Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss Brett Favre and “Lionsgate,” the firing of Mike Nolan and how it will affect the 49ers fantasy players, Tony Romo’s injury, the Larry Johnson and Kellen Winslow suspensions, and a couple of this week’s good fantasy matchups (SD/NO and NYG/PIT).
Click here to listen to the podcast.
(The opening and closing music is Ryan Adams’ “To Be Young,” which you might recognize as the opening music to “Old School.”) [iTunes link]
It was amazing to watch the Patriots play the Chargers on Sunday night. New England is a completely different team without Tom Brady under center. And while that’s not an earth-shattering revelation, it’s something that shouldn’t be downplayed as much as it has at this point in the season.
This was a team that went 16-0 last year and outside of a few close calls, it steamrolled opponents on a weekly basis. Had they beaten the Giants in the Super Bowl, an argument could have been made that the 2007 New England Patriots were the greatest team in NFL history.
But as evidence by San Diego’s 30-10 rout on Sunday night, the Patriots are falling incredibly fast from their high perch. Even at 3-2, they’re not true postseason contenders. Not with Matt Cassel under center. And that’s not a knock on Cassel per se – it’s just reality. He’s an inexperienced player trying to lead an experienced team that is so used to having their quarterback know where he’s going to throw on every play and relying on him to make plays when things go haywire.
Without Brady, teams don’t fear the Patriots like they did last year. They don’t respect they’re swagger anymore and with each loss, you know Randy Moss is itching closer and closer to tanking it. It appears that not even Bill Belichick can save this team and it’s hard to hold that against him considering he doesn’t have his quarterback.
New England’s players and coaches have done a nice job trying to convince everybody that they’re fine without Brady – that they can win just as they did last year. But with Denver, Indianapolis, Buffalo and the Jets coming up over the next month and a half, the Patriots have a tough road to stay in the playoff hunt. Save for a Matt Cassel breakout performance, this team is in major trouble. And it’s amazing how fast a team can fall from grace after losing just one player. Even if that player is Tom Brady.
Irrelevant side note that means nothing: It was funny to hear Al Michaels essentially make a reference to gambling at the end of the game. The Patriots called a timeout so that they could run one more play in the red zone with two seconds remaining and while the game was already in the books with the Chargers up 30-10, Michaels noted that, “there are a few people very interested in this play here.”
Michaels said that because the over/under on the game was 45. Had the Patriots scored a touchdown, the total would have gone over. The only reason why his comments were interesting because the media is usually so hush-hush about the world of gambling. Maybe Al had some T.J. Duckett’s riding on the under? Al…you dog you.
Sunday’s Best: Panthers (4-1) at Buccaneers (3-2), 1:00 PM ET FOX
This isn’t the sexiest matchup on the Week 6 schedule, but it’s a battle for first place in the NFC South. Carolina is coming off a 34-0 rout of the Chiefs, a game in which they held Larry Johnson to only two yards rushing, while Tampa dropped a close one in Denver. The Panthers can thank a healthy Jake Delhomme and a stingy run defense for their hot start this season. With Delhomme back under center and a nice 1-2 punch of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, the Panthers’ offense has been incredibly balanced this season and therefore, hard to stop. And Carolina’s front seven has kept opponents from averaging over 100 yards on the ground. The Bucs will go back to Jeff Garcia at quarterback with Brian Griese nursing an injured arm. It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers take away Tampa’s 8th-best rushing attack, because the last time the Bucs couldn’t run the ball was against the Bears – a game in which Griese attempted 67 passes. Will Garcia have to do the same this week?
Upset Watch: Cowboys (4-1) at Cardinals (3-2), 4:15 PM ET FOX
I’m going right back to the well. In my primer last week, I warned to watch out for the Cards upsetting the previously unbeaten Bills. I’ll do the same this week as the Cowboys roll into the desert after almost blowing a 17-point lead to the Bengals last Sunday. Dallas has more talent than any other team in the NFC, but they’ve proven to be as fragile as T.O.’s emotions. Arizona flat out plays a different brand of football at home and could have wideout Anquan Boldin back this week, although it’s doubtful. Even without Boldin, the Cards have more than enough weapons to score on a Dallas defense that is giving up close to 23 points a game. The key obviously will be whether or not Arizona can stop the Cowboys’ high-powered offense. Dallas is racking up over 400 yards and 30 points a game and the Cards are just two games removed from surrendering 56 points to the Jets. Even if ‘Zona can’t pull off the upset, I would expect one wild shootout.
