The Fantasy Football Awards: 1st Half [and 2nd Quarter]

We’re halfway through the fantasy season, which makes it a good time to hand out awards for the first half. I handed out awards for the first quarter, so I’m going to include awards for the second quarter in brackets. These awards are based on performance scoring, such as this one from Antsports.com. For those players that missed games due to injury, I included those games in their per game averages.

QUARTERBACKS

MVP: Donovan McNabb (26.6 ppg) [2Q: Mike Vick (27.4)]
Despite a poor outing in windy conditions this Sunday against the Jaguars, McNabb holds onto the top spot for now. Vick, Peyton Manning and Marc Bulger all outscored McNabb in the second quarter, so Donovan may have trouble holding on to this honor.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning (24.3), Mike Vick (22.5), Marc Bulger (20.9) [2Q: Peyton Manning (26.5), Marc Bulger (24.5), Donovan McNabb (23.7)]

Biggest Surprise: Jon Kitna (19.4) [2Q: Phillip Rivers (20.4)]
The most interesting thing about these two players is that neither guy was mentioned in the first quarter awards. Kitna played well in the first four games, but was outplayed by Rex Grossman, Charlie Frye and David Carr. It appears that Kitna is really benefiting from Mike Martz’ offensive system. On the other hand, Rivers really has turned it on in the second quarter, upping his average from 16.9 in Weeks 1-4 to 20.4 in Weeks 5-8. He looks like the real deal and should be a solid QB for years to come.

Honorable Mention: Rex Grossman (18.4), Phillip Rivers (16.9), Alex Smith (15.9) [2Q: Jon Kitna (20.4), Damon Huard (17.4), Alex Smith (16.9)]

Biggest Disappointment: Daunte Culpepper (7.4) [2Q: Culpepper (0.0)]
Culpepper was drafted on average as QB8 in the end of the sixth round, and has spent the last four games on the sidelines nursing his sore knee. There were lots of questions surrounding his health this summer, but the Dolphins made the fatal mistake of passing on Drew Brees in favor of Culpepper. Apparently, they felt more comfortable with his knee injury than Brees’ shoulder injury. Needless to say, the move backfired.

Dishonorable Mention: Aaron Brooks (0.8), Ben Roethlisberger (11.5), Jake Plummer (12.2) [2Q: Byron Leftwich (7.2), Chad Pennington (9.0), Matt Hasselbeck (12.7)]

RUNNING BACKS

MVP: LaDainian Tomlinson (28.7) [2Q: Tomlinson (33.6)]
LT caught fire in the second quarter, gaining a total of 583 yards from scrimmage and scoring eight TD in those four games. He is currently holding off Larry Johnson for the #1 RB slot and has a better schedule down the stretch, so if he can stay healthy, he should finish at the top of the RB rankings.

Honorable Mention: Larry Johnson (26.3), Brian Westbrook (21.3), Kevin Jones (20.1) [2Q: LJ (28.2), KJ (21.2), Brian Westbrook (20.8), Steven Jackson (20.1)]

Biggest Surprise: Frank Gore (18.3) [2Q: Maurice Jones-Drew (16.8)]
Although he hasn’t been able to keep up his 20 ppg pace, Gore has been a solid option for fantasy owners that gambled on him in the 3rd-6th rounds. Jones-Drew has exploded as the backup to Fred Taylor. Just imagine what he can do once Taylor finally retires.

Honorable Mention: Maurice Jones-Drew (13.2), Ahman Green (12.9) [2Q: Frank Gore (16.1), Leon Washington (12.4), Marion Barber (12.4), Wali Lundy (10.2)]

Biggest Disappointment: Shaun Alexander (4.2) [2Q: Alexander (0.0)]
I suppose it’s worse that LaMont Jordan keeps teasing owners with the possibility that he’ll play, but no owners are reeling more than those that took Alexander third overall and backed him up with the underperforming Maurice Morris. He’s not going to play next week, but head coach Mike Holmgren said that he should be ready to go in Week 10. He’s got a favorable schedule down the stretch, so he still may lead a few fantasy owners to the playoffs before it’s all said and done.

Dishonorable Mention: LaMont Jordan (7.2), Jamal Lewis (8.2), Carnell Williams (11.2) [2Q: LaMont Jordan (5.7), Jamal Lewis (8.1), Corey Dillon (6.4)]

WIDE RECEIVERS

MVP: Andre Johnson (21.0) [2Q: Reggie Wayne (26.8)]
AJ got off to a fast start and is showing no signs of slowing down. The only question mark is David Carr’s benching on Sunday against the Titans. But Johnson was pretty quiet in that game until Sage Rosenfels took over, so it appears he will succeed with either QB. Wayne’s monster day against the Broncos put him over the top in the second quarter, though we’d probably be talking about Marvin Harrison had Denver decided to put Champ Bailey on Wayne instead.

Honorable Mention: Torry Holt (20.2), Reggie Wayne (19.2), Darrell Jackson (18.7) [2Q: Steve Smith (21.6), Torry Holt (21.4), Andre Johnson (21.3), Hines Ward (21.3)]

Biggest Surprise: Marques Colston (18.1) [2Q: Colston (18.1)]
I guess the Saints could do without Donte Stallworth this year. Colston, a seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra, continues to play at a blistering pace. Although Joe Horn has played better the last few weeks, he probably has Colston to thank. Defenses need to account for him, so that frees things up for Horn.

Honorable Mention: Bernard Berrian (14.1), Mike Furrey (14.0), Jerricho Cotchery (12.6) [2Q: Reggie Brown (17.4), Mike Furrey (13.3), Wes Welker (12.7)]

Biggest Disappointment: Randy Moss (11.6) [2Q: Larry Fitzgerald (2.4)]
Fitzgerald’s injury makes his numbers worse, but Moss’ performance hurts more because he demands to be started each and every week. Fantasy owners just never know when he’s going to go off on one of his three-TD days. For a third round pick, Chris Chambers has really underperformed, but the team is planning to move him to the slot. Is that the cure?

