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The hit San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner put on New Orleans' Pierre Thomas set a physical tone for one of the NFL's best defenses Saturday.

It also knocked Thomas from the game with a concussion.

Tough break? Yes, but not entirely unexpected. Thomas became the seventh starting running back to leave a game against the 49ers after suffering an injury. One of them, Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, returned a short time later. He was slow to get up after blocking the 49ers' Ray McDonald in pass protection.

The chart shows how starting runners have fared against the 49ers this season. The two highest rushing totals came when Patrick Willis was either sidelined by injury (Week 16) or rusty following a month-long layoff (Week 17). Overall, opposing starters averaged about 12 carries for 41 yards against the 49ers this season.

The New York Giants will have starter Ahmad Bradshaw when they visit San Francisco in the NFC title game Sunday. Bradshaw missed the teams' game at Candlestick Park during the regular season. He missed four games overall.

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Four of the 13 players with at least 1,000 yards rushing this season call the NFC West home.

All four run with power.

Two in particular -- Arizona's Beanie Wells and Seattle's Marshawn Lynch -- have racked up yardage after contact. Both rank among the NFL's top four in total yards after contact. And among those players with at least 1,000 yards, Wells and Lynch rank high in percentage of yards gained after contact (see chart, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information).

Week 17 gives us one last chance to see Wells, Lynch and St. Louis' Steven Jackson in action this season. Along with San Francisco's Frank Gore, they give the NFC West more 1,000-yard rushers than any division. The AFC North, AFC South and AFC West have two apiece. The AFC East, NFC East and NFC South have one apiece. The NFC North has none after injuries sidelined Matt Forte (997 yards) and Adrian Peterson (970).

Six other backs are within 150 yards of 1,000 this season: Shonn Greene (999), Chris Johnson (986), Fred Jackson (934), Michael Bush (911), DeMarco Murray (897) and Rashard Mendenhall (890). Murray is sidelined by injury.
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Five things I noticed about the Arizona Cardinals while watching their most recent game, a 23-16 road defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals:

• The Adrian Wilson we know and love/hate. In putting together the recent item on the NFC West's biggest, baddest safeties, I couldn't recall as many big, violent hits from Wilson this season. He delivered one early in this game against the Bengals. Cincinnati had taken over deep in Cardinals territory following a John Skelton interception on Arizona's opening drive. Patrick Peterson had blanket coverage on A.J. Green and probably would have broken up Andy Dalton's pass, anyway. But Wilson made sure of it by blasting Green in the upper back. Wilson thrives on these hits. He got up quickly and tripped over Green while trying to stand over him. Wilson also forced a critical fourth-quarter fumble.
• Great battle between rising young players. There was no shame in the touchdown Arizona's Daryl Washington allowed to Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham following Skelton's first interception. Washington shadowed Gresham and contested the ball aggressively. Gresham reached out his arms and made a strong play for the ball. Washington was right there. He couldn't have covered the play any more closely without breaking up the pass. This play showed the value of an accurate pass, too.
• Posterized. Washington couldn't get a break. After coming up short against Gresham, Washington was the Cardinals defender falling victim on the wrong end of Jerome Simpson's spectacular forward flip across the goal line. Washington stands 6-foot-2. His body was straight and leaning slightly toward the pylon when Simpson went off two feet and leaped over him. Simpson's hips appeared to be roughly seven feet off the ground at their highest point. Check out the video.
• Tough calls against the secondary. Officials flagged Peterson for interference on the drive to the Gresham touchdown. That seemed like a tough call. They flagged Arizona's Michael Adams for interference on a throw for Ryan Whalen inside the Cardinals' 5-yard line. In watching the replay, I'm pretty sure Adams never touched Whalen before the ball arrived. The Bengals got three points out of that drive and 10 overall on drives sustained by questionable interference calls. That hurt.
• It's a wonder Fitzgerald has held up. Skelton throws high frequently enough to put his receivers in danger. Fitzgerald has not missed a game since 2007 and that streak will continue through this season, obviously. But every time Skelton throws too high for a receiver, the Cardinals are testing the odds. It happened multiple times against the Bengals, including right after Wilson forced Cedric Benson to fumble in the fourth quarter. Arizona took over and wanted to capitalize on the momentum change. Fitzgerald was open at the Cincinnati 20, but the ball was thrown high and behind him. Fitzgerald was vulnerable when leaping to make a play on the ball. The safety ran past him, fortunately. Something to keep in mind when the Cardinals face a Seattle secondary with good size and a big hitter in Kam Chancellor.

