DeAngelo Williams, Brian Dawkins, and Robbie Gould were named the NFC Players of the Month for December. Williams joins Drew Brees, Clinton Portis, and Eli Manning as the recipient of the offensive honor. Dawkins joins Charles Woodson, Jon Beason, and Julius Peppers to be recognized defensively this year. Gould is added to Sav Rocca, Josh Brown ,and Clifton Smith as a special teams honoree.

Philip Rivers, Ed Reed and Justin Miller were named the AFC Players of the Month for December. Rivers joins Jay Cutler, Andre Johnson and Thomas Jones to be recognized on offense in 2008. Reed joins Albert Haynesworth, Joey Porter and Dwight Freeney to win the defensive award. Miller joines Darren Sproles, Stephen Gostkowski and Dan Carpenter to be a special team player of the month.

Patriots' linebacker Jerod Mayo has won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Mayo was a nearly unanimous choice, earning 49 of 50 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league.

Matt Ryan was named The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Ryan was a landslide winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. Ryan became the third quarterback in five years to win the award; before that, no QB ever took the honor. He joins Ben Roethlisberger (2004) and Vince Young (2006) as top rookie quarterbacks. Ryan collected 44 votes, far in front of Titans running back Chris Johnson with three. Broncos tackle Ryan Clady had two and Bears running back Matt Forte got one. RealGM Note: Ryan finished 2008 with a season FIC of 704, compared to 746 for Forte, 721 for Steve Slaton and 646 for Johnson. The impact Ryan made on Atlanta's club and their quick turnaround makes the quarterback the right choice and a relatively easy one, though the performances of those three running backs should not be downplayed whatsoever.

Chances are you saw a majority of the sixteen games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Seventeen, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the final weekend of the regular season We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24 Team Trench Counter: Raiders +7.1, Buccaneers -7.1 The Raiders (5-11) shocked the Buccaneers (9-7) at Raymond James Stadium to keep Tampa Bay out of the postseason. JaMarcus Russell went 14-for-21 with 148 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Oakland scored 17 points in the fourth quarter on the strength of 27 rushes for 177 yards and two touchdowns from running back Michael Bush. Johnnie Lee Higgins (six receptions for 52 yards) and Chaz Schilens (three catches and 46 yards) both caught touchdown passes. Jeff Garcia went 17-for-33 with 257 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the must-win game. Cadillac Williams came to play with 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 rushes, but the Buccaneers? defense collapsed down the stretch. Mark Clayton led Tampa Bay in receiving with two catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, while Antonio Bryant had three receptions for 77 yards. Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 0 Team Trench Counter: Steelers +21.3, Browns -21.3 The Steelers (12-4) enter the postseason on a high note after defeating the Browns (4-12), but have to be worried about Ben Roethlisberger, who was carted off the field in the second quarter with a concussion. Roethlisberger went 9-for-14 with 110 yards and an interception before suffering the injury, and Byron Leftwich came on to record 80 yards on 7-for-12 passing. Willie Parker excelled with 116 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while Gary Russell and Leftwich added rushing scores. Tyrone Carter put the cherry on top for Pittsburgh, returning an interception 32 yards in the fourth quarter. Bruce Gradkowski went 5-for-16 with 18 yards and two interceptions, as the Browns managed just 126 total net yards. Jamal Lewis was the lone star for Cleveland, rushing 23 times for 94 yards against the stiff Pittsburgh defense. Lewis, who entered the game with 908 yards for the season, surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight year. Carolina 33, New Orleans 31 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +18.9, Saints -18.9 John Kasay kicked a 42-yard field goal with one second left in regulation to give the Panthers (12-4) a win over the Saints (8-8) and the NFC South title. Jake Delhomme went 14-for-20 with 250 yards and a touchdown, while DeAngelo Williams (178 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (56 yards and a touchdown) dominated on the ground. Dante Wesley returned a fumble 12 yards in the second quarter to help Carolina build an early lead. New Orleans scored 21 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to take a 31-30 lead, but the Panthers marched more than fifty yards downfield to get into field goal range in the final moments. Drew Brees went 30-for-49 with 386 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Deuce McAllister led the team in rushing with 40 yards on eight attempts, while Brees fell short of Dan Marino?s single-season yardage record in the loss. Minnesota 20, N.Y. Giants 19 Team Trench Counter: Vikings -0.4, Giants +0.4 Ryan Longwell hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired to give the Vikings (10-6) a close win over the defending-champion Giants (12-4). The victory also locked up the NFC North title for Minnesota. Tarvaris Jackson went 16-for-26 with 239 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Adrian Peterson rushed 21 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Bobby Wade (four receptions for 98 yards) and Bernard Berrian (81 yards and a touchdown) connected multiple times with Jackson. Tom Coughlin took a majority of his stars out in the second half, but New York still played tough. Eli Manning went 11-for-19 with 119 yards, and David Carr backed up him with 110 yards and a touchdown on 8-for-11 passing. Derrick Ward joined teammate Brandon Jacobs, who was inactive, in the 1,000-yard club with 77 yards on 15 carries. Domenik Hixon led the Giants in receiving with four receptions for 62 yards and a score. Ward and Jacobs are just the fourth pair of running backs to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season. Indianapolis 23, Tennessee 20 Team Trench Counter: Colts +16.9, Titans -16.9 The Colts (12-4) remained hot with a dominating win over the Titans (13-3) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning went 7-for-7 with 95 yards and a touchdown to surpass the 4,000-yard mark before giving way to Jim Sorgi. The backup went 22-for-30 with 178 yards, while Lance Ball handled a majority of the rushing duties with 83 yards on 13 attempts. The victory was the eighth consecutive for Indianapolis. Vince Young was behind center for most of the game for the Titans, going 9-for-13 with 55 yards. Tennessee rested Chris Johnson, while LenDale White had 25 yards on seven attempts. The Indianapolis defense limited the Titans to just 125 total net yards. These two teams share the AFC South, and while Tennessee may have won the division crown, Indianapolis is the much hotter team heading into the postseason. Houston 31, Chicago 24 Team Trench Counter: Texans +1.4, Bears -1.4 The Texans (8-8) played spoiler, beating the Bears (9-7) to keep Chicago out of the NFC playoffs. Matt Schaub went 27-for-36 with 328 yards and two touchdowns, while Steve Slaton (92 yards and a touchdown) and Ryan Moats (38 yards and a score) helped Houston control the field-position battle. Andre Johnson, the NFL?s premier receiver this season, finished the game with ten receptions for 148 yards and two scores, which came within minutes of eachother in the first half. Kyle Orton went 22-for-37 with 244 yards and two touchdowns, but after jumping out to a 10-0 lead they lost all momentum in the second quarter. Rookie Matt Forte had one of his least-productive games of the season, rushing for just 50 yards on 13 carries. Devin Hester led Chicago in receiving with 85 yards on six receptions. Green Bay 31, Detroit 21 Team Trench Counter: Packers +19.2, Lions -19.2 The Lions (0-16) are the first team to finish a 16-game NFL season without a single victory after falling at the hands of the Packers (6-10) in their season finale. Aaron Rodgers helped put Detroit in the history books with 308 yards and three touchdowns on 21-for-31 passing. Ryan Grant and DeShawn Wynn combined to rush for 212 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Donald Driver (six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown) and Greg Jennings (five catches for 101 yards) hooked up with Rodgers often. Dan Orlovsky went 22-for-42 with 225 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Rookie Kevin Smith ran 28 times for 92 yards and a score, but the Detroit defense stumbled down the stretch. Green Bay scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, which sealed the Lions? fate. Calvin Johnson, the only bright spot for the team all season, had nine receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. Cincinnati 16, Kansas City 6 Team Trench Counter: Bengals +14. Chiefs -14 Cedric Benson led the Bengals (4-11-1) to a season-ending win over the Chiefs (2-14) on Sunday with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 18-for-30 with 129 passing yards, while adding 29 yards on seven scrambles. Rookie wide receiver Andre Caldwell had 83 total yards, and Chad ?Ocho Cinco? Johnson sat out the game. Tyler Thigpen went 19-for-36 with 191 yards and a touchdown, while Larry Johnson managed just 18 yards on ten carries. Dwayne Bowe led Kansas City in receiving with ten receptions for 103 yards, while Tony Gonzalez caught five passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati finished the season with three consecutive wins to help rebound from an 0-8 start. New England 13, Buffalo 0 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +11, Bills -11 The Patriots (11-5) kept their playoff hopes alive momentarily with a terrific defensive effort against the Bills (7-9) at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Matt Cassel went 6-for-8 with 78 passing yards in intense wind, while Sammy Morris tallied 85 yards on 24 carries and LaMont Jordan contributed 64 yards and a touchdown on 20 touches. Thirteen points was all New England needed thanks to