Studs and Duds, Week 5: Tons of Miles

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Miles Austin, WR Dallas (10 catches, 250 yards, 2 TDs) -- My mom, for arguments sake, is probably the nicest person you'll ever meet in your entire life, and I'm not saying that in a "she's my mother so of course I think so" sort of way. It's true. Very, very true.

So, to see her fired up about fantasy football is always entertaining, and boy does she get heated. On Monday, I got the following e-mail from her after the Dolphins-Jets game ended and she dropped her week five battle -- "Well, I lost to Jason. So much for my unbeaten streak. if only i had played Miles Austin!!" My response, was much like what you'd say. If anyone had the internal knowledge to start Austin, his first ever start for the Cowboys, they might be cheating in fantasy football. His game, which was already tops on my list before the game winning scamper from 60 yards to beat the Chiefs, was incredible for all the reasons you'd expect, but to break the record for Cowboys receiving yards, with all the names that have donned the silver star, is something a guy like Austin will never forget.

Hey Wade, maybe it's time to realize that Roy Williams isn't getting it done, but some of these other guys can catch the football? Just a thought.

Roddy White, WR Atlanta (8 catches, 210 yards, 2 TDs) -- In three games before Sunday, White, one of the many breakout stars for the Falcons last season, had totaled 119 yards and just one touchdown. I guess all can be forgiven after he made the San Francisco secondary look like they were playing with ankle weights on. His 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter put Atlanta up two touchdowns, but it was his beastly 91-yard score in the third that put the game out of reach for the 49ers.

If this is Matt Ryan and White finally getting on the same page in 2009, it might be more of the same for Atlanta, especially if Michael Turner can keep it going on the ground (91 yards and three touchdowns himself on Sunday).

Mike Zimmer, DC Cincinnati -- Sometimes in sports, it doesn't matter that you won or lost, it's that you played the game. After Zimmer's wife, Vikki, died of unknown causes on Thursday, leaving Mike and the rest of the team noticeably shaken, the defensive coordinator decided he was going to be on the field Sunday against the Ravens, no matter the emotions that had to be churning inside the 53-year-olds heart and mind.

Zimmer came out, had his defense play their best game of the season against an impressive Baltimore offense, and was awarded the game ball after the game by an emotional Marvin Lewis. What did Zimmer say after the game to the news world that were wondering how a man could be this strong during such an incredibly hard time in his personal life? Well, nothing. "He didn't want to be a distraction to the football team," Lewis said. "That was all he was worried about." Good game, coach. Damn good game.

Duds

Kerry Collins, QB Tennessee (19-32, 164 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) -- Words you never want to say to your friends if you're a current NFL quarterback -- "I got benched for Vince Young." While it wasn't the worst game you've ever seen from a QB, it was bad enough that Collins was benched after the Titans were on their way to 0-5, an incredible fall from a season ago when they ended the regular season 13-3, sporting the best record in the entire league. So far in '09, Collins has had more games with a passer rating under 67 than he's had over 80, and he has yet to break triple digits in the statistic. The 36-year-old Collins was never supposed to be a superstar for the Titans, who focus on their star running backs to produce on offense, but he has to make some plays before defenses are going to respect him this season.

Dre' Bly, CB San Francisco -- I'm a Cowboys fan, and even I chuckle when watching the Leon Lett play from Super Bowl XXVII. The whole thing is hilarious, right down to when he realizes the ball is out of his hands. Just like with Ken Norton Jr. the 49ers had to go and steal some of our best material. With 10 minutes left in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Falcons, Bly picked off Matt Ryan and if he could find the end zone, San Fran would be back in the game, trailing only 35-17. Bly started, umm, celebrating at the, umm, Falcons' 25-yard line, still miles from scoring a touchdown. Bly was stripped of the ball, the Falcons recovered, and we have yet another example of premature celebration by a male.

Cleveland vs. Buffalo (Final score -- 6-3) -- Here are some fun stats for your Tuesday.

-- Combined, the two quarterbacks in this game's passer rating was 67.2. (Anderson had an astonishing rating of just 15.1!)
-- The teams combined for just one more first down (10) than total points in the game.
-- Matt Cassel, in the Chiefs loss to the Cowboys, had one more passing completion (23) than the Cleveland Browns had passing yards (22), and they still won the game.
-- Trent Edwards was sacked as many times (2) as Derek Anderson had completed passes.
-- The stat "third down efficiency" seems misplaced. The Browns were 4-16. The Bills, 6-17.

Also, we will be replaying this game on Friday in a new online segment we're calling, "Force Away Traffic." Tune in!