Tag: Andre Johnson (Page 8 of 8)

      A Chat with NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice

      January 15, 2009 /

      Interview Date: 1/8/09

      It’s not often that a sports writer gets the opportunity to interview a sports legend. So when we were offered the chance to sit down and talk with former San Francisco 49er great Jerry Rice, we nearly leaped out of our seats.

      Jerry has dabbled in a number of different professions since retiring from his Hall of Fame NFL career, including competing on “Dancing With the Stars” and more recently, acting. He has a cameo appearance in the movie, “Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling,” where he plays a character named Hal Gore (uh, Al Gore’s brother…seriously), who happens to be a bit off his rocker. (Hal’s game plan to stop global warming was focused around squirrel farts…again, seriously.)

      Jerry was gracious enough to talk to us about his role in the movie, his experiences with acting and whether or not more acting was in his future. We also couldn’t let him get off the phone without asking him some gridiron questions, including his thoughts on who currently is the best wide receiver is in the game, what young quarterback has the best chance of winning a Super Bowl, and what defensive backs were the best he ever played against. He also filled us in how legends Joe Montana and Bill Walsh were pranksters, and whether or not coaching is in his future now that the 49ers have hired former player Mike Singletary has their next head coach.

      Jerry Rice: Anthony!

      The Scores Report: Jerry, it’s an absolute pleasure to talk with you!

      JR: Not a problem. You’re the last one of the day, bud! It’s been a long day so I’m giving you my best.

      TSR: Excellent! Well my first question has to be – is acting harder than playing in the NFL?

      JR: (laughs)

      TSR: It’s gotta be, right?

      Jerry RiceJR: (still laughing) Yep! Of course it’s harder because it’s something that I’m not accustomed to. And in (my) particular scene in “Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling,” I play someone else. I don’t play myself. So that was the challenging part of that, but it gave me a chance to challenge myself and I’m always looking for opportunities like that and I think it brings out the best in me. Hopefully people look at this on DVD and they appreciate it and they like it.

      TSR: Well I got a few laughs just watching you dressed up in that garb!

      JR: I bet you did!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: That’s why they put me in that!

      TSR: I’m sure it was. Why don’t you explain the role for people who haven’t seen the movie yet?

      JR: I’m this mountain man whose been in the wilderness for about 30 years and I’ve got this long beard…I’ve got this coat that’s pretty much made out of squirrels and stuff like that…and I thought I had found this cure for global warming by way of squirrel farts.

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: But hey, I had a great time making it, man.

      TSR: How did you get involved in something like this?

      JR: You know, this fell in my lap because Terry Bradshaw was supposed to do it and you know how crazy Terry is. Maybe Terry looked at it as, “there’s no way I’m doing that.” So they decided to contact me and they said, “do you want to do it?” And I said, yeah, I’ll go for it and I did, and I’m glad because to be associated with Paramount is an honor within itself. And to also work with the actors and actresses was really cool.

      TSR: Is there a future in this for you or is this a one and done type thing?

      JR: Hey, I’m hoping it’s not a one and done. You know, hopefully this opens up more opportunities for me just like “Dancing With the Stars” did. I feel as though I worked my butt off, I had fun with it and people are going to get a chance to see another side of me that they’ve never seen before. I’m going to watch the DVD tonight and I’m going to critique, and I’m sure I’m going to look at certain parts and say to myself, “I could have done that better than that, but that’s just part of not being complacent and being willing to continue to work.

      TSR: Consummate professional, right?

      JR: That’s it, buddy.

      TSR: Mind if I toss a couple football questions at you?

      JR: Let’s do it.

      TSR: I’m sure you watch the NFL closer than anybody. What current wide receiver impresses you the most every Sunday?

      JR: Probably Andre Johnson. But you have to look at Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, you know…let me think…

      TSR: What about Terrell Owens, one of your x-teammates?

      JR: I thought you wanted younger guys, okay, yeah – Terrell Owens, Randy Moss all those guys. Those guys are still the big play receivers, you know? (They) are why you pay your money – because you know that those guys are going to put on a good show for you.

