By Fantasy Phil Eletto, Fantasy Football Insiders Senior Writer
It may have no Buzz effect, at least until next year, but it looks like Tuna is back in season down in Miami. Having turned down the challenge of righting the ship in Atlanta, Bill Parcells is almost certain to land in Miami after Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga sent word Wednesday to Parcells that he has decided not to sell the team. Sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Len Pasquarelli that Parcells has a four-year agreement in place to become the Dolphins' vice president of football operations. Cam Cameron may have gotten a reprieve on this year, but this surely is not the vote of confidence he was hoping for. One more off fantasy topic--for all the points or even games Brian Westbrook may have cost his owners, admit that it was refreshing to witness true team play. How refreshing. Of course 90% of those saying this do not own him. Now for more on the players you own and need the buzz on…
Addai & Maroney are feeling it… in different ways? They came into 2007 ready to be top-five at the running back position. While Laurence Maroney finally got there, giving the Patriots and his owners what the paid for (albeit 15 weeks late). On the other side, the steady producer that was co-1st year starter Joseph Addai has fallen on hard times. With the Colts in about as good a shape as they can be from a seeding perspective, expect them not to press Addai and instead lean on Kenton Keith to close out the regular season. Keith’s stats will benefit, and so will his owners.
Reggie Bush is pushing to play vs. the Eagles, but was quoted as planning to be “judicious” about his decision. When Bush was healthy, his production as an every-down back was mildly disappointing. Until losing Bush, the Saints seemed to avoid using team captain Aaron Stecker in Deuce McAllister’s role. Stecker has proven himself worthy in his brief audition as the starter At the very least, Bush could be an extra asset as a change-of-pace option, a receiver out of the backfield, or just another distraction to the Eagles defense, the Times-Picayune reported.
Saints WR David Patten has become the second-most utilized receiver in the offense over the team’s last four games. He had 71 yards on four receptions last week and found the end zone for the second consecutive game, giving him three on the year.
Denver Broncos wide receiver (and offensive savior of the year) Brandon Marshall pleaded not guilty Tuesday to driving under the influence. Marshall was arrested in downtown Denver early on the morning of Oct. 22nd--hours after the Broncos beat the Steelers 31-28 in Denver. Marshall also faces charges of driving the wrong way on a one-way street and failing to drive in a single lane. Marshall is at least the third Broncos player to face criminal charges this year. Ever hear of a car service?
With Justin Fargas out for the season, the Raiders will look to make lemonade out of Dominick Rhodes. Don’t be surprised if they also look to get rookie Michael Bush as many looks as possible before the ’08 Draft. Keep an eye on Bush for next season.
RB Larry Johnson (foot) is not expected to return this week, so Kolby Smith is looking at a favorable match-up against the Lions, who are allowing the most rushing yards (159) and touchdowns (2.50) per game to the position over their last four games.
Warrick Dunn has shown flashes this season and could have a role on a team for another few years, but the Falcons are seeing what they have in Jerious Norwood. With a possible shot at Darren McFadden looming in the ’08 draft, they don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer.
As frustrating as it may be, you have to stick with Maurice Jones-Drew. Fred Taylor has been gravy to the Jags, and his production has means Jones-Drew’s legs should be fresh enough to remain an every week start, with upside to win a game for a lucky owner.
Texan veteran RB Ron Dayne wasn't even supposed to play Thursday because of a bum ankle, but the coaches kept him active just in case they needed him and, sure enough, midway through the third quarter, there was Dayne doing the Heisman pose in the end zone. Dayne finished with 67 yards on 11 carries, and rookie Darius Walker picked up 66 yards on 13 carries in the win over Denver. Expect carbon copy game plans vs. Indy & Jacksonville.
The list of wide receivers that should be put out to pasture (for this year) continues to grow. Marvin Harrison opened the gate, but it did not take long for Steve Smith, Javon Walker and Laveranues Coles to mosey on in. Marques Colston was on his way in only to remember there was pigskin to play. Don’t be fooled into thinking the returning D. J. Hackett will have Colsten’s good sense. His numbers may even be good, but he has not been able to make it through much action without getting hurt. Forget Hacket, Smith, Walker and Harrison until next year.
San Diego Chargers RB Darren Sproles saw the bulk of the carries on Sunday following a shoulder injury to backup RB Michael Turner. Sproles made the most of his unexpected chance, as he rushed for 122 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns during a 51-14 win over Detroit.
Cowboy WR Terry Glenn is expected to practice this week in full pads for the first time since training camp and the second of her two arthroscopic knee surgeries. (S)He is attempting to get on the field for the final two games of the regular season with an eye on the playoffs.
Quick Hits:
Cowboy QB Tony Romo (thumb) was limited in practice Wednesday, but threw some passes and had no wrap on his hand to protect his bruised thumb, according to a report on Sirius NFL Radio. The team still expects him to be able to play Saturday night at Carolina, but coach Wade Phillips said Tuesday, "We're going to have to be careful." Backup Brad Johnson would start if Romo can't play.
Jets QB Kellen Clemens’ status is uncertain for this week because of a rib injury. Coach Eric Mangini said Wednesday that he hadn't yet made a decision on whether it will be Clemens or Chad Pennington, but said Clemens would start Sunday if he recovers in time from the injury and is mentally and physically prepared.
Texans QB Matt Schaub is expected to miss another week because of his dislocated shoulder. Sage Rosenfels is expected to start against Indianapolis. He is 3-0 as a starter this season and has looked almost as comfortable operating the offense as the pre-injury Schaub.
With Roy Williams’ move to IR officially ending his season, the Detroit passing game should resemble last week’s distribution: Shaun McDonald 13 targets, Calvin Johnson 12, Mike Furrey 10.
With Jeremy Shocky KO’ed, look for Amani Toomer to get 75% of the passes that would have gone to the tight end. The other 25%? Sinorice Moss.
Denver TE Tony Sheffler has quietly been the keystone of the Denver passing game in the second half of this season.
For what its worth, 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill is clicking with Vernon Davis, big time.
Samkon Gado should get the call in Miami. Whether that’s good news or bad news depends…he is facing the Patriots this week--you make the call. Jesse Chatman (ankle) is questionable again this week
If you need an all or nothing play this week, Garrett Wolfe is your man. He’s more of a scat back than your typical Chicago running back--think Eric Metcalf, Dave Meggett or Leon Washington.
“Throw Me the Damn Ball”
Players who had ten or more passes directed their way this past week. The shrinking list can be attributed to the arrival of winter weather:
Deion Branch 13
Justin McCareins 13
Marty Booker 13
Shaun McDonald 13
Plaxico Burress 13
Lee Evans 12
Chad Johnson 12
Randy Moss 12
Calvin Johnson 12
Brian Westbrook 12
Terrell Owens 12
Steve Smith 11
Brandon Jacobs 11
Isaac Bruce 10
Bobby Engram 10
Chris Baker 10
Jerry Porter 10
Mike Furrey 10
Jason Whitten 10
Please note our new feature and feel free to offer your comments by clicking the COMMENT link. If this doesn’t get you “buzzed” enough, feel free to fire questions to me at phil@nfldraftbible.com or tune in Sundays at 10:30 AM to www.scrubradio.com for the fantasy spot hosted by Jib Records www.jibmachinerecords.com. CEO John Templeman and I will be happy to discuss all things fantasy football. You can also check out our weekly podcast, posted every Saturday covering all the upcoming NFL games. It can be found on the “audio” tab at the top of the NFLDraftBible.com media player.
While the regular and fantasy season is coming to an end, NFL Draft Bible’s draft research is just heating up. Stay with NFLDRAFTBIBLE.COM to see who your team is going to pick or who from your favorite conference or school will be moving on.
Best of luck in the playoffs, Rock on!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Busted, Bruised & Broken
By David Kaye, Fantasy Football Insiders
AFC Injury Report
Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson (fractured ribs) will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve.
Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game at New England after missing last week’s momentous victory with a lingering injury.
New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens (ribs) left Sunday’s divisional loss to the undefeated Patriots in the first quarter after being hit by defensive end Richard Seymour. Clemens’ status for this weekend’s game against at Tennessee is uncertain.
New England Patriots tight end Kyle Brady (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the streaking Dolphins.
Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis (dislocated left finger) sustained the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s disappointing loss to the hapless Dolphins. His status for next week’s game at Seattle is unknown at the current time.
Quarterback Kyle Boller’s (concussion) status is also unknown, while cornerback Chris McAlister (knee) is out for the season after being placed on injured reserve.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (right knee) is questionable for Sunday’s tilt against the woeful Raiders.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler (knee) is probable for Monday’s game, while linebacker Ian Gold’s (knee) status is uncertain.
Tight end Daniel Graham (high ankle sprain) is questionable for next Monday night’s game at San Diego. With the Broncos out of the playoff picture, it’s likely that the coaching staff will shut Graham down for the final two games of the season.
Oakland Raiders electric running back Justin Fargas (sprained MCL) left Sunday’s loss to the AFC South champion Colts in the fourth quarter. It will not be determined until later in the week his status for Sunday’s matchup with the upstart Jaguars.
Defensive stalwart Shawne Merriman (knee) is questionable for Monday night’s game against the reeling Broncos, while running back Michael Turner (shoulder) is also questionable.
NFC Injury Report
Eagles offensive guard Shawn Andrews (sprained MCL) left Sunday’s victory after the first quarter. The extent of his injury will not be determined until he undergoes an MRI later in the week.
Tight end Matt Schobel (concussion) was hit by Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin early in the game and did not return. Hamlin should expect a fine although somehow no penalty was called on the play.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Anthony Fasano (concussion) and defensive end Chris Canty (left knee) both sustained minor injuries in Sunday’s NFC East showdown.
All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo (bruised right thumb) is probable for Saturday night’s game at Carolina.
Washington Redskins guard Randy Thomas (left arm) will miss the remainder of the season.
Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey (fractured left fibula) will undergo surgery this week and miss the remainder of the season.
Green Bay Packers fullback Korey Hall (knee) left Sunday’s 33-14 victory in the second quarter and did not return.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Leonard Pope (fractured right ankle) will miss the final two games of the season after undergoing surgery last week, while wide receiver Anquan Boldin (toe) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the lowly Falcons
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
AFC Injury Report
Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson (fractured ribs) will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve.
Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game at New England after missing last week’s momentous victory with a lingering injury.
New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens (ribs) left Sunday’s divisional loss to the undefeated Patriots in the first quarter after being hit by defensive end Richard Seymour. Clemens’ status for this weekend’s game against at Tennessee is uncertain.
New England Patriots tight end Kyle Brady (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the streaking Dolphins.
Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis (dislocated left finger) sustained the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s disappointing loss to the hapless Dolphins. His status for next week’s game at Seattle is unknown at the current time.
Quarterback Kyle Boller’s (concussion) status is also unknown, while cornerback Chris McAlister (knee) is out for the season after being placed on injured reserve.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (right knee) is questionable for Sunday’s tilt against the woeful Raiders.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler (knee) is probable for Monday’s game, while linebacker Ian Gold’s (knee) status is uncertain.
Tight end Daniel Graham (high ankle sprain) is questionable for next Monday night’s game at San Diego. With the Broncos out of the playoff picture, it’s likely that the coaching staff will shut Graham down for the final two games of the season.
Oakland Raiders electric running back Justin Fargas (sprained MCL) left Sunday’s loss to the AFC South champion Colts in the fourth quarter. It will not be determined until later in the week his status for Sunday’s matchup with the upstart Jaguars.
Defensive stalwart Shawne Merriman (knee) is questionable for Monday night’s game against the reeling Broncos, while running back Michael Turner (shoulder) is also questionable.
NFC Injury Report
Eagles offensive guard Shawn Andrews (sprained MCL) left Sunday’s victory after the first quarter. The extent of his injury will not be determined until he undergoes an MRI later in the week.
Tight end Matt Schobel (concussion) was hit by Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin early in the game and did not return. Hamlin should expect a fine although somehow no penalty was called on the play.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Anthony Fasano (concussion) and defensive end Chris Canty (left knee) both sustained minor injuries in Sunday’s NFC East showdown.
