25 NFL Players Under the Most Pressure to Perform in Week 4

Believe it or not, every NFL team is going to be hitting its quarter mark of the 2011 season—funny how football flies by. Early on, teams were getting acquainted with new players, schemes, coaches and the like. They were attempting to decipher exactly how to move forward in a season that saw many clubs fall behind due to the lockout.

Now, we are at a point in the season where certain players need to step up and help their teams either take the next step or continue on their current paths.

When someone like myself draws a conclusion that certain players need to step up, it doesn't necessarily mean they are not performing at a high level. Instead, it means they might need to start shouldering a larger burden for their respective teams. 

Some players need to step up in certain situations because this week's matchups may dictate it. Other players need to step up because they haven't performed at the level some expected. Meanwhile, certain teams need an individual to help them rise from the abyss of what seems to be an already lost season.

Today, I am going to focus on 25 players that need to step up this week in order for their teams to have success and win.

25. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided an early season letdown by coming back to defeat the Minnesota Vikings a couple weeks ago. Now, they stand at 2-1 and are facing the anemic Indianapolis Colts this upcoming Monday night. 

While Indianapolis is 0-3, it did a stand-up defensive job against Pittsburgh last week and is looking to build on that effort.

Mike Williams, who had an amazing rookie season, struggled over the first two games but was able to step up last week with five receptions. He remains Josh Freeman's favorite target on the outside and is going up against a suspect Indianapolis Colts secondary.

Should Tampa Bay win its third consecutive game, it would disprove skeptics who concluded they were too young. It would mean the Bucs are for real this season. In order to beat Indianapolis as heavy favorites, they will need Williams to continue his progression.

My verdict: Mike Williams takes care of business and helps Tampa Bay down the Colts on Monday.

24. Daniel Thomas, Miami Dolphins

It doesn't come as too much of a surprise that Daniel Thomas has been one of the most productive rookies in the NFL this season. He showed a lot of talent and had great production in a tough Big 12 conference with Kansas State over the last few seasons.

Now, it appears that he will be taking the large majority of rushing attempts away from Reggie Bush for Miami moving forward in 2011. If that is the case, Thomas will have a big load to shoulder. Chad Henne has struggled over the past couple weeks and needs a strong running game to succeed.

Miami is on the verge of becoming irrelevant in the ultra-competitive AFC East; another loss this week would probably cement its status in the "Andrew Luck derby." They will be going up against what has been an average San Diego Chargers rush defense so far this season, so expect Thomas to find holes.

My verdict: San Diego has a history of playing down to its opponents; just look at its narrow victory over Kansas City last week. Expect Thomas to get the ball early and often, helping Miami upset the Chargers in San Diego.

23. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

Vernon Davis came up big against Cincinnati last week to the tune of eight receptions for 114 yards. This comes on the heels of him questioning the 49ers offensive scheme and struggling over the first two games.

There is no questioning the talents of Davis; he is one of the best all-around tight ends in the entire game and has shown that over the last two seasons. After struggling initially and getting called out by former coach Mike Singletary, Davis has stepped up into a leadership role for this struggling offense.

Now it is time for him to exploit a weak middle of Philadelphia's defense and help Alex Smith lead San Francisco to an upset victory on the road. There is no way that San Francisco will be able to throw outside against the Eagles' trio of corners, especially with Braylon Edwards out, so it is going to look for a big game from No. 85. 

My verdict: Expect Vernon Davis to step it up this week going against the likes of Casey Matthews and the like in coverage. He should be able to exploit their weaknesses and offset the disadvantage San Francisco has on the outside.

22. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts

Welcome to the Curtis Painter era in Indianapolis, and boy, is it going to be fun—well, if you hate the Colts, that is. Painter has thrown a total of 39 passes in three seasons, completing just a third of them. It appears the Purdue product will be taking over for the injured and ineffective Kerry Collins against Tampa Bay on Monday.

What a way to make your first start—going against a talented team on Monday night and on the road. Painter is going to need all the help he can get.

Enter into the equation Dallas Clark, who has been one of the most productive tight ends in NFL history over the last decade. He needs to be able to get open in the flat and on short routes to act as a safety valve for the inexperienced signal caller.

My verdict: Dallas Clark will come to play like he always does. However, it won't be nearly enough for the Colts, who will fall to 0-4.

21. Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions

It's not like Jahvid Best is stinking it up out there. On the contrary, he continues to average over 100 yards from scrimmage on a weekly basis. The Cal product has been able to become one of Matthew Stafford's favorite safety valves in the passing game, which helps out Detroit's offense a great deal.

Still, he is going to be relied on a great deal for the remainder of the season because none of the Lions' other three running backs offer much. This pretty much means the Lions are asking him to do something he hasn't done in college or the pros yet: be a one-man backfield.

Detroit will be taking on one of the best rush defenses in the league in the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, who boast the NFC Defensive Player of the Month, Sean Lee. This means Dallas will be honing in on the passing game, playing a lot of nickel coverage. That should open up holes in the run game for Best, who needs to have a strong game on the ground.

My verdict: The fact that Best averages just over three yards a pop over his short career and Dallas gives up about 60 per game doesn't bode well for him this week. You can expect Detroit to abandon the run game if it doesn't get going early, and that could cause problems for its chances to start 4-0.

20. Roy Williams, Chicago Bears

It is hard to fathom that Roy Williams made the Pro Bowl with the Detroit Lions in 2006. This actually happened; look it up. Since then, we have seen what many have deemed "The Great Regression." Well, not many—just me.

Roy Williams has not eclipsed the 600-yard mark since the 2007 season. Still, the Chicago Bears were looking for him to resurrect his career under Mike Martz. It hasn't happened—Williams has four receptions in three games and has lost his starting job.

Jay Cutler needs to have that consistently big target on the outside in order to succeed with the Bears, but Williams has not provided that yet. I highly doubt he ever will.

This could be the end of a career that started with so much promise if Williams doesn't pick it up soon. I can envision a scenario where Chicago just cuts ties with the underperforming former first-round pick.

My verdict: At this point Roy Williams couldn't get separation from Deion Sanders' bust that sits in Canton; this is how bad he has been. I don't think that he will pick it up this week against Carolina either.

19. Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams, Green Bay Packers

Don't get me wrong—these two players still make up one of the best corner tandems in the entire league, and there is no reason to believe they have actually regressed since helping Green Bay to the Super Bowl last season.

You are looking at two players that combined for 33 passes defended last season and shut down some of the best passing games in the league.

Both have been injured to an extent this season, and that has caused Green Bay's pass defense to slip to 31st in the NFL, allowing over 350 yards per game. Green Bay needs both to step up even more following an injury to fellow defensive back Nick Collins.

The good news is that Green Bay doesn't face a really great pass offense until it goes up against San Diego in the beginning of November, so these two have time to gel and get healthy. That said, their current pass defense ranking is unsustainable if Green Bay is looking at a return to the Super Bowl.

My verdict: This isn't like Sean Smith and Vontae Davis in Miami; both of these players are Pro Bowlers and provide great shutdown ability on the outside. Green Bay should be fine in pass defense as the season progresses. This week they are going up against the Denver Broncos and shouldn't have much of an issue there.

18. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders

How is this for statistics? Mike Wallace, who was drafted 77 spots after Darrius Heyward-Bey in the 2009 draft, has more receiving yards in his last six games than the Oakland Raiders receiver has throughout his 28 career games.

To add insult to injury, according to NBC Bay Area, Heyward-Bey made $21.4 million last season; this equates to $823,000 a catch and $59,000 a yard. Talk about just plain stupid. It seems the former Maryland star is in on his own Ponzi scheme.

Plain and simple, Heyward-Bey just needs to start producing. He doesn't run clean routes, doesn't have great hands and doesn't get great separation downfield. Oakland has a talented young receiving corps threatening to take snaps away from the former first-round pick.

The good news is that Oakland is going up against the New England Patriots defense. This might be one last shot for Heyward-Bey to prove his worth. Hopefully, he is given a couple opportunities downfield against the worst secondary in the entire league.

My verdict: Call it a hunch, but I believe Heyward-Bey will make a big play against New England this week. I know that Oakland will be looking to exploit the Patriots secondary; that could give him an opportunity to show something.

17. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

Hakeem Nicks has all the talent to be a top-10 receiver in the NFL. He has above-average speed, runs great routes and is able to get separation downfield. Despite fighting off lingering and various injuries throughout the first three games, Nicks has compiled 14 receptions for nearly 200 yards.

That said, I think many New York Giants fans expect him to take that next step to elite status relatively quickly, and it will probably happen.