      Joe MontanaTSR: You’ve won Super Bowls with Joe Montana and Steve Young so you know what it takes for a quarterback to win a championship. What young quarterback – Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, etc. – that hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet is the next to win one in your opinion? What current quarterback is destined to hoist a Super Bowl trophy?

      JR: You know what? The next guy? Boy…it could be Joe Flacco from Baltimore with the way he’s playing right now. It could be Donovan McNabb. You know, Eli…well Eli’s won one already, so, you know, we’ll just have to wait and see how (the playoffs) pan out. The ultimate thing is to win the Super Bowl and I think all of those guys have a legitimate shot.

      TSR: Besides winning the Super Bowl, what would you call your greatest moment in the NFL? What was your greatest achievement?

      JR: (laughs) Oh my God! Probably…oh my God. I would say, uh…just playing with the guys that I had played with. It was never about records to me. So you know, just the relationships that I had built you know, with (Joe) Montana, (Ronnie) Lott, Roger Craig – so many great guys. Then going across the Bay (to Oakland to play with) Tim Brown and so many other great players.

      TSR: I always want to ask players this. Was there ever a funny moment, whether it’s on the field, off the field in the huddle, whatever, that you rarely share with the public? Could you share one of those moments to give fans an insight to what your playing days were like?

      JR: Joe Montana was always a prankster!

      TSR: Was he?

      JR: Oh, yeah – Joe Montana did crazy things. He would put Tiger Balm and stuff like that in jocks. Then all of a sudden guys would put their jocks on and they’d get that little burning sensation out there on the field!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: (laughs)

      TSR: Did he ever get you?

      JR: No, he knew better than that!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: (laughs) But you know, Joe was a prankster…Bill Walsh would walk through the locker room with those tights on, and his sweat towels and his football shoes and stuff like that trying to look like a wide receiver and all that stuff.

      TSR: That’s pretty funny, although it’s hard to imagine a legend doing that!

      JR: Yeah!

      TSR: You played against some of the best defensive backs in the league. Who was the hardest to beat or the best you’ve ever played against?

      JR: I had two of them – Darryl Green and Deion Sanders. Those guys were so fast and I had to study them, I had to work them off the line of scrimmage, and I had to be patient. That was always something Bill Walsh wanted us to do – he wanted us to be patient off the line of scrimmage. He wanted us to win at the line so, you know, I had some success against those guys.

      TSR: Is there a current defensive back playing now that would fit into Green or Sanders’ mold?

      JR: You know what, no, because you don’t have that many cornerbacks that play one on one anymore. It’s because of the (defensive) schemes, so you know, you still have some good defensive backs out there but (Green and Sanders) were going to pretty much be singled up with the best receiver on every team. And their job was to shut that guy down and they were great.

      Mike SingletaryTSR: I thought the hire of Mike Singletary was absolutely the right move to get the 49ers headed back in the right direction. What are your thoughts on the hire?

      JR: I think it’s fantastic. I think that was the best move the Niners (could make in hiring) Singletary. I also heard that Tom Rathman is going to come back as the running backs coach, so this team is starting to move in the right direction. They have someone (in Singletary) that’s a great leader, will lead them by example and if the players don’t do their jobs, he’s going to let them know it. And if they don’t pick it up, they’re going to be out of there.

      TSR: Is coaching in your future, Jerry?

      JR: No.

      TSR: No? Absolutely not?

      JR: (chuckles) Not at all, buddy!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: Hey I have to run, my man.

      TSR: Thanks Jerry – I appreciate your time!

      JR: You got it – take care.

      Interviews, NFL

      NFL Week 17 Primer Early Games

      December 26, 2008 /

      Here are snapshot previews of the early games with playoff implications on Sunday.

