Some Panic is Acceptable

1. Last Year's Volek was definitely Ron Dayne, who enjoyed the best stretch of his career in December. He probably won't repeat the feat after a potentially serious ankle injury. Maybe it will be his backup Darius Walker filling in. Or his teammate - the unstoppable Sage Rosenfels Experience.

209 yards, and three scores against the best scoring defense in football. I feel like a proud parent. Aaron Gleeman chimes in with a good suggestion: Maybe the Texans can deal him to Atlanta in the offseason.

2. Vince Young has seven touchdowns and 16 picks on the season. He was held under 15 yards rushing for the fourth time this year and just can't establish consistency.

3. Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh owners can panic because they all might be out of the playoffs. Brock Berlin was supposed to affect his teammates, but who would have thought Palmer would put up a nearly identical box score going against him?

Palmer hasn't had a bad year, but his owners needed more than five scores and seven interceptions over the last five weeks.

4. After missing another game, Javon Walker is of no more use for fantasy owners this season. Same goes for Marvin Harrison.

5. I'd hang on to Santonio Holmes, but he's almost impossible to use next week after grabbing only one catch in his return. Like Walker, he didn't play a full complement of snaps in his first game back. Unlike Walker, Holmes should be fine in a couple of weeks.

No Relief

These Guys Returned, but it didn't matter much

1. At least Brandon Jacobs made it through a game healthy. If you survived his worst completed game of the year (81 total yards), he's back to being a solid RB2 option next week.

2. Donovan McNabb has the best running back in the NFL on his team. He faced a mediocre secondary missing two starting safeties. But in a too-typical performance, McNabb couldn't maintain drives and was held to 179 yards and a touchdown. So-so effort in a so-so year.

3. Marshawn Lynch looked like his old self, rushing for 107 yards in his speedy return from injury. A lost fumble, and the shock of no touchdowns in a 38-17 victory tempered the excitement.

They're real and they're spectacular

1. Greg Jennings has five scores this year over forty yards. He's scored in eight of ten games that he's played. He's scored in eight of ten games that he's played.

2. In a season full of jaw-dropping performances, Tom Brady's 399-yard, four-touchdown performance against the best pass defense in football (by far) ranks at the top. Brady owners should add Anthony Smith to their holiday card list. Thanks, buddy.

Phew

1. LaDainian Tomlinson was held to 39 total yards in the first half with Albert Haynesworth wreaking havoc in Tennessee. But the Chargers kept running, and LT2 put up an MVP-like performance with 134 total yards and two scores in the second half.

2. After throwing for 77 yards with a pick in the first half, Brett Favre rebounded with 189 yards and two scores after halftime against a strong Oakland secondary.

3. At one point in the fourth quarter Sunday, Philip Rivers was 6-for-14 for 34 yards and two interceptions. In one of the gutsiest and improbable comebacks I've ever seen, he proceeded to throw for 194 yards and two scores while essentially playing on one leg. Maybe Tomlinson will sit next to him on the bench now.

3A. Antonio Gates gets a game ball for making a leaping touchdown catch to tie the game after battling a bad back for most of the day.

4. Lee Evans' wild ride continued Sunday with only two catches, both for scores and 79 yards. Now that's a Lee Evans line. Despite all the ups and downs, Evans still has a decent shot at his second 1,000-yard season.

An Ode to Consistency

1. Brian Westbrook topped 140 total yards for the ninth time in twelve games. There isn't a fantasy back I'd rather have owned this year.

2. David Garrard is now a walking 230-yard, two touchdown box score. And that's pretty awesome.

Repeat Scoring

Before the season, I questioned the likelihood of Maurice Jones-Drew and Marion Barber repeating their sky-high touchdown totals from 2006 while splitting carries again this year.

Well, Barber is getting more touches, but is nearly on pace to match last year's total. After scoring 16 times as a backup last season, he's scored 11 times in thirteen games this year.

After scoring 15 times last year, Jones-Drew has eight this year. He's not beating the odds quite as much, but that's not bad.

Getting Greedy

1. The Broncos only gave up 129 total yards and seven points, but they easily could have earned extra bonus points for a shutout. Linebacker D.J. Williams was run over by Kolby Smith on a fourth-down play during Kansas City's only scoring drive when Williams initially stood up Smith in the backfield. The Broncos also extended that same drive with a penalty on third down.

2. The Packers defense/special teams scored two touchdowns, but it was almost three. An interception return for a score was overturned because of an unsportsmanlike penalty on Cullen Jenkins, who took the opportunity to steal Josh McCown's soul with a vicious block.

What the … ?

1. The Jaguars beat the Panthers 37-6, but Maurice Jones-Drew wound up with only 45 total yards and no scores. Jones-Drew was stuffed at the goal line early in the game.

2. Steve Smith had more than half of Carolina's receiving yards against a poor pass defense, but only wound up with 44 yards.

3. Jon Kitna played one of his best games of the year against Dallas, but all of Detroit's points came on the ground.