Eagles Take Charge in NFC East, For Now...

The Eagles came up with a stop when they needed it the most. With the Cowboys only 3 yards away form sending the game into overtime, Drew Bledsoe threw a game-ending interception, and the Eagles grabbed control of the division, for now anyways.

The Eagles beat the Cowboys by continually getting pressure on Drew Bledsoe with its defensive line and timely blitzes. They recorded seven sacks and forced five turnovers. The depth of the defensive line, even without Jevon Kearse, is the backbone of the team, and could be the reason make another Super Bowl run. Philly's run defense is also improved this year, despite looking atrocious in the first half against the Cowboys. Although injuries have already hit the defense pretty hard, with cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Rod Hood both missing, the defense is playing well as a unit and backups like Joselio Hanson are doing a good job of filling in.

The Eagles' stock is soaring now, but Eagles' fan shouldn't start celebrating too much, because they have played a much easier schedule than both Dallas and New York.

New York has lost to Indianapolis and Seattle (both good teams) and beaten Philly and Washington. Dallas has lost to Jacksonville and Philly and beaten Washington (who the jury is still out on) and Tennessee. The Eagles have beaten three horrible teams in Green Bay, San Francisco, and Houston and one good team in Dallas, and of course lost to New York. The conclusion is that although it appears the Eagles have separated themselves from the rest of the NFC East, things will probably will become cluttered once the Eagles start playing some tougher teams. They have yet to play either of the two good AFC South teams (Jacksonville or Indy), and would be fortunate to gain a split again them. Not to mention the horrible back-to-back-back road trip through the rest of the NFC East to finish the season. The Eagles must have atleast a 2 game lead or hope that one or two of the teams they play in that brutal stretch is eliminated from the playoff hunt, and has only pride to play for.

The Giants finally played a complete game, totally dominating the Redskins in the NFC East "undercard", as ESPN anaylists refered to it. It was a mostly uneventful game, with both teams struggling to move the ball for much of the first half, until the Giants broke through. Washington had shown considerable improvement on offense the last couple weeks, highlighted by a high-scoring overtime win against Jacksonville last week. But the key to that game was how they got Santana Moss involved.

Moss caught three touchdowns, including the game-winning TD against Jacksonville, but mysteriously had only 3 catches for 39 yarda against New York. With Santana Moss, he's such a dynamic playmaker, all you need to do is get him the ball with some space 7-8 times a game, and he will make things happen. If you're Dan Snyder, you got to be wondering what on Earth you brought in highly-respected offensive coordinator Al Saunders for when the best player (in my opinion, although some may say Clinton Portis a.k.a. Dolemite Jenkins) on your team can't even get the ball.

Another key to the game was that Eli Manning was very accurate, connecting on 69 percent of his passes. Manning is not typically a high-percentage passer, so it remains to be seen of this performance was an anomaly or a sign of things to come. He just may have the best combination of receivers in the NFC East to throw to, in Jeremy Shockey, a reborn Amani Toomer (just two years ago Toomer went the whole season without catching a TD), and Plaxico Burress. The only problem is Shockey and Burress can be headcases at times, so when the Giants face adversity, these two are usually quick to point the finger at others.

New York's matchup in Atlanta should be a good measuring stick for them, as we can see if they match the same defensive intensity they showed against Washington...

Fantasy Breakdown for Week 5

Thanks to a monster game from Donovan McNabb(4 TDs and almost 300 yards), I was able to pull out a narrow victory in week 4 and remain undefeated. Michael Vick has been in a slump the last couple of weeks, as he has been unable to put any touchdowns on the board. Besides McNabb, the rest of my squad was average at best, and I left several players on the bench who had big games. Thanks to byes, I will have to use almost all of my bench this week...

....Quarterbacks...

With Vick on bye, I will turn to Jon Kitna, who has actually been putting up better numbers than Vick lately. In Week 4 Kitna had 280 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Going against a weak Green Bay defense, Kitna is a must start in two quarterback leagues, and unless you have an elite QB, you should probably start him in one QB leagues as well. He will put up about the same numbers he did in week 5. With Kitna, there will always be a couple mistakes, so an interception and fumble here and there is to be expected. In week 4, McNabb broke out of his shell, running for 47 yards and two touchdowns. When the Eagles were struggling, McNabb put them on his back, and started running the ball to pick up crucial first downs. He has been predominantly a pocket passes the last couple of years, but now that he is healthy, a rushing TD and some yards is a definite possibility every week. McNabb will not have great numbers in week 5, as the Cowboys have a better defense than the Eagles have seen all season, but 250 yards and a two touchdowns are realistic expectations...Rolling with Kitna and McNabb in week 5...

....Running Backs....

Reggie Bush has not been running the ball well lately and still has not scored a touchdown. I am only keeping him on the field because he doing a lot of damage through the air. If Willie Parker wasn't going agains the toughest run defense in the league this week (San Diego), I would probably start Parker over Bush, as New Orleans is facing Tampa Bay, which has been a sieve on run defense this year. My surprise start this week is Lamont Jordan, who torched a terrible Cleveland defense for a 120 yards and a touchdown in week 4. Jordan is going up against another awful defense in San Francisco, and will probably have a big game, in spite of the ridiculously bad offensive live working in front of him. Ladanian Tomlinson is on pace to break the record for most carries ever in a season, which is good and bad. It means he will continue to put big yardage numbers, but also he is at a greater risk to be injured, but he hasn't shown up on the injury report yet this year, so we'll see..Bush and Tomlinson at RB and Jordan in the WR/RB swing spot...

...Wide Receivers....

Byes for Darrell Jackson and T.J. Houshmandzadah hurt this week, in addition to Donald Driver being questionable. But the latest reports from Green Bay are that Driver will start, so I have to throw him, because I have no other options. Driver should have his usual 12-15 points(6-7 catches, 70-80 yards), and may even break out for a touchdown. The Rams' defense has not looked good lately, letting the Lions of all teams get 30 points on them! Chris Chambers is still not catching many balls, but he did put a touchdown on the board last week. WIth Joey Harrington starting this week, Chambers' value may actually be increased, because Chambers is such a big target, Harrington will probably be look to him as a crutch in his first start for the Dolphins. Marques Colston has been tearing up the league, and I haven't had in him in the lineup to take advantage once. For the season, he is now my second highest scoring receiver behind Darrell Jackson, so I should probably him have in next week too, but for week 5, I have n ochoice but to roll with him....Driver, Chambers, and Colston at WR....


...the rest...

I may suffer my first defeat this week, with three key players on the bench this week, but if Jordan and Colston can step up in week 5 and McNabb can continue his unbelievable season, another victory is within reach. Good luck to all on week 5...

Fantasy Breakdown for Week 4

After an embarrassingly easy victory in week 3, it might be easy for me to get cocky and think I don't need to make any changes. Sitting at 3-0 and with a big lead in points over the rest of the league, it is important to realize it is a long season and there is still a lot of football to be played. My roster now will probably be much different from what it looks like in week 16 because of injuries. Even though I appear to be deep in every position, I need to constantly be monitoring the waiver wire, and grabbing players I can plug in just in case any of my players go down.

I recently grabbed Marques Colton as an insurance policy. In three games he already has 15 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns. His eligibility as both a TE and a WR should be very beneficial, because a TE that catches a lot of balls every week is hard to come by. Since L.J. Smith can't go a week without being on the injury list, I will likely have to use him at TE at least a couple of times.

.....Quarterbacks...

Donovan McNabb continues to silence critics as he is on his way to another great season, and this time without TO. He hasn't really faced any great defenses yet, but considering how many times the Eagles will ask him to put the ball in the air, there is no way you can put him on the bench this year, no matter who the Eagles play. Not that you need to worry about the Packers defense this week, because they haven't exactly been a defensive juggernaut. Michael Vick should bounce back this week against the Cardinals after a miserable performance against the Saints. Hopefully Vick doesn't mail it in after one quarter, but I really think he will be itching to have a big game, and the Cardinals don't have the defense to stop him. As Atlanta's bye week approaches, it also important for me to be aware of how my backup Jon Kitna is performing. He's not exactly lighting it up, but he is not turning the ball over and has thrown for 800 yards and touchdowns. So I should be able to get "bye" for one week with those kind of numbers.

....Running Backs...

Not a whole lot for me to contemplate this week with Ladanian Tomlinson returning from bye week and Reggie Bush still performing at a high level (well at least for PPR leagues anyway). Bush has already caught 19 balls on the season, which is better than a lot of receivers. HE still hasn't found the endzone yet, which is disappointing, but Deuce McAlister gets all the goal-line carries, so I didn't have any big expectations for TDs anyways. Willie Parker is on bye this week so I don't have to face the tough decision of who to play in the swing position this week. So for RBs I got Bush and Tomlinson in and Lamont Jordan, the biggest bust of 2006, out. Nothing else you can really say about how bnad the Raiderss offensive line and team are this year.

...Wide Receivers...

T.J. Houshmandzadah had a huge season debut against the Steelers catching touchdowns on two consecutive possessions for the Bengals, and finished with with 9 catches for 94 yards. He is listed on the injury report as probable this week, but he has been practicing, and there is no way he won't be on the field against the Patriots. With Chad Jonhson getting all the attention, he should have another big day against that horrible Patriots' secondary. Darrell Jackson is continuing to perform at a high level, and his knee injury hasn't been a problem. With Deion Branch being phased into the offense gradually, Jackson is still going ot be picking up big numbers every week, especially now that Shaun Alexander is out and the Seahawks will be be more passing-oriented. Chris Chambers has been a big disappointment, but I think the problem rests more with Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper has been playing porrly, and he it looks like he won't be at 100% for much of this season. Tearing all three knee ligaments is a very tough injury to come back from, especially for a QB that has always relied on his mobility to get out of trouble. Donald Driver is putting up great yardage, but his touchdown productoin has not been ideal, but I think it will pick up, because Greg Jennings is establishing himself as a major scoring threat, and defenses will have to respect him as well. So Chambers, Driver, and Jackson in at receiver with Housh in the swing for this week.