All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo (bruised right thumb) is probable for Saturday night’s game at Carolina.
Washington Redskins guard Randy Thomas (left arm) will miss the remainder of the season.
Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey (fractured left fibula) will undergo surgery this week and miss the remainder of the season.
Green Bay Packers fullback Korey Hall (knee) left Sunday’s 33-14 victory in the second quarter and did not return.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Leonard Pope (fractured right ankle) will miss the final two games of the season after undergoing surgery last week, while wide receiver Anquan Boldin (toe) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the lowly Falcons
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Black & Blue Report, Week 15
By Brad Kurtzberg, Fantasy Football Insiders Senior Writer
Chicago Bears—The Bears are doing the right thing by starting Kyle Orton at quarterback. They already know what they have in Brian Griese but Orton has appeared in a regular season game since the finale of the 2005 season and the team needs to know whether or not Orton has any chance to become a starter or is even worth keeping around as a backup. In 2005 as a rookie, Orton led the Bears to 10 wins but the playbook was greatly reduced and he was told to keep things as simple as possible and not make any mistakes.
As for Grossman, his injury is not as serious as initially believed although he is still out for the rest of this season. Grossman’s contract expires at the end of this year and the Bears have to decide whether or not they want to bring him back and if so, at what cost. Grossman indicated he wanted to return to Chicago and have a chance to start. Whether or not Lovie Smith and company are still interested remains to be seen.
DE Mark Anderson had four sacks in the first four games of this season but has picked up only one since then. Last year, Anderson had 12 sacks despite only starting one game. His pass rush has really fallen off since the opening four games of this season although he’s still making tackles at roughly the same rate.
Bernard Berrian continues to be the Bears’ most reliable and dangerous receiver. Berrian had seven catches for 91 yards and a TD against Washington. That gives Berrian 23 more catches than the next highest Bear and 360 more yards. He also remains the only reliable deep threat for Chicago as Muhsin Muhammad has been only a possession receiver and Devin Hester is not enough of a factor in the offense yet.
G Roberto Garza has been playing well of late. While Chicago’s offensive line has suffered, Garza has been consistent. His biggest trouble is handling much larger defensive tackles but he operates well in space and has excellent quickness and works hard. Garza can also play tackle or center in a pinch and should be back next year on an offensive line that will see a lot of turnover.
RB Adrian Peterson’s long run in 91 carries this season is just 11 yards. That’s especially bad considering he started the last three games. Backup Garrett Wolfe has a long of 25 yards in just 12 carries and QB Rex Grossman, not exactly known for his scrambling, has a long of 12 yards in just 14 attempts.
The Bears will have their hands full trying to stop the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson on Sunday. In the last meeting between the teams, Peterson ran for 224 yards and the Vikings gained 311 as a team. Things do not bode well for the Bears this week as NT Anthony Adams and his backup, Antonio Garay, were both injured and are unlikely to play against Minnesota on Monday night. Darwin Walker had his arm in a sling due to an elbow injury. The other starting DT, Tommie Harris, has been playing hurt. The Bears have had trouble stopping the run when healthy. If they can’t slow down Peterson and Chester Taylor, they will have a hard time beating the surging Vikings.
Detroit Lions—Well, the 10-win prediction of QB Jon Kitna won’t be realized this year. After their five-game losing streak, the best the Lions can finish is 9-7.
While the Lions didn’t beat the Cowboys, they were successful at running the ball, something they had struggled to do almost all season long. The Lions had 152 yards rushing on 32 attempts and 3 rushing TDs. That allowed them to control the football and helped keep them in the lead until the final seconds against a vastly more talented Cowboys team. Mike Martz and the offensive staff should keep this in mind for the final three games on the schedule.
DT Shaun Rogers was dominating at mid-season but he has really fallen off in recent weeks. Apparently, Rogers’ knees have trouble staying healthy in part due to all the weight the big man carries. It has really limited his effectiveness. In the last five games, Rogers has no sacks and has been credited with only five solo tackles. When he is on his game, Rogers not only stuffs the middle of the line, he can be disruptive.
WR Mike Furrey’s production has really fallen off this year. Last season, he led the NFC with 98 receptions. After 13 games, he has less than half that with 48 grabs and only one TD. Even with Roy Williams out of the lineup, Furrey only had two catches last week. Part of this is because Detroit is spreading the ball around more this season. Four Lions WRs have more than 500 yards receiving through 13 games.
The Lions have difficult matchups with the Chargers this weekend. Detroit will be challenged to slow down RB LaDainian Tomlinson and to cover TE Antonio Gates. They represent the best offensive weapons on the Chargers.
Punter Nick Harris has been a bright spot of the Lions. Thus far, he’s had 19 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and only four touchbacks.Critics say that QB Jon Kitna tips off defenders as to which side he is going to throw the ball to by the way he drops back to pass. This is definitely something the Lions’ coaching staff needs to correct right away.
Green Bay Packers—Brett Favre seemed no worse for his injuries last week and was effective although not spectacular. He threw for two long TDs against Oakland and only had one pass picked off.
Expect the Packers to emphasize the running of Ryan Grant down the stretch to prepare for the playoffs. As the weather gets colder in Wisconsin, the Pack will need to be able to run the ball even more. The offensive line is also improving at opening holes for Grant. By the way, Grant needs to average just a bit more than 85 yards per game for the last three contests of the year to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the season. That’s not bad considering he barely touched the ball in the Pack’s first six games this season.
CB Will Blackman finally made a major contribution last week, scoring on a fumble return on special teams and on a punt return. Blackman has played in only 10 games over two seasons because of injuries. The 2006 4th round pick out of Boston College has great speed and raw ability. All he needs to do is to stay healthy and he can make an impact down the stretch or in the playoffs.
The Packers expect to have TE Bubba Franks back in the lineup Sunday against the Rams after missing the previous seven games with a knee injury. Even if he’s 100 percent healthy, at this point, Franks will remain a backup to Donald Lee. Still, Franks is a good blocker and adds valuable experience to the team.
DE Aaron Kampman hasn’t recorded a sack in the last two games but should plenty of chances against the Rams’ banged up offensive line.
Minnesota Vikings—The Vikings suddenly find themselves in the driver’s seat for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC. At 7-6, the Vikings will need to win at least two and possibly all three of their remaining games to do it.
Both of the “Williams Brothers” had big INTs last week. Pat Williams had a big one but Kevin Williams returned his for a TD to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
The Vikings’ running game was inconsistent last week against the 49ers. They gained 117 yards on 31 carries which is not terrible except that 84 of those yards came on Chester Taylor’s TD dash in the second quarter. Adrian Peterson was held in check for perhaps the first time all season and was held to three yards on 14 carries. Part of the strategy employed by San Francisco was to bring their corners in on a run blitz. Play action passes could really exploit this defense if the Vikings can do it consistently.
Tarvaris Jackson had another efficient day. The best thing he has been doing in recent weeks is throwing the ball more accurately and not making mistakes. At this point in his career, Jackson has to not lose football games more than he has to win them.
Without DE’s Erasmus James and Ray Edwards, the Vikes will be thin at that position. Rookie Brian Robinson will likely get the bulk of the playing time with Jayme Mitchell spelling him on occasion.
WR Robert Ferguson had his best game in a long time against San Francisco. Ferguson grabbed 4 balls for 57 yards and a TD. He had been invisible for long stretches of the season. He won’t be back next season unless he can remain more productive.
The Vikings will look to duplicate the success they had running the ball against Chicago in their first meeting. Minnesota ran for 311 yards as a team against the Bears. If they gain half that much on Monday night, they should win the game.
Chicago Bears—The Bears are doing the right thing by starting Kyle Orton at quarterback. They already know what they have in Brian Griese but Orton has appeared in a regular season game since the finale of the 2005 season and the team needs to know whether or not Orton has any chance to become a starter or is even worth keeping around as a backup. In 2005 as a rookie, Orton led the Bears to 10 wins but the playbook was greatly reduced and he was told to keep things as simple as possible and not make any mistakes.
As for Grossman, his injury is not as serious as initially believed although he is still out for the rest of this season. Grossman’s contract expires at the end of this year and the Bears have to decide whether or not they want to bring him back and if so, at what cost. Grossman indicated he wanted to return to Chicago and have a chance to start. Whether or not Lovie Smith and company are still interested remains to be seen.
DE Mark Anderson had four sacks in the first four games of this season but has picked up only one since then. Last year, Anderson had 12 sacks despite only starting one game. His pass rush has really fallen off since the opening four games of this season although he’s still making tackles at roughly the same rate.
Bernard Berrian continues to be the Bears’ most reliable and dangerous receiver. Berrian had seven catches for 91 yards and a TD against Washington. That gives Berrian 23 more catches than the next highest Bear and 360 more yards. He also remains the only reliable deep threat for Chicago as Muhsin Muhammad has been only a possession receiver and Devin Hester is not enough of a factor in the offense yet.
G Roberto Garza has been playing well of late. While Chicago’s offensive line has suffered, Garza has been consistent. His biggest trouble is handling much larger defensive tackles but he operates well in space and has excellent quickness and works hard. Garza can also play tackle or center in a pinch and should be back next year on an offensive line that will see a lot of turnover.
RB Adrian Peterson’s long run in 91 carries this season is just 11 yards. That’s especially bad considering he started the last three games. Backup Garrett Wolfe has a long of 25 yards in just 12 carries and QB Rex Grossman, not exactly known for his scrambling, has a long of 12 yards in just 14 attempts.
The Bears will have their hands full trying to stop the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson on Sunday. In the last meeting between the teams, Peterson ran for 224 yards and the Vikings gained 311 as a team. Things do not bode well for the Bears this week as NT Anthony Adams and his backup, Antonio Garay, were both injured and are unlikely to play against Minnesota on Monday night. Darwin Walker had his arm in a sling due to an elbow injury. The other starting DT, Tommie Harris, has been playing hurt. The Bears have had trouble stopping the run when healthy. If they can’t slow down Peterson and Chester Taylor, they will have a hard time beating the surging Vikings.
Detroit Lions—Well, the 10-win prediction of QB Jon Kitna won’t be realized this year. After their five-game losing streak, the best the Lions can finish is 9-7.
While the Lions didn’t beat the Cowboys, they were successful at running the ball, something they had struggled to do almost all season long. The Lions had 152 yards rushing on 32 attempts and 3 rushing TDs. That allowed them to control the football and helped keep them in the lead until the final seconds against a vastly more talented Cowboys team. Mike Martz and the offensive staff should keep this in mind for the final three games on the schedule.
DT Shaun Rogers was dominating at mid-season but he has really fallen off in recent weeks. Apparently, Rogers’ knees have trouble staying healthy in part due to all the weight the big man carries. It has really limited his effectiveness. In the last five games, Rogers has no sacks and has been credited with only five solo tackles. When he is on his game, Rogers not only stuffs the middle of the line, he can be disruptive.
WR Mike Furrey’s production has really fallen off this year. Last season, he led the NFC with 98 receptions. After 13 games, he has less than half that with 48 grabs and only one TD. Even with Roy Williams out of the lineup, Furrey only had two catches last week. Part of this is because Detroit is spreading the ball around more this season. Four Lions WRs have more than 500 yards receiving through 13 games.
The Lions have difficult matchups with the Chargers this weekend. Detroit will be challenged to slow down RB LaDainian Tomlinson and to cover TE Antonio Gates. They represent the best offensive weapons on the Chargers.
Punter Nick Harris has been a bright spot of the Lions. Thus far, he’s had 19 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and only four touchbacks.Critics say that QB Jon Kitna tips off defenders as to which side he is going to throw the ball to by the way he drops back to pass. This is definitely something the Lions’ coaching staff needs to correct right away.
Green Bay Packers—Brett Favre seemed no worse for his injuries last week and was effective although not spectacular. He threw for two long TDs against Oakland and only had one pass picked off.
