The NFL regular season is more volatile on a week-to-week basis than the Stock Market. A team that lost by several touchdowns one week can follow up with a blowout victory the next. Players who are responsible for the blame one week could be responsible for a game-winning play the next.
With Week 5 in the books, let's take a look at three NFC North players who saw their stock rise, and three NFC North players who saw it fall as we look ahead to Week 6.
THREE UP
Jay Cutler, quarterback, Bears
The Bears are 2-0 since Jay Cutler returned from his hamstring injury, and the veteran quarterback has been at his best late in games. He has engineered back-to-back game-winning drives, helping Chicago bounce back from an 0-3 start to the season. Cutler can balance a Bears squad with minimal pre-season expectations at 3-3 by beating the winless Lions in Week 6.
Ty Montgomery, wide receiver, Packers
With second-year wideout Davante Adams nursing an ankle injury, third-round rookie Ty Montgomery has had every opportunity to shine in the Packers' offense. Against the Rams in Week 5, he finally did. The Stanford product broke open the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Montgomery finished the game with four catches for 59 yards, which sparks some hope for the future.
Quinten Rollins, cornerback, Packers
The Packers beat the Rams with their defense, as they intercepted Rams quarterback Nick Foles four times and held St. Louis to only 10 points. Rookie cornerback Quinten Rollins had two of those interceptions. The first one was returned 45 yards for a touchdown, which gave the Packers a two-score lead in the first half. Rollins' second pick sealed the game with less than a minute left to play.
THREE DOWN
Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Lions
The Lions hit rock bottom in Week 5, as the Cardinals came to Ford Field and put on a clinic during a 42-17 blowout. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was particularly terrible. He threw three interceptions and was benched for backup Dan Orlovsky in the second half. After five straight losses to start the season, Stafford and the Lions have steadily trended downward for the last month.
Ameer Abdullah, running back, Lions
One of the Lions' brightest spots at the start of the season was rookie running back Ameer Abdullah, whose quickness and agility were supposed to come in handy this year. However, the electrifying runner's ball security was called into question against the Cardinals in Week 5. He fumbled twice and was lucky the Lions were able to maintain possession for one of them. With Joique Bell out, third-string running back Zach Zenner led the team with 10 rushes for 30 yards.
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, Packers
Aaron Rodgers' stock fell from a superhuman level to that of a mere mortal against the Rams in Week 5. The Packers quarterback still guided his team to a 24-10 victory, but he turned the ball over three times in the process (two interceptions, one fumble). Although the team remains undefeated, Rodgers has needed Green Bay's defense to bail out his offense each of the past two weeks.
