Sunday’s Best: Cowboys (8-4) at Steelers (9-3), 4:15 PM ET FOX
The Cowboys are fighting for their playoff lives while the Steelers are trying to stay ahead of the surprising Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. Dallas could be without running back Marion Barber (toe injury), which would be a massive blow going against the best defenses in the league. If the ‘Boys can’t run the ball, expect Dick Lebeau to dial up plenty of blitzes to force quarterback Tony Romo into mistakes. This essentially is a must-win for the Cowboys, who would be left on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. A loss coupled with a Falcons win over the Saints and the Cowboys would need some help the rest of the way, with a remaining schedule that looks like this: vs. Giants, vs. Ravens, at Eagles. The Steelers, meanwhile, should be at full strength as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Willie Parker are expected to play. We’ll see what the Cowboys are made of come 4:00 o’clock on Sunday. Steelers are a currently a 3-point favorite.

Upset Watch: Texans (5-7) at Packers (5-7), 1:00 PM ET CBS
Houston welcomes back quarterback Matt Schaub this week but he’s not the reason they could pull off a decent-sized upset in Week 14. Rookie running back Steve Slaton is. Slaton is coming off a 130-yard effort against the Jaguars on Monday night and racked up 156 yards three weeks ago against the Colts. Considering the Packers are allowing a whopping 141.2 yards a game on the ground this year, Slaton could be set up for another huge day. The Texans will need to find a way to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, however, or else it’s going to be tough to win at Lambeau. The Texans’ pass defense is improving, but Rodgers and company are averaging 228.9 passing yards a game and could find success against a young Houston secondary. If the Texans don’t win outright, I say they cover the 6-point spread.

Intriguing Matchup: Vikings (7-5) at Lions (0-12), 1:00 PM ET FOX
There’s nothing intriguing about the winless Detroit Lions, but what is interesting is whether or not Kevin and Pat Williams will play for the Vikings. Minnesota needs a victory to stay at least one-game ahead of the Bears and Packers in the division, but without their interior defensive line, even the Lions are capable of finding some running room. The league suspended the Williamses on Tuesday morning, but a court ruling could change all that and allow the two mammoth d-tackles to play. If they don’t, could Detroit get its first win and turn the NFC North upside down yet again? Can Gus Frerotte keep this team afloat if the defense loses two key players?

Other notable games:

Eagles (6-5-1) at Giants (11-1), 1:00 PM ET FOX
Philly will try and keep its slim playoff hopes alive, while a win would crown the G-Men as NFC East champions and get them one step closer to claiming home field advantage throughout the postseason.

Redskins (7-5) at Ravens (8-4), 8:15 PM ET FOX
This Sunday night matchup is a great one. Both teams desperately need a win to stay within reach of a playoff berth. A loss for the ‘Skins could essentially knock them out of the postseason race.

Buccaneers (9-3) at Panthers (9-3), 8:30 PM ET ESPN
Finally a great Monday Night Football matchup after weeks of utter crap. The winner takes a one-game lead in the NFC South and holds an edge for the second spot in the NFC playoff picture, while the loser gets tossed into the Wild Card mix.

Falcons (8-4) at Saints (6-6), 1:00 PM ET FOX
Atlanta has been a nice story this year, but it can’t relax now. A win would go a long way in securing a playoff spot for the Falcons, who finish with a possibly depleted Vikings and a hapless Rams team in their final two games.

Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss Willie Parker, Brady Quinn, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Cassel and Donovan McNabb. We’ll also kick around a few sleeper QBs that have nice matchups this week.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

The opening and closing music is Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You),” which was actually one of the most requested songs of the ’80s on L.A.’s KROQ.

Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss Clinton Portis’ injury, the return of Cadillac Williams and Tatum Bell, Matt Hasselbeck’s back and Willie Parker’s shoulder. We also talk about a couple of quarterbacks that have nice matchups this week.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

(The opening and closing music is Joan Jett’s “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)“)

Non-FWP Mewelde Moore owners can rejoice! The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Willie Parker will not play in Week 10 against the Colts.

After finally returning from a four-game absence to play in Monday night’s victory against the Washington Redskins, the two-time Pro Bowl running back has a new injury — an ailing shoulder — and will not play against the Indianapolis Colts.