....The rest...

My opponent this week is employing a strange strategy, playing both Joseph Addai and Dominick Rhodes. Although he is insuring himself at least a touchdown or two, and decent yardage, he is severly limiting his potential for points playing two backs on the same team, putting all eggs in one basket. He boasts great receivers in Santana Moss, Chad Jonhson, and Marvin Harrison, but with weak QBs in Philip Rivers and Chad Pennington, it will allow me to pick up another victory and move to 4-0, though it may be somewhat close, well Yahoo! has me projected for a 220 to 161 victory...

View from the Stands and other Week 3 Thoughts

I made the pilgrimage to Monster Park in San Francisco for the "showdown" between the 49ers and the Eagles. On paper the game was a total mismatch, but the 49ers had showed their improvement on defense and offense in the first two weeks against the Cardinals and in a win over the Rams(it should be noted that the 49ers finished last in the league in both offense and defense, so an improvement from these numbers is not necessarily indicative of success).

Regardless, the 49ers did have a small chance to win the game, they were playing at home after all, and the "Faithful" as the fans are now referred to, were all out in force....

But when the 49ers kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, it was a sign of things to come. The Eagles ran a flea-flicker on their first play, and Donovan McNabb connected with Reggie Brown for a 50-yard gain. A couple plays later Bryan Westbrook scored on a shovel pass, and the Eagles would continue their dominance for the rest of the game(except for the third quarter, but they were already up by 4 touchdowns at that point).

How the Eagles were able to dominate is no real mystery. Their play-calling was far superior to the 49ers, well that and they have a veteran quarterback who knows the offense in and out, and Alex Smith is still learning how to take snaps from under center(he ran the spread option in college). Anyway the main difference in play-calling was that the Eagles made a concerted effort to get the ball to their playmakers in open space on high-percentage/low-risk pass plays, often on first down. The Eagles also mixed in creative play-calls near the goal line and on the first offensive play of the game, an Andy Reid trademark.

The 49ers on the other hand predictably ran the ball on early downs and attempted intermediate passes on third down. The Eagles were ready for this elementary approach, and they stuffed the run, and brought pressure on third downs. The result was zero first downs in the first quarter and falling behind 24-3 at halftime.

The Eagles are often criticized for passing too much, because in a simple examination of the box score, they pass anywhere from 55 to 70 percent of the time. But, what the box score doesn't show is how quickly many of the passes are thrown. The Eagles run several designed quick screens to running backs, tight ends, and wideouts that are often short gains, like most running plays, but have a better chance of breaking for a big gain. The reason is the rush is keyed on getting to the quarterback, and the receiver has much more space to maneuver.

Once a player like Westbrook gets in open space, he's tough to tackle. This is why the Eagles signed him to a big contract last year, because he is such a perfect fit for their offense. They don't need him to run the ball 25 times. They want to maximize his speed and agility in the open field as a receiver. They want him to carry the ball 10-15 times and catch 6-7 passes per game. Here are his stats so far:

15 receptions for 164 yards(10.9 ypc) and 44 carries for 256 yards (5.8) and five total touchdowns. If he continues to put up numbers liek this,

The 49ers have a similar talent in Frank Gore, an explosive runner able to make defenders miss, but they haven't learned to how to best use his talents. Perhaps they picked up a few tricks in their dismantling against the Eagles.....

Other thoughts on week 3....

It was a strange game in Pittsburgh with the Bengals holding on late for a 28-20 victory when Ben Roethlisburger threw his third interception of the game. The game turned on a sequence in the fourth quarter when the Steelers fumbled twice on two consecutive series. T.J. Houshmanzadah scored touchdowns on the ensuing play both times for the Bengals, which proved to be the difference. Pittsburgh(and Rothlisburger especially) has looked pretty sloppy. Roethlisburger has already thrown 5 picks and is not playing with the confidence that he showed last year leading the Steelers to the Super Bowl. Most of his troubles can be attributed to his motorcycle accident and his appendectomy, because he at times appears afraid to take hits. His arm strength is also lacking, as evidenced by one throw against Cincy where he strided so hard throwing a deep ball that he fell down(the ball was intercepted, and not coincidentally was 10 yards shy of its intended target). He should be back to his old self in a couple weeks after the scars are fully healed, but he better step it up if Pittsburgh (1-2) is going to keep pace with Cincy and Baltimore, who are both 3-0.

There's nothing else I can really add to the beatdown that the Saints put on the Falcons, as there is already been so much written and said already. I figured the Saints might make it competitive, but that ultimately they wouldn't be able to stop Michael Vick. I couldn't have been more wrong. Vick seemed to be trying to prove his growth as a pocket passer, passing up open running lanes, and instead trying to move the ball with his arm. It didn't help that New Orleans' defense totally shutdown Warrick Dunn, who had been leading the league in rushing going into the game, but finished with only 44 yards on 13 carries. If the Saints can maintain this kind of defensive effort, they will definitely make the playoffs, but that is a very big IF..

The NFL Replay on the NFL network has to be one of the greatest ideas ever. The package compacts a full game into an hour and half, cutting out most inconsequential plays, and also includes quotes from players and coaches that accompany the action. It's a great way to get caught up on the best games of the week that you missed because you don't live in a given area. I don't work for the NFL network or anything, I guess I have seen the commercial advertising the NFL replay so many times, I have been brainwashed into promoting it...

The NFC looks to be catching up the AFC so far this season. So far the NFC is 4-3, although 2 of those wins are against the hapless Texans. Nonetheless the number of good NFC teams is increasing, with the Vikings, Bears, Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, and Falcons all looking impressive. Also, the three worst teams in the league are all in the AFC, the Titans, Texans, and Raiders. These teams are already locked in a battle to see who gets the first pick in the 2007 draft. The Raiders look to have the edge, as they haven't bothered to show up yet this year. An argument could be made to include the Lions in this group, and I definitely see the merit, but I think they are slighly above these three for now. I see some potential in their offense, and the defense did shutdown Seattle in that first game....

Fantasy Breakdown for Week 3

Week 3 should again be an easy victory for me, as my opponent as several players out of the lineup with byes. I also finally get T.J. Houshmanzadah back, as he practiced on Friday and was upgraded to probable. This will help me overcome the loss of Ladanian Tomlinson(off with bye), as I can throw Reggie Bush in at RB, and put Housh in the WR/RB slot, with Darrell Jackson keeping his spot, thanks to a strong game in week 2. I have several favorable matchups in week 3 against bad defenses that I will break down by position...

....Quarterbacks....

Michael Vick is going up against a weak New Orleans defense on Monday night that will have no chance of stopping Vick when Atlanta employs the spread option they did in week 2. Vick had 126 yards rushing against Tampa Bay, and looked unstoppable. Something tells me New Orleans won't fare any better than Tampa Bay, who has one of the fastest defenses in the league. Although I'm glad Vick is putting up big numbers, it does worry me he is going to take a lot of big hits running so often. As for McNabb, another 300 yard and multiple TD performance is very likely this week in San Francisco. San Francisco did look impressive in week 2 against the Rams, but the Rams never pass anymore, so to me that was no surprise.

......Running Backs.....

Reggie Bush continues to impress every week. He rushed for only 5 yards in week 2, but he caught 8 passes for 68 yards and had 36 return yards, which is a very solid effort in PPR leagues. The Saints will continue using him in this pass-catching role, so he is a must-play in PPR leagues like mine. He will finally score a TD against Atlanta on Monday, so bank on that. I'm rolling with Willie Parker again this week after a horrible showing against Jacksonville. Pittsburgh was totally shutdown, and will be fired up to prove themselves against Cincinnati. Cincy's run defense is so-so, so a 100-yard game and a touchdown are likely for Parker.

.....Wide Receivers.....

Donald Driver is continuing to put up big numbers, although he has yet to catch a touchdown pass. I knew coming in his value would be in the number of catches he got, and he hasn't disappointed, catching 15 balls for 249 yards. Housh will make first start of the season now that he is finally healthy, and I will use him in the swing spot, although I don't think he will have a huge game against Pittsburgh. Chris Chambers broke out in week 2, although it should be noted his touchdown came in garbage time, but maybe that's a good sign. Darrell Jackson may see reduced looks with Deion Branch entering the fray, but he still is Matt Hasselback's go to guy. L.J. Smith is probable with a shoulder injury, but is quietly one of the most productive tight ends in the league with 13 catches in two weeks. He should find paydirt against San Fran on Sunday.

....the rest.....

When it comes to defense and kickers, I just throw in whoever has the most points. I picked my two kickers after everyone else, and they have both been pretty consistent, so there's a tip for next year. Never draft one of the top-rated kickers, because it really is just a crapshoot. Anyway best of luck to everyone in week 3. My Yahoo! projected score is 200-132, so I won't be sweating it out...

"A Devastating Loss" and Other Week 2 Reactions

The best game of the year took place in week 2, as the New York Giants visited Philaldelphia for a division showdown, one of 11 such matchups. The Eagles came out on fire, eager to put last season's divisional 0-6 record behind them. They were truly dominant for three quarters, getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, shutting down the run, and racking up over 350 yards on offense.

Leading 24-7 as the fourth quarter started, the Giants looked to have no chance. But things can change quickly in the NFL, and thanks to a few lucky bounces of the ball(the Eagles' inability to recover a fumble near its own goal line, and a subsequent Bryan Westbrook fumble), the Giants climbed back into the game.

It's amazing how a team can be ineffective for an entire game, then go to a no-huddle offense late in the game and the offense appears to be unstoppable. And although the Eagles did become more conservative with their big lead, as most teams are, the Eagles continued to blitz Manning, but they weren't able to get as much pressure with their defensive line, which had been the key for the first three quarters. As Manning easily moved the Giants down the field for two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were blitzing with defensive backs and linebackers, but Manning was finding the open receivers with relative ease.

When the tying field goal went through the uprights in the final seconds of regulation, I knew the game was over, because the Giants had all the momentum. Sure enough, the Eagles couldn't do anything on offense in overtime, gaining almost no yards. It's difficult for a team to "turn the switch back to on" as the Eagles had only picked up a couple of first downs in the fourth quarter, choosing a conservative run-oriented attack that wasn't very effective.