This wound up being an exciting game at the end, but more exciting than it needed to be. The three interceptions from Skelton put the Cardinals in a tough position. Cincinnati nearly picked two additional passes in the final minutes.

The facts: The St. Louis Rams fell to 2-12 with a 20-13 home defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Steven Jackson finished with 143 yards rushing and receiving, with a long run of 18 yards. He needs 34 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for a seventh consecutive season.
• Chris Long collected his 13th sack of the season, adding to his career high.
• The Rams held Cedric Benson to 3.5 yards per rushing attempt.
• Cornerback Josh Gordy picked off a pass and returned the ball 30 yards.
• The Rams won the turnover battle.
• Receiver Danario Alexander caught a 25-yard touchdown pass. Alexander also had a 22-yard reception.
• Kellen Clemens completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 229 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in his first start with the team. Clemens finished the game with a 95.7 NFL passer rating, highest by a Rams starter this season.
• Rookie defensive end Robert Quinn deflected a Bengals punt, limiting it to 21 yards. This was his third deflection or outright block of a punt this season.
• Safety Quintin Mikell forced two fumbles.
• The Rams led the game for 5:04.

Looking ahead: The Rams visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Passing is generally the key to victory in the NFL.

This helps explain why quarterbacks earn the most money, why teams often draft pass-blocking tackles over top runners and why fullbacks have become endangered.

Teams still value running the ball, of course. Defenses would have an easier time defending quarterbacks if they knew with certainty a run was not coming. And every team seeking support for young or average quarterbacks would be better off with a strong ground game.

NFC West teams fall into this group. Each team in the division is on pace to produce a 1,000-yard runner.

One division has produced four 1,000-yard rushers in a season five times since divisional realignment in 2002. Each NFC West team's leading rusher is on pace for at least 1,100 yards. Only one division, the AFC North in 2010, has produced four players with at least 1,100 yards since realignment.

Frank Gore's yardage production for the 49ers has leveled off in recent weeks. Continued strong defense and increased production from quarterback Alex Smith have helped the team keep winning. Facing two backup quarterbacks -- Arizona's John Skelton and St. Louis' A.J. Feeley -- simultaneously lowered the bar for the 49ers in recent weeks.

I would expect the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch to gain the most rushing yardage in Week 14 among NFC West backs. Seattle wants to field a run-first offense, which makes sense this week.

The Rams rank second in most sacks per pass attempt, a threat now that Seattle's best pass protector, Russell Okung, has landed on injured reserve. The Rams are averaging fewer than one offensive touchdown per game. That gives Seattle a good chance to win without taking as many chances through the air. The Rams have allowed more rushing yards than any team in the NFL.

Note: With an assist from Anicra in the comments, I updated the projected totals for Jackson, Lynch and Wells to reflect their participation in only 11 games this season. I had previously divided their rushing totals by total team games (12 apiece), using the average to project totals for the remaining four games.

Not that Frank Gore's candidacy for MVP needs defending, but just in case: The San Francisco 49ers' running back has gained 28.6 percent of his rushing yards against eight or more defenders in the box.

That's the highest percentage among all players with at least 400 yards rushing this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

I put together the chart below after Lotharun2 asked in the comments section of an earlier item where Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy ranked in yards against these stacked defenses.

McCoy has 17 carries for 72 yards against eight or more defenders in the box. That works out to a healthy 4.2-yard average. But with a dynamic quarterback and playmakers on the perimeter, the Eagles make it tougher for defenses to load up against the run. In my view, that explains why McCoy has gained a relatively low percentage of his runs against eight or more in the box.

The 49ers prefer heavier personnel groupings featuring two tight ends. They have enough speed at tight end to enjoy flexibility from these groupings, but the team has not consistently put an emphasis on downfield strikes.