both the weather and their defense. Trent Edwards went 14-for-25 with 128 yards, and Fred Jackson dominated on the ground with 136 yards on 27 carries. Marshawn Lynch did not play. Buffalo managed more total net yards than New England (276 to 241), but went 0-for-2 on fourth down and missed a field goal. A fumble by Edwards near midfield in the third quarter stalled an important Bills? drive with the Patriots holding just a 3-0 lead. Atlanta 31, St. Louis 27 Team Trench Counter: Falcons -2.8, Rams +2.8 The playoff-bound Falcons (11-5) capped off their improbable season with a closer-than-expected win over the Rams (2-14) on Sunday. Matt Ryan went 10-for-21 with 160 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Michael Turner starred for Atlanta, rushing for 208 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Jerious Norwood scored twice and tallied 56 yards on just three carries, in one of the most efficient performances in the NFL this season. Marc Bulger turned in a respectable performance, going 19-for-32 with 230 yards and a touchdown. Steven Jackson excelled on the ground, tallying 161 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. The performance allowed Jackson to surpass the 1,000-yard mark this season, a goal that didn?t seem possible when he missed four games earlier this year. San Francisco 27, Washington 24 Team Trench Counter: 49ers +7.7, Redskins -7.7 Joe Nedney kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired to help the 49ers (7-9) defeat the Redskins (8-8) at Candlestick Park. Shaun Hill went 21-for-30 with 245 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Frank Gore rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries, and DeShaun Foster added 44 yards and a touchdown on nine rushes. Josh Morgan led San Francisco in receiving with three receptions for 50 yards. Jason Campbell went 18-for-30 with 156 yards and a touchdown in the season-ending loss, while Clinton Portis tallied 80 yards and a score in defeat. Campbell scrambled four times for 39 yards and a touchdown, while Santana Moss hauled in six balls for 68 yards. Portis lost a fumble, which stalled an important Washington drive. The 49ers rallied to win, outscoring the Redskins 13-7 in the fourth quarter. Arizona 34, Seattle 21 Team Trench Counter: Cardinals +12.6, Seahawks -12.6 The Cardinals (9-7) entered the postseason on a high note with a win over the Seahawks (4-12). Kurt Warner went 19-for-30 with 263 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Edgerrin James, who earlier this season was frustrated with his role, tallied 100 yards on fourteen carries. Larry Fitzgerald had five receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while Steve Breaston added 5 catches for 91 yards and a score. Seneca Wallace turned in another respectable performance, going 24-for-43 with 250 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. However, Seattle?s running game stalled against Arizona. Maurice Morris had just 45 yards on 15 carries. Deion Branch led the team in receiving with six catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Philadelphia 44, Dallas 6 Team Trench Counter: Eagles +17.1, Cowboys -17.1 The Eagles (9-6-1) beat the Cowboys (9-7) to secure the NFC?s final playoff berth on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Thanks to losses by the Bears and Buccaneers earlier in the day, Philadelphia was able to sneak in. Donovan McNabb went 12-for-21 with 175 yards and three total touchdowns, while the Eagles? defense absolutely dominated the Dallas offense. Philadelphia recorded four sacks, four fumble recoveries (two for scores) and an interception in the victory. Tony Romo did nothing to erase his poor reputation in important games, going 21-for-39 with 183 yards, an interception and two lost fumbles. Tashard Choice ran 13 times for 56 yards, while Marion Barber tallied 13 yards on three touches. Terrell Owens had six receptions for 103 yards, and Jason Witten had 50 yards on seven catches. The Eagles outscored the Cowboys 41-0 over the second and third quarters. Miami 24, N.Y. Jets 17 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +10.3, Jets -10.3 The Dolphins (11-5) grabbed the AFC East title with a win over the Jets (9-7) on Sunday at Giants Stadium. Chad Pennington stuck it to his old team, going 22-for-30 with 200 yards and two touchdowns, while Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined to rush for 107 yards on 21 carries. Ted Ginn Jr. had two receptions for 71 yards and a score, while Miami?s defense befuddled Brett Favre and the Jets? offense. Favre went 20-for-40 with 233 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, one of which was returned 25 yards for a touchdown by Miami?s Phillip Merling. Leon Washington rushed ten times for 60 yards and a score, while Thomas Jones struggled with 23 yards on ten attempts. Laveranues Coles led New York in receiving with four receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. The Jets lost four of their last fives games to fall out of the playoff picture. Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 7 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +23.1, Jaguars -23.1 Joe Flacco led the Ravens (11-5) to a win over the Jaguars (5-11) to lock up the AFC?s final playoff spot. Flacco went 17-for-23 with 297 yards, while Le?Ron McClain (70 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries) and Willis McGahee (24 yards and a score on four touches) helped Baltimore dominate on the ground. Mark Clayton led the team in receiving with four receptions for 128 yards, while the Baltimore defense kept the Jacksonville from putting too many points on the board. David Garrard went 14-for-25 with 127 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 23 times for 78 yards in a game that was meaningless for the Jaguars. Jones-Drew also lost a fumble, as the Ravens jumped out to a 24-7 lead heading into the half. Dennis Northcutt led the Jags in receiving with five receptions for 35 yards. San Diego 52, Denver 21 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +10.9, Broncos -10.9 The Chargers (8-8) completed an improbable comeback on Sunday night in their win over the Broncos (8-8), winning the AFC West title after trailing by three games just weeks ago. Philip Rivers went 15-for-20 with 207 yards and two touchdowns, while LaDainian Tomlinson (96 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries) and Darren Sproles (115 yards and a score on 14 touches) dominated on the ground. San Diego scored at least ten points in each of the game's four quarters. Jay Cutler went 33-for-49 with 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Tatum Bell ran well, posting 86 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries. Denver was forced to throw the ball early and often after falling behind in the first half. The Broncos lost their last three games to allow the Chargers, who were 4-8 just four weeks ago, to sneak into the playoffs. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Giants' running back Derrick Ward topped 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Sunday against Vikings, giving New York only the fourth pair of 1,000-yard backs in league history. Brandon Jacobs, who was inactive on Sunday, rushed for 1,089 yards this season. Miami's Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris formed the first running back duo to rush for 1,000 yards each in 1972. Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier did it for Pittsburgh in 1976, and Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack did it for Cleveland in 1985.

Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning extended his own NFL record for 4,000-yard seasons to nine during Sunday's game against the Titans. Manning needed 93 yards to achieve the mark again, and he went 7-for-7 start with 95 yards and one touchdown in the first quarter before being replaced by backup Jim Sorgi.

Chances are you saw a majority of the thirteen games played on Sunday in the NFL's Week Sixteen ? especially if you were snowed in -- but there is no need to worry if you weren't watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the final weekend before the Christmas holiday. We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Indianapolis 31, Jacksonville 24 Team Trench Counter: Colts +1.9, Jaguars -1.9 The Colts (11-4) clinched a playoff berth against the Jaguars (5-10) on Thursday night with their seventh consecutive victory. Peyton Manning was nearly perfect, going 29-for-34 with 364 yards and three touchdowns. Dominic Rhodes, playing for the injured Joseph Addai, had 89 total yards and a scoring reception. Both Reggie Wayne (seven receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown) and Dallas Clark (eight catches for 105 yards and a score) showed great chemistry with Manning. The Colts trailed 14-0 midway through the second quarter, and needed three scores in the fourth quarter (including a 35-yard interception return by Keiwan Ratliff) to secure the win. David Garrard played respectably against the Colts? tough secondary, going 28-for-41 with 329 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Maurice Jones-Drew, handling a majority of the rushing duties for the Jaguars with Fred Taylor out for the season, tallied 91 rushing yards and 71 receiving in the defeat. Dennis Northcutt, covering for Matt Jones due to a suspension, was Garrard?s top target with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Baltimore 33, Dallas 24 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +16.6, Cowboys -16.6 The Ravens (10-5) dealt a damaging blow to the playoff hopes of the Cowboys (9-6) with a thrilling win on Saturday night. Rookie Joe Flacco kept his cool in the important game, going 17-for-25 with 149 yards and a touchdown. With Dallas rallying in the fourth quarter, Willis McGahee and Le?Ron McClain scored on runs of 77 and 82 yards, respectively, to put the game away. Each run was the first play from scrimmage by Baltimore following a Dallas score. Derrick Mason led the team in receiving with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, while McClain (139 yards on 22 carries) and McGahee (108 yards on eight attempts) both surpassed the 100-yard mark. After a poor start, Tony Romo rallied to finish the game with 