Intriguing Matchup: Patriots (3-1) at Chargers (2-3) 8:15 PM ET NBC
Remember when New England mocked Shawne Merriman’s “Lights Out” dance after a playoff win in San Diego a couple of years ago and hurt LaDainian Tomlinson’s feelings? The Pats return to the scene of the crime and no team plays with a bigger chip on their shoulder (and for really no reason) than the Chargers. Even though they won in convincing fashion against the 49ers last week, this is clearly a different Patriots team without Tom Brady. (What a statement, I know). It’ll be interesting to see if Matt Cassel can have a coming out party this weekend, because no team in the entire NFL is playing worse against the pass right now than San Diego.
Other Notable Games:
Bears (3-2) at Falcons (3-2), 1:00 PM ET FOX
The last time rookie QB Matt Ryan faced the Tampa 2 defense he had his worst outing as a pro, throwing two interceptions in a loss to the Bucs in Week 2. He’ll get a chance for redemption this week against Chicago, a team that has typically owned Atlanta in the past.
Jaguars (2-3) at Broncos (4-1), 4:15 PM ET FOX
Big Ben and the Steelers lit up Jacksonville’s defense last week. Will Jay Cutler and the Broncos’ offense do the same on Sunday?
Ravens (2-2) at Colts (2-2), 1:00 PM ET CBS
Peyton Manning vs. Ray Lewis is always fun to watch.
Oklahoma vs. Texas
This year’s Red River Rivalry battle at the Cotton Bowl has more marquee value than in past years; as for the first time since 2004 both teams will enter the game ranked in the top five. Heading into this season, the Longhorns offense was thought to be their biggest strength. But it has been the Texas defense that has provided most of the swagger. The Longhorns are ranked fourth nationally in total defense and that is a big jump since the 2007 unit set a school record for most yards allowed in a season. They will get stiff competition come Saturday against top-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners are in the top five nationally in all offensive scoring categories, led by the nation’s second-rated passer Sam Bradford. National coverage begins Saturday at 12 PM ET on ABC. Click here for the official Oklahoma-Texas smack thread.
LSU vs. Florida
“The Showdown at the Swamp” marks the first time the last two national champions have faced each other since Notre Dame defeated Miami, 29-20, in 1990. The stakes are high for both schools; Florida must win to maintain any realistic hope of staying in the hunt for a berth in the BCS championship game, while LSU needs the win to stay on course to repeat as National Champions. And the matchup got even more intense after Tigers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois promised that the LSU defense will try to knock Gator quarterback Tim Tebow out of the game. Later in the week, Jean-Francois said his comments were misinterpreted by the press. National coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM ET on CBS.
Major League Baseball LCS Series
The animosity between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox is not ready to approach the level of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, but their contempt for each other is a good undercard. Back on June 5th, the Rays’ Game One starter, James Shields, hit Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp with a pitch that triggered a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams. Has this issue been resolved? Stay tuned for the answer. Meanwhile, the National League Championship series boils down to how well the Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitchers throw to the Philadelphia Phillies lethal left-handed hitting. The Phillies led the NL with 214 homeruns, with Ryan Howard leading the way with 48 followed by Chase Utley with 33, and both players bat left-handed. The top of the Phillies’ lineup also includes switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, who both have outstanding on-base percentages. NLCS Game Two is Friday at 4:30 PM ET and Game Three is on Sunday at 8 PM ET; all NLCS games are on Fox. ALCS Game One is on Friday at 8:30 PM ET and Game Two is on Saturday at 8 PM ET. All ALCS games can be seen on TBS.
