Peterson, Woodson, Pats' offense, Chiefs D stand out

Week 6 Stars

Rookie running back Adrian Peterson is averaging 6.3 yards per carry this season. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

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Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota: The rookie superstar amassed 361 total yards from scrimmage against the Bears. He had a 224-yard, three-touchdown performance as a runner and keyed the winning touchdown drive with a 53-yard kickoff return. They brought him in to be a big-play guy, and he's even more dangerous than they imagined.

Jeff Garcia, QB, Tampa Bay: The veteran kept the Bucs' offense afloat with his precision passing. His 274-yard performance was impressive given the Bucs' lack of a running game. Garcia used his feet to sustain plays and his ability to spread the ball around to six receivers kept the Bucs' offense ahead of the chains.

Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay: The former Pro Bowl corner made two game-changing plays -- one an interception and the other a fumble return for a touchdown. Woodson's coverage on Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El limited the Redskins' ability to come up with game-changing plays.

Jacksonville offensive line: Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor had big days on the ground due to the outstanding blocking of Jacksonville's front five. Despite only having a combined 18 rushing attempts, the Jaguars rolled up over 200 yards and averaged more than 11 yards a carry. Their size and strength wore down a Texans' defense that entered the game ranked ninth against the run.

Week 6 Busts

Santana Moss, WR, Washington: The Redskins' big-play receiver had two critical drops that would have resulted in long gains. And he had a costly fumble on a reverse that changed the momentum of the game.

Ken Hamlin, FS, Dallas: The safety's inability to stay disciplined against play-action fakes allowed the Patriots to complete several downfield passes. Hamlin was signed to solidify the free safety spot, but his lack of awareness cost the Cowboys on Sunday.

Chicago Bears' defense: The Bears' defense has been decimated by injuries, but giving up more than 300 yards on the ground against Minnesota is unacceptable. The combination of poor tackling and improper gapping allowed the Vikings to average more than seven yards a carry.

The Notebook

• Already established as the top return man in the game, Chicago's Devin Hester made his presence known on offense by hauling in an 81-yard touchdown pass late in the game from the slot. The Bears made a concerted attempt to get Hester involved on screens and reverses, but this was the first time they went to the deep ball.

• San Diego has simplified its running game by using sprint draws and inside-zone runs to get LaDainian Tomlinson back to his MVP form. The Chargers were built on a power offense under Marty Schottenheimer, and the resurgence of their running game has been keyed by incorporating more power rushing into the game plan.

• The Patriots' offensive flexibility allows them to handle the different approaches that defenses use to attack them. Against a Cowboys D that was using a combination of man and zone-blitz pressures, New England featured its three-receiver sets to take advantage of favorable matchups against the safeties. Using quick screens, short crossers and slants, the Patriots got the ball into the hands of their playmakers before the pass rush could get to Brady.

• The Saints changed up their offensive approach to get better production out of Reggie Bush. Instead of pounding Bush between the tackles on power runs, the Saints spread the field and used more draws and delays to get Bush quality touches in space against the smaller defenders.

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