Kendall Simmons was a overpowering offensive tackle for Auburn earlier this decade. He was a first round pick (No. 30 overall), drafted by the Steelers in 2002. Converted to an offensive guard in the pros, he became a fixture on the Pittsburgh offensive line helping them win two Super Bowls. After an ACL injury in 2008 and two short stints with the Patriots and Bills, Kendall decided to hang the cleats up early and retire to the greatest place on earth, Auburn.

I had a chance to talk with him about his NFL days, his reasons for coming back to the Plains, and his thoughts about Cam Newton and the 2010 Auburn Tigers.

Thor: You played in the pros for eight years. You could have lived anywhere. Why come back to Auburn?

Kendall: I never left really, it’s always been home and one of those places where I have always been comfortable. We looked at Scottsdale, Ariz., where I trained and where my agent lived, but it would have been way too far from my wife’s family. In the end Auburn just felt like coming home.

Thor: What was so appealing about Auburn?

Kendall: Family feel, great nationally-ranked education for the kids and the people are great here. It has changed so much since I was in school. Just the people make such a difference. And we are centrally located and can get to anywhere quickly. Anywhere we want to fly we can drive to Birmingham or Atlanta. The beach is close; it’s just a great place to live.

Thor: You had a nasty injury in 2008. You tried to come back last year but ended your career. Did you just decide it was time to walk away, or is the fire still burning?

Kendall: I decided to, mentally I’m still in it, but physically it had taken a toll. It was a message God was trying to tell me and sometimes you have to willing to hear those messages. I can move on. I’ll have my times where I want to do it. I can’t even watch an NFL game right now. I can watch maybe a quarter, but then I have to walk out of the room and go do something. I struggled in New England (signed a three-year deal in September 2009 but was released in November 2009) because I was not myself. But in Buffalo (signed November 2009) I got my head on straight and then I tore my pectoral muscle in two places and was put on Injured Reserve. Mentally, it started to wear me out. Now I get to take my daughters to school every day. My wife says, I know you didn’t want it to go this way, but you couldn’t have picked a better year to retire because of Auburn’s season. It gets me my football fix, and she’s back helping with the Tigerettes. It’s really been a great transition to something that could have had me really down and being grumpy around the house.

Thor: What has Auburn’s season meant to you?

Kendall: Me personally, it’s definitely been good. I never realized how much of an adjustment you have to make once you have to call it quits and stop playing football. The coaches have let me come around and be involved with the team, and it’s definitely made up for a lot. And this team…  I’ve never been around a group of guys who don’t know how to quit.

Thor: Talk about Cam. What do you think of him as a college player and as a pro prospect?

Kendall: When I first saw him, I thought this guy is very intimidating and I was real anxious to see what he could do. In practice, it was always “what if” because of the quick whistles. Honestly, I questioned his throwing at first. But Cam has progressed so much as the season has gone on. This year he has learned how to play the game of football. He reads and throws, not picks one receiver, not runs immediately. He looks at whats going on and sees the whole field. He’ll translate pretty well to the pros. I think he has a strong arm and can make all the throws, and he’s so big and it’s hard to tackle him. Like Ben Roethsliberger, he’s going to be so hard to bring down. Ben wasn’t much of a runner, but he could still stand in there and throw the ball with a guy trying to tackle him. I’ve only been around a handful of guys with Cam’s kind of ability.

Thor: You played in the Super Bowl. What got you ready for such a big game?

Kendall: One thing that helped me out was that we had an older team. The older guys weren’t going to let the younger kids screw around. We had a chance to go back and play Indy (divisional playoffs) who we had lost to earlier that year on Monday Night Football, so we looked at it as an opportunity to beat them and we were completely focused and fully prepared to do it. Once we won that game we knew we were going to the Super Bowl and no one was going to stop us.

Thor: Oregon played in a BCS game last year. Is the SEC Championship a big enough stage to prepare Auburn for this huge game?

Kendall: I don’t think there’s any question about that. I really feel the kind of games that Auburn has played all year long has definitely prepared them for it. They always find a way to come back and win. The SEC Championship was the first time they played a full football game, from the kickoff they were clicking on all cylinders. And they really nailed the door shut in the 3^rd quarter. I wouldn’t be worried about it if we played two weeks after, the only thing that makes me nervous is the long layoff before the game.

Thor: Auburn’s offensive line has a distinct size advantage in this game, but Oregon’s line is quick. Are we going to be able to just shove them around?

Kendall: Everyone was talking about Wisconsin’s big offensive line versus TCU’s small offensive line, and that didn’t work out the way they thought. But that was a bad example. TCU’s defense is head and shoulders above Oregon’s defense. If we play the way we’re supposed to they won’t be able to stop us.

Thor: You told me before that you’re going to the game. When are you guys leaving?

Kendall: I’ll be out there about eight days. We fly out on Wednesday and I think we are coming back the next Wednesday morning.

Thor: What’s your prediction?

Kendall: That’s a good question: 41-35. I hope it’s more than that. I think they have some speed, but it all depends on which defense makes the most plays. If we can get them to punt a few times then I think we have a really good chance.

We hope to talk to Kendall again soon — maybe ask him some of those tough offensive lineman questions. If there’s anything you want us to ask him, leave a comment.

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early ’90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write to him at thor@auburn.edu.

Keep Reading:

* Erin Andrews at Toomer’s Corner
* In the time of “Got 13″ she was a Tiger
* Was Walt Disney an Auburn fan?
* AU fan possibly contributed to Courtney Love’s teenage delinquency
* Player on 1972 ‘Amazin’s’ squad battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease
* The Secret History of an Underground Iron Bowl
* Auburn alumna tops TheHill.com’s “50 Most Beautiful People” list
* Young Bartley meets David Housel for breakfast
* Montgomery Business that de-toilet papers Toomer’s busier than ever
* Under Armour congratulates Cam Newton with full-page ad
* Auburn’s Miss Universe contestant, Audrey Moore
* Auburn amputee has tiger-striped prosthetic legs
* Harry Connick Jr. — Auburn Man?

Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

What the hell did I just do?

The highlight of the week for our Auburn Tigers in Pro football happened up in Canada where Damon Duval kicked the game winning Touchdown for the Allouettes. No that isn’t a mistake, he actually kicked a game winning touchdown in what some people are calling The Strangest End To A Football Game Ever Seen.

Damon lined up for the game-winning field goal with the game tied 30-30, but apparently in Canada if you miss a field goal several things can happen. If it goes out of the field of play you get 1 point (win) the other team can return the miss OR they can punt the miss back out. This being in the end zone, of course, and the game being tied, you have to stop the ball from going out of the field of play and then get that ball out of the end zone so you don’t lose on a safety. OK, but then the team who tried the field goal, their kicker can catch that punt and then punt it again hoping it goes out of the field of play to get that 1 point. Then it is a live ball so if the other team fails to get it out of the end zone, you can recover it for a TD which is what happened …

Confused yet? Watch the video. The announcers actually do a decent job of explaining.

Quarterbacks
Jason Campbell #8 and the Raiders torched the Seahawks to the tune of 33-3 while Jason had another great week. He went 15/27 for 310 yards and 2 TDs passing the ball and ran four times for 4 yards, earning him the AFC high performance player of the week. For the season Jason is 78 of 138 for a 56.5 completion percentage and 1,023 yards, 6 TDs and 4 INTs. He has also rushed for 101 yards on 26 carries and been sacked 15 times.

Running Backs
Ronnie Brown #23 had 61 yards on 16 carries and one reception for 7 yards as the Dolphins came from behind to beat the Bengals 22-14.
Ronnie has started all seven games this year and has gained 374 yards on 92 attempts (4.1 avg.) this year and has one TD.  He has also caught 13 balls for 80 yards.

Heath Evans #44 had a catch for 2 yards and a drop in the Saint’s Sunday night win over the Steelers, 20-10. Heath has played in every game this year but has two carries for 2 yards and five catches for 35 yards and a TD.

Tony Richardson #49 did not record a stat as the Jets were mostly shut down by the Packers defense in a 9-0 game. Tony has played in every game at fullback, catching two passes for 9 yards this season.

Carnell Williams #24 started this week in the 38-35 win over the Cardinals, but with the great game LaGarrette Blount had he may not start next week. Carnell had four carries for 10 yards and three catches for 26. Carnell has started all seven games and has rushed for 212 yards on 84 carries, a dismal 2.5 yards/carry.  He has become a threat as a receiver catching 26 passes for 187 yards and a TD.

Ben Tate #43 is on IR with the Houston Texans.

Wide Recievers

Devin Aromashadu #19 was off this week with the Bears. Devin has played in five games and started in two, he has caught seven passes for 111 yards this season.

Ben Obamanu #87 caught one pass for 5 yards in the Seahawks’ 33-3 loss to the Raiders. Ben has played in every game this year and has caught five passes for 48 yards and a TD this season.

Montez Billings #89 has been on and off the practice squad for the Saints this year. Currently he is “off.”

Offensive Lineman
Ben Grubbs #66 was off this week with Baltimore. Ben has started every game this year for the Ravens.

Marcus McNeill #73 started for the third straight game as the Chargers got back on the winning track with a 33-25 win over the Titans. After holding out for the first month or so, Marcus has started three games.

King Dunlap #65 was off this week with the Eagles, he is nursing a nagging knee injury so it was a convenient they had a bye. King has played in every game this season and started the last two at LT.

Tyronne Green #69 played mainly on special teams for the Chargers in their 33-25 win over the Titans. Tyronne has played in five games this season with two starts.

Tim Duckworth #78 was released by the Panthers in a number crunch. He may be resigned later this week. Duck had played in the first five games this year with no starts.