Anyway, it was over before the OT coin flip, and I'm sure everyone has seen the game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress hundreds of times so there is no need to rehash that. The bottom line is the Eagles suffered a devastating loss at home, when they had it all but locked up a 2-0 record and seemingly re-established their NFC East dominance. But, now the Eagles need to regroup, and if they can't beat the Cowboys in Philly(on October 8), their season is pretty much over, considering their horrible back-to-back-to-back road trip through the NFC East the last month of the season.

Other thoughts on week 2....

The Falcons look like the class of the NFC right now. Last year their run defense was atrocious, but this year they have allowed only 105 yards total in their first two games. Even with Vick throwing for 92 yards against Tampa Bay, they are dominating their opponents. Vick is running a scaled-back version of the option and it is working very effectively, the only question is if and when is going to get injured. As long as he can get out of bounds frequently, he will continue to rack up big rushing numbers.

The two primetime games in week 2 were almost unwatchable. Defensive struggles are not entertaining, other than the occasional big hit. The Jacksonville-Pittsburgh game was pathetic, with both teams playing it conservative the whole game, until the Jags decided to try passing on first and second down in the third quarter. As for the Redskins-Cowboys, any game involving the Redskins this year apparently is going to be a bore. They were on Monday Night Football in week 1, and showed no signs of having the explosive offense they are supposed to have this year with the addition of new offensive coordinator Al Saunders, although Clinton Portis' return in week 3 should help. Other than one or two big plays by the Cowboys and Terrell Owens getting injured, there was nothing to get excited about or keep people on the East Coast awake.

The Chargers and the Ravens both look pretty damn good after two weeks, but neither team has played anyone, so don't pencil them in the AFC Championship game just yet. Both teams have showcased outstanding defenses and adequate offenses, but Steve McNair is old and frail and Phillip Rivers is young and inexperienced. Neither team will be tested in week 3 with the Chargers off and the Ravens going to Cleveland, so we'll have to wait and see.

Fantasy Breakdown for Week 2

Week 1 was an easy victory as I predicted, but despite correctly predicting big weeks from several players, I made key mistakes that may have cost me in other weeks. But first I'll take a look at what I got right...

Donovan McNabb had a big week agaisnt the Texans, which was no surprise, but Michael Vick put up some big numbers(my prediction was 150 yards passing, 2 TDs, 50 yards rushing; he ended up with 140 yards passing, 2 TDs, 48 yards rushing) against a stout Carolina defense, although it should be noted that Carolina was missing MLB Dan Morgan.

Playing Reggie Bush in week 1 worked out well with the Saints following my advice and getting Bush involved in the passing game early and using him on punt returns, as Bush showed why he should have been the number one pick overall. Lamont Jordan was a big disappointment against the Chargers picking up only 20 yards on 10 carries, but it's not his fault there wasn't any room to run and that Oakland was going up against the league's best run defense. Going in I figured he would at least pick up a garbage-time touchdown, but the Raiders were beaten so soundly that he was pulled late in the game. This also hurt LT's overall numbers, because the game was such a blowout, he had only one touchdown.

It turned out I should have gone with Darrell Jackson instead of Lee Evans in week1 , but Jackson was supposed to be restricted to only 15 plays, and he ended up playing for most of the game. Evans, on the other hand, well he is a Buffalo Bill, and there's no telling when they will have a passing game again. How embarrasing to lose a game on a safety! My other wideouts did OK, with Donald Driver racking up sosme garbage-time receptions for some extra cushioning, although I really need Houshmanzadeh back for week 2...

As for IDP, I left Mike Peterson out, who was questionable , and he ended up with 18 points( my other DLs had either 10 or 9). The guys that are questionable are always the toughest decisions, but my method is to usually play the guys that are able to practice(eve on a limited basis), and if a guy is downgraded late in the week, not to play him.

Now here's my plan for week 2..

....Quarterbacks.....

McNabb and Vick are no brainers this week but I 'm not expecting a combined 48 points liek they provided in week 1. They are going up against tough defense (Giants and Tampa Bay, respectively, but both will be playing their first home game of the season, which means they likely won't disappoint. The Eagles are going to continue their emphasis on the run game, so 250 yards 2 TDs and an interception are reasonable expectations for McNabb. Vick will be good for a touchdown and 200 total yards again, but will turn it over a couple times this week

....Running Backs.....

I have a really tough decision this week at running back with Lamont Jordan and the pathetic Raiders offense going on the road to Baltimore and their vaunted defense. I generally don't bench my top players just because they are going against a top defense(like when I left Jordan in week 1 against San Diego, which was a horrible decision), but the Raiders showed me so little in week 1 that I can't play Jordan unless the matchup is favorable(assuming I have a better option) Instead I will insert Wille Parker into the lineup, who ran hard in week 1 and is going up against a tough Jacksonville rush defense that will be missing a few key starters (and maybe Mike Peterson, but I can't worry about conflicts of interest on my own team too much). Parker showed that is going to be part of the passing game and the one and only option at running back, so I would give the green light to start him at will. I can't put Reggie Bush on the bench after he did so well in week 1, so he's in again.

....Wide Receivers.....

Driver is going to be s starter every week, because the Packers will always be losing, and he will be constantly racking up catches, yards, and touchdowns when the other team's second string defense is on teh field. Chambers was targeted 13 times in week 1, so I am not too concerend with his 5 catches. I really really want to have Housh availbe in week 2, but he STILL has not practiced this week. These are the worst decisions to make, because now he is probable. I am not really sure how he got upgraded without even practicing at all, but I currently have him penciled in. He's such a good redzone threat, I would rather risk getting 0 than playing Lee Evans and getting only 2 points! And Darrell Jackson will get even less looks now that Deion Branch is in the fold. I was rooting against his trade to the Seahawks os much just so that I could have Jackson stowed away on my bench as a capable fourth receiver. Damn!

Update: I will now place Housh on the bench, as he wasn't able to practice all week and was downgraded to questionable. DO NOT PLAY HOUSHMANDZADEH IN WEEK 2!

The complete matchup is listed below...

Yahoo! has me projected for another easy 20 point victory, and I couldn't agree more..

Week 1 Reactions and Observations

Michael Vick proved again that he doesn't need to complete a high percentage of passes to beat an elite defense (10-22, 140 yards). As long as he has room to run, the Falcons will be a tough team to beat. What was even more suprising was how bad they made the Panthers' offense look(although i t must be pointed ut that the Panthers were playing without their primary offensive weapon from 2005, Steve Smith). The Falcons had four sacks and shut down Carolina completely. The acquisitions of John Abraham and Lawyer Milloy have shored up a defense that was horrible against the run in 2005.

Donovan McNabb showed that he is healthy and back to his old self with three touchdowns and 312 yards, although the Texans are not a good measuring stick. The Eagles also showed a more balanced attack, running the ball 30 times(for 130 yards) and passing 36(for 312 yards) times. If the Eagles continue to run the ball effectively and stretch the opposing defense with deep balls to newly acquired Donte Stallworth, the Eagles will continue to roll up easy wins, although the competition gets tougher in week 2 with a home matchup against the Giants. Don't look now, but the Eagles are the only NFC East team that escaped week 1 with a win..

I wish ESPN and the NFL Network would stop showing Trent Green's head bounce off the turf over and over in slow motion. He is lucky that the injury wasn't a lot worse, although "severe head trauma" doesn't sound too minor. I think Trent Green is going to miss a lot more than the projected 2 games that is being reported.

After being picked by several commentators to make the Super Bowl, the Cowboys flopped in week 1. TO did have a good game (at least in terms of overall numbers, 6 catches, 80 yards, TD), but he disappeared for much of the second half, when the Jaguars took charge. Drew Bledsoe looked terrible, showing once again he can't handle consistent defensive pressure. The Cowboys need to get him time to throw the ball, or TO is going to blow up soon as the losses pile up.

Lastly, if I have learned anything from previous week 1 openers, it's that we can't jump to conclusions based on one game. So just because Chad Pennington had a good game against a horrible Titans team or Steve McNair helped lead Baltimore to a shutout of Tampa Bay on the road, it was only one game, and not necessarily the begging of a new trend. Both players will surely get injured as they always do, putting both their teams in a precarious position.

Fantasy Breakdown for Week 1

Well here we are at week 1 already. I thought would share my lineup and give some reasoning and reccomendations for the lineup I am using for week 1, and maybe along the way you can extract some useful nuggets of information. The league I am in is a PPR league, or points per reception, which makes it different from most fantasy leagues. Players that catch a lot of passes become extremely valuable, and receivers become much more important.

In most leagues, receivers are a crapshoot, even with the best receivers. Torri Holt and Marvin Harrison will have 50 yards receiving and no touchdowns one week, then blow up the next. But in PPR leagues, there is a lot of value in guys like Donald Driver, who you can almost always count for 100 receptions a season, but who would normally get overlooked because the Packers are a disaster. Also running backs that catch the ball a lot out of the backfield are extremley valuable, which is why I snagged Ladanian Tomlinson and Lamont Jordan. In my opinion, LT is the number one overall player in PPR leagues, but I was miraculously able to grab in the fourth position, due to the incompetence of my fellow league participants.

....Running backs...

I decided to leave Willie Parker and Reuben Droughns on the bench this week, instead going with Reggie Bush at the W/R swing position and Lamont Jordan and LT((both no-brainer week 1 starts) as my RBs. Miami has a stout run defense, and without Roethlisburger, the Steelers are going to play really conservative, which means a lot of carries for Parker, but not many yards, because Miami knows this is the plan as well. Parker may have a touchdown and decent yards(75), but he doesn't typically catch many passes. I am rolling the dice with Reggie Bush in week 1. The Saints will be platooning him with Deuce McAlister, but will look to get him involved in the passing game early, and he may even pick up some points on punt return. Cleveland has a solid defense, but I can see Bush easily rushing for 50 yards, catching 5 passes for 60 yards, and getting 30 yards on punt return. There's also the thrill of throwing him in there in week 1.