Expect the Packers to emphasize the running of Ryan Grant down the stretch to prepare for the playoffs. As the weather gets colder in Wisconsin, the Pack will need to be able to run the ball even more. The offensive line is also improving at opening holes for Grant. By the way, Grant needs to average just a bit more than 85 yards per game for the last three contests of the year to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the season. That’s not bad considering he barely touched the ball in the Pack’s first six games this season.
CB Will Blackman finally made a major contribution last week, scoring on a fumble return on special teams and on a punt return. Blackman has played in only 10 games over two seasons because of injuries. The 2006 4th round pick out of Boston College has great speed and raw ability. All he needs to do is to stay healthy and he can make an impact down the stretch or in the playoffs.
The Packers expect to have TE Bubba Franks back in the lineup Sunday against the Rams after missing the previous seven games with a knee injury. Even if he’s 100 percent healthy, at this point, Franks will remain a backup to Donald Lee. Still, Franks is a good blocker and adds valuable experience to the team.
DE Aaron Kampman hasn’t recorded a sack in the last two games but should plenty of chances against the Rams’ banged up offensive line.
Minnesota Vikings—The Vikings suddenly find themselves in the driver’s seat for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC. At 7-6, the Vikings will need to win at least two and possibly all three of their remaining games to do it.
Both of the “Williams Brothers” had big INTs last week. Pat Williams had a big one but Kevin Williams returned his for a TD to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
The Vikings’ running game was inconsistent last week against the 49ers. They gained 117 yards on 31 carries which is not terrible except that 84 of those yards came on Chester Taylor’s TD dash in the second quarter. Adrian Peterson was held in check for perhaps the first time all season and was held to three yards on 14 carries. Part of the strategy employed by San Francisco was to bring their corners in on a run blitz. Play action passes could really exploit this defense if the Vikings can do it consistently.
Tarvaris Jackson had another efficient day. The best thing he has been doing in recent weeks is throwing the ball more accurately and not making mistakes. At this point in his career, Jackson has to not lose football games more than he has to win them.
Without DE’s Erasmus James and Ray Edwards, the Vikes will be thin at that position. Rookie Brian Robinson will likely get the bulk of the playing time with Jayme Mitchell spelling him on occasion.
WR Robert Ferguson had his best game in a long time against San Francisco. Ferguson grabbed 4 balls for 57 yards and a TD. He had been invisible for long stretches of the season. He won’t be back next season unless he can remain more productive.
The Vikings will look to duplicate the success they had running the ball against Chicago in their first meeting. Minnesota ran for 311 yards as a team against the Bears. If they gain half that much on Monday night, they should win the game.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Week 15 Fantasy Preview
By Brad Kurtzberg, Fantasy Football Insiders Senior Writer
Most fantasy leagues have reached the playoffs by now and those that aren’t are in the final week of their regular season. Little things can have an effect on a player’s stats so check out the matchups carefully. In the NFL, there is still the drama as to whether or not the Patriots will be perfect and the Dolphins perfectly awful to go along with the usual playoff races which are coming into clearer focus each week. Be aware of the playoff status of your star players, some of them may be benched after their NFL team has clinched a playoff spot or has been eliminated from contention. Here is a look at this week’s matchups which will help you win your fantasy league.
Thursday 8:15 PM ET
Denver at Houston
These two 6-7 teams have mathematical chances of making the playoffs but they would have to win out and get some help. More realistically, they are hoping to finish with a winning season and are working towards building for next year. The Broncos crushed the Chiefs last week while Houston downed the NFC South-leading Bucs. Both teams are looking to keep their momentum going.
Stud: Jay Cutler, QB Denver. Cutler had a very strong game last week and continues to show he has the potential to develop into a very good NFL quaterback someday. The Texans pass defense is 14th in the league and continues to be up and down. Look for a good day from Cutler, especial throwing to Brandon Stokley.
Dud: Ron Dayne, RB Houston. Dayne is not healthy and his ankle injury will slow him down. This is a shame because the Broncos’ run defense is awful so whoever does run the ball a lot for the Texans should do well.
Sleeper: Andre Johnson, WR Houston. Johnson is an elite wide receiver when healthy and one of the top fantasy WRs in the league. Last week, he grabbed 9 passes for only 82 yards and a TD, giving him six TDs in six games this year. Johnson will be up against CB Dre Bly which should be a great matchup to watch, but Johnson had a five inch height advantage and should be able to exploit it with regularity.
Saturday 8:15 PM
Cincinnati at San Francisco
The Bengals and 49ers sounded like a matchup full of playoff implications when the schedule was released in April. It didn’t quite work out that way as inconsistency and injuries derailed both teams. The Bengals have struggled to stop anybody while the Niners have had trouble scoring all season long. On Saturday, they will be starting third-string QB, Shaun Hill, an undrafted free agent who would be making his first NFL start.
Stud: Rudi Johnson, RB Cincinnati. Johnson has scored in three straight games and had more than 90 yards rushing against the Rams last week. The 49ers struggle to stop the run, allowing 123.5 yards per game, ranking them 25th in the league. Johnson is getting healthy, the 49ers defense is not.
Dud: Shaun Hill, QB San Francisco. You’d have to be pretty desperate to be starting Hill this week in your fantasy league. The Bengals pass defense is nothing special but they will blitz Hill and keep him under pressure most of the game. The 49ers offense hasn’t put up good fantasy numbers regardless of who was playing QB.
Sleeper: Carson Palmer, QB Cincinnati. Palmer hasn’t thrown a TD pass in his last two games but even in an off year, he’s too good to keep off the scoreboard for too long. Look for Palmer to get back on track against the Niners this week.
Sunday 1:00 PM ET
Buffalo at Cleveland
These two surprising teams are in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. The Browns hold the second Wild Card at 8-5 and Buffalo is just one game back. A win for the Bills would give them a major edge in tiebreakers. The Bills exploded offensively last week against Miami. Cleveland just got by the Jets in a sloppy game in which the Brown played down to the level of their opponent but they still found a way to win.
Stud: Derek Anderson, QB Cleveland. Anderson has thrown for 2 TD passes in each of the last three games. He has 26 TDs and counting on the season and plenty of weapons at his disposal. The Bills’ pass defense ranks 28th in the league and they don’t get a lot of pressure on the QB. Anderson should have time to work his magic.
Dud: Cleveland Defense. No, the Bills offense is not all that explosive, but Cleveland’s defense is a fantasy dog and you should stay way if at all possible.
Sleeper: Marshawn Lynch, RB Buffalo. Lynch came back strong after his return from injury against Miami, gaining 107 yards and he needs 142 yards go reach 1,000 for the season. The Browns are 28th at stopping the run and if the weather is cold, Buffalo will run early and often.
Tennessee at Kansas City
The Chiefs have lost six straight and are looking ahead towards next year. The Titans let a 17-3 fourth quarter lead slip away last week and lost to San Diego 23-17 in OT. Now they have lost four of their last five and are on the outside looking in at the AFC Wild Card race. This is a must game for the Titans if they hope to stay in the hunt. The Chiefs can only hope to play spoiler.
Stud: LenDale White, RB Tennessee. White went over 100 yards last week and scored a TD for the second straight game. The Chiefs have been very easy to run on of late and are ranked 25th at stopping the run this year. White should be able to pound the ball and should pick up lots of yards late in the game.
Dud: Brodie Croyle, QB Kansas City. Croyle has not topped the 200 yard mark in any game this year nor has he thrown for more than one TD. The Tennessee defense ranks 8th in the league against the pass so don’t look for Croyle to have a breakout fantasy game.
Sleeper: Tony Gonzalez, TE Kansas City. Gonzalez sprained his ankle last week but stayed in the game so do check his status. He has 17 catches, a 100-plus yard game and a TD in his last two contests. The Titans have matchup problems no matter who they try to cover him with.
Baltimore at Miami
The Dolphins are 0-13 and counting. A loss here would tie them with the 1976 Bucs at 0-14. The Ravens have played some teams tough but at 4-9, they are going nowhere fast. Kyle Boller is scheduled to start despite being pulled last week. This is a game for pride because little else is at stake here.
Stud: Willis McGahee, RB Baltimore. McGahee failed to score last week for the first time in eight games. The Dolphins rank dead last in rushing defense and McGahee is one tough back who is already over 1,000 yards for the season. Look for him to pad his totals.
Dud: John Beck, QB Miami. While the Dolphins have not announced a starter yet, take this advice: stay away from either Beck or Cleo Lemon. In fact, stay away from the entire Dolphins offense if you can help it.
Sleeper: Baltimore Defense. The Miami offense is banged up and going nowhere. They rank 30th in overall yards and 27th in points and tend to be turnover prone. Baltimore’s defense is no longer dominant, but they are still very good at times and should be able to snuff the life out of the Miami attack.
N.Y. Jets at New England
This game has been given one of the largest point spreads in NFL history with the Jets a 24 ½ point underdog. This is also the rematch of “Spygate” which took place in week 1 and started the Pats on their angry way to perfection. These two coaches don’t like each other and there is some bad blood between the teams as well. Anybody here who thinks Bill Belichick won’t run up the score if he has the chance? The Jets would like nothing better than to spoil New England’s perfect season but they may lack the ability to do it.
Stud: Tom Brady, QB New England. Brady threw for 4 TDs and 399 yards against a good Steelers defense last week. Does anybody think the Jets can slow down the Brady Express? Week 1 was an effortless 3 TD, 297 yard game, look for at least that much this week.
Dud: Kellen Clemens, QB N.Y. Jets. Clemens has only four TD passes in six starts this year. He’s still learning and has shown flashes of potential. Don’t expect this to be his fantasy breakout game, though. The Pats are 4th in the league in sacks and 6th in pass defense.
Sleeper: Randy Moss, WR N.Y. Jets. Moss and Wes Welker are both good picks. The Jets pass defense isn’t all that bad, but Moss is still one of the best in the game and the Jets don’t have anybody that can stop him consistently for four quarters.
Seattle at Carolina
The Seahawks clinched the NFC West last week and have a chance to earn a first round bye in the playoffs if they stay hot and the Packers stumble down the stretch. The Panthers’ chances really ended when Jake Delhomme went down early in the season. They are 1-5 at home this year and are merely fighting to keep their jobs and Coach John Fox’s position with the team.
Stud: Matt Hasselbeck, QB Seattle. Hasselbeck is one of the better fantasy QBs out there even if he doesn’t grab as many headlines as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Brett Favre. He has 6 TDs in the last two games. Add the fact that the Panthers are last in the league in sacks and Hasselbeck should be productive again on Sunday.
Dud: Vinny Testaverde, QB Carolina. Whether it’s Vinny or Matt Moore, don’t expect much statistically from the Panthers’ QBs against the Seahawks. Seattle has been forcing a lot of turnovers lately. They would probably eat Moore alive while just keeping Testaverde’s stats below acceptable fantasy standards.
Sleeper: Bobby Engram, WR Seattle. Want a real sleeper? Try Engram. Quietly, Engram has become a key part of the Seahawks attack. He has scored TDs in back-to-back games and has 42 catches in his last six games.
Arizona at New Orleans
The Cardinals are a better football team this year under their new coaching staff but they are still learning how to win. The Saints struggled early and then have had untimely breakdowns that have kept them on the fringes of the playoff race. The loser of this game is all but done as far as the postseason is concerned but the winner still at least has a pulse. With both Deuce McAlister and Reggie Bush out, the Saints will have to rely on their passing attack more than ever.
Stud: Kurt Warner, QB Arizona. Warner has been putting up some nice fantasy numbers when he’s been healthy enough to play. This week, he should be getting back the receiving duo of Fitzgerald and Boldin which will only help his cause. The Saints are 29th against the pass and don’t have any CBs who can keep up with the Cards’ top wideouts.
Dud: New Orleans Defense. OK, neither of these defenses look to have a great day. The Saints are vulnerable where the Cards’ strength is. This will be a high scoring game.
