, but next year, after they get a high draft pick, he should be fine.

Ryan Mathews

Another Chargers blowout win, another game that Mathews did JUST OKAY. When I went to the store to pick up supplies for dinner, and came back to see the final, I expected to see something huge for Mathews. He ended up with 50 yards on 9 carries with a TD, which I guess is nice coming back from being out last week. Tolbert got most of the carries, and did very well, but Mathews still averaged over 5 yards per carry too. Maybe next week we can have a bigger dose, but right now, his performance is not doing his card value any favors.

Jahvid Best

I didnt even think he would play due to the turf toe, but he managed a pretty reasonable game against a TOUGH defense. He ended up with just over 80 total yards, though he didnt make it into the endzone. The reason was probably more centered around preserving his health and keeping the game close, which it definitely was. Surprisingly, the Lions made a good effort to come within a field goal of winning, and that was after getting blown out in the first half. They made it pretty difficult for Rodgers, and it took a freak pick six to get the Packers into the win column. Best’s values will stay high even without scoring, so this is no big deal.

CJ Spiller

From the way Spiller is playing, you would expect that he was a late round pick, not the 9th pick in the draft. Buffalo hasnt given him the ball ONE BIT, and all of his production has come on kickoffs and pass receptions. Spiller may have 2 TDs this year, but im not sure how many more he is going to get if he doesnt get chances. I said before that buying into Spiller is like buying into Tebow at this point, and that continues to be the truth. Nothing hurts a player more than being drafted by a team like Buffalo and then getting nothing thrown or handed off your way. Too bad he couldnt have ended up somewhere better, because right now, he is looking like a bust. Not even close to getting that tag permanently, as this is the fourth game of the first year of his career, but he has not earned his spot as the top pick he was.

Demariyus Thomas

So far, Thomas has had one game that impressed, and other than that, he has done little to nothing. To give you an idea, Orton threw for 341 yards on sunday, and Thomas only had 9 of them. NINE. Thats like going to an all you can eat buffet and only getting a tiny piece of bread. To think that Denver traded away a guy like Brandon Marshall and ended up with him, is absolutely ludicrous. Thomas was never expected to be a top value guy, but I wouldnt even buy him at low prices right now.

Jermaine Gresham

Gresham is a nice option for Palmer thanks to his size, but the Bengals are in a bad situation right now after losing to the Browns. They need some major production out of the running game that they arent getting, and their defense is playing horrible. Tight ends are never good buys because they are rarely worth anything in the long run, and though Gresham has already outperformed the top tight ends from last year, he is never going to be a guy worth spending money on. He did catch 5 balls for 35 yards yesterday, but needs to get into the endzone to be the possession guy they expected him to be in the red zone.

Jordan Shipley

Shipley was becoming a favorite target in Cincy, but only managed 2 catches yesterday thanks to the game becoming the Ocho-TO all laughs comedy hour. People were buying his cards because of his amount of touches, but I think that is always a bad idea with later round receivers. Stick with guys like Dez Bryant if you want valuable players, Shipley wont ever be more than a guy like Wes Welker. Welker may be good on the field, but is never worth much in a pack of cards.

Golden Tate

I thought Tate would be a sleeper pick for the guy who ends up being the best receiver in the class. Although he has been one of only a handful of receivers with some actual production this year, he hasnt done much. He got 3 for 30 yards yesterday, and was actually outperformed by Mike Freaking Williams of Detroit Lions Failure fame. Wow. Receivers tend to blossom later rather than sooner, but still.

Max Hall

I bet you are wondering who Max Hall is. Well, after this past week’s loss to the Chargers, he may be the Cardinals’ new QB. Hall wasnt drafted last year, and wasnt even on the draft boards of many of the NFL teams, but according to Adam Schefter, he may be the new QB for a struggling Arizona team. I bet if I told you that Max Hall would be getting his first start ahead of Tim Tebow, you would have laughed in my face. Hell, look at what his cards are already doing. Its ridiculous. He wasnt even a part of any of the previous products this year. Sweet Spot wins?

The Rookie Graveyard

CJ Spiller – Spiller may have 2 TDs this year, but has not come close to being an integral part of Buffalo’s offense. He has less than 20 total yards on the ground and less than 40 yards through the air through 4 weeks in which he played each game.

Ryan Mathews – Next week will be the test to see if he can get involved. If he falters again, he will end up here until he has a good game.

Tim Tebow – Yes, I understand that Tebow hasnt gotten onto the field at all, but thats why he is here. He was supposed to be involved at least somewhat in Denver’s wildcat offense, but instead ended up getting bumped to third string behind Brady Quinn. That alone should land him here when you see that both of his counterparts already earned starting jobs and have managed to give their team a chance to win. Orton is looking great, and Tebow looks as far from the field as ever. Im sure McDaniels will be stupid and let Orton walk to save face later on, but right now, he is it.

Matchups to Watch

Ryan Mathews vs Oakland – Oakland gave up over 200 yards rushing vs Houston, so if there is any time that Mathews needs to do well, its next week.

Jahvid Best vs Saint Louis – Horrid defense means expected huge game. The Lions need a win and Best needs to be a factor to get there.

Sam Bradford vs Detroit – This could be the game where Bradford explodes. If you are looking for a good buy, even at high values, this may be it. He could end up with 4 TDs against the Lions “defense,” with the quotes being there on purpose.

Jimmy Clausen vs Chicago – A true test for Clausen, he better pray that the MRI gods smile upon Steve Smith and he gets him back. Holy crap.