Parker injured his shoulder sometime in the third quarter against the Redskins — “I’m not sure how,” he said — but still finished the game. His shoulder did not begin aching until the next day, and he has not practiced this week. Parker finished with 70 yards on 21 carries in his first game back from a sprained ligament in his left knee.

He is expected to miss only one game and will be replaced by Mewelde Moore, who averaged 101 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns in three previous starts. Moore had three big catches for 45 yards against the Redskins.

The Colts offense is brutal, so Moore is an outstanding start.

Sunday’s Best: Giants (5-1) at Steelers (5-1), 4:15 PM ET
Does a matchup get more physical than this? The biggest news surrounding this game on the injury front is that Willie Parker is expected to return to the Steelers’ backfield this week after missing last Sunday’s win over the Bengals after aggravating his knee injury. He faces a tough front seven of the Giants, who bounced back last Sunday against San Francisco after being embarrassed on Monday night football two weeks ago in Cleveland. New York’s defense complied six sacks, forced four fumbles, intercepted two passes and held the 49ers to 2 of 10 on third downs. One thing to note is that the Steelers were manhandled by an Eagles team early in the season that runs a similar defensive scheme as the Giants do. Expect the G-Men to game plan against the run while blitzing Ben Roethlisberger early and often. Pittsburgh’s banged up offensive line is ranked 28th in sacks allowed, which doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Big Ben this weekend. Still, expect a Steeler defense pumped for the opportunity to stifle Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of New York’s explosive offense.

Upset Watch: Falcons (4-2) at Eagles (3-3), 1:00 PM ET
Bragging alert: I’ve called the last four upset-watches and five of the first seven this season. And if Martin Gramatica wasn’t awful, I would have nailed the Saints over the Broncos in Week 3 as well. I’m going out on a major limb this week in calling a Falcons upset over the Eagles. Not only is Philly a 9-point favorite, but the Eagles are also 9-0 under Andy Reid coming off the bye. But I’ve bought hard into the Matt Ryan hype and happen to believe Atlanta is better than what people are making them out to be. They trust Ryan to make throws in the passing game, can run the ball with Michael Turner and have beaten two quality teams in the Packers and Bears in their last two games. For them to walk away with a win on Sunday, however, the defense will need to step up. Donovan McNabb is shredding opposing defenses and will likely have Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis back from injuries. But the Falcons have moved the ball well this year, are protecting Ryan (which will be huge this week against Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense) and are coming off a bye themselves. They have a lot of momentum after the win over the Bears and have been a more physical team under first-year head coach Mike Smith. A win might be out of reach, but at the very least, I’m calling for a Falcons cover.

Intriguing Matchup: Chargers at Saints, 1:00 PM ET
Both of these teams were highly regarded as playoff contenders in preseason – if not Super Bowl contenders. But both of struggled with inconsistency so far and the Saints will be without Reggie Bush for the next 3 to 4 weeks. LaDainian Tomlinson has not looked like the same MVP back he’s been in recent years, but QB Philip Rivers has more than picked up the slack. Which one of these teams can get back on track this week playing overseas in London? Chances are, the winner might be able to save its season while the loser could start to fall off the playoff radar. (Especially New Orleans, who now plays in a surprisingly tough NFC South.)

Other Notable Games:
Cardinals (4-2) at Panthers (5-2)
Had it not been for the Giants-Steelers game, this matchup might have been the best the NFL had to offer this week. Each team is starting to make some noise, but both have also looked incredibly bad at times this year (see the Cardinals effort against the Jets and the Panthers against the Buccaneers).

Buccaneers (5-2) at Cowboys (4-3), 1:00 PM ET
No Tony Romo again for Dallas – will Monte Kiffin’s defense eat Brad Johnson alive?

Colts (3-3) at Titans (6-0), 8:30 PM ET Monday
The Monday night matchup is a great one. Can Peyton Manning turn around the Colts’ misfortunes this year against the surprising undefeated Titans?

Sunday’s Best: Redskins (3-1) at Eagles (2-2) 1:00 PM ET FOX
Who would have thought after four weeks that the Washington Redskins would be right in the thick of things in the NFC East? Especially after they bombed in the opener against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. But they are, and a big reason for that is the maturity of QB Jason Campbell, who has looked comfortable running Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense the past three weeks. But he’ll get a major test this weekend against Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense. The WCO is predicated on short timing routes and getting the ball into the hands of receivers so they can get yards after the catch. If Campbell can’t get the ball out of his hands quickly, Philly is sure to produce plenty of sacks and turnovers. Whether or not the Eagle offense converts those turnovers into points remains to be seen, however. In their loss last week to Chicago, Donovan McNabb struggled getting the Eagles into the end zone without the threat of Brian Westbrook in the backfield. Westbrook will be a game time decision, although he has seen a fair about of practice time this week, which might be a good sign that he’ll play. Expect another physical matchup between NFC East rivals.

