Atlanta
Against the Bucs, DE John Abraham had one of his best games of the season, posting 3 sacks and 3 solo tackles. Abraham now has 15.5 sacks on the season. LB Keith Brooking, on the other hand, had his best game thus far in ’08 with 10 total tackles (6 solo) and 2 passes defended. Starting safety Lawyer Milloy has 12 total tackles (9 solo) and backup safety Coy Wire started in place of the injured Michael Boley at OLB, posting 11 solo tackles, 2 assists and one PD – also his best game of the season by far. DT Grady Jackson also contributed with 6 tackles (5 solo) and a sack, while CB Domonique Foxworth tallied 3 solos, an INT and 3 PD.

Baltimore
The Ravens defense continued its stellar play despite a patchwork secondary, although there weren’t many IDP standouts. LB Ray Lewis finished with 7 tackles and a sack, DE Terrell Suggs had 2 solos, a sack and a forced fumble, and LB Bart Scott totaled 8 tackles. While the defensive lineman and linebackers had quiet games, safety Ed Reed again found the ball, recovering a fumble and tallying 8 tackles and a sack.

Buffalo
Safety Donte Whitner led the Bills with 10 tackles (9 solo), although he didn’t generate any junk points, which his secondary partner, Terence McGee, did on a very small scale, registering 1 solo, 1 PD and 1 INT. Other than a solid performance by LB Paul Posluszny (4 solos, 1 assist, 1 INT, 2 PD) and pedestrian numbers from LB Keith Ellison (5 solo) and rookie CB Leodis McKelvin (5 tackles, 1 PD), there wasn’t much to write home about. McKelvin is also a talented return man for the Bills when starting special teams veterans McGee and Roscoe Parrish aren’t capable.

Carolina
Former Miami Hurricane LB Jon Beason continued his rock-solid play with 10 tackles (9 solo) and a PD against the Broncos, while former Ohio State standout Chris Gamble finished with 7 tackles, an INT and a PD. Gamble is among the best DBs in the league and now has 82 tackles, 17 PD and 3 INT on the season. DE Charles Johnson also had one of his best games, finishing with 3 solos, a sack, and 2 PD. Other contributors included former Oakland Raider DL Tyler Brayton (5 solos, sack, PD), CB Richard Marshall (5 solos, PD) LB Thomas Davis (4 solos, sack, PD), and S Charles Godfrey (4 solos, PD).

Chicago
Along with returning the opening kickoff 83 yards for a TD, Danieal Manning posted 2 solo tackles for his second straight IDP performance of merit. LB Brian Urlacher led the team with 10 tackles (7 solo) and also had a PD. Other contributors against the high-powered Saints offense included CB Charles Tillman (8 tackles, 1 PD) LB Lance Briggs (7 solos, 1 PD) and DE Adewale Ogunleye, whose interception and PD went along nicely with his 6 tackles (5 solo). “Wally” has been playing well lately and now has 52 tackles on the season.

Cincinnati
Safety Chris Crocker (not to be confused with the Britney Spears uber-fan of the same name) had his best game as a Bengal with 10 tackles and a forced fumble that was recovered by CB David Jones and led to a score. Another big play came on a goal-line stand on which LB Corey Mays forced and recovered a Redskins fumble in the end zone for a touchback. LBs Brandon Johnson (4 solos, 6 assists) and Dhani Jones (3 solos, 3 assists) also contributed, as did DBs Kyries Hebert (6 tackles) and Leon Hall (4 tackles, 3 PD).

Cleveland
For once, the IDP story did not involve LB D’Qwell Jackson (6 tackles, PD) or huge DT Shaun Rogers (3 solos, 2 PD), as LB Andre Davis led the team with 10 solo tackles and Brandon McDonald picked off two passes – one off Kevin Kolb late in the game that he returned 24 yards for a score and the other at the end of the first half off Donovan McNabb that he took all the way back from his ownb end zone inside the Philadelphia 10-yard line, only to have his pick-six come up short as the half expired. While McDonald got beat a couple times for TDs in the secondary, he posted 6 solo tackles and 3 PD in a wild game. Veteran LB Willie McGinest also had a decent game with 9 tackles (6 solo), while LB Kamerion Wimbley posted 3 solos and a sack and safety Sean Jones had 3 solos, an INT and a PD.

