This column looks at the matchups of three �bubble� players each week � not guys you�ll automatically keep in the lineup week in and week out, but guys who are borderline starters depending on their matchups.

Week 15 Recap:� I wrote favorably of Brad Johnson, T.J. Duckett, and Tim Brown.� What Happened: None of them did anything.� At all.

Week 15 Record: 0-3.� Season to date: 15-24-6.

Week 16 Bubble Players

This week I will focus on three RBs who seemed to be the hottest commodities on the waiver wire this week: all are backup RBs suddenly filling in as starters.

RB Trung Canidate vs. the Seahawks

Trung Canidate, the Rams� first-round draft pick in 2000, has played third fiddle so far this year to Marshall Faulk and rookie Lamar Gordon.� After averaging 5.7 yards a carry last year and flashing his big-play ability, he ended up in Mike Martz�s doghouse this season and has averaged only one carry per game in 2002.

However, it appears that Lamar Gordon has now taken Canidate�s place in Martz�s doghouse.

Martz, earlier this week, on Canidate: �I think he got in the doldrums there for a while for whatever reason, and he's fought his way out of it. �That happens to players, and I'm very, very pleased with him right now.�

Martz, earlier this week, on Lamar Gordon�s lack of field awareness: �I don't know what to tell you on that one. �I can't speak on it. Speechless. I don't know what to say.�

With Marshall Faulk still hobbled, Trung Canidate will get the start this week against the NFL�s worst run defense.� Martz spoke encouragingly of Canidate earlier today: �Trung will start. Trung deserves this opportunity no matter what had happened in the game. He has been ready for some time for this opportunity. I know he is anxious to have it. I am anxious to see him play and how he responds to it.�

Even though Canidate will get the start, Marshall Faulk is still expected to play.� He�s listed as probable on the injury report, and Martz seems confident that he�ll be ready to go come gameday: �In terms of Marshall, they have recommended that he should stay off of his ankle most of the week. It just continues to aggravate it. He will be in much better with that ankle to play on Sunday. He will play, he is fine to play the past two games. It is just question of pain tolerance at this point. He has always been able to deal with it in fine fashion, so we should be OK there.�

So it remains to be seen just how the carries will be split among the Rams� three backs; but I think it�s quite likely that Canidate will get the majority of them.� With the Rams out of playoff contention, there�s no need to play Faulk (although Faulk will almost certainly want to play).� And with Lamar Gordon banged up and out of favor, that leaves Trung to carry the load.

In addition, it�s natural for a coach to stay with a hot hand, and there�s little reason to suppose Canidate, the starter, won�t get hot early � against the Seahawks, what RB hasn�t?� If he can get off to a fast start, he may not come out of the game very often.

Canidate has blazing speed, terrific open-field running ability, the ability to start and stop and to change direction quickly, and he can make people miss.� He doesn�t have great size or power, however, and his durability is questionable.� And he�s fumbled too much in the past.

One major area of concern for Canidate is his offensive line.� LT Orlando Pace, one of the best offensive linemen in the game (if not the best), is sidelined with a torn hamstring suffered in the beginning of December.� OG Tom Nutten is also lost for the season.� As a result, the Rams� OL has done some major reshuffling in recent weeks: of the five original starters, only C Andy McCollum is still playing his natural position.

When Pace was injured against the Eagles, backup LT Andy King took his place and gave up four sacks to Eagle DE N.D. Kalu.� Since King obviously wasn�t ready to take over Pace�s job as a starter, RT John St. Clair was moved over to LT; RG Adam Timmerman was moved over to RT; backup Frank Garcia was inserted at RG; and backup Heath Irwin was inserted at LG (replacing Nutten).� It is not easy for an offensive line to make that many adjustments and still be effective.� The Rams� problems along the OL, however, should be at least partially offset by the fact that they are going against the Seahawks.

Look for Canidate to have a fairly productive day.

Projection: 15 carries for 72 yards, 1.2 TDs (42 yards receiving).

RB Mike Cloud vs. the Chargers

Superstud Priest Holmes is �very doubtful� for this week�s game, which means Mike Cloud will get a lot of work against the Chargers.� The Chiefs are not changing their basic game plan: Cloud will substitute in for Holmes and Vermeil hopes his offense won�t miss a beat: �Right now, the thought is if Priest doesn't play it would be Michael Cloud and he would carry the load just like Priest Holmes has with an occasional change-up of Derrick Blaylock. But I think we would give the ball to Michael Cloud and let him play. I think he's a very good football player. I don't think he's ever been given the opportunity to do what he has the ability to do. I think we have a fine offensive line that he can shine behind. I think he can be very productive.�

Vermeil went on to say: �Mike Cloud can play. I think he proved that in the ball game the other day. I thought Mike Cloud could play all along, but he happens to be playing behind one of the best running backs in football. Blaylock, I think, has some talent. Are they Priest Holmes? No, there's only one Priest Holmes in this league right now. There's different kinds of runners who are almost as effective, but it won't change our thinking. It didn't change our thinking with six minutes and 56 seconds to go when we got the ball back. We gave (Cloud) the ball and he produced. So, it won't change anything.�

As of Wednesday, Holmes hasn�t been completely ruled out of action, but it makes little sense for the Chiefs to play him.� He�s still on crutches, unable to practice, and the injury to his hip affects muscles that operate his running motion.� It is unlikely that Holmes will be anywhere close to full speed by this Sunday, so it looks very much like Cloud will be asked to carry the load this week for the Chiefs.

