If you're still wondering, just ask yourself: who is Kevin Payne? Not many people could've answered that question last year. This year is a whole different story.
Payne has taken over the starting strong safety spot, manned last year by Adam Archuleta. And he has been nothing short of terrific.
Payne is tied for second on the team in tackles. Who is he tied with? Corey Graham, Charles Tillman, and Brian Urlacher. That's right, Payne has as many tackles this year as Brian Urlacher.
Enough said.
Cincinnati Bengals: Dhani Jones, MLB
Stats: 69 tackles, 5 passes defended, INT
Last year, Dhani Jones was nothing more than mediocre on a defense that flat-out sucked. This year? Well, the same can still be said about the defense, but not about Jones.
Jones is 13th in the league in tackles with 69, 7th in the AFC.
He should form a nice tandem with injured running mate Keith Rivers for the next couple years.
Cleveland Browns: Brandon McDonald, CB
Stats: 39 tackles, 10 passes defended, INT
If you can honestly say that you thought Brandon McDonald would be third on the Browns in tackles going into the season, I salute you.
If you were like the rest of us, you thought there was no way this guy could even come close to filling in for Leigh Bodden.
And while I will still say Bodden is by far the better player, McDonald has been quite good this year. He has surpassed his tackle and passes defended totals from all of last season through just nine games this year, and should easily add another interception to equal his 2007 season total.
McDonald may have a shot at being the Browns’ long-term answer at corner next to young stud Eric Wright.
Dallas Cowboys: Mike Jenkins, CB
Stats: 18 tackles, 2 passes defended, INT, TD
Even being a first-round pick, Jenkins was not expected to receive much—if any—playing time on a Cowboys roster that had a gluttony of corners.
With Terrence Newman, Anthony Henry, and Pacman Jones already ahead of him on the depth chart, as well as the impressive fellow rookie Orlando Scandrick nipping at his heels, Jenkins looked like he might not see the field in year one.
But as it stands, Newman and Henry have both had their injury issues and Pacman has been…well, Pacman.
So, when presented with a starting role, what has Jenkins done this season?
Well, 12 of Jenkins' 18 tackles have come in his three starts these past three weeks (not including week 10, Cowboys bye week), as well as his defensive touchdown on a nice 23-yard interception return against Eli Manning.
Based on how the Cowboys secondary has fared with injuries and suspensions, Jenkins should get plenty of playing time the rest of the season to showcase his first-round talents.
Denver Broncos: Nate Webster, MLB
Stats: 64 tackles, 2.0 sacks, FF, 3 passes defended, TD
Not only did Nate Webster beat out Niko Koutouvides for a starting spot, he also has played very impressively this season.
His 64 tackles rank second on the team only to the injured D.J. Williams, and his two sacks are tied for fourth.
He has been flying around the field all year, making plays that no one thought he could make. After all, he’s a linebacker whose career-high in tackles happens to be a measly 87.
His only blemish on this season is the fact that he will now be out “a few weeks” after straining his MCL against Cleveland, ironically the same injury that sidelined teammate D.J. Williams the week before.
Detroit Lions: Daniel Bullocks, SS
Stats: 59 tackles, 2 FF, 2 passes defended
Daniel Bullocks is an interesting story.
After a promising rookie campaign in 2006, in which he earned seven starts, he was sidelined for all of 2007 with a torn ACL, and it was questionable whether he would even start this year over second-year man Gerald Alexander.
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