Dallas
After his 3-sack performance Sunday night against the Giants, RILB DeMarcus Ware has 7 sacks in his last three games and 19 on the year, just 3 short of retired Giants DE Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22. Ware also posted 7 tackles (6 solo) and had 2 forced fumbles. The other defensive star in the Cowboys victory was CB Terence Newman, who’s battled injuries his entire career (and this season) but finished with 6 tackles, 2 interceptions of Eli Manning and 2 PD. Other contributors included LB Bradie James (7 tackles, 1 sack) and pass-rushing LB Greg Ellis (6 tackles, 2.5 sacks).

Denver
WLB D.J. Williams returned after missing five games with a torn MCL, posting just three tackles in limited play, rendering rookie Wesley Woodyard as useless IDP furniture. CB Champ Bailey missed his seventh game with a groin injury and once again, rookie Josh Bell started in his place. Bell led the team with 9 solos. As Nowak called last week, Shanahan went with rookie DB Josh Barrett, who had a huge game (7 tackles, INT, PD). In his second game back, MLB Nate Webster posted 4 solos; CB Dre Bly had 5 solos, and LB Jamie Winborn had 4 solos..

Detroit
MLB Paris Lenon led the team in tackles with a whopping 16 (12 solo) – his best IDP game of the season. LB Ernie Sims also posted 12 tackles (6 solo) and added a half-sack. The secondary’s man of the hour was S Daniel Bullocks (7 solos, 1 assist) and other contributors included LB Ryan Nece (7 solos, 3 assists), and S Kalvin Pearson (6 tackles, PD). This week, Detroit’s IDP stars should again see significant tackle totals facing the Saints.

Green Bay
Embattled Packers MLB A.J. Hawk led the team in tackles with 8 solos and had a sack, easily one of his best games of the season. He’s posted just 76 tackles to this point, the lowest per-game total of his young career. SLB Brady Poppinga finished with 7 solos. Charles Woodson, who started his third straight game against the Jaguars and was announced along with S Nick Collins as the Packers 2009 Pro Bowl representatives, had 6 solos and a sack Sunday. DE Aaron Kampman contributed 3 solos and had a couple QB hurries, but no sacks.

Houston
SLB Kevin Bentley led the Texans with 8 tackles in their upset of Tennessee, while S Nick Ferguson added 5 solos and a FF. It was a quiet day for LBs DeMeco Ryans and Xavier Adibi, but DBs Eugene Wilson (5 solos) and Jaques Reeves (4 solos, PD) had decent games. DE Mario Williams had 4 solos.

Indianapolis
It was a bizarre day in Indy, with WLB Freddy Keiaho (I swear he looks like a perfect mix of Johnny Damon and Junior Seau) leading the Colts in tackles with 8 solos and not much exciting happening on the IDP front. MLB Buster Davis filled in for the injured Gary Brackett and posted 8 tackles (7 solo), while SLB Clint Session had arguably the best IDP line with 8 tackles and a FF. There were two 6-tackle performances in the secondary from CB Kelvin Hayden and S Antoine Bethea. Safety Melvin Bullitt, playing in place of injured starter Bob Sanders, had 5 tackles and 2 PD. Sanders remains a game-time decision for tonight’s game.

Jacksonville
The Jaguars defense had one of its better weeks, holding the Packers to just 16 points. SLB Clint Ingram had his highest tackle total of the season with 7 solos, and CB Drayton Florence had the second-highest total among the Jags with 6 solos and 1 assist. Green Bay did have a final chance to win the game, but safety Reggie Nelson (5 solos, INT, PD) picked off Aaron Rodgers’ pass over the middle with 40 seconds remaining, clinching the victory for Jacksonville. Another contributor was LB Daryl Smith (5 solos, 1 assist), but the veteran was placed on IR Tuesday with a groin injury and is done for the year. DE Reggie Hayward finished with 3 solos, 2 sacks and a FF, and rookie tweener Quentin Groves – a best at Auburn – added 2 solos and a sack.

Kansas City
Rookie playmaker CB Brandon Flowers led the team with 10 solos, adding a forced fumble and a PD. LBs Pat Thomas (hamstring) and LB Donnie Edwards (knee and hamstring) remained inactive, and the Chiefs used the same LB corps as last week, with Derrick Johnson (OLB, CB) (3 solos, 2 assists) in the middle, Rocky Boiman (7 solos) on the outside and Demorrio Williams finishing with an unsatisfactory 3 tackles (1 solo). Safety Bernard Pollard added 5 solos and 2 assists, while DE Tamba Hali had 5 solos, 2 sacks and 2 FF. DE Jason Babin tallied 6 total tackles and a sack. Safety Jarrad Page had 6 tackles, a FF and a PD, and CB Patrick Surtain (who faces his old team the Dolphins this week) has 2 solos, an INT and a PD.