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 24-for-45 passing. Tashard Choice, who handled the team?s rushing load with Marion Barber still nursing an injury, tallied 115 total yards and a score in the loss. Both Jason Witten (five catches for 87 yards) and Terrell Owens (five catches for 63 yards) reached the end zone on Romo passes, which may keep them from arguing for the time-being. DeMarcus Ware had one sack, which gives him 20 for the season. He?ll need 2 ? against the Eagles in Week 17 in order to tie Michael Strahan?s NFL record. San Diego 41, Tampa Bay 24 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +11.6, Buccaneers -11.6 The Chargers (7-8) momentarily kept their postseason hopes alive, while minimizing the Buccaneers? (9-6) chances. Philip Rivers excelled with 287 yards and four touchdowns on 21-for-31 passing. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed 21 times for 90 yards. San Diego scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, thanks to two Rivers? passes and a 59-yard interception return by Antoine Cason. Vincent Jackson led the team with seven receptions for 111 yards, while Antonio Gates reeled in four balls for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Garcia struggled when the Buccaneers needed him the most, going 21-for-35 with 232 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also scrambled six times for 45 yards and a score. Antonio Bryant was Tampa Bay?s leading receiver, catching six passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. In order to remain in the playoff race, San Diego needed Denver to lose to Buffalo in the second slate of games. Tampa Bay is still locked in a battle with Dallas, Atlanta and Philadelphia for a Wild Card spot. Tennessee 31, Pittsburgh 14 Team Trench Counter: Titans +4.3, Steelers -4.3 The Titans (13-2) clinched the AFC?s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs with a dominant win over the Steelers (11-3). Kerry Collins went 20-for-29 with 216 yards and one touchdown, while Chris Johnson (69 yards and a score) and LenDale White (48 yards and a touchdown) helped the team control the clock. Justin Gage was Collins? top target, catching five passes for 104 yards and a trip to the end zone. Tennessee put the game away late in the fourth quarter with an 83-yard interception return by Michael Griffin. Ben Roethlisberger was harassed all afternoon long, getting sacked five times by the swarming Titans? defense. He finished the afternoon with 331 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions on 26-for-40 passing. Willie Parker struggled on the ground, tallying 29 yards on eighteen rushing attempts. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes had decent stat lines, with a combined twelve receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to his two interceptions, Roethlisberger lost two fumbles. San Francisco 17, St. Louis 16 Team Trench Counter: 49ers -6.4, Rams +6.4 The 49ers (6-9) rallied to score the game?s final fourteen points and defeat the lowly Rams (2-13). Shaun Hill went 18-for-34 with 216 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Both of Hill?s scoring strikes came in the fourth quarter, and he also scrambled four times for 45 yards. DeShaun Foster, playing for the injured Frank Gore, tallied 36 rushing yards on twelve carries. Isaac Bruce, who is now second on the NFL?s all-time receiving list, had seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. Josh Morgan caught a 48-yarder from Hill with a little more than one minute left in the game to give San Francisco the victory. Marc Bulger added to his disappointing season, going 19-for-36 with 227 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Steven Jackson ran well, tallying 108 yards on 32 attempts, but didn?t break a run longer than 12 yards and couldn?t find the end zone. Both teams had three sacks, and neither is still in the NFC playoff picture. St. Louis cornerback Ronald Bartell was the team?s lone star, picking off Hill twice in the loss. New England 47, Arizona 7 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +21.6, Cardinals -21.6 The Patriots (10-5) thoroughly dominated the Cardinals (8-7) on Sunday in a snowy battle at Gillette Stadium. Matt Cassell went 20-for-36 with 345 yards and three touchdowns in rough conditions, while Kevin O?Connell attempted two passes in garbage time. Sammy Morris had 88 rushing yards on fifteen carries, and LaMont Jordan added 78 yards and two touchdowns on twenty attempts. Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk all caught touchdown passes, while Jabar Gaffney led New England with five receptions for 90 yards in the victory. Kurt Warner struggled, going 6-for-18 with just 30 passing yards. Matt Leinart came on in the second half and went 6-for-14 with 138 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Arizona?s receivers had a great deal of difficulty reeling in passes, dropping many balls that would have been caught on a sunny day. The Cardinals? offense wasn?t much better on the ground, as Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower combined to rush for 36 yards on fourteen carries. Larry Fitzgerald had three receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, which came on a late 78-yard completion that finally got Arizona on the board. Miami 38, Kansas City 31 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +2.2, Chiefs -2.2 The Dolphins (10-5) edged the Chiefs (2-13) for a much-needed win on Sunday thanks to a 14-yard pass from Chad Pennington to Anthony Fasano near the end of the fourth quarter. Pennington had 235 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 26-for-34 passing. Miami had 168 yards receiving, with five players accounting for at least 29 yards. Ricky Williams and Ted Ginn Jr. both reached the end zone on rushes. Fasano finished the afternoon with three catches for 47 yards and two scores. Miami kept themselves in the AFC East title race with the victory. Tyler Thigpen went 20-for-41 with 320 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in yet another close loss. Larry Johnson continued to put himself back on the map, rushing twelve times for 108 yards and a score. Thigpen scrambled well once again, tallying 57 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Running back Jamaal Charles led Kansas City with three catches for 102 yards. Devard Darling (three receptions for 69 yards) and Tony Gonzalez (seven catches for 64 yards) both had touchdown receptions. The Chiefs failed to record a sack. New Orleans 42, Detroit 7 Team Trench Counter: Saints +23.7, Lions -23.7 With the flu running through the locker room, the Lions (0-15) are one loss away from history after a beating from the Saints (8-7). Drew Brees had 351 yards and two touchdowns on 30-for-40 passing, and four players scored rushing touchdowns for New Orleans. Pierre Thomas (77 rushing yards), Deuce McAllister (61 rushing yards), Mike Bell (26 rushing yards) and Robert Meachem (20 yards on one carry) all rushed for scores. Marques Colston had one of his best games of the season, with nine receptions for 99 yards and two scores. Dan Orlovsky went 10-for-23 with 125 yards and two interceptions, while Drew Stanton had 12 yards on three pass attempts for Detroit in the loss. Rookie running back Kevin Smith had 111 yards and a touchdown, while Calvin Johnson hauled in four receptions for 64 yards. The Lions? defense forced one fumble, but couldn?t get to Drew Brees and allowed New Orleans to put up 532 total yards. Cincinnati 14, Cleveland 0 Team Trench Counter: Bengals +18.7, Browns -18.7 The Bengals (3-11-1) shut out the Browns (4-11) in a bland game. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 5-for-9 with 55 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 20-yard strike to Chris Henry in the second quarter. Cedric Benson enjoyed his best day with Cincinnati, rushing 38 times for 171 yards in the victory. Benson lost a fumble, and didn?t reach the end zone. Leon Hall scored the other touchdown for the Bengals, reaching the end zone on a 50-yard interception return in the first quarter. Ken Dorsey went 10-for-17 with 68 yards and three interceptions. Brad Gradkowski came on and added 8 passing yards and an interception on eight attempts. Jamal Lewis ran for 76 yards on sixteen attempts, which brought him over the 10,000-yard mark for his career. He?s just the 24th player to reach the plateau. Braylon Edwards led Cleveland in receiving with three catches for 35 yards. Seattle 13, N.Y. Jets 3 Team Trench Counter: Seahawks +4, Jets -4 The Jets (9-6) have fallen behind the Patriots and Dolphins in the AFC East race after losing to the Seahawks (4-11) on Sunday. Seneca Wallace managed a good game, going 18-for-25 with 175 yards and a touchdown. Maurice Morris ran 29 times for 116 yards, while Bobby Engram was Wallace?s top target with six receptions for 65 yards. In addition to intercepting Brett Favre twice, Seattle? defense sacked him four times. The game was coach Mike Holmgren?s final one at Qwest Field in Seattle. Favre went 18-for-31 with 187 yards and two interceptions in the loss. Thomas Jones had 67 rushing yards on seventeen carries, and added 29 receiving yards on three catches. Jerricho Cotchery led New York with six receptions for 81 yards, and Laveranues Coles had five catches for 60 yards. The Jets? defense wasn?t able to sack Wallace, and will need some luck and a win against the Dolphins next week to make the playoffs. Oakland 27, Houston 16 Team Trench Counter: Raiders +4.9, Texans -4.9 The Raiders (4-11) used a big third quarter to keep the Texans (7-8) from moving over. 500 on the season. JaMarcus Russell went 18-for-25 with 236 yards and two touchdowns, and Justin Fargas rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries. Rookie Darren McFadden added 46 yards on twelve attempts, and tight end Zach Miller led the team in receiving with four catches for 70 yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chaz Schilens both topped the 50-yard mark and reached the end zone. Higgins helped led Oakland to victory with an 80-yard punt return in the third quarter that put the game out of reach. Matt Schaub went 19-for-36 with 255 yards and an interception. Rookie Steve Slaton had 66 yards on eighteen carries, and tight end Owen Daniels