Tom Brady is expected to miss the rest of the 2008 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, according to a source familiar with the injury.

“It’s bad,” a team source said. “We’re going to have to play without him.” [READ]

The NFL has returned, in the form of a sixteen-game weekend that has been spread from Thursday to Monday night.

It isn't easy to keep tabs on every one of the games being played in the league on Kickoff Weekend, but we are here to help summarize all that has gone down while highlighting a number of unique statistical leaders.

We will showcase a pair of innovative statistical systems called the Field Impact Counter (individual performance formula) and Criticals Counter (team efficiency formula), both created by RealGM executive editor Chris Reina.

Explanations of both are listed after this week’s recaps.


Thursday Night
N.Y. Giants 16, Washington 7
Criticials Counter: NYG +3.8, WSH -3.8

The defending-champion New York Giants cooled down after looking terrific in the first quarter but still had more than enough to defeat the Washington Redskins on Thursday night. Eli Manning, who ran in New York’s first score of the game on a one-yard scramble, finished the game 19-for-35 with 216 yards and an interception.

Jason Campbell wasn’t much better for the Redskins, going 15-for-27 with 133 yards and one touchdown, a twelve-yard connection with Santana Moss late in the second quarter. Brandon Jacobs helped the Giants control the game with 116 rushing yards while Plaxico Burress finished the season-opener with ten receptions for 133 yards.

Game FIC Scores
Eli Manning, NYG – 39
Jason Campbell, WSH – 28
Plaxico Burress, NYG – 82
Antwaan Randle El, WSH – 47
Brandon Jacobs, NYG – 46
Clinton Portis, WSH – 35
Chris Cooley, WSH – 5
Kevin Boss, NYG – 0

Sunday:
Tennessee 17, Jacksonville 10
Criticials Counter: TEN +14.6, JAX -14.6

The Tennessee Titans held off the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday thanks in large part to a tremendous effort by their defense. The Titans sacked David Garrard seven times, grabbed two interceptions, and forced one fumble in their 17-10 win at home. Rookie Chris Johnson ran for 93 yards for Tennessee while LenDale White notched 40 yards and reached the end zone in the fourth quarter to help put Jacksonville away.

Garrard, who threw just three interceptions in all of 2007, struggled mightily. He went 23-for-35 with 215 yards, one touchdown, and the two aforementioned picks. The Jaguars managed just 33 rushing yards after finishing last season as one of the league’s strongest running attacks. Vince Young struggled even more than Garrard did, going 12-for-22 with 110 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions but was lucky enough to get a strong showing from his supporting cast. Young left the game in the fourth with an injury.

Game FIC Scores
David Garrard, JAX – 38
Vince Young, TEN – 23
Matt Jones, JAX – 50
Justin Gage, TEN – 16
Chris Johnson, TEN – 62
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX – 26
Bo Scaife, TEN – 62
Marcedes Lewis, JAX – 19

Pittsburgh 38, Houston 17
Criticials Counter: PIT +11.5, HOU -11.5

The Pittsburgh Steelers scored early and often on Sunday against the Houston Texans, kicking off the 2008 season with a very strong offensive showing. Willie Parker rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and Ben Roethlisberger hooked up with Hines Wards for 76 yards and a pair of trips to the end zone. Roethlisberger went 13-for-14 with 137 yards and two scores.

The Texans scored fourteen points in the fourth quarter to make the score look respectable, with Matt Schaub accounting for both scores. Schaub, who went 25-for-33 with 202 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, hit Kevin Walter for a fourteen-yard strike early in the fourth and then added a four-yard touchdown run with a little more than a minute remaining.