      Jake DelhommePanthers (11-4) at Saints (8-7), 1:00PM ET FOX
      The Panthers’ playoff seeding rests solely in their own hands. If they beat the Saints, they’ll win the NFC South and clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If they lose, they’ll need the Rams to beat the Falcons in order to win the division and earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. This is a dangerous game for the Panthers because it’ll be the second straight road game for them and they’re coming off a stinging overtime loss to the Giants. The Saints are also incredibly tough to beat at home and Drew Brees is attempting to break Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a single season. With a chance for Brees to break the record and his team to finish with a winning season, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton isn’t going to take it easy on a division foe. But can the Saints stop the run? The Panthers have relied on their running game all season and they’re not going to change their philosophy now. The Saints are going to score points, but if Carolina can keep the ball moving on the ground and keep Brees and Co. on the sidelines, the Panthers should come away with a win and a NFC South title. One damning stat that goes against Carolina, however, is the one that reads that NFC South teams are 0-11 on the road this year against NFC South opponents. Ouch.

      Rams (2-13) at Falcons (10-5), 1:00PM ET FOX
      With their 24-17 win over the Vikings last Sunday, the Falcons secured a spot in the playoffs but their seeding is still undetermined at this point. With a victory over the Rams coupled with a Panthers’ loss to the Saints, Atlanta will win the NFC South and clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If both the Falcons and Panthers win, Atlanta clinches the fifth seed in the NFC and will play at Arizona Wild Card weekend. A loss to the Rams would drop the Falcons to the sixth seed, which means they would have to play on the road throughout the playoffs. St. Louis played San Francisco to the wire last week, but they’ve got to be mentally checked out at this point. And the Falcons don’t seem like a team to be caught looking ahead – especially considering nobody expected them to be in this position at the start of the season. They should soundly beat the Rams, but their seeding fate is in the hands of the Saints.

      Patriots (10-5) at Bills (7-8), 1:00PM ET CBS
      New England has looked absolutely dominant the past two weeks, scoring over 40 points in two impressive wins over the Raiders and Cardinals. The Bills have been a major disappointment after getting off to a hot start, but they’re coming off a huge upset win over the Broncos in Denver and have a chance to finish a respectable 8-8. In other words, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park for the Patriots, even though this is a game they should win. The Pats need a victory in Buffalo, coupled with a Dolphins’ loss to the Jets in order to win the AFC East title. The key will be whether or not the Bills can slow down Matt Cassel and the New England offense, which has lit up the scoreboard in bad weather the past two weeks. Buffalo might be a tough place to play, but the Pats won big in a driving rainstorm two weeks ago and then again in a blizzard last Sunday. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the New England defense can keep Marshawn Lynch in check, though. Denver could last week and it opened things up for Trent Edwards in the passing game. If the Pats load up against the run and force Edwards to beat them through the air, they should be successful. But unfortunately for them, everything rides on the Jets beating the Dolphins at the Meadowlands.

      Adrian PetersonGiants (12-3) at Vikings (9-6), 1:00PM ET FOX
      Even though they can still win the division with a Bears loss in Houston, the Vikings put themselves in an inopportune situation by losing to the Falcons last week – a game in which they lost four fumbles in an otherwise dominant performance. The Giants will start their regulars, although Eli Manning and company will be pulled early in order to avoid injury. Even though they’ll have the pressure to win on their shoulders, this is a great situation for the Vikings. Since there’s a possibility they might face Minnesota again in the playoffs, the Giants are likely to dramatically scale back their game plan in efforts not to show the Vikings too much film. So not only will Minnesota play a bunch of scrubs for three and a half quarters, but they’ll also play a bunch of scrubs with a thin game plan. Unless they’re feeling ultra gracious again like they were last week, there’s no excuse for the Vikings to lose this game and thus, the NFC North crown.

