I envisioned Steeler safety Troy Polamalu with 110+ tackles this year, as he is ferocious in run defense, is a playmaker and seems to be always around the ball. But his numbers this year have been disappointing and he's on pace for less than 90 tackles. Don't get me wrong, Polamalu is still a top ten safety in most IDP leagues, but I expected more…

Steelers LB Joey Porter has never been a big tackle machine. His IDP value is directly correlated to his ability to get sacks. Personally, I like the consistent numbers the tackle-makers get over the inconsistent sack producers, but Porter's three sacks on Saturday against Cleveland made many IDP owners happy in what might have been a championship game…

Speaking of making fantasy owners happy, how excited would you have been to own Chargers stud LB Donnie Edwards Saturday when he had 17-1 tackles and a sack? Talk about a star coming through in the clutch…

I haven't said much this year about the season Bills DE Aaron Schobel is having, but he's been terrific. His two sacks Saturday gave him 12 for the season, a career best, and he has 51-16 tackles…

Bills CB Terrence McGee's 46 yard interception return for a touchdown sealed the deal for the win Sunday. Although his tackle numbers are down from last season, McGee remains a more than viable starting CB for your IDP team, especially those that include kickoff returns…

McGee added a kickoff return for a score. It was his fourth kickoff return touchdown, a Bills record…

Bengals DE Robert Geathers has started every game this season and was a sleeper pick by some to have a solid season. But he has only three sacks for the year and had more than two total tackles in only two games this season. More of a bust than a sleeper...

The Bengal I really liked down the stretch has been LB Landon Johnson. He had 42-18 tackles in his last eight games, all playing on the strong side. It will be difficult for the Bengals to keep both Johnson and rookie LB David Pollack from starting next year. There have been some hints that Brian Simmons is playing old and it wouldn't be a stretch to see Johnson take over on the weak side next year…

Speaking of Pollack, he needs to improve his game if he wants to see increased playing time next year. He's young and very talented and it's way too early to write him off, but at this point watching them play, Pollack is nowhere close to Johnson on the field…

OK, I thought Joey Porter and Donnie Edwards had big days last weekend (along with LB Mike Vrabel, but more on that later), but Cowboys rookie LB Demarcus Ware might have outdone them all. He had a career best three sacks. Plus he added three forced fumbles, all on the sacks. And he added 7-2 tackles. I'll take a 7-2-3-3 on my team any day…

Looks to me like Cowboys LB Bradie James could be a big force in IDP land in the years to come. He's playing in the middle of the Cowboys 3-4 and easily leads the team in tackles. Definitely one to keep in mind next year…

Hold the horses. I've talked enough about big games by linebackers. How about a big game from a defensive lineman? Panthers DE Julius Peppers had three sacks, giving him 10.5 for the year, plus a season high 6-2 tackles. Peppers comeback from a slow start is now complete…

Last week I wrote about Chase Blackburn, the rookie linebacker for the New York Football Giants with the great name. Blackburn had won a starting job after injuries depleted their LB core. In his second start Saturday, Blackburn played well again, picking up 4-3 tackles and adding his first NFL interception. He returned it 31 yards for the score. It was, of course, his first NFL touchdown…

Unfortunately for Blackburn, he suffered a neck sprain during the game and was placed on IR Tuesday. Keep close tabs on Blackburn for next year…

There goes that theory: All year long I've been touting the fact that as Rod Coleman goes, so goes the Falcons. I backed this up with the fact that whenever Coleman gets a sack, his team seems to win. Through the first 13 games, the Falcons were 6-0 in games when Coleman had a sack and 2-5 in games he didn't. That streak came to a halt, as Coleman has sacks in each of the last two games, and the Falcons lost both of them…

The good news for Coleman owners is that with the sack he had against Tampa Bay, he has double digits again this season. That's three times in the last four years with ten or more. He also remains the most valuable IDP DT…

After being held without a sack for five games after returning from the death of his brother, Rams DE Leonard Little has three sacks in the last two games. Although he only has seven sacks on the season, he has career high tackle numbers and is a sure starter if on your team…

The Rams DE to really keep your eyes on though is Anthony Hargrove. The second year player is not having a great season and is awfully raw around the edges, but patience should pay off for dynasty owners of Hargrove and I predict a breakout year next year…

This has been a season of disappointment for the Saints and one of the most disappointing performances has been from DE Charles Grant. After two extremely productive seasons whereby Grant had both double digit sacks and plenty of tackles, Grant only has 2.5 sacks this year and 50% less tackles than last year…

Can someone please tell me exactly where Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson comes off getting eight sacks this season? Not only will Wilson end the year with career numbers for tackles (currently at 93-15) but eight sacks? Seriously, that is incredible. The next closest defensive back has 3.5…

Although his tackle numbers are not astonishing, Cardinals LB Karlos Dansby continues his ways as a playmaker who should star in this league for years to come and is a legitimate #2 LB for your IDP squad…

The Colts defense just doesn't look the same without DE Robert Mathis out there. Mathis has missed time with a foot injury and will not play this weekend either, but is expected back the first week of playoffs…

Sure he's missed a lot of time due to injury, but Raven's safety Ed Reed still does not have a sack or an interception in the nine games he's played this year…

Ravens DE Terrell Suggs, meanwhile, now has five sacks in four games since I basically said he had been a disappointment this year…

I think it's safe to say that Jets LB Jonathan Vilma is now a superstar. He added 13-4 tackles and a half sack in the last ABC Monday Night Football ever. He leads the NFL in tackles with 162…

Vilma, though, was outdone by Patriots LB Mike Vrabel. OK, the 30 year-old Vrabel only had 4-2 tackles in his best NFL season ever (he broke the 100 tackle mark), but he added a sack. And…he added two touchdowns receiving. I know this is an IDP article only, but I think when your LB can obtain two touchdowns any which way, it's more than worthy of noting…

Vrabel now has six receptions in his NFL career. All have been for touchdowns…

Until next year…

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