Rookies Andrew Luck and Doug Martin are coming off monster games, the best wide receiver tandems this season, Megatron comes up big again and more in Scott Cullens Week Nine Review. . GOOD NIGHT AND VERY GOOD LUCKWith the desire for immediate judgement becoming more prevalent, thanks to the Interwebs and so on, it was popular early in the 2012 NFL season to question the Indianapolis Colts for drafting Andrew Luck, the consenus No. 1 prospect, ahead of Robert Griffin III, who burst onto the scene with immediate production for the Washington Redskins. Never mind that teams dont draft quarterbacks for the first four games -- more like the next 10 years, or more, ideally -- but as the season has progressed, Luck has established that he was more than deserving of his draft slot. After Sunday, when Luck completed 30 of 48 passes for 433 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the rookie is now tied (with Peyton Manning) for third in the league with 2404 passing yards (300.5 per game). Keep in mind that Cam Newton became the first rookie to eclipse the 4,000-yard threshold last season, so there is a very good chance that Luck is going to set a new mark for rookie passing yardage. While some would also point to the Colts 5-3 record with Luck, compared to last seasons 2-14 record, as evidence that Luck should be in consideration for NFL MVP, that analysis ignores that Luck is replacing a mish-mash of Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky and Kerry Collins at quarterback, a trio that averaged 201.3 yards per game and put up a total of 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2011. Luck, then, is inarguably a massive upgrade at quarterback for the Colts, but taking over from incompetence cant be the foundation for an MVP candidacy. As such, Luck doesnt warrant MVP consideration, yet. At the same time, Lucks presence has immensely improved Indianapolis passing game. Veteran WR Reggie Wayne (7 REC, 78 YDS, 1 TD vs. Miami) is the most frequent beneficiary, leading the league with 104.4 receiving yards per game, but secondary options rose to the challenge Sunday. Wide receivers Donnie Avery (5 REC, 108 YDS) and T.Y. Hilton (6 REC, 102 YDS, 1 TD) both surpassed 100 yards receiving against Miami and TE Dwayne Allen was productive (6 REC, 75 YDS), starting in place of Coby Fleener. The Colts running game wasnt especially effective against Miami, which isnt surprising given the Dolphins stoutness against the run, but Donald Brown didnt play Sunday, leaving Vick Ballard (66 YDS on 19 touches) to handle the bulk of the workload. MUSCLE UPLuck may be pushing into the lead for the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, but Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin is mounting a serious charge in his own right. Muscle Hamster, as Martin is known, shredded the Raiders (25 carries, 251 YDS, 4 TD) Sunday, the second straight week in which hes accumulated more than 200 yards from scrimmage. Martin leads all running backs with an average of 129.9 yards per game. DYNAMIC DUOIts not necessarily a surprise that Atlantas wide receivers were productive, even going against Dallas generally strong corners. Roddy White (7 REC, 118 YDS) and Julio Jones (5 REC, 129 YDS) both surpassed 100 yards, giving them a combined average of 167.1 receiving yards per game. Top WR Duos - Yardage, 2012 Season No. Players Team Yds/Gm TDs 1. Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker Denver 167.4 11 2. Roddy White, Julio Jones Atlanta 167.1 9 3. Reggie Wayne, Donnie Avery Indianapolis 161.2 4 4. Marques Colston, Lance Moore New Orleans 155.1 7 5. Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams Tampa Bay 151.8 11 6. Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd New England 146.4 5 7. Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks N.Y. Giants 144.7 8 8. Miles Austin, Dez Bryant Dallas 142.5 6 9. A.J. Green, Andrew Hawkins Cincinnati 139.2 10 10. Calvin Johnson, Titus Young Detroit 136.4 4 HART ATTACKWhile the top 10 wide receivers, in terms of yards per game, comprise a list of familiar names -- including those in the table above, along with Bears WR Brandon Marshall -- the guy sitting 10th in receiving yards per game is Dolphins WR Brian Hartline who had another solid game (8 REC, 107 YDS, 1 TD) at Indianapolis, giving him 82.8 yards per game this season. TEXAN TWO-STEPHoustons offence is largely predicated on their strong running game, but there remains value in their receivers too. Andre Johnson went through some lean games (nine catches for 164 yards from Week Two through Five), but has returned to his prominent role in the Texans offence. After eight catches for 118 yards against Buffalo Sunday, Johnson now has 25 catches for 279 yards in the last three games. If only he could get back to the end zone; he hasnt scored a touchdown since Week Three. Though Johnson isnt finding paydirt, Texans TE Owen Daniels (4 REC, 62 YDS, 1 TD vs. Buffalo) is. Daniels now has five touchdowns this season (scored in the last six games) and ranks fourth among tight ends with 59.8 receiving yards per game. MORE TIGHT END VALUENot far behind Daniels are a couple of less-heralded tight ends. Cincinnatis Jermaine Gresham (6 REC, 108 YDS vs. Denver) is at 54.1 yards per game and Oaklands Brandon Myers continued his quietly productive season (8 REC, 59 YDS, 2 TD), scoring for the first time this year and ranking sixth among tight ends in yards per game (55.3). BEAR MARKETWhen the Chicago Bears put up 28 first-quarter points on their way to a 51-20 win at Tennessee, they naturally had some productive games, though from mostly familiar faces. RB Matt Forte (148 YDS, 1 TD on just 14 touches) and WR Brandon Marshall (9 REC, 122 YDS, 3 TD) led the way while MLB Brian Urlacher scored a touchdown on a 46-yard interception return and, perhaps most impressively, CB Charles Tillman forced four fumbles, giving him seven on the season. By way of comparison, there are only three players in the league that have forced four fumbles through the first half of the season: Elvis Dumervil, DeMarcus Ware and Rob Ninkovich. Tillmans seven forced fumbles ties the number recorded by 2011 leader Terrell Suggs, who had seven over the entire season. There have been five instances in the last 11 seasons in which players finished a season with more than seven forced fumbles, so Tillmans midway production is pretty much off the charts. ON TRACKTitans RB Chris Johnson continued his resurrection, at least in terms of productivity (16 carries, 141 YDS, 1 TD) against Chicago, though a pair of fumbles cut into what might have been an otherwise productive day. Johnson now ranks eighth in the league with 81.8 rushing yards per game, after averaging 131.5 in the last four games. BE LIKE IKEJust when it looked like Jonathan Dwyer might be the answer to Pittsburghs rushing needs, Dwyer was sidelined with a strained quad, so back into the lineup cam Isaac Redman who gashed (147 YDS, 1 TD, 26 carries) the Giants, thereby creating even more competition in a backfield that has been up for grabs with incumbent starter Rashard Mendenhall injured. LIONS SHAREAfter missing three practices during the week due to a lingering knee injury, Lions WR Calvin Johnson not only started but had a big day (7 REC, 129 YDS) against Jacksonville. Titus Young certainly holds appeal if Johnson is slowed by this knee injury, but also consider rookie Ryan Broyles, who had six catches for 52 yards against the Jaguars. Detroits offence is working well not only because they have a quality receiving corps, but they are manufacturing some production out of the backfield. Mikel Leshoure (16 CAR, 70 YDS, 3 TD) and Joique Bell (109 YDS, 1 TD, 17 touches) both had strong games against Jacksonville. While that is a reflection of the Jaguars less-than-stellar play too, Bell has been a quality backup, going for at least 60 yards from scrimmage four times in the last six games. PACK IT UPGreen Bay has been forced to cobble together a complete offence and it hasnt been easy to cover for all the injuries. As they try to establish a serviceable ground game in the absence of Cedric Benson, they gave former starter James Starks a longer look (61 YDS, 17 carries) against Arizona even after a relatively productive game (53 YDS, 11 carries, 2 REC, 25 YDS) from Alex Green, who now has 160 yards from scrimmage in the last couple games. Packers TE Tom Crabtree scored another touchdown against Arizona, a 72-yard score, his third touchdown on six catches. Thats two more touchdowns than starter Jermichael Finley has put up this season. As injuries mount among Packers wide receivers -- Jordy Nelson returned to action Sunday only to leave with an ankle injury and Greg Jennings has been nursing a groin injury -- opportunity has favoured Randall Cobb who delivered (66 YDS, 2 TD on six touches) against Arizona. In the last