Defensive Lineman
Jay Ratliff #90 recorded one tackle in the Cowboy’s 35-17 loss to the Jaguars. Jay has started every game this year and has 15 tackles, one sack and a pass deflection from his NT spot.

Quentin Groves #52, back in his starting role, recorded two tackles in the Raiders 33-3 win over the Seahawks. Quentin has started five games this season and has collected 19 tackles, a pass deflection and an INT.

Spencer Johnson #91 recorded two tackles in the Bill’s heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs on the last second of overtime, 13-10. Spencer has played in every game this year, starting one and has 25 tackles and three pass deflections.

Pat Sims #90 stepped in for an injured Tank Johnson in the Bengal’s 22-14 loss to the Dolphins. No word on the severity, but Pat may get the start this week. Pat has played in five games this season and has six tackles and a pass deflection.

Sen’Derrick Marks #94 stayed in the starting lineup this week and recorded two tackles from his DT spot, but the Titans lost 33-25 to the Chargers. Sen’Derrick has played in seven games this year and started the last two. He has 11 tackles, a pass deflection and an INT.

Linebackers
Karlos Dansby #58 had eight tackles and one pass deflection in the Dolphins 22-14 win over the Bengals. Karlos has also gone on record that he thinks that Randy Moss would be a great addition in Miami. Careful what you wish for. Karlos has 50 tackles, one sack, and two pass deflections in seven starts this year.

Will Herring #54 had two tackles in the 33-3 beatdown his Seahawks received from the Raiders. Will is a backup LB with the Seahawks but sees plenty of playing time as a reserve. On special teams he has 16 tackles, a pass deflection and a sack this year. He has played in all five games without a start.

Takeo Spikes #51 recorded seven tackles in the 49ers’ 24-16 win over the Broncos. Takeo has started every game this year and has 43 tackles, 1 INT and three pass deflections.

Reggie Torbor #53 started in the Bill’s overtime loss to the Chiefs 13-10. Reggie had five tackles in the game. Reggie has played in six games with three starts. He has 17 tackles and two pass deflections.

Antonio Coleman #59 was not active this week for the Bills. Antonio has played in three games this year, recording three tackles.

Cornerbacks
Carlos Rogers #22 recorded three tackles in the Redskin’s 37-25 loss to the Lions. Carlos has started every game this year and has 38 tackles, one interception, nine pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Jonathan Wilhite #24 had two tackles in the Pat’s 28-18 win over the Vikings. Wilhite has started one game and played in all seven this year. He has 18 tackles and a pass deflection.

Jerraud Powers #25 did not play this week with a foot injury. Apparently there have been a lot of rumors about Jerraud, including a false one that said he had surgery on both ankles. Jerraud had started every game this year and has 34 tackles and two interceptions. He has also returned eight punts for 63 yards.

Rod Hood #37 is on IR with the Tennessee Titans.

Walt McFadden #22 was active for the 33-3 win over the Seahawks but did not record a stat. Walt has played in one game this season and has one tackle.

Pat Lee #22 has an ankle injury and may not play this week, but he recorded one tackle in the 9-0 win over the Jets before the injury. Pat has played in seven games this season with one start. He has eight tackles.

Kickers
Robert Bironas #2 made one field goal and two extra points as the Titans fell to the Chargers 33-25. Bironas has gone 15/16 on field goals this year with a long of 55 and is 23/23 on extra points.

Damon Duval #15 made it back on the field after a few weeks off with injury. Damon made 4/4 of his extra points and 3/5 of his field goals, but one of those misses was the game winning TD. Canada is crazy yo. This season Damon is 33/44 on field goals and 41/41 on extra points for a total of 152 points. He is also the team’s punter and is averaging 45 yards per punt.

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early ’90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write to him at thor@auburn.edu.

For the love of God, Jason! RUNNNNNNNNN!!!!

Quarterbacks
Jason Campbell #8 hurt his knee in the first half but stayed in the game for the duration against the 49ers, probably a bad idea because he completed eight passes for 83 yards with 2 INTs. Campbell finished the day with a 10.7 QB rating, his 2^nd worst in history. Jason is out for this week, the 3^rd string QB Kyle Boller will start in his place.

For the season Jason is 51 of 91 for a 56 completion percentage and 509 yards, 2 TDs and 4 INTs.  He has also rushed for 82 yards on 21 carries and been sacked 11 times.

Ronnie Brown #23 carried the ball 19 times for 73 yards and caught one pass for 2 yards in the Dolphins’ 23-20 overtime win over the Packers.

Ronnie has started all five games this year and has gained 299 yards on 67 attempts this year and has one TD. He has also caught 10 balls for 53 yards.

Heath Evans #44 caught a 4-yard pass for a TD this week as the Saints thumped the Bucs in Tampa 31-6.

Heath has started every game this year but has only one carry for zero yards and four catches for 33 yards and a TD.

Tony Richardson #49 did not record a stat in the Jets 24-20 win over the Broncos.

Tony has started at fullback in four games but has only caught two passes for 9 yards this season.

Carnell Williams #24 had 10 carries for 18 yards in the league’s worst rushing offense. He did catch seven passes for 63 yards to lead the team in their 31-6 loss to the Saints.

Carnell has started all five games and has rushed for 190 yards on 76 carries, a dismal 2.5 yards per carry. He has caught 15 passes for 127 yards. He has yet to score this season.

Ben Tate #43 is on injured reserve with the Houston Texans.

Devin Aromashadu #19 finally got back on the field this week and caught two balls for 40 yards in the Bears’ 23-20 loss to the Seahawks.

Devin has played in three games and started one. He has caught seven passes for 111 yards.

Ben Obamanu #87 dressed but played mostly on special teams and did not record a stat in the Seahawks’ 23-20 win over the Bears.

Ben has played in every game this year and has caught three passes for 36 yards and a TD this season.

Montez Billings #89 has been on and off the practice squad for the Saints this year, currently he is “off.”

Ben Grubbs #66 started against the Patriots in a 23-20 overtime loss.

Ben has started every game this year for the Ravens.

Marcus McNeill #73 got his first start of the year for the Chargers, unfortunately it was in a 20-17 loss to the Rams.

King Dunlap #65 got the first start of his career and had to handle John Abraham of the Falcons. Handle him he did holding the Falcons’ talented end to one tackle and no sacks and winning the NFC East High Energy Player of the Week award!

King has played in every game this season with one start.

Tyronne Green #69 sat this week after starting the last two games. His Chargers lost 20-17 to the Rams.

Tyronne has played in four games this season with two starts.

Tim Duckworth #78 was off this week as the winless Panthers try to get back on track.

Duck is the team’s top reserve guard and has played in every game this year with no starts.

Jay Ratliff #90 had three tackles and got his first sack of the year in the Cowboy’s 24-21 loss to the Vikings.

Jay has started every game this year and has 12 tackles, one sack and a pass deflection from his NT spot.

Quentin Groves #52 has a pulled hamstring and is day to day.

Quentin has started four games this season and has collected 14 tackles, a pass deflection and an INT.

Spencer Johnson #91 was off this week with the Bills.

Spencer has played every game this year starting one and has 19 tackles and two pass deflections.

Pat Sims #90 was off this week with the Bengals.

Pat has played in 4 games this season and has 3 tackles and a pass deflection.

Sen’Derrick Marks #94 has been nursing a knee injury that kept him out of the game last week. This week he got on the field in the Titan’s Monday night win over the Jaguars, 30-3, but did not record a stat.

Sen’Derrick has played in five games this year without a start, he has 9 tackles, a pass deflection and an INT.

Karlos Dansby #58 had four tackles in the Dolphins’ OT win over the Packers, 23-20. Dansby suffered what looked to be a bad knee injury but apparently is OK. His foot got caught under a pile and it looked like he may have torn every tendon in his knee but apparently it’s just a hyper-extension.

Karlos has 34 tackles and a pass deflection in five starts this year.

Will Herring #54 had three tackles in the Seahawks’ 23-20 win over the Bears.

Will has 12 tackles and a sack this year and has played in all five games without a start.

Takeo Spikes #51 had six tackles and the interception of Jason Campbell that sealed the win for the 49ers, 17-9, over the Raiders.

Takeo has started every game this year and has 29 tackles, one interception and three pass deflections.

Reggie Torbor #53 was off this week with the Bills. Reggie has played in four games with two starts. He has 11 tackles and two pass deflections.

Antonio Coleman #59 was off this week with the Bills.
Antonio has played in two games this year and has two tackles.

Rogers? Roger that!

Carlos Rogers #22 recorded seven tackles and two pass deflections in the Redskins’ 27-24 loss to the Colts.

Carlos has started every game this year and has 32 tackles, one interception, 9 pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Jonathan Wilhite #24 combined on a tackle during the Patriots’ overtime win over the Ravens 23-20.

Wilhite has started one game and played in all four this year, he has 14 tackles and a pass deflection.

Jerraud Powers #25 had a fantastic game with a whopping 11 tackles, 2 pass deflections and one INT in the Colts 27-24 win over the Redskins. That’s a nice way to go into the bye week.

Jerraud has started every game this year and has 34 tackles and 2 INTs. He has also returned 8 punts for 63 yards.

Rod Hood #37 is on IR with the Tennessee Titans.

Walt McFadden #22 has a pulled hamstring and is out. Walt has only played in one game this season and has one tackle.

Pat Lee #22 did not record a stat in the Packers 23-20 overtime loss to the Dolphins.

Pat has played in five games this season and has seven tackles.