Game FIC Scores
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT – 46
Matt Schaub, HOU – 47
Hines Ward, PIT – 58
Andre Johnson, HOU – 74
Willie Parker, PIT – 67
Steve Slaton, HOU – 17
Owen Daniels, HOU – 22
Heath Miller, PIT – 18

Philadelphia 38, St. Louis 3
Criticials Counter: PHI +25.7, STL -25.7

Donovan McNabb looked young and rejuvenated against the St. Louis Rams, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an impressive victory in Week One. Without Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, McNabb made two career backups and a rookie receiver look like Pro Bowlers. McNabb finished the day 21-for-33 with 361 yards and three touchdowns. Brian Westbrook, who finished 2007 as the NFL’s leading yard-gainer from scrimmage, had 91 rushing yards and two scores (one on a one-yard pass from McNabb).

The Eagles enjoyed three one-hundred yard performances from their stable of receivers, with DeSean Jackson (106), Greg Lewis (104), and Hank Baskett (102) all topping the mark. The St. Louis offense looked even more confused than the defense, managing just eight first downs and 166 total yards. Steven Jackson tallied just 40 rushing yards, and Marc Bulger was 14-for-26 with 158 yards in the loss. McNabb went untouched, as the Eagles didn’t surrender a single sack. Meanwhile, Philadelphia got to Bulger four times.

Game FIC Scores
Donovan McNabb, PHI – 81
Marc Bulger, STL – 24
DeSean Jackson, PHI – 63
Dante Hall, STL – 11
Brian Westbrook, PHI – 41
Steven Jackson, STL – 28
Randy McMichael, STL – 47
L.J. Smith, PHI – 33

New Orleans 24, Tampa Bay 20
Criticials Counter: NO +4.3, TB -4.3

It was a close battle all afternoon, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t keep Drew Brees under wraps as he led the New Orleans Saints to a key interdivisional victory. Brees tallied 343 yards and three touchdowns (along with an interception) while going 23-for-32 on the day. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combined for 103 rushing yards while Bush added 102 receiving yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay.

Jeff Garcia wasn’t the reason the Buccaneers lost, but he wasn’t able to lead them to victory, either. He went 24-for-41 with 221 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Earnest Graham enjoyed a nice afternoon, running for 91 yards on just ten attempts, but Jon Gruden opted to attack through the air despite Graham’s effectiveness.

Game FIC Scores
Drew Brees, NO – 72
Jeff Garcia, TB – 45
Joey Galloway, TB – 36
Marques Colston, NO – 17
Reggie Bush, NO – 88
Earnest Graham, TB – 55
Jeremy Shockey, NO – 36
Alex Smith, TB – 14

New England 17, Kansas City 10
Criticials Counter: NE +2.2, KC -2.2

The New England Patriots watched the entire crowd hold its collective breath in the first quarter on Sunday, as the reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady hobbled off the field with a knee injury. Luckily for the Patriots, Matt Cassel was able to step in and play respectably, and the lowly Kansas City Chiefs were in town. Cassel went 13-for-18 with 152 yards and a touchdown, helping lead New England to a victory in a much closer game than was expected.

Randy Moss caught six passes for 116 yards and one touchdown, helping the offense transition smoothly from Brady to Cassel. Brodie Croyle left with a shoulder injury, leaving the Chiefs to put Damon Huard behind center. Huard went 8-for-12 with 118 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Larry Johnson tallied 74 yards on the ground for Kansas City while Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney combined for 104 rushing yards and a score.

Game FIC Scores
Matt Cassel, NE – 36
Brodie Croyle, KC – 16
Randy Moss, NE – 67
Dwayne Bowe, KC – 38
Sammy Morris, NE – 47
Larry Johnson, KC – 27
Tony Gonzalez, KC – 38
David Thomas, NE – 15

N.Y. Jets 20, Miami 17
Criticials Counter: NYJ +7.6, MIA -7.6

It wasn’t an overwhelming victory, but fans of the New York Jets got exactly what they wanted out of Brett Favre on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Favre threw for just 194 yards but was 15-for-22 and connected for two touchdowns. Chad Pennington looked good against his former team, going 26-for-43 with 251 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The difference, however, was on the ground.

Thomas Jones tallied 101 yards and a score for the Jets while the combination of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown managed just 47 rushing yards. Favre put the Jets on the board with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery in the first quarter, but Pennington answered with a 5-yard strike to Anthony Fasano to tie the game and keep it close throughout.

