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      Breaking News: Big Ben’s suspension reduced to four games

      September 3, 2010 /

      NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora is reporting that the NFL has reduced Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension from six to four games.

      Roethlisberger’s suspension is 4 games. He has left the NY area and is en route back to Pittsburgh. Full story ahead on NFL Network

      Not shocking – I think most people were expecting Roger Goodell to reduce the suspension in light of Big Ben’s good behavior (for lack of better words).

      The games he’ll miss are against the Falcons, Titans, Bucs and Ravens and the news couldn’t come at a better time with Byron Leftwich suffering a knee injury in Pittsburgh’s final preseason game Thursday night. ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen believes that Leftwich can avoid having surgery and still start in the opener, although in my opinion, Dennis Dixon is a better option anyway given Lefty’s issues with consistency.

      We’ll see what happens with Big Ben in four weeks. He’ll have some rust to shake off by that point and it stands to reason that he’ll need a couple of starts to get back into the groove of things.

      And no matter how well he performs when he comes back, he better avoid off-field issues or else is career in Pittsburgh will likely end. Considering the Steelers were contemplating dumping him after this last incident, I don’t think I’m reaching with that statement either.

      All summer, I’ve been advocating taking Big Ben in the 9th or 10th round as part of a Quarterback By Committee (QBBC) with Eli Manning, Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, so this is obviously good news for those owners that have followed that advice. By getting Roethlisberger so late, fantasy owners will be getting a Top 6 or 7 fantasy QB at a big discount. I suspect that this news will push Roethisberger’s ADP into the 9th round, so be prepared to use a 7th or 8th rounder on Eli/Ryan/Flacco and a 9th on Big Ben to round out a very potent committee.

      External Sports, NFL

      On a night of blowouts, Utah’s upset over PITT was a savior

      September 3, 2010 /
      SALT LAKE CITY - NOVEMBER 22: Head Coach Kyle Whittingham of the Utah Uteswatches the game against the BYU Cougars at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 22, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

      Just to have football on my television again was enough for me to sit through South Carolina’s 41-13 dismantling of Southern Miss and not have the goofy grin leave my face the entire game, but opening night in college football was largely a dud.

      I guess that’s what you get when No. 2 Ohio State opens up with feeble Marshall, or No. 13 Miami hosts the Florida Institute for Dishwashers or whomever the hell they played last night.

      But one game did live up to the hype, despite it being one top 25 team against an unranked.

      Pundits knew how good Utah has been at home over the years. The Utes hadn’t lost a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in close to three seasons, winning 18 in a row while also racking up a 7-0 lifetime record against current Big East teams.

      That included PITT.

      The Panthers got on the board early with a Dion Lewis 3-yard touchdown run, but Utah fired back with 17 unanswered points in what looked like a potential rout. Then PITT added a Dan Hutchins 37-yard field goal with just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter to make it, 17-10.

      In the fourth, PITT added another field goal and Utah responded with a DeVonte Christopher 61-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Wynn. Just when you thought the Panthers would mail it in, they scored 10 unanswered points in the final 7:59 to tie the game.

      Of course, that doesn’t even begin to tell what happened. PITT missed a field goal as time expired, but because Utah called a time out in effort to try and ice the kicker (which is turning out to be one of the dumbest strategies in football), Hutchins got another attempt and of course, nailed a 30-yarder to force OT.

      In the extra session, Utah intercepted PITT QB Tino Sunseri (which was a great play along the sidelines), setting up Joe Phillips’ 21-yard game-winning field goal. (The final was, 24-21.)

      Perfect.

      On a night where the blowout was king, PITT and Utah’s thriller stood above the rest. Thank God football is back…

      College Football, External Sports

      Want Mike Williams (TB)? Pay up.

      September 3, 2010 /
      TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 21: Receiver Mike Williams of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs after a reception against the Kansas City Chiefs during a preseason game at Raymond James Stadium on August 21, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

      It’s funny — when I originally hopped on the Mike Williams bandwagon a couple of weeks ago, his ADP was in the 13th round and he was still sort of flying under the radar.

      A few days later, I took Williams in the 10th round of my Industry Insiders Draft:

      10.03: Mike Williams, WR
      This was one of those there’s-no-one-else-I-like-so-I’m-going-to-take-this-guy picks. Williams has really played well in the preseason and as a rookie, he is already the Bucs clear-cut WR1. Josh Freeman isn’t bad, and the Bucs are probably going to have to throw more than they’d like as they try to stay in games this season, so this could all add up to a top 25 year for Williams.

      When I made that pick, one of the other ‘insiders’ commented, “I think that’s the earliest that I’ve seen Williams go.”

      I wasn’t sure whether or not to take that as an insult, but it struck me as funny when, several days later, Williams went in the 7th round in two of my slow email drafts.

      What’s the point? Well, it seems like in the world of WRs, the talent drops off a cliff at a certain point in the 7th or 8th round. Once guys like Jeremy Maclin, Mike Wallace, Malcom Floyd, Pierre Garcon, Johnny Knox and Percy Harvin go, things are starting to get tight at WR. Maybe Donald Driver and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are still worthy of 7th or 8th rounders in PPR leagues, but who’s left after that? Lee Evans? Bernard Berrian? Braylon Edwards? Most fantasy owners are going to pass up these retreads in favor of the upside of Williams, which means he could very well go as early as the 7th round in 12-team leagues.

      That’s not to say that there aren’t still some interesting wideouts out there. Guys like Laurent Robinson, Jacoby Jones, Santonio Holmes and Louis Murphy are worthwhile picks, but not in the 7th round. Just don’t expect to land Mike Williams in the 10th round or later anymore — that ship has sailed.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, News, NFL

      2010 NFL Preview: NFC North Predictions

      September 3, 2010 /

      2010 NFL Division Previews & Predictions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | 2010 Question Marks Series

      The NFC North will challenge the NFC East this year for being the toughest division in the conference. Three of the four teams are legit playoff contenders, while the Lions only continue to improve as a whole.

      Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC North in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.

      1. Packers

      What to Like: Given how well he played last year, Aaron Rodgers should be considered a MVP candidate this season. The fact that he was able to throw for 4,434 yards and compile a 103.2 QB rating despite constantly being under pressure is rather amazing. Just think about what he could accomplish this year if the O-line gave him even a fraction of a second more time to throw. Rodgers will lead a passing attack that racked up 261.3 yards per game last season, which was good for seventh in the NFL. He also has an assortment of weapons to throw to, namely receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, as well as rising talent Jermichael Finley. In the backfield, Ryan Grant continues to be underrated and is coming off a 1,253-yard, 11-touchdown season. Defensively, Dom Capers was a miracle worker in his first year, as Green Bay led the NFC in total defense despite switching to the 3-4 (most first-year 3-4 teams struggle). Rookie Clay Matthews turned out to be a phenomenal pass-rusher and Nick Barnett was outstanding in the middle, both against the run and in coverage. Despite his age, Charles Woodson (33) continues to play at an elite level.
      What Not to Like: The offensive line was a disaster at times last year, save for the play of right guard Josh Sitton. If Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher can make it through an entire season without suffering injuries, this will be a much-improved unit and then Rodgers won’t have to spend most Sunday afternoons running for his life. But both tackles are in their 30s and injuries always seem to be an issue. At left guard, Daryn Colledge struggled, although it’s only fair to point out that he was out of position subbing at tackle. While Tramon Williams is more than capable of handling the starting corner position opposite Woodson, losing Al Harris (knee surgery) was a huge blow to Green Bay’s depth at secondary. The concern is that given Harris’ age (35) and the nature of his injury, he may never play again. The other potential issue on defense is whether or not B.J. Raji can handle playing nose tackle after a lackluster 2009 season as a 3-4 end. All good 3-4 teams have a stout nose tackle to eat up space and if Raji isn’t up for the task, it will certainly have an effect on the linebackers.
      Keep Your Eye On: Jermichael Finley
      Finley put himself on the map last season by catching 55 passes for 676 yards and five touchdowns in just 13 games. He finished the year by hauling in six passes for 159 yards in Green Bay’s loss to the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs, leading to high expectations this year. If he can stay focused (which is the biggest concern with this youngster), he could put up fantastic numbers in the Packers’ explosive passing attack this season.
      The Final Word: Expectations are high for the Packers this year, as well they should be. If the offensive line can stay healthy then this is the team to beat in the NFC North. The great thing is that Ted Thompson spent his first round draft pick on tackle/guard Bryan Bulaga, meaning Green Bay now has depth in case injuries do start to mount. Rodgers is the real deal and could lead the Pack deep into the playoffs if his O-line doesn’t get him killed first. Defensively, there are some concerns but Capers will make up for them by being aggressive. If the Packers can win the division and force opponents to come to Green Bay come January, then this will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this season. The pieces are in place for this team to make a serious run.

      Green Bay Packers 2010 Question Mark: Offensive Line

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Report: Chargers asking for a second and a third for Vincent Jackson — is that too much?

      September 2, 2010 /
      SAN DIEGO - JANUARY 17: Wide receiver Vincent Jackson #83 of the San Diego Chargers runs after a catch against the New York Jets during AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Qualcomm Stadium on January 17, 2010 in San Diego, California. A flag on the play negated the catch. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

      Buried in his recent Yahoo! Sports column about the Vikings’ prospects of trading for V-Jax, Michael Silver writes…

      I’m told Smith has been asking for a second-round pick in 2011 and a third-round pick in 2012.

      All right, so who knows whether or not the guy who’s telling Silver about the Chargers’ trade demands even knows his ass from his elbow, it’s still an interesting question — just what is Vincent Jackson worth in terms of draft picks?

      To me, for a playoff-caliber team with few other holes to fill but one at wide receiver, Jackson is definitely worth it.

      Sure, second and third round picks are great, and teams often find starters and sometimes even stars in those rounds, but Jackson is a known quantity. Draft picks aren’t. Jackson caught 68 passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Lest anyone think he’s just a one-year wonder, he caught 59 passes for 1,098 yards and seven scores in 2008.

      Moreover, he’s a complete player. At 6’5″, he has prototypical size and is an exceptional blocker in the running game — “maybe the best in the league,” according to our NFL guru, Anthony Stalter.

      Last season, there were ten wideouts to average more than 15.0 yards per catch and rack up more than 1,000 receiving yards — DeSean Jackson, Greg Jennings, Miles Austin, Santonio Holmes, Sidney Rice, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Marques Colston, Donald Driver and V-Jax — and the (former?) Charger had the fourth-highest receiving percentage (catches/targets) of the bunch, so he has good hands too.

      There is the matter of his two DUIs, but I suspect that his camp would be agreeable to putting some sort of stipulation in his contract that would reduce the guarantee if he got pulled over a third time. That should be enough incentive to convince him to HIRE A FREAKING PERSONAL DRIVER. His rumored asking price (reportedly dismissed by his agent) is $50 million over five years with $30 million guaranteed. Brandon Marshall signed a four-year deal worth $48 million with $12.5 million guaranteed, and he’s batshit crazy.

      Jackson is an elite receiver in his prime and he’s arguably the best run-blocking WR in the league. Would you rather have Jackson or a second and a third?

      To me, the answer is simple: Give me Jackson.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, News, NFL

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