Dishonorable Mention: Larry Fitzgerald (8.7), Chris Chambers (11.9), Chad Johnson (13.5) [2Q: Chris Chambers (10.6), Braylon Edwards (4.1), Santana Moss (9.1)]

TIGHT ENDS

MVP: Kellen Winslow (13.9) [2Q: Alge Crumpler (21.5)]
Winslow continues to be the team’s best option on offense and has proven that he’s an every week starter. Crumpler and Antonio Gates have increased their production, so Winslow will have to be more productive to hold them off for the rest of the season.

Honorable Mention: Antonio Gates (13.5), Alge Crumpler (13.5), Todd Heap (12.6) [2Q: Antonio Gates (16.6), Owen Daniels (14.9), Randy McMichael (14.8)]

Biggest Surprise: Desmond Clark (11.9) [2Q: Owen Daniels (14.9)]
Clark is Rex Grossman’s favorite target in the red zone and provides a big target in the middle of the field. I doubt he’ll be able to keep up this kind of production once winter truly arrives in Chicago, but he’s still a good option just about every week. Daniels took the second quarter award behind a huge day against the Titans. Most of that production came with Rosenfels under center, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to keep it up with Carr at the helm.

Honorable Mention: Ben Watson (10.1), Owen Daniels (9.5) [2Q: Ben Watson (13.6), Desmond Clark (13.0)]

Biggest Disappointment: Jason Witten (8.0) [2Q: L.J. Smith (8.3)]
After the arrival of Terrell Owens, Witten has been an afterthought in the Dallas offense, but that has changed some with Tony Romo under center. Look for Witten’s numbers to improve as the season wears on.

Dishonorable Mention: Chris Cooley (8.2), Randy McMichael (9.4), Heath Miller (6.5) [2Q: Heath Miller (4.6)]

The Cincinnati Bengals have problems. And get this – this time, the problems are actually related to football and not complaints about whose turn it was to watch law-breaker Chris Henry. Running back Rudi Johnson is sounding off about the coaching staff suddenly abandoning the run – even when it has been successful:

“We changed what was working,” said Johnson, who holds the club rushing record. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. You know what I mean. Take a look at it. A lot of games we lose is for that reason.”

Here is just another case of an athlete that should shut is mouth and let the coaching staff worry about scheming and play calling. However, this is also another case of an athlete who seems to be right.

Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. sounded off about the direction of Maurice Carthon’s bland offense about a month ago. And after one week, the Browns scored 20 points with Carthon nowhere near the stadium in the Browns 20-13 win over the Jets. Michael Vick shot off on an HBO program that the coaching staff in Atlanta should allow him to throw more. Since the comments, Vick has thrown seven touchdown passes and the Falcons are a solid 5-2 after wins over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The final example is Edgerrin James in Arizona, who complained that the Cardinals needed to run more. Now look at Arizona – the Cards are an offensive juggernaut…okay, skip that last one.

Bottom line is that Johnson should keep his frustrations in-house. However, Marvin Lewis did completely abandon a working rushing game in the Bengals loss to the Falcons last Sunday. Johnson was finding running lanes left and right on his way to 32 yards and a touchdown on Cincy’s opening offensive drive (a drive that ended in a Johnson TD by the way). After that first possession, however, Johnson was rarely used (especially in the second half) and Atlanta was able to pressure Carson Palmer enough to escape town with a win.

Not that I promote the assailants running the asylum, but maybe some of these hard-headed coaches need to start listening more to what the players are seeing on the field.

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Fire away.

Legendary Celtics coach/GM Red Auerbach died of a heart attack on Sunday. He was 89.

Today, friends and family gathered to mourn his loss, and Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan related a few of the stories he heard during the memorial. He also shared his thoughts on the man and his legacy.

QUARTERBACKS

Here is a list of players that may be available on your league’s waiver wire, in order of relative value:

Jon Kitna, Rex Grossman, Tony Romo, Alex Smith, David Carr, Trent Green, Chad Pennington, Phillip Rivers, Steve McNair, Matt Leinart, Aaron Brooks, Charlie Frye, Damon Huard, Brad Johnson, Seneca Wallace, Mark Brunell, J.P. Losman, Bruce Gradkowski, Vince Young, Joey Harrington

Tony Romo looked solid against a decent Panthers defense on Sunday night and should be a pretty good play going forward against the right defenses. He’ll struggle at times, but he has a load of weapons, so he should succeed against moderate to poor defenses…Seneca Wallace exceeded expectations and appears to be a good option for Matt Hasselbeck owners…Steve McNair returned and torched the Saints for three TD (two passing, one rushing). It’s hard to utilize McNair as anything more than a fill-in because he could get knocked out of a game at any time…Trent Green has been practicing and may return to the starting lineup this week, though Damon Huard has done a fine job of holding down the fort…Aaron Brooks is also getting closer to returning, and the Raider passing game could use a shot in the arm. There’s no guarantee that Brooks is the answer, however.

