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. * More information about the FIC at the bottom of this article. 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. - Only Cutler has attempted more passes than Brees, and nobody has completed their attempts at a better rate (72.3). Would Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson be averaging 40.8 and 35.5 yards per reception respectively without Brees? - Cutler has completed a pass for 20 or more yards in 19 of his 102 completions. - Romo has been somewhat vulnerable to the blitz this season with an 85.9 rating, compared to 117.8 in 2007. - Favre now leads the NFL in passer rating with 110.8 following his six-TD performance against the Cardinals. He has now thrown a touchdown once for every 10 pass attempts. - Rivers has an excellent 139.3 QB rating during the 4th quarter. - Campbell still hasn't thrown an interception this season, and he's also lost 141 passing yards because of penalties. - Delhomme and Flacco have each been sacked on 7% of their pass attempts. - Russell's first interception of the season came on a deflected pass against the Chargers, and he continues to excel in the shotgun, with an NFL-best 135.8 rating. - Bush had his worst game of 2008 against the Niners as they held him to just 1.4 yards per reception, but the reemergence of Deuce McAllister (73 yards) should free up the RB FIC leader in coming weeks for more big plays. - Steven Jackson has been far more successful running up the middle and to the left tackle than he has on the right or around either side on the outside. - 281 of Turner's 422 yards have come on 1st & 10. - Is Larry Johnson back? He's rushed for 198 and 121 yards in the past two games after being held to 22 by the Raiders. - Norwood is averaging an NFL-best 7.0 yards per carry. - Jennings is averaging 19.3 yards per catch, and his 120.5 yards per game trails only Brandon Marshall. - Santana Moss is in the best three-game stretch of his career since early in 2005. - White is averaging 11.2 more yards per catch on the turf than he is on grass. - Muhammad is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2004, his last with Carolina. - Owens was the good teammate in Green Bay when he only had two receptions for 17 yards during a win but is complaining after his seven-reception, 71 yard day against Washington. Owens has now gone seven games without a 100-yard outing, his longest drought since 1999. - Witten has 158 more yards than Gates, who is second in yards among tight ends, but Witten has just one touchdown. - Gates' yards remain modest, but he has reached the end zone in two straight games. - Scheffler's production has gone from 72 to 64 to 32 and down to 26 yards against the Chiefs this week. - Zach Miller's 63-yard touchdown is the longest by a tight end this season. Field Impact Counter Formulas Quarterbacks .25 Completions - .5 Incomplete Passes + .1 Yards + 4 Touchdowns - Interceptions + First Downs - Sacks .5 Rushing Yards - Rushing Attempts + 5 Rushing Touchdowns + Rushing First downs - Lost Fumbles Running Backs + 5 Rushing Touchdowns + .5 Rushing Yards - Rushing Attempts + Rushing First downs - 5 Rushing Fumbles + Receptions + .5 Receiving Yards + 5 Receiving Touchdowns + Receiving First Downs - 5 Receiving Fumbles Wide Receivers/Tight Ends 5 Touchdowns +.5 Receiving Yards + Receptions + First Downs - 5 Fumbles

Last Week?s forecast: 11-5, pushing the overall season mark to 31-16. The skies should be clear across the country for this weekend?s slate of games. Now that it?s officially autumn we will start seeing more cold weather games, though from now until Halloween is often ideal football weather for the East Coast and Great Lakes teams. The changing of the season also means the forecast models are more accurate, as the increased pool of game film provides more accurate readings. You?ll still see some flukish results that defy all explanation, but at least you?ll know it was a fluke. I?m sure you are familiar with the emergency alert system on television and the radio; it?s that annoying high-pitched alarm that is always followed by the ?This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test.? Here?s an open question for the folks who operate this system: how come it never activates when there is an actual emergency? I?ve been through a couple of hurricanes, I?ve been within 500 yards of a tornado that struck both a nuclear power plant and a heavily populated resort, I?ve seen large cars swept away in floods, I?ve seen hail the size of baseballs. But not once in my life have I ever heard this supposed ?alert? system ever activate for anything but a test, and anyone who knows me will tell you I live with either the radio or television perpetually on. Either put this system to use or stop annoying the crap out of everyone with the pointless tests! Bright and sunny games Washington (14) at Dallas (1): Thanks to all the Dallas fans who continually remind me I predicted the Cowboys would miss the playoffs. I?d like to say that it?s still early, that they haven?t hit their patch of adversity yet, but I?ve got to admit they have easily been the most impressive team in the NFL thus far. The rival Skins have looked solid, playing smart and fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball. If Jason Campbell can continue to manage the offense and keep control of the ball, and the Skins can get some pass rush up the gut on Tony Romo, they can pull off the road upset. But I see Marion Barber running strong, Jason Witten exploiting the weaknesses in the Redskins back 7, and the Dallas defensive front giving trouble to the Skins solid but unspectacular line. Cowboys 30, Redskins 20. Baltimore (10) at Pittsburgh (8): Pittsburgh?s offensive line couldn?t handle the Eagles or even the Browns, and now they get the Ravens impressive pressure defense. Baltimore is very quietly playing real sound football, and the defense is playing just as well as it did during the 13-3 season of 2006. The Steelers D has paved their early road to success, and they have the ability to bring the heat themselves. But Pittsburgh will be without NT Casey Hampton and DE Brett Keisel, and S Troy Polamalu continues to nurse a thigh injury. Baltimore isn?t an explosive offense, but they do have a power running game and a young QB getting more confident each drive. It?s rare I pick against the Steelers at home, but missing RB Willie Parker seals it. Baltimore seizes control of the AFC North with a hard-fought 13-10 victory to atone for last season?s MNF gig where the Steelers embarrassed Steve McNair into retirement. Don?t think Ray Lewis & Co. have forgotten about that one... Seasonably pleasant games Atlanta (20) at Carolina (11): Very interesting game in Charlotte. The Falcons have looked good thus far, but their two wins are over punching bags Detroit and Kansas City. The Panthers have earned two wins in three games against three pretty strong defenses (alleged in the Chargers case), and the two-headed RB of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart complements Jake Delhomme well. I like what I saw of the Panthers defense, who bottled up Adrian Peterson and the Vikings potent rushing attack nicely last week. Their LBs are tough and fast, and safety Chris Harris is quickly becoming the bedrock of a strong defense. Atlanta?s D has played well too, led by Jon Abraham, who would be touted as an MVP candidate if he played in Dallas or New York. Most of the forecast models indicate a big day for Steve Smith and the Panthers TEs and a learning-curve game for young Matt Ryan, who hasn?t seen anything like Julius Peppers or the strong Carolina secondary. Panthers 24, Falcons 17. San Francisco (18) at New Orleans (16): I exchanged emails with a 49er this week, and his team is flying high with confidence and optimism, something they haven?t had under Coach Nolan. Other than nickel back Shawntae Spencer (now on IR), they?re pretty healthy and are coming off an easy win over Detroit where they didn?t have to open up the playbook much. The Saints dropped a shootout in Denver, and they?re fooling themselves if they think they can continue to give up over 20 first downs per game. They rank near the bottom in sacks, turnovers, yards per attempt, yards per 1st down snap, and points per game. That does not bode well against a Mike Martz offense with self-confidence. What bodes even worse is the loss of G Jamar Nesbit, the best interior run blocker on the team. However, the Saints have won the last 4 meetings by an average score of 34-22, and two of those games came in years where the Saints were worse than this year. We?ve seen the Niners start strong before and quickly wilt, and I think this game begins the wilting. New Orleans 34, San Francisco 24. Green Bay (5) at Tampa Bay (19): Tampa will need to improve their pass coverage if they have any shot, because last week the Bears had little trouble moving the ball and the Packers are better at every offensive spot than Chicago. Aaron Rodgers needs to have a big game, as RB Ryan Grant is looking like a half-year wonder the more he plays. Even though they threw the ball 67 times last week, the Bucs aerial attack doesn?t scare