...Wide Receivers....

I was able to snag Darrell Jackson off waivers last week, and I will stow him on the bench for now, and wait to make sure he is healthy before I throw him in. I have a lot of depth at wide receiver with Chris Chambers and Donald Driver as my top 2. I thought T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a steal as a number three receiver, but he is questionable for week 1, so I will likely go with Lee Evans this week. Housh is obviously a much better player and if he starts, will rack up more points than Evans. But I want to make sure I don't get 0 points in the WR position. I don't think Housh will suit up in week 1 because he was downgraded to questionable on Thursday, but I'll be watching closely.

....Quarterbacks...

Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick is a nice combo at quarterback and I am excited about the possibilities. Vick never puts up many passing yards, but he always finds a way to move the chains and lead his team to scores. And when the Falcons get inside the 5-yard line, there is no QB I would rather have than Vick, because the play-action is almost unstopable with him, especially when Warrick Dunn is running the ball effectively. Now Vick has historically faired poorly against Carolina, but it is week 1, and teams typically aren't crisp in their tackling in the first week of the season, so I think he will accumulate two TDs this week, with 50 yards rushing and 150 passing. McNabb on the other hand will have a field day against Houston. Hopefully the Eagles don't show too much balance, and McNabb is able to pick up all the TDs, and not Bryan Westbrook and Corell Buckhalter.

.......the rest...

Kickers and defense don't require too much thought, so I won't waste my or your time.
As for my matchup this week, the Yahoo! predictions obviously favor me. My opponent is not particularly deep at any position, except running back, but Clinton Portis will be limited with his shoulder injury. And Stephen Jackson is going against the one of the toughest run defenses in the league(Denver), so I am confident he won't have a big day. He is not much of a receiver out of the backfield, so he's not a high scoring player.

Check back on Sunday night to see my reflections on the week. Feel free to email me at steve(at)ionmail(dot)com to give me feedback. Good luck...and to those of you that made the free $1100 bet with Mansion.com this week, GO STEELERS!!!

Week 1 Projected Stats(As calculated by Yahoo!)

QB
D. McNabb (Phi - QB) @Hou 21.68
Mi. Vick (Atl - QB) @Car 12.74

WR
C. Chambers (Mia - WR) @Pit 10.11
D. Driver (GB - WR) Chi 8.20
L. Evans (Buf - WR) @NE 6.31

RB
L. Tomlinson (SD - RB) @Oak 18.66
L. Jordan (Oak - RB) SD 12.86

TE
L. Smith (Phi - TE) @Hou 7.97

W/R
R. Bush (NO - RB) @Cle 10.91

K
M. Stover (Bal - K) @TB 10.51
R. Lindell (Buf - K) @NE 8.10

D
K. Mitchell (KC - DL) Cin 9.14

DB
G. Wilson (NYG – DB) Ind 11.12

DB
K. Rhodes (NYJ - DB) @Ten 11.32

DL
L. Tatupu (Sea - DL) @Det 11.63

DL
C. June (Ind - DL) @NYG 12.35

Total 183.61


QB
M. Bulger (StL - QB) Den 16.58
B. Favre (GB - QB) Chi 9.12

WR
H. Ward (Pit - WR) Mia 11.45
A. Johnson (Hou - WR) Phi 10.69
A. Lelie (Atl - WR) @Car 4.50

RB
R. Johnson (Cin - RB) @KC 11.65
S. Jackson (StL - RB) Den 10.88

TE B. Watson (NE - TE) 3.88

W/R Ma. Clayton (Bal - WR) @TB 6.07

K
A. Vinatieri (Ind - K) @NYG 8.75
J. Elam (Den - K) @StL 9.44

D
De. Smith (SF - DL) @Ari 10.19

DB
N. Clements (Buf - DB) @NE 10.65

DB
C. Gamble (Car - DB) Atl 10.35

DL
K. Morrison (Oak - DL) SD 11.63

DL
M. Strahan (NYG - DL) Ind 8.38

Total 154.21


Matchup: 183.61 - 154.21

A nice easy win for week 1(on paper)

2006 Preview: NFC EAST

In most circles, the Philadelphia Eagles are being picked to finish fourth in the NFC East, with the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins fighting it out for first. The division is commonly regarded as the most difficult in the league, with potentially three playoff teams. The Cowboys have looked great on offense and defense in the preseason, even with all the TO nonsense looming as a distraction. The Redskins return a talented defense from 2005, and a solid offense with the additions of wide receivers Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd to complement Santana Moss and Clinton Portis. The Giants also will be strong again with a maturing Eli Manning and 31-year old running back Tiki Barber, who is looking to have one more monster season before he likely retires after the season is over.

The schedule makers certainly didn't do the Eagles any favors this year, despite a last place finish in the division in 2005(6-10, 0-6). They have the second most difficult schedule(based on 2005 records) in the division, including a brutal stretch in December when they face all three of their division opponents on the road in consecutive weeks. However the Eagles could easily get out to a 7-1 or 6-2 start with early matchups against the Texans, Saints, 49ers, and Packers. McNabb has looked great in the preseason, and he is out to prove that 2005 was a fluke and that he can lead a team to the playoffs without a marquee receiver. The Eagles built some momemntum last year by attempting to establish the run after McNabb got hurt and TO flamed out, so look for a much more balance offense in Philadelphia. Don't be surprised if the Eagles are near the top of the division for much of the season, and then fall out of the playoff race amid their horrendous road trip through Dallas, Washington, and New York.

The Giants have the second toughest schedule in the NFL, and a rough start to the season, with a Manning showdown in week 1 and early road dates in Seattle, Washington, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. But the Giants have great balance on offense (6th in the NFL in rushing and 11th in the NFL in passing in 2005), and will likely hover around .500 for much of the season. If Eli Manning can cut down on his interceptions(he threw 17 interceptions in 2005) and become a more accurate pass, the Giants have a shot at taking the division at 9-7 or 10-6. But Eli will continue to make poor decisions at key times in 2006, and the Giants will miss out on the playoffs. Manning had a completion percentage of 52.8 in 2005. I just don't see his accuracy improving in 2005. Most quarterbacks have a difficult time improving their accuracy as their careers go on, and Manning is no exception.

Road Upsets Throw a Fork into Week 10 Rankings

Week 10 was characterized by shocking upsets on the road by Minnesota (over the Giants), Green Bay (over the Falcons), and Dallas (over the Eagles). Everything else pretty much went as predicted.



Everyone can shut up for a week at least after watching the NFC North go 4-0, atlhough the Bears win over the 49ers was quite possibly the worst football game every played, besides the 108 field goal return for a touchdown by Nathan Vasher at the end of the first half. Without this play, the Bears would have been trailing 3-0 at halftime. Pretty much tells you why they won't be cracking the top 10 anytime soon. That is unless they beat Carolina this week. Then maybe I'll consider it.

As for the state of the Eagles, and my perspective on the Terrell Owens saga, check out my latest article on Sports Central.

Now onto the rankings of the ten best teams in the NFL...

1. Indianapolis 9-0
A nice easy win for the Colts against the Texans. The Colts have beaten the Texans four times this season already, and the teams will square off again three more times. I guess the NFL really wants to see the Colts get home field advantage this season. Or maybe the Colts are just lucky that the two bottom teams of the AFC South are absolutely terrible this season (Houston and Tennessee). Oh by the way Peyton Manning is back to being one of the best fantasy quarterbacks, and Edgerrin James is still getting 25 carries per game. Pretty good combination. The Colts defense will get another test at Cincinnati this week. Is this the week they lose? Probably not, seeing as Cincy won't be able to stop James.

3. Pittsburgh 7-2 (3)
Pittsburgh might be good enough to move up to number two if Ben Roethlisburger is healthy and is able to continue playing at a high level. Pittsburgh had a small scare against Cleveland, falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter. Of course, Pittsburgh responded with 27 unanswered points behind solid quarterbacking from Charlie Batch, and an impressive effort on defense. Cleveland didn't score again until the fourth quarter, picking up two garbage touchdowns. If Tommy Maddox has to start this week against Baltimore they could be in trouble, wait...nevermind. I could start at quarterback this week and lead them to a win against Baltimore.

4. Denver 7-2 (4)
The Broncos didn't exactly dominate against the lowly Raiders, but they did pull off the win. Every team won't play its best game every week. The defense came up with big stops when it needed to, and the Raiders did the rest, blowing all the opportunities Denver gave them. Plummer didn't look as good, throwing what should been a sure interception, but the story of Oakland's season has been the lack of execution (and getting screwed by bad calls, which wasn't the case in this game). I have a feeling Denver is about to hit a losing streak, but probably not this week against the Jets. Perhaps at Dallas on Thanksgiving.

5. Seattle 7-2 (5)
Shaun Alexander is having an incredible season. His 165 yards rushing carried Seattle to an easy win. As the Rams attempted to come back, as they always have to do against Seattle, it was Alexander who ran for a first down on third and short and then broke into the endzone to seal the game. Although Alexander's effort was impressive, I was most impressed with Seattle's defense, especially their ability to stop Steven Jackson, who had carried the Rams to two consecutive wins. Seattle held Jackson to only 70 yards on 17 carries. Seattle's defense came up with a huge stop early in the game when St. Louis lined up for a short field goal, and chose to ran a fake instead. Seattle stuffed the play, seized the momentum, and have solidified themselves as the team to beat in the NFC. The only question now is what seed Seattle will get in the playoffs, as they have already wrapped up the NFC South, as they are four games ahead of the Rams.

6. Dallas 6-3 (7)
The Cowboys somehow pulled out a miraculous win at Philly on Monday night. The Cowboys looked terrible for 56 minutes, then got its shit together just in time to beat the reeling Eagles team. Maybe we can chalk the poor performance up to Bill Parcells burying his brother that day, maybe.. I think the Cowboys will bounce back, but they could be on their way down. I want to see a strong statement this week against the Lions.

