NFL Report: Rookie receivers excelling

This is the year of the rookie wide receiver.

It should not come as a surprise. The people who are paid to evaluate talent before the draft swore that this group of wide receivers was first-class, the equivalent of the 1983 quarterback selections that gave us Hall of Famers John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino. It gave us Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason, and Ken O'Brien, too, but who remembers that?

Heading into Sunday's games, a total of 11 rookie wide receivers already had at least 30 receptions, seven had at least 500 receiving yards, and six had at least five touchdowns.

Compare this receiving draft class to every other one in the 21st century and you'll find that it already has more rookies with 30 receptions than 12 of the other 14, and that is with more than a quarter of the season remaining. You'll also find that the seven receivers with 500 or more yards are more than 10 of the 14 other draft classes and as many as three others. Six rookie receivers with at least five touchdown catches are already more than every other class in this century.

If you are looking for reasons, there are two obvious ones. The rules keep changing in favor of the guys who pitch and catch the football for a living, and the college game mirrors the pro level more than ever. That does not mean this class of receivers should be dismissed as anything less than special.

Tampa Bay's Mike Evans, the seventh overall pick and the second receiver taken in the draft, leads all rookies with 794 receiving yards and is ranked 10th overall in the league in that department. He also has seven touchdown receptions, the second most among rookies and tied for 11th in the NFL.

Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin, the last of five wide receivers taken in the first round, has 52 catches for 768 yards and a rookie-leading eight touchdowns. Evans and Benjamin could become the first pair of rookies to go over 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Only eight rookies have reached that total in the last 20 seasons.

Buffalo used the fourth overall pick on Sammy Watkins, who was the first receiver selected in the class of 2014. He has caught 45 passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns.

The Eagles were one of only two teams - the other being Jacksonville - that used two top 100 picks on wide receivers. The results have been mixed.

Jordan Matthews, taken in the second round and 42d overall, is sixth among rookies with 44 catches and fourth with 558 yards. His six touchdowns are tied for third among rookies. Josh Huff, taken in the third round with the 86th overall pick, has fallen victim to the steep learning curve that has affected so many rookie receivers in the past. Huff has just six catches and at least as many costly mistakes.

John Brown, the lightning-fast rookie for the Arizona Cardinals, was selected five picks after Huff and has had the far better rookie season, catching 34 passes for 468 yards and five touchdowns, including one the Eagles remember all too well.

The best find among this crop of rookies was Cleveland's Taylor Gabriel. Undrafted out of Abilene Christian, Gabriel ranks seventh among rookies with 527 yards and his 18.2 yards per catch is second only to DeSean Jackson in the NFL among receivers with at least 25 catches.

This has not been the year of the running back in the NFL, as Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson will attest. It could, however, be a fascinating offseason for some of the game's elite backs.

Start with the fact that Dallas' DeMarco Murray can be a free agent after the season. He is leading the league in rushing, and there is no guarantee that he will re-sign with the Cowboys. Add in the uncertain futures of Minnesota's Peterson, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, and even the Eagles' LeSean McCoy, and it is possible some big names could be in other places next season.

Here's hoping Lynch and Peterson never land in Philadelphia. Peterson's child-abuse transgressions have been well-documented, but Lynch is actually a worse teammate.

In an interview Wednesday, he spoke almost entirely about his cleats and how the insoles are heated. Told that Josh Brown once wore heated pants, Lynch said: "I don't know who that is."

Brown is Seattle's kicker, reporters told Lynch.

"Oh, OK," he said.

Ed Rendell and I cannot believe they would not stage a game in Orchard Park, N.Y., when there is only 17,000 feet of snow on the ground. What has become of this country?

Instead, the Buffalo Bills will play host to the New York Jets Monday at 7 p.m. indoors at Detroit's Ford Field.

This, of course, is not the first time Mother Nature has wreaked havoc on the NFL schedule. Hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, and wildfires have all forced scheduling changes in the past. The New Orleans Saints played a home game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, and the Minnesota Vikings played at home in Detroit against the Giants after the Metrodome roof collapsed in 2010.

The last game before this week to be postponed by weather was Vikings-Eagles in 2010, when forecasted snow gave us Tuesday night football and an outraged governor. The Eagles, you might recall, lost that one.

TOP EARLY GAME

Detroit at New England

The Patriots have averaged 40.5 points per game and have won by an average of more than 19 points during their six-game winning streak. The Lions have scored 20 points or fewer in six of their 10 games, including six in a loss last week at Arizona.

TOP LATE AFTERNOON GAME

Arizona at Seattle

The Cardinals own the best record in the NFL but have hit the meat of their schedule, starting with this road game against the defending Super Bowl champions. If they beat the Seahawks, they will own at least a three-game lead in the NFC West with only five games left to play.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Dallas at N.Y. Giants

The Giants' 3-7 record is their worst after 10 games since 1998, and you have to wonder how they view their QB situation after Eli Manning's five interceptions last week. The Cowboys are playing on the road after their bye week for the fourth straight season. They are 1-2 in those games.

MONDAY NIGHT

Baltimore at New Orleans

The Ravens are 5-1 after their bye week under coach John Harbaugh, which means he probably learned something from Andy Reid during their time together. Drew Brees and the Saints have lost consecutive home games after winning 11 in a row at the Superdome, but they are still tied for first with a 4-6 record in the lowly NFC South.

Twelve wide receivers were chosen in the first two rounds (64 picks) of the 2014 NFL draft, including the Eagles' Jordan Matthews in the second round at No. 42 overall. Here are this season's top rookie receivers, based on statistics:

PLAYER (Team)   Rec.   Yds.   TD   Overall Pick

Mike Evans (TB)   46   794   7   7

Kelvin Benjamin (CAR)   52   768   8   28

Sammy Watkins (BUF)   45   649   5   4

Jordan Matthews (PHI)   44   558   6   42   

Brandin Cooks (NO)   53   550   3   20

Allen Robinson (JAC)   48   548   2   61

John Brown (ARI)   34   468   5   91   Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG)   31   463   3   12

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