defenses unless TE Jerramy Stevens has his head (and hands) in the game. Green Bay hasn?t successfully covered the TE all season, and that gives the Bucs hope. Tampa?s kicker Matt Bryant lost his infant son this week, and that unspeakable tragedy could either be a rallying point for the Bucs or cost them in special teams. I?m betting on the former, as Bryant is as popular with his teammates as any kicker in the league. Tampa Bay 27, Green Bay 24. Philadelphia (4) at Chicago (23): The Eagles defense terrorized Pittsburgh last week, netting 9 sacks and snuffing out the potent Steelers run game. That?s a major problem for the blocking-challenged Bears offense. Chicago rookie RB Matt Forte is playing very well, and QB Kyle Orton appears to finally have a go-to WR in Brandon Lloyd. That provides hope for Chicago, but the Bears undisciplined, underachieving defense looks like they?re in for a long night against a rejuvenated Donovan McNabb and his increasingly healthier WRs. I expect a better showing from Urlacher & Co., but I just don?t see the Chicago offense able to score enough (if at all) to make it matter. Special mention to the Bears special teams, proving that the injured Devin Hester was far from a one-man gang. Eagles 20, Bears 6. Cool with wind and light rain games San Diego (6) at Oakland (24): You saw a real tale of two teams last week. San Diego regrouped with a laser-sharp focus and took the Jets behind the woodshed. Oakland played perhaps their best overall game of their last 10 outings but found a way to choke away a victory against the Bills. Good teams find ways to win, bad teams find ways to lose. These Raiders are probably better than you think they are, but they?re still not a good team. San Diego keeps rolling with a 33-13 victory. Arizona (13) at New York Jets (25): Kudos to the Cardinals for trying something new in their quest to break their East Coast futility. After playing in Washington last week, the team stayed East instead of returning to Arizona in preparation for the reeling Jets. Those Jets are returning from their drubbing in San Diego on Monday night, so they get the cross-country travel on a short week. Savvy move by Ken Whisenhunt & Co., and I bet it pays off. Obligatory Brett Favre name drop: Favre is just 3-7 in his last 10 starts against 3-4 defenses, though one of those wins came against Arizona. For as much talent as the Jets have in their secondary they sure struggle to stop the pass, and that?s a very real problem when facing Kurt Warner and the dynamic duo of Fitzgerald and Boldin. The Jets haven?t beaten an NFC team in nearly two years, and that drought continues in a 33-17 Cardinals victory. Minnesota (21) at Tennessee (3): The Titans defense has dominated thus far, and they present an interesting challenge to the Vikings. Minnesota is built to win by running wild with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, and stopping the opponent from doing the same. But the Tennessee defense aggressively attacks the run, and their excellent LBs often get clean shots at ballcarriers thanks to the best DL in football. That means the Vikings will have to throw to win, and I don?t trust Gus Frerotte to beat the opportunistic Titans secondary, certainly not with the WRs at his disposal. Kerry Collins and the Tennessee offense will find equally tough sledding against a Vikings D that also features great LB play behind a dominant DL. But I do trust Collins to make less mistakes than Frerotte, and I also like K Rod Bironas at home. Titans in a game that screams for you to bet the under, 16-13. Tornado in the trailer park games Houston (27) at Jacksonville (22): Several readers have been quick to criticize my criticism of the Jaguars. To you Jacksonville supporters, I give the team loads of credit for the gut-check victory and the fantastic 2-minute drill to earn that victory on the road in Indy. I still don?t believe that the offensive line or wide receivers/tight ends are good enough to win more than they lose unless David Garrard is near-perfect. Except for that last drive against Indy, aided by a couple of legit but iffy penalties, Garrard has been very ordinary, as has the running game. That?s still better than the Texans, who have the worst 1st down offense in the league even after Steve Slaton?s 50-yard scamper. Their defense is devoid of any playmakers other than Mario Williams; Demeco Ryans is a great tackler, but he doesn?t make plays in the backfield and doesn?t force turnovers. Jags CB Rashean Mathis is a nightmare matchup for Texans QB Matt Schaub, who leads the league in INTs despite playing one