SEATTLE -- Thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks' 34-12 home defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8:

What it means: The Seahawks are going to have a very hard time challenging within the division after losing back-to-back games against Cleveland and Cincinnati. They trail the San Francisco 49ers by four games in the standings with nine games remaining. No team since realignment in 2002 has overcome greater than a 3.5-game deficit this late in a season.

What I liked: Rookie cornerback Richard Sherman tracked the ball nicely and picked off Andy Dalton's deep pass down the right sideline when the Bengals were threatening to build on a 17-3 lead. Sherman was starting after the team lost Marcus Trufant and Walter Thurmond to season-ending injuries. He broke up another pass, enabling teammate Kam Chancellor to collect an interception. Punter Jon Ryan tracked down Bengals return specialist Pacman Jones to prevent a touchdown. Tarvaris Jackson's deep pass to Ben Obomanu against cornerback Leon Hall covered 55 yards and gave the Seahawks a needed jolt late in the third quarter. Jackson topped 300 yards passing, making it clear he needs to remain the starter moving forward.

What I didn't like: Seattle's offensive line, playing with its projected starters for the first time since Week 1, struggled in all phases. Tight end Anthony McCoy had another drop. Even Sidney Rice had some issues. On defense, Seattle gave up the big play to A.J. Green. Linebacker David Hawthorne, who picked off a pass against Cleveland last week, appeared to have the coverage when the Bengals, playing without starting tight end Jermaine Gresham, found Donald Lee for a big gain over the middle. The Bengals fared better than expected on the ground even though they were without Gresham and suspended running back Cedric Benson.

Poor game management: The first-half clock ran out on Seattle after the team went for it on fourth down deep in Bengals territory with no timeouts remaining. The sequence resembled what happened to the team against San Diego last season. Yes, officials arguably should have stopped the clock when Bengals players lingered on the pile, preventing Seattle from attempting another play. But every coach must factor for such risks. Seattle went into halftime trailing 17-3 when the score should have been 17-6, at worst. Down 17-12 with 8:55 to play in the game, Carroll opted for a two-point conversion, which failed.

Questionable QB juggling: Carroll left himself open to further criticism with his handling of the quarterback situation. Charlie Whitehurst started even though Jackson was available. Whitehurst struggled. Carroll switched to Jackson. If Jackson were healthy enough to play, why not start him? It was defensible for Carroll to see how things went with Whitehurst, possibly buying additional time for Jackson to make a fuller recovery. The team listed Jackson as its starter before the game, only to send Whitehurst onto the field for the first series. Jackson took a hit late in the game, after the outcome was decided, and doctors checked out his knee on the sideline. He went back into the game and tossed an interception for a touchdown, turning a sound defeat into an embarrassing one.

CB thinking rewarded: The Seahawks traded Kelly Jennings to the Bengals before the season as part of an overall effort to get bigger at cornerback. That thinking appeared sound when Sherman used his size to make that leaping interception along the sideline. Sherman also contributed on the interception from Chancellor. Meanwhile, Seahawks undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin beat Jennings for a 31-yard gain up the right sideline.

Special-teams implosion: The Seahawks' special teams have dropped off this season through a combination of injuries and poor play. Brandon Tate's 56-yard punt return for a touchdown put away the game for the Bengals. Jones probably should have scored on an earlier return, but Ryan caught him. Jones apparently injured his hamstring injury on the play.

Injuries of note: Defensive end Chris Clemons left the game with a knee injury, then returned.

What's next: The Seahawks visit the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

Five things to know about the Arizona Cardinals, straight from our newly published 2011 preview:

1. Kolb has to be the guy: The Cardinals are paying Kevin Kolb about what Sam Bradford will receive for the next five years. That puts Arizona's commitment level in perspective. Coach Ken Whisenhunt is all-in on this one. The team should know this season whether Kolb is going to be the answer. Early returns are encouraging. Kolb has shown a dynamic personality that lends itself to leadership. He has shown a clear understanding of the No. 1 rule in Arizona: Throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald when he's open, and throw it to him anyway when he's not.

