Tag: Jeremy Shockey (Page 4 of 5)

      Saints’ TE Shockey rushed to hospital in Las Vegas

      May 25, 2009 /

      Saints’ tight end Jeremy Shockey was rushed to the hospital after he became dehydrated and fell unconscious at a pool party at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday.

      New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey is out of the hospital and doing fine, according to team spokesman Greg Bensel, who said Shockey was dehydrated when he was rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon.

      According to a report by the entertainment Web site TMZ, Shockey was found unconscious at around 2 p.m. at the Hard Rock Hotel and taken to a nearby hospital.

      Sources at the hotel told TMZ that Shockey was at Rehab — the name of the Sunday pool party at the Hard Rock. The call went out to the Las Vegas Fire Department, and he was taken out via stretcher.

      Paramedics tried to cover him up so onlookers — including a TV camera crew — couldn’t ID him.
      A league source indicated that Shockey was dehydrated, but his medical condition has not been confirmed.

      I don’t want to assume anything since I wasn’t there, but it’s quite possible that Shockey had one too many adult beverages celebrating Memorial Day weekend. It sounds like he’s fine and this isn’t a big deal, so Saint fans can breathe easy.

      I don’t know if this is the most appropriate post to do this, but I just want to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. Enjoy the day with friends and family and let’s all remember the brave men and women who have given their lives while serving this great country.

      NFL

      Does Plaxico Burress deserve another chance?

      January 13, 2009 /

      After soundly beating the Redskins 23-7 in Week 13 of the regular season, the New York Giants were unquestionably the best team in the NFC at 11-1. But two days before the victory in D.C., things suddenly changed for the G-Men.

      On November 28, wide receiver Plaxico Burress brought a loaded weapon into a nightclub and instead of being responsible with it, he accidentally shot himself in the leg and forced the Giants to end his season by placing him on the non-football injury list.

      The Giants never really recovered after that. They had beat the Redskins so convincingly that it gave the players and coaches the opportunity to say, “See? We don’t need him.” And the public bought it because they had witnessed Eli Manning throw for 305 yards without his star receiver being on the field.

      But the Giants then went on to lose three of their final four games, including two games against divisional opponents. Manning, who had looked so good in the win against the Redskins, couldn’t even crack the 200-yard passing mark in any of the Giants’ last four games.

      So New York limped into the playoffs (albeit still the No. 1 seed in the NFC), and were thumped by the six-seeded Philadelphia Eagles 23-11 last Sunday. They didn’t even reach the end zone once and Manning had trouble throwing in the swirling winds of Giant Stadium, completing just 15 of his 29 pass attempts for 169 yards and two interceptions.

      While Manning’s struggles were more obvious, his receivers had issues as well. They couldn’t create separation from Philly’s defensive backs, they had trouble getting open and none of them could make a play to save Manning from his accuracy issues. They were horrible to say the least, which prompted at least one New York sports writer to suggest that Burress be given another shot next year.

      It made sense – after all, he’s still under contract with the Giants until 2013. And if GM Jerry Reese even reiterated that he’s open to bringing Plax back, then why should anyone question the idea?

      Here’s why: his selfish antics cost the Giants a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. What was nice about the 2007 version of the G-Men was that they didn’t have any selfish players. Granted, Burress was still on the team but he shut his mouth and played his role. He was instrumental in the Giants’ Super Bowl run and he waited until after the season to publicly demand a little contract respect from the team he had helped win a Lombardi Trophy.

      On September 4, the Giants awarded Plaxico’s great play with a new five-year, $27.25 million contract. Almost three months later, Burress repaid them by shooting himself in the leg and leaving Manning and the team’s passing game in dire straits.

      Every man deserves a second chance; nobody is perfect. But the Giants won last year because one of their biggest distractions – Jeremy Shockey – was on the sidelines. They certainly weren’t one of the best teams to appear in a Super Bowl (they might have even been one of the worst), but they played together and executed as one unit.

      It’s easy to forgive Plax for his selfishness when you consider how bad Manning struggled with his receivers last Sunday. But don’t forget that the Giants were in that predicament because of Burress. What happens if he’s a choirboy for 13 weeks next year, just to do something stupid again right before the playoffs? Do they forgive him once more? No. They should part ways this offseason and work on re-building the receiving corps.

      Receiver is one of the most overrated positions in the NFL and considering the Giants don’t have a ton of holes to fill, it’ll be easy for them to acquire a playmaker at wideout via the draft or free agency. Depending on the cap ramifications, they should part with the distraction that is Plaxico Burress and realize that they lost last Sunday because of him, not without him.

      NFL

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 7: TEs

      October 20, 2008 /

      Jeremy Shockey (5-50) was frustrated after his team’s loss to the Panthers and may have aggravated his groin injury on the first play of the game. He finished with decent numbers, but keep an eye on his status this week…Dante Rosario failed to catch a pass against the Saints…Visanthe Shiancoe (4-68-1) doesn’t bring it every week, but he’s much more of a threat now that there’s a QB in Minny that can hit the open man…With Devin Hester out, look for Greg Olsen (6-74-1) to become even more involved in Chicago’s passing attack…Despite the Chiefs not agreeing to Gonzo’s trade request, the tight end still went out and caught six passes for 97 yards…Bo Scaife (3-48) continues to be the best thing the Titans have going in the passing game.

      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

      Jeremy Shockey might return in Week 6

      September 27, 2008 /

      It turns out that Jeremy Shockey’s injury wasn’t the typical sports hernia.

      Payton said he’s hopeful that Shockey could be back as early as the Saints’ home game against Oakland in two weeks after positive reports from Shockey’s hernia surgery earlier this week. The damage to Shockey’s ligaments wasn’t as extensive as some sports hernias can be, so the recovery time should be in the three-week range.

      Payton said Shockey feels more comfortable already and said he is excited to see Shockey when he’s no longer limited by the nagging injury.

      “Although he played well last week, you guys haven’t seen what I know (he’s capable of),” Payton said.

      The original estimate had Shockey missing 3-6 weeks, so if he returns in Week 6, he would have only missed two games. Some impatient fantasy owners have cut ties with the tight end, so if he’s out there on your waiver wire, you’d be wise to snatch him up.

      Amongst tight ends, he is fourth in average targets per game (6.7) behind Tony Gonzalez (10.0), Kellen Winslow (10.0) and Jason Witten (9.0). Half the battle for a tight end is getting enough targets to be productive, and it’s clear that Payton feels that he’s a big part of the Saints’ attack.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