fewer game than everyone else. Jaguars get back into the playoff mix while burying the Texans firmly in the AFC South cellar. Jacksonville 24, Houston 13. Cleveland (28) at Cincinnati (29): Lost in Derek Anderson?s rapid decline for the Browns is the stunning disappearance of OLB Kamerion Wimbley. Bursting onto the scene with 11 sacks and 62 tackles as a rookie in 2006, Wimbley has just 5 sacks since, and just 2 in the last 12 games. That absent pass rush from a player who looked poised to be the next DeMarcus Ware is as much what ails the Browns as their sputtering offense. It will be interesting to see which Bengals team shows up, the one that showed little effort or emotion in the first two weeks or the inspired group that nearly beat the Giants last week. Because it?s at home and it?s the rival Browns, I see a repeat of the latter. It won?t matter if the Browns skill players on offense, not to mention Wimbley, get their acts together, but nothing we?ve seen this year indicates that forecast model is realistic. Bengals bury the Browns 33-24. Denver (7) at Kansas City (31): Astute reader Ryan Hansen pointed out to me that even though I?m one of the very few people who picked the Broncos to make the playoffs, I have yet to pick them to win any of their games. Ryan--this one?s for you! Denver 37, Kansas City 20. Buffalo (9) at St. Louis (32): How messed up are the Rams? Embattled coach Scott Linehan benches the highest paid player on the team, QB Marc Bulger, in favor of scrambled-brained fogie Trent Green. Green does offer better mobility, but that doesn?t help a lot when nobody is open and the pressure comes from all sides. The Bills survived a clunker against a game Raiders team, but the feeling around Orchard Park is that those are games that good teams win and bad teams find ways to lose. This Buffalo unit clearly believes in itself, and more people around the country are jumping on the bandwagon. That scares me to some degree, because the game that seemed like the biggest lock in each of the three prior weeks has wound up bombing. Keep that in mind before you use the Bills in those elimination fantasy games. Buffalo wins 30-17. Bye Week: Detroit (30), Miami (26), Seattle (15), New England (12), Indianapolis (17), NY Giants (2) Drinking in the Dorm Room Games 3-1 last week, 14-2 on the season. Note that I do not advocate breaking campus drinking laws, but rather strongly advocate the revocation of those laws on the basis they encourage binge drinking and irresponsible behavior. Enjoy alcohol in moderation, never alone, and never mixed with drugs. Moms everywhere, you?re welcome! - Georgia 27, Alabama 25. Just a hunch and my admitted anti-Saban bias bleeding through. - Penn State 40, Illinois 29. The Nittany Lions very quietly have great offensive talent across the board, and the Illini have major defensive problems despite the outstanding play of Vontae Davis, the best cover man in the country so far. - USC 44, Oregon State 17. The Trojans have stumbled in roadies like this recently, but not this year. - Wisconsin 20, Michigan 16. The Wolverines offense has to prove they can complete a pass for more than 8 yards before the Badger defense will stop flooding the box and stuffing the run. Thus far they haven?t shown that ability, and their OL faces their biggest test yet. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor didn't understand why doctors were in such a rush to take care of a mass of blood near his ankle that was diagnosed as compartmental syndrome, according to Associated Press. "I was a little scared about that and didn't quite understand why it had to be done so suddenly," Taylor said. "I kept telling the doctor, 'Let's wait until the sun comes up and let me talk to some people,' and they kept stressing how important it was to get it done right away." To correct the problem doctors cut into Taylor's calf to drain blood that, left untreated, might have led to nerve or tissue damage and even paralysis, limb loss or death. "I'm a hardhead," he said. "I wanted to wait and wanted to let God try to heal it up some. I guess sometimes you got to help Him out. I wanted to wait a couple hours but they said 'You don't have a couple hours. You should have done it an hour ago.' Time was of the essence and we needed to hurry it up and do it right away."

Redskins' defensive end Jason Taylor will be out for this week's game against the Cowboys after having blood released from his left calf muscle, according to Washington Post. Taylor has started 133 straight games at defensive end, but that streak will come to an end in Week Four.