RUNNING BACKS

Wali Lundy, Leon Washington, Mike Bell, Travis Henry, Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Fargas, Cedric Benson, DeAngelo Williams, Maurice Morris, Jerious Norwood, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Najeh Davenport

Wali Lundy has his second straight strong outing, turning 23 touches into 149 yards. He has proven he is the best back on the roster and should continue to get most of the touches. It’s important to keep in mind that Ron Dayne was seeing most of the short-yardage work…Mike Bell took advantage of Tatum Bell’s turf toe and rumbled for 136 yards on 15 carries. The other Bell was never able to get anything going. If Tatum continues to struggle with an injured toe, look for Mike to carry the load…DeAngelo Williams is getting close to returning and if DeShaun Foster can’t stay healthy, Williams will see an increase in value. If an impatient owner cut Williams after his injury, now would be a good time to pick him up…LaMont Jordan is struggling with a bad back, and wasn’t able to carry the full load on Sunday. Backs are notoriously dicey injuries, so if Jordan isn’t able to get it going, Justin Fargas will be the man, though the Raiders rushing offense has been pretty pathetic thus far.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Henry, Doug Gabriel, Mike Furrey, Jerry Porter, Mark Clayton, Wes Welker, Eric Parker, Marty Booker, Bryant Johnson, Marcus Robinson

The Bengals activated Chris Henry this week and he made an immediate impact, catching five passes for 81 yards and a score. He is especially valuable as insurance for Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh owners…Doug Gabriel has grown into the #1 WR role for the Patriots. Over the last two weeks, he has caught eight passes for 128 yards and a score, becoming a decent spot starter for fantasy owners…Bryant Johnson was a big disappointment this weekend, catching only one pass for nine yards against a Green Bay defense that has been horrible against the pass. Things are very bad in Arizona and I don’t expect any of the players will be dependable fantasy starters in the near future.

TIGHT ENDS

Desmond Clark, Owen Daniels, Alex Smith, David Martin, Eric Johnson, Jerramy Stevens, Courtney Anderson

Desmond Clark and Owen Daniels both had huge games on Sunday and shouldn’t be on the waiver wire much longer…David Martin turned in a nice game for the Packers, picking up where Greg Jennings left off. As long as Jennings is out, look for Martin to get lots of looks from Brett Favre, who is willing to throw to anyone if they’re open (or even if they’re not).

The Patriots win in Minnesota seemed to reveal a lot about where these two teams really are halfway through the season. The score being so lopsided is one thing, but the way Bill Belichick and Tom Brady combine to continuously dissect opponents never seizes to amaze me.

Belichick knew coming into this game that the Vikings were pretty stout against the run. So, what does the Super Bowl-winning coach do? Spread the Minnesota defense out by attacking the entire field through the air and let Brady do his thing. Brady attempted 43 passes, threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns while completing passes to ten different receivers. And how about the play of Laurence Maroney? Mike Tirico said it best:

“Maroney never gives up on any plays, does he?”

On defense, Belichick designed a scheme to completely take away Chester Taylor (Taylor was a non factor about one quarter into this game) and force Brad Johnson into third-and-long plays all night.

Minnesota looks a bit fraudulent after this shellacking. Not that the Vikings aren’t a decent team, but all the national guys were considering Minnesota a top 10 team after a few close wins. Johnson is a fine game-manager, but it was clear tonight that his game is so vanilla at this point that he can be had with a few small defensive adjustments. New England didn’t do anything out of the ordinary on defense, yet picked off Johnson three times. And the interception he threw to Rodney Harrison in the second quarter near the goal line was brutal.

This was one of those games that to me anyway, told a bigger story on the season. Minnesota will contend, but probably won’t make the playoffs with the talent it has right now. And the Patriots, good grief, everybody has to wake up and pay attention to these guys again. Their match up with the Colts next Sunday night is going to be great.

Here are your random thoughts for Week 8 as well as some comments by local sports writers around the nation:

- So, lets see: the Browns and Ravens fire their offensive coordinators and get solid victories. Dennis Green fires his offensive coordinator and all of a sudden Matt Leinart has completed just 40% of his passes the past two weeks. Hmm…

Green said Monday that he thinks the BYE week will “rejuvenate” the Cardinals. Arizona should “rejuvenate” Green right out the freaking door.

- San Francisco 10, Chicago 0 in the second half. Moral victory anyone?

- Chad Johnson is just fun. He’s not disruptive (ahem, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens) or malicious in his comments (ahem, Moss and Owens)…he’s just an entertainer.

- Superb passing day by Michael Vick (20 of 28 for 291 yards, 3 TDs) on Sunday. But here is where his maturity as an NFL quarterback is starting to rise: With at Atlanta up 29-20 late in the fourth quarter, Vick drops back to pass on a third and four and doesn’t see anybody open. Instead of throwing the ball out of bounds, he dives forward to take a sack so the clock continued to run out on the Bengals comeback chances.

- I don’t care what anybody says – Bill Cowher messed up by playing Ben Roethlisberger. He’s not healthy and his play against the Raiders showed it.

- Speaking of the Raiders, how the hell does Andrew Walter compete five passes for 51 yards and is a winning quarterback at the end of the day? Answer: When Roethlisberger is chucking touchdowns to Oakland’s defense every time the Steelers moved an inch up the field.

- Forget the talk about Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Just sit back and enjoy what they do for their respective teams. Manning was incredible against a damn good Broncos defense.

- Carolina is a fraud. The Panthers have the ultimate baby in Jake Delhomme and the ultimate over-hyped defense.

- Speaking of Delhomme – he and Tony Romo have my vote for the goofiest looking shoulder pads in the NFL.

- Does Jerry Jones own ESPN? I’m so sick of the coverage ESPN has given the Dallas Cowboys. It’s ridiculous. Seriously, go turn on ESPN right now. If live coverage of Bill Parcels chewing food or making his bed isn’t on right now, I’ll be shocked.

- With all do respect to Sweetness, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and the rest of the great running backs that have played in the NFL – LaDainian Tomlinson might be the best running back I’ve ever seen.

- The two most interesting wins to me yesterday were Jacksonville over Philly and Baltimore over New Orleans. The Jags hold the best passing offense in the league in the Eagles to only 161 yards (a week after getting shredded by Houston by the way) and the Ravens have an offensive surge while going into the house of the holy and beating a good Saints team.

- Every time I hear a useless comment by a sideline reporter on Sunday (and there are many to choose from), the comment Bob Uecker makes to his broadcast partner in one of the Major League movies rings throughout my ears:

“Dynamite drop-in Monny. That broadcasting school is really starting to pay off.”