2. Ray Horton is not a magician: The Cardinals' new defensive coordinator has the right pedigree. He learned under Dick LeBeau in Pittsburgh. It doesn't get much better than that. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Horton could not bring with him from Pittsburgh the outside pass-rushers who have helped the Steelers field such a strong defense. Neither can Horton wave a magic wand to make Joey Porter, Clark Haggans, O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho turn into elite edge rushers. Look for the Cardinals to get creative with their inside linebackers. They also need to generate pressure with their safeties. Adrian Wilson can be a formidable blitzer, but he's dealing with a biceps injury.

3. Kolb's health is in focus: Kolb left the Eagles' 2010 regular-season opener with a concussion. He's now joining a Cardinals team without elite pass protectors at either tackle spot. Running back Beanie Wells hasn't been consistent in protection, either. It's important for Kolb to keep his competitive nature in check when scrambling or deciding what to do with the ball. Fitzgerald has praised Kolb for getting rid of the football quickly. Kurt Warner set the standard in that area. Kolb must follow suit. He's not the sturdiest or most physical quarterback. He needs to be smart with his body because the Cardinals don't have a backup with nearly the same abilities.

4. The schedule sets up favorably: The Cardinals face some tough stretches, but they begin and end the season with games that appear quite manageable. Carolina (home) and Washington (road) are first on the schedule. Arizona plays four of its final five games at home. None of the Cardinals' final five opponents even had a winning record last season. Arizona struggled late last season despite playing a cushy schedule. The addition of Kolb gives the Cardinals a better chance to beat the teams they're supposed to beat. Even average play from Kolb could be enough to challenge for a division title.

5. Make-or-break year for Beanie Wells: The third-year back finds himself in position to become the week-to-week starter now that Tim Hightower (traded) and Ryan Williams (injured) aren't options. Wells remains an intriguing prospect. He has 292 carries for 1,190 yards and nine touchdowns during his first two seasons, with only two starts. Wells has the ability to double his career production in a single season as the full-time starter. Backs starting every game last season averaged 288 carries. It's just tough to trust Wells over the course of a full season. He has been hurt too much and running back is a brutal position. Steven Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall, Cedric Benson, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte and Ronnie Brown were the only running backs to start all 16 games last season.

Joe from Phoenix raises concerns about the St. Louis Rams' run defense. He sees other NFC West teams beefing up their ground games while the Rams appear largely unchanged on defense when it comes to stopping the run.

Mike Sando: The free-agent signing period was huge for the Rams in this department last offseason. It could be again. Defensive tackle Fred Robbins' addition from the New York Giants in free agency stands as one of the best moves in the division last offseason. The Rams could have a shot at another Giants lineman if Barry Cofield hits the market.

Cofield has missed only one game in five NFL seasons. He realizes his future with the Giants could be in question after the team used a second-round draft choice for Marvin Austin. Cofield wants a long-term deal. He is 27 years old and would presumably work well with Robbins and fit well within the Rams' defensive scheme. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo was the Giants' defensive coordinator for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Cofield, who entered the NFL in 2006, started 30 games during that two-year span.

The question would be whether the Rams would value Cofield enough to give him what the Giants might not be willing to give him. The Rams' need for a defensive tackle is greater than the Giants' need for one, so that could come into play.

The Scouts Inc. report on Cofield says he "plays with good leverage in the run game" but isn't a dynamic player with any one outstanding attribute.

The Rams could have gone after a defensive tackle in the first round of the draft, but pass-rush help is harder to find. It's tough to fault the team for selecting Robert Quinn in the first round based on the scouting reports.

Shoring up the run defense has to be a priority this offseason.

The Rams allowed 4.48 yards per rushing attempt last season, 22nd in the NFL. They ranked 17th in rushing yards allowed per game. Darren McFadden (145), Michael Turner (131) and Jamaal Charles (126) topped 100 yards rushing against the Rams last season. The Rams allowed 133.6 yards rushing per game in September, 76.2 in October, 118.3 in November and 134.6 after that point.

