NFL's Hot & Cold Stats Through Week 6

Scout.com compiles the HOT 'n COLD players through each week of the NFL season (fantasy owners take note). Check below for a grid of stats & commentary through week 6 and be sure to check back for further updates each week.

QUARTERBACKS

HOT - Let's do yet another projection for Tom Brady...56 passing TDs (shattering Peyton Manning's record setting 49 from just two years ago) if he continues on this pace. Brady's passer rating through week 6 is a whopping 128.9....only Manning has a rating of 94 or better (108.6) of the top QBs. Tony Romo is backing off his pace just a bit and is now suffering from 9 INTs (thankfully many leagues don't count negative stats). In a similar context, Derek Anderson, Carson Palmer, and Eli Manning each have 8 INTs, but all are making up for it with their positive stats (not surprisingly, Brady and Peyton have thrown just two picks all season). Eli is looking better each week and showing no signs of a numbers decline anytime soon as the G-men are looking like a playoff caliber team.

COLD - Donovan McNabb has just one decent statistical game under his belt (and he completed only around 50% of his passes in that game)...take that game away (in nasty unis against the Lions) and McNabb has done very little this season. Jay Cutler's already poor numbers take another hit with Javon Walker possibly out for the season after today's foot surgery. Stick a fork in Joey Harrington. Drew "Cool" Brees is warming up, but has a ways to go to come anywhere near expectations. Does Vince Young have the "Madden Curse"?

Quarterbacks Hot/Cold Through Week 6
QB	Pass Comp	Pass Att	Pass Yards	TDs
Tom Brady	148	204	1771	21
Tony Romo	119	200	1707	15, 2 (run)
Derek Anderson	101	184	1496	14, 2 (run)
Carson Palmer	127	203	1491	12
Brett Favre	160	247	1715	9
Peyton Manning	115	165	1319	10, 1 (run)
Eli Manning	119	196	1379	11
Matt Hasselbeck	125	198	1510	9
Donovan McNabb	101	171	1221	6
Jay Cutler	98	152	1158	4, 1 (run)
Joey Harrington	123	195	1279	4
Drew Brees	137	213	1175	3
Vince Young	73	114	703	3, 1 (run)

RUNNING BACKS

HOT - From Cold to Hot in just a couple of weeks...LaDainian Tomlinson is officially back and he's on fire. Ronnie Brown has 882 yards in a winless offense with no supporting cast...wow! Adrian Peterson is the future of NFL running backs as long as he holds up...this kid is amazing. Edgerrin James is loving the fact that Ken Whisenhunt is running the offense in Arizona. Marion Barber seems to be slipping a bit and could slip even further with Julius Jones in the lineup and defenses finally keying on the run when Barber is in the backfield. Let's see what Joseph Addai can do with two weeks rest (injury week and bye week behind him).

COLD - Sorry Cedric, but 445 yards and just 2 TDs are unimpressive on 130 rushing/receiving touches out of the backfield. Maybe Thomas Jones should have stayed in Chicago and helped the criticisms of both he and Benson?!...and brother Julius has too much company in his backfield with Barber. Rudi, Rudi, Rudi,...Rudi Johnson has been banged up, but is considered Cold until he gets back on the field and starts producing. Ditto that for Steven Jackson and Laurence Maroney.

Running Backs Hot/Cold Through Week 6
RB	Rush Att	Rush Yards	Rcptns	Rec Yards	Total Yards	TDs
LaDainian Tomlinson	122	527	25	210	737	7, 1 (pass)
Ronnie Brown	102	526	34	356	882	5
Adrian Peterson	86	607	10	175	782	5
LaMont Jordan	102	466	18	174	740	2
Brian Westbrook	71	411	25	259	670	3
Edgerrin James	129	522	7	68	590	4
Marion Barber	64	381	14	124	505	5
Joseph Addai	84	407	11	60	467	5
Cedric Benson	119	370	11	75	445	2
Thomas Jones	112	420	10	72	492	0
Julius Jones	69	268	6	77	345	1
Rudi Johnson	62	185	8	92	277	1
Fred Taylor	61	297	3	18	315	0
Tatum Bell	44	182	14	63	245	1
Steven Jackson	69	233	8	57	290	0
Laurence Maroney	54	252	0	0	252	0

WIDE RECEIVERS

HOT - No surprise (to me anyway) with the performances of Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress, but Braylon Edwards' is finally out of his shell and shocking nearly everyone. Potentially the most amazing statistic on this page is T.J. Houshmandzadeh's 47 (FORTY SEVEN) receptions in just 5 games for the Bengals...that projects out to over 150 (ONE HUNDRED FIFTY) for the season at this pace. Steve Smith has received balls from three different QBs in Carolina...and it definitely isn't affecting his stats or his fantasy value. Chad Johnson is a lion in the mist (uh....or maybe a tiger) just waiting for his 3 TD game. Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, and Reggie Wayne are all on the Hot list and could explode to the top in any given week.

COLD - Marques Colston and Marvin Harrison don't have horrible stats, but are way below expectations...week 7 may be enough to bump both out of the Cold. Brian Griese may be finally be helping Muhsin Muhammad and the Bear offense, but Muhsin is still suffering the effects of Rex Grossman from the first few games. Javon Walker went under the knife earlier today and now has a fork stuck in him. Hines Ward should be back on the field this weekend and get rid of some of this season's frost-bite.

Wide Receivers Hot/Cold Through Week 6
WR	Rcptns	Rec Yards	TDs
Randy Moss	40	610	8
Plaxico Burress	30	507	8
Braylon Edwards	29	552	7
T.J. Houshmandzadeh	47	505	7
Steve Smith	35	496	6
Chad Johnson	36	578	3
Terrell Owens	27	453	4
Kevin Curtis	24	444	4
Patrick Crayton	23	381	4
Reggie Wayne	28	369	4
Roy Williams	29	424	3
Dwayne Bowe	26	415	3
Marques Colston	23	218	2
Marvin Harrison	17	231	1
Muhsin Muhammad	12	146	2
Javon Walker	19	230	0
Darrell Jackson	16	210	0
Reggie Brown	14	170	0
Hines Ward	9	108	1
Devery Henderson	8	146	0
Joe Horn	11	117	0

TIGHT ENDS

HOT - Every one of the TEs on the Hot list are All-Stars and producing at the level of a top 10 to top 20 wide receiver. And, other than maybe Gonzalez...all of these guys play in a top NFL offense. Don't expect this list to change much from now to the end of the season...Jeremy Shockey and Todd Heap may inch up, but that's about it.

COLD - Not worth a comment...

Tight Ends Hot/Cold Through Week 6
TE	Rcptns	Rec Yards	TDs
Antonio Gates	43	547	3
Jason Witten	32	454	4
Kellen Winslow	29	506	2
Tony Gonzalez	38	440	3
Dallas Clark	26	300	5
Benjamin Watson	18	222	5
Chris Cooley	19	185	4
Randy McMichael	14	175	1
Marcedes Lewis	14	161	0
Daniel Graham	10	78	0
L.J. Smith	4	26	0

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