Category: NFL (Page 902 of 1282)

      Quinn solid in debut, but Browns choke again

      November 6, 2008 /

      Brady QuinnAll of the talk surrounding the Cleveland Browns from the start of the season until now has been around the quarterback. But the fact that they sit 3-6 right now after losing 34-30 to the Denver Broncos on Thursday night has little to do with the play of their quarterback.

      It has to do with Kellen Winslow fumbling. And Braylon Edwards not making plays. And the defense’s ability to choke away leads by giving up big plays. And defensive coordinator Mel Tucker putting his corners on islands in the most inopportune situations.

      In his first career start, Brady Quinn was outstanding. The Browns were able to get the running game going and Quinn was able to pick apart Denver’s decimated secondary by getting the ball out of his hands quickly and taking what the defense gave him. His final numbers (23 of 35 for 239 yards and two touchdowns) should have been good enough to earn him a victory. But the Browns continue to lose because they can’t do the simplest of tasks. Don’t turn the ball over. Don’t give up the big play. Don’t squander double-digit leads. Catch the freaking football when it’s throw right at you.

      Conversely, this is a huge win for the Broncos. The AFC West is so horrible that 9-7 will probably win the division. Cleveland couldn’t get any pressure on Jay Cutler all night he shredded them for 447 yards and three touchdowns. At several points during the first half, Cutler looked frustrated and almost downtrodden but the Browns could never break his back (figuratively, not literally obviously).

      Impressive comeback by Denver, but Cleveland choked on applesauce for the second straight week.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 10

      November 6, 2008 /

      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 Drew Brees 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 Donovan McNabb, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

      LOVE ‘EM

      QB: Brett Favre has a good matchup with a sketchy Rams defense and should be in starting lineups this week…There are a number of fantasy backup QBs that have nice matchups in Week 10. Chad Pennington faces a Seattle defense that has yielded 258 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…Joe Flacco plays the Texans, who have given up an average of 203 yards and 1.5 pass TD this season…Tyler Thigpen has played pretty well the last two weeks, and he’ll have an opportunity to rack up some numbers against a Chargers defense that is dead last in the league against the pass…If you’re REALLY desperate, pick up Shaun Hill. He faces an Arizona defense that has allowed 2.0 pass TD per game.

      RB: Be sure Maurice Jones-Drew is in your lineup as he faces a dreadful Lions rush defense that has yielded an average of 162 yards and 1.4 rush TD per game…Rumor has it that Willie Parker might miss Sunday’s matchup against the Colts, and if so, Mewelde Moore becomes a great start in his place. The Colts give up an average of 144 yards and 1.3 rush TD per game…Thomas Jones is looking like a strong start against the Rams, who are 29th in the league against the run…Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams are still splitting time, but a great matchup against the league’s 30th-ranked Raider rush defense makes them both solid plays this week.

      WR: Lee Evans should be in lineups this week against a New England defense that has given up 13 pass TD this season. It’s likely that Evans will be able to sneak deep for a score this week…Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles are nice starts against the Rams, who have allowed 246 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game…Greg Camarillo (and to a lesser extent, Ted Ginn) is a good start against the Seahawks, who have struggled against the pass this season…Assuming he’s not suspended between now and Sunday, the suddenly productive Matt Jones is a nice start against a terrible Lions pass defense.

      LEAVE ‘EM

      QB: I wouldn’t trust Rex Grossman to quarterback my fantasy team this week. He faces the Titans, who have only allowed four pass TD all season…JaMarcus Russell has a bad matchup against a Carolina defense that has held teams to 195 yards passing and 0.9 pass TD per game. Based on the way the Oakland offense looked last week, I don’t expect them to have much success against the Panthers…Whether it’s Ben Roethlisberger or Byron Leftwich, the matchup with a Colts pass defense that has allowed just two pass TD all year is a bad one…Gus Frerotte (vs. GB) and Matt Cassel (vs. BUF) are startable in a pinch, but neither guy has a particularly good matchup.

      RB: Ryan Grant has been running better of late, but don’t expect him to do much against a Vikings rush defense that is 2nd in the league in yards allowed…He’s still startable due to his prowess in the pass game, but Steve Slaton will find the running room hard to find against the Ravens, who have allowed a league-best 64 yards and 0.1 rush TD per game…I wouldn’t start any of the Oakland or Seattle running backs in their matchups against the Panthers and Dolphins, respectively.

      WR: I wouldn’t start Rashied Davis or Devin Hester this week against a strong Titans pass defense…Marvin Harrison is still startable, but he’s probably going to struggle against the #1 pass defense in the league…Again, he’s startable, but lower your expectations for Plaxico Burress. He faces an Eagles defense that has been pretty stingy against the pass this season…Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are probably going to struggle some this week. I’d still feel okay starting them, but if you have a great option, go ahead and use it. The Colts have been terrific against the pass, and the uncertainty at QB makes either guy a risky play.

      DTBWW

      Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire. Each week, you pick up a defense, usually playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. All teams are available in at least 50% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

      I would pick up the Cardinals (vs. SF), the Panthers (vs. OAK), the Jets (vs. STL), the Jaguars (@ DET), and the Chargers (vs. KC) – in that order – before either of these picks. Those teams aren’t available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues, so they don’t qualify.