Robert Bironas #2 hit 3 of 3 field goals Monday night as the Titans torched the Jaguars 30-3

Bironas has gone 11/12 on field goals this year with a long of 55 and is 17/17 on extra points.

Damon Duval #15 is on the injured list with the Montreal Allouettes.

This season Damon is 30/39 on field goals and 37/37 on extra points for a total of 139 which leads the league. He is also the team’s punter and is averaging 45.2 yards per punt.

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write to him at thor@auburn.edu.

Duval is 30/39 on field goals and 37/37 on extra points this season for a total of 139, which leads the CFL. He also punts for Montreal, averaging 45.2 yards per punt... which would rank him 1st if he were kicking in the NFL So why ISN'T he in the NFL?

Two more undefeateds go down, leaving the Chiefs as the only squad with an 0 in the loss column.  Don’t expect that to last; they face Jerraud Powers and the Colts in Indianapolis this weekend.  Now if we could just get those pesky winless teams a victory we could have true parity.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #8 – stayed on the bench this week as the Raiders lost another one, 31-24, this time to the Texans.  Gradkowski did go down with a shoulder injury, but apparently it’s not going to keep him out of the starting lineup.
For the season Jason is 30 of 52 for a 57.6 completion percentage for 267 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs.  He has also rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries and been sacked 6 times.

Running Backs:
Ronnie Brown #23 – 11 carries for 27 yards and 4 catches for 29 yards was all Ronnie had in a very weird Monday Night game.  The Dolphins came out and dominated the first quarter and look poised to run the Pats out of the stadium;the Fins had 150ish yards to the Pats 7.  Then the weirdness began, 2 Miami INTs led to 2 NE Field Goals, then the Pats ran a kick back, blocked a punt inside the ten, blocked a field goal they ran back for a TD, and returned a 3^rd INT for a TD.  The odds were not on Karlos and Ronnie’s side last night.  Pats win 41-14.
Ronnie has gained 126 yards on 48 attempts this year and has one TD.  He has also caught 9 balls for 51 yards.
Heath Evans #44 – is fighting the good fight and leading the way for the Saint’s scrub-like backfield of Chris Ivory and LaDell Betts.  Heath may be the healthiest running back the Saints have with 4, yes 4, backs on the injury list.  No rushes this week but he caught a pass for 4 yards in the Saints 16-14 win over the Panthers.
Heath has started every game this year but has only 1 carry for 0 yards and 3 catches for 29 yards.  It would be nice if they kept stats for blocking.
Tony Richardson #49 – started in the Jets’38-14 shellacking of the Bills in Buffalo but did not record a stat.
Tony has started at fullback all 4 games but has only caught 2 passes for 9 yards this season.
Carnell Williams #24 – had a bye week this week. Carnell has started all 3 games and rushed for 139 yards on 55 carries, a dismal 2.5 ypc.  He’s caught 8 passes for 64 yards.  He has yet to score this season.
Ben Tate #43 – is on IR with the Houston Texans.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19 – is still in the doghouse after being the #1 target in week one.  He’s not happy playing in the slot, and doesn’t fit that role in most people’s opinions, so he sits.
Devin caught 5 passes for 71 yards in the first game of the year but hasn’t touched the ball since.
Ben Obamanu #87 – dressed but played mostly on special teams and did not record a stat in the Seahawks’ embarrassing 20-3 loss to the Rams. Ben has played in every game this year and has caught 3 passes for 36 yards and a TD this season.
Montez Billings #89 – is on the New Orleans practice squad.
Prechae Rodriguez #85 – has been cut by the Saskatchewan Roughriders who were disappointed in his production after making a trade for him in the offseason.  He has yet to be picked up by another team.  He had 30 catches for 375 yards and 2 TDs this season.

Offensive Lineman: There’s a great article on some former Auburn offensive lineman in this week’s San Diego Tribune.
Ben Grubbs #66 – helped his Ravens win that battle against the Steelers. 17-14. Ben has started all 4 games for the Ravens this year.
Marcus McNeill #73 – is still sitting and won’t be able to play for a few more weeks.
King Dunlap #65 – played mostly on special teams for the Eagles in their 17-12 loss to the Redskins, but King was in the game right before the half when the Eagles were trying to get on the board. He has played in all 4 games but hasn’t started this season.
Tyronne Green #69 – has been elevated to the starting RG position due to injuries, and is likely to stay there.  He had an easy time of it in his first start – the Chargers demolished the Cardinals, 41-10. Tyronne has played in 3 games this season and got his first start against the Cardinals this past week.
Tim Duckworth #78 – played on special teams in the Panthers’ 16-14 loss to the Saints in New Orleans.
Duck is the team’s top reserve guard and has played in every game this year with no starts.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90 – Jay had the week off with the Cowboys. He’s started all three games this year and has 5 tackles and a pass deflection from his NT spot.
Quentin Groves #52 – had four tackles this week against the Texans as Oakland fell 31-24.  Quentin is playing with bruised ribs and probable for this weekends game.
Quentin has started every game this season and has collected 14 tackles, a pass deflection and an INT.
Spencer Johnson #91 – got a whopping 8 tackles and a pass deflection in his first start of the year.  Too bad his performance didn’t help the Bills win; the Jets took it 38-14. Spencer has played every game this year and has 16 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
Pat Sims #90 – recorded 3 tackles in the Bengals’ loss to the Browns, 23-20.  He was called for a crucial defensive holding penalty that let the Browns run out the clock in the final second.  Fans aren’t angry with Sims so it must have been a ticky-tack call; if anyone saw the game please let me know.  Don’t know that I’ve seen a DT called for holding except on kick blocking.  Pat has played in 3 games this season and has 3 tackles and a pass deflection.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94 – recorded just 1 tackle in the Titans’ 26-20 loss to the Broncos. Sen’Derrick hasn’t started a game but has played in all 4 and has 9 tackles, a pass deflection, and an INT.

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58 – had 4 tackles in the Dolphins’ 41-14 loss to the Patriots on — again — an odd Monday night. Karlos has 29 tackles and a pass deflection in 4 starts this year.
Will Herring #54 – had 2 tackles and a sack in Seattle’s 20-3 loss to the Rams. Will has 9 tackles and a sack this year and has played in all 4 games without a start.
Takeo Spikes #51 – got the start despite still feeling the effects of his knee injury. Takeo had 3 tackles in the 49ers demoralizing last-second field goal loss to the Falcons, 16-14. Takeo has started every game this year and has 15 tackles and a pass deflection.
Reggie Torbor #53 – got his 2^nd start of the year and had 5 tackles in the Bills’ 38-14 loss to the Jets. Reggie has played in 3 games with 2 starts. He has 9 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
Antonio Coleman #59 – got on the field for the first time this week and had 1 tackle for the Bills’ in the 38-14 loss to the Jets.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22 – had 6 tackles, a pass deflection, and forced a fumble when he absolutely lit up Mike Bell in the flat.  The Skins won 17-12 over the Eagles.  And Carlos was even handing out bulletin board material: “DeSean gives you so many things, that kind of freelance … Maclin is straight, he’s a route-runner. But they both don’t want no physical contact, so that’s one of the key things.”
Carlos has started every game this year and has 24 tackles, 1 interception, 5 pass deflections and a forced fumble.
Jonathan Wilhite #24 – had 2 tackles on Monday night in the Patriots’ win over the Dolphins, 41-14.
Wilhite has started one game and played in all 4 this year. He has 13 tackles and a pass deflection.

Jerraud Powers #25 – had 4 tackles and returned 2 punts for 7 yards in the Colts’ embarrassing loss to the Jaguars, 31-28. Jerraud has started every game this year and has 18 tackles and an INT. He’s also returned 7 punts for 48 yards.
Rod Hood #37 – is on IR with the Tennessee Titans.
Walt McFadden #22 – has a pulled hamstring and was inactive this week when his Raiders lost to the Texans 31-24. Walt has only played in one game this season and has one tackle.
Pat Lee #22 – has played in three games this season but has not recorded a stat for the Packers.

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 – missed his first field goal of the year, but nailed 2 including a 55 yarder in the Titans 26-20 loss to the Broncos. He made both of his XP attempts. Bironas has gone 6/7 on field goals this year with a long of 55 and is 10/10 on extra points.
Damon Duval #15 – Duval injured his leg and foot this week, and his coach had this to say:  “He’s a point scorer and he makes lots of tackles when the special teams don’t. When Damon goes down it’s a tough thing.”  You can read the whole article here.  He had 3 punts in the game before being injured for an avg. of 48.7.
Damon is 30/39 on field goals and 37/37 on extra points this season for a total of 139, which leads the league.  He is also the team’s punter and is averaging 45.2 yards per punt which would rank him 1st if he were kicking in the NFL… and honestly I don’t know why he’s not in the NFL.  You could save yourself a roster spot by having a K/P.

For old times sake:

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write him at thor@auburn.edu.

You can read his notes on Week 1 here, Week 2 here and his former-Tigers-only break down of Madden’s revamped rating system here.

When Jay Ratliff steps into the building, HIS hands go up... and they deflect passes to help beat the Texans.

Week 3 and we only have three undefeated teams left. One of them is the Chiefs. Go figure.

Quarterbacks:
• Jason Campbell #8 rode the pine Sunday as the Raiders lost a painful one to the Cardinals 24-23 on a last second missed field goal. The team is not allowing him to speak to the media at this time. For the season Jason is 30 of 52 for a 57.6 completion percentage for 267 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs.  He has also rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries and been sacked 6 times. Don’t expect him back in the starting lineup anytime soon, but you may see him come off the bench.