7. Cincinnati 7-2 (9)
The Bengals were on bye, so the only significant thing to report is that Chad Johnson didn't guarantee a win this week against the Colts. He wanted to, but his coach probably told him he wouldn't be playing if he did. Instead he guaranteed he wouldn't be stopped against Indy. Seems to me he should have guaranteed he would do a good job run-blocking, because Cincy needs to run the ball well to win this game. If they can, they will win, but I don't think they will. Pittsburgh goes up a game in the division, and the Bengals start focusing on the wildcard.

8. Carolina 7-2 (10)
Carolina was locked in a low-scoring battle with the Jets, then the Jets remembered they were the Jets and started sucking again. Too many injuries on this team. Meanwhile, everyone can shut up about how much better the AFC is than the NFC. Meanwhile Jake Delhomme is doing what he did with Muhsin Muhammed last year with Steve Smith this year. Can anyone guard this guy? I thought a broken leg was supposed to slow you down (he missed all of last season with a broken leg) Apparently not in his case. Delhomme still is making mistakes, but is making enough passes to overcome them. A matchup with the statistically best defense (Chicago) in the league will say a lot about the Panthers/


10. (tied) New York Giants 6-3 (8)
Who would have thought that both Atlanta and New York lost home games to the Packers and Vikings respectively. Well, seeing as the Giants defense looked really good (except for the one drive at the end of the game), giving up only 3 points, I will list them first ahead of the Falcons. The 3 return touchdowns (kickoff, punt, and interception) by Minnesota was embarrasing to the Giants. Eli Manning threw 4 interceptions against a defense that had 7 interceptions in its first 8 games. Manning looked terrible and as off-target all day. Please, please, someone else agree with me so I don't have to hear how he has matured so much as a quarterback in such a short time. I am so sick of it. Is anyone else wondering how the Vikings shut down Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey? I'm calling it right now: Philly 21 New York 20. Things even out in this world, sometimes.



Speaking of which, check out my opinion on the Eagles

10. (tied) Atlanta 6-3 (6)
Um, Michael, what's up now with your passing skills. You did throw for 200 yards, but it was all in garbage time, when the Packers had control of the game, and were giving your receivers a huge cushion. The Falcons killed themselves with three lost fumbles, and the Packers were due to catch some breaks as Samkon Gado fumbled twice, but the Packers recovered both. Oh yeh, he also ran for 100 yards against what was supposed to be an improving defense. Atlanta's run defense is terrible, and apparently if we're judging Michael Vick the way he wants us to (on wins and losses), he is not a good quarterback. If he gets credit for when the defense shuts down the other teams, he always gets credit for when Roddy White fumbles. So for now, two monumental upsets keep the Giants and Falcons deadlocked at number 10.



As always any questions or complaints, or letters of admiration should be directed to lbpimp47@hotmail.com

Indy Separates Itself from the Pack in the Week 9 Rankings

After watching Indianapolis destroy the Patriots, I came to the conclusion that Indianapolis is the best team in the league (surprise, surprise)and that no one else is even close.



Stay tuned for my article on the Eagles and Terrell Owens on Tuesday.

1. Indianapolis 8-0
So Indianapolis is playing some pretty good ball so far after the first 9 weeks of the season I would say. Now naysayers may say they have played the world's easiest schedule. I mean how many times this season do they play the Browns, Texans, and Titans? 3 times each? The Colts deflected any of that criticism with the way they dispatched the Patriots in New England on Monday night, 40-21. The offense was churning out yards and controlling the clock, and connecting on third down almost every time. This team doesn' appear to have many weaknesses as of so far, although I think a team like Pittsburgh could run it down their throats. For now they are the best in the league, and there is no one even close.

3. Pittsburgh 6-2 (2)
Without Ben Roethlisburger, this team is definitely not the same. I was not impressed with the 20-10 win at Green Bay. A couple of lucky plays on defense were the difference in this game. Green Bay could have easily won if not for the tipped-pass interception deep in Green Bay territory and the Brett Favre fumble (caused by my fifth cousin, Bryant McFadden) that was returned for a touchdown.


Charlie Batch had a horrible game, but it didn't matter. The Steelers only have to rely on him for one more week, and play another creampuff in Cleveland, so expect a similar game against the Browns this week.

4. Denver 6-2 (3)
Bye week for the Broncos provided them the chance to mull over how they always seem to collapse in the second half of the season after impressive starts. It doesn't seem likely that it will happen again, considering how balanced the offense has been. However, the pass defense has not been very good, and Champ Bailey is one of the most overrated "shutdown" corners in the league. If the run defense falters, this team could go into the tank.

5. Seattle 6-2 (4)
There isn't really much more than could be said about this team after a blowout against the hapless Cardinals. Shaun Alexander is a good running back, Matt Hasselback is a slightly above-average quarterback, and the defense is solid, having shut down both Atlanta and Dallas. Seattle's talented wide receiver corps got Bobby Engram back in week 9, and Darrell Jackson will be back soon. Seattle can pretty much lock up their division with a win at home against St. Louis, in what should be a close game with the Rams getting Torri Holt, Marc Bulger, and Isaac Bruce back.

6. Atlanta 6-2 (5)
Michael Vick has arrived as one of the premier passing quarterbacks in the NFL. I can boldy say that after Vick went 22-31 for 228 yards (a season-high) that he has now on the same level in passing as Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer. Ok, so maybe one game does not change the fact that he is a running quarterback and may always be. Chill out Michael, the media is going to continue to criticize your passing ability until you prove yourself on a week-in, week-out basis. You had one good game, and c'mon, it wasn't even that great. You still have never pass for more than 300 yards in a game. Now I do respect you and think that you single-handedly make your team competively, but you are not a good pocket passer. By the way, Warrick Dunn is the man, and the defense is bouncing back after a couple lackluster weeks.

7. Dallas 5-3 (6)
The Cowboys have two weeks to prepare for the Terrell Owens-less Eagles. Will it be enough to ground them for the second time this season? Maybe not, but the 'Boys are playing good defense and Drew Bledsoe is still miraculously playing well. Julius Jones will return against Philly and Marion Barber, who has been filling in admirably, will take on a complementary role. The Cowboys can make a strong statement by beating the Eagles in Philly on Monday night, and possibly end the Eagles' playoffs hopes.

8. New York Giants 6-2 (7)
Again, not really a whole lot to say when a good team (New York) beats up on a crappy team (San Francisco). Although the Giants didn't play very well, they didn't really need to. A touchdown pass by Eli Manning to Jeremy Shockey was about all the offense they needed, and luckily for me in my fantasy league Tiki Barber finally had a bad game. Regardless, the Giants are leading the now-tough NFC East and its there for the taking. It should be noted that the Giants have played the weakest schedule of any NFC East team. This week they play another easy game, Minnesota. 7-2, here they come.

9. Cincinnati 7-2 (8)
Cincinnati looked good this week, defeated Baltimore 21-9. Baltimore's defense is always tough, and the Bengals moved the ball consistently against them. The defense also stepped up and stopped the run, holding Jamal Lewis to 49 yards on 15 carries and Chester Taylor to 9 yards on 3 carries. Although it should be noted Lewis hasn't really had a good game all season. Nonetheless, a solid effort from the Cincy D, but seeing as teh Bengals have lost to the only two good teams they have played this year, they are not in the upper-echelon of the league just yet. They need to prove themselves against a quality opponent (i.e., not the Texans or the Titans). Carson Palmer vs. Peyton Manning is almost here (Week 12)

10. Carolina 6-2 (unranked)
Carolina, a.k.a. the Steve Smith show is back in the top 10. After thumping Tampa Bay (now 5-3), the Panthers have solidified themselves as one of the top teams in the NFC. True, the defense does not seem as dominant as it could be, but Jake Delhomme and Smith have been lighting up the scoreboard.

As always any questions or complaints, or letters of admiration should be directed to lbpimp47@hotmail.com

Week 8 Rankings

I won't waste your time, so let's get right to the rankings of the best 10 teams in the NFL right now. In a week that the worst team in the league finally won (Houston), last year's NFC champions (Philadelphia) lost by four touchdowns and the Super Bowl champs (New England) should have lost.



At last, both these teams are coming back to earth after dominating their respective leagues the past few seasons. Now, there is a chance neither will even make the playoffs.....

1. Indianapolis 7-0
Indianapolis finally plays a real team for once in week 9, as the Colts are headed to New England. Although the 2005 version is a shell of the three-time Super Bowl champs, New England will be Indy's first test of the season. With that said, Indy has been the most complete team in the NFL so far, running the ball and controlling the clock. Indy's defense may be overrated, but as long as the offense continues to be as productive as it is, the defense will not have to spend too much time on the field and continue to put up some of the best numbers in the league.

2. Pittsburgh 5-2
The Steelers didn't bring their A game against the Ravens, but they did just enough to win. Baltimore still has one of the better defenses in the league, so we shouldn't read into too much. However, I certainly didn't expect Pittsburgh to have to kick a field goal in the last 2 minutes to beat a Raven team missing Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.



Nonetheless, Pittsburgh can run the ball as well as anyone in the NFL, and with Ben Roethlisburger making all the passes he needs too, this year's team is as good as last year's 15-1 team. However, with Roethlisburger out for 1, maybe 2 weeks (possibly more), we'll see if the defense and the run game can carry the load.

3. Denver 6-2
Well the Broncos certainly made quite the statement against the Eagles. It's not often a team almost completely blows a 28-point lead, then comes back and wins by 28 points after all. Denver moved the ball at will against a Philadelphia defense ((that shut down the potent Chargers) that was supposed to be one of the best in the league. The Eagles saw firsthand the importance of having a balanced offense, as Jake Plummer and co. illustrated time and time again with the play-action pass. Denver's defense had a great scheme to shut down the Eagles which worked for the whole game, except for 3 series'.