Game FIC Scores
Brett Favre, NYJ – 42
Chad Pennington, MIA – 55
Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ – 51
Greg Camarillo, MIA – 24
Thomas Jones, NYJ – 43
Ronnie Brown, MIA – 26
Anthony Fasano, MIA – 59
Chris Baker, NYJ – 20

Buffalo 34, Seattle 10
Criticials Counter: BUF +11.3, SEA -11.3

Trent Edwards managed a great game for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in their blowout victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Edwards, who went 18-for-30 with 215 yards and a touchdown, handed off to Marshawn Lynch eighteen times for 76 yards and a score of his own. Punter Brian Moorman added to Buffalo’s attack, throwing a 19-yard pass for a touchdown to defensive end Ryan Denney near the end of the third quarter on a fake field goal attempt.

Roscoe Parrish joined the Bills’ scoring binge, as well, taking a punt back 63 yards for a touchdown. Matt Hasselbeck looked confused early and often against Buffalo’s defense, going 17-for-41 with just 190 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Nate Burleson caught five passes from Hasselbeck for 60 yards and a score, but the Seahawks would love to have a do-over on this one. In addition to an embarrassing loss, both Burleson and running back Maurice Morris left the game with injuries.

Game FIC Scores
Trent Edwards, BUF – 43
Matt Hasselbeck, SEA – 30
Lee Evans, BUF – 59
Nate Burleson, SEA – 44
Marshawn Lynch, BUF – 41
Julius Jones, SEA – 22
Robert Royal, BUF – 38
John Carlson, SEA – 33

Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 10
Criticials Counter: BAL +10.1, CIN -10.1

Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he did help lead the Baltimore Ravens to a big win over the Cincinnati Bengals to start the season. Flacco, who went 15-for-29 with 129 passing yards, didn’t throw a touchdown but did break a 38-yard run at the end of the third quarter to give the Ravens a 17-3 lead heading into the fourth.

Le’Ron McClain and rookie Ray Rice combined to run for 150 yards on more than forty attempts as Baltimore stuck to the ground. Receiver Mark Clayton, who caught three passes for 21 yards from Flacco, rushed once for 42 yards in the first quarter, reaching the end zone to put the Ravens on the board. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph scored Cincinnati’s lone touchdown, returning a fumble 65 yards early in the fourth. Carson Palmer went 10-for-25 with a mere 99 yards and an interception. Chris Perry, starting in place of the recently-released Rudi Johnson, ran eighteen times but tallied just 37 yards.

Game FIC Scores
Joe Flacco, BAL – 45
Carson Palmer, CIN – 17
Derrick Mason, BAL – 30
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN – 27
Le’Ron McClain, BAL – 46
Chris Perry, CIN – -1
Reggie Kelley, CIN – 10
Todd Heap, BAL – -2

Atlanta 34, Detroit 17
Criticials Counter: ATL +11.3, DET -11.3

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan began his day with a bang and ended it with a victory in the Atlanta Falcons’ dominant win over the Detroit Lions. Ryan, on the first pass of his NFL career, hooked up with Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown. Ryan finished the day 9-for-13 with 161 passing yards while running back Michael Turner stole the show.

After playing second fiddle to LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego for the last four years, Turner broke out for a franchise-record 220 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jerious Norwood added to the fun, as well, notching 93 yards and a score of his own. Atlanta tallied 318 rushing yards while holding Detroit to just 62. Jon Kitna was decent, going 24-for-33 with 262 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Second-year receiver Calvin Johnson caught seven passes for 107 yards while Roy Williams reached the end zone on a 21-yard strike in the second quarter.