Sleeper: Drew Brees, QB New Orleans. Brees will throw plenty and the Cardinals defense is 24th against the pass. Aaron Stecker is not a bad RB, but Brees will have a very good day Sunday.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
The Bucs lost to the Texans last week but still have control of the NFC South with three games to go. They are 4-0 in the division and look to continue their dominance over the Falcons. Atlanta has been stunned by the recent announcement that Coach Bobby Petrino will be leaving to return to the college ranks. In a year full of turmoil and uncertainty, things have been shaken up yet again in Atlanta. Chris Redman will get a start for the Falcons since Joey Harrington hasn’t played well and Byron Leftwich is hurt. Meanwhile, the Bucs should have QB Jeff Garcia back for this game.
Stud: Earnest Graham, RB Tampa Bay. Graham has been a great fantasy pickup this season. He has scored TDs in his last five games including two last week against the Texans. In three of those games, he topped 100 yards and he also adds yards by catching passes out of the backfield. Add to the mix the fact that the Falcons run defense ranks 27th in the league and it should add up to a good game for Graham.
Dud: Warrick Dunn, RB Atlanta. Dunn has a total of 20 yards in 16 carries over the last two games and is losing carries to Jerious Norwood. The Falcons offensive line hasn’t helped matters and Dunn is barely averaging three yards per carry. The Bucs run defense is in the middle of the pack but Dunn won’t be breaking free much on Sunday.
Sleeper: Joey Galloway, WR Tampa Bay. Galloway has caught 13 passes in the last two games and continues to produce despite his advanced age. With Jeff Garcia back, Galloway should have another solid game against Atlanta even going against CB DeAngelo Hall.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
Two 9-4 teams battling for playoff position meet in wintry Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers maintain the inside track to win the AFC North while the Jaguars hold the top Wild Card spot in the AFC and are still mathematically alive in the AFC South. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh may meet again come January and this game pits two teams with similar offensive styles against each other.
Stud: Ben Roethlisberger, QB Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger struggled a bit against New England, coming in with fewer than 200 yards and throwing for only 1 TD. The Jaguars pass defense ranks 27th in the league and is the biggest weakness of either of the these two teams in this game. Roethlisberger is due to bounce back.
Dud: Heath Miller, TE Pittsburgh. Miller has only six catches for 66 yards in his last two games and missed one game in between due to injury. The only way Miller pays off in fantasy football is to score TDs. Pittsburgh will be throwing more to its WRs and backs on Sunday as they have more favorable matchups against Jacksonville.
Sleeper: Fred Taylor, RB Jacksonville. Taylor has three straight games of 100-plus yards and has scored two TDs in those contests. The Steelers run defense is one of the best in the game but the Jaguars are a run-first team so Taylor will get his touches (although he splits them with Maurice Jones-Drew), so by the end of the day, Taylor’s numbers should be decent.
Green Bay at St. Louis
The Packers bounced back into form last week and devoured the Raiders 38-7 to clinch the NFC North. Another win and a Seahawks loss would clinch a first round bye for the Pack and keep them mathematically alive in the battle for home field in the NFC for at least one more week. The Rams have had an injury-filled season. They still aren’t sure who will start at QB. Brock Berlin was the starter last week. Marc Bulger may be ready this week and so may Gus Frerotte. With all the injuries to the Rams’ offensive line, they should all be ready. St. Louis has played better as of late but they are 1-5 at home.
Stud: Ryan Grant, RB Green Bay. In the Pack’s last five games, Grant has topped 100 yards three times and has scored 5 TDs. He also has not gained fewer than 88 yards. The Pack will continue to feed him the ball to get Grant and the offense ready to run in the playoffs. St. Louis has had trouble stopping the run all season and presently ranks 21st in that category. Look for Grant to continue his good play.
Dud: Gus Frerotte, QB St. Louis. Or Brock Berlin or Marc Bulger. The bottom line is this: the Rams o-line is beat up and the Packers will pressure the QB with KGB and Aaron Kampman. It’s better to go with RB Stephen Jackson if you want to pick a Rams’ offensive player.
Sleeper: Brett Favre, QB Green Bay. Favre returned to form last week against Oakland. The injuries he suffered against Dallas didn’t seem to affect his play much. The Rams will have trouble pressuring Favre and he should be able to throw a few long TDs on Sunday.
Sunday 4:00 PM ET
Indianapolis at Oakland
The Colts are coming off a strong win over Baltimore while the Raiders were easily handled by the Packers last week in Green Bay. Indy is still fighting to hold on to a first round bye while the Raiders are already playing for next year. RB Justin Fargas was hurt against the Pack (check status) but should play on Sunday. Expect Josh McCown to start at QB this week but JaMarcus Russell should get a start before the season is over.
Stud: Joseph Addai, RB Indianapolis. The Raiders are 31st in the league at stopping the run, allowing an average of 150.4 yards per game. Addai needs 25 yards to top 1,000 for the season and has scored 14 total TDs including three last week. Look for lots of Addai on Sunday against the Raiders.
Dud: Josh McCown, QB Oakland. McCown has an injured finger while Dante Culpepper is nursing a quad injury. The coaching staff has already announced that JaMarcus Russell will see some action this week even if he doesn’t start. Add it up and it means that McCown or whoever starts for the Raiders will be playing only part of the game and will be facing the league’s top pass defense. Stay away.
Sleeper: Peyton Manning, QB Indianapolis. Manning should be able to do at least as well as Brett Favre did last week, which was 2 TDs and 260-plus yards. Manning has plenty of weapons at his disposal and the game still means something to the Colts.
Philadelphia at Dallas
The Eagles lost a heartbreaker to the Giants last week as a last second field goal to tie the game hit the upright and was no good. The Cowboys continue to march toward home field advantage in the NFC with a 12-1 record after last week’s last minute comeback win over the Lions. Their only loss came to the Patriots which is hardly something to be ashamed of. A win and a Packer loss would clinch the top seed in the NFC for Dallas. Philly has lost three straight and their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
Stud: Tony Romo, QB Dallas. Romo is good enough to play well even against tough defenses. He picked the Eagles apart in Philadelphia earlier this season and should do just find this time around.
Dud: Donovan McNabb, QB Philadelphia. McNabb is gutting it out and playing hurt although Philly fans still love to boo him. Teams have limited McNabb’s downfield throwing ability and the Cowboys will do likewise by putting plenty of pressure on McNabb and taking away the deep ball.
Sleeper: Brian Westbrook, RB Philadelphia. Last week, Westbrook had more than 150 total yards and a TD. If a team takes away the run, Philly will throw it to Westbrook. He is a fantasy stud and even his “off” games are better than a lot of people’s good ones.
Detroit at San Diego
At the midway point of the season, the Lions were on top of the world at 6-2 and the Chargers were struggling. Detroit hasn’t won since and Jon Kitna’s 10-win guarantee is now impossible. The Lions need to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. San Diego is in the driver’s seat in the AFC West and picked up a big comeback win last week against Tennessee. A win by San Diego or a Broncos loss clinches a division title for the Chargers.
Stud: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB San Diego. LT has had an “off” season and still has more than 1,600 total yards and 14 TDs with three games to play. The Lions run defense isn’t too bad (16th in the league) but they will not be able to stop LT who can also make yards catching passes.
Dud: Jon Kitna, QB Detroit. Kitna has slowed down as the constant pounding he has absorbed all season has taken it’s toll. He has only 3 TD passes in his last four games and just one 300-plus yard game in his last 10. The Chargers defense is fourth in sacks and will increase its totals against the struggling Detroit offensive line.
Sleeper: Philip Rivers, QB San Diego. Rivers has been a disappointment this year although he won some points with his teammates for leading a gutsy comeback last week against Tennessee. The Lions pass defense is dreadful (next to last in the league) and Rivers will take advantage.
Sunday 8:15 PM ET
Washington at N.Y. Giants
The Giants held on for a big division win last week in Philadelphia while the Redskins got clutch play from backup QB Todd Collins to get past the Bears last Thursday. At least the Redskins are well rested. The Giants clinch a playoff spot with a win. The Redskins need to win all three of their remaining contests and hope that is enough to grab the final spot in the NFC.
Stud: Brandon Jacobs, RB N.Y. Giants. Jacobs is running well but he keeps fumbling, having lost four in his last seven games. When healthy, he is a strong threat to gain 100 or more yards and can take over a game. In a low scoring contest like this one should be, expect Jacobs to be a difference maker.
Dud: Todd Collins, QB Washington. Collins played very well last week, but the Giants defense is a tougher nut to crack than the Bears and the Giants will have time to prepare for Collins. Collins is likely to have decreased efficiency the longer he plays. The Giants lead the league in sacks and will put constant pressure on him.
Sleeper: Clinton Portis, RB Washington. Portis will be the focal point of the Redskins’ offense. He is catching more passes out of the backfield lately and remains an effective runner. The Giants and Redskins will be in a defensive struggle and Portis will carry the load well for Washington.
Monday 8:30 PM ET
Chicago at Minnesota
The Bears are not going back to the playoffs after falling to 5-8 while the Vikings are 7-6 and suddenly have the inside track to the second Wild Card in the NFC. With Rex Grossman hurt and Brian Griese ineffective, the Bears turn to Kyle Orton. The Vikings defense has been making big plays of late. On offense, the running game is dominant while the passing game has suddenly become efficient. Chicago is just a mess and is waiting for the season to end.
Stud: Chester Taylor, RB Minnesota. Taylor has 6 TDs and two 100-plus games in his last four weeks. The Bears run defense has been poor and both Vikings RBs should have big games on Monday night.
Dud: Adrian Peterson, RB Chicago. Peterson is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and hasn’t been able to get going since taking over for the injured Cedric Benson. The Vikings run defense is the best in the league and they are almost impossible to run against up the middle.
Sleeper: Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota. Peterson struggled last week against the 49ers. He should bounce back against the Bears mediocre run defense. In the first meeting between these teams, Peterson ran for 224 yards and 3 TDs. While he may not match those numbers, he should have a strong game.
Most fantasy leagues have reached the playoffs by now and those that aren’t are in the final week of their regular season. Little things can have an effect on a player’s stats so check out the matchups carefully. In the NFL, there is still the drama as to whether or not the Patriots will be perfect and the Dolphins perfectly awful to go along with the usual playoff races which are coming into clearer focus each week. Be aware of the playoff status of your star players, some of them may be benched after their NFL team has clinched a playoff spot or has been eliminated from contention. Here is a look at this week’s matchups which will help you win your fantasy league.
Thursday 8:15 PM ET
Denver at Houston
These two 6-7 teams have mathematical chances of making the playoffs but they would have to win out and get some help. More realistically, they are hoping to finish with a winning season and are working towards building for next year. The Broncos crushed the Chiefs last week while Houston downed the NFC South-leading Bucs. Both teams are looking to keep their momentum going.
Stud: Jay Cutler, QB Denver. Cutler had a very strong game last week and continues to show he has the potential to develop into a very good NFL quaterback someday. The Texans pass defense is 14th in the league and continues to be up and down. Look for a good day from Cutler, especial throwing to Brandon Stokley.
Dud: Ron Dayne, RB Houston. Dayne is not healthy and his ankle injury will slow him down. This is a shame because the Broncos’ run defense is awful so whoever does run the ball a lot for the Texans should do well.
Sleeper: Andre Johnson, WR Houston. Johnson is an elite wide receiver when healthy and one of the top fantasy WRs in the league. Last week, he grabbed 9 passes for only 82 yards and a TD, giving him six TDs in six games this year. Johnson will be up against CB Dre Bly which should be a great matchup to watch, but Johnson had a five inch height advantage and should be able to exploit it with regularity.
Saturday 8:15 PM
Cincinnati at San Francisco
The Bengals and 49ers sounded like a matchup full of playoff implications when the schedule was released in April. It didn’t quite work out that way as inconsistency and injuries derailed both teams. The Bengals have struggled to stop anybody while the Niners have had trouble scoring all season long. On Saturday, they will be starting third-string QB, Shaun Hill, an undrafted free agent who would be making his first NFL start.
