Category: NFL (Page 1104 of 1282)

      Water Cooler Recap: Week 5

      October 7, 2007 /

      Quick observations from Sunday’s action:

      Colts 33, Bucs 14
      This was supposed to be the marquee match up of the day, but Indy dominated in all phases of the game, even without Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders. Kenton Keith (121 yards, 2 TDs) was fantastic filling in for Addai…A week after I laud Monte Kiffin for being one of the best game planners in the league, his unit surrenders 400 total yards and 33 points to a banged up Colts offense.

      Patriots 34, Browns 17
      This was easily New England’s worst performance of the season and they still put up 34 points…The Browns might have the most inept defensive line in football in terms of creating pressure and stopping the run…

      Steelers 21, Seahawks 0
      For Pittsburgh to shutout Seattle without Troy Polamalu, Bryant McFadden and Casey Hampton is impressive…Shaun Alexander rushed for only 25 yards on 11 carries, which was his worst statistical performance since November of 2002.

      Chargers 41, Broncos 3
      San Diego looked great, especially Philip Rivers (270 yards, 2 TDs), but Denver was atrocious. Nice effort by the Broncos defense on Michael Turner’s 74-yard run in the fourth quarter and did they ever consider defending Antonio Gates? He was open all game.

      Jaguars 17, Chiefs 7
      With how good the Jags defense is, all David Garrard has to do is not turn the ball over and this team might sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card…Mike Solari had no clue how to move the ball against Jacksonville’s defense; the Chiefs finished with just 10 rushing yards.

      Titans 20, Falcons 13
      The Titans have the most underrated defense in the league – they saved Vince Young’s ass all day…The Falcons defensive players owe their offensive mates a swift kick to the throat after blowing a gift-wrapped victory…

      Panthers 16, Saints 13
      The Saints dominated this game, but two miscues in the fourth quarter cost them their first victory in 2007…Carolina should thank the football gods that they won a game in which David Carr started…

      Giants 35, Jets 24
      The Giants have needed a playmaker in their secondary for years and finally found one in Aaron Ross (2 INTs, 1 TD)… Kellen Clemons has to start for the Jets next week doesn’t he? Chad Pennington was brutal…

      Redskins 34, Lions 3
      Gregg Williams’s defensive game plan for Mike Martz’s offense was a thing of beauty…The stat of the game for the Lions: 1 for 10. As in, 1 for 10 on third down conversions…

      Texans 22, Dolphins 19
      Matt Schaub has nothing for weapons, but is willing the Texans to victories. Of course it helps when your kicker can make a 57-yard game winning field goal too…Please hang it up Trent Green – there’s plenty of life after football and you’re going to need your health.

      Ravens 9, 49ers 7
      What a brutal game. I don’t know whether to applaud both teams’ defense or shred the offenses. At least one man showed up in this game – way to go Matt Stover (3 FGs).

      Cardinals 34, Rams 31
      With Anquan Boldin sidelined for the second straight week, Larry Fitzgerald (9 rec. 136 yards, 1 TD) once again played like a man possessed… It wasn’t pretty, but Gus Frerotte had a gutsy performance. It’s too bad the defense continues to give up 30-plus points a game…

      NFL

      Week 5 Preview

      October 4, 2007 /

      Every week, I highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Carson Palmer or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      START ‘EM

      QB: Jay Cutler looks like a nice start against the Chargers, who have given up an average of 253 yards and 2 TD per game thus far…Expect a good game out of Matt Schaub, who may not throw for a ton of yards against Miami, but should be good for a TD or two…Chad Pennington has a pretty nice matchup against the Giants, who have allowed 219 yards and 2 TD per game…For the desperate (or Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer owners), Jason Campbell has a nice matchup against the Lions, who have been pretty bad against the pass.

      RB: Edgerrin James is in for a big day against the Rams, who have yielded the 4th most rushing yards (along with 1.8 rush TD) per game…Marion Barber and Julius Jones look like decent starts against a Bills defense that has allowed 148 yards per game on the ground…Ahman Green (or Ron Dayne, if Green can’t go) should have a nice day against the Dolphins, who are last in the league in rush defense…It looks like Clinton Portis will play, and he’s a nice start against the Lions, who have given up 1.5 rush TD per game thus far.