      Raiders (4-11) at Buccaneers (9-6), 1:00PM ET FOX
      Although a win would go a long way in helping them clinch a Wild Card berth, the Buccaneers are heading in the wrong direction this time of year. Tampa has lost three in a row and outside of an overtime loss to the Falcons two weeks ago, the Bucs have looked as bad as a team could look in the midst of a losing streak. They’re having major issues stopping the run, although they might be getting healthy again along the defensive line, which would help. The Raiders haven’t been able to do much offensively this season, but they’ve had success running the ball. They’re averaging close to 120 yards per game on the ground this year and if they can get the run game working, they could pull off a huge upset. But chances are, Monte Kiffin is going to figure things out and put a defensive plan together to stifle a Raiders’ offense that is barely averaging over 15 points per game this season. I doubt Tampa loses two in a row at home, but anything can happen when a team is in the middle of a losing streak. They need a win over the Raiders, coupled with a Dallas loss at Philadelphia in order to secure the sixth and final playoff spot.

      Bears (9-6) at Texans (7-8), 1:00PM ET FOX
      The Bears’ playoff fate rests in the hands of the Vikings, who must lose at home against the Giants in order for Chicago to win the NFC North and clinch a postseason berth. The Bears still need to take care of their own business in Houston, or else Minnesota gets in via tiebreakers. Chicago is lucky its still in the race after having to rally late to beat Green Bay on Monday night, although it’s better to be lucky than good this time of year. The Bears need to figure out a way slow down Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson, two players that have played a major role in Houston’s resurgence over the past month. It would help if quarterback Kyle Orton could limit all the mistakes he’s been making, too. Orton has thrown eight interceptions in his last four games, but the Bears have somehow been able to overcome those mistakes and win three of those contests. Best-case scenario for the Bears this Sunday is to get a lead and rely on their defense and special teams to eek out a victory. But in order to do that, Orton better play mistake-free or else it won’t matter what the Vikings do on Sunday against the Giants.

      NFL

      What makes a fantasy football championship week goat?

      December 22, 2008 /

      Yesterday was a big day in fantasy football. Most leagues held their title games, and barring a tight contest with a player or two in tonight’s Bears/Packers matchup, the champions have been crowned.

      With that in mind, Epic Carnival put together a list of the Top 10 Fantasy Football Championship Week Goats.

      Here are a few of the more interesting blurbs:

      10. Brett Favre. What could be better than the gunslinger facing his old coach, needing the win, against a secondary that’s been generous even by NFC West standards this year? Well, let’s just say that 18 for 31 for 187 with 2 picks wasn’t on the menu. Those Favre 4 jerseys are going to come cheap this off-season. He’d rank higher, but the fact is that if he was on your roster, you probably weren’t playing for much this week anyway.

      9. Steve Breaston. The Arizona #3 WR moved up to #2 this week with the injury to Anquan Boldin. Against the Patriots secondary — note: normally horrible — this was a sneaky great play, and one that you had to feel good about. He wound up with 6 more yards than Boldin, thanks to our #1 retard. Heckuva job, Cardinals.

      7. Matt Schaub. More or less a must start against the usually comical Raiders, especially after the recent Texans surge. I’m thinking you weren’t expecting the Raiders to more or less dominate the game, even if you were thinking that Nmandi Asomugha was going to make Andre Johnson disappear. Schaub’s 255 yards, no touchdowns, 1 pick and 10 yards rushing day probably didn’t make you lose, but it sure as hell wasn’t what you were hoping for, either.

      1. Kurt Warner. Licking your chops for that Patriot secondary, were you? That must have been before you saw the snow, and the entire Cardinals team look like they were melting from the exposure to it. Your season savior had 30 yards today, got pulled due to the utter lack of competitiveness, and more or less reminded you why the Cardinals are the worst playoff team in the history of the world.

      I expected that all four of these players would have big days, but once the snow hit in New England, I thought the Cardinals might struggle. Heck, I was so worried about the weather that I even benched Matt Cassel in one title game, but was (thankfully) still able to pull out the win, due in no small part to the fact that my opponent started several goats.

      There are a few names on the list — Marion Barber, Willie Parker, DeShaun Foster — that I doubt anyone was starting in their title games. For a “championship goats” list, it’s helpful to look at players that were great all season (or especially productive in Week 15) that turned in pathetic performances in Week 16. Kurt Warner and Matt Schaub are perfect examples, but who else fits the bill?