Stud: Rudi Johnson, RB Cincinnati. Johnson has scored in three straight games and had more than 90 yards rushing against the Rams last week. The 49ers struggle to stop the run, allowing 123.5 yards per game, ranking them 25th in the league. Johnson is getting healthy, the 49ers defense is not.
Dud: Shaun Hill, QB San Francisco. You’d have to be pretty desperate to be starting Hill this week in your fantasy league. The Bengals pass defense is nothing special but they will blitz Hill and keep him under pressure most of the game. The 49ers offense hasn’t put up good fantasy numbers regardless of who was playing QB.
Sleeper: Carson Palmer, QB Cincinnati. Palmer hasn’t thrown a TD pass in his last two games but even in an off year, he’s too good to keep off the scoreboard for too long. Look for Palmer to get back on track against the Niners this week.
Sunday 1:00 PM ET
Buffalo at Cleveland
These two surprising teams are in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. The Browns hold the second Wild Card at 8-5 and Buffalo is just one game back. A win for the Bills would give them a major edge in tiebreakers. The Bills exploded offensively last week against Miami. Cleveland just got by the Jets in a sloppy game in which the Brown played down to the level of their opponent but they still found a way to win.
Stud: Derek Anderson, QB Cleveland. Anderson has thrown for 2 TD passes in each of the last three games. He has 26 TDs and counting on the season and plenty of weapons at his disposal. The Bills’ pass defense ranks 28th in the league and they don’t get a lot of pressure on the QB. Anderson should have time to work his magic.
Dud: Cleveland Defense. No, the Bills offense is not all that explosive, but Cleveland’s defense is a fantasy dog and you should stay way if at all possible.
Sleeper: Marshawn Lynch, RB Buffalo. Lynch came back strong after his return from injury against Miami, gaining 107 yards and he needs 142 yards go reach 1,000 for the season. The Browns are 28th at stopping the run and if the weather is cold, Buffalo will run early and often.
Tennessee at Kansas City
The Chiefs have lost six straight and are looking ahead towards next year. The Titans let a 17-3 fourth quarter lead slip away last week and lost to San Diego 23-17 in OT. Now they have lost four of their last five and are on the outside looking in at the AFC Wild Card race. This is a must game for the Titans if they hope to stay in the hunt. The Chiefs can only hope to play spoiler.
Stud: LenDale White, RB Tennessee. White went over 100 yards last week and scored a TD for the second straight game. The Chiefs have been very easy to run on of late and are ranked 25th at stopping the run this year. White should be able to pound the ball and should pick up lots of yards late in the game.
Dud: Brodie Croyle, QB Kansas City. Croyle has not topped the 200 yard mark in any game this year nor has he thrown for more than one TD. The Tennessee defense ranks 8th in the league against the pass so don’t look for Croyle to have a breakout fantasy game.
Sleeper: Tony Gonzalez, TE Kansas City. Gonzalez sprained his ankle last week but stayed in the game so do check his status. He has 17 catches, a 100-plus yard game and a TD in his last two contests. The Titans have matchup problems no matter who they try to cover him with.
Baltimore at Miami
The Dolphins are 0-13 and counting. A loss here would tie them with the 1976 Bucs at 0-14. The Ravens have played some teams tough but at 4-9, they are going nowhere fast. Kyle Boller is scheduled to start despite being pulled last week. This is a game for pride because little else is at stake here.
Stud: Willis McGahee, RB Baltimore. McGahee failed to score last week for the first time in eight games. The Dolphins rank dead last in rushing defense and McGahee is one tough back who is already over 1,000 yards for the season. Look for him to pad his totals.
Dud: John Beck, QB Miami. While the Dolphins have not announced a starter yet, take this advice: stay away from either Beck or Cleo Lemon. In fact, stay away from the entire Dolphins offense if you can help it.
Sleeper: Baltimore Defense. The Miami offense is banged up and going nowhere. They rank 30th in overall yards and 27th in points and tend to be turnover prone. Baltimore’s defense is no longer dominant, but they are still very good at times and should be able to snuff the life out of the Miami attack.
N.Y. Jets at New England
This game has been given one of the largest point spreads in NFL history with the Jets a 24 ½ point underdog. This is also the rematch of “Spygate” which took place in week 1 and started the Pats on their angry way to perfection. These two coaches don’t like each other and there is some bad blood between the teams as well. Anybody here who thinks Bill Belichick won’t run up the score if he has the chance? The Jets would like nothing better than to spoil New England’s perfect season but they may lack the ability to do it.
Stud: Tom Brady, QB New England. Brady threw for 4 TDs and 399 yards against a good Steelers defense last week. Does anybody think the Jets can slow down the Brady Express? Week 1 was an effortless 3 TD, 297 yard game, look for at least that much this week.
Dud: Kellen Clemens, QB N.Y. Jets. Clemens has only four TD passes in six starts this year. He’s still learning and has shown flashes of potential. Don’t expect this to be his fantasy breakout game, though. The Pats are 4th in the league in sacks and 6th in pass defense.
Sleeper: Randy Moss, WR N.Y. Jets. Moss and Wes Welker are both good picks. The Jets pass defense isn’t all that bad, but Moss is still one of the best in the game and the Jets don’t have anybody that can stop him consistently for four quarters.
Seattle at Carolina
The Seahawks clinched the NFC West last week and have a chance to earn a first round bye in the playoffs if they stay hot and the Packers stumble down the stretch. The Panthers’ chances really ended when Jake Delhomme went down early in the season. They are 1-5 at home this year and are merely fighting to keep their jobs and Coach John Fox’s position with the team.
Stud: Matt Hasselbeck, QB Seattle. Hasselbeck is one of the better fantasy QBs out there even if he doesn’t grab as many headlines as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Brett Favre. He has 6 TDs in the last two games. Add the fact that the Panthers are last in the league in sacks and Hasselbeck should be productive again on Sunday.
Dud: Vinny Testaverde, QB Carolina. Whether it’s Vinny or Matt Moore, don’t expect much statistically from the Panthers’ QBs against the Seahawks. Seattle has been forcing a lot of turnovers lately. They would probably eat Moore alive while just keeping Testaverde’s stats below acceptable fantasy standards.
Sleeper: Bobby Engram, WR Seattle. Want a real sleeper? Try Engram. Quietly, Engram has become a key part of the Seahawks attack. He has scored TDs in back-to-back games and has 42 catches in his last six games.
Arizona at New Orleans
The Cardinals are a better football team this year under their new coaching staff but they are still learning how to win. The Saints struggled early and then have had untimely breakdowns that have kept them on the fringes of the playoff race. The loser of this game is all but done as far as the postseason is concerned but the winner still at least has a pulse. With both Deuce McAlister and Reggie Bush out, the Saints will have to rely on their passing attack more than ever.
Stud: Kurt Warner, QB Arizona. Warner has been putting up some nice fantasy numbers when he’s been healthy enough to play. This week, he should be getting back the receiving duo of Fitzgerald and Boldin which will only help his cause. The Saints are 29th against the pass and don’t have any CBs who can keep up with the Cards’ top wideouts.
Dud: New Orleans Defense. OK, neither of these defenses look to have a great day. The Saints are vulnerable where the Cards’ strength is. This will be a high scoring game.
Sleeper: Drew Brees, QB New Orleans. Brees will throw plenty and the Cardinals defense is 24th against the pass. Aaron Stecker is not a bad RB, but Brees will have a very good day Sunday.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
The Bucs lost to the Texans last week but still have control of the NFC South with three games to go. They are 4-0 in the division and look to continue their dominance over the Falcons. Atlanta has been stunned by the recent announcement that Coach Bobby Petrino will be leaving to return to the college ranks. In a year full of turmoil and uncertainty, things have been shaken up yet again in Atlanta. Chris Redman will get a start for the Falcons since Joey Harrington hasn’t played well and Byron Leftwich is hurt. Meanwhile, the Bucs should have QB Jeff Garcia back for this game.
Stud: Earnest Graham, RB Tampa Bay. Graham has been a great fantasy pickup this season. He has scored TDs in his last five games including two last week against the Texans. In three of those games, he topped 100 yards and he also adds yards by catching passes out of the backfield. Add to the mix the fact that the Falcons run defense ranks 27th in the league and it should add up to a good game for Graham.
Dud: Warrick Dunn, RB Atlanta. Dunn has a total of 20 yards in 16 carries over the last two games and is losing carries to Jerious Norwood. The Falcons offensive line hasn’t helped matters and Dunn is barely averaging three yards per carry. The Bucs run defense is in the middle of the pack but Dunn won’t be breaking free much on Sunday.
Sleeper: Joey Galloway, WR Tampa Bay. Galloway has caught 13 passes in the last two games and continues to produce despite his advanced age. With Jeff Garcia back, Galloway should have another solid game against Atlanta even going against CB DeAngelo Hall.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
Two 9-4 teams battling for playoff position meet in wintry Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers maintain the inside track to win the AFC North while the Jaguars hold the top Wild Card spot in the AFC and are still mathematically alive in the AFC South. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh may meet again come January and this game pits two teams with similar offensive styles against each other.
Stud: Ben Roethlisberger, QB Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger struggled a bit against New England, coming in with fewer than 200 yards and throwing for only 1 TD. The Jaguars pass defense ranks 27th in the league and is the biggest weakness of either of the these two teams in this game. Roethlisberger is due to bounce back.
Dud: Heath Miller, TE Pittsburgh. Miller has only six catches for 66 yards in his last two games and missed one game in between due to injury. The only way Miller pays off in fantasy football is to score TDs. Pittsburgh will be throwing more to its WRs and backs on Sunday as they have more favorable matchups against Jacksonville.
Sleeper: Fred Taylor, RB Jacksonville. Taylor has three straight games of 100-plus yards and has scored two TDs in those contests. The Steelers run defense is one of the best in the game but the Jaguars are a run-first team so Taylor will get his touches (although he splits them with Maurice Jones-Drew), so by the end of the day, Taylor’s numbers should be decent.
Green Bay at St. Louis
The Packers bounced back into form last week and devoured the Raiders 38-7 to clinch the NFC North. Another win and a Seahawks loss would clinch a first round bye for the Pack and keep them mathematically alive in the battle for home field in the NFC for at least one more week. The Rams have had an injury-filled season. They still aren’t sure who will start at QB. Brock Berlin was the starter last week. Marc Bulger may be ready this week and so may Gus Frerotte. With all the injuries to the Rams’ offensive line, they should all be ready. St. Louis has played better as of late but they are 1-5 at home.
Stud: Ryan Grant, RB Green Bay. In the Pack’s last five games, Grant has topped 100 yards three times and has scored 5 TDs. He also has not gained fewer than 88 yards. The Pack will continue to feed him the ball to get Grant and the offense ready to run in the playoffs. St. Louis has had trouble stopping the run all season and presently ranks 21st in that category. Look for Grant to continue his good play.
Dud: Gus Frerotte, QB St. Louis. Or Brock Berlin or Marc Bulger. The bottom line is this: the Rams o-line is beat up and the Packers will pressure the QB with KGB and Aaron Kampman. It’s better to go with RB Stephen Jackson if you want to pick a Rams’ offensive player.
Sleeper: Brett Favre, QB Green Bay. Favre returned to form last week against Oakland. The injuries he suffered against Dallas didn’t seem to affect his play much. The Rams will have trouble pressuring Favre and he should be able to throw a few long TDs on Sunday.
Sunday 4:00 PM ET
Indianapolis at Oakland
The Colts are coming off a strong win over Baltimore while the Raiders were easily handled by the Packers last week in Green Bay. Indy is still fighting to hold on to a first round bye while the Raiders are already playing for next year. RB Justin Fargas was hurt against the Pack (check status) but should play on Sunday. Expect Josh McCown to start at QB this week but JaMarcus Russell should get a start before the season is over.
Stud: Joseph Addai, RB Indianapolis. The Raiders are 31st in the league at stopping the run, allowing an average of 150.4 yards per game. Addai needs 25 yards to top 1,000 for the season and has scored 14 total TDs including three last week. Look for lots of Addai on Sunday against the Raiders.