Game FIC Scores
Jon Kitna, DET – 57
Matt Ryan, ATL – 27
Calvin Johnson, DET – 65
Michael Jenkins, ATL – 38
Michael Turner, ATL – 113
Kevin Smith, DET – 37
Ben Hartsock, ATL – 11
Dan Campbell, DET – 10

Arizona 27, San Francisco 17
Criticials Counter: ARI +1.2, SF -1.2

Kurt Warner outplayed J.T. O’Sullivan as the Arizona Cardinals downed the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a battle of teams that entered the season with uncertain quarterback situations. Warner, who went 19-for-30 with 197 yards and a touchdown, received helped from Edgerrin James, who tallied 100 rushing yards. O’Sullivan, was 14-for-20 with 195 yards and an interception and got support from Frank Gore, who rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Arizona’s backup running back Tim Hightower, a rookie out of Richmond, made the difference. He reached the end zone late in the third quarter on a two-yard run near the goal line. He finished with 13 yards on eight carries. Larry Fitzgerald was on the receiving end of Warner’s touchdown, and fellow top receiver Anquan Boldin finished with 82 receiving yards on eight catches in the win.

Game FIC Scores
Kurt Warner, ARI – 34
J.T. O’Sullivan, SF – 31
Anquan Boldin, ARI – 55
Bryant Johnson, SF – 29
Frank Gore, SF – 71
Edgerrin James, ARI – 29
Vernon Davis, SF – 31
Leonard Pope, ARI – 4

Carolina 26, San Diego 24
Criticials Counter: CAR +1.8, SD -1.8

Not only did the Carolina Panthers upset the San Diego Chargers on Sunday afternoon, but they did so in dramatic fashion. After Philip Rivers found Vincent Jackson in the end zone to give the Chargers a five-point lead with a little more than two minutes receiving, Jake Delhomme marched the Panthers downfield to setup a thrilling ending.

As time expired, Delhomme hit Dante Rosario with a 14-yard bullet pass to win the game for Carolina. Delhomme finished the day 23-for-41, with 247 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Rivers posted 217 yards and three touchdowns on 17-for-27 passing. LaDainian Tomlinson had 97 yards while DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 139 yards on the ground. The Panthers' defense allowed 24 points but scored seven of their own on a 31-yard fumble return by Chris Gamble.

Game FIC Scores
Philip Rivers, SD – 54
Jake Delhomme, CAR – 50
Chris Chambers, SD – 29
Dwayne Jarrett, CAR – 22
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD – 44
DeAngelo Williams, CAR – 32
Dante Rosario, CAR – 65
Antonio Gates, SD – 38

Dallas 28, Cleveland 10
Criticials Counter: DAL +15.3, CLE -15.3

The Cleveland Browns were on the cusp of the playoffs last winter but struggled out of the gate in 2008 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in grand fashion on Sunday. Tony Romo went 24-for-32 with 320 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Derek Anderson wasn’t nearly as good, going 11-for-24 with 114 yards and a touchdown. Marion Barber (who left with bruised ribs) and rookie Felix Jones combined to dominate on the ground, combining for 142 yards and three scores.

Jamal Lewis rushed for 62 yards as the Browns struggled to get going on offense. Kellen Winslow had 47 yards and a score for Cleveland while Braylon Edwards tallied just 14 receiving yards in the season-opener. Three receivers had more than eighty yards for the Cowboys, with Jason Witten (96), Terrell Owens (87, and a score), and Patrick Crayton (82) all excelling through the air.

Game FIC Scores
Tony Romo, DAL – 67
Derek Anderson, CLE – 31
Terrell Owens, DAL – 58
Braylon Edwards, CLE – 7
Marion Barber, DAL – 55
Jamal Lewis, CLE – 28
Jason Witten, DAL – 60
Kellen Winslow, CLE – 37

Chicago 29, Indianapolis 13
Criticials Counter: CHI +3.1, IND -3.1

The Chicago Bears made a statement on Sunday, knocking off the Indianapolis Colts on the night they opened up the brand-new Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning, taking the field in game action for the first time since the 2007 playoffs, went 30-for-49 with 257 yards and one touchdown, as the Colts struggled to get the running game going against Chicago’s defense. Joseph Addai ran just twelve times, for 44 yards, before leaving the game with a head injury in the fourth quarter.