St. Louis faces Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Ray Rice, Peyton Hillis, Rashard Mendenhall and Cedric Benson outside the division in 2011, plus two NFC West dates with Frank Gore. The Cardinals and Seahawks have also taken steps to improve their ground games. It is Seattle's No. 1 priority this offseason.

The chart ranks rushing totals for the Rams' 2010 opponents in descending order.

John E. Hoover of the Tulsa World checks in with the Rams' Sam Bradford after the University of Oklahoma honored its former quarterback with a statue commemorating his status as a Heisman Trophy winner. Bradford: "I never thought I'd be standing here giving a speech in front of a statue of myself. Pretty cool, though." Hoover: "At the end of the festivities, Bradford pulled a golden rope that dropped a crimson veil from his 10-foot statue. His right leg is planted, his right arm is cocked and his hair is short. Bradford teammate Gerald McCoy, who used to kid Bradford about all the attention he got by calling him 'King Sam', said Bradford's statue was the only one of the five in Heisman Park 'with a crown on it. ... I'm just gonna get me a Gerald McCoy bobblehead doll and glue it onto the bottom. ... Nah, man. Sam definitely deserves it.'"

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at free-agent possibilities for the Rams this offseason. Thomas: "At running back, a crater-size hole remains on the depth chart behind Steven Jackson. There are some interesting names on this list, including Joseph Addai of Indianapolis, Ahmad Bradshaw of the New York Giants and DeAngelo Williams of Carolina. But none of those three would be unrestricted if six-year free agency is in place. However, Cedric Benson of Cincinnati, Ronnie Brown of Miami, Darren Sproles of San Diego and Cadillac Williams of Tampa will be unrestricted whether the required experience level for free agency is four years or six." Adding Sproles in particular would liven up the Rams' offense considerably by diversifying the backfield.

Tony Softli of 101ESPN St. Louis sizes up potential free-agent guards and projects how they might fit with the Rams. He thinks the Cardinals' Deuce Lutui would fit nicely at right guard. Softli: "Interior blocker that lost mindset in 2010, but has the athletic ability and nasty attitude to compete like a Pro Bowler when focused and is what the Rams need leading the way for Steven Jackson."

D'Marco Farr of 101ESPN St. Louis says the Rams need improvement from second-year players to realize their potential in 2011.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune checks in with Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who says he felt as though the team did not have him in its plans. The sides spoke only generally about a new contract before the lockout. Mebane: "When you go over that stuff, I guess it’s time to pack up and put the house up for sale. I feel like I wasn’t in their plans. And I feel like I have that right to think that because I got a third-round tender. If they really wanted me, they had plenty of time to do what they had to do. Me personally, from my experience, I don’t think I was in their plans. I would love to come back here, but I don’t know what their plans are. But it’s all good. I’m blessed. I thank God that I haven’t had any surgeries. I’ve had some nagging things here and there. But God put me in a good position." General manager John Schneider used the term "steady pro" to describe Mebane at the scouting combine, an indication the team wasn't planning to break the bank for him. But when Seattle did not address the position in the draft, Schneider indicated that re-signing Mebane could become a higher priority. Mebane also says his job got tougher once the team lost Rocky Bernard.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle doesn't see Kyle Orton as a good fit for the Seahawks. Huard: "Darrell Bevell's system that he is going to implement is going to be the quick passing game. It's a system that's built, to some extent, on having a mobile, at least athletic quarterback and that is what Kyle Orton is not. Think Ryan Mallett, not quite as big an arm, more accurate. I just think from a fit standpoint from what they want to do schematically, Kyle Orton is not the guy."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com makes available an audio link to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's conference call with Seattle season-ticket holders.

Also from Farnsworth: He catches up with former Seahawks punter Rick Tuten, who relays a funny story about his first game with the team. Tuten had played with Buffalo previously. Tuten: "When I was in Buffalo [he punted for the Bills in 1990], we got our parking tag and you just parked wherever in the players’ lot. Well, I come out after my first game as a Seahawk -– feeling pretty good about what I’d just done -– and my car was gone because I didn’t park in the right place. It had been towed. So I had to take a taxi to the impound lot to bail my car out. And a rental car, at that."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times offers a few highlights from Goodell's call with Seattle fans.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick underwent "minor" leg surgery after the draft, when Kaepernick finally had time to address an undisclosed injury that bothered him late last season. Barrows: "Agent Scott Smith said NFL teams were aware of Kaepernick's condition prior to the draft. He said Kaepernick could have waited to have the procedure but, given the current labor impasse, decided to get it taken care of now."