Running Backs:
• Ronnie Brown #23 had a pedestrian outing gaining 54 yards on 11 carries and 2 receptions for -1 yards in the Dolphin’s Sunday night loss to the Jets 31-23. Ronnie has gained 199 yards on 37 attempts this year for 5.4 yards per carry and has one TD.  He has also caught 5 balls for 22 yards.

• Heath Evans #44 didn’t get a touch this week as the Saints’ lost a heart breaker to the Falcons in OT 27-24. Heath has started all three games this year but has 1 carry for 0 yards and 2 catches for 25 yards. Not too unusual for a fullback.

• Tony Richardson #49 started in Sunday Night’s win over the Dolphins but did not record a stat. So is the life of a fullback, the Jets won 31-23. Tony has started all 3 games but has only caught 2 passes for 9 yards this season.

• Carnell Williams #24 had rough sledding this past week against the best defense in football as the Buccaneers fell to the Steelers 38-13, Carnell had 6 carries for 13 yards but caught 5 passes for 33. Carnell has started all three games and has rushed for 139 yards on 55 carries, a dismal 2.5 yards per carry. He has caught 8 passes for 64 yards. He has yet to score this season.

• Ben Tate #43 is on injured reserve with the Houston Texans.

Wide Recievers:
• Devin Aromashadu #19 sat out the Bears’ 20-17 win Monday night against the Packers. His play has dwindled dramatically from opening day. The coaches say it’s his blocking and that they don’t like him playing in the slot. Devin caught 5 passes for 71 yards in the first game of the year and hasn’t touched the ball since.

• Ben Obamanu #87 did not dress this week for the Seahawk’s 27-20 win over the Chargers. Ben has caught 3 passes for 36 yards and a TD this season.

• Montez Billings #89 is on the practice squad with New Orleans.

• Prechae Rodriguez #85 was cut by the Saskatchewan Roughriders who were disappointed in his production after making a trade for him in the offseason. He has yet to be picked up by another team. He had 30 catches for 375 yards and 2 TDs this season.

Offensive Lineman:
• Ben Grubbs #66 helped the Ravens overcome a late push by the Browns. Baltimore won 24-17. Ben has started all three games for the Ravens this year.

• Marcus McNeill #73 has signed a ridiculously low tender to play this year. He still has to sit out three games but reports are that they will try to get a new deal done soon.  Marcus is saying all the right things, yet the bridge may be burned and we might see Marcus in another jersey next year.

• King Dunlap #65 played on special teams for the Eagles in their 28-3 win over the Jaguars. King has played in all three games but has not started this season.

• Tyronne Green #69 has been elevated to the starting RG position due to injuries. Tyronne played most of the Chargers’ 27-20 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. Tyronne has played in two games this season and will start his first pro game this week when the Chargers host the Cardinals.

• Tim Duckworth #78 played on special teams in the Panthers’ 20-7 loss to Cincinnati. Duck is the team’s top reserve guard and has played in every game this year with no starts.

Defensive Lineman:
• Jay Ratliff #90 had two tackles and a pass deflection as the Cowboys got their first win of the year 27-13 over the Texans. Jay has started all three games this year and has 5 tackles and a pass deflection from his NT spot.

• Quentin Groves #52 posted three tackles and intercepted a pass that was batted in the air in the Raiders’ painful 24-23 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. Quentin has started every game this season and has collected 10 tackles and the aforementioned pick.

• Spencer Johnson #91 had two solo tackles in Buffalo’s 38-30 loss to the Pats. Spencer has played in all three games this year and has 8 tackles from his reserve DT spot.

• Pat Sims #90 played in the Bengals’ 20-7 win over the Panthers but did not record a stat. Pat has played in 2 games this season but has only recorded a pass deflection from his DT position.

• Sen’Derrick Marks #94 had 3 tackles and an INT in the Titans’ 29-10 win over the Giants in New York. Sen’Derrick hasn’t started a game but has played in all three and has 8 tackles and an INT.

• Antonio Coleman #59 has yet to play a down for the Buffalo Bills.

Linebackers:
• Karlos Dansby #58 had 8 tackles in the Dolphins’ 31-23 loss to the Jets on Sunday night. Karlos has 25 tackles and three starts this year.

• Will Herring #54 had 4 tackles in Seattle’s 27-20 win over the Chargers.  Will did not start the game but played most of the 4^th quarter with the game on the line. Will has 7 tackles this year and has played in all three games without a start.

• Takeo Spikes #51 got the start but played sparingly in the 49ers’ 31-10 loss to the Chiefs. He had two tackles. Slowed by a knee injury Takeo has still started every game and has 12 tackles.

• Reggie Torbor #53 had 3 tackles this week as his Bills fell to the Patriots 38-30. Reggie has been used sparingly this year, he has 4 tackles and has played in just the last two games.

Cornerbacks:
• Carlos Rogers #22 had 3 tackles this week in Washington’s 30-16 loss to the Rams. Carlos has 18 tackles this season and one interception in three starts.  18 tackles is good for 7^th most among CBs.

• Jonathan Wilhite #24 recorded three tackles in the Patriots “too close for comfort” win over the Bills 38-30. He is currently playing the nickel role. Wilhite has started one game and played in all three this year, he has 11 tackles and a pass deflection.

• Jerraud Powers #25 had 4 tackles and 4 pass deflections for the Colts in their 27-13 win over the Broncos.  He also had 1 punt return for 4 yards. Jerraud has started every game this year and has 14 tackles and an INT. He has also returned 5 punts for 41 yards.

• Rod Hood #37 is on injured reserve with the Tennessee Titans.

• Walt McFadden #22 got his first playing time of the year in the 24-23 loss to the Cardinals, he had a tackle. Walt has only played in one game this season and has one tackle.

• Pat Lee #22 did not dress for Green Bay’s Monday night loss to the Bears 20-17

Kickers:
• Robert Bironas #2 had a perfect day hitting 2 field goals and 3 extra points in Tennessee’s 29-10 win over the Giants. Bironas has made every kick this year going 4/4 on field goals and 8/8 on extra points.

• Damon Duval #15 made 3 of his 4 field goals and all 5 extra points in Montreal’s 44-40 win over Winnipeg. Damon has been the best kicker in Canada for years now. This season he is 30/39 on field goals and 36/36 on extra points for a total of 138 which leads the league. He is also the team’s punter and is averaging 45.1 yards per punt, which would rank him 12^th if he were kicking in the NFL.

Questions? Comments? Anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write him at thor@auburn.edu.

You can read his notes on Week 1 here, Week 2 here and his former-Tigers-only break down of Madden’s revamped rating system here.

Brandon Jacobs lost his helmet -- by throwing it into the crowd -- in the Giants ____ lost to the Colts.

Week 2, and we’ve got several surprising starts. The Cowboys and Vikings are 0-2 and the Bucs and Chiefs are 2-0.  And who would have thought the Steelers would be 2-0 without their inglorious leader at quarterback and having to play two playoff teams in Atlanta and Tennessee? We had several starting QBs get yanked early who will not making the start in Week 3. Unfortunately, it looks like our boy Jason is one of them.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #8 – Jason was benched at halftime after going 8/15 for 87 yards and an INT.  The coaching staff has said that Campbell isn’t the same after a big hit he took in the preseason and chose to go with Bruce Gradkowski at QB this week.  Will it last?  Who knows, but right now Campbell is going to be riding the pine.  More on him later.  The Raiders beat the Rams, 16-14

Running Backs:
Ronnie Brown #23 – racked up 80 yards on 13 carries for a nice 6.3 ypc. He also caught a pass for 3 yards and lost a fumble in the Fin’s 14-10 win over the Vikings in Minnesota.
Heath Evans #44 –The Saints had a rough time Monday night even though they won 25-22 over the 9ers.  Heath got stoned on 3rd and goal by Patrick Willis.  He finished the day with 1 carry for zero yards and a catch for 18.
Tony Richardson #49 – started for the Jets in their 28-14 win over New England
Carnell Williams #24 – carried the ball 27 times for 51 yards and had one catch for 8 yards in a workman like performance against the Panthers as the Bucs got the win, 20-7.
Ben Tate #43 – is on IR with the Houston Texans.
Brandon Jacobs #27 – had only 8 yards on 4 carries and lost his helmet in the 38-14 loss to the Colts.  He’s frustrated with being the No. 2 guy but hasn’t asked for a trade as has been reported.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19 – After having a good game in Week 1, Devin was inexplicably benched this week, only playing one down in the Bears’ big win over the Cowboys, 27-20.  Even Devin doesn’t know why.  Rumor has it that the primary complaint from the coaches is his poor job of blocking in that first game.  That said, expect to see him play this Monday against the Packers.
Ben Obamanu #87 – Ben had 2 catches for 30 yards and the lone receiving TD for Seattle as they were handled by the Broncos, 31-14.  The surprising news is that the Seahawks chose to dress Ben over their highly touted rookie Golden Tate.
Montez Billings #89 – is on the practice squad with the Saints
Prechae Rodriguez #85 – is with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL, but is currently banged up and not playing.

Offensive Lineman:
Ben Grubbs #66 – started for the Ravens in a defensive battle won by the Bengals, 15-10.
Marcus McNeill #73 – is still a holdout for the Chargers, and I don’t blame him – who wants to work for AJ Smith?
King Dunlap #65 – played mainly on special teams in the Eagles’ 35-32 win over the Lions.
Tyronne Green #69 – didn’t play this week for the Chargers.
Tim Duckworth #78 – played in the 20-7 loss to the Buccaneers, but didn’t start.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90 – had 2 tackles in Dallas’ 27-20 loss to the Bears.  Prayers go out to Jay and his family as he will miss some practice this week due to his grandfather passing away.
Quentin Groves #52 – started but only had one tackle against the Rams in Oakland’s 16-14 win.
Spencer Johnson #91 – grabbed 3 tackles in the 34-7 loss to the Packers in Green Bay.
Pat Sims #90 – Pat didn’t get the start and didn’t record a tackle but had what coach Mike Zimmer called “the play of the game” – a tipped pass that was intercepted.  The Bengals held on to win a defensive struggle 15-10 over the Ravens.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94 – had 3 tackles and played quite a bit in Tennessee’s 19-11 loss to the Steelers.
Antonio Coleman #59 – has not played a game yet for the Buffalo Bills.