Get ready for a big week in sports. Week 8 in the NFL wraps up tonight with a good matchup between the Vikings and the Patriots. Then the NBA tips off on Tuesday with alternating doubleheaders on TNT and ESPN the rest of the week. But don’t sleep on the phenomenal Thursday night college football matchup between #3 West Virginia and #5 Louisiville. When the schedule makers drew that one up this summer, I doubt they were expecting a rare Top 5 matchup with National Championship implications.

(All times ET.)

NFL
Mon, 8:30 PM: New England @ Minnesota – ESPN

College Football
Thurs, 7:30 PM: (3) West Virginia @ (5) Louisville - ESPN

NBA
Tues, 8 PM: Chicago @ Miami – TNT
Tues, 10:30 PM: Phoenix @ LA Lakers – TNT
Wed, 8 PM: Washington @ Cleveland – ESPN
Wed, 10:30 PM: LA Clippers @ Phoenix – ESPN
Thurs, 8 PM: San Antonio @ Dallas – TNT
Thurs, 10:30 PM: Denver @ LA Clippers – TNT

With the new AP and USA Today Top 25 polls posting over the weekend, it’s time to take a look at the top 10 in college football.

All I have to say on the national rankings is this: everybody told you so USA Today. How the hell could it have had USC ranked over Michigan for the past four weeks? Give me a break.

Here is how I see the Top 10:

1. Ohio State (9-0)
The national media continues not to disregard what a solid season running back Antonio Pittman (21 carries, 116 yards, two touchdowns, two receptions for 47 yards against the Minnesota) is having. I understand Troy Smith, the duo of Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr. and the rest of the Buckeyes’ passing attack open up lanes for Pittman - but that cat has been great for OSU.

2. Michigan (9-0)
The Wolverines continue to win games sort of unfashionably, but it doesn’t matter with the way Michigan’s defense has risen to the occasion this year. The Wolverine D completely dismantled Northwestern’s running attack on Saturday. It’s amazing how big of a game is shaping up in Columbus next month. Win and you’re in the National Championship – does it get any bigger than that?

3. Texas (8-1)
I think a lot can be said for how the Long Horns consistently get behind anywhere from one to three touchdowns and still find ways to win in the second half. Imagine what Colt McCoy and the rest of this Texas team could do if it actually played all four quarters.

4. West Virginia (7-0)
It’s finally go-time for the Mountaineers on Thursday when they travel to Louisville. Forget the home field advantage that the Cardinals will have, West Virginia is the better team and needs to play like it. With the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game likely out of the National Championship contest, a win over Louisville could place the Mountaineers (albeit reluctantly by most NCAA fans) into the title game.

5. Auburn (8-1)
With a narrow win over Mississippi, Tigers fans have got to be sweating a little bit with another Arkansas team coming into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. I know, I know, the Indians aren’t the Razorbacks, but something doesn’t sit right with me about this Auburn team.

6. Florida (7-1)
Georgia fans would be fooling themselves if they honestly felt like they hung with the Gators in Jacksonville on Saturday. Florida fell asleep after building a 21-0 lead and the Gators now have had back-to-back games where they suddenly can’t take care of the football. Trust me, the trip to Vanderbilt will be tougher than what most people are thinking.

7. USC (6-1)
Hear this: nobody was that surprised with what Oregon State did against the Trojans on Saturday. A USC loss was brewing for weeks and not that they’re the Yankees of the NCAA, but I get the feeling that college football fans everywhere rejoiced with the Trojans loss. John David Booty wasn’t the problem either – the defense was atrocious.

8. Tennessee (7-1)
South Carolina and Alabama (the past two Volunteer victories) are tough programs. But for this team to be taken seriously, Tennessee needs to come out this Saturday against LSU and put the hurt on a good team for once. Or else this squad has fraud written all over it.

9. Louisville (7-0)
I can’t believe the Cardinals are ranked over SEC teams like Auburn, Florida and Tennessee in the national polls. I’ll eat crow if Louisville comes out this Thursday and tops West Virginia at home, but come on – this isn’t a top five team.

10. Notre Dame (7-1)
Let me just say that I hate this #10 spot. I hate the #5 spot in the NFL Power Rankings and I absolutely at this #10 ranking for the NCAA. Clemson dropped the freaking ball in Virginia Tech and now the Irish somehow sneak right back into the top 10. But whom else are you going to go with? California? Arkansas? No, ND is ranked where it needs to be.

Here are your college football players of the week. Remember, if you feel that another player was worthy of higher honors than the two I chose, post the athlete and let me hear why you think he or they were more deserving.

Here are your top performers of the week:

Offensive Player of the Week: Brandon Ore, RB Virginia Tech
What an incredible rushing performance by Ore against Clemson last Thursday. The Tigers, a week after holding star Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson to zero catches, had absolutely no answer for Ore in Va Tech’s 24-7 thumping of Clemson.

The Hokie rushed for 203 yards and scored twice in the second half against a Tigers team that came into the contest ranked 10th in the nation.

Indian QB Kellen Lewis also deserves recognition for helping the Hoosiers completely demolish Michigan State 46-21. Lewis finished with five touchdown passes (including four to receiver James Hardy to set a school record) and one rushing score.

Defensive Player of the Week: Walter Mebane, LB Temple
How about those Owls, huh? Temple notched its first victory in 20 tries as the Owls defeated Bowling Green 28-14 on Saturday. Mebane was a huge catalyst in Temple getting off the schnide while recording a career high in tackles with 15.

What an absolute mess of a fourth quarter the Panthers had on Sunday night. Dallas, down 14-10 heading into the fourth quarter, put 25 points on the board to crush Carolina 35-14 and rebound from a bad Monday night performance against the Giants.