Also from Barrows: thoughts on rookie Chris Culliver's conversion from receiver to safety to cornerback.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo! offers thoughts on what first-round choice Aldon Smith might add to the 49ers.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers do not see running back Kendall Hunter as only a change-of-pace back. General manager Trent Baalke: "This is a guy we feel can run the power game, can run between the tackles, can get out on the edges, can pass protect, can come out of the backfield and catch the football, can return kicks (and) can play on coverage teams, if we ask him to."

Also from Maiocco: The 49ers expect the offensive tackles they drafted to play guard and/or center in the NFL.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says former Cardinals linebacker Seth Joyner is establishing a football camp for kids in Arizona. Joyner: "Ultimately, my goal is to create an Arizona combine that really does something with the young football players in Arizona. We want to teach everything from learning how to tackle properly to avoiding concussions, to just the basic fundamentals."

Also from Somers: general thoughts on the Cardinals, including one about Orton. Somers: "I think the Cardinals have some interest in Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, who might be available via trade. Any team trading for Orton, however, has to examine what happened to him and the Broncos offense in the latter part of the season. If the Cardinals think that Orton was a victim of circumstances (coaching change, coach firing, etc.), they will go after him. I still think their first call is to the Eagles, however."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the team has never adequately replaced former tight end Freddie Mitchell. Rookie third-round choice Rob Housler is the latest prospect. Urban: "Housler will get a chance to show what he has, and there is a chance the Cards also look in free agency. Jim Dray should be back, and Stephen Spach could be too; Ben Patrick may be more iffy depending on who else is signed. The Cards will have at least four tight ends in training camp."

Also from Urban: The Cardinals' strength-and-conditioning coaches could use some company in the weight room.

Tim Hightower's fumbling issues this season wouldn't matter so much if, say, most other running backs lost the ball just as frequently.

The reality, however, is that Hightower has put the ball on the ground more times per carry than any NFL running back with at least 50 attempts this season. Hightower also averages more yards per attempt than any of those backs, one reason the Arizona Cardinals have been reluctant to take him off the field.

The chart ranks players with at least 50 rushing attempts by most fumbles per carry. The information reflects only fumbles during rushing attempts. The San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore ranks tied for 11th on the list with three such fumbles. He also has one fumble following a reception.

Hightower and Ahmad Bradshaw, from the New York Giants, are the only NFL running backs to lose at least three fumbles this season.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about the NFC West in Week 7:

1. Look, over here, a marquee matchup. Three NFL games this week feature two teams with winning records. One of them, Arizona at Seattle, takes place right here in the NFC West. Don't tell anyone, though. Let's keep the focus on the truly attractive matchups. Much of the country's television audience gets Washington at Chicago in the early game, and who wouldn't want to watch teams with a combined 0-2 record against St. Louis and Seattle? Don't forget to watch New England's game against San Diego later in the day. Hey, the Chargers did keep the final score close against the Rams after falling behind 17-0 by halftime. OK, enough provincial sarcasm for one blog entry. Time to charge forward with a straighter face.

2. The Seahawks have a left tackle. Russell Okung is his name. Unlike four of the left tackles Seattle either used or wanted to use last season, Okung remains employed by an NFL team. Okung's presence in the lineup against Arizona spares the Seahawks from the nightmare that befell them against the Cardinals about this time last season. Seattle's projected starting left tackle for 2009, Walter Jones, was unavailable and headed for retirement. Sean Locklear and Brandon Frye had taken turns manning the left tackle spot early in the season, but injuries forced Kyle Williams into the lineup for the Arizona game. Calais Campbell had 1.5 sacks for the Cardinals in that game and Seattle's offense struggled to function. The Seahawks would later use Damion McIntosh as their starter at the position. Jones, Frye, Williams and McIntosh are out of the league.