Rookie running back Matt Forte helped steal the show for the Bears, running for 123 yards and a touchdown in the team’s victory. Kyle Orton was steady, going 13-for-21 with 150 yards, completing a number of key passes to help move the chains. Reggie Wayne led Indianapolis with 86 yards and a touchdown, with tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olson leading Chicago with 82 receiving yards.

The Bears’ defense bothered the Colts all night long, tackling Addai in the end zone for a safety and returning a fumble 21 yards (Lance Briggs) for a touchdown. A knee injury to tight end Dallas Clark, who left in the first half, hampered Manning’s passing attack.

Game FIC Scores
Reggie Wayne, IND – 63
Matt Forte, CHI – 61
Peyton Manning, IND – 55
Marvin Harrison, IND – 45
Anthony Gonzalez, IND – 33
Kyle Orton, CHI – 31
Joseph Addai, IND – 17


Criticials Counter

The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs and turnovers. For this reason, RealGM executive editor Chris Reina created the following formula called the ‘Criticials Counter’ to look at which team truly controls the game:

(2x Yards per pass)
+ (2x Yards per carry)
+ (.5 First downs)
- (Penalty yards/10)
- (2.5 Turnovers)
- (Opposing Team's Critical Counter)


Field Impact Counter

We use the FIC to rank players in terms of their individual performance and use that ranking to determine their Reina Value, which gauges how well they are playing in relation to their cap hit.

Quarterbacks: Their FIC rewards completions, yards, touchdowns, first downs and the ability to run the ball, while interceptions, sacks and incomplete passes hurt their score.

Running Backs: Yards per carry, touchdowns, first downs and receptions out of the backfield are all duly rewarded, while fumbles hurt their score.

Wide Receivers: Receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and first downs contribute to a high score. [READ]

Vince Young could miss two to four weeks with a sprained left knee, sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The Titans suspect he suffered damage to his medial collateral ligament.

"The biggest concern that I have right now, not knowing, I don't think it is serious about Vince," said Jeff Risher. "We are going to do some studies, some tests on his knee." [READ]

The Patriots are scheduled to bring free agent quarterbacks Chris Simms and Tim Rattay in for workouts in the wake of Tom Brady's season-ending injury, according to Boston Globe.

Rattay has a little more experience, but Simms is four years younger.

[READ]

Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard isn't listening to comments made by Randy Moss calling his hit on Tom Brady a 'dirty play', according to Boston Herald.

"I don’t really want to get into it, but for me personally, I think it was dirty," Moss said after the game. "When I came back in (to watch the replay), it looked dirty to me. I’ve never been a dirty player. I honestly don’t even know how to play dirty. I just play the game. Any time you see something like that that looks foul, that looks dirty, it opens your eyes. So for me personally, it looked dirty."

As Brady planted his left leg to throw to Moss in the first quarter, Pollard, who had been blocked to the ground by running back Sammy Morris, crawled and lunged into Brady’s leg.

"It was an accident," Pollard said. "It was a call that we had, I went in to make a play and unfortunately landed on him and he went down. We knew it was something serious because of the yell that he let out."

"I’m not a dirty player," Pollard added. "Like I said, it was football, it really was. I can’t do anything but pray for him and hope he comes back. As soon as he went down, if it was a dirty play, I wouldn’t have apologized. I’d have got up and went my way. I immediately started apologizing. I went to my coach and let my coach know and my coach knew (it wasn’t a dirty play.) For all the people who said that, that’s their opinion." [READ]

Dallas running back Marion Barber left the team's win over Cleveland on Sunday with bruised ribs, but there appears to be no fractures, according to ESPN.com.

Barber's status for the team's Monday night game against the Eagles is uncertain, but the Cowboys medical staff believes that he could be treated with painkilling injections that would improve his chances of playing.

If he can't go, rookie Felix Jones would start in his place after a tremendous debut for the Cowboys against the Browns. [READ]

49ers' quarterback Alex Smith should find out on Monday whether or not his latest shoulder injury will end his season, according to ESPN.com.