Starting his first NFL game under center, Tony Romo looked rather poised and comfortable in the pocket while throwing for 270 yards and one score. Romo connected with the ultimate coconut Terrell Owens nine times for 107 yards. Who knows how long this marriage will last, but Owens looked happier than a pig in slop with Romo looking his way on virtually every passing play. Nevertheless, it worked and Romo is 1-0 as a starter and Bill Parcels can breath easier for at least one night.

All you heard after Steve Smith returned to the lineup and Carolina rattled off four straight wins was how the Panthers were “back”. Yeah, Carolina’s back all right – back to looking like major overachievers. Jake Delhomme looks like the ultimate pain in the ass when he’s losing, but he certainly didn’t get any help from his receivers. Carolina dropped passes left and right on this guy and Keyshawn Johnson dropped a potential first down (if not a touchdown) reception when the Panthers could have really built a nice lead in the second half.

Most impressed with: How about the Dallas defense since we already talked about Romo? The Cowboys held Carolina to a modest 204 yards of total offense and limited Smith to six catches for 55 yards. Even though he scored on a reverse, Smith didn’t really have any game-altering plays like he displays on most Sundays. Dallas also forced three turnovers, including a key fumble on a Carolina kickoff, which eventually turned into seven points for the Cowboys.

Least impressed with: The Panthers on a whole were just lousy. Turnovers were one thing, but Dallas kept shooting itself in the foot all night with penalties and Carolina never took advantage of it. The Panthers defense allowed Romo to pick them apart (especially on third down conversations) all night and rarely did he have major pressure on him. And I’m sorry, I know he’s explosive with the ball in his hands, but Smith has no business trying to return punts from the two-yard line.

After a slow start, the tight end position has caught fire over the past couple of weeks. Today, a number of TEs went off, including huge days from guys that probably weren’t even drafted in your league. Mike Vick continued his stellar play, while LJ and LT continue to battle for the right to call themselves the #1 RB in the league. But enough of the tease, let’s get right to today’s Headliners and Flatliners.

HEADLINERS

Michael Vick (291 pass yards, 3 TD, 55 rush yards)
Peyton Manning had nearly as good of a day, but Vick’s 55 rushing yards put him over the top in most fantasy leagues. Vick is hot as a pistol right now, throwing for seven TD in the last two games.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning (345 yards, 3 TD), Drew Brees (383 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT), Rex Grossman (252 yards, 3 TD), Steve McNair (159 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 23 rush yards, 1 rush TD), Marc Bulger (327 yards, 2 TD), Carson Palmer (266 yards, 2 TD), Seneca Wallace (198 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT), Damon Huard (312 yards, 1 TD), Brett Favre (180 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush TD)

Larry Johnson (41 touches, 181 yards, 4 TD), LaDainian Tomlinson (28 touches, 240 yards, 3 TD)
I can’t decide which of these players had the better day, so they both get Headliner status. Both players have lived up to whatever standards are placed on the #1 overall pick, so at this point in the season, you can’t say that either guy was a mistake when drafted 1.01 or 1.02.

Honorable Mention: Mike Bell (16 touches, 143 yards, 2 TD), Ahman Green (23 touches, 133 yards, 2 TD), Steven Jackson (21 touches, 139 yards, 1 TD), Thomas Jones (27 touches, 134 yards, 1 TD), Reuben Droughns (35 touches, 132 yards, 1 TD)

Reggie Wayne (10 rec, 138 yards, 3 TD)
I was all set to give this award to Marques Colston, but then Wayne went off in the late game. With Champ Bailey smothering Marvin Harrison all afternoon, Wayne was wide open on the other side of the field and took full advantage of his opportunities, helping the Colts win a big, big game in Denver.

Honorable Mention: Marques Colston (6 rec, 163 yards, 2 TD), Joe Horn (5 rec, 126 yards, 1 TD), Plaxico Burress (7 rec, 86 yards, 1 TD), Andre Johnson (9 rec, 78 yards, 1 TD), Chris Henry (5 rec, 81 yards, 1 TD), Chad Johnson (6 rec, 78 yards, 1 TD), Eddie Kennison (6 rec, 132 yards)

Owen Daniels (9 rec, 99 yards, 2 TD)
The rookie continues to impress. He had his biggest game of the season after Sage Rosenfels took over at QB for David Carr. He’s athletic, has good hands and is only going to get better. Tight end widely considered as one of the most difficult positions for a rookie to learn, so Daniels is off to a great start.

Honorable Mention: Desmond Clark (6 rec, 86 yards, 2 TD), Kellen Winslow (7 rec, 70 yards, 1 TD), Alge Crumpler (4 rec 72 yards, 1 TD), Tony Gonzalez (6 rec, 116 yards), David Martin (4 rec, 48 yards, 1 TD), Todd Heap (3 rec, 47 yards, 1 TD), Jerramy Stevens (3 rec, 20 yards, 1 TD)

FLATLINERS

David Carr (113 yards, 1 INT, 2 fumbles)
Carr was benched after an awful start where he turned the ball over three times. Sage Rogenfels came in and brought the Texans back into the game, throwing three TD in the process. It’s not clear what this means for Carr going forward, but he did have the second highest QB rating in the AFC coming into the game, so it’s tough to see the Texans benching him for good.

Dishonorable Mention: Donovan McNabb (161 pass yards, 37 rush yards), Chad Pennington (108 yards, 2 INT), Andrew Walter (51 yards, 1 INT), Bruce Gradkowski (139 yards, 1 fumble), Charlie Frye (141 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Matt Leinart (157 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Alex Smith (146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 fumbles)

Tatum Bell (13 touches, 27 yards)
No RB had a worse day with a better matchup than Tatum Bell. The Colts are awful against the run, but it was Mike Bell that took advantage, rumbling for 143 yards and two scores. Tatum looked impatient and flustered and wasn’t hitting the hole with authority. Could we be seeing the makings of yet another RB controversy in Denver? Curse you and your wicked ways, Skeletor! (Speaking of Shanahan, can you think of a better Halloween costume? Just get a skeleton mask and a Broncos sweater and you’re all set!)