six weeks, Cobb has 34 catches for 404 yards and six touchdowns. PRODUCTIVE PALMERRaiders QB Carson Palmer is much maligned, but has been productive for fantasy purposes. He put up big numbers (39-for-61, 414 YDS, 4 TD, 3 INT) Sunday against Tampa Bay, but those three interceptions were enough to undo the good that he accomplished. Nevertheless, Palmer ranks eighth among quarterbacks with 294.4 passing yards per game. Palmers job isnt made easier by injuries to his running backs. Darren McFadden (20 YDS, nine touches vs. Tampa Bay) and second-stringer Mike Goodson (52 YDS, eight touches vs. Tampa Bay) both suffered ankle injuries. FB Marcel Reese responded with a productive day, but as a receiver, catching eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. If McFadden and Goodson are out, Reece may see some carries, but Taiwain Jones would be the most likely candidate to handle lead back duties for Oakland. PONDER THISEarly in the season, Minnesota QB Christian Ponder was an efficient game manager who helped the Vikings get off to a 4-1 start. Since then, however, Ponder has struggled, including this week at Seattle (11-for-22, 63 YDS, 1 INT), the second time in the last three games that he has finished with fewer than 75 yards passing. If there is even more reason to be concerned about Ponder it is that WR Percy Harvin suffered an apparent ankle injury against Seattle and while he returned to action, he finished with just two catches for 10 yards. Despite Ponders struggles, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has been superhuman in his quick return from a torn ACL. He ripped up the Seahawks defence (17 rushes, 182 YDS, 2 TD) in a losing effort Sunday, his seventh straight game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage and he leads all runners with an average of 106.3 yards per game. INTO THE VALLEY OF ELIPittsburghs shutdown pass defence, allowing 182.6 passing yards per game before facing off with the Giants Sunday, was even more effective against Eli Manning (10-for-24, 125 YDS, 1 INT). It was Mannings fewest passing yards in a game since December, 2008. GETTING DEFENSIVELooking for some defensive upgrades? Check out Bucs OLB Lavonte David, who registered 16 total tackles against Oakland and Cowboys ILB Bruce Carter, who stepped in for injured Sean Lee and produced 10 tackles at Atlanta. INJURIESPercy Harvin, WR, MinnesotA (ankle)Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland (ankle)Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay (ankle)Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh (ankle)Donnie Avery, WR, Indianapolis (hip)Clay Matthews, OLB, Green Bay (hamstring)Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee (elbow)K.J. Wright, OLB, Seattle (concussion)Mike Goodson, RB, Oakland (ankle) Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. [url=http://www.packersofficialteamstore.com/autographed-bryan-bulaga-jersey-op-... Bulaga Jersey . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed defensive lineman Jeff Charleston to a one-year deal. . Gentry put on a valiant effort, but he was in tough against the highly-rated wrestler, who won world titles in 2009 and 2010, and he lost 1-0, 2-0 in a contest where opportunities to score were few and far between. [url=http://www.packersofficialteamstore.com/autographed-nick-perry-jersey-yp-82... . Rookie offensive guard David DeCastro had to be taken off the field on a cart with what coach Mike Tomlin called a "potentially severe" right knee injury. DeCastro was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday. [url=http://www.packersofficialteamstore.com/autographed-aaron-rodgers-jersey-xl... Rodgers Autographed Jersey . Xavi Hernandez unlocked Mallorcas defence with a free kick in the 28th minute before Messi struck in the 44th. Cristian Tello added a third goal a minute later at Iberostar stadium. After Mallorca netted twice early in the second half to breathe life into the match, Messi stepped up to score again the 70th to ensure victory as Barcelona rebounded from its loss at Celtic in the Champions League with its 10th win in 11 rounds. . Instead, history tells us that for the European Champions to reign supreme domestically this season, they must defeat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Recording the home win against Sir Alex Ferguson has been a consistent for each of the titles the West London club has amassed during this House