Upset Watch: Bills (4-0) at Cardinals (2-2), 4:15 PM ET CBS
I’m not fooling oddsmakers by calling this a potential upset because they’ve already established the Cardinals as 1-point favorites. But considering how well the Bills have played this year and how Arizona surrendered 56 points in last weeks loss to the Jets, a Cardinal victory would be an upset. The fact of the matter is that the Cards just flat out play better in the desert than they do on the road. They’re a completely different team and while dynamic wide out Anquan Boldin is not expected to play after suffering a nasal injury last Sunday, the Cards have more than enough offensive weapons to pull out a win. The key will be Kurt Warner not turning the ball over and for the team to play all four quarters. Buffalo has trailed in the second half of three of their four victories this year, which means that they’ve been outstanding in the clutch. Arizona will have to play a complete game to earn a win, but an upset could be in the making.

Intriguing Matchup: Steelers (3-1) at Jaguars (2-2), 8:15 PM ET NBC
The Steelers may be 3-1, but they can’t feel too good about the way things are unraveling as injuries continue to mount. Not only will Pittsburgh go into this game without their top two backs in Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall, but Ben Roethlisberger is also dealing with shoulder and hand injuries and OT Kendall Simmons is now lost for the year. The Steelers had offensive line issues coming into the season with Simmons in their lineup. Now they have to play without him, which isn’t good news for Big Ben and the rest of the offense. The Jaguars started the year 0-2 but are now gaining confidence after beating the Colts and Texans in dramatic fashion over the past two weeks. The running game has opened up the passing attack for David Garrard, who is starting to play like the quarterback who led the Jags deep into the playoffs last season. We’re going to see what Pittsburgh is made of, because Jacksonville is starting to show signs of the Super Bowl contender that everyone that they’d be in preseason.

Other Notable Games:
Titans (4-0) at Ravens (2-1), 1:00 PM ET
Tennessee is one of only two teams still undefeated and perhaps is playing the best defense in the AFC. Rookie Joe Flacco looked like he was starting to come into his home against the Steelers, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against a tough Titans’ defense.

Buccaneers (3-1) at Broncos (3-1), 4:05 PM ET
This is one of the best matchups on the Week 5 schedule as it pits Monte Kiffin’s defense against the Broncos’ offense, which has been one of the best units in the league so far. Can Denver bounce back from its embarrassing loss to the Chiefs last week? Can the Bucs further convince people that they’re a contender with Brain Griese under center?

Bengals (0-4) at Cowboys (3-1), 4:15 PM ET CBS
Ocho Cinco vs. Grab Your Popcorn. Should be a good one.

Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his left shoulder in the Steelers’ 23-20 win Monday night against Baltimore.

Rookie halfback Rashard Mendenhall and right guard Kendall Simmons will be placed on injured reserve today. Mendenhall made his first start and he left in the third quarter with a fractured shoulder. Simmons has a torn Achilles tendon.

The injuries to the running backs left the Steelers with just one healthy back, Mewelde Moore. They went into the game with just three. Gary Russell was on the roster until he was released the day before they played Philadelphia, and re-signed to the practice squad.

Not a good start for the rookie back out of Illinois. The Steelers intended to use him in a running back-by-committee backfield with Willie Parker, but Mendenhall had a severe case of fumblitis in the preseason and Parker got the majority of the careers. Now Mendenhall will miss the rest of the season.

Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t looked that great the past two games as he battles shoulder and hand injuries, and now Mewelde Moore is the starting back. Not too mention the offensive line just took another major hit with the loss of Simmons. Even though they’re 3-1, Pittsburgh is in trouble.

JP’s Fantasy Take: Wow, what a bummer of a season for Mendenhall. Carey Davis actually looked like he was ahead of Moore on the depth chart, but he left the game with a twisted ankle. If he’s ready to go in Week 5, it looks like he’d be the main ballcarrier.