Dud: Josh McCown, QB Oakland. McCown has an injured finger while Dante Culpepper is nursing a quad injury. The coaching staff has already announced that JaMarcus Russell will see some action this week even if he doesn’t start. Add it up and it means that McCown or whoever starts for the Raiders will be playing only part of the game and will be facing the league’s top pass defense. Stay away.
Sleeper: Peyton Manning, QB Indianapolis. Manning should be able to do at least as well as Brett Favre did last week, which was 2 TDs and 260-plus yards. Manning has plenty of weapons at his disposal and the game still means something to the Colts.
Philadelphia at Dallas
The Eagles lost a heartbreaker to the Giants last week as a last second field goal to tie the game hit the upright and was no good. The Cowboys continue to march toward home field advantage in the NFC with a 12-1 record after last week’s last minute comeback win over the Lions. Their only loss came to the Patriots which is hardly something to be ashamed of. A win and a Packer loss would clinch the top seed in the NFC for Dallas. Philly has lost three straight and their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
Stud: Tony Romo, QB Dallas. Romo is good enough to play well even against tough defenses. He picked the Eagles apart in Philadelphia earlier this season and should do just find this time around.
Dud: Donovan McNabb, QB Philadelphia. McNabb is gutting it out and playing hurt although Philly fans still love to boo him. Teams have limited McNabb’s downfield throwing ability and the Cowboys will do likewise by putting plenty of pressure on McNabb and taking away the deep ball.
Sleeper: Brian Westbrook, RB Philadelphia. Last week, Westbrook had more than 150 total yards and a TD. If a team takes away the run, Philly will throw it to Westbrook. He is a fantasy stud and even his “off” games are better than a lot of people’s good ones.
Detroit at San Diego
At the midway point of the season, the Lions were on top of the world at 6-2 and the Chargers were struggling. Detroit hasn’t won since and Jon Kitna’s 10-win guarantee is now impossible. The Lions need to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. San Diego is in the driver’s seat in the AFC West and picked up a big comeback win last week against Tennessee. A win by San Diego or a Broncos loss clinches a division title for the Chargers.
Stud: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB San Diego. LT has had an “off” season and still has more than 1,600 total yards and 14 TDs with three games to play. The Lions run defense isn’t too bad (16th in the league) but they will not be able to stop LT who can also make yards catching passes.
Dud: Jon Kitna, QB Detroit. Kitna has slowed down as the constant pounding he has absorbed all season has taken it’s toll. He has only 3 TD passes in his last four games and just one 300-plus yard game in his last 10. The Chargers defense is fourth in sacks and will increase its totals against the struggling Detroit offensive line.
Sleeper: Philip Rivers, QB San Diego. Rivers has been a disappointment this year although he won some points with his teammates for leading a gutsy comeback last week against Tennessee. The Lions pass defense is dreadful (next to last in the league) and Rivers will take advantage.
Sunday 8:15 PM ET
Washington at N.Y. Giants
The Giants held on for a big division win last week in Philadelphia while the Redskins got clutch play from backup QB Todd Collins to get past the Bears last Thursday. At least the Redskins are well rested. The Giants clinch a playoff spot with a win. The Redskins need to win all three of their remaining contests and hope that is enough to grab the final spot in the NFC.
Stud: Brandon Jacobs, RB N.Y. Giants. Jacobs is running well but he keeps fumbling, having lost four in his last seven games. When healthy, he is a strong threat to gain 100 or more yards and can take over a game. In a low scoring contest like this one should be, expect Jacobs to be a difference maker.
Dud: Todd Collins, QB Washington. Collins played very well last week, but the Giants defense is a tougher nut to crack than the Bears and the Giants will have time to prepare for Collins. Collins is likely to have decreased efficiency the longer he plays. The Giants lead the league in sacks and will put constant pressure on him.
Sleeper: Clinton Portis, RB Washington. Portis will be the focal point of the Redskins’ offense. He is catching more passes out of the backfield lately and remains an effective runner. The Giants and Redskins will be in a defensive struggle and Portis will carry the load well for Washington.
Monday 8:30 PM ET
Chicago at Minnesota
The Bears are not going back to the playoffs after falling to 5-8 while the Vikings are 7-6 and suddenly have the inside track to the second Wild Card in the NFC. With Rex Grossman hurt and Brian Griese ineffective, the Bears turn to Kyle Orton. The Vikings defense has been making big plays of late. On offense, the running game is dominant while the passing game has suddenly become efficient. Chicago is just a mess and is waiting for the season to end.
Stud: Chester Taylor, RB Minnesota. Taylor has 6 TDs and two 100-plus games in his last four weeks. The Bears run defense has been poor and both Vikings RBs should have big games on Monday night.
Dud: Adrian Peterson, RB Chicago. Peterson is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and hasn’t been able to get going since taking over for the injured Cedric Benson. The Vikings run defense is the best in the league and they are almost impossible to run against up the middle.
Sleeper: Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota. Peterson struggled last week against the 49ers. He should bounce back against the Bears mediocre run defense. In the first meeting between these teams, Peterson ran for 224 yards and 3 TDs. While he may not match those numbers, he should have a strong game.
ROOKIE REPORT: TRENT EDWARDS (QB-BUF)
By Ralph Mancini, NFL Draft Bible Senior Writer
Going into the 2007 NFL Draft, Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards was quite the enigma in that his collegiate production was unremarkable both on an individual and team level. His exceptional physical skills belied his team’s embarrassing 1-11 record along with a rather ordinary 36-33 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Buffalo Bills were one team willing to take a chance on the 6’ 4” 231-pound signal caller as much-needed insurance for their 2006 starter J.P. Losman whose erratic and mistake-prone ways had Buffalo’s front office and coaching staff very concerned about the direction of their squad.
The rookie project grew up in a hurry when called on to step in for an injured Losman during the second quarter of a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of the mighty New England Patriots in week three.
Although Edwards showed signs of being an accurate passer in the preseason, it was a pleasant surprise to watch Edwards efficiently move the offense downfield versus the division-rival Jets the following week.
The 24-year-old exuded the poise and confidence of a 10-year veteran as he went on to complete nine straight passes during one stretch. Edwards capped off his amazing debut with a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Michael Gaines on fourth down.
The Los Gatos, California native completed 22 of 28 throws for 234 yards, but what was most telling about the neophyte was his natural ability to process what was happening around him and hit his check-down receivers when there was nothing open downfield.
His calmness in the pocket was certainly eye-opening for head coach Dick Jauron who was immediately on the fence regarding whether to reinsert Losman as the starter upon his return from injury.
“I’ve always said nobody’s job is secure,” said the coach in assessing his rookie’s unexpected performance. “From week to week, we play whoever we think is the best guy. So we’ll see where it goes.”
This couldn’t have been music to Losman’s ears who probably began seeing the proverbial writing on the wall. Despite his four years as a professional, the Tulane product is still prone to forcing long passes into coverage even when there are safer options in the offing.
Ranked fourth overall among quarterbacks by the NFL Draft Bible prior to draft day, Edwards was lauded for his quick decisions and exemplary intangibles, but as we’ve witnessed with many highly-touted prospects in recent years (see Smith, Alex), intelligence and overall mental makeup can only take you so far if a player’s pure physical skills aren’t up to snuff.
The damning effect of being part of a losing program with an 11-20 record as a starter at Stanford caused many to overlook Edwards’s overall raw strength, as well as his potent arm allowing him to both toss it deep and put some real zip in his short-to-intermediate throws.
His mobility and speed, on the other hand, are also top shelf among his peers at the quarterback position. The young athlete posted a 4.76 in the 40 prior to being drafted, which becomes even more impressive when factoring in Edwards’s size.
His one glaring red flag (questionable durability) reared its ugly head during Buffalo’s week eight rematch with Gang Green when Edwards was forced to exit the game in the third quarter with a sprained right wrist.
Although tests on the ailing wrist came back negative, it was time once again for Losman to reclaim the reins to the Buffalo Bills attack, but with the exception of one promising game versus Cincinnati, the veteran triggerman’s streaky ways once again boiled to the surface.
His inability to consistently get a good read on defenses led to interceptions and fumbles in back-to-back losing efforts versus the Patriots and Jaguars.
With a playoff spot hanging in the balance, Jauron had no choice but to turn to his prized rookie and entrust him with the task of restoring order to an offense spiraling out of control.
The unflappable field general picked up right where he left off in a late-season 17-15 overtime thriller victory over the Washington Redskins.
In this emotional game fresh off the untimely death of Sean Taylor, Edwards masterfully led the troops on a game-winning drive with no timeouts left and 56 seconds to go. The precocious quarterback set up the deciding field goal with a clutch 31-yard completion to receiver Josh Reed in front of a passionate crowd on the road. The third-round pick wasn’t finished there.
This first-year revelation went on to make quick work of the hapless Miami Dolphins a week later by initially attacking Miami’s safeties on two touchdown passes to tight end Robert Royal. It became evident in this game that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild began opening up the playbook for Edwards who punctuated his breakthrough four-touchdown performance with a fourth quarter 70-yard strike to speedster Lee Evans.
While it’s certainly too early to anoint Edwards as the second coming of Jim Kelly, the youngster has proven to possess the mental and physical ingredients necessary to achieve long-term success.
Edwards will be looking to add to his 1,212 yards and five touchdowns in this Sunday’s pivotal showdown with the Cleveland Browns as both teams can ill-afford to lose any of their remaining games with the postseason on the line.
Going into the 2007 NFL Draft, Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards was quite the enigma in that his collegiate production was unremarkable both on an individual and team level. His exceptional physical skills belied his team’s embarrassing 1-11 record along with a rather ordinary 36-33 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Buffalo Bills were one team willing to take a chance on the 6’ 4” 231-pound signal caller as much-needed insurance for their 2006 starter J.P. Losman whose erratic and mistake-prone ways had Buffalo’s front office and coaching staff very concerned about the direction of their squad.
The rookie project grew up in a hurry when called on to step in for an injured Losman during the second quarter of a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of the mighty New England Patriots in week three.
Although Edwards showed signs of being an accurate passer in the preseason, it was a pleasant surprise to watch Edwards efficiently move the offense downfield versus the division-rival Jets the following week.
The 24-year-old exuded the poise and confidence of a 10-year veteran as he went on to complete nine straight passes during one stretch. Edwards capped off his amazing debut with a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Michael Gaines on fourth down.
The Los Gatos, California native completed 22 of 28 throws for 234 yards, but what was most telling about the neophyte was his natural ability to process what was happening around him and hit his check-down receivers when there was nothing open downfield.
His calmness in the pocket was certainly eye-opening for head coach Dick Jauron who was immediately on the fence regarding whether to reinsert Losman as the starter upon his return from injury.
“I’ve always said nobody’s job is secure,” said the coach in assessing his rookie’s unexpected performance. “From week to week, we play whoever we think is the best guy. So we’ll see where it goes.”
This couldn’t have been music to Losman’s ears who probably began seeing the proverbial writing on the wall. Despite his four years as a professional, the Tulane product is still prone to forcing long passes into coverage even when there are safer options in the offing.
Ranked fourth overall among quarterbacks by the NFL Draft Bible prior to draft day, Edwards was lauded for his quick decisions and exemplary intangibles, but as we’ve witnessed with many highly-touted prospects in recent years (see Smith, Alex), intelligence and overall mental makeup can only take you so far if a player’s pure physical skills aren’t up to snuff.
The damning effect of being part of a losing program with an 11-20 record as a starter at Stanford caused many to overlook Edwards’s overall raw strength, as well as his potent arm allowing him to both toss it deep and put some real zip in his short-to-intermediate throws.
His mobility and speed, on the other hand, are also top shelf among his peers at the quarterback position. The young athlete posted a 4.76 in the 40 prior to being drafted, which becomes even more impressive when factoring in Edwards’s size.