Dishonorable Mention: Deuce McAllister (7 touches, 19 yards), LaMont Jordan (7 touches, 21 yards), Travis Henry (15 touches, 29 yards), Reggie Bush (19 touches, 21 yards), Leon Washington (15 touches, 51 yards), Carnell Williams (13 touches, 54 yards)

Anquan Boldin (4 rec, 47 yards)
A number of big name WRs had less than mediocre days, but Boldin squandered the best matchup against a Packers defense that has been very suspect against the pass. Even though Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Laveranues Coles all had crappy days, Boldin’s pathetic line takes the cake.

Dishonorable Mention: Marvin Harrison (5 rec, 38 yards), Torry Holt (5 rec, 48 yards), Laveranues Coles (4 rec, 40 yards), Bryant Johnson (1 rec, 9 yards), Deion Branch (2 rec, 45 yards), Reggie Brown (1 rec, 13 yards), Reggie Williams (1 rec, 13 yards), Braylon Edwards (2 rec, 21 yards)

L.J. Smith (1 rec, 11 yards)
Smith and the rest of the Eagles’ offense battled the wind all day and were never able to get going against a Jaguars defense that has been inconsistent of late. Smith’s (and Shockey’s) play really hurt this week considering how most of the other TEs went off.

Dishonorable Mention: Jeremy Shockey (3 rec, 15 yards)

Be sure to check back Tuesday for the first half fantasy football awards, where I’ll run down the best players from the first eight weeks as well as highlight a few players that played great in the second quarter of the season.

Here was your best late game in the NFL:

Colts 34, Broncos 31
This contest absolutely lived up to the hype. What a performance by Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne against a normally stout Denver defense. Manning connected with Wayne 10 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns. Along with the three scores to Wayne, the always clutch Manning threw for 345 yards and completed an outstanding 82 percent of his passes. Even though the Broncos looked great on offense for the first time all season, Manning and the Colts had an answer for them on virtually every turn of possession.

Mike Bell rushed 15 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns and seemed to break long gains on virtually every offensive possession for Denver. Jake Plummer actually looked good too for the most part, but he fumbled in the second half, which led to a Colts score.

Most impressed with: Manning is just amazing. The guy performs every week and despite his playoff misfortunate, he shredded a really good defense on Sunday. Joseph Addai ran well in this game too, gaining 5.5 yards a pop while rushing for 93 yards.

Least impressed with: Not taking anything away from Manning’s performance, but where was the Denver defense? The Broncos came into the game allowing about a fraction of a point per game, but couldn’t stop anything Indy threw at them. Besides another solid game by Champ Bailey, Denver was just outmatched all day by Manning and company.

Quick Shots:
I’ve got an idea for Pittsburgh. Maybe instead of worrying about what the refs are doing (Dan Rooney), or what defensive lineman are saying about your reconstructed face (Ben Roethlisberger), how about you spend your time more wisely and figure out how in the hell the Oakland Raiders beat you 20-13. Why did Roethlisberger, just six days after suffering a concussion, play in this game Bill Cowher? Terrible call and it led to another loss in a quickly sinking season for the defending champs and another atrocious performance by Big Ben. Roethlisberger flat out sucked today, period. Congrats to the Raiders for making Roethlisberger and the big bad Steel Curtain look down right silly today…I thought it was interesting that one week after losing a tight game to the Chiefs that the Chargers were nine and a half point favorites against a upstart Rams team that was coming off a bye. Now I know why as San Diego thrashed St. Louis 38-24. LaDainian Tomlinson was incredible, rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams just didn’t have an answer for San Diego’s offensive attack all day…There was a controversial ending in Cleveland as the Browns topped the Jets 20-13. New York thought that it tied the game with less than two minutes in the contest when TE Chris Baker caught an apparent touchdown pass. Baker, however, was crushed out of bounds by two Browns defenders and the play ended up being ruled incomplete. Cleveland was able to run out the clock on the change of possession. Jets head coach Eric Magini was furious that the play couldn’t be reviewed and although it was a tough call, it would have been impossible to decide whether or not Baker (what a catch by the way) would have come down in bounds. Regardless, Cleveland was up 20-3 in this contest and this game arguably shouldn’t have come down to that play anyhow. Reuben Droughns completely tore up the Jets run defense with 125 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown. Also, somehow Charlie Frye fit a tight pass in between two defenders to Kellen Winslow Jr. At least after one week, the move to fire offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon was the correct one.

Don’t forget to check out my NFL Random Thoughts blog on Monday.

Here was your best game from the early action in the NFL:

Falcons 29, Bengals 27
Atlanta has walked on the wild side the past two weeks, but what a win by the Falcons. Cincinnati had everything going in the first half – especially on offense. After a Rudi Johnson rushing touchdown, Carson Palmer hit Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson for a nine yard score to build a 14-6 lead halfway through the second quarter.

Atlanta never gave in on offense, however, and Michael Vick put together another fantastic day through the air. Vick was 20 of 28 for 291 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly than his stats, however, was the way Vick picked apart the Bengals defense by making smart reads and taking exactly what Cincinnati gave him. Vick hit Alge Crumpler, Michael Jenkins and Justin Griffith for scores while also rushing for 55 yards.

Most impressed with: Along with Vick, the Falcons defense played superb in the second half. After giving up 17 points in the first half, the Atlanta defense made adjustments at halftime and tightened-up its overall play. If it weren’t for a 55 yard bomb to Chris Henry towards the end of the contest, the Falcons defense would have held the Bengals to only three points in the second half.