Cloud was the Chiefs� second-round draft pick in 1999.� When they drafted him, the Chiefs were hoping Cloud would give an instant boost to a poor rushing attack that featured Donnell Bennett, Bam Morris, Kimble Anders, Tony Richardson and Rashaan Shehee; but Cloud never lived up to expectations, and KC was mired in RBBC until Priest Holmes arrived in 2001.� Now we�ll find out how much Cloud has developed over the past three years.

Cloud has good speed and excellent quickness, and is a good open-field runner who has been an effective kick returner.� He has good enough balance, but he�s not a terribly aggressive runner.� While Priest Holmes has an exceptional ability to immediately find the hole and get through it without wasting any steps, Mike Cloud tends to hesitate too much before turning up field.

Cloud will be he helped, though, by his outstanding offensive line � the best in the game.� LT Willie Roaf and RG Will Shields are perennial Pro Bowlers and get a lot of the recognition, but C Casey Wiegermann is playing even better than they are, and RT John Tait (who switched over from LT this year to make room for Roaf) is also having a great season.� The Chiefs have the most athletic line in football: all five starters are capable of pulling (the Chiefs are one of the few teams that ask their tackles to pull fairly often), and they have the power to drive block straight ahead as well.� Moreover, unlike the Rams� offensive line (see above), the Chiefs have stayed healthy all year: they are one of only three OL units in the NFL to have all five starters open every game this season.

Two notes of concern: (1) in the Chiefs� previous game against the Chargers this year, Priest Holmes was limited to just 63 yards rushing on 2.7 YPC; and (2) fullback Tony Richardson has just been placed on IR, which means untested rookie Omar Easy will be Cloud�s lead blocker this week.

Cloud will get opportunities, but he�s no Priest Holmes.� Expect a moderately productive day out of him.

Projection: 20 carries for 78 yards, 1 TD (38 yards receiving)

RB: Ladell Betts vs. the Texans

Stephen Davis dislocated his shoulder in last week�s game.� With rampant speculation that he will be released during the offseason for salary cap reasons, the Redskins� two young running backs, Ladell Betts and Kenny Watson, will get to audition for the role of �RB of the future.�

Spurrier has not named a starting RB yet for this week; and he has indicated that Betts and Watson will split carries.� Between the two, Watson has been the more effective back so far this year, gaining 366 yards on 79 carries (4.6 YPC) compared to Betts�s 93 yards on 28 carries (3.3 YPC).

However, Spurrier indicated even before Davis was injured that Betts�s workload would increase, and that the rookie Betts had moved ahead of Watson on the Redskins� depth chart in recent weeks.� Indeed, Betts got most of the work in last week�s game once Davis went down.� Betts had sixteen carries to Watson�s four, and got most of the work on first and second downs.

It looks like Betts will get the majority of the carries against the Texans; and, in fact, Betts has garnered more attention than Watson on FF message boards and waiver wires this week.

At 5-10, 220 lbs, Betts is a power runner with good vision and balance but just so-so speed.� He is a slashing, inside runner who will break arm tackles but may not have the speed to get outside, and seldom breaks long runs.

Washington�s offensive line is above average.� LT Chris Samuels is one of the best young tackles in the game.� He went to the Pro Bowl last year, and could go again this year (Pro Bowl selections will be announced this Thursday).� RT Jon Jansen has arguably had a better year than Samuels; together, they form a pair of bookends as formidable as any in the league.� The interior of the line is not as strong.� Guards David Loverne and Wilbert Brown haven�t played particularly well.� The Redskins tried to replace Loverne with rookie Alex Sulfsted, but he didn�t fare any better, and Loverne regained his starting position.� He may lose it again, though, this time to Kipp Vickers.� Tre Johnson has been getting more playing time at Wilbert Brown�s expense, but has had trouble staying healthy.� Center Larry Moore is a smart, reliable player, but is not overpowering.

Betts would be my third choice this week out of the three RBs featured in this column.� There is a danger that he will lose a substantial number of carries to Kenny Watson, particularly if Watson outperforms him (as he has so far this year); and his strength is running inside, where his OL is at its weakest.

Projection: 16 carries 52 yards, 1 TD (22 yards receiving).