BYE WEEK: Patriots, Colts, Dolphins, NY Giants, Lions, Seahawks
QB – Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler
INJURY WATCH: Ben Roethlisberger(PIT), Donovan McNabb(PHI), Matt Hasselbeck(SEA), Brett Favre(GB), Damon Huard(KC)
Start
J.T. O’Sullivan(SF) – If you followed my advice from last week, you were rewarded by O’Sullivan to a quality start of 16-23, 189yrds, 2 TD’s, and 0 Turnovers. With a shootout brewing in New Orleans this week, I expect very similar numbers. The defense will concentrate on slowing Gore, leaving a lot of single coverage on the outside. San Francisco has the receivers to take advantage of those situations. 250yrds, 2 TD’s
Trent Edwards(BUF) – Edwards and the Buffalo offense are hot right now, and there’s no reason to see that trend not continuing this week in St. Louis. The Rams are the most dysfunctional team in the league outside of Kansas City and Edwards will be able to take advantage downfield as the defense attempts to contain Marshawn ####. Though Roscoe Parrish will not play this week, Buffalo has the receivers to make the big plays. 225yrds, 2 TD’s
Sit
Marc Bulger/Trent Green(STL) – St. Louis has announced they are going with Trent Green this week. Bulger may quickly become a fantasy afterthought if Green comes out and performs. The Rams can’t do any worse at this point and it’s possible Green can spark something in this offense, relegating Bulger to the bench until Green gets hurt, which seems inevitable at this point in his career.
Aaron Rodgers(GB) – May be a reach here, but I think Rodgers and the Green Bay offense will struggle at Tampa Bay. It’s hard to sit Rodgers this week with so many high profile QB’s on BYE, but if you have two capable QB’s, I think Rodgers should be benched. Though he has the receivers to make the plays, I expect him to be under pressure all day and scrambling around in the backfield. If he continues to run as much as he has through the first three weeks, he won’t last much longer this season. 250yrds, 1 TD, 2 INT’s, 1 FUM
RB – LaDanian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Steven Jackson, Marshawn ####, Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Marion Barber, Willie Parker, Reggie Bush, Michael Turner
INJURY WATCH: Adrian Peterson(MIN), Brian Westbrook(PHI), Steven Jackson(STL), Willie Parker(PIT), Willis Mcgahee(BAL), Darren McFadden(OAK), Justin Fargas(OAK), Ahman Green(HOU), Deuce McAllister(NO), Laurence Maroney(NEP), Lamont Jordan(NEP), Maurice Morris(SEA)
Start
Jonathan Stewart(CAR) – I can’t see why Stewart won’t receive the bulk of the carries this week against Atlanta. It’s obvious he’s a much better back than Williams, and there has to be something with his blocking that is keeping him from being an every down back. I expect Carolina to continue to be a run first team and pick their spots to go downfield. That means a lot of touches for Stewart and a lot of opportunity to score. 100yrds, 2 TD’s
Jamal Lewis(CLE) – This is the week that Lewis finally gets it going. The Browns are desperate for a win and they can’t afford to fall to last place in the AFC North. They know that if they lose this game, they’re all but eliminated from playoff contention. With Anderson struggling, I expect to see a lot of Lewis to alleviate the pressure on the offense. 100yrds, 2 TD’s
Sit
Philadelphia RB’s – Brian Westbrook might play this week, but I highly doubt it. Even if he does play, given his condition, it will be a time-split and that spells trouble, especially against the Chicago defense. This could end up like last week’s game against Pittsburgh; very low scoring, with defenses dominating. 30-40yrds each, 3 for 15-20yrds each, 0.33 TD each
Edgerrin James(ARI) – I think it’s only a matter of time before James rides the pine or comes off the bench in a relief role. He just doesn’t have it anymore, and the other RB in Arizona seems to be taking more and more away from him with each passing week. Speaking of passing, there’s also going to be a lot of that from Arizona this week. Couple that with the fact that James doesn’t get the goal-line carries and that equals a Fantasy Benching. 50-60yrds, 2 for 15yrds
WR – Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Greg Jennings, Anquan Boldin (removed: Randy Moss, Braylon Edwards)
INJURY WATCH: Chad Johnson(CIN), Marques Colston(NO), Javon Walker(OAK), Reggie Brown(PHI), Kevin Curtis(PHI), Jerry Porter(JAC), Joey Galloway(TBB), Sidney Rice(MIN), Bernard Berrian(MIN), Deion Branch(SEA), Bobby Engram(SEA), Donte Stallworth(CLE), Devin Hester(CHI), Roscoe Parrish(BUF), David Patten(NO)
Start
Dwayne Bowe(KC) – You wouldn’t know it by his numbers, but Bowe actually leads the league in targets so far this season. Damon Huard is expected to start this week, and that gives Bowe the best chance to succeed in this offense. The Chiefs will have to abandon the run early in this one to keep pace with Denver and that means lots of opportunity for Bowe. This is his week to shine. 7 for 125yrds, 1 TD