New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers
Their franchise quarterback is out for the season, and somehow the Patriots have still put together a successful start to their 2008 season. On the other side of the field, the Chargers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. To avoid falling further back in the AFC standings, the Chargers must try to defeat a Patriots team that has eliminated them from the past two post-seasons. Inconsistent play on both sides of the ball has plagued the Chargers all season; they have lost three games by a total of 10 points. Coverage begins at 8:15 PM ET on NBC
Everything you need to know (and some stuff you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 5 NFL action.
Steelers 26 @ Jaguars 21
Ben Roethlisberger (309 yards, 3 TD, INT) was questionable all week, but he played well, hooking up with Hines Ward (7-90-1), Nate Washington (6-94-1), Heath Miller (5-45-1) and Santonio Holmes (4-65) with regularity…Mewelde Moore (20 touches, 116 yards) filled in admirably for Willie Parker, but failed to score. He looks like a starter caliber fantasy back as long as Parker is out…The Steelers defense was a bit of a disappointment, registering just three sacks and a forced fumble while allowing 21 points to the Jags…David Garrard (200 yards, TD) played pretty well and it looks like he’s starting to develop a rapport with second-year WR Mike Walker, who followed up last week’s five-catch, 46-yard effort against Houston with a six-catch, 107-yard performance tonight. He might be taking over the WR1 role from Matt Jones (2-25) who had a disappointing game just as fantasy owners were starting to trust him in their lineups…Fred Taylor (12 touches, 25 yards) was a non-factor, while Maurice Jones-Drew (11 touches, 30 yards, TD) caught six passes and scored a TD on the ground.
Buccaneers 13 @ Broncos 16
Jay Cutler (227 yards, TD) had an efficient, if unspectacular game…Eddie Royal (3-23) and Brandon Marshall (3-25) were quiet, so Tony Scheffler (4-65) and Brandon Stokley (6-52-1) picked up the slack…Royal may miss the next two games with a bad ankle, and Scheffler will likely miss some time with a strained groin…Denver’s running game was once again split up between Selvin Young (11 touches, 39 yards), Michael Pittman (8 touches, 61 yards) and Andre Hall (7 touches, 30 yards). None of these guys are worth starting on a regular basis, though Pittman is worth a look since he’s getting a vast majority of the goal line carries…Brian Griese (88 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) was knocked out of the game, so Jeff Garcia (93 yards, TD, INT) came in in relief…Antonio Bryant (7-58) and Ike Hilliard (4-29-1) were the main receiving threats…Warrick Dunn (14 touches, 87 yards) and Earnest Graham (15 touches, 80 yards) once again split running back duties.
Bills 17 @ Cardinals 41
Kurt Warner (250 yards, 2 TD) continues to post good fantasy numbers…Larry Fitzgerald (7-52-2) was the star in the passing game, but Steve Breaston (7-77) and Early Doucet (6-42) are proving that the Cardinals have a deep receiving corps…Edgerrin James (23 touches, 78 yards, TD) had a pretty good game but saw two more TD vultured by Tim Hightower (nine touches, 45 yards, 2 TD)…Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game and J.P. Losman (220 yards, TD, INT) had an Edwards-like day in relief. He hooked up with Lee Evans (2-100-1) for an 87-yard TD…Josh Reed (4-45) and James Hardy (3-35) made some short catches…Marshawn Lynch (16 touches, 65 yards) failed to score…The Bills failed to register a sack or force a turnover which is unbelievable considering Warner’s propensity to give the ball to the other team.
Bengals 22 @ Cowboys 31
Tony Romo (176 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to post great fantasy numbers…Jason Wiitten (8-79-1) and Terrell Owens (2-67-1) were his favorite targets, though Patrick Crayton (1-15-1) also scored on a tipped ball…Marion Barber (25 touches, 92 yards) had a rather quiet fantasy day, while Felix Jones (10 touches, 103 yards, TD) scored on a 33-yard run…Carson Palmer (217 yards, 2 TD, INT) returned to post some good numbers…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (7-85-2) had a huge day, while Chad Johnson (3-43) was rather quiet…Antonio Chatman (7-55) caught a bunch of underneath stuff…Chris Perry (16 touches, 50 yards) fumbled for the fifth time in as many games, and could be in danger of losing his job to Cedric Benson (10 carries, 30 yards).