      I personally know two guys who are none too pleased with Andre Johnson (2 catches, 19 yards), who led many fantasy owners to their championship games with a huge 11-catch, 207-yard, one-TD performance in Week 15 against the Titans. Steve Smith also had a huge Week 15 (9 catches, 165 yards, TD) only to come up small — 68 total yards, 0 TD — in Week 16. To a lesser extent, Dwayne Bowe had a nice Week 15 (6 catches, 44 yards, TD) but posted substandard numbers (3 catches, 28 yards) in the Chiefs’ shootout with Miami. Deion Branch caught nine passes for 164 yards and two TD in Week 14 and Week 15, but mustered only two catches for six yards against a weak Jets pass defense on Sunday. In the same game, Thomas Jones gained 96 yards but failed to score a TD for only the second time in nine games. Roddy White came up small (3 catches, 24 yards) after a great season and a so-so Week 15. In non-PPR leagues, Brian Westbrook only scored 11 fantasy points, and my guess is that his owners needed more. Santana Moss (5 catches, 28 yards) failed to follow up a strong Week 15 performance (7 catches, 72 yards, TD) against the Bengals.

      It’s interesting that most of the guys I mention here are wide receivers. It seems like most of the key QBs, RBs and TEs performed pretty well in Week 16, though I’m sure I’m forgetting a few guys.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Start, Bench or Cut: Is it time to part ways with these guys?

      October 2, 2008 /

      Now that we’re a quarter the way through the fantasy football season, some owners are wondering if it’s time to start benching their early round picks or if it’s appropriate to cut bait on a disappointing middle-round pick. Here is a list of 20 disappointing fantasy players, along with my take on their prospects over the next four games.

      I’ve included the player’s Antsports ADP in parenthesis (for the month of August) along with their drafted and current rankings within their position.

      1. Randy Moss (1.08)
      Drafted: WR1
      Currently: WR43
      There’s no doubt that the loss of Tom Brady for the season has had a significant impact on Moss’ performance and prospects. He was a stud, but now there are owners who are (justifiably) starting to bench him for better options. He is averaging three catches for 24 yards and zero TD in the two games that Matt Cassel has started. The upcoming schedule (SF, SD, DEN and STL) looks pretty good from a matchup standpoint, and it seems like the bye week would be a good opportunity for Bill Belichick and Co. to figure out a way to use their most dynamic weapon. Unless you have a clearly better option, Moss is still worth starting.
      VERDICT: START

      2. Braylon Edwards (2.05)
      Drafted: WR4
      Currently: WR57
      Edwards has looked out of it from the start, dropping a few balls against the Cowboys in Week 1. Through four games, he’s averaging 2.8 catches for 24 yards and 0.3 TD. He did catch a TD in Week 4 and his schedule gets a little easier over the next two weeks with the Giants and the Redskins, two teams that have allowed plenty of fantasy points to wideouts this season. Like Moss, unless you have a clearly better option, Edwards is still worth the start, though he’s on bye this week.
      VERDICT: START

      3. Ryan Grant (2.07)
      Drafted: RB12
      Currently: RB55
      It’s no secret that Grant has been absolutely brutal in the first quarter of the season. He is averaging 14.3 touches for 46 yards per game and has yet to score a TD. His ypc (3.4) looks a lot worse (2.2) when we remove a pretty good Week 1 performance against the Vikings. Earlier, he was fighting a bad hammy, but that’s not an issue any longer. If he’s not able to get it going in the next three weeks against three suspect rush defenses (ATL, SEA and IND), then he certainly needs to be benched after the bye when he faces Tennessee, Minnesota and Chicago. Grant is still startable, but proceed with caution.
      VERDICT: START