His one glaring red flag (questionable durability) reared its ugly head during Buffalo’s week eight rematch with Gang Green when Edwards was forced to exit the game in the third quarter with a sprained right wrist.
Although tests on the ailing wrist came back negative, it was time once again for Losman to reclaim the reins to the Buffalo Bills attack, but with the exception of one promising game versus Cincinnati, the veteran triggerman’s streaky ways once again boiled to the surface.
His inability to consistently get a good read on defenses led to interceptions and fumbles in back-to-back losing efforts versus the Patriots and Jaguars.
With a playoff spot hanging in the balance, Jauron had no choice but to turn to his prized rookie and entrust him with the task of restoring order to an offense spiraling out of control.
The unflappable field general picked up right where he left off in a late-season 17-15 overtime thriller victory over the Washington Redskins.
In this emotional game fresh off the untimely death of Sean Taylor, Edwards masterfully led the troops on a game-winning drive with no timeouts left and 56 seconds to go. The precocious quarterback set up the deciding field goal with a clutch 31-yard completion to receiver Josh Reed in front of a passionate crowd on the road. The third-round pick wasn’t finished there.
This first-year revelation went on to make quick work of the hapless Miami Dolphins a week later by initially attacking Miami’s safeties on two touchdown passes to tight end Robert Royal. It became evident in this game that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild began opening up the playbook for Edwards who punctuated his breakthrough four-touchdown performance with a fourth quarter 70-yard strike to speedster Lee Evans.
While it’s certainly too early to anoint Edwards as the second coming of Jim Kelly, the youngster has proven to possess the mental and physical ingredients necessary to achieve long-term success.
Edwards will be looking to add to his 1,212 yards and five touchdowns in this Sunday’s pivotal showdown with the Cleveland Browns as both teams can ill-afford to lose any of their remaining games with the postseason on the line.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Buzz, Week 15
By Fantasy Phil Eletto, Fantasy Football Insiders Senior Writer
As the season comes to an end, there is still no shortage of replacement players that can come up big for you in the playoffs. Who might those players be? As we do every week, we bring you the buzz…
According to ESPNews, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush will not play again this season due to a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. With Bush out against the Falcons on Monday night, Aaron Stecker picked up 100 yards rushing on 20 carries. He also caught three passes for seven yards. Consider Stecker a top 30 running back the rest of the way.
Although New England refuses to run the ball, they probably won’t be punished for their stubbornness against the Jets and Bills. In fact, since they may look to score 10 TDs against the Jets this week, they may end up ruinning the ball once they get their 40 –point lead. However in Week Sixteen, it’s hard to see them playing Tom Brady much in the second half (after he throws 2-3 TD passes). Laurence Maroney could get 30+ touches total these next two weeks.
Clinton Portis is going to face two of the league’s top run defenses when his Redskins take on the Giants and Minesota. It’s going to be very hard for him to come up large for you these next two weeks.
There was some trepidation with Marshawn Lynch for obvious reasons (he had the dreaded high ankle sprain), but for them to activate him tells you his ankle is close to totally healed. And for Buffalo to give him 23 carries when the game was over by halftime tells you he felt good. Unless he has some pain in the ankle this week, he’s good to go and is a must-start this week against Cleveland’s shaky run defense.
Congratulations to Fountain of Youth player of the year, Fred Taylor! Like most games this season, Taylor wasn’t doing much in last week’s game – until he busted off an 80-yard TD run. He needs to score from farther out, since Maurice Jones-Drew gets most of the red zone carries, but Taylor continues to run like a young pup. At this point, since you know he’s been great and since you know he’ll get the rock, you have to use him. The runner up for the Ponce de Leon award would be Joey Galloway, who is second only because he showed no signs of slowing based on last year’s numbers.
Andre Johnson has not been slowed by Sage Rosenfelds taking the reins of the Houston offense and now we know for sure that Johnson can even produce against a very stingy defense with the solid Rosenfelds at the helm.
Another wideout that has not been slowed by a change at quarterback, Lee Evans is a good bet to get 5-6 catches any given week with Trent Edwards in. You have to feel a lot better about Evans now after Edwards showed the ability to get him the ball deep. He may not make more than 1-2 more big plays this year, but he will catch a good number of passes each week and we know what he can do with them. Evans had only four pass targets, and basically made two plays…usually with Edwards in he’s more active.
In week one of the post Roy Williams era, shaun McDonald did a solid job in his debut as the starter on the outside, which is a good sign because he will see tougher coverage compared to when he’s basically the #3. Wideout Calvin Johnson really doesn’t command the ball every week, so McDonald should continue to be very active. He led the team with 12 pass targets and Johnson had 8.
Should you hate Travis Henry or Mike Shanahan? Henry wins his appeal of a positive marijuana test. He is healthy going into the game and scored twice the previous week. The team apparently wanted to limit his action all along, and with Selvin Young healthier and obviously able to do big things, there was no need for Henry in the blowout win. In fact, Young started the game, and the Chiefs had no answer for him. Henry was used early in the game and he did score, but you have to be careful with him the rest of the way because Young could seriously limit his production again. The Broncos have finally realized that they can’t over-extend either, and Henry’s knee isn’t completely healed, so he’s shaky.
When you talk about players who are producing now at the position, and that’s obviously very important this time of the year, Reggie Williams of Jacksonville definitely needs to be in the conversation. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, and he’s really physical with an eye for the end zone. There are many other players getting touches each week, but Williams is making the most of his and his quarterback continues to play very well. If you need him or are on the fence about him, roll with him. He had 9 pass targets, 3 catches of 15 or more yards, and he lost a 23-yard catch to a penalty, costing him a 100-yard game.
Surprise, Jerricho Cotchery goes from questionable for the season (he was listed as doubtful for at least the game) to back to being a very viable option because it appears Lavernaues Coles is still limited with his injury.
Ron Dayne was in and out of the game with his ankle injury, so you have to be concerned about him this week with the short week (they play Thursday). The injured ankle prevented him from participating in Monday's walk-through practice, making it unlikely he'll be able to play this week. However, if he is cleared to play and has no more issues in practice, he would be a viable starter against the Broncos, who have struggled to stop the run for most of the season. Head coach Gary Kubiak is planning on going with Darius Walker and dash of Adimchinobe Echemandu at running back in place of Dayne.
If Frank Gore can rush for 68 yards and average 4.2 yards per carry against the Vikings with Shawn Hill (you are justified in saying, WHO?) in at running the offense, and if he can catch 8 passes for 49 yards, then he’s worth starting for the rest of the season--and should be drafted next season exactly where he was THIS season. Gore gets Cincy this week, then Tampa Bay and finally Cleveland. Start him against all these teams if you’re still in it. If he’s not going to run well, he’s still going to be very active in the passing game (10 targets this past week).
While the juicy story out of San Francisco is the battle between Alex Smith and coach Mike Nolan for leadership of the team, Hill almost certainly will get the first start of his six-year career Saturday night at Monster Park. However, Trent Dilfer could get the nod if he's medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion in Sunday's 27-7 loss to Minnesota. He was released from Stanford Hospital on Sunday night and reported to work Monday still feeling the effects of the blow to the head. "I can barely think, let alone talk," Dilfer said. One certainty is Alex Smith will not be playing again this year after undergoing season-ending surgery.
One might think it would be tough to endorse Chris Cooley as a “must start” with Jason Campbell out, but you should have enough confidence in Todd Collins to continue starting Cooley and expecting good things. Collins knows the offense well, has a good arm, and he was able to get the ball to the tight end last week. In fact, he could even lean on Cooley even more than Campbell did.
Samkon Gado replaced Jesse Chatman against Buffalo and had 12 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns to go with two catches for 41 yards. Gado is expected to start in Week 15 against Baltimore and even though the Ravens are a stout run defense, he could have value simply because he'll get the majority of touches. Consider Gado a No. 3 Fantasy running back or a flex option against Baltimore.
Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron will also go with Cleo Lemon, not John Beck as his team's starting quarterback for their Week Fifteen game. The offense has not been able to move the ball at all with Beck at the helm, while Cleo Lemon gave them a bit of a spark last week in Buffalo.
Dallas TE Jason Witten's 15 catches Sunday not only set a team record for a game, but he tied the NFL record for catches by a tight end in a game. Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow (yes kids, ther is another Winslow) and Mike Ditka also had 15-catch games. Witten's final catch was a 16-yarder for the winning touchdown against Detroit. "There's a lot of playmakers in this room on offense, but I want that ball in my hands just like Terrell (Owens) wants it in his," Witten said.
Quick Hits
The injured ribs that Oakland Raiders’ Justin Fargas sustained this past Sunday are not likely to prevent him from playing in this week's game vs. the Colts.
Meanwhile, Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin announced that rookie JaMarcus Russell will not start this week's game, but will still see playing time.
Bobby Petrino doesn’t deserve a headline, instead Petrino should be ashamed. Leaving a Falcons team that has been nothing but turmoil all year is understandable. It certainly is better than holding them up all offseason like Nick Saban did to the Dolphins. But leaving a and singing the schools fight song (on camera) the night after a football game? Considering the leagacy he, Saban and Steve Spurrier left, NFL teams have to be wary of pulling someone directly from the college ranks. Turns out DeAngelo Hall had it right. Oh, yeah fantasy impact, there really is none.
The NFL has moved the Week Sixteen game between the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings to Sunday night. With the Vikings now at 7-6 and the Redskins at 6-7 the game is certain to have playoff implications, even if both teams lose in Week Fifteen.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren indicated Monday that starting running back Shaun Alexander will continue to rotate with backup Maurice Morris.
Place very little faith in Kyle Orton, and with the Bears announcing Monday that Orton will start this week's game vs. Minnesota, he could render Bernard Berrian fairly useless as long as he’s starting.
Seattle Seahawks WR D. J. Hackett (ankle) is ahead of schedule in his recovery according to head coach Mike Holmgren. However, Holmgren did not offer a firm timetable for Hackett's return.
The St. Louis Rams could decide as early as Wednesday afternoon what Marc Bulger’s (concussion) status is for this week's game.
Obviously, Javon Walker’s knee is still a major problem because he was expected to play, yet he was inactive. Walker’s name may look good on your roster, but that’s about all he’s worth right now.
San Diego Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal will be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a broken right fibula. While it doesn’t downgrade LaDanian Tomlinson much, it certainly doesn’t help.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden announced that quarterback Jeff
Garcia will return to the starting lineup for this week's game vs. Atlanta. Garcia has been sidelined the last two weeks due to a back injury.
“Throw Me the Damn Ball”
Players who had ten or more passes thrown to them this past week:
Jason Witten 18
Michael Jenkins 14
Randy Moss 13
Bernard Berrian 12
Shaun McDonald 12
Larry Fitzgerald 12
Plaxico Burress 12
Brandon Marshall 12
Marques Colston 12
Steve Smith 11
Drew Carter 11
Earnest Graham 11
Andre Johnson 11
Hines Ward 11
Wes Welker 11
Laveranues Coles 11
Devin Hester 10
Ted Ginn 10
Torry Holt 10
Chris Chambers 10
Frank Gore 10
Jerricho Cotchery 10
David Patten 10
Please note our new feature and feel free to offer your comments by clicking the COMMENT link. If this doesn’t get you “buzzed” enough, feel free to fire questions to me at phil@nfldraftbible.com or tune in Sundays at 10:30 AM to www.scrubradio.com for the fantasy spot hosted by Jib Records www.jibmachinerecords.com. CEO John Templeman and I will be happy to discuss all things fantasy football. You can also check out our weekly pocast, posted every Saturday covering all the upcoming NFL games. It can be found on the “audio” tab at the top of the NFLDraftBible.com media player.
While the regular and fantasy season is coming to an end, NFL Draft Bible’s draft research is just heating up. Stay with NFLDRAFTBIBLE.COM to see who your team is going to pick or who from your favorite conference or school will be moving on.
Best of luck in the playoffs, Rock on!