      This week’s picks:

      MIA (vs. SEA)
      HOU (vs. BAL)

      Last week’s picks:

      Browns: 37 PA + 2 SK + 1 Ret TD = 8 fantasy points
      Rams: 34 PA + 1 SK = 1 fantasy point

      The return TD saved the Browns pick, but I really blew it with the Rams. I thought they’d play better at home against a turnover-prone Kurt Warner.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Trade “shares” of players at OneSeason.com

      November 6, 2008 /

      OneSeason.com has created a market where fans can buy and sell shares (with real money) of players in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. Supply and demand drive the price of each share, and value would theoretically rise as the player gets better. This would allow savvy fans to identify players that are about to break out and make a profit in the process.

      I actually had a similar idea several years ago, but I was never able to get my head around how the cycle for each player would end. A player’s stock would continue to be traded into his retirement, but other than a potential Hall of Fame induction, there is no more “potential” to speak of. When investors buy shares of a company in the stock market, they effectively own a piece of the company. And since all companies are (presumably) going to continue to be profitable into the future, there is only a small risk that the company goes out of business leaving the shareholder with nothing. At OneSeason, a player’s stock will be expected to fall as he tops out in his career. He no longer has “potential” and, assuming the number of total investors stays the same, his stock price will fall.

      So it seems to me that this market will be driven by young players that are rising stars. Once a player hits 27 or 28 years of age, he probably won’t improve his game/performance, so his share price would take a dump. Investors would start to notice this, so they would want to sell their shares earlier to avoid this decrease, so players would start to see a share price dip at 26 or even 25 years old.

      It’s an interesting idea, but without a continual increase in the number of investors, I don’t know how a player’s share will sustain its value through the end of his career and into his retirement. This virtual certainty of a loss in value would seem to play havoc with share valuations throughout his career, making the entire market a bad idea on the whole. I think people could make money in spots, but they would be capitalizing on the losses of fellow fans.

      Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Football, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL

      Brady Quinn ready for NFL starting debut

      November 6, 2008 /

      Brady QuinnTonight marks the much-anticipated NFL debut of Brady Quinn as the second-year quarterback will make his first career NFL start when his Cleveland Browns host the Denver Broncos on the NFL Network at 8:15 PM ET.

      Quinn has been given a fantastic opportunity to succeed tonight. Not only does he make his first start in the comforts of the Dawg Pound, but he’s also facing a Broncos’ defense that has been shredded by air, ground and sea this year, and will also be without cornerback Champ Bailey, who continues to nurse a torn groin muscle.

      Some feel that starting Quinn is a final desperation move by Romeo Crennel to save his job. That might be, but former starter Derek Anderson didn’t give him a lot of choice either. He was plagued by dropped passes (see Edwards, Braylon) and injuries (see Winslow, Kellen), but outside of a great game against the Giants and a decent first half against the Ravens, DA flat out hasn’t made as many plays as he did last year.

      Quinn is going to be fine…at least tonight. The Browns have done a nice job building a solid offensive line and if they can get the running game going with Jamal Lewis, it’ll allow Quinn to take what the Broncos give him (which should be a lot) in the passing game. As long as offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski doesn’t ask him to do too much, Quinn shouldn’t have any problem moving the ball.

      Looking ahead, Quinn has both favorable and nasty defensive matchups. Buffalo will be a decent test next week, but after that he faces two mediocre defenses in Houston and Indianapolis before getting his first huge challenge in Tennessee. He’ll also face Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy Philadelphia defense, as well as the Steelers at the end of the year so we’ll see what kind of mettle the young man has over the next two months.

      But the thing to remember over the final eight weeks is that Quinn is still a pup. The torch has been passed, but everyone should give him time to develop. He might have a dazzling performance tonight, but fizzle next week; that’s just what you get from young quarterbacks. Regardless, the Browns have presented a great opportunity for him to succeed tonight. Let’s hope for Quinn’s sake that the offensive line opens holes for Lewis and the onus can be off of their young quarterback. As long as he doesn’t turn the ball over, he should be fine.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Ryan Leaf placed on leave after asking player for painkillers

      November 6, 2008 /

      Ultimate NFL draft bust Ryan Leaf is searching for work again after West Texas A&M placed him on leave after he asked one of their football players for a painkiller. Leaf had been working as the team’s quarterback coach.

      Ryan LeafPresumably Leaf was asking for something a little stronger than Tylenol or Advil. What isn’t known is how the incident came to light. Did somebody overhear the question? Did Leaf get a guilty conscience? Did the player narc on his coach?

      The latter seems to be the most likely. I’d imagine it has to be a little strange to play for Ryan Leaf. Anytime the coach critiques a player, the kid must be thinking, “Dude, you’re Ryan Leaf. What can you tell me about quarterbacking? I was at that game when you went 11-26 with two picks and threw a pass that hit your center in the thigh. And you’re telling me to ‘keep my wits under pressure.’ Just like you did when you flipped out on that reporter, right?”

      Leaf, who also coaches the school’s golf team will be on leave “indefinitely.”

      Where do you go from here if you’re Ryan Leaf? High school? If West Texas A&M doesn’t want you, there aren’t a whole lot of college teams left that are going to want anything to do with you. He might want to check out Dick’s Sporting Goods or something.

      College Football, NFL

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