led the Texans in receiving with seven catches for 111 yards. Andre Johnson, one of the league?s top receivers on the season, was limited to just 19 yards on two catches. Buffalo 30, Denver 23 Team Trench Counter: Bills -2.3, Broncos +2.3 The Broncos (8-7) will have to beat the Chargers next weekend in order to win the AFC West and make the playoffs after losing to the Bills (7-8) at Invesco Field on Sunday. Trent Edwards went 17-for-25 with 193 yards and a touchdown, while Fred Jackson (43 yards on ten carries) and Marshawn Lynch (34 yards on eleven attempts) both scored rushing touchdowns. Jackson added three receptions for 70 yards, while Josh Reed led Buffalo in receiving with nine catches for 79 yards in the victory. Jay Cutler had 359 yards and an interception on 25-for-45 passing. Denver?s running backs struggled, with receiver Eddie Royal (71 yards on one carry) and Cutler (30 yards and two touchdowns) leading them on the ground. Brandon Marshall didn?t reach the end zone, but he had ten receptions for 129 yards. Royal, the leading rookie receiver in the NFL, added five receptions for 57 yards in the loss. After opening the season with a 4-1 record, the Broncos have lost six of their last ten games. Washington 10, Philadelphia 3 Team Trench Counter: Redskins +1.2, Eagles -1.2 The Eagles (8-6-1) couldn?t take advantage of a prime opportunity to put themselves in control of their own playoff destiny as they lost to the Redskins (8-7). Jason Campbell went 18-for-33 with 144 yards in a game that was dominated by defense. Clinton Portis had 70 yards and a one touchdown on 22 carries, while Ladell Betts added 66 total yards in the victory. The Washington defense sacked Donovan McNabb twice and delivered hard hits to force a host of drops by Philadelphia receivers. McNabb went 26-for-46 with 230 yards and nothing else. He connected with Reggie Brown with just seconds left, but the receiver was tackled at the goal line to end the team?s chances at a dramatic comeback. Brian Westbrook had 45 yards on twelve carries and caught six passes for a team-high 71 yards. Tight end L.J. Smith added 49 yards on seven catches, as the Eagles opted to run a variety of screen plays to no avail. Philadelphia will need to beat Dallas next weekend, and hopes for some luck in order to grab the NFC?s final Wild Card slot. Atlanta 24, Minnesota 17 Team Trench Counter: Falcons -2.7, Vikings +2.7 The Falcons (10-5) clinched a Wild Card berth with a win over the Vikings (9-6) at the Metrodome. Matt Ryan went 13-for-24 with 134 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Turner had 70 rushing yards and a touchdown on nineteen carries. Justin Blaylock recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown as Atlanta jumped out to a 24-7 lead through three quarters. The Vikings nearly rallied back in the fourth quarter, but the Falcons? defense did just enough to preserve their lead. Tarvaris Jackson went 22-for-36 with 233 yards and two touchdowns, but lost two fumbles and struggled on the team?s final drive. Adrian Peterson rushed for 76 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards, but he lost a fumble as well. Jackson, a much better scrambler for Gus Frerotte, rushed eight times for 76 yards in defeat. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe led Minnesota in receiving with seven catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. If Chicago beats Green Bay on Monday night, the Vikings will need a win in Week 17 to win the NFC North. N.Y. Giants 34, Carolina 28 (OT) Team Trench Counter: Giants +2.9, Panthers -2.9 They needed overtime and a sizable comeback, but the defending champion Giants (12-3) locked up the NFC's top seed with a win over the visiting Panthers (11-4). Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run, and Eli Manning converted a two-point conversion pass to Domenik Hixon, to tie the game with a little over three minutes remaining in regulation. Jacobs then scored again roughly five minutes in overtime to give New York the win. Manning finished the night 17-for-27 with 181 yards and a touchdown. Jacobs (87 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries) and Derrick Ward (215 yards on 15 touches) dominated on the ground. Jake Delhomme went 11-for-19 with 185 yards for the Panthers, as DeAngelo Williams excelled on the ground. Williams rushed 24 times for 108 yards and four touchdowns. Muhsin Muhammad led Carolina in receiving with four catches for 80 yards. The Panthers took a 21-13 lead into the half, but the Giants owned the game's final 35 minutes. New York will not have home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. *Explaining The Trench Counter

San Francisco receiver Isaac Bruce added to his Hall of Fame resume on Sunday, recording his 1,000th catch and surpassing Tim Brown on the all-time receiving list. Bruce became just the fifth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions on a 3-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. He then passed Brown later in the quarter, finishing the game with 61 yards. He entered the game needing 60 yards to move into second on the all-time list, behind Jerry Rice.

