With Ditka calling plays, #34 carried the ball 40 times last week against Cleveland.

Chad Bratzke, DE Indianapolis Colts
Bratzke, one of the many players that Colts GM Bill Polian brought in this off-season, registered two sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Bratzke, who is currently tied with three other players for the league lead with seven sacks, was the one player Polian targeted that did not upgrade the athleticism of this defense. Like many defensive ends that have passed through Indianapolis over the years, Bratzke is a classic overachiever but his non-stop motor separates him from his predecessors.

Cortez Kennedy, DT Seattle Seahawks
Kennedy made the most of his opportunity in front of a national television audience by sacking Green Bay's Brett Favre three times and forcing a fumble. The new defensive scheme implemented by Fritz Shurmur last spring and now being installed by defensive coordinator Jim Lind has vastly improved Kennedy's effectiveness. Going from a gap-control system to their new one-gap scheme allows Kennedy to use his quickness to penetrate. Kennedy is arguably the top defensive tackle in the league when it comes to diagnosing the screen pass.

Ricky Williams, RB New Orleans Saints
Head coach Mike Ditka took over the offensive play-calling duties and he amply put the unit on Williams' shoulders. The Saints' '99 draft class broke free for a season-high 179 yards on 40 carries in last week's heart-breaking loss to Cleveland. Williams, who has rushed for 290 yards the past two games, is clearly starting to recover from an ankle injury that had deprived him of his normal burst and change of direction. Inconsistency at the quarterback position will equate into even more carries for the ex-Heisman winner.

Chuck Smith, DE Atlanta Falcons
Bill Kollar's front four has struggled with injury and inconsistency all season but Smith has been the one constant. Smith rang up three of his team-high six sacks in last week's 27-20 victory over Carolina. With his play the first half of the season, Smith is doing all he can to shed the "overrated" label that he earned in years past. Smith has never been much more than a one-dimensional edge rusher so he needs to get his sacks to be of any value to the Falcons' defense.

Kevin Hardy, OLB Jacksonville Jaguars
Dom Capers' increased zone-blitz scheme is showcasing all of Hardy's athletic ability. Hardy spearheads the league's top-ranked scoring defense that has held opponents to 10 points or less in five of the first seven games. Hardy, whose 5 + sacks have already tied his career-high, is able to use his speed in Capers' defense and make plays all over the field.

Who's Not?

Antowain Smith, RB Buffalo Bills
Last week's 6-carry, 5-yard performance was an all-time low for the former first-round pick. Jonathon Linton is now receiving the bulk of the carries and Smith's role in the offense is bleak. The Bills have scrapped their two-back set with Smith and Pro Bowl FB Sam Gash in favor of Linton working with three-receiver sets. The team favors Linton in this role because he has better instincts and his attitude is does not deter from what the team is trying to do. It appears as though Smith could be pouting his way out of Buffalo.

Arizona Cardinals Pass Rush
RDT Mark Smith was ruled out for the season this week and LDE Andre Wadsworth will miss at least a few weeks after having knee surgery on Wednesday. This isn't exactly the news that Defensive Coordinator Dave McGinnis needs after his team has produced only 14 sacks in seven games. That figure is even more embarrassing if you consider that RDE Simeon Rice accounts for half the total. The team is starting to play for it's decision to let OLB Jamir Miller get away in the off-season. Cardinal linebacker corps has just one sack all season.

Fred Miller, ROT St. Louis Rams
Miller's struggles gave QB Kurt Warner a face full of Tennessee rookie Jevon Kearse and eventually resulted in his benching. Miller was so concerned with Kearse's quick first-step that he was flagged for six false-start penalties. When he did manage to stay on-side, Miller was beaten so badly on a couple of occasions he had no choice but to take holding penalties. If he doesn't do a better job of keeping his composure this week, Detroit's Robert Porcher will terrorize him.

Champ Bailey , DC Washington Redskins
Bailey has had his moments this season-a three-interception performance at Arizona-but he still is making rookie mistakes. In last week's win over Washington, Chicago WR Marcus Robinson beat him badly on touchdown passes of 30 and 52 yards but it was his nine receptions that really exposed Bailey. Because he was able to coast through college on instincts and ability alone, Bailey is now learning what it's like to cover receivers that run precise routes.

The Sleepers...

Chris Claiborne, OLB Detroit Lions
It took a while for the ninth overall selection in last April's draft to get going but Claiborne is starting to make his impact felt on the Lions' defense. Claiborne played a big part in last week's domination of Tampa Bay by recording four tackles and one sack. Claiborne also had a hand in two touchdowns. His sack forced an Eric Zeier fumble that was returned for a score by Allen Aldridge and his fumble recovery of a Mike Alstott fumble thwarted a Bucs drive at the Lions' 2-yardline. Claiborne is one of the biggest reasons that Detroit' s run defense is among the best in the NFL.

Tim Couch, QB Cleveland Browns
Despite the fact that he has guided his team to only one win, Couch is clearly the right man to restore Cleveland's proud gridiron tradition. Couch's 56-yard game-winning Hail Mary to Kevin Johnson earned him huge media attention this week but his 72.3 passer rating is what should really make people take notice. Playing without a legitimate ground attack, capable offensive line or established No. 1 receiver, Couch is quietly completing 53 percent of his passes and has thrown more touchdowns (7) than interceptions (5).

Joel Steed, NT Pittsburgh Steelers
Steed goes practically unnoticed in Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett's 3-4 base defense but his ability to occupy two, and sometimes three, offensive linemen makes this defense click. Prior to the Steelers' bye week, Steed notched four tackles and two sacks against the Falcons on Monday Night Football, making everyone in the country outside of Pennsylvania realize there are playmakers other than Levon Kirkland on the Steelers' defense.

Reggie Tongue, SS Kansas City Chiefs
Prior to the season, who would have ever guessed Tongue would have as many touchdowns as both WR Derrick Alexander and RB Bam Morris. Call it what you will. Good positioning. A nose for the football. Dumb luck. Tongue has a touchdown in each of the past two games, one off an interception and the other a fumble. Tongue is not a household name but his versatility makes him a very well-known name in opposing locker rooms.

Marcus Robinson, WR Chicago Bears
At the midway point of the season, it's Robinson, not San Francisco RB Lawrence Phillips, who has emerged from his NFL Europe background to make at an impact back in the States. Robinson has taken full advantage of Curtis Conway's ankle injury and is now the team's "go-to" receiver. Robinson's 590 receiving yards tie him for eighth in the league, only one behind St. Louis' Issac Bruce. With Conway expected back this week, Robinson's numbers should take a dip but this recent tear has gained him valuable respect from the Bears coaching staff. That's all a young player can ask for.