of Abramovich era.When Matt Sewell starts the season with a new pair of football cleats, hell go to great lengths to make sure they last. The McMaster Marauders hulking offensive lineman isnt superstitious or especially finicky about his footwear. Its just with size 17 feet, finding shoes that fit is a constant challenge. So when the six-foot-eight, 340-pound Sewell gets his hands on a suitable pair of shoes, he goes the extra mile to ensure they stand the test of time. "Shoes in general are hard to find but (football) cleats are probably the hardest," he said with a chuckle. "Once I find a pair I stick with them until theyre completely gone. "I just tape them up and hopefully they dont fall apart during the game because if I wanted a new pair of cleats it would be tough to find in mid-season." With size 17 shoes a rarity in the bargain bin, Sewell often surfs the net looking for footwear and orders them online. That will be put on hold shortly as Sewell will spend Christmas with his family in Mexico. But only for a week. Then Sewell will resume his search ahead of what promises to be a very busy off-season. Sewell is being considered to play in the 2013 East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. If chosen to play, Sewell will receive pro level coaching during the week-long practices and work out under the watchful eye of scouts representing teams on both sides of the border. CFL teams are very aware of Sewell, who earlier this month was ranked second among the top-15 ranked prospects for this years Canadian draft by the leagues scouting bureau. Not only will Sewell be put through his paces by CFL scouts at the leagues annual evaluation camp in Toronto but hell also spend a lot of time answering questions in head-to-head interviews. NFL teams have also reportedly taken note of Sewells size and quick, nimble feet, which could also result in further workouts and interviews. Add to that regular training sessions and its shaping up to be a hectic off-season for Sewell as he auditions for the next phase of his football career. "Im looking forward to it," he said. "It should be an exciting few months for me and I think things will work out." Growing up in Milton, Ont. [url=http://www.packersofficialteamstore.com/autographed-jordy-nelson-jersey-rx-... Nelson Womens Jersey. ., Sewell said he was more a fan of the sport than a specific team and thus has no real preference as to where he might start his pro career. Sewell was an all-Canadian in 2012 for a second straight year and helped lead McMaster to another Vanier Cup appearance. The Marauders beat Laval 41-38 in double overtime to win a thrilling 2011 Vanier Cup final at B.C. Place before the Rouge et Or exacted some revenge by downing the Marauders 37-14 in last months rematch at Rogers Centre. Sewell played left tackle at McMaster, given the important task of protecting Hec Crighton Trophy-winning quarterback Kyle Quinlans blind side. Its a position hed like to line up at in the pro ranks. "I think I have the body shape more for a tackle," he said. "When I was growing up all the minor coaches would tell me, If youre going to play offensive line, play left tackle, and Ive always played that position through my entire career." Sewell said working under the guidance of McMaster offensive line coach Jason Riley -- a former CFL player with Montreal, Saskatchewan and Hamilton, -- he feels hes ready to move up to the next level. "Coach Riley is a high school teacher by nature so he liked to teach us," Sewell said. "He certainly knows what hes talking about." Sewell has also shown he can overcome physical adversity. During his high school career he suffered a knee injury that forced him to the sidelines. After completing his rehab, Sewell opted to attend a prep school in Massachusetts to not only play another year but make sure all was right with his knee. Convinced it was, he returned to Ontario the following year looking to go to school near home and settled upon McMaster. "Im very proud of that (overcoming knee injury), I actually put a lot of work into it," he said. "Football has been great at Mac but most important for me was everything outside of football. "Ive been able to accomplish a lot (in football) but the biggest thing for me is Im going to be able to graduate with a degree in commerce from one of the top business programs in the country. I think thats the greatest achievement from my university career." ' ' '