Least impressed with: “Ocho Cinco” vs. DeAngelo Hall was a real dud. Johnson finished with six catches for 70 yards and the one score, but most of that came against the Falcons other corner, Jason Webster. Speaking of Webster, he was horrible in coverage for the second straight week. I’m shocked that Jim Mora hasn’t gone to the rookie Jimmy Williams yet. I think Atlanta got the benefit from some calls by the officials too.

Quick Shots:
The only other early game that was even remotely close was the Chiefs beating the Seahawks 35-28. This was an absolute wacky game that included a botched Kansas City field goal that turned into a 61-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Seattle’s Kelly Herndon. The story of this game was Larry Johnson absolutely going off for 155 yards and four total touchdowns…Speaking of going off, the Bears spanked the 49ers 41-10. Chicago scored every single one of its 41 points in the first half. QB Rex Grossman was 23 of 29 for 252 yards and three touchdowns – completely shaking off his dismal performance on Monday night two weeks ago…The Packers notched their third win of the season with a 31-14 rout of Arizona. Brett Favre threw a touchdown and ran for another while RB Ahman Green rushed for two scores and 106 yards. Ranked dead last in passing defense coming into the game, Green Bay held QB Matt Leinart in check, picking off the rookie once and limiting him to 157 yards through the air…Houston fell to the Titans 28-22 after David Carr absolutely handed this game over on a silver platter. Carr was benched for Sage Rosenfels after losing the handle on two fumbles and throwing two picks. Rosenfels almost led the Texans to a comeback victory, but fell short in the end. Rookie QB Vince Young threw just 15 passes in this contest, but completed seven of those passes for 87 yards and a touchdown…The Jaguars, who got waxed by those aforementioned Texans last week, came out this Sunday and smoked Philly 13-3. Jacksonville’s defense finally showed up again after a few turbulent weeks, holding Donovan McNabb to 161 yards passing and Brian Westbrook to just 38 yards rushing. Fred Taylor ran well for the Jags (103 yards and their only score), while QB David Garrard wasn’t asked to do too much in spot duty for the injured Byron Leftwich. Garrad attempted just 17 passes and finished with 87 yards…Brian Billick wanted to call his own plays for the Ravens and after a 35-22 win over the Saints, it looks like Billick made the right call firing Jim Fassel. Let me get this straight: the Ravens start off hot; look awful on offense the past few weeks and then hammer (the score was closer than the game actually was) a previously unbeaten Saints team in New Orleans? Weird. Nice game by QB Steve McNair who bounced back from a concussion he suffered two weeks ago to finish 17 of 23 and three total touchdowns…The boring game of the day goes to the Giants and Bucs after New York squeezes out a snoozer: 17-3. There was nothing boring about WR Plaxico Burress’ first half touchdown, however. Burress reached out for an Eli Manning pass and snagged it one-handed to give New York its first score. The Giants defense is playing excellent of late too, holding Tampa Bay to just 174 total yards.

Don’t forget to check out my NFL Random Thoughts blog on Monday.

After a crazy start to the season, the Contra Costa Time is reporting that Jerry Porter will play today, and likely start as he was practicing with the first-team offense the entire week.

Fantasy impact: Grab Porter if you have roster space. The Raiders pass offense isn’t very good, but Porter led the Raiders in receptions last season so he does hold value if he’s starting. I wouldn’t recommend putting him in the lineup yet, unless you are completely desperate for a starting WR.

Top 10 Rewind:

1. Ohio State (9-0)
Well it’s about time the Buckeyes give a little love to RB Antonio Pittman. Pittman rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in OSU’s 44-0 pummeling of Minnesota. While QB Troy Smith and WR Ted Ginn Jr. have been the flash and dash for the Buckeyes, Pittman, in my opinion, has been the backbone of the offense. Speaking of Smith, he ran for a touchdown against the Gophers – his first of the year – and threw for one more. The story of the game was the total yardage by both teams. OSU racked up 476 to Minnesota’s paltry 179.
Next Game: at. Illinois, Nov. 4.

2. Michigan (9-0)
No hiccup for the Wolverines in Ann Arbor as Michigan topped Northwestern 17-3 on a sloppy, rain-soaked field. There hasn’t been any real secret in how the Wolverines have been winning without stud WR Mario Manning, who has missed significant time with an injury. Michigan has been victorious with a powered running attack with RB Mike Hart (95 yards and a score), don’t let turnovers kill you and play suffocating defensive. Teams were able to run on U of M last year, but that certainly isn’t the case for ’06. Check this stat out: the Wildcats mustered minus-13 total yards on the ground on Saturday.
Next Game: vs. Ball State, Nov. 4.

3. USC (6-1)
This has been brewing for weeks hasn’t it? The Trojans were drop kicked by unranked Oregon State 33-31 after a John David Booty two-point conversion fell incomplete with just seven seconds reaming. This loss is huge for teams like Auburn and Florida, who have beaten tough competition and needed another one-loss team like USC to justify a big rising in the rankings. Here’s what makes matters worse for USC: the Trojans only “decent” win was over Nebraska at home in September. But with the Cornhuskers dropping another game on Saturday (41-29 to OK State), that “big” victory looks more like the rest of the cupcakes USC has squeaked by this season. Have a nice day Trojans.
Next Game: at. Stanford, Nov. 4.

4. West Virginia (7-0)
BYE week – sleep tight little Mountaineers. Your big game is coming.
Next Game: at. Louisville, Nov. 2.

5. Texas (8-1)
Why do the Long Horns seem to always give up two or three scores before coming to play each week? Texas Tech led 21-0 in the first quarter before Texas rallied to beat the Red Raiders 35-31 on yet another solid performance by freshman Colt McCoy. McCoy went 21 of 31 for 256 yards and four touchdowns to keep the Long Horns at one loss. Check out this stat: Texas Tech passed for 519 yards while only rushing for minus-1 yard. Talk about your imbalance attack on offense. Any sort of running game and the Red Raiders easily dispose of the Long Horns on Saturday.
Next Game: vs. Oklahoma State, Nov. 4.