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58 – made the game saving tackle against the Vikings hitting Adrian Peterson in the hole and holding onto his knees while his teammates cleaned it up.  The Dolphins won an improbable game in the MetroDome Mall of America’s Stadium, 14-10.
Will Herring #54 – Will got a tackle in the Seahawks 31-14 loss to the Broncos.
Takeo Spikes #51 – was hurt early but still managed to have 5 tackles on Monday night.  He is being held out of practice this week with a knee injury but hopes to make it back by Sunday.
Reggie Torbor #53 – Reggie got in on one tackle in the Bills’ 34-7 loss to the Packers in Green Bay.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22 – had 9 tackles and an INT in the Redskins’ heartbreaking loss to the Texans in OT, 30-27
Jonathan Wilhite #24 – did not get the start but recorded 2 tackles for the Pats in their 28-14 loss to the Jets.
Jerraud Powers #25 – had a good night with 3 tackles and an INT for the Colts as they beat the Giants 38-14.  Jerraud has also been returning punts for the Colts and picked up 8 yards on three tries.
Rod Hood #37 – is on IR with the Tennessee Titans.
Walt McFadden #22 – has not played yet for the Raiders.
Pat Lee #22 – played but did not record a stat in Green Bay’s win over the Bills 34-7.

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 – was just 1/1 with a 21 yard field goal in the Titans’ 19-11 loss to the Steelers.
Damon Duval #15 – was 4/5 on field goals last week and 2/2 on XP, for the season he is 27/35 on Field Goals and 31/31 on PATs and has scored 124 points using wacky Canadian math.

News and Notes on other guys:

HB Tristan Davis #20 was cut by the Dolphins after he fumbled a kick return in the preseason.  He has not been picked up by any other team.
HB Rudi Johnson is MIA, last seen with the Lions.
HB Tre Smith was last with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, but is not currently active.

WR Tim Carter is MIA, last seen with the Rams.
WR Courtney Taylor is very hard to track down, last seen with the Seahawks.
WR/TE Anthony Mix spent the last season with the Arena Football’s Arizona Rattlers.  He caught 19 passes for 219 yards and 5 TDs but ended the season on the IR. (Thanks to Justin.)

OL Wayne Gandy is a free agent.
OL Kendall Simmons is hanging around with the Buffalo Bills.
OL Jeno James is MIA, last seen with the Dolphins.
OL Mike Pucillo is out of football, last seen with the Browns.

DE Stanley McClover is MIA, last seen with the Texans last year on IR.

LB Dontarrious Thomas ended last season with the Chargers, but right now is with the Sacramento Mountain Lions
LB Tray Blackmon is MIA, last seen with the Calgary Stampeder’s in the CFL.

CB Kevin Hobbs #23 was with the Lions, then the Dolphins, then cut.

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

Photo via.

…

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write him at thor@auburn.edu.

You can read his notes on Week 1 here and his former-Tigers-only break down of Madden’s revamped rating system here.

Ain't Ben Grubb'in: Ben Grubbs defended Ines Sainz honor Monday night, mauling defenders in a 10-9 win over the Jets (he even autographed this picture of the heroics for her).

Opening weekend and we see some Super Bowl contenders going down early: the Vikings lost an ugly game to the Super Bowl champs on Thursday, the Colts and Falcons both went down on the road Sunday, the 49ers got throttled by an average-at-best Seattle team, the Cowboys got beat by a poor Redskins team, and the Jets lost on Monday night to the Ravens.  So half of the top 10 teams Vegas was picking to win the Super Bowl lost on opening weekend.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #8 – Didn’t enjoy his Oakland debut; the Raiders fell hard to the Titans 38-13.  He had a ball batted into the air and took a hard shot from DT Jason Jones on the first play of the game.  It was downhill from there against a strong Tennessee team. Jason finished 22/37 for 180 yards and a TD.  He also lost a fumble and was sacked 4 times by the unrelenting Titan defense. Let’s hope he gets the train on the tracks this week in an easier game against the Rams in Oakland.

Look, Ma! -- both knees!

Running Backs:
Ronnie Brown #23 – gad 13 carries for 65 yards and a TD as the Dolphins won an ugly road game against the Bills, 15-10.
Heath Evans #44 – had 1 catch for 7 yards but was active as a blocker for the Saints in their Thursday night win over the Vikings, 14-9.
Tony Richardson #49 – gad 2 catches for 9 yards as the inept Jets lost 10-9 to the Ravens.
Carnell Williams #24 – The Bucs wish they could play the Browns every week: Carnell had 75 yards on 22 carries in a 17-14 win.
Brandon Jacobs #27 – Comment heard Sunday: “the Giants still can’t figure out how to run the ball downhill despite having a 260 lb tailback.” Brandon had 44 yards on 12 carries in the Giants’ 31-18 win over the Panthers.
Ben Tate #43 – is on IR with the Houston Texans.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19 – Had a nice 5 catches for 71 yards in the Bears’ 19-14 win over the Lions.
Ben Obamanu #87 – Had one catch for 6 yards as the Seahawks stomped the 49ers, 31-6.
Montez Billings #89 — is currently on the Saints practice squad.
Prechae Rodriguez #85 — was traded and is currently playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He has 30 catches for 376 yards and 2 TDs in 12 games this season.

Offensive Lineman:
Ben Grubbs #66 – Ines Sainz said Grubbs was a perfect gentleman during his fun Monday night of mauling Jets defenders as the Ravens ground out a 10-9 win in New York.
Marcus McNeill #73 – is holding out for a better contract with the Chargers who do NOT plan to trade their Left Tackle.
King Dunlap #65 – played, but did not start in the Eagles’ 27-20 loss to the Packers.
Tyronne Green #69 – played, but did not start in the Chargers’ disappointing 21-14 loss to the Chiefs on Monday night.
Tim Duckworth #78 – was cut by the Saints and then picked up by the Panthers, he played but did not start in their 31-18 loss to the Giants.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90 – only recorded one tackle in the Cowboys loss to the Redskins, 13-7. But he’s a nose tackle, these things happen.
Quentin Groves #52 – started in the Raiders 38-13 loss to the Titans Sunday recording a solid 6 tackles from his linebacking/defensive end spot.
Spencer Johnson #91 – did not start, but recorded 3 tackles and deflected a pass in Buffalo’s 15-10 loss to the Dolphins.
Pat Sims #90 – apparently still has a forearm injury and did not make the trip to New England on Sunday.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94 – recorded 2 tackles in a reserve role for the Titans in their 38-13 win over the Raiders.
Antonio Coleman #59 – made the roster with the Bills, but did not play in the opening day loss to the Dolphins.

Dolphin Dansby.

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58 – had 8 tackles in his first start with the Dolphins.  Miami went up to Buffalo and came home with a 15-10 win.
Will Herring #54 – had one tackle from his reserve role with the Seahawks in their convincing 31-6 win over the 49ers.
Takeo Spikes #51 – started and had 5 tackles in the 49ers 31-6 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.
Reggie Torbor #53 – did not play in the Bills’ 15-10 loss to the Dolphins.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22 – Carlos started for the Redskins and had 6 tackles, mostly coming in run support.  Carlos had a good night and had very few passes completed to his side, but Skins fans are still complaining about a dropped interception in the 4th quarter.  Skins still pulled out the victory, 13-7, over the Cowboys.
Jonathan Wilhite #24 – got the start and 6 tackles in the Patriots 38-24 win over the Bengals.
Jerraud Powers #25 – recorded 7 tackles in his start for the Colts in a 34-24 loss in Houston to the Texans.
Rod Hood #37 – is on IR with the Tennessee Titans.
Walt McFadden #22 – did not play in Oakland’s 38-13 loss to the Titans
Pat Lee #22 – played mainly on special teams Sunday in the Packers’ 27-20 win over the Eagles.  He did not record a stat.

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 – was 5/5 on extra points and hit a 43 yd field goal as the Titans beat the Raiders in Nashville, 38-13.
Damon Duval #15 — is still kicking with the Montreal Allouettes. He is 29/29 on XPs and 23/31 on Field Goals this season.

News and Notes on other guys:

HB Tristan Davis was cut by the Dolphins after he fumbled a kick return in the preseason.  He has not been picked up by any other team.
HB Rudi Johnson is MIA, last seen with the Lions
HB Tre Smith was last with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, but is not currently active.

WR Tim Carter is MIA, last seen with the Rams
WR Courtney Taylor is very hard to track down, last seen with the Seahawks
WR/TE Anthony Mix was last with the Redskins, but is now nowhere to be found

OL Wayne Gandy is a free agent.
OL Kendall Simmons is hanging around with the Buffalo Bills
OL Jeno James is MIA, last seen with the Dolphins
OL Mike Pucillo is out of football, last seen with the Browns

DE Stanley McClover is MIA, last seen with the Texans last year on IR.

LB Dontarrious Thomas ended last season with the Chargers, but is currently with the Sacramento Mountain Lions
LB Tray Blackmon is MIA, last seen with the Calgary Stampeder’s in the CFL

CB Kevin Hobbs #23 was with the Lions, then the Dolphins, then cut.