Using my custom position-by-position Field Impact Counter (FIC), we can safely and accurately rank quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends by an objective statistical measurement. The importance placed on specific positions is far different in football than it is in basketball, baseball, and hockey. Because of this, we have separated salaries by position instead of having a single common pool. Quarterbacks are compared to quarterbacks. Running backs are compared to running backs. Wide receivers are compared to wide receivers. There are only four positions on the football field where we can truly use statistics to rank a player?s performance in the same ways we can for the other three major sports. Intangibles such as how a running back picks up the blitz or how well a wide receiver blocks for his downfield runners do not appear on stat sheets and in order to get a truly objective statistical ranking, these elements are unfortunately overlooked. Players are ranked from highest to lowest by the total FIC for the season, not per game because players only give contribute to a team when they are playing. Beside each player?s actual salary, we slide in raw cap value figures of the position, ranked top to bottom, which determines their ?deserved? salary. The player who has the highest FIC receives the highest ?deserved? salary. The player with the second highest FIC receives the second highest salary. The player with the hundredth highest FIC receives the hundredth highest salary. We then calculate the percentage increase or decrease from the actual and deserved and that figure becomes their Reina Value. The Reina Value is a valuation system that quickly determines how players perform in relation to their contracts or in the case of the NFL, their cap value. - Brees and Warner are tied for the lead on our list. Brees has a slightly better yards per attempt average, but Warner has been more accurate, throwing for a completion percentage of 68.4%. - In Brett Favre's first full season as Green Bay's QB, he had a 85.3 rating, which Rodgers will beat with his 91.8 mark. He has also thrown for more touchdowns and fewer interceptions although a slightly lower completion percentage. - Rivers is the only QB with a rating over 100, even though Tony Romo could still join him (98.3). I'm not sure how Favre can outrank Rivers on the AFC Pro Bowl team. The same goes for Eli making it over Aaron Rodgers and Donovan McNabb. - Peyton Manning has his lowest QB rating since 2002 and has been inconsistent in games like Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Cleveland, but this understated season may end up being his most rewarding in February. - Pennington has helped lead the Dolphins to a 7-1 record since Week 8. He has thrown seven TD's and just three interceptions in that time span. - Three out of the top four running backs on our list are rookies, with Matt Forte again first; Steve Slaton, second; and Chris Johnson, fourth. Forte had difficult company against Peterson, Turner, and Portis in the NFC, but Slaton was snubbed in favor of Ronnie Brown who has had one landmark game and a series of ordinary outings thereafter. Which of these three players will have the best career? All three rookies are extremely versatile with outstanding abilities both on the ground and as receivers. Forte has a 4.0 yard per carry average on the ground with the biggest workload (280 carries compared to 230 for Slaton and 235 for Johnson) and has been excellent out of the backfield with 58 catches for 424 yards. Slaton has a 4.9 yard per carry average and has caught 40 balls for 305 yards. Johnson also has a 4.9 yard per carry average and 41 catches for 259 yards. The Bears and Titans have long been teams that love to run the ball, while the Texans have a superb air attack with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. All three should be high on this list for the next five or six years, and durability will be the main issue given how close they all are in talent. - Williams has a 5.5 yards per carry average, which is easily the best in the NFL. He has rushed for over 120 yards four separate times this season, all Panther wins. - Tomlinson's off year still puts him in the top-10 on our list. He is 13th in rushing yards and tied for 12th in TDs with eight. - How is Michael Turner 13th on our list? This is harsh for a player that is first in rushing TD's and second in yards, but he has only caught six balls for 41 yards all season. - There are six teams that have two running backs in our top-32: The Panthers (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart), Jets (Thomas Jones and Leon Washington), Giants (Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward), Falcons (Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood), Saints (Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas), and Ravens (Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain). - With two weeks remaining, Andre Johnson is 133 FIC points away from matching the season put up by Randy Moss in 2007. Moss had 1493 yards and 23 TD's, but Johnson already has more receptions and will easily eclipse him in yards. - White has caught 14 balls for 267 yards and a 19.1 average when the game has been tied. - Smith has almost caught the top-3 despite missing the first two weeks of the season due to a suspension. Smith has at least 96 yards in nine of his last 11 games, with his one catch, nine yard outing at Oakland in Week 10 and 63 yards against the Lions being the only outliers. - Bryant has already doubled his touchdown output from 2007 and is well on his way to catching twice as many receptions (40 to 74). - Gonzalez and Witten have clearly been the two best tight ends this season, and slthough Gates doesn't have as many yards as Owen Daniels, six TD's compared to two goes a long way in Pro Bowl voting.