The Giants face a dreadful Arizona Cardinals secondary that features a struggling cover corner in Patrick Peterson that will be matching up against Nicks. Look for Eli Manning to find his target early and often this week. If he does struggle and Manning has to thread the needle into coverage in other parts of the field, Arizona has a slim chance of upsetting the Giants.

My verdict: If Nicks can stay healthy, he will become an elite receiver in the NFL this season. I fully expect the North Carolina product to go for well over 100 yards and a score against Arizona.

16. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

I am just waiting for Mark Ingram to explode onto the scene. He has come close to breaking it a couple times this season, and it is just a matter of time. The former Heisman winner has impressed in the red zone and doesn't take many negative carries, which is a good sign.

Still, Ingram is averaging just over 40 rushing yards per game and has an average of 3.6 yards an attempt. This is something he is going to have to improve on in order for the Saints to get some semblance of balance on offense. Throwing the ball 40 times a game with a relatively weak defense might work in the regular season, but it isn't going to be successful in the playoffs most of the time.

New Orleans will be facing a Jacksonville Jaguars team that boasts a top-10 overall defense so far this season. They are allowing a total of 83 rushing yards per outing. This might end up being a trap game for New Orleans if it is unable to get its running game going. Thus, it is vital that Ingram continues to progress and steps up in that aspect this week.

My verdict: You are probably not looking at Mark Ingram having his breakout game this week against Jacksonville. Still, you can expect him to contribute to a New Orleans offense that will win the game this weekend.

15. Donovan McNabb, Minnesota Vikings

Let me be clear about this: Donovan McNabb is the least of Minnesota's worries right now. It seems that the entire roster has imploded from first-half success to second-half futility. It seems the Vikings didn't get the memo that stated there are four quarters in a football game.

Still, McNabb is a veteran quarterback that has played the role of a leader over the course of his successful career. You would expect him to actually be able to lead a second-half surge. I understand that play-calling and other extenuating circumstances have led to their failure; I am not lost on that aspect of Minnesota's 0-3 start.

In order for the Vikings to even have a shot at contention this season, which is extremely unlikely, they need to beat up on a far less talented Kansas City Chiefs team this weekend in Arrowhead. It will not happen if McNabb doesn't have a good game and fails to lead this offense on time-consuming scoring drives.

My verdict: Minnesota wins its first game, and Donovan McNabb quiets critics for at least one more week.

14. Jeff Backus, Detroit Lions

Jeff Backus has started every single game of his 10-plus-year career; that equals 163 consecutive games. During that span he has anchored a very mediocre offensive line with above-average play. As this unit has improved, his weaknesses have become more evident.

The former first-round pick has been called for multiple false-start penalties this season and is struggling to an extent in pass protection. Considering that he protects Matthew Stafford's blind side, it is vital that Backus improves. This is magnified due to the quarterback's injury history.

The Lions will be going up against an extremely talented Dallas Cowboys front seven this weekend in Texas, so it is important that Stafford stays upright.

My verdict: If Detroit cannot get its running game going against Dallas, you are going to see a nice number of blitzes from DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys. If Backus continues to struggle along the offensive line, that could spell trouble for Stafford and co.

13. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots

Everyone chalked up New England's poor secondary performance against Miami to the Dolphins having to come from behind in the fourth quarter in the season opener, and I agreed. Now, it seems like the Patriots pass defense is a real issue and may be the worst in the entire NFL.

Yes, the worst.

They are giving up 377 passing yards per game, which is good for dead last in the league. Opposing No.1 receivers have combined for 25 receptions for 405 yards and three touchdowns in just three outings.

Enter into the equation Devin McCourty, who made the Pro Bowl his rookie season. He has struggled a great deal in pass coverage, enabling opposing receivers to get open and behind him on multiple occasions. Although McCourty isn't assigned to cover the opposing team's top receiver on every single play, his struggles are magnified.

This week New England will be taking on a run-oriented offense in the Oakland Raiders, who don't have a true No. 1 receiver, so these struggles might be mitigated a little bit this week. Still, you have to be worried about the Patriots' inability to stop the pass moving forward; it is bordering on downright dreadful.

My verdict: New England will probably rebound against the Raiders this week, but that isn't really important at this point. What is important is that the Patriots need to solve their defensive issues immediately, and that starts with their best defensive back.

12. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers just barely squeaked by the hapless Indianapolis Colts last week, and it wasn't pretty. Their offense struggled a great deal, as Mendenhall ran for 37 yards on 18 attempts. This represented the third consecutive time the Steelers running back has rushed for less than 70 yards in a game.