4. Seattle 5-2
Seattle is well-rested after eking out a much-needed victory against Dallas, 13-10, in week 7. The passing game hasn't missed a beat with the Seahawks' top two receivers out the past 4 weeks, and with Bobby Engram back in the lineup in week 9, the offense will be ever more improved. Shaun Alexander is often regarded as a "soft" running back by the experts, and his 72 yard rushing output against Dallas may be a testament to that. He also was shut down this season by Jacksonville (73 yards. With that said, Matt Hasselback has made enough plays to compensate for when the running game is not working, and the defense has risen to the occasion when needed (see Dallas, week 7).

5. Atlanta 5-2
Atlanta's defense is not as good as last year, but can anyone stop Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn? The Jets sure couldn't in week 7 on Monday night. In Week 8 the Falcons had a chance to rest up and decide if they were actually going to attempt any passes the rest of the season, because I sure don't see the point. Vick's passing appears to have regressed this season, but it doesn't matter because has rushed for 302 yards on 49 carries (6.2 ypc). Vick is unstoppable around the goal-line, which is one of the main reasons why Atlanta is in the top 5. Often teams get bogged down in the redzone and have to settle for field goals, but not the Falcons. A Vick play-action fake to Dunn will beat every team. Now, if the defense can get its act together, this team may move up even more.

6. Dallas 5-3
Drew Bledsoe is the number one rated quarterback in the NFL right now and the line is opening up holes for whoever is running the ball. At first I didn't think this would last, but the Cowboys look like they are for real. The defense is much-improved from last season, and the name of the game in the NFL is balance, and the Cowboys have shown they can run the ball to control the clock and put points on the board with the passing game. I'll let the losses to Oakland and Washington slide for now. Dominating wins over New York (I know it went into overtime, but they really did dominate) and Philadelphia more than make up for it.

7. New York Giants 5-2
Who will make it the Super Bowl first? Eli or Peyton? How about who will overreact more to the early success of Eli Manning? Ok, so Eli has looked pretty good so far, especially in the comeback win against the Broncos. But what about that game against San Diego? Everyone was talking about how well he played, but they got blown out of the water. If I'm not mistaken, playing well means more than just picking up garbage touchdowns. And the last time I checked he didn't have a great statistical game in the 26-0 blowout win over Washington in week 8. The real story with this team is the running of Tiki Barber, who is averaging 5.3 ypc. The run defense has also been solid, but the Giants aren't going anywhere allowing 266 yards passing per game.

8. Cincinnati 6-2
Cincinnati should have totally destroyed the Packers. 5 interceptions against Brett Favre and somehow the Packers still had a chance to win at the end, yet the Bengals let them hang around. A win is a win, but Cincy showed me a lot in winning in such an unimpressive way. Yeh they have 20 interceptions on the season, but the offense doesn't appear to be as smooth as it was in the earlygoing, and the Packers aren't exactly a great defensive team. Cincy is struggling to run the ball (and stop the run) and Chad Johnson is not having the impact he should. Cincy has beaten only one team with a winning record (Chicago, 4-3), but Chicago hasn't beaten any good teams, so we can throw that one out). The only thign is Cincinnati has such an easy schedule they could easily finish 11-5. A week 10 showdown awaits with Indianapolis. This game will be a great measuring stick for both teams. Can Cincy stop Edgerrin James? Will Carson Palmer be able to avoid Indy's vaunted pass rush? We'll see.

9. San Diego 4-4
San Diego has lost to Pittsburgh (2) and Denver (3) on last second field goals, and had winnable games against Dallas (6) and Philly. I don't know that we can say San Diego is one of the best teams in the league right now just because they should be 8-0, the fact is they aren't. Somehow they lost four times, and that's what matters. The defense hasn't gotten stops when it needed and the offense has gotten conservative at times when being aggressive could have won the game. Nonetheless, Drew Brees is having another great season and Antonio Gates might have better numbers this year than last year, even playing one less game. The run defense is still playing well, but the secondary is a disaster.

10. New England 4-3
This team is a total mystery to me. They were dominated by Buffalo on Sunday night in week 8, but still found a way to win. I really don't know what to think about this team. They are relying a little much on the pass this year, which is typically not a good thing. The defense is not stopping people the way it has the last few years, and even with Teddy Bear Bruschi back in the lineup, they are still in trouble. Tom Brady will continue to make plays to win games, however, but without a more balanced offense and a stronger defense, the Patriots may not even be able to squeak into the playoffs.

Week 6 Rankings

7 of the teams listed in the top 10 were losers in week 5, making the task of ranking the top 10 heading into week 6 a daunting task. So daunting in fact, that I didn't even do it. Instead I waited an extra week, and put 2 weeks of thought into these rankings. So here it is...

But first, I am also a columnist for Sports Central. Click here to read my latest

1. Indianapolis 6-0
The Colts allowed 28 points on Monday night, and despite winning 45-28, I’m still not convinced they are going to win the Super Bowl. The Rams stormed out to a 17-0 lead, and if Marc Bulger hadnt gotten hurt, I think the Rams would have won this game. Jamie Martin made mistake after mistake in relief, and the Rams were successfully putting pressure on Peyton Manning. The Colts scored most of their points on a short field after St Louis turned the ball over. By the way, you catch Peyton Manning on “Miked Up?” He sounded like a dork to me. On the other hand, Edgerrin James looks pretty good with the Colts giving him around 25 carries per game. He has been stealing Manning's garbage TDs this year, scoring 3 against the Rams.


The Colts are like a college team. They keep running up the score even after the game is over, but for now they are number 1 in the BCS.

2. Denver 5-1
Denver has beaten two good teams in-a-row (Washington and New England, in Denver) and Jake Plummer is actually looking like he knows what he is doing. With a solid run game, Plummer has been making big plays and not making any big mistakes. Tatum Bell has two consecutive 100-yard games on 12 and 13 carries, allowing Plummer more room to work with. The defense has looked good as well, completely shutting down the Patriots for three quarters. If this team beats the Giants and the Eagles in the next 2 weeks, they are the best team in the NFL.

3. Cincinnati 5-1
Yeah I know this is too high, theyÂ’re overrated, they haven’t played anyone. Blah Blah Blah. But let me try to explain. This is team is good. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are the best receiver and quarterback combination in the league right now, and the defense is causing turnovers at a record pace. Ok so they almost lost to the Texans, lost to the Jaguars, and were trailing the Titans for much of the game. But good teams need to overcome adversity and be able to play in close games to test their mettle. This team is destined for big things this year because they are winning the close games that they haven’t been able to win for 10 years. And, oh yeah the Patriots beat the Texans in overtime 2 years ago, and still won the Super Bowl…

4. Pittsburgh 3-2
This ranking only holds if Ben Roethlisburger doesn’t miss any more time. Because quite simply, they would have beaten Jacksonville with him. Tommy Maddox cost them the game with his 3 interceptions and costly fumble in overtime. Despite Maddox, they still almost won. With Roethlisburger at quarterback, this team is pretty damn hard to beat. The Steel curtain may have a chink though, as Jacksonville was able to run the ball effectively against them. A battle with Cincinnati in week 7 will show which team has the early edge on the division.



5. Jacksonville 4-2
The Jaguars saved their season by hanging on a for an improbable victory at Pittsburgh in overtime. Unfortunately, I didn’t actually see the end, because it was pre-empted for the beginning of the stupid Oakland-San Diego game, No game breaks until halftime. I had to find out how it ended by watching the score crawler on the bottom of the screen. But damn what an ending. Maddox’s fumble of a snap when the Steelers were in field goal range was a gift. But the Jags came out on top, coming up with some big plays on defense. This team is starting to run the ball effectively, and the combination of Fred Taylor (when he returns to action in week 7 and Greg Jones could be a lethal combo).

6. Tampa Bay 5-1
Tampa Bay really deserves to be higher, but with Brian Griese out for the rest of the year, this team will miss a beat. The defense has continued to shut down everyone, and Michael Pittman has looked great filling in for Cadillac the last 2 weeks. But Jon Gruden's honeymoon season won't last much longer. This team is primed to come back to earth, but it won't happen soon as the Bucs have a bye in week 7 and again in week 8 (at San Francisco) It should also be noted this team lost to the Jets and the 80-year old Vinny Testaverde who barely even moves in the pocket anymore.

7. Atlanta 4-2
The Falcons are hosting the aforementioned Jets, and Michael Vick will continue to do what he always does. Lead his team to victory by rushing around 60-70 yards and passing for around 150 yards, but making just enough plays to give the Falcons the win, as he always does. Vick is still hurting, having missed the week 5 matchup with the Patriots. Matt Schaub filled in well, passing for over 300 yards. If I'm not mistaken, Vick has never done that, but then again a win is a win. Atlanta's defense is looking worse by the week, allowing Antowain Smith and Aaron Stecker to combine for 174 yards rushing and 2 TDs. They better get it together, or they'll have a hard time pulling out the low-scoring games.

8. San Diego 3-3
San Diego's defense may not be able to come up with the stops it needs right now, but it is winning with a high-powered offense. The combination of LaDanian Tomlinson and Drew Brees is getting things done. If Tomlinson gets enough carries, the Chargers will be in any game. But, for those games when Tomlinson doens't touch the ball as much (Dallas, Denver, Pittsburgh) the defense needs to step up, and it hasn't. We'll see how they stack up against the Eagles' high flying offense.

9. Dallas 4-2
I hate to say it, but this team actually looks pretty good. They blew out the Eagles, and hung on to beat the Giants in a game they didn't play well at all offensively. Dallas has shut down the high-scoring offenses of Philly and New York, but somehow lost to Oakland? What's that you say, San Diego lost to Dallas in San Diego? Um oh yeh. Hold on a sec.

8. Dallas 4-2>
Drew Bledsoe can play forever if no one puts pressure on him, but the loss of Flozell Adams on the line may end his dream season.

9. San Diego 3-3
Get some defensive stops when you need them.

10. Philadelphia 3-2
There are so many teams that could be in this spot, but you know what? The Eagles belong here. They may have looked horrible against the Cowboys, but that was only one game. Andy Reid now knows they have to hand the ball off at least one out of three plays, instead of one out of 20. If he doesn't the Eagles may not make the playoffs this year.