      4. Willis McGahee (2.08)
      Drafted: RB13
      Currently: RB52
      McGahee is coming off knee surgery and now he has a rib injury. In two games, he has touched the ball an average of 16.0 times for 68 yards and 0.5 TD. The preseason hype machine had Ray Rice cutting into his carries, but it looks like Le’Ron McClain (17.3 touches for 90 yards and 1.0 TD) is a much bigger threat to McGahee’s workload. It’s clear that if he can play, the Ravens will use him. But until his ribs are healed, expect the team to reduce his workload as much as they can. I’d bench McGahee this week, but if he’s ready to go next week against the Colts, go ahead and start him.
      VERDICT: BENCH THIS WEEK, START WHEN HEALTHY

      5. Andre Johnson (2.09)
      Drafted: WR6
      Currently: WR48
      After a stellar 10-catch, 112-yard effort in Week 1 against the Steelers, it looked like AJ was off to a strong start. But in the two weeks since, he has converted 17 targets into only five catches for 67 yards. The bad news is that the Texans face a very tough Indianapolis pass defense this week. The good news is that they face the Lions, Dolphins and Bengals the following three weeks. I’d bench him this week if I had a viable option (i.e. DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal, Calvin Johnson), and if he shows signs of life, start him against the Lions and see how he does.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      6. Chad Johnson (3.04)
      Drafted: WR9
      Currently: WR54
      “Ocho Cinco” has failed to catch more than four passes or gain more than 40 yards in any game this season. Some of this has to do with the poor play of Carson Palmer, but Johnson himself seems off as well. His shoulder is probably bothering him, so he’s not as willing to battle for the ball as he used to be. With a 2.8-catch, 29-yard, 0.3-TD average over the last four games and Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, there’s no reason to start him if there is a better option to be had.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      7. Torry Holt (3.06)
      Drafted: WR11
      Currently: WR31
      Holt was only targeted twice in Week 1, which resulted in a dismal 1-catch, 9-yard performance. Since then he has been only mildly disappointing, posting 4.7 catches for 59 yards and 0.3 TD over the last three games. I’m cautiously optimistic about Holt’s prospects. First, Scott Linehan was recently fired and replaced with Jim Haslett, who has already said that the team needs to utilize their star wideout more. Linehan and Holt reportedly hated each other, so it would seem to help Torry’s psyche as well. The team is on bye this week, so they have two weeks to try to right the ship before a pretty favorable passing matchup against the Redskins in Week 6. Lastly, the Rams don’t have a bad passing matchup for the rest of the season and looks like they will be playing from behind most of the time. As you can see, there are reasons to like Torry Holt for the remainder of 2008. He should be started unless there is a clearly better option on your bench, and if you don’t have him on your roster, he’s a great guy to try to acquire in a “buy low” scenario.
      VERDICT: START

      8. Laurence Maroney (3.09)
      Drafted: RB16
      Currently: RB86
      Is there a player with more pure ability that is a bigger fantasy disappointment than Laurence Maroney? When he’s not injured, he’s giving up carries to Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan. If my options allowed it, I’d bench Maroney for the next two weeks (SF, SD) and if the Patriots suddenly look committed to feeding him the ball, he’d be worth starting against Denver, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      9. Roy Williams (4.05)
      Drafted: WR16
      Currently: WR59
      Through three games, Williams is averaging 2.7 catches for 38 yards and 0.3 TD and has said that he feels like an afterthought in the Lions’ offense. It’s true that he’s seeing just 6.0 targets as compared to Calvin Johnson’s 10.7, but the team is saying that they need to open up the offense, which means Williams might see an extra target or three when the team faces a Bears defense with a banged up secondary in Week 5. I’d start him this week barring a better option, but if he doesn’t show some life soon, it may be time to bench him.
      VERDICT: START