With Pittsburgh struggling protecting Ben Roethlisberger, it needs the running game to start to click. Otherwise, you might see a scenario in which its signal caller continues to get bruised and battered—especially if opposing defenses are able to hone in on the passing game and send multiple blitz packages Big Ben's way.

Pittsburgh will be going up against a Houston Texans team coming off a difficult loss to the Saints last week and looking to bounce back. Houston ranks in the middle of the pack in rush defense. Pittsburgh needs a win to keep pace in the AFC North—this is a pretty big early-season game.

My verdict: Surprisingly, Pittsburgh is only 9-7 in games where Mendenhall rushes for more than 70 yards during his career, so his success doesn't necessarily mean the team will win. The game will still be placed into the hands of Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace, and that is where Pittsburgh will draw its mark if it hopes for another postseason appearance.

Still, a more balanced attack will lead to more success on offense and better protection for Roethlisberger.

11. Casey Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

This seems to be somewhat of a continuing theme in my articles of late. That is Casey Matthews, of course. I am really not trying to be too harsh on the rookie linebacker; he was one of my favorite sleepers going into the 2011 draft. Additionally, Matthews is going to be one heck of a player at some point in the near future.

He just draws a really difficult matchup against Vernon Davis and the San Francisco 49ers this week. It will be the assignment of Matthews and other Eagles players up the middle to account for the talented tight end on Sunday.

There is a couple reasons why this matchup should concern Philadelphia Eagles fans. First, Vernon Davis is nearly impossible for linebackers to cover one on one. Instead, they have to rely on safety help over the top. The issue with this is the fact that Philadelphia really doesn't have too many good cover safeties on its roster.

The other issue is that Matthews has struggled with coverage assignments so far this season. He seems to get trapped in the box and is unable to locate pending receivers in the open field. This has happened more than once thus far.

Moving forward, Philadelphia is extremely solid on the outside with its corner play, but it is the middle of the defense that has major holes right now. The Eagles need to clean this up in order to begin proving their status as one of the favorites in the NFC East.

My verdict: Philadelphia will not be able to stop Vernon Davis up the middle because San Francisco is going to look to exploit that all day long. If Alex Smith gets time—a big if—the Eagles will be dead in the water in terms of covering Davis.

10. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

This has more to do with Dez Bryant's inability to stay healthy than anything else. He is an extremely productive and physically intimidating receiver when on the field. The problem is that Bryant has missed five games due to injury in just over one season in the NFL.

Tony Romo needs to have those targets on the outside because the receivers after Bryant and Miles Austin are raw and inexperienced. If the former Oklahoma State star can stay healthy, it will have a dramatic impact on the success of the Cowboys offense.

Just imagine an offense with a healthy Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant—that is just downright scary.

The Cowboys will be looking to air it out against the Detroit Lions this weekend. They are going to try to spread the field, going with quick timing routes to offset a bad offensive line. Bryant will be a huge factor when it comes to their success in running this type of offense. If he is healthy, they should succeed.

My verdict: It all comes down to Bryant being able to stay on the field and contribute. If he is able to, Detroit is going to have a tough time matching up outside against Dallas.

9. Shonn Greene, New York Jets

Mark Sanchez is not an elite quarterback yet. He still needs to have a running game support the Jets offense if it is going to succeed over the long run. This has also been the modus operandi of the New York Jets offense during Rex Ryan's regime.

The Jets are 10-2 in Shonn Greene's career when he rushes for 60 yards or more, 10-13 when he doesn't. His success on the football field has a direct correlation to the team's ability to win football games.

Although Sanchez has improved a great deal since his rookie season, they need to have a nice mix on offense. You will not see the Jets win too many games with him putting up 40 or more passes; this isn't Tom Brady, after all.

I fully expect Rex Ryan to try to incorporate Greene into the offense more as the season progresses, but recent history hasn't been favorable to the former Iowa stud. He is averaging less than 50 rushing yards per game over the Jets' last 14 games.

New York faces the Baltimore Ravens this week in an important early-season AFC matchup. Rex Ryan will be going up against a team that he spent 10 seasons as a coach for. To say it isn't personal would be a lie. That said, Baltimore ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing defense, while the Jets are 25th in rushing offense.

My verdict: Shonn Greene will not get it going against a stout Baltimore Ravens rush defense. However, New York could be able to exploit Baltimore's questionable pass defense. The issue I see moving forward is that New York doesn't really have anyone on its roster that can shoulder the rushing load and help Mark Sanchez.

8. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

Lost in all the critique of Kyle Orton is the fact that he has thrown 22 more touchdowns than interceptions in his last 31 starts—not too bad if you ask me.

The issue I am seeing with Orton and Denver's offense is consistency. You will see them look great on a 15-play, game-opening touchdown drive but then total four yards on their next three possessions; see the Cincinnati Bengals game. With a defense that is struggling as much as the Broncos is right now, you need to be more consistent on offense.

This starts and ends with the quarterback play. Orton needs to understand that a series of three-and-outs in the middle of a game with this defense equals disaster. He must become more consistent.

My verdict: Denver has the awesome task of having to go into Lambeau Field and take on the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Although the Packers pass defense has struggled, it appears both Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams will be near full health. Denver is going to have major issues passing the ball and will probably fall to 1-3, which means more "Tebow" chants at Mile High.

7. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers

There seems to be a little pattern growing with this talented backfield tandem, and the pattern doesn't look good.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for a total of 156 rushing yards per game in 2009; last season that average went down to 115 (Williams did miss 10 games). This season the average has plummeted to 50 yards per game.

Some of that has to do with the Panthers' offensive scheme this season; they are passing the ball 60 percent of the time. However, a lot of that has to do with the lack of production from this duo: They are averaging three yards per attempt.

In order for Cam Newton to succeed this season as a rookie quarterback, he is going to need a lot more help moving forward. The No. 1 pick has exploded onto the scene, but there will come a time when he is going to drop back into the reality of the physical world, and that time is coming sooner rather than later.

My verdict: Carolina will be going up against a Chicago Bears rush defense that is right in the middle of the pack this season at over 100 yards per game. I fully expect the Panthers to try to establish the run early on, and these two need to be up to the task in order for Carolina to win.

6. Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals

You take one look at Kevin Kolb's statistics and wonder why I have him so high on this list, right? After all, he does have a quarterback rating in the mid 90s and has completed 63 percent of his passes.

But let's take another look at it for a second.

After coming back against the Carolina Panthers in the season opener and scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the Arizona Cardinals offense has struggled a great deal late in the game over their last two outings.

That was especially true last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona's last three drives resulted in a punt, missed field goal and interception. That most definitely is not the definition of stepping it up when it counts.

Kolb has a lot of talent, but he hasn't been able to perform when it counts in crunch time. Right now, Arizona faces the possibility of falling far behind in the division race with difficult matchups in each of the next four weeks. The Cardinals need Kolb to step up when it counts, or they could be looking at a 1-6 start.

My verdict: Kevin Kolb doesn't exude confidence in terms of actually putting up wins; he is 4-6 in 10 career starts and seems to stress when the game is on the line. Arizona desperately needs its 63-million-dollar man to step up.

5. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson needs to break out, right? He needs to have one of those trademark 80-yard touchdown runs, right? Isn't that what we are all waiting for?

It just doesn't seem right to look at his 2011 stats and see a long rush of nine yards. No, I am not forgetting a zero there—his long through three games is nine yards.

The interesting thing about Johnson's struggles this season is the fact that Tennessee is 2-1 and tied for first place in the AFC South. The Titans actually have a shot at the playoffs because of the play of Matt Hasselbeck and their defense. 

That said, Johnson needs to get his running legs back and help contribute following a devastating ACL injury to Kenny Britt. If he is unable to match the success of the last two seasons, Tennessee has no shot at the playoffs. Still, it would be foolhardy to believe that Johnson will continue to put up these pedestrian numbers. Right? 

My verdict: Johnson is going to get it together and break out in short order. You cannot hold down a talented running back like CJ for too long. Tennessee will be going up against a surprisingly weak Cleveland Browns rush defense, 29th in the NFL. I fully expect Johnson to get it going and have his first big game of the 2011 season. If he does, Tennessee is looking at a 3-1 start.

4. Chad Ochocinco, New England Patriots

This is more personally directed at Ochocinco than at his importance to the New England Patriots offense. They really don't need him right now; this is pretty obvious. With that in mind, there remains a strong possibility that if Ochocinco is unable to pick it up, he will be on the street sooner rather than later.

Through three games, Tom Brady has only targeted him nine times for five receptions—not exactly the numbers many were expecting when New England stole the enigmatic receiver from Cincinnati in training camp. Still, Ochocinco has shown signs of progress on the field and seems to be learning the offense better; four of those receptions have come in the last two games.