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write him at thor@auburn.edu.

You can read his former-Tigers-only break down of Madden’s revamped rating system here.

To get me back in the habit of writing for fun after seven months of grad school hell, I’ve done some research on the new Madden 2011 that is coming out next Tuesday.  For those who didn’t buy the game last year, be aware that Madden has drastically revamped its rating system.  Only the elite players are rated in the 90s. If you are in the 80s, you are pretty dang good. The rest of the league is in the 70s and 60s.

Here are this year’s ratings for our former Auburn Tigers.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #8 – 83, Oakland Raiders – Wearing #8 this year for the Raiders, Jason comes in at a nice overall rating that puts him just outside the Top Ten passers in the league.   Oh yeah, and Leinart (75) sucks.  And Jason White is waiting tables at Chili’s.

Running Backs:
Ronnie Brown #23 – 89, Miami Dolphins – Ronnie comes in with a solid rating for the Dolphins, which is a bit surprising since he can’t seem to stay healthy.
Heath Evans #44 – 82, New Orleans Saints – A good rating for Heath at FB; the other backs on the team are rated similarly with Thomas at 84 and Bush at 83.
Tony Richardson #49 – 94, New York Jets – A stout number for the best fullback in the league, but Tony is getting old. If the Jets have a good season, expect this to be his last (16 years in the league).
Carnell Williams #24 – 77, Buccaneers – but that’s still good for best on the team, which tells you a lot about the Bucs this year.
Brandon Jacobs #27 – 84, New York Giants – Brandon is rated the best HB on the team, though his FB Hedgecock is a little ahead of him in overall rating at 86.
Ben Tate #43 – 72, Houston Texans – Ben got the shaft in his rookie year. He is second best on the team behind Steve Slaton,  listed at 78.  What is frustrating is that Montario Hardesty of the Browns got a 74.  And hey, in case you’ve missed it, Ben is very active on FB.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19 – 70, Chicago Bears – I don’t know what’s more surprising: that Devin only got a 70 despite the hype surrounding the way he ended the season (282 yards, 4TD in 4 games), or that he is the 4^th rated WR on the Bears roster.  I would have assumed that the Bears receiving corps would be garbage.
Ben Obamanu #87 – 58, Seattle Seahawks – Ouch…

Offensive Lineman:
Ben Grubbs #66 – 94, Baltimore Ravens – Best OL on the team despite not having a movie made about him.
Marcus McNeill #73 – 89, San Diego Chargers – A solid rating for Marcus who is one of the 10 best LTs in the league.  Of course, big Marcus is currently holding out for a better contract; lets hop he signs soon.
King Dunlap #65 – 60, Philadelphia Eagles – a little low in my opinion for a guy who was forced into a starting role last year and got some valuable playing time.
Tyronne Green #69 – 66, San Diego Chargers – probably a fair rating for the second year player.
Tim Duckworth #72 – 60, New Orleans Saints – Tim is the worst OL on the team, but it’s a definite upgrade from being on the practice squad last year.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90 – 94, Dallas Cowboys – Jay is the second best DT in the game just 3 points behind Kevin Williams of the Vikings.
Quentin Groves #52 – 68, Oakland Raiders – Quentin is actually stuck at DE in the game despite some reports that he would be playing LB and is listed as a LB on the team’s roster.  Some in Raider country are really hyped on Groves’ arrival.
Spencer Johnson #91 – 58, Buffalo Bills – Spencer is put at DE in the game, but as far as I can tell he’ll still be playing DT with the Bills.  The rating is pretty low, but let’s be honest – did anyone think Spencer was going to play in the league for 7 years?  The guy is a lunch pail warrior.
Pat Sims #90 – 77, Cincinnati Bengals – Pat is having a good summer and has looked good in practice.  He should be a starter at DT this year for the hopeful Bengals.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94 – 68, Tennessee Titans – The Titans are looking for Marks to be a solid contributor this year.

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58 – 90, Miami Dolphins – I would have liked to see Karlos rated higher. He is one of the best MLBs in the league.
Will Herring #54 – 59, Seattle Seahawks – Opelika kid still hanging on in the big leagues, bringing his work ethic every day.  It’s paying off; Will is now the first reserve linebacker.
Takeo Spikes #51 – 84, San Francisco 49ers – A good rating for Takeo who you should follow on Twitter in order to hear great stories… like about the drug test guy waking him up at 5:30 am.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22 – 79, Washington Redskins – Not a good rating for Rogers who is a starter in DC and the 2^nd best on the team. Third best is a 74 (Phillip Buchanon)
Jonathan Wilhite #24 – 68, New England Patriots – I was hoping Wilhite would be in the 70s this year.
Jerraud Powers #25 – 81, Indianapolis Colts –Some nice respect for a second year pro.
Rod Hood #37 – 70, Tennessee Titans – Coming off the Super Bowl run with the Cardinals, Hood really dug himself a hole last year by trying to hold out for more money.  He spent most of the season on the sidelines before finally deciding to stick with the Titans. He’s currently nicked up and is a risk to be cut.
Walt McFadden #22 – 64, Oakland Raiders – Actually pretty typical rating for a 5^th round pick.  He’s the 4^th best CB on the team with some really stout physical numbers:c 93 speed, 90 acceleration, 93 agility (the Pompano Jook is paying off) he’s a 64 because they make him weak (38 strength) and, stupidly, dumb (45 awareness).  But Franchise players know that he could develop into something nice after a few years with those speed numbers.

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 – 93, Tennessee Titans – Bironas is currently one of the best kickers in the league, it’s a shame he had to leave the Plains early due to unspecified team violations of an undetermined street value.

Cuts:
I will try to keep you guys updated on who is staying and who is going during the weekly pre-season cuts.  If I had to guess, I would say everyone below this sentence won’t make an opening day roster except for maybe Pat Lee.  Of those above this sentence, most are safe but injuries could cost some (Rod Hood)  their spots, and some (Spencer Johnson and Ben Obamanu) may be too close to the line.  But I wish luck to all of them.

News and Notes on other guys:

HB Tristan Davis #20 is with the Dolphins at the moment.
HB Rudi Johnson is MIA, last seen with the Lions.
HB Tre Smith was last seen with the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

WR Montez Billings #89 is currently on the Saints roster and is performing well in practice.
WR Prechae Rodriguez #85 is playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after being traded. He has 12 catches for 189 yards and 2 TDs in 5 games this season.
WR Tim Carter is MIA, last seen with the Rams.
WR Courtney Taylor is very hard to track down, last seen with the Seahawks.
WR/TE Anthony Mix, last seen with the Redskins, is nowhere to be found.

OL Wayne Gandy is one of the best OTs not on a team according to this report and may sign soon.
OL Kendall Simmons is hanging around with the Buffalo Bills.
OL Jeno James is MIA, last seen with the Dolphins.
OL Mike Pucillo’s name has surfaced a handful of times, but don’t expect him anywhere this year.  Last seen with the Redskins.

DE Antonio Coleman is with the Bills and looks like he may make the team, albeit due to the injury to a teammate.
DE Stanley McClover is MIA, last seen with the Texans on injured reserve.

LB Dontarrious Thomas ended last season with the Chargers, but is for the moment with the Sacramento Mountain Lions playing with the likes of Daunte Culpepper and Chris Perry (1^st round RB from Michigan).
LB Tray Blackmon is MIA, last seen with the Calgary Stampeder’s in the CFL.

CB Pat Lee #22 is with the Packers but didn’t make the game. Lee missed last season with an injury but has made some plays in practice.
CB Kevin Hobbs #23 is currently with the Lions.

K/P Damon Duval #15 is kicking with the Montreal Alouettes.

Questions? Comments? Anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

Thor Burk came to Auburn as a young man in 1997 and never left. He’s always loved Bo Jackson, but his true love of Auburn football proper began in the early 90s. In addition to writing a weekly report on Tiger greats in the NFL, he’s a professional BBQ judge (Memphis certified), and all around foodie. Write to him at thor@auburn.edu.

As I put on my baseball cap and look for destiny in crazy stats, I wonder: is history pointing Auburn’s way this week?  Gaze into the numbers like John Nash and see the patterns within.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #17, and the Redskins lost a heartbreaker on the road in Dallas 7-6.  Jason completed 24 of his 37 passes for 256 yards and 1 INT.  The news gets worse for the Skins who lost another RB (down to the 3^rd string) and another offensive lineman (3 starters lost this year) this week.  So an already terrible offensive line and an ineffective running game both just got a lot worse.  But 7-6 is a GOOD OMEN, reminding me of the 1949 Iron Bowl when Auburn had a 7-5 series lead over the Tide.  The year before bama had won 55-0 and was a heavy favorite coming into the game and looking to bring the series to 7-6, but Auburn surprised the Tide with a 1 point win to stretch the series record to 8-5.
For the season Jason has completed 192/291 66 %(8^th) of his passes for 2,126 yards, 10 TDs, 9 INTs with a QB rating of 86.1 and has run the ball 31 times for 158 yard.