Oh yeh, if you didn't see the first link:
Click here to read my latest article about the Eagles



Overtime

32. USC 6-0
You don't think USC could move the ball against Houston? Were you watching on Sunday night when Seattle rushed for 322 yards on 40 carries. Wow. Even after Alexander was pulled with 141 yards on 22 carries, when it was obvious Seattle was going to run every down, the backups continued to run for easy first downs. The Texansembarrassed embarrased.

33. Houston 0-5
I am only interested in this team because Dominick Davis has a chance to score a TD for me every week at the end of the game when they are getting blown out. The Texans offense watched most of the game from the sidelines.



Think I don't know what I am talking about or want to contribute yourself? Send me an email at lbpimp47@hotmail.com or leave a comment.

Week 4 Rankings

Top performances from Week 4

The Chargers absolutely destroyed the Patriots this week. Everyone is saying that the injuries have finally caught up with the Patriots, and quite frankly, they're probably right. San Diego moved the ball up and down the field effortlessly, and their defense put the clamps on in the second half, leading to a 41-17 victory.

Philadelphia showed that they are for real with a solid win at Kansas City, scoring 31 unanswered points to defeat the Chiefs 37-31. Kansas City's defense, after impressing in the first 2 weeks, has looked horrible in the past 2. Tony Gonzalez was a non-factor, with 1 catch for 1 yard. Brian Dawkins told his team at halftime (trailing 24-13) that the Chiefs wouldn't score again. They didn't, except for a garbage TD with a minute left.

The Eagles D looked great, stuffing the run, and pressuring Trent Green into mistakes, and Donovan McNabb had his third consecutive 300-yard game.

Neil Rackers kicked 6 field goals to lead the Cardinals in a 31-14 rout over the 49ers in a game played in Mexico. Props to Rackers for allowing my fantasy squad to eke out a 3 point victory. Without his last "garbage" field goal late in the game, I would have tied. This game bears no other mention, as both teams are going nowhere this season.

Brett Favre threw for 300 yards and 4 TDs in an ill-fated comeback attempt against the Panthers. Looking at the stats from the game, one could argue he still has "it." But I wouldn't. He continues to put up good stats when his team is losing big, and can't come through for his team when it really needs him (ie. the first half of the 4 games the Pack has lost so far). Nonetheless, not just any QB can put up these kind of numbers, earning Favre his spot in this week's top performers.

I would put Atlanta's defense here for sacking Daunte Culpepper 9 times and intercepting him twice, but every team Culpepper has faced has had similiarly gaudy numbers (excluding the Saints). Cincinnati intercepted him 5 times and sacked him twice. Tampa Bay intercepted him three times, and sacked him twice, both causing fumbles. Culpepper has a much-needed bye week, but I would advise you to pick up Chicago's defense in your fantasy league for the week 6 matchup against the Vikings.

David Carr had his breakout game of the season completing 17 of 26 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Despite being sacked 7 times (for a total of 20 in 3 games), he nearly led the Texans to a victory at undefeated Cincinnati. Can Carr keep up this tremendous production, and possibly get over the 200 mark for the first time? Only time will tell.

One more thing before the rankings...

The Philadelphia Trojans?

The Philadelphia Eagles and the USC Trojans have been mirror images of each other the past 2 weeks.. They both keep falling behind early, and coming back with a flurry of offense in the second half to win.

The Eagles looked incredibly inept against the Raiders in week 3, falling behind 10-6, before Donovan McNabb and co. caught fire, paving the way for 23-20 victory that would not have been nearly as close if L.J. Smith didn’t lose a fumble deep in Oakland territory late in the game. In the same week, USC spotted Oregon a 13-0 lead, then woke up and scored 42 points unanswered.

In week 4, Philly and USC both spotted their respective opponents (Kansas City and Arizona State) 18-point leads late in the second quarter. The Eagles responded with 31 unanswered points, winning easily (although the final score of 37-31 seems closer, due to a garbage touchdown by Kansas City with a minute remaining) USC outscored Arizona State 35-7 in the second half for a convincing 38-28 win.


On to the rankings of the top 10 teams right now........


1. Indianapolis (4-0) (1)
Can everyone please shut up about the Manning brothers combining for 8 touchdowns. Peyton threw 4 against the Titans, and Eli 4 against the Rams. These are two of the worst defenses in the league. Anyway, the Colts offense is not back just because they beat up on one of the worst teams in the league, and their defense still hasn't shut down a good offense. Next up for the Colts is a tough matchup with a high school junior varsity team (err...the San Francisco 49ers) as they continue to play what appears to be the easiest schedule in the league. In week 6 and 7, the Colts battle the Rams and the Texans. If this team isn't 7-0, I am moving them out of the top 10. With that said, they are still the number one team because the offense will be "back", and the defense is improved, although not as much as the so-called experts would have you believe.

2. Cincinnati (4-0) (2)
How can I keep this team at number 2 after they nearly lost to the Texans at home. Well, on any given Sunday, blah blah blah, anyone can win. Anyway, a team is not always going to play its best every week, and while the Bengals haven't beaten anyone yet (like the Colts), I have been impressed with Carson Palmer, and the balance they have shown on offense. Will this team be in this spot in two weeks? Maybe not, but for now, they are.

3. Tampa Bay (3-0) (3)
Tampa Bay should have lost to Detroit on the terrible call to reverse Marcus Pollard's touchdown. Then again, lots of things "should" have or should happen. Tampa Bay won the game, as the defense carried the load this week with Cadillac picking up a flat tire. Joey Galloway is playing like its 1999, when he was actually good, and Brian Griese has looked competent. Maybe they "should" not be this high, then again the Raiders "should" have beaten the Patriots 4 years ago, and look what both teams have done since...

4. Pittsburgh (2-1) (5)
Pittsburgh had a bye in week 4. Duce Staley, Jerome Bettis, and Willie Parker are all healthy and the defense is still one of the best in the league. The offensive line can create holes for any running back to find room, and Ben Roethlisburger has lost only 2 games he started. The big test for them will be San Diego, who has blown out the Patriots and the Giants in the last two weeks. I will allow them to remain in this high spot for now..

5. Atlanta (3-1) (6)
Any team can sack Daunte Culpepper 9 times and intercept him twice, but the Falcons' defense has shut down one of the best offenses (see below) in the league, and proved it can still run the ball without Vick in the lineup after he left the game with a knee injury. Nonetheless, this team lives and dies with Vick , and as aslong as he is in the game, this team is one of the best in the league.

6. Philadelphia (3-1) (8)
The Eagles showed us they will be a Super Bowl contender this season with an impressive comeback against the Chiefs. They showed they can stop the run again (albeit they didn't at the beginning of the game). McNabb is the new "Brett Favre", according to Cris Collinsworth, and I would agree with that sentiment. With offenses focusing on Bryan Westbrook, Terrell Owens will find room to work and vica versa. This team has a lot of weapons, and McNabb is employing them well.

7. San Diego (2-2) (unranked)
The Chargers looked damn good against the Patriots and the Giants. Martyball is dead according to Marty, which bodes well for San Diego. Last year in the playoffs the Chargers were too conservative, and it cost them. Now the offense appears to be open, and after suffered 2 bad losses, they have shown they have one of the best offenses in the league. And they can stop the run pretty well. If they can learn to stop the pass, they'll keep moving up.

8. Miami (2-1) (9)
Maybe it was a fluke that they killed the Broncos in week 1, but they also beat a good Panthers' team. If they can win some games on the road, they will continue to move up. Ricky Williams will be a factor when he returns in week 6.

9. Washington (3-0) (10)
What can I say. They have to be here. I don't like it but they deserve it. Mark Brunell has shown he can still play, even though Clinton Portis still isn't showing why he was worth the trade. And the defense is still good enough to keep the game close.

10. Denver (3-1) (unranked)
I might regret this, but the Broncos just blew out the Chiefs (at home) and the Jaguars (on the road). They are plugging in running backs and having good results again, and Jake Plummer hasn't done anything yet to convince me they don't belong in the top 10, well other than that terrible performance in week 1, but I'll let it slide. A tough match-up against a good Washington defense will show if either team is for real.

On the Fringe:
New England (2-2) All I ‘m gonna say is this team better find a defense and fast…
New York (3-1) As much as I think Eli Manning is overrated, he has looked good...and Plaxico Burress has done better than expected. Still haven't beaten anyone, and didn't compete with the one good team they played.
Seattle (2-2) A missed FG at the end of regulation sends them out of the top 10. This team goes for dry spells where it doesn't score for long stretches.

Week 3 Rankings

A Quick Rundown on Week 3

The Dolphins, Eagles, and Patriots all kicked last second field goals to improve to 2-1. Dallas scored a late touchdown and Jacksonville notced a touchdown in overtime, as both teams moved to 2-1.

Tampa Bay defeated Green Bay by one point, with Packer kicker Ryan Longwell missing an extra point early in the game. Indianapolis won another low-scoring affair, joining Tampa Bay, Washington, and Cincinnati as the only teams to escape week 3 without a loss. Cincinnati throttled Chicago, picking off 5 passes for the second consecutive week. Washington was on bye, allowing the Redskins to move in to first-place when the Giants got destroyed by LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers.



Now the fun part...

While most pundits have been ranking teams all along, I am following the lead of the collegiate Harris Poll, and I am ranking teams based on their performance in the first three weeks of the season. Here are the NFL's top 10 ten teams heading into week 4:

1. Indianapolis (3-0)
The Colts have been winning with defense and a newfound commitment to consistlenly running the ball. Peyton Manning has only 2 TDs after 3 games. putting him on pace for 11, a hair under the 49 he threw for last season. Will this trend continue? Probably not, but the Colts seem determined to hold on to the ball more this season, using the running game to control the clock. So far it has worked. But their defense has not had a real test yet, and likely won't until Week 6, when St. Louis visits Indy for a Monday night showdown.

2. Cincinnati (3-0)
It's not the Bengals fault they have had an easy schedule so far, but Carson Palmer looks like the new Peyton Manning, throwing for 786 yards and 8 TDs. putting him on pace for 42 TDs. Cincinnati will face its first test in week 5, in a road game against Jacksonville. A home game against Houston in week 4 will allow Palmer to keep pace with Peyton Manning of 2004, while the defense will continue to cause turnovers.