Patriots 30 @ 49ers 21
Randy Moss (5-111-1) busted out with a big day after struggling for much of the time that Matt Cassel (259 yards, TD, 2 INT) has been under center…Wes Welker (8-73) continues to thrive in PPR leagues with all of the underneath stuff…Once again, Laurence Maroney (10 carries, 26 yards) was a non-factor. Kevin Faulk (11 touches, 61 yards, 2 TD) and Sammy Morris (16 carries, 63 yards) both had more touches…J.T. O’Sullivan (130 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT) continues to post good fantasy numbers despite three picks…Isaac Bruce (3-49-2) continues to surge and is a regular target at the goal line. He has a knack for finding an opening in the back of the end zone…Bryant Johnson (3-27) was the next best 49er WR…Frank Gore (16 touches, 78 yards, TD) had a solid game. He didn’t rush for a score, but he caught a TD.
Chiefs 0 @ Panthers 34
The Carolina defense was my DTBWW pick and they didn’t disappoint, posting zero points allowed, three sacks, two INT and two fumble recoveries…DeAngelo Williams had a huge day (21 touches, 148 yards, 3 TD) but he probably wasn’t in too many starting lineups this week…Jonathan Stewart turned 20 touches into 80 yards…Jake Delhomme (236 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a nice day throwing to Steve Smith (6-96) and Muhsin Muhammad (3-71-1)…Dante Rosario didn’t have a catch…The Chiefs offense was brutal…Damon Huard (86 yards, 2 INT) and Tyler Thigpen (37 yards) struggled all day…Larry Johnson had seven carries for two yards…Dwayne Bowe (5-57) and Tony Gonzalez (3-17) had quiet days.
Ravens 10 @ Titans 13
There wasn’t a whole lot of offense in this game…Kerry Collins (163 yards, TD, 2 INT) posted decent numbers throwing mainly to Bo Scaife (7-72). Scaife is starting to look like a starter-caliber fantasy TE, as long as Collins is under center, anyway…Chris Johnson (20 touches, 48 yards) struggled against a good Ravens defense…LenDale White (4 touches, 4 yards) was a non-factor…Brandon Jones (3-54) seems like the main guy (after Scaife) when Gage is out…Joe Flacco (153 yards, 2 INT) had a predictably rough game against a good defense, but he did finally target Todd Heap (4-41) a few times…Derrick Mason (5-38) and Mark Clayton (4-37) had quiet days…Willis McGahee (23 touches, 65 yards) played, but had a TD run vultured by Le’Ron McClain (13 touches, 63 yards).
Bears 34 @ Lions 0
Kyle Orton was a sneaky good start this week and he didn’t disappoint (334 yards, 2 TD)…Matt Forte (19 touches, 61 yards, 2 TD) had a big day and is a must-start week to week…Rashied Davis (6-97) led the Bears in receiving, but Greg Olsen (3-87) had a big yardage day as well…Devin Hester (5-66-1) might be worth a pickup if you need help at WR…In addition to the shutout, the Bears defense posted four sacks, an INT return for a TD and a fumble recovery…Jon Kitna (74 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) had a rough day, and might be in danger of losing his job…Roy Williams (7-96) got a ton of looks, and the Lions may have been trying to showcase him for a possible trade…Calvin Johnson (2-16) struggled…Kevin Smith turned 12 touches into 56 yards and a D, while Rudi Johnson posted 32 yards on eight touches.
Falcons 27 @ Packers 24
Matt Ryan (194 yards, 2 TD, INT) played pretty well and would have had a third TD (and no INT) if he hadn’t severely underthrown a wide-open receiver in the second half…Roddy White (8-132-1) caught all of his passes in the first half…Justin Peele (2-15-1) caught the other Ryan TD…Michael Turner (26 carries, 121 yards, TD) had a very nice day…Aaron Rodgers (313 yards, 3 TD, INT) was bothered by a sore shoulder, but managed to post good fantasy numbers…Ryan Grant (18 carries, 83 yards) looked good running the ball…Greg Jennings (4-87-1) and Donald Driver (3-68-1) had solid days, while Donald Lee (4-25-1) and Tory Humphrey (4-67) gave the Packers a good one-two punch at TE.