      10. Carson Palmer (4.07)
      Drafted: QB5
      Currently: QB30
      Palmer is dealing with an elbow injury and doesn’t want to talk about the results of the MRI. If the results were negative, he’d say so. Obviously, there’s a problem. Even if/when Palmer returns to the lineup, I wouldn’t start him until he proves that his issues are behind him. Don’t cut him just yet, but if you can get a brave owner in your league to give you a starter-quality player for him and you don’t need the QB depth, it might not be a bad idea. I wouldn’t be surprised if Palmer doesn’t return this season.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      11. Marvin Harrison (5.03)
      Drafted: WR20
      Currently: WR51
      I don’t think it’s time to panic on Harrison. He had a bad game against Minnesota (1-16) sandwiched by two good games against Chicago (8-76) and Jacksonville (4-40-1). He’s also past his bye week, which is the main reason he’s ranked so low. He has a pretty nice matchup this week against Houston followed by a bad matchup against Baltimore. Then he has a solid matchup against the Packers followed by a bad matchup against the Titans. With Reggie Wayne on the other side and one of the best QBs in the game throwing to him, I think Harrison is a guy that you can start depending on the matchup.
      VERDICT: START

      12. Selvin Young (5.10)
      Drafted: RB27
      Currently: RB41
      I was high on Young heading into the season, only to get burned (yet again) by Mike Shanahan (a.k.a. “Skeletor”). It’s not that Young hasn’t played well – he has. His 6.2 ypc is by far the best on the team. The problem is that he’s only getting 41% of the team’s carries. Michael Pittman is vulturing goal line carries and catches, while Andre Hall is basically rotating with Young between the 20’s. Complicating matters is Ryan Torain’s impending return in a few weeks. Young should definitely ride the pine, but he’s still a decent spot starter, so in most cases I wouldn’t cut him, unless there was a very good option out there on the waiver wire. LeRon McClain jumps to mind.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      13. Matt Hasselbeck (6.12)
      Drafted: QB9
      Currently: QB26
      Through three games, Hass is averaging 184 yards passing, 0.7 TD and 1.0 INT. Considering four of his top five receivers are Billy McMullen, Michael Bumpus, Courtney Taylor and Logan Payne, I’d say he didn’t do all that bad. Deion Branch and Bobby Engram are due to return to the lineup in Week 5, and Koren Robinson is getting into game shape, so Hasselbeck will have a number of new weapons to throw to for (hopefully) the rest of the season. He doesn’t have a bad passing matchup for the next nine weeks and he has two great matchups in Weeks 15 (STL) and 16 (NYJ), so he’s a guy that you might want to buy low and start once he looks like he and his receivers are on the same page.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      14. Bernard Berrian (7.06)
      Drafted: WR30
      Currently: WR53
      Berrian has improved with Gus Frerotte under center the last two games. His average (4-79) in Weeks 3 and 4 is much better than his average (1.5-19) with Tarvaris Jackson throwing him the ball. He has three great matchups over the next three weeks (NO, DET, CHI), so he’s a guy you can start with a reasonable amount of confidence. He has yet to catch a TD, but in PPR leagues, he’s WR2/WR3 caliber.
      VERDICT: START

      15. Chester Taylor (7.09)
      Drafted: RB33
      Currently: RB57
      Heading into the season, Taylor was viewed as a backup RB with huge upside (if Adrian Peterson went down) that got enough regular action that he’d be a decent spot starter in most fantasy leagues. Well, Peterson hasn’t gone down and Taylor’s touches are down. If you have the roster space, it would be wise to hold onto him, as he has about as much potential of any backup RB in the league. Non-AP owners who have Taylor on their roster are just waiting for Peterson to get hurt. They shouldn’t hope for it, however. That’s just bad karma.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      16. Jeremy Shockey (7.10)
      Drafted: TE7
      Currently: TE12
      I managed to pick up Shockey last week in a 12-team league where my team had a gaping hole at TE, so there must be a few owners out there wondering what to do with him. It’s pretty simple: stash him away. Before his injury, he was hugely involved in the Saints’ offense to the tune of 6.7 targets per game (4th best in the league). He turned those targets into an average of 5.3 catches for 50 yards in the first three games. He has yet to score a TD, but that should come fairly quickly after his return (which is scheduled for Week 6). The good news is that his “sports hernia” was pretty minor. The bad news is that he is injury prone.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      17. Marc Bulger (8.03)
      Drafted: QB11
      Currently: QB28
      Clearly, Marc Bulger is not off to a good start. He averaged 173 yards, 0.7 TD and 0.7 INT in the first three games before being benched for Trent Green. But out goes Scott Linehan and in comes Jim Haslett who immediately gave Bulger his job back. After their bye, the Rams have a very favorable schedule with no really tough pass defenses the rest of the way. If all goes well, Bulger could be a decent starter in Weeks 9 (ARI) and 10 (NYJ). He faces the Cardinals again in Week 14, which is the first game of the playoffs for many fantasy leagues. If you’re struggling at QB and Bulger is out there on the waiver wire, you could do worse as your QB2 or QB3.
      VERDICT: BENCH