Smith was added to San Francisco's injury report Friday after feeling pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder during practice and was in street clothes on Sunday.

The former No. 1 overall pick said the new injury is around the bone, near where Dr. James Andrews repaired his separated shoulder in December. The new injury could "potentially" force Smith to have another season-ending surgery.

"They're trying to figure that out," Smith said. "That's the goal. Hopefully, the films get down to Dr. Andrews [on Monday], and they'll talk and see what's what." [READ]

Similar to the Field Impact Counter, I have a modified version I use for college football.

For quarterbacks it takes into account accuracy, completions, yards and touchdowns while it also penalizes players for interceptions and taking sacks. It also gives value to quarterbacks who efficiently run the ball, something of obvious great importance in the college game.

Running backs who are workhorses are rewarded significantly, but also factored in are those who maintain high yard per carry averages.

Wide receivers are heavily rewarded for touchdowns and yards, but a significant amount of weight is also given to receptions.

Quarterbacks

10. Max Hall, BYU: 54.5 (109)
9. Josh Freeman, Kansas State: 57.0 (114)
8. David Johnson, Tulsa: 57.9 (116)
7. Joe Webb, UAB: 58.1 (116)
6. Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana-Layfayette: 61.6 (62)
5. Colt McCoy, Texas: 62.0 (124)
4. Kellen Lewis, Indiana: 64.0 (128)
3. Case Keenum, Houston: 68.2 (136)
2. Juice Williams, Illinois: 68.8 (138)
1. Chase Clement, Rice: 71.6 (143)

- Clement is 50-for-81 with 576 yards (7.11 YPA) and has thrown for seven touchdowns while rushing for two more.

- After being held to just 10 yards rushing against Missouri, Williams rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns against Eastern Illinois.

- While he didn't do it on the ground like he did against Florida Atlantic, McCoy threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns at UTEP.

Notables
14. Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State: 49.0 (98)
16. Pat White, West Virginia: 48.3 (97)
18. Chase Daniel, Missouri: 46.7 (93)
23. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: 43.4 (87)
34. Tim Tebow, Florida: 35.7 (71)
43. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame: 32.5 (32)
81. Todd Boeckman, Ohio State: 20.4 (41)
93. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: 18.5 (37)

Running Backs
10. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss: 72.0 (144)
9. DuJuan Harris, Troy: 73.5 (74)
8. Nic Grigsby, Arizona: 75.8 (152)
7. Donald Brown, UConn: 77.5 (155)
6. Ryan Mathews, Fresno State: 81.5 (82)
5. Michael Smith, Arkansas: 82.0 (82)
4. Charles Scott, LSU: 82.0 (82)
3. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia: 82.0 (164)
2. Jahvid Best, California: 88.0 (176)
1. Shun White, Navy: 117.8 (236)

- White followed his 348 yard performance by rushing for a mere 128 (9.8 per carry) and was shut out of the end zone in the Midshipmen's loss at Ball State.

- Best rushed 14 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns in Cal's 66-3 win against Washington State.

- Moreno is stockpiling his touchdown total (6) during the Bulldogs' early, lesser competition, which will help his Heisman argument come December.

Notables
21. P.J. Hill, Wisconsin: 54.8 (110)
30. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: 49.8 (100)
31. LeSean McCoy, Pitt: 49.8 (100)
50. Noel Devine, West Virginia: 40.8 (82)
69. Mark Ingram, Alabama: 32.8 (66)
145. Percy Harvin, Florida: 20.5 (21)

Wide Receivers
10. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech: 70.8 (142)
9. Maurice Jones, Memphis: 72.0 (144)
8. Mark Dell, Mississippi State: 76.8 (154)
7. Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma: 82.5 (83)
6. Emmanuel Sanders, SMU: 82.8 (166)
5. Aldrick Robinson, SMU: 83.3 (167)
4. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State: 97.0 (194)
3. Titus Young, Boise State: 102.0 (102)
2. Brandon Tate, North Carolina 105.5 (106)
1. Dante Love, Ball State: 115.8 (232)

- Love is averaging 18.7 yards per reception and has caught three TD passes, while rushing for two more.