Running Backs:
Brandon Jacobs #27, rushed for 39 yards and a TD before he went down with a knee injury in the 3^rd Quarter, the Giants went on to defeat the Falcons 34-31 in OT.  Jacobs says his knee is “fine” and he’ll start on Turkey Day.
Jacobs has 656 yards on 163 attempts for a 4.0 avg. 3 TDs and has caught 12 passes for 69 yards.
Tony Richardson #49, had one carry for no gain and a catch for 4 yards in the Jets’ 31-14 loss to the Patriots.
Tony has started 8 games this season and has 4 carries for 12 yards this year, and 2 catches for 5 yards.
Carnell Williams #24 had 11 carries for 32 yards and a catch for 4 yards as the Buccaneers got whacked by the Saints 38-7.  BAD OMEN: the only time this score has appeared in Iron Bowl history was in 1976 when bama crushed Auburn and first year head coach Doug Barfield.
Carnell has started 9 games this season and has 450 yards on 117 attempts averaging 3.8 yards a carry and has 3 TDs.  He has also caught 18 balls for 121 yards and 1 TD.
Ronnie Brown #23, is on IR with a foot injury and will miss the rest of the season.
Starting 9 games for the Dolphins, Ronnie finishes the year with 8 TDs (plus one passing) and had 147 carries for 648 yards (11^th) a 4.4 yard avg., he also caught 14 passes for 98 yards.
Heath Evans #44, is out for the year with an achilles injury.
For the season Heath has 5 carries for 16 yards and 10 catches for 70 yds and 2 TDs.
Tre Smith #32 is on the IR with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; their season is now over.
Tristan Davis #43 is on the Detroit Lions practice squad.

So that’s 2 tailbacks and a fullback out with injuries: GOOD OMEN… very good omen considering that was the last time I felt this way before a game, like we had nothing to lose and everything to gain and we got a pleasant surprise from a new Auburn legend.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19, despite the pleading for the bigger Aromashadu to get on the field by Bear’s QB Jay Cutler, Devin only got a handful of snaps in the 24-20 loss to the Eagles and did not record a stat.
For the season Devin has 1 catch for 10 yards.
Ben Obamanu #87, had 2 kick returns for 30 yards as the Seahawks fell to the Vikings 35-9.  BAD OMEN: the only times either team has finished with 35 or 9 was Alabama with 35 in 1973 and Auburn with 9 in 2000.
For the season Ben has caught only 2 balls for 22 yards despite playing in every game.  He has returned 6 kicks this season for 177 yards.
Prechae Rodriguez #85’s season is over with Hamilton; the home standing Tiger-Cats lost 34-27 to British Columbia.
Rodriquez finished the season with 45 catches for 495 yards and 3 TDs.
Tim Carter #15, was waived by the Rams.
Tim had 1 catch for 6 yards this year with the Rams.

Offensive Lineman:
Ben Grubbs #66, and the Ravens lost a defensive struggle to the Colts 17-15, a bad omen for Auburn fans reminiscent of the 1984 Iron Bowl, of course if I put some spin on it, I think on 4^th and goal Chizik will trust Byrum’s leg to get us the lead.
Grubbs has started every game this year for the 5-5 Ravens
Marcus McNeill #73, was featured this week in the Sporting News interview seat after his Chargers beat the Broncos 32-3 to take the division lead.  GOOD OMEN: the only time a team has finished the game with 32 on the scoreboard was the very first game in 1893 when Auburn beat Alabama 32-22.
Marcus has started every game this year for San Diego and has given up 3 sacks.
King Dunlap #65, and the Eagles beat the Bears 24-20 last week.
King has played in every game this year, mostly on special teams.
Tyronne Green #69, is 2^nd string RG for the San Diego Chargers but has yet to get into a regular season game this year.
Kendall Simmons #71, is injured and inactive for the Patriots with an Achilles injury he suffered last season when he was with the Steelers.
Tim Duckworth #75, is on the Saint’s practice squad.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90, only recorded one tackle in Dallas’ 7-6 win over the Redskins, but it was an important one, with time winding down in the 4^th quarter the Redskins faced 3^rd-and-1 and Jay made the tackle in the backfield forcing the Redskins to punt.
Jay has 26 tackles a forced fumble and 4 sacks from his nose tackle spot this year.
Quentin Groves #54 and the Jaguars beat the coachless Bills 18-15 on Sunday. Quentin had 2 tackles in the game.  BAD OMEN: in games where a team finishes with 18 on the scoreboard Alabama is 4-1.
For the season Quentin has started 3 games and has 19 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 INT, and a forced fumble.
Spencer Johnson #91, had 4 tackles in the Bills’ 18-15 loss to the Titans, as he got his third start of the year.
For the season Spencer has played in every game, started three, and has 31 tackles and one pass deflection.
Pat Sims #90, had 3 tackles in Cincinnati’s shocking loss to the Raiders 20-17, looking like the bungles as they fumbled a kickoff return to set the Raiders up for the game winning field goal. BAD OMEN: when the series record was at 20-17 Alabama won the Iron Bowl to extend it to 21-17, the second straight win for the Tide that wouldn’t stop until they had won 9 in a row.
On the season Pat has started 3 games and has 25 tackles and 1 sack this year.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94, got in on the action on Monday night football and had 2 tackles in the Titan’s 20-17 win over the Texans.
For the season Marks has played in 5 games and has 6 tackles 2 playing 3^rd team for Tennessee.
Stanley McClover #75, is on the IR for the Houston Texans

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58, had 9 tackles in the Cardinals’ 21-13 win over the St. Louis Rams. GOOD OMEN: the only time the Iron bowl final score has been 21-13 was in 2004, an Auburn win during a very good year.
Karlos leads the Arizona defense with 73 tackles and two halves of a sack with 2 pass deflections this season.
Will Herring #54, did not record a stat in the Seahawks’ loss to the Vikings 35-9 .
For the season Will has 26 tackles, and 1 pass deflection in 5 starts and has played in every game.
Takeo Spikes #51, is nursing a hamstring and did not play in the 49ers 30-24 loss to the Packers.  GOOD OMEN: the last time anyone scored 30 in the rivalry was 20 years ago in the first Iron Bowl played in Jordan Hare.
Takeo started the first nine games this year before his injury and has 42 tackles and a sack on the season.
Reggie Torbor #53, did not record a tackle Thursday night in the Dolphins’ 24-17 win over the Panthers but did deflect 2 passes.
Playing in every game and starting 2, Reggie has 24 tackles on the season with 4 pass deflections and an INT.
Tray Blackmon #30 was on IR but has now left the Calgary Stampeders and his season ends while he is at home.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22, did not start in the 7-6 loss to the Cowboys, Washington chose to start Fred Smoot instead.  Carlos did play but did not record a stat.
Starting 9 games for Washington, Carlos has 22 tackles and 8 pass deflections, but no INTs.
Jonathan Wilhite #24, had three tackles in his start as the Patriots dominated the Jets 31-14.  GOOD OMEN: Alabama lost 4 in a row trying to get their 31^st win in the series, Auburn won their 31^st in the middle of another Auburn winning streak when they recently won 6 in a row.
Jonathan has started 6 games and played in 8 this season for the Patriots, he has 24 tackles, 4 pass deflections and 1 INT.
Jerraud Powers #25 had 5 tackles in the Colts’ 17-15 win over the Ravens   GOOD OMEN: Auburn is 4-3 when they score 17 points, and 2-1 when 15 is on the final scoreboard.
Powers has started 9 games this season and has 50 tackles (4^th on the team), 7 pass deflections, an INT, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Kevin Hobbs #23, had two tackles in the Lions exciting 38-37 win over the Browns on Sunday.
For the season Hobbs’ has 2 starts in 7 games and 20 tackles.
Rod Hood #37, after starting three games for the Titans did not play Monday in the 20-17 win in Houston.
On the season Hood has played in 4 games, with 3 starts and has 12 tackles, three pass deflections, and three INTs.
Pat Lee #22, is on IR with the Green Bay Packers

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 was 2/3 on field goals (a new long for the year of 53) and 2/2 on extra points in Tennessee’s 20-17 win over the Texans.  Bironas kicked the game winner with 52 seconds remaining in the game to continue the streak of 4 wins for the Titans, the Texans quickly drove the ball down and tried their own game winner win 1 second left and missed.  GOOD OMEN: the last time there was a game winning field goal in the last minute followed by a last second miss was when Jaret Holmes made a 39 yarder with 21 seconds to go to take the lead 18-17, Alabama got a great kick return to try their own game winner and missed.
For the year Rob has made 16/20 FGs (one blocked) and all his extra points (21).  His long for the year is 53.
Damon Duval #15 and Montreal absolutely slaughtered the BC Lions 56-18.  Duval was 2/3 on his field goals and 7/7 on extra points for 14 total points.  He also punted 4 times for a 49.3 average.  GOOD OMEN: in 1956 Auburn beat Alabama 34-7.
Duval is the dominant kicker in Canada and has made 57/66 field goals with 28/28 extra points adding up to a record 256 points on the year.  He has also punted 112 times with a 45 yard average and a long of.

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

Missing you: Jerraud Powers allowed his childhood hero Randy Moss only two receptions last Sunday, both short yarders. He currently has 45 tackles on the season.

Well friends… the injury report doesn’t look good this week.  Heath Evans was putting up great numbers (most yards, most TDs, most catches) for a fullback and was probably on his way to a Pro Bowl. Now he’s out for the year. Who else? Ronnie Brown, another Pro Bowl contender, who was hanging around in the top 5 for rushing TDs and also runs the best Wildcat in the pros.  That leaves us with seven former Tigers who will exit the season early due to injury – you could make it eight since Prechae Rodriquez’s knee kept him from recording a stat, though he did get into a game in the playoffs.

Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell #17, led the Redskins to their first win in over a month as the Redskins beat the Broncos 27-17 in Washington.  The Skins stopped a 4 game skid by extending the Broncos own 3 game slide.  Jason was his usual efficient self, going 17 for 26 for 193 yards and a TD with no INTs.  He also ran for 15 yards on 2 carries.  The Skins face a tall test this week in Dallas, but Jason has had success against the Boys before: his career best game, 33 completions for 348 yards, was in Dallas two years ago.
For the season Jason has completed 168/254 66.1%(8^th) of his passes for 1,870 yards, 10 TDs, 8 INTs with a QB rating of 87.9 (16^th) and has run the ball 31 times for 158 yards.

