Cade McNown threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's victory over Detroit.

The plan was for McNown to play at least one series every game. While Jauron's plan was met with many raised eyebrows, the early returns are positive.

"I've been in a situation where you throw a rookie to the wolves. It's a tough situation," said Bears offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer, who was in Carolina when Kerry Collins started as a rookie. "I thought (McNown's development) was weird, just because I'd never been on a team that had done it before. Looking back on it now, I think it was a great thing to do. I think it's something you'll see other teams do in the future."

In the Bears' 28-10 pounding of the Lions on Sunday, McNown completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns. He became the first Bears rookie to throw for 300 yards in a game.

Another positive development is the relationship that has formed between McNown and wide receiver Marcus Robinson. McNown connected with Robinson for three touchdowns Sunday. Of the eight scoring passes that McNown has thrown in his rookie season, six have gone to Robinson.

McNown showed impressive poise, bouncing back after throwing an interception on his first series. The rookie from UCLA settled down and lead the Bears to 14 points in the final 2:48 of the first half and a 14-3 lead heading to the locker room.

"That's a pretty good defense. That's a pretty good day's work, especially for a young guy," Brockermeyer said. "A lot of the veterans will be behind Cade even more now. He showed he can go out and make plays."

McNown will start the rest of Chicago's games this season, and he is looking to solidify his position as the Bears' starting quarterback heading into next season.

Here's a look at how some of the league's most intriguing rookies fared in Week 15. Each Tuesday during the regular season, ESPN.com offers its report cards for the Class of '99.

PLAYER, STATS	THE SKINNY
Cade McNown, QB, Bears vs. Lions 27-for-36, 301 yds. 4 TDs, 2 INTs 9 att., 36 yds.	McNown showed all the attributes that made him the Bears' first-round pick in the recent NFL draft. Finishing 27-for-36 for 301 yards in his fourth start of the season, McNown proved he has the arm to succeed in the NFL. He also carried the ball nine times for 36 yards, showing the imagination and grit that convinced the Bears he was one of the best quarterbacks available. "I feel like I played OK. I don't feel like I did anything sensational out there," McNown said. "I got the ball to some exceptional athletes, namely Marcus Robinson, and he made some big plays."
Jevon Kearse, DE, Titans vs. Falcons 4 tackles 2 sacks	With two sacks Sunday, the rookie defensive end from Florida set the NFL rookie record for sacks. Kearse sacked Danny Kanell on the first play of the Falcons' second possession to tie the record of 12½ sacks. Kearse broke the tie in the third quarter by sacking backup quarterback Tony Graziani for a 12-yard loss. Over the last eight games, Kearse has 10½ sacks. "You have to account for him," Falcons coach Dan Reeves said. "He's the Lawrence Taylor-type where you use different blocking schemes, and he still gets a couple sacks."
Olandis Gary, RB, Broncos vs. Seahawks 22 att., 183 yds. 2 rec., 16 yds.	Gary ran for a career-high 183 yards on 22 carries, including a momentum-turning 71-yard run with three minutes left to help the Broncos defeat the Seahawks. The 183 yards rushing were the most ever by a Denver rookie and tied Otis Armstrong for the sixth-best single-game performance in team history.
Edgerrin James, RB, Colts vs. Redskins 22 att., 89 yds., 1 TD 4 rec., 59 yds., 1 TD	James, all but a lock for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, carried the ball 22 times for 89 yards and one touchdown and caught four passes for 59 yards and another score. He scored the first touchdown and last touchdown of the game for the Colts, giving him 14 on the season. James set a team rookie record with 1,400 yards rushing for the season.
Shaun King, QB, Buccaneers at Raiders 17-for-29, 142 yds. 0 TD, 1 INT	King finally lost a game. The rookie from Tulane hadn't lost a game as the starter since Nov. 15, 1997, a stretch that saw him win his last 13 games in college and his first two as a starting quarterback in the NFL. However, that came to a screeching halt Sunday, with a 45-0 loss to the Raiders. King was 17-of-29 for 142 yards and was sacked four times. "The key is to get this out of our system and come back next week," King said.
Tim Couch, QB, Browns vs. Jaguars 10-for-16, 86 yds. 0 TD, 0 INT	The No. 1 pick in the recent draft completed 10 of 16 passes for 86 yards before leaving the game late in the first half with a sprained left ankle. Couch suffered the injury when he was sacked by Jaguars defensive end Tony Brackens. Couch's left leg was immediately placed in an air cast, and he gave Cleveland fans a thumbs-up signal as he was carted off the field. X-rays were negative. "I think he is fine," coach Chris Palmer said. "I don't know if he will play or not next week. We'll have to wait and see."
Darrin Chiaverini, WR, Browns vs. Jaguars 10 rec., 108 yds., 1 TD	The fifth-round pick from Colorado set a team rookie record with 10 catches in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. Chiaverini caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ty Detmer with 1:20 left in the first half to cut the Jaguars lead to 17-14. But that was as close as they got. Through his first nine games in the NFL, Chiaverini had eight receptions and no touchdowns. Over the last six, he has 33 receptions and three touchdowns. "I feel real good about it personally, but as a team, it's tough when you're losing," he told the Akron Beacon Journal.
Eric Barton, LB, Raiders vs. Buccaneers 8 tackles 1 sack	Making his first start of the season, Barton wasted little time making an impact. On the Buccaneers' first play of the game, the fifth-round pick from Maryland sacked Shaun King for an 11-yard loss. "We feel he's a guy who has worked hard and earned an opportunity to play," coach Jon Gruden told The San Francisco Chronicle. Barton finished the game with seven tackles, six unassisted.
Troy Edwards, WR, Steelers at Chiefs 5 rec., 70 yds.	The rookie from Louisiana Tech left Sunday's loss to the Chiefs in the third quarter with a groin strain. Before leaving the game, Edwards had five receptions for 70 yards, giving him 55 receptions for 651 yards on the season.