3. Tampa Bay (3-0)
The story in Tampa Bay has been Cadillac Williams, who has carried the ball an astonishing 88 times already, picking up 434 yards. How much longer can the rookie handle this kind of punishment? Tampa Bay coach John Gruden will most likely start giving Michael Pittman some carries to lighten the load, because Williams will have a shortened rookie season if he keeps carrying the ball 30 times a game. But so far with a strong running game, and a defense that is stopping the run and putting pressure on the quarterback, this team could be headed back to the playoffs.

4. New England (2-1)
New England beat Pittsburgh, but lost to Carolina, who lost to New Orleans and Miami. Miami beat Carolina and Denver, who got beat Kansas City and San Diego. What does this all tell us? I have no clue, but New England still has Tom Brady, and thanks to a clock error against Pittsburgh, he had enough time to move them down the field for a late win. Brady always finds a way to win (except against Carolina) which is why the Patriots are still near the top. Cincinnati and Tampa Bay ahead of New England? Give it a couple weeks, and things will equal out, but for now that's how it is.

5. Pittsburgh (2-1)
Pittsburgh hasn't beaten any good teams yet, but Roethlisburger is looking good and the offensive line is creating holes for fast Willie Parker, who didn't find much room to run against New England in week 3. The defense is still one of the best in the league, and until they lose to someone other than New England, they are one of the best teams in the league.

6. Seattle (2-1)
Seattle shut out Vick and the Falcons for one half, and Shaun Alexander has rounded back into form after being stifled by the Jaguars in week 1. SO why are the Seahawks number 6, when Kansas City, Denver, and Jacksonville aren't ranked? Well..I don't have answer for that other than not many teams can shut down Vick like they did, which shows me their defense is for real.

7. Atlanta (2-1)
Vick still can't win with his arm, but it doesn't matter because he can with his legs. But will he be able to hold up? He already has a hamstring injury. The defense has played well so far, besides the first half against Seattle in week 2. A week 5 showdown is looming with New England. IF Vick stays healthy, they can play with anyone, even the Patriots.

8. Philadelphia (2-1)
The Eagles lost a tough game to Atlanta, but would have won with Jeremiah Trotter in to stop the run. The offense still looks explosive, and Donovan McNabb is doing is his best impersonation of Steve McNair from two years ago, playing through injuries and leading his teams to victory. The defense continues to impress, although it nearly collapsed against Oakland in week 3.

9. Miami (2-1)
Miami has two quality wins against the Broncos and the Panthers. How have they done it with Gus Frerotte? Nick Saban has somehow got him playing the best he has played in years, and the defense is still solid and opportunistic. Let's see if this lasts. I am buying it for now, but there is still a lot of football to be played.

10. Washington (2-0)
Is this team really one of the ten best teams in the league? Before you stop laughing, let me tell you why they are...and its not just because they are undefeated....wait...ok..here it is. Their defense is still one of the league's best, and Mark Brunell might actually have some football left in him. Ok nevermind, they're only here because they're undefeated.

Fantasy Debacle in Week 3

Another rough outing in week 3 for my fantasy squads. I entered the week with high hopes, and all teams came up empty. 1 came down to the wire, and the other two were blowouts.

A loss is a loss, I guess no matter how many points it is.

Here is the breakdown:

In one league I was going against Drew Brees (2 TDs), LaDanian Tomlinson (4 TDs), and Keenan McCardell. The ultimate insult was when Brees pitched the ball to Tomlinson and Tomlinson proceeded to then throw a TD to McCardell. Chad Pennington's -2 points couldn't quite make up the difference for my squad, as I fell to 1-2. Torri Holt and Chad Johnson had respectable outings, as they always do, but 2 players do not a team make. 1-2 it is.

I left Daunte Culpepper in for an easy matchup against the Saints in my other league, but I again ran into some bad luck going up against Steve Smith who had 375 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns. (Ok it was only 170 and 3, but still...). I might of had a chance if any of my players had bothered to produce any points.

Drew (I can't catch a touchdown unless Billy Volek is throwing to me when we are losing by 20 points in the 4th quarter) Bennett, Deon (I may never catch another TD again because Tom Brady spreads the damn ball around) Branch, and Joe (I can't catch garbage TDs anymore because I am too busy either fumbling potential socres or trying to tackle the opponent after another Aaron Brooks interception) Horn.

Suffice to say, I went down hard, falling to 0-3.

My last chance for a win came down to a Monday night showdown. Things were looking pretty good for me. I was trailing by 10 points, but I had three players going against two of his. Derrick Johnson (a defender), Larry Johnson, and Daunte Hall were going against Rod Smith and DJ Williams.

I watched in horror as the seemingly ageless Rod Smith caught pass after pass. Larry Johnson was getting nothing on the ground because of the stupid backfield by committee that KC does, and Daunte Hall was doing OK. Early in the second quarter, Johnson was in on a series finally, and I began to get my hopes up. I watched in disbelief in the span of seconds as Johnson fumbled, the Broncos recovered, and Jake Plummer connected with Rod Smith on a touchdown pass. This one stung almost as bad as the LT TD pass to McCardell. It was now going to take a small miracle to pull of the W.

As the Broncos built a bigger and bigger lead, things only got worse for my team. The one "positive" came early in the 4th quarter when Rod Smith got knocked out with a concussion. No more catches for him the rest of the game, although I did feel kinda bad since I am from Denver originally, but all is fair in love and fantasy football.

As the game reached its climax (it was a really boring game), the Chiefs were moving the ball down the field, and Johnson was getting some carries, albeit he was not getting much. The Chiefs moved the ball to the Broncos 20. By my calculations, I needed a touchdown to tie it up. Trent Green dropped back and hit Eddie Kennison for a TD. It was over!

Wait a second. Here comes the challenge. The Broncos challenged the play, contending Kennison went out on the 1 yard line. If that was the case, I would for sure get the 6 points I needed to tie it up. Sure enough the challenge is reversed, but not only is the play reversed, the pass is ruled incomplete, and the ball moved back to the 21. Well I still have a shot, although it's not likely they are going to keep it on the ground. Green dropped back and then hit Sammie Parker for a TD and it was all over. I fell to 0-3 on the week, and 0-3 in my last league

A Glance at Week 3

Randy Moss versus Terrell Owens. Tom Brady versus Ben Roethlisburger. Eli Manning versus the San Diego fans. These are the 3 best matchups of the week. Let's start in Philly.

The hype for the Oakland and Philadelphia matchup is all about Moss and Owens. But the real difference in this game will be defense. The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the league, and with Jeremiah Trotter back in week 2, their defense was dominant. Granted it was the 49ers, but they still allowed only 3 points, and didn't even allow any garbage points in the 4th quarter. With Trotter stuffing the run, the Eagles would have handled the Falcons in week 1. Without him, they still nearly won, even with McNabb hurting and the offense struggling.

Moss will still have a big game against the Philly D, posting 150 yards and 2 scores, about the same numbers as his counterpart TO will have. The only difference will be TO's numbers will come in the first half, and Moss' will come in the final quarter, when the Eagles already have an insurmountable lead. Lamont Jordan won't be able to get much on the ground, and the Raiders will be forced to rely on the pass, playing right into the Eagles blitz crazy defense. Eagles win 37-21.

The Panthers didn't exactly blow the Patriots away with their offense in week 2, but their defense shut down the Patriots' attack, as I predicted. They beat the Patriots at the their own game, with just enough big plays on defense and special teams to post the victory. New England isn't going to lose its second game in-a-row, especially not without a fight. But Pittsburgh has cruised to 2-0 with easy blowout victories against the Titans and the Texans, behind a stout defense and back-to-back 100 yard games from Willie Parker.

New England has a much better defense than Houston and Tennessee, and will be aiming to slow down Parker. Roethlisburger will again have to prove that he can perform well without depending on the rushing attack. With New England in its 4-3 alignment, Parker won't find as much room to run, and the game will come down to whether or not Roethlisburger can consistenly move his team down the field with his arm. The Patriots win in a close one, 20-17, as Roethlisburger makes costly mistakes in the passing game, and New England bounces back.

The Giants are coming off a dominant victory against the Saints, looking to go to 3-0 against the Chargers. San Diego is 0-2, losing two close games to Dallas and Denver, two games which they should have won. San Diego hasn't used LaDainian Tomlinson enough. Tomlinson has only 124 yards on 38 carries, an average of 3.3 yards per carry. The line isn't getting the job done, and is giving up on the run too early. With a 14-3 lead in the second half against the Broncos, the Chargers should have given Tomlinson the rock on every play. Instead Brees threw a costly interception, and after Champ Bailey took it the house, San Diego lost all of its momentum.

Against the Giants, they must find a way to get Tomlinson involved in the passing attack, as he has not caught a pass is so far this season. Lost in all this is Eli Manning is making his first appearance in San Diego, the team he refused to play for when he was drafted by them 2 years ago. San Diego's D (and its fans) will give Manning a rude welcome, putting pressure on the young quarterback, forcing him into costly mistakes. Tiki Barber won't find much room to run, and Tomlinson will run all over a Giants defense that is not good as adverstised. The Chargers are too angry to fall to 0-3. LT leades the way in a 24-13 San Diego victory


Flashback

Truth:

"The Patriots take an early loss as they struggle to get their run game going and Julius Peppers terrorizes Tom Brady"

"Carson Palmer has a big game against a Vikings defense that is not as good as everyone thinks.."

"Things only get worse for the Texans this week against the Steelers. The one positive from this game is Dominick Davis picks up a late TD when the game is already over.."

"The Eagles get their offense going against a 49ers D that taktes a step back.."

Myth:

"The Colts win in a shootout and everyone stops talking about how much improved their defense is and focuses again on how good Manning is."

"The difference in this game is McGahee's ability to gain yards wtihout much to work with and Cadillac's failure to do so..as Buffalo goes to 2-0.."

"The Ravens win a defensive struggle..."