Notables
49. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland: 52.5 (105)
275. Jeremy Maclin, Missouri: 19.5 (39)
333. Julio Jones, Alabama: 15.3 (31) [READ]

Atlanta's Matt Ryan kicked off his NFL career nicely against Detroit on Sunday, throwing a 62-yard touchdown pass on his first NFL passing attempt.

Ryan hooked up with Michael Jenkins for the score on the Falcons' first possession. [READ]

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was helped off the field midway through the first quarter against the Chiefs.

Brady threw a completion to Randy Moss, who ended up fumbling the ball on the play.

As he passed, Brady was grabbed on the left knee by a Kansas City defender, causing him to hobble around before receiving help to the sideline.

Matt Cassel took over for Brady with a little more than a minute left in the first quarter.

The Patriots have listed Brady as questionable to return against Kansas City.

New England, who lost six fumbles all of last season, lost two in the first eight minutes against the Chiefs. [READ]

The Toronto Argonauts of the CFL have made a huge offer to former Colts running back Kenton Keith, according to Sports Net.

The offer would reportedly make Keith the highest-paid player in the Canadian Football League.

Keith's agent, Jason Medlock, told Sports Net on Saturday that the Argos made an offer which won't require "a lot of haggling."

A source claimed that Keith could make roughly $160,000 a season in base pay, but bonuses could drive the deal up another $20,000-$40,000.

Indianapolis cut Keith less than two weeks ago. [READ]

The shoulder of 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is ailing once again, and he is unlikely to play in Sunday's opener, according to San Francisco Chronicle.

Smith is suffering from soreness in his right shoulder.

During Friday's practice, Smith sustained what Coach Mike Nolan described as "a non-contact injury" to the shoulder.

Smith said on Thursday that his shoulder felt fine, but earlier in the preseason, he said it wasn't 100 percent. [READ]

The Broncos and linebacker D.J. Williams have reached an agreement in principle on a five-year contract extension, according to Denver Post.

Williams, 26, would have been eligible for free agency after the season.

D.J. was the Denver's first-round pick in 2004 and led the team with 114 tackles while finishing third in the NFL defensive rookie of the year balloting. [READ]

After barely beating Ohio U., No. 3 Ohio State was not a happy football team, as reported by the Associated Press on Saturday.

“That was pathetic. It was a pathetic performance,” Buckeyes' WR Brian Hartline said after the Buckeyes rallied in the fourth quarter for 26-14 win over Ohio, a 33 1/2 -point underdog. “OU should’ve won the game. I don’t know how we came out with it.” [READ]

For the fourth-straight year, all 16 games of the NFL's kickoff weekend have sold out in advance of the local TV blackout deadline, according to NFL.com.

This will be the fifth Kickoff Weekend in NFL history to have blackouts lifted for all games.

The NFL blackout policy states that games sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff can be televised in the home city. [READ]

Eagles' running back Brian Westbrook wants to improve on the stellar season he has last year, according to Philly Blurbs.

Westbrook is entering his seventh NFL season with 4,785 rushing yards, 347 receptions, 52 touchdowns and a 4.7 yards per carry rushing average.

"That’s definitely my goal — to go out there and try to be better than I was last year," Westbrook said. "I set those types of goals every year. For the last two years, I have been able to achieve those goals."

"You want to be better. You never really want to be the same. It’s hard in the NFL to stay the same. You’re either going to get better or you’re going to get worse. I definitely don’t want to get worse." [READ]

Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown is ready to take on the Jets on Sunday, according to Associated Press.

Brown will form a one-two tandem with Ricky Williams, who impressed Miami in the preseason. For the second-straight year, running back appears to one of the Dolphins' strong suits.

"That's a position that's solved," coach Tony Sparano said. "Now we can move on to some of the other ones." [READ]