Colts 31 @ Texans 27
Peyton Manning (247 yards, 2 TD, INT) and the Colts were able to capitalize on Sage Rosenfels’ mistakes…Reggie Wayne (7-97-1), Dallas Clark (5-81), Marvin Harrison (4-32) and Tom Santi (4-27-1) were the main receivers in the Colts’ passing game. Manning and Harrison don’t seem like they’re on the same page right now…Joseph Addai (17 carries, 71 yards, TD) had a solid game, but he’s not very involved in the passing game (1 catch, 3 yards)…Anthony Gonzalez (1-3) had a very quiet day…Rosenfels (246 yards, TD) played pretty well until the final quarter, when two fumbles and an interception allowed the Colts to steal the win…Andre Johnson (9-131-1) had a huge game and Owen Daniels (5-47) had another solid outing…Steve Slaton (16 carries, 93 yards, 2 TD) had a big day against a very bad Colts rush defense…Ahman Green (12 carries, 47 yards) returned from injury and played pretty well…Kevin Walter (2-36) had a quiet game.
Chargers 10 @ Dolphins 17
Chad Pennington was solid (228 yards, TD) throwing mainly to Greg Camarillo (6-68-1) and Ted Ginn (7-55). Camarillo is turning into a good spot starter in PPR leagues and Ginn is starting to show some life…Anthony Fasano (3-47) hada prety good game at TE…Ronnie Brown (24 carries, 125 yards, TD) had another big day…Ricky Williams (14 touches, 39 yards) is taking a back seat in the running game…The Chargers offense was disappointing, starting with Phillip Rivers (156 yards, TD), continuing with Antonio Gates (1-12), and ending with LaDainian Tomlinson (17 touches, 57 yards)…Vincent Jackson (2-56) and Chris Chambers (3-30-1) had decent games.
Seahawks 6 @ Giants 44
Eli Manning (267 yards, 2 TD) continues his strong play…Domenik Hixon (4-102-1) took advantage of the absence of Plaxico Burress to have his coming out party…Amani Toomer (4-64) had a disappointing day, all things considered…Sinorice Moss (4-45-2) scored twice…Brandon Jacobs (16 touches 145 yards, 2 TD) had a monster day, while Ahmad Bradshaw (11 carries, 65 yards) and Derrick Ward (9 touches, 50 yards) spelled Jacobs…Kevin Boss (2-9) was a big disappointment after talk that he’d be getting extra looks with Burress out…Bobby Engram (8-61) had a nice first game back and looks like a WR3-type in PPR leagues…Deion Branch’s return (3-31) was less encouraging, especially considering the score…Matt Hasselbeck (105 yards, INT) had a bad day, and his stock is probably as low as it has been all season…Julius Jones (18 touches, 74 yards) had a quiet game considering how strong he’s been the last few weeks…T.J. Duckett (4 carries, 14 yards) wasn’t much of a factor…The Seahawks defense should only be started when the matchup is favorable.
Redskins 23 @ Eagles 17
Clinton Portis (31 touches, 158 yards, TD) had a huge game against a good Eagles defense…Jason Campbell (176 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) had a quiet day, but he did connect with Chris Cooley (8-109-1) several times…Santana Moss didn’t have a catch…Antwaan Randle El (3-34) threw the TD to Portis…Shaun Suisham is starting to look like one of the steadier K plays in the league…The Eagles offense didn’t look too good, and it started with Donovan McNabb (196 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT)…DeSean Jackson returned a punt for a TD, but otherwise had a very quiet game (3 touches, 21 yards)…Reggie Brown (4-84) looks like a solid play in most PPR leagues…Brian Westbrook (18 touches, 84 yards, TD) had his normally productive day…L.J. Smith (3-26) is still a TE2 at this point.
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