Miami
Safety Renaldo Hill led the team with 11 tackles (7 solos) and adeda PD – the best game of his season – while standout LBs Channing Crowder (9 solos, 1 asist, 2 PD) and Akin Ayodele (8 solos, 1 assist) each had excellent games. IDP stud-in-waiting Yeremiah Bell finished with just 7 total tackles but is tied for the team lead at 104 with Crowder. DE Matt Roth had another good game with 5 tackles and a sack, and LB Joey Porter (second in the league with 17.5 sacks) added 3 solos and a sack.

Minnesota
While the Vikings defense played well against the Cardinals, most of the plays were made in the secondary and in the backfield. SLB Chad Greenway tied CB Antoine Winfield for the team lead in tackles with 6 (5 solo), adding a sack and 2 PD. Winfield also finished with 5 solos, a FF, and a PD. The Vikings lost one-half of the Williams Wall – big Pat Williams – for the rest of the season, but got a brilliant performance from CB Cedric Griffin, who’s been playing out of his mind in ’08. Griffin totaled 4 tackles, an INT, and 4 PD – a career high. DE Jared Allen had 3 solos and 2 sacks – his third consecutive multi-sack game and fifth on the season. He’s now at 14.5 on the year.

New England
Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD, but it was rookie Jerod Mayo who led the Pats in tackles with 11 (8 solo). CB Brandon Meriweather contributed 5 solos and an assist, while LB Junior Seau, signed by the team last week to replace ILB Tedy Bruschi, finished with 5 solos. The Pats were still dinged up, but they got a solid game from LB Mike Vrabel, who totaled 5 tackles and a sack.

New Orleans
DE Will Smith, still playing because of a federal judge’s block on the NFL suspensions, had 4 solos. The Fresh Prince should rebound with a big week against the Lions. LB Scott Fujita led the Saints with 8 tackles (7 solo) and MLB Jonathan Vilma added 7 total tackles and a PD. Josh Bullocks, returning to the starting lineup for the rest of the season, had 4 solos and broke up 2 passes. The secondary has been ravaged by injuries all year – which could allow for some more big IDP totals against Detroit n in Week 16 as the 0-14 Lions have nothing to lose but another game.

New York Giants
S Michael Johnson led the team in tackles with 5 solos and deflected a pass. But it was obvious the Giants defense wasn’t at full tilt against Dallas without NT Fred Robbins blocking up the middle. Robbins, who’s been dealing with a bruised, jammed shoulder, missed the game and didn’t practice on Wednesday. If he isn’t available this week, the Giants will hard a much harder time stopping Panther RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. DE Mathias Kiwanuka, who had 1.5 sacks, posted 5 tackles as well (4 solos) as did DE Justin Tuck, who added a half-sack.

New York Jets
In his second game back from groin surgery, LB David Harris, led the team for the second straight week with 11 tackles (9 solo) and added a PD. DE Shaun Ellis also posted 11 tackles (6 solo), but effectively won the game when he scored his first NFL touchdown on an 11-yard fumble return, erasing a 27-24 deficit with 1:54 left in the game. LB Eric Barton, whohas a team-lading 104 tackles, had 8 solos and 1 assist, while OLB Calvin Pace contributed 8 total tackles (6 solos), a FF and 2 sacks. SS Abram Elam, who forced the fumble that Ellis scored on, alsohad 6 tackles. FS Kerry Rhodes added 9 tackles as well (4 solo) and a PD.

Oakland
The Raiders couldn’t stop the Pats last week, but that didn’t prevent Gibril Wilson from continuing his magical IDP season and compiling 12 tackles (9 solo), a sack, and a PD. LB Kirk Morrison added 7 tackles, and big DE Trevor Scott had 5 tackles and two sacks of Pats QB Matt Cassel. The big play came on backup DB Justin Miller’s 91 yd. kickoff return TD, and the former New York Jet also added a solo tackle.

As usual, CB Nnamdi Asomugha had a solid game, but it wasn’t reflected in the stat line. He had just 4 solos and 2 PD, but is always a factor as a shutdown corner.