3. Steven Jackson, for the record. The Rams' Pro Bowl running back needs 32 yards to pass Eric Dickerson as the franchise rushing leader. Seven players have rushed for at least 32 yards in a game against Week 7 opponent Tampa Bay this season: New Orleans' Chris Ivory (158), Cincinnati's Cedric Benson (144), Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall (143), Carolina's DeAngelo Williams (54), Cleveland's Jerome Harrison (52), Carolina's Jonathan Stewart (43) and Cleveland's Peyton Hillis (41). The Steelers' Isaac Redman came close with 31 yards. In other words, Jackson gets the record one way or another unless he suffers an injury.

4. The 49ers' formula. Alex Smith has thrown a league-high nine interceptions this season, but he tossed none last week against Oakland in the 49ers' first victory of the season. Week 7 opponent Carolina lags in just about every statistical category, but the winless Panthers' defense has picked off nine passes, tied for fourth most in the league. Related note: The Rams' Sam Bradford has thrown eight interceptions, tied for second most in the league, and the Bucs' defense has picked off 10, one fewer pass than league-leading Atlanta has intercepted.

5. Rookie Qwest. The Cardinals' Max Hall becomes the fifth rookie quarterback to start a game against Seattle at Qwest Field. The previous four -- Josh Freeman (2009), Matthew Stafford (2009), Troy Smith (2007) and Alex Smith (2005) -- posted a 1-3 record and combined 57.7 passer rating. Freeman was most impressive, completing 16 of 26 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 95.8 rating during a 24-7 Bucs victory. Stafford tossed five picks. The two Smiths, Troy and Alex, led offenses that combined for nine points.

The Packers-Cardinals game was a good place to have your NFC West Gridiron Challenge money in the wild-card round.

Our leader after the wild-card round, rward3636, had Aaron Rodgers, Kurt Warner, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Neil Rackers going in that game. My team miraculously scored in the 94th percentile despite zero points from the Cowboys' Marion Barber. Thank you, Ray Rice.

The Chargers' defense appears appealing in the divisional round. Without disclosing too many other top-secret lineup strategies, I'm also banking on the Colts to play well against the Ravens.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Style points affect the MVP Watch list only to a degree.

Rank 'Em: MVP Candidates How do you size up the NFL MVP race? Drew Brees and Peyton Manning continue piling up wins and touchdowns at a tremendous pace. Who is the best player in the NFL? Cast your vote

Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger weren't always pretty in Week 7, but they did what legitimate MVP candidates do in leading their teams to victory.

Both rank among the NFL's statistical leaders and their teams have won a combined 10 consecutive games.

In fact, the top six figures on the MVP Watch list this week play for teams that have won a combined 25 in a row.

I also found room on the list this week for Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub, who might have been overlooked a week ago. Brett Favre slipped a few spots, but I also wondered whether that phantom tripping call against the Vikings might have short-circuited a potential comeback. We'll never know.

1. PEYTON MANNING QB | Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 1) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 156 215 1,880 72.6 8.74 80 15 4 2 114.5 Completing 73.8 percent of his passes with 13 TDs and 117.4 rating against standard pressure.

2. DREW BREES QB | New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 2) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 132 197 1,698 67.0 8.62 66 14 5 9 106.9 Has 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions when passing inside the red zone this season.

3. BEN ROETHLISBERGER QB | Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 7) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 164 233 2,062 70.4 8.85 52 11 6 19 102.6 Already has more completions covering 40-plus yards (eight) than he had last season (seven).

4. TOM BRADY QB | New England Patriots (Last Week: 4) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 179 273 2,032 65.6 7.44 54 15 4 8 99.9 Has 688 yards and nine TD passes in his last two games. Thank you, Bucs and Titans.

5. KYLE ORTON QB | Denver Broncos (Last Week: 5) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 124 194 1,465 63.9 7.55 87 9 1 9 100.1 Only Orton and Brett Favre have at least four TD passes without an interception vs. added pressure.

6. CEDRIC BENSON RB | Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: NR) 2009 RUSHING 2009 RECEIVING ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD 164 720 4.4 28 5 10 66 6.6 19 0 Within 27 yards of matching his career single-season high for rushing yards.