- After stumbling to a 0-3 start and looking atrocious while doing so, the St. Louis Rams have decided to make a change. Veteran Trent Green will reportedly start at quarterback this weekend against the undefeated Buffalo Bills as the Rams have decided to bench Marc Bulger. (NFL.com)

- Willie Parker will miss Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens after spraining his knee in last week’s loss to the Eagles. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall is expected to make his first NFL start. (NFL.com)

- Packers’ CB Al Harris could be lost for the entire season with a ruptured spleen, which was the same injury that knocked out former Bucs’ QB Chris Simms for the entire 2006 season. Tramon Williams, a second-year undrafted free agent, is currently Harris’s backup at left corner. (National Football Post)

- RB Brian Westbrook reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain during the Eagles’ win over the Steelers Sunday, a game in which “Westy� had to leave the game in the first half. His status for this Sunday’s game is still up in the air, but Westbrook expects to play. (Rotoworld.com)

- Struggling quarterback Derek Anderson is expected to start in Week 4 for the Cleveland Browns, but the team is prepping second-year backup Brady Quinn to play. Anderson could have a quick hook if he struggles Sunday against Cincinnati. (ESPN’s Chris Mortensen)

- Despite his poor performance in Tennessee last Sunday, Matt Schuab will reportedly keep the starting quarterback job in Houston. Unfortunately for Schaub, things don’t get any easier against Jacksonville this Sunday. (Houston Chronicle)

- After destroying the Patriots with it last Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will keep the ‘Wildcat’ package in their offensive. RB Ronnie Brown shredded New England for over 100 yards and four touchdowns while lining up predominately in that formation last Sunday. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Obviously, the Bulger news is big, but I doubt there were too many owners starting him last week. His numbers are down and I think most of us were expecting him to eventually turn it around and finish somewhere in the top 15. Scott Linehan is apparently desperate and feels like he’s on the verge of getting fired. Trent Green is old, but STL has some weapons so he could be a decent spot starter if he can get in the groove…As for Westy, Correll Buckhalter looks like the primary backup despite all the preseason talk about Lorenzo Booker…Rashard Mendenhall will be a hot pickup this week, but don’t break the bank in Blind Bidding leagues. He faces a tough Ravens defense and Parker could be back as early as next week. But if you can add him cheaply, do so, as you never know with knee sprains…Brady Quinn is a guy to target in larger leagues. The “Bench Derek Anderson” talk seems to be getting louder and louder and Quinn has a chance to be good with all the weapons in the Browns’ offense.

We’re only two weeks into the NFL season and some fantasy owners are already lamenting their teams. Nobody – not a NFL team and certainly not a fantasy team – likes to start 0-2, and while some owners are furiously trying to improve their teams, others are no doubt wondering, what if?

As always, I’m here to help. Below you’ll find the team you could have had. The rules? Pretty simple. To ensure the player is available, we have to draft him a round early. That is, if the player has an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 3.02, we have to take him in the second round. The plan is to start one QB, two RB, two WR and a TE, and I’ll leave the K and DT to your imagination. I’ll mow through the first twelve rounds so that we have a starter and a sub at each position.

Keep in mind, this draft is for a 12-team, Points Per Reception (PPR) league, with the Antsports’ High Performance Scoring System.

Off we go…

Round 1 - Reggie Bush (2.07)
Drafted: RB12
Actual: RB3
Someone actually gave me grief about considering Bush in the second round of my Industry Insiders league, and while there are a lot of (Reggie) Bush haters out there, the simple fact of the matter is that in a PPR league, the guy produces. Through two games, he’s averaging 127 total yards, 7.5 receptions, and 0.5 TD per game. He’s on pace for a 120-catch, 2000-yard season.
Alternate: Tony Romo (2.09)

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their dominance of the Browns, beating Cleveland 10-6 on a gusty Sunday night.

• The Steelers won their 10th straight over the Browns, and now own the NFL’s longest active win streak against a single opponent.
• Willie Parker topped 100 yards for the second straight week.
• The Browns rushed for 53 yards and are averaging 39.2 rushing yards in their last four games against the Steelers.

The Browns had their opportunities, but could never convert. In the first half, Derek Anderson threw two costly interceptions, the second one deep in Pittsburgh territory that cost the Browns an opportunity for points before halftime. Then, late in the third quarter down 10-0, Cleveland had a first and 10 at the Pittsburgh 11-yard line, but proceeded backwards after Jamal Lewis was stuffed for a three yard loss on second down and Kellen Winslow was called for a false start on 3rd and 7 from the 8-yard line. Anderson proceeded to throw an incomplete pass on the next play and the Browns had to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal. The Browns’ offense just couldn’t sustain momentum all night.