Chris Cooley apologized Monday for posting an explicit photo of himself on his Web site. Cooley accidentally revealed more of himself than he wanted when he took a picture Sunday morning while preparing for the game against the New Orleans Saints. Cooley wanted to show the readers of his popular blog some of the study materials the players were given by Coach Jim Zorn. Cooley, however, was studying in the nude, and he didn't examine his photo closely before posting it. "All apologies from the website. We did not want to offend anyone," Cooley said in a posting Monday afternoon after the photo was removed. "The picture wouldn't have been up for so long, but we were in the middle of winning a big game. Once again, this was a complete accident, and we regret not reviewing the post more closely."

Comments from numerous critics don't bother Redskins' quarterback Jason Campbell, and he proved them wrong in Week Two against the Saints, according to In Rich. "It's the most scrutinized position in sports," Campbell said after leading the Redskins to a comeback victory. "When you have a bad play, you have to not worry about it and focus on the next play." Campbell went 24-for-36 with 321 yards and a touchdown in Washington's 29-24 win.

Clinton Portis doesn't regret the trade that sent him from the Broncos to the Redskins, but he does wish he could run behind a better offensive line, according to Washington Post. "I really wish," Portis said, "that I could switch places." He ran for 1,262 yards on 325 carries in Washington last season. "I wish I could go to a team for one week with the best offensive line, or the team with the best scheme, and switch places with their back and see how others would do in this system," Portis said. "I get a lot of touches with nowhere to run. I could see if I got all those touches and had some lanes, but there's nine or 10 men in the box." Portis rushed for 84 yards on 23 carries against the Giants in the team's season opener last Thursday. "You know, I'm dodging all the people in the backfield, fighting just to get back to the line of scrimmage, and people [are] looking around like, 'Oh, he just missed it.' I'm dodging people getting the handoff, because nobody's really respecting us as a passing team." "Now, I can't look back and say, 'Man, I wish I was still in Denver,' because I think being here made me a man."

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are the two most valuable franchises in the NFL, but both New York teams have made great strides over the last year, according to Associated Press. The Cowboys are worth $1.612 billion, while the Redskins have a value of $1.538 billion. The New York Giants and New York Jets (both worth $1.178 billion) enjoyed the biggest increase in value according Forbes Magazine's annual ranking, each jumping 21 percent because of their new stadium. The New England Patriots ($1.324 billion), are third on the list, with the Giants fourth and the Jets fifth. The rest of the top 10 included Houston at No. 6 ($1.125 billion); Philadelphia No. 7 ($1.116 billion); Indianapolis No. 8 ($1.076 billion); Chicago at No. 9 ($1.064 billion); and Baltimore at No. 10 ($1.062 billion).

Giants' Mathias Kiwanuka thinks that the Redskins' Chris Samuels pulled a dirty play or at least a play that lacked sportsmanship on the last play of Thursday night's game, according to New York Post. On the final play of the game on Thursday night, Kiwanuka cleanly and quickly beat Samuels to the outside in pursuit of quarterback Jason Campbell. Kiwanuka had an open pathway to Campbell, but never came close. Samuels from behind leaped at Kiwanuka's legs, landing directly on his lower left leg, a tackle that prompted a penalty flag that was not enforced, as the game was over. "He just turned around and jumped on my ankle, simple as that," Kiwanuka said. "I don't know that he targeted my hurt ankle, I don't think he thought that deep into it, but he definitely, trying to save a play, intentionally did something I felt like was just out of line. "You take hits. I took a big hit during the game - at this level it's something that happens. The greatest players get knocked down, you got to be able to stand back up, be a man and line up for the next snap. Something like that, I would never do it. "Having been out for the end of last season, I know how valuable these games are, and I would never do it to anybody and I wouldn't expect anybody to do that to me."

The Giants kicked off their Super Bowl title defense with what else?defense, according to an Associated Press report. The defense limited the new-look Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run in a 16-7 victory that ushered in the NFL season on Thursday night. RealGM's Game FIC Scores - Plaxico Burress: 82 - Brandon Jacobs: 47 - Antwaan Randle El: 47 - Eli Manning: 39 - Santana Moss: 31 - Jason Campbell: 28 - Derrick Ward: 27 - Clinton Portis: 22 The Field Impact Counter is a statistical measurement created by Chris Reina, which rewards players who not only score touchdowns but who also move the ball efficiently, catch numerous passes, pick up first downs and don?t turn the ball over. It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?