      WR: Could Lee Evans build on his first decent game of the season? The Cowboys have been pretty bad against opposing wideouts and there’s a good chance that the Bills will be playing catchup for most of the game…Brandon Marshall (and Javon Walker, if he plays) are must-starts against the Chargers…Wes Welker faces the Browns (30th in passing yards allowed) is a definite start in PPR leagues.

      SIT ‘EM

      QB: It would be wise to bench Derek Anderson against the Patriots. He can start if necessary, because there’s a decent chance he’ll rack up yardage trying to catch up, but the Pats have been tough against opposing QBs…David Garrard and Damon Huard should be avoided in the JAX/KC game. Both defenses are in the top 5 in the league in fewest passing yards allowed…Philip Rivers has a brutal matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed only 115 yards and just 1.3 TD per game.

      RB: Marshawn Lynch faces the Cowboys, who have yielded an average of 81 yards and 0.3 TD on the ground…Jamal Lewis managed to score against a stingy Ravens rush D, and this week he has to face the Pats who are 3rd in the league in rush defense…Brian Leonard will find the going tough against a surprisingly good Arizona rush defense. The Cardinals have allowed just 96 yards per game on the ground…Cedric Benson has been spotty this season and this week he faces a Packers defense that has yet to allow a rushing TD.

      WR: I know it’s tough to bench him, but Braylon Edwards may struggle if the Pats are successful in their plan to limit the Browns’ passing game. He should start in most leagues unless owners have another good option at WR…Dwayne Bowe is on fire, but he faces a Jags defense that has allowed just 151 yards and 0.3 TD through the air in three games…Vincent Jackson will probably continue to struggle when he goes up against Champ Bailey and the rest of the Denver secondary…Don’t expect much out of Joey Galloway, who had a very quiet week 4. He faces a Colts secondary that is tough to throw on (176 yards per game).

      SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

      Antwaan Randle El (vs. DET)
      Randle El should get more targets if Santana Moss doesn’t play (and it appears that he won’t). Since his huge week 1, he’s been pretty quiet, but the Lions secondary is very suspect.

      TOUGH SLEDDING

      Shaun Alexander (@ PIT), Frank Gore (vs. BAL)
      Unless you have a better option, Alexander and Gore should still be in your starting lineup, but ratchet down the expectations for these studs. Both defenses are in the top 8 against the run and have given up just one rush TD so far this season.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Whitlock’s truths on the money

      October 4, 2007 /

      Although he can be a blind loyalist at times (especially when it comes to Donovan McNabb), Jason Whitlock really drove home two points in his “10 truths” for FOXSports.com.

      8. Marvin Lewis is learning the lesson Dennis Green learned in Minnesota: Don’t turn your team over to wide receivers.… Johnson and Houshmandzadeh are great players. You can win with them. But if you coddle them, they will undermine team discipline. If Lewis continues to allow Johnson to play by one set of rules and turn the Bengals into Chad’s personal reality show, the team will not come out of this funk….

      6. Let me be the first to say it: Andy Reid is overrated.
      Standing on the sideline and calling pass play after pass play while the Giants are hammering the franchise quarterback who built your reputation was one of the most selfish coaching acts I’ve ever witnessed…

      The Bengals are a bigger disaster than people think and it’s not entirely the defense’s fault as some suggest. Houshmandzadeh is a terrific player, but if the Bengals are losing, there might not be a bigger crybaby in the league. Whitlock compared Marvin Lewis’s handling of Housh and Johnson to the way Denny Green coddled Randy Moss and Cris Carter in Minnesota. Great call.

      As far as Reid, I would say he’s more stubborn than overrated. Whitlock has serious man-love for McNabb, so it makes sense that he would bash Reid. However, Whitlock’s underlining message is spot on. The Eagles started to have massive success after Reid handed over the play calling duties to Marty Mornhinweg last year. Mornhinweg made the Eagles more balanced and that was a big reason Jeff Garcia was able to advance the team to the second round of the playoffs. Yet Reid has taken over the play calling responsibilities again this year and it’s obvious his pass-happy ways are going to get McNabb killed again. As Whitlock pointed out in the article, why call 900 pass plays Sunday night when it was obvious the Giants were treating Winston Justice like a revolving door?

      NFL

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