6. Louisville (7-0)
BYE week – sleep tight Cardinals. Your big game is coming as well.
Next Game: vs. West Virginia, Nov. 2.

7. Auburn (8-1)
The Tigers had visions of the loss to Arkansas dancing in their heads after a closer-than-expected run in with Mississippi. Auburn needed two John Vaughn field goals in the forth quarter to break a 17-17 tie and give the Tigers a 23-17 win. Kenny Irons kept Auburn afloat with 106 yards on 23 carries while QB Brandon Cox completed 21 passes on 34 attempts for 253 yards and a touchdown. Ole Miss didn’t do anything exceptional in this contest. In fact, they were out gained by Auburn 428-256, but the Tigers could just never break away and kept the Rebels in the game with two turnovers.
Next Game: Arkansas State, Nov. 4.

8. Tennessee (7-1)
The Game Cocks came strong at the Vols didn’t they? Erik Ainge put in a solid performance, however, and led Tennessee to a nice 31-24 win over a tough South Carolina opponent. Ainge went 21 of 29 for 254 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while completing five passes for 106 yards to his go-to-guy Robert Meachem. Despite getting out-rushed 165-71 by the Game Cocks, Tennessee was able to notch a last second interception to seal the game.
Next Game: vs. LSU, Nov. 4.

9. Florida (7-1)
You can always throw out the records in rivalry games right? The Gators looked liked world-beaters when they went up 21-0 on unranked Georgia in “The World’s Largest Cocktail Party”. Although the Bull Dogs eventually fell to Florida 21-14, give UGA credit for hanging tough. The Dawgs forced a late turnover on RB Tim Tebow and almost had a shot to tie the game late if it weren’t for a late Florida first down to ice the game. The Gators won this game on defense by forcing two fumbles and nabbing two Matthew Stafford passes for interceptions. Nice day by WR Andre Caldwell of Florida. Caldwell scored once on a reverse and then once on a touchdown pass from Chris Leak. He also finished with eight receptions for 86 yards and rushed five times for 29 yards.
Next Game: at. Vanderbilt, Nov. 4.

10. Clemson (7-2)
What a trap game for the Tigers. Clemson headed into Blacksburg and faced an undefeated, supposedly un-motivated Virginia Tech team and it got crushed 24-7. What an incredible game by RB Brandon Ore, who rushed for 203 yards on 37 carries and scored two touchdowns. The Tigers didn’t have an answer for Ore or the rest of the Hokies – hope they enjoyed their quick stop in the top 10.
Next Game: vs. Maryland, Nov. 4.

Most impressed with: Oregon State for finally exposing USC for what the Trojans really are: a solid squad, but not one that deserves to be #2 or #3 in the country.

Least impressed with: Clemson. I’ve backed the Tigers for weeks now, but they laid an egg in Blacksburg and you just can’t allow a back to churn out 203 yards on you when you’re ranked 10th in the nation.

Congratulations: Mad congrats go out to Temple for knocking off Bowling Green University 28-14. The Owls officially ended their 20-game losing streak with the win.

Shame on you: The shame on you honors go out to Bowling Green University for its loss to Temple. How could you lose to freakin’ Temple? The Owls are one step above high school football.

Looking forward: I hope the contest between #4 West Virginia and #6 Louisville is even half of what people are making the game out to be. Something tells me that the Mountaineers are a far superior team and that will come out on November 2nd. LSU at Tennessee should be a decent game too and OK State-Texas is always good too.

The short answer…no.

The Clippers signed center Chris Kaman to a contract extension, solidifying a promising young core in the process. Many critics will say that the team overpaid for “The Caveman,” but $10 M is a fair deal for Kaman’s current skills and upside.

Take a quick look at Kaman’s stats:

2003-04: 6.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 69.7% FT, 46.0% FG
2004-05: 9.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 66.1% FT, 49.7% FG
2005-06: 11.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 77.0% FT, 52.3% FG

Aside from a hiccup in his free throw percentage two seasons ago, Kaman progressed in each of the five important categories for a center. The league is trending smaller, but that’s because most teams don’t have another option. They are electing to speed up the tempo rather than have sluggish big men on the roster for no other reason than just to have them. But Kaman doesn’t present that problem. He’s developed a great left hand and several solid moves in the post. Moreover, he’s a hard worker and will continue to improve his game.

Good signing by the Clippers. Maybe Donald Sterling isn’t such a tightwad after all.

Troy Williamson underwent a MRI on his concussed head and is listed as questionable for Monday night’s game. Avoid starting him if at all possible…Laveranues Coles dressed for practice but didn’t go on Friday, which is a little worrisome. Keep your eye on the Jets’ inactives Sunday morning…LaMont Jordan returned to practice and “looked good” according to Art Shell. The Raiders play the Steelers, so if you have a good option besides Jordan, use it…Ben Roetlisberger is likely to start this week, but keep an eye on the Steelers’ inactives and be prepared to start Charlie Batch in his place…Carnell Williams will continue to come out of the games on third down, with Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott on the field in obvious passing situations…Byron Leftwich and Jack Del Rio are apparently not speaking to each other. Even though Leftwich has already been declared out for this game, keep an eye on this situation…Greg Jennings is listed as doubtful so don’t count on him this week…Kellen Winslow practiced all week and should play against the Jets…Steve McNair was upgraded to probable and should play against the Saints tomorrow…After much speculation, the Bengals did activate Chris Henry and he should resume his role as the team’s third WR…Ahman Green is listed as probable and is a solid play against the Cardinals…Larry Fitzgerald is listed as doubtful and will probably not play against Green Bay…Brian Westbrook, Donte Stallworth and L.J. Smith practiced and should play Sunday…Rudi Johnson practiced on Friday and is expected to play against the Falcons, who have been susceptible to the run the last couple weeks with injuries to their defense.