As the score suggests, the Steelers weren’t overly impressive but the weather conditions played into that. Battling a sore shoulder, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 186 yards and a touchdown, while Willie Parker rushed for over 100 yards for the second straight week. As previously noted, the Pittsburgh defense proved to be the difference, forcing two Browns’ turnovers and holding them to field goals when they reached Steeler-territory.

Whether it’s a few breakout wide receivers, a suddenly mature quarterback or an out-of-nowhere running back, Week 1 of the NFL season always has its share of surprises. Here are a few of the bigger revelations from the first weekend of action along with what they might mean in the larger scheme of things.

Michael Turner ran roughshod over the Lions.
Most people were probably expecting a pretty good game out of Turner against Detroit, but I don’t think too many fantasy owners had “The Burner� racking up 220 yards (10.0 ypc) and two touchdowns in his Atlanta debut. The Falcons’ offensive line opened up monster holes for their RB, and unfortunately it’s not always going to be this easy. Turner will be tested against the Bucs this week before another nice matchup at home against the Chiefs. Going forward, Turner looks like a solid RB2, though he might have the occasional bad game when a team jumps all over the Falcons in the first quarter.

Jay Cutler shredded a good Raider secondary.
I was very high on Cutler heading into the season figuring that a guy who could throw 20 TD while losing 30 pounds (and a lot of strength) due to undiagnosed diabetes would be a good candidate for a breakout season now that his illness is under control. He did play the Raiders in Week 1 (never a good gauge) and shredded what was supposed to be a pretty good secondary for 300 yards and two scores. And that was without his top WR, Brandon Marshall. He looked comfortable and in complete control of the Denver offense, which looks like it could be one of the best in the league. I think Cutler has a great chance to finish in the top 5 this season, which isn’t bad for a guy that was available in the 7th round.

In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Wednesday I take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and their potential offensive line woes.

I read a stat the other day that was shocking. Apparently Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 93 times in the past two seasons, second to only Jon Kitna of the Detroit Lions.

Granted, part of the reason why Roethlisberger has been dropped so many times is simply because he holds on to the ball too long. In fact, it has been noted that Roethlisberger has been working with QB coach Ken Anderson this offseason on making quicker reads and getting the ball out of his hands faster.

But the reason for the high sacks hasn’t been entirely Big Ben’s fault. After years of solid production, the Steelers’ offensive line has actually become a significant weakness, and something that could potentially kill Pittsburgh’s playoff aspirations this year.

When guard Alan Faneca signed with the Jets in the offseason, he took his five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro-Bowl résumé with him. Even though the Steelers didn’t want to financially bend over backwards for an aging guard, Faneca was one of the best offensive linemen in team history. Chris Kemoeatu, a 2005 sixth-round pick with only three NFL starts under his belt, has been summed to replace Faneca. His lack of experience is a concern, but even more troublesome is that he missed the first eight days of training game due to a triceps injury.

The only holdovers from the 2007 season are guard Kendall Simmons and left tackle Marvel Smith. There’s an open competition at center between Justin Hartwig and Sean Mahan, who had a sub par 2007 season while trying to replace former Pro Bowler Jeff Hartings. Willie Colon and Max Starks are currently competing for the starting right tackle job.

One of the reasons why the Steelers have been solid offensively through the years is because Hartings, Faneca and Starks brought cohesion and continuity to the offensive line. But those days appear to be long gone and outside of Simmons and Smith, there remains a ton of uncertainty on the o-line. Head coach Mike Tomlin and the players say there’s no need for concern, but the fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a productive offense with a poor offensive line. And even if Hartwig, Kemoeatu and Colon overachieve, the line on a whole is still going to need time to gel.

A team doesn’t replace a combined nine Pro Bowls (Hartings/Faneca) overnight, especially not with a player who was released from another team this offseason (Hartwig) and a former second day pick with only three NFL starts (Kemoeatu).

The attention in Pittsburgh seems to be on Willie Parker’s recovery and rookie runner Rashard Mendenhall’s development. But a bigger problem is brewing in the trenches and it could damage the Steelers’ postseason hopes.