      18. Joey Galloway (8.04)
      Drafted: WR32
      Currently: WR85
      Galloway is out with a foot injury (and isn’t practicing), and I’m sure many fantasy owners are wondering if they should cut him. It’s definitely getting to that point. The question is – what are your options? I’d rather have a guy like Justin Gage, Lance Moore or Muhsin Muhammad, who are actually on the field and producing. I’d also rather roll the dice on Bobby Engram or Deion Branch than sit and wait for Galloway to get healthy. He’s 36 years old, so the odds are just a little bit longer that he’ll be able to get back to 100% this season.
      VERDICT: CUT

      19. Todd Heap (8.09)
      Drafted: TE8
      Currently: TE50
      It is mind-boggling that rookie QB Joe Flacco has only targeted Todd Heap an average of 3.7 times through three games. Isn’t Heap arguably the team’s best receiver? (No offense, Derrick Mason.) Aren’t rookie QBs known for loving their tight ends? I can only assume something very strange is going on here, like maybe Heap slept with Flacco’s girlfriend and the two have some sort of ongoing feud a la Roger Dorn and Ricky Vaughn in “Major League.” Regardless, Heap is worth stashing if you have the space, but if you need help elsewhere, it might be time to cut ties.
      VERDICT: CUT

      20. Vernon Davis (8.12)
      Drafted: TE9
      Currently: TE31
      VD has burned me for the last time. (Man, that didn’t sound good.) It seemed like Mike Martz’s arrival would be a good thing for Davis. Finally, he’d be playing in a wide-open offense that would take advantage of his immense physical ability. Alas, he is averaging 1.3 catches for 17 yards and zero TD. In his last game, he screamed at the 49er bench for more targets and was reprimanded by Mike Nolan. This can go one of two ways – either the outburst will prompt a change in the 49ers’ offensive game plan or Davis will continue to be ignored. I’d hold onto him for another week and then cut him for someone that’s producing.
      VERDICT: CUT

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Jaguars edge Texans 30-27 in overtime

      September 28, 2008 /

      Jaguars-TexansIt wasn’t pretty, but the Jaguars squeezed past their division rivals on Sunday, beating the Texans 30-27 thanks to Josh Scobee’s 37-yard game-winning field goal in overtime.

      For the second week in a row, Jacksonville had to rally late to claim victory. After Houston took the lead 24-20 on Matt Schaub’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter midway through the fourth quarter, David Garrard led the Jags down to the Texan 8-yard line before facing a 4th and 8. Garrard then scrambled up the middle for a first down and after the two-minute warning, ran for a 5-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 27-24 lead.

      Schaub then hit Andre Johnson for a 32-yard pass on the ensuing possession, which set up a Kevin Brown 47-yard field goal to tie it. But Houston’s defense couldn’t stop Garrard from finding Matt Jones on a big passing play in overtime, which set up Scobee’s game-winner.

      Not many people figured that Jacksonville would be 2-2 right now and barely beating teams like the winless Texans, but the main thing is that the Jags appear to be getting back on track. The defense didn’t play as well today as it had in previous weeks, but the running game (139 yards today) has looked good the past two games and Garrard has been clutch. Don’t write off the Jags just yet.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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