As the season comes to an end, there is still no shortage of replacement players that can come up big for you in the playoffs. Who might those players be? As we do every week, we bring you the buzz…
According to ESPNews, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush will not play again this season due to a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. With Bush out against the Falcons on Monday night, Aaron Stecker picked up 100 yards rushing on 20 carries. He also caught three passes for seven yards. Consider Stecker a top 30 running back the rest of the way.
Although New England refuses to run the ball, they probably won’t be punished for their stubbornness against the Jets and Bills. In fact, since they may look to score 10 TDs against the Jets this week, they may end up ruinning the ball once they get their 40 –point lead. However in Week Sixteen, it’s hard to see them playing Tom Brady much in the second half (after he throws 2-3 TD passes). Laurence Maroney could get 30+ touches total these next two weeks.
Clinton Portis is going to face two of the league’s top run defenses when his Redskins take on the Giants and Minesota. It’s going to be very hard for him to come up large for you these next two weeks.
There was some trepidation with Marshawn Lynch for obvious reasons (he had the dreaded high ankle sprain), but for them to activate him tells you his ankle is close to totally healed. And for Buffalo to give him 23 carries when the game was over by halftime tells you he felt good. Unless he has some pain in the ankle this week, he’s good to go and is a must-start this week against Cleveland’s shaky run defense.
Congratulations to Fountain of Youth player of the year, Fred Taylor! Like most games this season, Taylor wasn’t doing much in last week’s game – until he busted off an 80-yard TD run. He needs to score from farther out, since Maurice Jones-Drew gets most of the red zone carries, but Taylor continues to run like a young pup. At this point, since you know he’s been great and since you know he’ll get the rock, you have to use him. The runner up for the Ponce de Leon award would be Joey Galloway, who is second only because he showed no signs of slowing based on last year’s numbers.
Andre Johnson has not been slowed by Sage Rosenfelds taking the reins of the Houston offense and now we know for sure that Johnson can even produce against a very stingy defense with the solid Rosenfelds at the helm.
Another wideout that has not been slowed by a change at quarterback, Lee Evans is a good bet to get 5-6 catches any given week with Trent Edwards in. You have to feel a lot better about Evans now after Edwards showed the ability to get him the ball deep. He may not make more than 1-2 more big plays this year, but he will catch a good number of passes each week and we know what he can do with them. Evans had only four pass targets, and basically made two plays…usually with Edwards in he’s more active.
In week one of the post Roy Williams era, shaun McDonald did a solid job in his debut as the starter on the outside, which is a good sign because he will see tougher coverage compared to when he’s basically the #3. Wideout Calvin Johnson really doesn’t command the ball every week, so McDonald should continue to be very active. He led the team with 12 pass targets and Johnson had 8.
Should you hate Travis Henry or Mike Shanahan? Henry wins his appeal of a positive marijuana test. He is healthy going into the game and scored twice the previous week. The team apparently wanted to limit his action all along, and with Selvin Young healthier and obviously able to do big things, there was no need for Henry in the blowout win. In fact, Young started the game, and the Chiefs had no answer for him. Henry was used early in the game and he did score, but you have to be careful with him the rest of the way because Young could seriously limit his production again. The Broncos have finally realized that they can’t over-extend either, and Henry’s knee isn’t completely healed, so he’s shaky.
When you talk about players who are producing now at the position, and that’s obviously very important this time of the year, Reggie Williams of Jacksonville definitely needs to be in the conversation. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, and he’s really physical with an eye for the end zone. There are many other players getting touches each week, but Williams is making the most of his and his quarterback continues to play very well. If you need him or are on the fence about him, roll with him. He had 9 pass targets, 3 catches of 15 or more yards, and he lost a 23-yard catch to a penalty, costing him a 100-yard game.
Surprise, Jerricho Cotchery goes from questionable for the season (he was listed as doubtful for at least the game) to back to being a very viable option because it appears Lavernaues Coles is still limited with his injury.
Ron Dayne was in and out of the game with his ankle injury, so you have to be concerned about him this week with the short week (they play Thursday). The injured ankle prevented him from participating in Monday's walk-through practice, making it unlikely he'll be able to play this week. However, if he is cleared to play and has no more issues in practice, he would be a viable starter against the Broncos, who have struggled to stop the run for most of the season. Head coach Gary Kubiak is planning on going with Darius Walker and dash of Adimchinobe Echemandu at running back in place of Dayne.
If Frank Gore can rush for 68 yards and average 4.2 yards per carry against the Vikings with Shawn Hill (you are justified in saying, WHO?) in at running the offense, and if he can catch 8 passes for 49 yards, then he’s worth starting for the rest of the season--and should be drafted next season exactly where he was THIS season. Gore gets Cincy this week, then Tampa Bay and finally Cleveland. Start him against all these teams if you’re still in it. If he’s not going to run well, he’s still going to be very active in the passing game (10 targets this past week).
While the juicy story out of San Francisco is the battle between Alex Smith and coach Mike Nolan for leadership of the team, Hill almost certainly will get the first start of his six-year career Saturday night at Monster Park. However, Trent Dilfer could get the nod if he's medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion in Sunday's 27-7 loss to Minnesota. He was released from Stanford Hospital on Sunday night and reported to work Monday still feeling the effects of the blow to the head. "I can barely think, let alone talk," Dilfer said. One certainty is Alex Smith will not be playing again this year after undergoing season-ending surgery.
One might think it would be tough to endorse Chris Cooley as a “must start” with Jason Campbell out, but you should have enough confidence in Todd Collins to continue starting Cooley and expecting good things. Collins knows the offense well, has a good arm, and he was able to get the ball to the tight end last week. In fact, he could even lean on Cooley even more than Campbell did.
Samkon Gado replaced Jesse Chatman against Buffalo and had 12 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns to go with two catches for 41 yards. Gado is expected to start in Week 15 against Baltimore and even though the Ravens are a stout run defense, he could have value simply because he'll get the majority of touches. Consider Gado a No. 3 Fantasy running back or a flex option against Baltimore.
Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron will also go with Cleo Lemon, not John Beck as his team's starting quarterback for their Week Fifteen game. The offense has not been able to move the ball at all with Beck at the helm, while Cleo Lemon gave them a bit of a spark last week in Buffalo.
Dallas TE Jason Witten's 15 catches Sunday not only set a team record for a game, but he tied the NFL record for catches by a tight end in a game. Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow (yes kids, ther is another Winslow) and Mike Ditka also had 15-catch games. Witten's final catch was a 16-yarder for the winning touchdown against Detroit. "There's a lot of playmakers in this room on offense, but I want that ball in my hands just like Terrell (Owens) wants it in his," Witten said.
Quick Hits
The injured ribs that Oakland Raiders’ Justin Fargas sustained this past Sunday are not likely to prevent him from playing in this week's game vs. the Colts.
Meanwhile, Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin announced that rookie JaMarcus Russell will not start this week's game, but will still see playing time.
Bobby Petrino doesn’t deserve a headline, instead Petrino should be ashamed. Leaving a Falcons team that has been nothing but turmoil all year is understandable. It certainly is better than holding them up all offseason like Nick Saban did to the Dolphins. But leaving a and singing the schools fight song (on camera) the night after a football game? Considering the leagacy he, Saban and Steve Spurrier left, NFL teams have to be wary of pulling someone directly from the college ranks. Turns out DeAngelo Hall had it right. Oh, yeah fantasy impact, there really is none.
The NFL has moved the Week Sixteen game between the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings to Sunday night. With the Vikings now at 7-6 and the Redskins at 6-7 the game is certain to have playoff implications, even if both teams lose in Week Fifteen.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren indicated Monday that starting running back Shaun Alexander will continue to rotate with backup Maurice Morris.
Place very little faith in Kyle Orton, and with the Bears announcing Monday that Orton will start this week's game vs. Minnesota, he could render Bernard Berrian fairly useless as long as he’s starting.
Seattle Seahawks WR D. J. Hackett (ankle) is ahead of schedule in his recovery according to head coach Mike Holmgren. However, Holmgren did not offer a firm timetable for Hackett's return.
The St. Louis Rams could decide as early as Wednesday afternoon what Marc Bulger’s (concussion) status is for this week's game.
Obviously, Javon Walker’s knee is still a major problem because he was expected to play, yet he was inactive. Walker’s name may look good on your roster, but that’s about all he’s worth right now.
San Diego Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal will be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a broken right fibula. While it doesn’t downgrade LaDanian Tomlinson much, it certainly doesn’t help.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden announced that quarterback Jeff
Garcia will return to the starting lineup for this week's game vs. Atlanta. Garcia has been sidelined the last two weeks due to a back injury.
“Throw Me the Damn Ball”
Players who had ten or more passes thrown to them this past week:
Jason Witten 18
Michael Jenkins 14
Randy Moss 13
Bernard Berrian 12
Shaun McDonald 12
Larry Fitzgerald 12
Plaxico Burress 12
Brandon Marshall 12
Marques Colston 12
Steve Smith 11
Drew Carter 11
Earnest Graham 11
Andre Johnson 11
Hines Ward 11
Wes Welker 11
Laveranues Coles 11
Devin Hester 10
Ted Ginn 10
Torry Holt 10
Chris Chambers 10
Frank Gore 10
Jerricho Cotchery 10
David Patten 10
Please note our new feature and feel free to offer your comments by clicking the COMMENT link. If this doesn’t get you “buzzed” enough, feel free to fire questions to me at phil@nfldraftbible.com or tune in Sundays at 10:30 AM to www.scrubradio.com for the fantasy spot hosted by Jib Records www.jibmachinerecords.com. CEO John Templeman and I will be happy to discuss all things fantasy football. You can also check out our weekly pocast, posted every Saturday covering all the upcoming NFL games. It can be found on the “audio” tab at the top of the NFLDraftBible.com media player.
While the regular and fantasy season is coming to an end, NFL Draft Bible’s draft research is just heating up. Stay with NFLDRAFTBIBLE.COM to see who your team is going to pick or who from your favorite conference or school will be moving on.
Best of luck in the playoffs, Rock on!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Ones To Watch
By Ralph Mancini, NFL Draft Bible Senior Writer
JOHN LEE HIGGINS (WR-OAK)- With another season down the tubes, Oakland might be ready to give a long look at some of their younger and unproven players. Among these is rookie receiver John Lee Higgins. In his last two years at UTEP, Higgins averaged 19.7 yards per reception in addition to scoring 19 touchdowns. Ranked as the 14th best receiver in the latest edition of the NFL Draft Bible, the 5'11" 186-pound Higgins has the type of physical skills to turn a screen pass into an 80-yard score. Look for the 24-year-old to get some repetitions out of the slot.
SEAN McHUGH (TE-DET)- With tight end Casey FitzSimmons and star receiver Roy Williams out with injuries, the 6'5" 265-pound McHugh has been seeing more playing time and has looked very promising in the process. The former Nittany Lion hauled in three receptions for sixty yards versus the Cowboys in week 14. Overall, McHugh has averaged 17 yards per reception on the season. Widely considered to be an above-average blocker, McHugh is also an athletic route runner who knows how to get open despite his lack of blazing speed.
JOHN LEE HIGGINS (WR-OAK)- With another season down the tubes, Oakland might be ready to give a long look at some of their younger and unproven players. Among these is rookie receiver John Lee Higgins. In his last two years at UTEP, Higgins averaged 19.7 yards per reception in addition to scoring 19 touchdowns. Ranked as the 14th best receiver in the latest edition of the NFL Draft Bible, the 5'11" 186-pound Higgins has the type of physical skills to turn a screen pass into an 80-yard score. Look for the 24-year-old to get some repetitions out of the slot.
SEAN McHUGH (TE-DET)- With tight end Casey FitzSimmons and star receiver Roy Williams out with injuries, the 6'5" 265-pound McHugh has been seeing more playing time and has looked very promising in the process. The former Nittany Lion hauled in three receptions for sixty yards versus the Cowboys in week 14. Overall, McHugh has averaged 17 yards per reception on the season. Widely considered to be an above-average blocker, McHugh is also an athletic route runner who knows how to get open despite his lack of blazing speed.
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