Running Backs:
Ronnie Brown #23, played his last game of 2009 in the Dolphins 25-23 win over the Buccaneers.  He gets to choose where he and Carnell take their vacation this year, but I’m sure he would rather continue finish season.  Brown was hurt when a defender rolled over his ankle as he was cutting; they’re calling it is a “foot injury” but he is on IR which means he’s done for the year.
Starting 9 games for the Dolphins, Ronnie finishes the year 4^th in TDs with 8 (plus one passing) and had 147 carries for 648 yards (11^th) a 4.4 yard avg. He also caught 14 passes for 98 yards.
Tony Richardson #49, had one catch for 1 yard in the Jets 30-25 loss to the Dolphins earlier in the season.
Tony has 3 carries for 12 yards in 6 starts this year, and one catch for one yard.
Carnell Williams #24 scored what he thought was the game winning touchdown when he shoved the ball into the endzone with 1:13 to go in the game, but the Dolphins had different plans. They drove down the field to kick the game winning field goal with 10 seconds left on the clock to take the victory, 25-23.  Carnell had 52 yards and a TD on 14 carries in the loss.
Carnell has started 8 games this season and has 418 yards on 106 attempts averaging 3.9 yards a carry and has 3 TDs.  He has also caught 17 balls for 117 yards, 6.9 yd avg, and 1 receiving TD.
Brandon Jacobs #27, was off last week.  The Giants face the Falcons in New York this week.
Jacobs has 617 yards on 151 attempts for a 4.1 avg. 2 TDs and has caught 10 passes for 56 yards.
Heath Evans #44, is out for the year with an achilles injury.
For the season Heath had 5 carries for 16 yards and 10 catches for 70 yds and 2 TDs.
Tre Smith #32 is on the IR with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Their season is now over.
Tristan Davis #43 is on the Detroit Lions practice squad.

Wide Recievers:
Devin Aromashadu #19, caught his first pass of the season Thursday in the Bears 10-6 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco.  Expect the other Devin to get on the field far more this week: he is a favorite target of Jay Cutler who has been pleading for the bigger Aromashadu to get on the field.  The pass he caught was a ten yarder on the sideline from Cutler prompting the announcer to call the play, “complete on the sideline to Devin A…hmmm…..”
Ben Obamanu #87, sat out another game due to injury (oblique), but expect him back on the field as a kick returner this week against the Vikings.
For the season Ben has caught only 2 balls for 22 yards despite playing in every game.  He has returned 4 kicks this season for 116 yards.
Prechae Rodriguez #85’s season is over with Hamilton; the home-standing Tiger-Cats lost 34-27 to British Columbia. Rodriquez finished the season with 45 catches for 495 yards and 3 TDs.
Tim Carter #15, was waived by the Rams.  Tim had 1 catch for 6 yards this year with the Rams.

Offensive Lineman:
Ben Grubbs #66, helped the Ravens to a 16-0 win over the Browns and has been selected to the Pro Football Weekly Midseason All-Pro team. Grubbs has started every game this year for the 5-4 Ravens
Marcus McNeill #73, and his linemates paved the way for the Chargers offense to score 31 in a win over a stout Eagles team 31-23.  Marcus has started all 9 games this year for San Diego and has given up 3 sacks.
King Dunlap #65, and the Eagles lost 31-23 to the Chargers.  King has played in every game this year, mostly on special teams.
Tyronne Green #69, is 2^nd string RG for the San Diego Chargers but has yet to get into a regular season game this year.
Kendall Simmons #71, is injured and inactive for the Patriots with an Achilles injury he suffered last season when he was with the Steelers.
Tim Duckworth #75, is on the Saint’s practice squad.

Defensive Lineman:
Jay Ratliff #90, did his part, but the Cowboys offense couldn’t get on track as Dallas lost to the Packers 17-7.  Jay had 2 tackles in the game; while he isn’t putting up huge numbers, the league is well aware of him and he may be headed to his 2^nd Pro Bowl. Jay has 25 tackles a forced fumble and 4 sacks from his nose tackle spot this year.
Quentin Groves #54 had a tackle and an INT in the Jag’s 24-22 win over the Jets. Quentin was about to score after the interception but was tackled by the turf monster and fell down at the 4.  His teammates aren’t letting him forget it.

Even Groves’ gaffe — he tripped near the goal line without being touched following an interception — was still giving players a laugh Monday. They taped off a miniature football field in front of Groves’ locker, complete with an end zone and an outline of the defensive end sprawled on the ground at the 4-yard line. They also placed a yellow caution sign nearby with an arrow pointing to Groves.

“He’s getting ribbed,” Del Rio said. “But that wasn’t an embarrassing play for him. That was a great play. He jumps up and catches the balls. Did you see how fast his feet were going? Seriously. He was flying. He was separating from a wide receiver. He can run. He reached up, caught the ball, made a great defensive play.

“They’re having a lot of fun with him, which is great, which is what you do after a victory.”

Groves has once again been relegated from starter to 3^rd string.  What – they don’t have a 2^nd string in Jacksonville?  The Jaguars depth chart is a clusterf*%$; it’s never right and often has players in as many as four different positions. For instance, this week their defensive depth chart features 14 unique positions with 54 players in slots.
For the season Quentin has started 3 games and has 17 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 INT, and a forced fumble.
Spencer Johnson #91, had 4 tackles in the Bills’ 41-17 loss to the Titans, his second start of the year. For the season Spencer has played in every game, started two, and has 28 tackles and one pass deflection.
Pat Sims #90, had 2 tackles in Cincinnati’s win over the Steelers 18-12, securing their spot as my surprise team of the year after sweeping the Super Bowl champs.  On the season Pat has started 3 games and has 22 tackles and 1 sack this year.
Sen’Derrick Marks #94, got the most action he’s seen all year with 3 tackles in the Titans trouncing of the Bills, 41-17. For the season Marks has played in 4 games and has 4 tackle2 playing 3^rd team for Tennessee.
Stanley McClover #75, is on the IR for the Houston Texans

Linebackers:
Karlos Dansby #58, had 8 tackles and a half a sack as the Cardinals beat the Seahawks 31-20.
Karlos leads the Arizona defense with 65 tackles and two halves of a sack with 2 pass deflections this season.
Will Herring #54, again played through a sore shoulder and had 2 tackles in the Seahawks’ 31-20 loss to the Cardinals.  For the season Will has 26 tackles, and 1 pass deflection in 5 starts has played in every game.
Takeo Spikes #51, had 5 tackles as the 49ers ended their losing skid by beating the Bears 10-6 on a Thursday night. Takeo has started every game this year and has 42 tackles and a sack on the season.
Reggie Torbor #53, returned to the second string last week so his production dropped to only one tackle in the 25-23 win over the Buccaneers. Playing in every game and starting 2, Reggie has 24 tackles on the season with 2 pass deflections and an INT.
Tray Blackmon #30 was on IR but has now left the Calgary Stampeders. His season ends with him at home.

Cornerbacks:
Carlos Rogers #22, was benched for his poor play in Washington’s 27-17 win over the Broncos, but will be back in the starting lineup this week against the Cowboys.  Rogers had 1 tackle in the game.
Starting every game for Washington, Carlos has 22 tackles and 8 pass deflections, but no INTs.
Jonathan Wilhite #24, was picked on all night by Peyton Manning and gave up 7 catches and 2 TDs, one being the game winner. But give him a little credit – Wilhite spent the night covering Reggie Wayne, a tall order for any corner against Peyton Manning.  And he did have an INT and 5 tackles.
Jonathan has started 5 games and played in 7 this season for the Patriots. He has 21 tackles, 4 pass deflections and 1 INT.
Jerraud Powers #25 had a fantastic night matched up against his childhood hero Randy Moss and Wes Welker, but only gave up 2 completions on the night, both short yarders.  He also broke up the pass on 3 and 2 that preceded the now legendary 4 and 2 try from the 28 that Bill Belichek is catching so much heck for this week.  The Colts use Powers in run support often which led to him having 5 tackles on the night.
Powers has started 8 games this season and has 45 tackles (4^th on the team), 7 pass deflections, an INT, a forced fumbl,e and a fumble recovery.
Kevin Hobbs #23, had one tackle in the Lions 27-10 loss to the Vikings.
For the season Hobbs’ has 2 starts in 7 games and 20 tackles.
Rod Hood #37,  started his third straight game and had his third straight with an INT as the Titans blew out the Bills 41-17.  It makes you wonder why Hood spent so long on the shelf and couldn’t find a roster spot.
On the season Hood has played in 4 games, with 3 starts and has 12 tackles, three pass deflections, and three INTs.
Pat Lee #22, is on IR with the Green Bay Packers

Kickers:
Robert Bironas #2 was 2/3 on field goals (a new long for the year of 51) and 5/5 on extra points in Tennessee’s 41-17 win over the 49ers.
For the year Rob has made 14/17 FGs (one blocked) and all his extra points (19).  His long for the year is 51.
Damon Duval #15 is off until the 22^nd when the Allouettes host the BC Lions.
Duval is the dominant kicker in Canada and has made 55/63 field goals with 21/21 extra points adding up to that record 242 points on the year.  He has also punted 108 times with a 44.8 yard average and a long of 70 (also the NFL long).

Questions, comments, anyone you want to know about that’s not listed?  Let me know and I’ll have it up next week!

Photo via.