Akili Smith got the best of Tim Couch in their first matchup.

Ever since Cleveland selected Couch ahead of Smith, the rookie from Oregon has vowed that he would make the Browns regret their decision. On Sunday, Smith was true to his word, leading the Bengals to an 18-17 comeback victory.

"It was real personal. ... I wanted to show them they made a mistake," Smith said. While Smith was basking in the victory, Couch took exception to some of Smith's comments and antics. "It definitely angered me," the No. 1 overall pick said. "I will definitely remember it. It was like he was taunting our crowd, saying we should have picked him over me."

Only five games into their NFL careers, these two rookies have already built a rivalry that we'll be watching for years to come.

With the regular season five weeks old, here's a look at how some of the league's most intriguing rookies fared in Week 5.

Each Tuesday during the regular season, ESPN.com will continue to offer its report cards for the Class of '99.

PLAYER, STATS	THE SKINNY
Akili Smith, QB, Bengals at Browns 25-for-41 222 yds., 2 TD, 0 INT 3 att., 9 yds.	Smith gained his revenge on Cleveland and disappointed the Dawg Pound when he threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Carl Pickens with five seconds left Sunday, rallying the Bengals to a victory over the winless Browns.
Tim Couch, QB, Browns vs. Browns 15-for-27 164 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT 1 att., 5 yds.	Couch came out on the losing end of Sunday's matchup between rookie passers, and Cleveland continues to struggle to put points on the scoreboard. After four games as a starter, Couch has completed 52 of 113 passes for 616 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Ricky Williams, RB, Saints vs. Falcons 19 att., 53 yds.	Looking at Williams' statistics four games into the 1999 season, the one thing that immediately jumps out is that he doesn't have any touchdowns. Williams has carried the ball 72 times for 257 yards for a respectable 3.6 yards per carry. However, he has yet to find the end zone for a Saints team that has struggled to score points.
David Boston, WR, Cardinals vs. Giants 8 rec., 101 yds, 1 TD	Boston had a breakout game in the Cardinals' 14-3 victory over the Giants. The former Ohio State star caught eight passes, including his first NFL touchdown to give Arizona a 14-0 halftime lead. Through the first four games of the season Boston had only seven catches. "David Boston is now a definite weapon," Cards quarterback Jake Plummer said. "It's a shame we didn't use him the first four games. He's going to be great for us."
Kevin Johnson, WR, Browns vs. Bengals 5 rec., 73 yds.	Johnson has solidified his status as Couch's No. 1 target. Johnson has 19 receptions for 297 yards this season, including 11 grabs in the Browns last two games. He has caught all three touchdown passes that Couch has thrown.
Cade McNown, QB, Bears vs. Saints 0-for-4, 0 yds. 1 att., 2 yds.	McNown got to play more than normal due to Shane Matthews' pulled hamstring. Matthews went down in the fourth quarter, leaving McNown to finish up the Bears' upset of the Vikings. In limited duty this year, McNown has completed 19 of 34 passes for 216 yards and no touchdowns. With Matthews out of the lineup this weekend, McNown will get his first NFL start against the Eagles.
Edgerrin James, RB, Colts vs. Dolphins 22 att., 81 yards 2 rec., 1 yrd.	James continues to put up solid numbers for the Colts' high-octane offense. After four games, the No. 4 pick is third in the AFC with 357 yards rushing and has two touchdowns. If James has had one problem so far this year, it has been holding on to the ball. On Sunday against the Dolphins, James lost a fumble at the Dolphins' 1-yard line. It was his third lost fumble in four games.
Torry Holt, WR, Rams vs. 49ers 3 rec., 67 yds.	While Holt hasn't found the end zone as often as the other wide receivers in St. Louis, he continues to make a solid contribution. Through four games, Holt has caught 12 passes for 208 yards, for an average of 17.3 yards per catch. With the Rams' potent offense, Holt's numbers should continue to improve.
Cecil Collins, RB, Dolphins at Colts 21 att., 76 yds., 1 TD	Collins responded to being named the Dolphins' primary back by having a decent game against the Colts. The fifth-round pick scored his first NFL touchdown on a 25-yard run, the longest run by the Dolphins this season. While his overall numbers weren't great (21 carries for 76 yards), Collins showed some of the raw talent that has people in Miami so excited.