Philadelphia
I needed just 5 points in one of my leagues from the Philly defense, and Asante Samuel (1 solo, INT, PD) did it by himself, returning a Ken Dorsey INT 50 yards for a score in the second quarter. MLB Stewart Bradley led the team with 6 solos, an INT and a PD. The second-year man out of Nebraska continues to pay dividends to astute IDP leaguers who drafted him in the middle to late rounds or grabbed him off the wire early on in the –08 season. Both CB Sheldon Brown and LB undrafted second-year LB Akeem Jordan had 4 solos and 1 assist. Trent Cole continued his recent assault on opposing QBs, tallying 4 solos and a sack, applying pressure to Dorsey all game.

Pittsburgh
LB James Farrior led the team with 8 solos and 4 assists, while DE Aaron Smith contributed 7 solos, an assist and a sack. DE Travis Kirschke filled in for the injured Brett Keisel, posting 7 tackles (4 solo) and S Ryan Clark added 6 tackles and an INT. Defensive player of the year candidate James Harrison had just five tackles and went without a sack for just the fifth time this season. With 94 tackles on the year, he’s not just a one-dimensional player. Backup LB Lawrence Timmons also played well with 5 solos, a sack, a FF and a PD.

St. Louis
The Rams are still a mess on defense, with several players, including MLB Will Witherspoon, CB Jason Craft, CB Fakhir Brown and DE Leonard Little nursing injuries. Against the Seahawks, LB Pino Tinoisamoa led the team once again with 9 tackles (7 solo). Safety O.J. Atogwe contributed 7 solos and Craft, at nickel back, finished with 5 solos, a sack and a FF. CB Ron Bartell had 4 solos, a sack, and 2 PD. Witherspoon continued to have his snaps limited and postd just 2 solos, while #2 draft pick Chris Long had 3 solos.

San Diego
LILB Stephen Cooper finished the wacky game against the Chiefs with a team-leading 11 tackles (9 solo), an INT and 2 PD. LOLB Shaun Phillips posted 5 solos and a PD, but the Bs were noticeably quiet in this one. Only FS Eric Weddle topped 5 tackles in the secondary, while backup LB Antwan Applewhite totaled 4 solos and 1 assist.

San Francisco
SS Michael Lewis, overcoming an abdominal injury, led the team again with 6 tackles (5 solo) CB Nate Clements came back after missing the first game of his eight-year NFL career following surgery on his broken right thumb. He had 5 solos and a PD. ILB Patrick Willis had his second straight lackluster game, finishing with just 4 tackles (3 solo). He’s still among the league leaders in tackles and is a must-play as long as he’s active.

Seattle
OLB Leroy Hill was inactive with a neck stinger for a second straight week and is doubtful for Sunday’s home game against the Jets. Safety Jordan Babineaux had the play of the game, returning a fumble 24 yards for a TD. Babineaux also had 3 solos. Cb josh Wilson, who started once again alongside CB Marcus Trufant, led the team with 7 solos and now has 70 tackles on the season. DT Rocky Bernard added 6 solos and a sack, and nickel back Kelly Jennings and LB Julian Peterson each added 6 tackles.

Tampa Bay
While LB Barrett Ruud led the team with 14 tackles (9 solo) and now has 117 total on the year, SS Jermaine Phillips continued his stellar IDP play in the last four games, posting 12 tackles (9 solo) and a FF. CB Ronde Barber had another INT (his fourth in as many games) to go along with 6 tackles and 2 PD. Other contributors include DE Kevin Carter (8 tackles), safety Tanard Jackson (7 tackles, a sack and a FF), and LBs Cato June and Derrick Brooks – each with 7 tackles.

Tennessee
CB Nick Harper, nursing an ankle injury from last week led the Titans with 10 solos. Safety Michael Griffin posted 9 tackles (4 solo) and LB Stephen Tulloch finished with 8 tackles, and a sack. This week, the Titans are missing both DT Albert Haynesworth (4 solos last week) and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, who left in Week 14 after aggravating a groin injury. It sounds precautionary and he should play this week. DE Jevon Kearse, in his second run with Tennessee, has picked up his game, posting 3 solos, a sack, a FF and 2 PD in Week 15.

Washington
CB Shawn Springs was active following a week of rest to his lingering calf injury, but posted just 3 solos, as did safety Laron Landry. The team tackle leader in Week 15 was backup LB H.B Blades, who filled in for the injured Rocky McIntosh. McIntosh is out this week, but Chris Horton, who suffered a stinger in Week 14 game, practiced on Wednesday. MLB London Fletcher, still nursing a left foot sprain, still posted 6 tackles and a half-sack. Free agent pickup Jaspn Taylor played in his 10th game for the Skins this season, posting 3 tackles and a half-sack.