The Patriots will be going up against a relatively weak Oakland Raiders secondary this week with Chad as their No. 3 receiver, which means he will be lining up against a nickel corner. Look for Brady to target the veteran receiver in order to make a point that he didn't forget about him. After all, Ochocinco can still be a productive receiver in the NFL.

My verdict: New England will keep Ochocinco on its roster for the next couple weeks to see if he can catch lightning in a bottle. But we all know they aren't afraid to release highly regarded players. If that happens, you can expect him to catch on somewhere.

3. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers

It has been a frustrating beginning of the season for the San Francisco 49ers rush offense led by Frank Gore. They are 30th in the NFL in rush offense at about 70 yards per game.

Gore, who has averaged 4.6 yards per rush throughout his career, sits at 2.5 per attempt this season. San Francisco's offensive line has played horribly in nearly every aspect of the game, including run-blocking. They have not been able to open up holes for Gore. The other issue is conservative play-calling, which enables opposing defenses to stuff the box with eight players.

Although San Francisco does lead the NFC West at this early juncture, it needs to get this running game going. This current pace just isn't sustainable if the 49ers hope to win the division. Instead, they need to get better blocking.

The other two issues are with Frank Gore alone. First, he seems to have lost a half step thus far this season, which is a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Secondly, he is fighting through another injury that may limit his production against Philadelphia.

My verdict: This upcoming game against Philadelphia is what I call a "marker game." This means that it should tell us all where San Francisco sits in terms of its competition—in essence, if it is ready to take that next step towards playoff contention. The 49ers will not be able to throw outside against Philadelphia, so they will have to take it to the ground against the Eagles' poor rush defense. This is where Gore comes into play.

2. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick has been injured in the fourth quarter of each of Philadelphia's last two games. He got a lucky break when it was determined that his non-throwing hand wasn't broken, only bruised.

Philadelphia sits in last place in the NFC East with a 1-2 record after two consecutive losses. It desperately needs to get back on track before the city of "brotherly love" turns hostile. It will probably take 10 wins or more to capture the division crown or get a wild-card spot, so a 1-3 start isn't ideal in terms of making that happen.

This week Philadelphia goes up against the San Francisco 49ers, who have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 games. Yes, that is right—25 games. This pretty much means their running game is going to be held in check by the 49ers front seven.

The Eagles have a huge advantage outside with their receiving corps, but Vick needs time to pass the ball. If their running game is held in check, that means the 49ers will go with a lot of blitz packages to exploit a weak Philadelphia Eagles offensive line. If that happens, Vick might not see it through the day.

Through three games the 49ers defense has eight sacks and 17 quarterback hits. Vick will need to withstand that pressure and get outside the hashes in order to succeed. Moving forward, the only chance of success this team has is with a healthy No. 7 at quarterback.

My verdict: Philadelphia just doesn't match up well with San Francisco's defense, and it could spell a long day for Michael Vick. He is sure to get harassed all day long, and without a running game this will be magnified. Expect Philadelphia to come out of this week with a 1-3 record despite playing inferior competition.

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

I was ready to blame the Rams' slow start on one of the most difficult early-season schedules in the entire league, but then came their complete flop against the Ravens last week.

In the 37-7 beatdown at the hands of Baltimore, Sam Bradford completed just 50 percent of his passes. It was so bad that St. Louis gained a total of 35 yards on its first five possessions.

If you take a look at their drive breakdown during the game, it isn't pretty: eight punts, one fumble, one interception, one turnover on downs and one touchdown. Ouch! The Rams have been outscored by an average of 20 points per game, second to last in the entire NFL. They have also scored a total of three offensive touchdowns in 42 drives so far this season.

I completely understand that the loss of Steven Jackson, who has carried the ball six times in two games, doesn't help matters at all. Still, as a No. 1 pick that showed great upside last season, Bradford needs to start taking a leadership role on this team.

The Rams are on the verge of starting 0-4, which would pretty much mean that the division favorites heading into the season would be completely out of the playoff race. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the Rams have the Packers, Cowboys and Saints to look forward to following this week's matchup against the Redskins.

My verdict: Don't let the aforementioned statistics fool you; the Rams are still a pretty decent team. However, the injury to Steven Jackson coupled with Bradford's subpar play and their horrid schedule may mean that this team is out of the playoff race before midseason. This would be a tragic situation considering the expectations many had of them heading into the season.