7. BRETT FAVRE QB | Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 3) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 158 229 1,681 69.0 7.34 63 12 3 18 102.2 Did a fantastic finish elude Favre when officials invented that tripping call to wipe out a TD at Pittsburgh?

8. ELVIS DUMERVIL DE | Denver Broncos (Last Week: 8) 2009 TACKLES MISC. TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK 23 22 1 10.0 0 0 2 0 The bye week slowed him only temporarily. Ten sacks in six games is crazy.

9. AARON RODGERS QB | Green Bay Packers (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 121 184 1,702 65.8 9.25 71 11 2 25 110.8 On pace for 30 TD passes and 5 INTs over a full season. Another 4,000-yard season likely.

10. MATT SCHAUB QB | Houston Texans (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 163 249 2,074 65.5 8.33 72 16 5 12 104.4 Has already set a career high for TD passes in a season. Averaging 296 yards per game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Listing Kyle Orton as a potential MVP candidate once would have seemed about as plausible as the Broncos opening 5-0 with victories over the Cowboys and Patriots.

Orton makes his MVP Watch debut -- at the expense of Tom Brady, no less -- because we're far enough into the season for results to matter more than reputations.

The Bears castoff has seven touchdown passes, one interception and that 5-0 starting record. His predecessor, fellow MVP Watch member Jay Cutler, was 17-20 as the Broncos' starter, never winning more than half of his starts in a season. Orton has now won 26 of 38 regular-season starts for a career winning percentage (.684) exceeding not only Cutler's but also John Elway's (.644).

To make Orton comfortable, MVP Watch welcomes fellow 2005 Bears draft class alum Cedric Benson, the NFL's leading rusher for a 4-1 team, to the list. There wasn't room for Mark Bradley, chosen by the Bears between selections of Orton and Benson, although the Kansas City receiver does have as many touchdown receptions as Randy Moss this season.

1. PEYTON MANNING QB | Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 1) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 133 181 1,645 73.5 9.09 80 12 4 2 114.1 Manning has earned a week off and he'll get one with the Colts' bye week, followed by a date with the Rams.

2. BRETT FAVRE QB | Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 2) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 103 149 1,069 69.1 7.17 47 9 2 11 104.1 Passer rating jumps from 101.7 against standard pressure to 109.8 against added pressure. Blitz at your peril.

3. ELI MANNING QB | New York Giants (Last Week: 7) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 87 135 1,212 64.4 8.98 55 10 2 2 111.7 Only his brother is averaging more yards per attempt (9.1 to 9.0) this season and Eli is gaining.

4. DREW BREES QB | New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 3) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 87 129 1,031 67.4 7.99 58 9 2 4 108.4 Can move into the second spot on this list with a victory over the Giants in Week 6.

5. JAY CUTLER QB | Chicago Bears (Last Week: 5) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 83 129 901 64.3 6.98 68 8 5 8 89.3 It's a good thing he's playing well; otherwise he'd be hearing about Kyle Orton and the Broncos.

6. BEN ROETHLISBERGER QB | Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 127 172 1,470 73.8 8.55 51 8 5 13 102.6 Apologies to "Big Ben" for leaving him off the list last week. He leads the league in completion percentage.

7. KYLE ORTON QB | Denver Broncos (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 104 165 1,236 63.0 7.49 87 7 1 8 97.4 Ranks eighth in passing yards, but no stat can approach that 5-0 record. Now 26-12 as an NFL starter.

8. MATT RYAN QB | Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 82 123 977 66.7 7.94 90 7 2 2 102.9 One of eight NFL quarterbacks with a passer rating in triple digits this season.

9. CEDRIC BENSON RB | Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: NR) 2009 RUSHING 2009 RECEIVING ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD 111 487 4.4 28 3 8 65 8.1 19 0 The Bengals needed representation here. Benson leads the league in rushing yards.

10. ADRIAN PETERSON RB | Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 4) 2009 RUSHING 2009 RECEIVING ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD 99 481 4.9 64 7 10 62 6.2 18 0 Six yards behind Benson and due to take over a game while focus is on Favre.