There is no time for rookie jitters in the NFL, and this year’s talent crop is proof that young players can step in and deliver production.

On the AFC’s first-place teams alone, rookies can be found starting at quarterback (BEN ROETHLISBERGER, Pittsburgh); leading the conference’s No. 1-ranked defense in tackles (linebacker D.J. WILLIAMS, Denver); tied for a club’s lead in touchdown receptions (wide receiver ERNEST WILFORD, Jacksonville); and starting on a defensive line to help a club win 21 games in a row (defensive tackle VINCE WILFORK, New England).

As the NFL approaches the half-way mark of 2004, an AFC team-by-team look at some of the rookies making standout contributions:

BALTIMORE: RB-KR B.J. SAMS of McNeese State tops the AFC and stands second in the NFL with a 14.2-yard punt- return average. The 5-10, 185-pound rookie free agent is the only NFL player to have returned a pair of punts for touchdowns. The league’s all-time record for most in a season is four (JACK CHRISTIANSEN, Det., 1951; RICK UPCHURCH, Den., 1976).

BUFFALO: Selected 13th overall from Wisconsin, wide receiver LEE EVANS leads AFC rookies with 248 receiving yards. Among players with at least 200 yards, Evans’ 24.8-yards-per-catch average is second best in the NFL……Tight end TIM EUHUS is seeing increased playing time and is supplying added pocket protection for quarterback DREW BLEDSOE.

CINCINNATI: Chosen in the second round from Maryland, safety MADEIU WILLIAMS stands third on the team in tackles……Linebacker LANDON JOHNSON has one start under his belt and tallied a season-best five tackles at Cleveland in Week 5……Punter KYLE LARSON (Nebraska) has placed 13 of his 37 punts inside his opponents’ 20-yard line, tied for the second-most punts inside the 20 in the NFL.

CLEVELAND: Quarterback LUKE MC COWN is the Browns’ No. 3 quarterback and is the younger brother of Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback JOSH MC COWN. Cleveland’s McCown was inserted to throw a Hail Mary pass on the last play of regulation in Week 2 in Dallas, which fell incomplete. From Louisiana Tech, McCown completed 24 of 42 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns in the preseason.

DENVER: Making an immediate impact on the NFL’s No. 2 defense is linebacker D.J. WILLIAMS from Miami. The 6-1, 242-pounder, selected No. 17 overall, leads Denver in tackles (46) and has 1.0 sack. The last time a rookie lead the Broncos in tackles was in 1972 (LB TOM GRAHAM, 91; tied with Lyle Alzado)……Running back TATUM BELL (Oklahoma State) has 14 carries for 57 yards (4.1 average) on the season……WR-PR TRIANDOS LUKE (Alabama) has returned nine punts in the past three games and is averaging 10.0 yards per return, tied for fifth-best in the AFC.

HOUSTON: Leading the team in interceptions with three, starting cornerback DUNTA ROBINSON (South Carolina) has piled up 29 tackles and seven passes defensed. Robinson seeks to become the 13th rookie to lead the NFL in interceptions, which was last done by Cleveland’s ANTHONY HENRY (10) in 2001……Starting linebacker JASON BABIN of Western Michigan has 2.0 sacks on the season along with a team-best 26 quarterback pressures. Both Robinson and Babin have started every game for the Texans.

INDIANAPOLIS: Cornerback JASON DAVID (Washington State) has an interception in each of the past two games and can become the first Colt since EUGENE DANIEL (1984) to record one in three consecutive games this week at Kansas City……LB GILBERT GARDNER, from Purdue, is tied for the second-most special teams tackles on the club with seven.

JACKSONVILLE: Wide receivers ERNEST WILFORD (Virginia Tech) and REGGIE WILLIAMS (Washington) have 14 and 12 catches, respectively, on the season. Wilford’s first two career receptions were touchdowns, providing the Jaguars’ margin of victory in both games. Williams has caught a pair of two-point conversions that sealed two wins……Kicker JOSH SCOBEE (Louisiana Tech) is nine of 11 (81.8 pct.) in FGs, including a 53-yard game-winner last week at Indianapolis.

KANSAS CITY: Defensive end and backup long snapper JARED ALLEN leads the team and all NFL rookies with 4.0 sacks. A fourth-round selection from Idaho State, Allen also has seven quarterback pressures. He aims to become the first Chiefs rookie to lead the team in sacks since DERRICK THOMAS (10.0) in 1989……From Oregon, defensive tackle JUNIOR SIAVII has pitched in with 1.0 sack and seven tackles, including two for losses, as the Chiefs’ defense ranks ninth in the NFL.

MIAMI: WR-KR WES WELKER has returned 13 punts for 105 yards for an 8.1-yard average, eighth in the AFC. Welker etched his name in NFL history in Week 5 at New England when the rookie free agent from Texas Tech filled in for an injured OLINDO MARE and became the first NFL player to return a punt and a kickoff as well as kick a kickoff, a successful field goal and a point-after-touchdown in the NFL’s Super Bowl era (since 1966)……T VERNON CAREY, the team’s first-round pick, has started for Miami in two of the past three weeks.

NEW ENGLAND: A standout at the University of Miami, starting DT VINCE WILFORK is seventh on the team in tackles (26) with 2.0 sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery……Rookie free agent CB RANDALL GAY from LSU has one interception and recorded a key fumble recovery on the Patriots’ seven-yard line last week against the Jets.

NEW YORK: Safety ERIK COLEMAN and linebacker JONATHAN VILMA are the 10th and 11th Jets rookies since 1990 to start regularly. Coleman, a 5-10, 200-pounder from Washington State selected in the fifth round, impressed in preseason and leads the 5-1 Jets with two interceptions in six starts. Vilma, chosen by New York with the 12th overall pick, has played in every game and started the past four. The former Miami Hurricane – fluent in Spanish, German and Haitian – stands third on the team with 33 tackles.

OAKLAND: Selected No. 2 overall from Iowa, right tackle ROBERT GALLERY entered the NFL as the top offensive line prospect and has started the past six games. The 6-7, 325-pound Gallery was a converted tight end in college……Safety STUART SCHWEIGERT (Purdue) was chosen by the Raiders in the third round and has at least two tackles in four games while having played in all seven.

PITTSBURGH: Quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER (Miami of Ohio) is the first rookie quarterback to win the first four starts of his NFL career since New York Giants quarterback PHIL SIMMS in 1979. Chosen No. 11 overall, the 6-5, 241-pound QB is the AFC’s No. 2-rated passer (100.1). Roethlisberger’s performance against Dallas in Week 6, in which he completed 21 of 25 attempts (84.0 percent), marked an all-time NFL rookie single-game best with a minimum of 25 passes……CB-KR RICARDO COLCLOUGH (Tusculum) has played in all six games and leads AFC rookies with a 22.3 kick return average.

SAN DIEGO: Defensive end IGOR OLSHANSKY has racked up 23 tackles, 1.0 sack and a pass defensed for the 4-3 Chargers. Playing in all seven games, he is the first NFL player born in Ukraine……Kicker NATE KAEDING (Iowa) is 11 of 12 on field-goal tries and is a perfect five-for-five beyond 30 yards, including two-for-two from beyond 50.

TENNESSEE: Tight end BEN TROUPE (Florida), selected in the second round, caught six passes last week at Minnesota and stands fourth on the team with 11 catches on the year……Chosen two picks after Troupe, defensive end TRAVIS LA BOY has notched 2.0 sacks, tied for the team-high. LaBoy (Hawaii) recorded both sacks this past Sunday against the Vikings’ Daunte Culpepper.