War Room Week 14 player reports

How Bairstow - and Punjab Kings - got out of a rut with a batting show for ages

Michael McCrary , DE Baltimore Ravens Owner Art Modell shelled out big bucks to sign McCrary to an extension prior to the season and McCrary paid him back with 3.5 sacks in the team's 41-14 upset over Tennessee. McCrary, who now has 8.5 sacks on the year, has been bothered by knee problems all season and probably won't be 100 percent until he spends an entire off-season rehabbing. Don't tell that to Titans LOT Brad Hopkins, who couldn't find an answer to McCrary's double-moves to the inside.

James Stewart, RB Jacksonville Jaguars The team's 11-day layoff between games might give Fred Taylor a chance to rejoin the starting lineup but it's hard to argue with the production Stewart posted in his absence. In the team's win over Pittsburgh, Stewart, who is tied for fourth in the league with 11 touchdowns, became the first player this season to rush for over 100 yards (145) against the Steelers dominating run defense. Though he lacks Taylor's big-play capability, Stewart has been a steady workhorse for this offense and should command a hefty raise in the off-season as an unrestricted free agent.

Kansas City Chiefs Pass Defense Despite their corners' man-coverage ability, the Chiefs are playing a lot more zone coverage this season and the change has reaped tremendous results the past three months. The Chiefs, who have scored six defensive touchdowns on the season, take an 11-game interception streak into this week's showdown against Minnesota. With starting DC James Hasty hampered with various leg injuries, nickel back Eric Warfield must play a prominent role against the Vikings' three-receiver base set.

Rob Fredrickson, OLB Arizona Cardinals The impact play of Fredrickson has offset the loss of leading tackler Jamir Miller to Cleveland. Playing on his third team in as many years, he has become a favorite of Defensive Coordinator Dave McGinnis because of his versatility. Fredrickson, who never leaves the field, is tied for the team lead in both tackles (98) and interceptions (2). In last week's comeback victory over Philadelphia, Fredrickson led the team with 12 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Amani Toomer, WR New York Giants Toomer provided the Giants ailing passing attack with some spark last week against the cross-borough rival Jets. Working against a disappointing Jets secondary, he exploded for six catches, 181 yards, and three touchdowns. With four games remaining, Toomer needs to average just 37 yards per contest to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his four-year career, which would mark the first time in over a decade (1998) that a Giants receiver has accomplished the feat.

Who's Not?

Washington Redskins Offensive Line After surrendering just 15 sacks in the first 11 games, this unit suffered a complete collapse last Sunday against Detroit, giving up five sacks to a relentless Lions front four. That total could have been even higher had QB Brad Johnson been flagged for a couple of blatant intentional grounding penalties. The two main culprits were OTs Jon Jansen and Andy Heck. Detroit received three sacks from the outside combination of Robert Porcher and Tracy Scroggins, who repeatedly beat the Redskins' tackles with quick upfield moves. For the first time all season, Jansen was exposed as a first-year player.

Steve McNair, QB Tennessee Titans You read it here first, McNair is not the right man for the starting job in Tennessee. Since opening the season with an excellent 341-yard effort against a defense-less Bengals team, McNair has done nothing justify the starter's role over backup Neil O'Donnell. Last Sunday's performance (28-for-48, 288 yards, 2 INT) was only further proof that this offense lacks a vertical element with McNair under center. If Head Coach Jeff Fisher doesn't make the switch to O'Donnell, whose efficiency rating is 20 points higher than McNair's, this team will get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

Karim Abdul-Jabbar, RB Cleveland Browns The Browns are starting to realize what it took the Dolphins over three years figure out-Jabbar is nothing more than an emergency player. Since coming over from Miami, Jabbar has averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, taking little pressure off rookie QB Tim Couch in the passing game. Head Coach Chris Palmer could always re-insert Terry Kirby into the starting lineup but he doesn't want to diminish his role as the team's third down specialist. Though some of the blame can be placed on an underachieving offensive line, Kirby is simply not the answer in Cleveland.

Richie Cunningham, PK Dallas Cowboys (formerly) Although he made 63 field goals and posted the second-highest percentage (87.5) in team history, Cunningham is now on the street. The team showed great patience with Cunningham through his struggles this season but last week's 43-yard attempt that sailed wide right sealed his fate as a Cowboy. Cunningham ended his third season in Dallas by connecting on just 12-of-22 attempts, including just 3-of-10 from beyond 40 yards.

Orlando Thomas, FS Minnesota Vikings It's about time that someone mention Thomas' struggles in the Vikings secondary. With all the media attention going to the team's desperate situation at cornerback, Thomas' miserable season playing centerfield has been overlooked. Minnesota currently ranks dead last in pass defense and its interception total (8) bests only the expansion Browns. Thomas has clearly lost a step and is consistently slow providing deep help to the corners. The team will start Antonio Banks his week against he Chiefs and site Thomas' hamstring injury as the reason.

The Sleepers...

Desmond Howard , RS Detroit Lions After Terry Fair reported to the team early last Saturday that he had broken a finger in a freak domestic accident, the Lions had little choice but to claim the ex-Wolverine Heisman Trophy winner. When reviewing film of Howard, it's evident that he hasn't lost much since his glory days in Green Bay. Howard was stuck with some terrible schemes in his second stint in Titletown but he was also running overly tentative and began bracing for hits. The Lions execute the same four-man wedge on kickoffs that made Howard the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI. This could be a huge late-season addition for the playoff-bound Lions.

De'Mond Parker, RB Green Bay Packers Packers' GM Ron Wolf expressed some concern with the depth in his backfield but Parker may have cleared up any doubts with his 19-carry, 113-yard, two-touchdown effort against Chicago. A fifth-round pick from Oklahoma, Parker appears more durable than his 188-pound frame would suggest. What was most impressive about last Sunday's performance was his ability to grind out yardage in monsoon-like conditions at Soldier Field. Green Bay might just have itself another classic "mudder" running back in the mold of ex-Packer Edgar Bennett.

Oxendine / Christian, RB Atlanta Falcons Since losing Pro Bowler Jamal Anderson early in the season, Head Coach Dan Reeves has been searching for a running game to compliment QB Chris Chandler. Up until last Sunday, his auditions produced little hope. While it's too late to make a playoff run, the Falcons might have found an effective backup for next season in Oxendine. For the first time this season, with his competition (Byron Hanspard) de-activated, Oxendine appeared to run with more confidence than he has all year en route to 85 yards on 19 carries. Christian's six-carry, 44-yard effort only reaffirms that he is one of the most complete fullbacks in the league.

Dre' Bly, DC St. Louis Rams With top cover man Todd Lyght expected to miss a couple of weeks due to injury, the Rams will start either Bly or Taje Allen. Bly, who returned an interception 53-yards for a touchdown last week against Carolina, appears to be Head Coach Dick Vermeil's choice. Although he's been limited to spot duty in the Rams nickel and dime packages, Bly is second on the team with three interceptions. Bly had a disappointing senior season in college mainly because he got bored defending inferior talent. If he gets the nod over Allen on Sunday, look for Bly to position himself for the starting job opposite Lyght next season.

Kevin Dogins, LOG Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Bucs bolstered their running game when they replaced struggling Jorge Diaz with Dogins in the starting lineup on Monday night against the Vikings. Though they sacrifice some size with Dogins, Head Coach Tony Dungy feels his quickness and willingness to finish blocks will benefit their ball-control scheme while rookie QB Shaun King leads them towards the playoffs. The move paid dividends in the win over Minnesota, as the Bucs averaged over a yard more per carry (3.8) than they had in their three previous games (2.7).