Hines Ward/Santonio Holmes(PIT) – The Steelers were embarrassed last week at Philly, surrendering nine sacks and managing zero touchdowns. I don’t see that happening again this week. This is a Monday Night game at home where there’s nobody better than the Steelers. Think back to last year’s first meeting between these teams. Everyone’s going to overrate Baltimore based on their record against two very bad teams. A rookie RB starting will lead to many passing opportunities. 6 for 80-90yrds each, 1 TD each
Sit
Braylon Edwards(CLE) – Again, very difficult to sit such an explosive receiver, but Edwards is at the bottom of the barrel right now in Fantasy points through the first three weeks. Cincinnati did an excellent job of shutting down Plaxico Burress last week and I expect them to do the same to Edwards this week. Until you see something from Anderson, like a good game or him on the bench, I’d wait on Edwards unless the BYE week has made you desperate. 4 for 30-40yrds
TE – Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow, Chris Cooley
INJURY WATCH: Jeremy Shockey(NO), L.J. Smith(PHI), Ben Watson(NEP)
Start
Billy Miller(NO) – With Shockey, Colston, and potentially Patten on the sidelines for a while, Miller becomes a strong option this week with six teams on their BYE. This would be a great opportunity for a Shockey, Dallas Clark, or Anthony Fasano owner to make up those lost points. San Francisco has been generous in its defense this season and Brees is going to be slinging the ball all over the place. 6 for 40-50yrds, 1 TD
K – Nick Folk, Mason Crosby, Stephen Gostkowski, Adam Vinatieri, Rob Bironas, Nate Kaeding, Robbie Gould
Start
Phil Dawson(CLE) – I think the Browns get back on track this week because they need to. That still doesn’t mean they’re going to score a lot of touchdowns, but I do think they’ll score a lot of points. Cincinnati did a good job of slowing down the Giants last week, stalling many drives in field goal range. 3 FG’s, 2 XP’s
Carolina Panthers – Though the Panthers are a little ####ed up, I expect their game-plan this week will be to control the ball and keep Michael Turner off the field. Their secondary will limit Roddy White and pressure Matt Ryan into making rookie mistakes. By shortening the game and scoring, they should force Atlanta into throwing late and taking advantage of the situation. This figures to be one of the lower scoring games this week and if you’re in a pinch for a defense, Carolina could pay good dividends. <300 YA, <17 PA, 4 sacks, 2 INT’s, 1 FUM
QB – Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler (removed: Tom Brady)
Start
Eli Manning (NYG) @ St. Louis – I’m not sold on Eli’s consistency yet, and if your league penalizes for INT’s, he’s always going to be a bit of a risk. Not this week. The Rams will be forced to load eight men into the box to stop the run, allowing Manning to find the one-on-one receiver down field. 250yrds, 2 TD’s
Damon Huard (KC) vs. Oakland – Huard will start this week for the injured Brodi Croyle, increasing the value of KC’s receivers. The Chiefs will feature a heavy dose of Larry Johnson on the ground, bringing the safeties up, allowing Huard to go over the top for the big play. 225yrds, 2 TD’s
Sit
Matt Hasselbeck (SEA) vs. San Francisco – Hasselbeck is hurt, he has no receivers to throw to, and has no ground game to take the pressure off him. Even against a bad 49ers team, Hasselbeck must be benched until he gets some receivers back or Seattle signs a veteran to come in and play. Even then it’s going to take a little time for them to get acclimated. 175yrds, 1 TD, 2 INT’s
Carson Palmer (CIN) vs. Tennessee – Palmer was bad against Baltimore. Tennessee has arguably a better defense. The Bengal’s offense is out of synch, they have no running game to speak of, and they won’t be on the field all that often with the Titans ball control offense. Palmer may pick up some points in garbage time after the game is out of reach, but I’m expecting another long day. 225yrds, 1 TD, 2 INT’s
RB – LaDanian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Steven Jackson, Marshawn ####, Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Marion Barber, Willie Parker (removed: Joseph Addai)
Start
Chris Johnson/Lendale White (TEN) vs. Cincinnati – It’s no surprise what Tennessee is going to do on offense. I expect Johnson to continue to start and White to come in to later to pound the ball. This kind of combination worked perfect for White at USC, and I don’t see why it’s not going to continue to work. The Titans defense will provide many a short field that these backs will feast upon. 75-100yrds, 15-25yrds, 1 TD each
Thomas Jones (NYJ) vs. New England – I think the Jets will be able to control the ball, the clock, and the game, and wear down the Patriots aging defense. After Favre loosens up the secondary, Jones will have the ability to run through some big holes created by that solid Jets O-Line. 100yrds, 25yrds, 2 TD’s
Sit
Joseph Addai (IND) @ Minnesota – I’m not even sure Addai is going to play this week, but I would recommend benching him anyway. The Colts offense is struggling and Minnesota’s Defense is just as good as Chicago’s, if not better. If he plays, he may catch a few passes, but even that prospect shouldn’t be enticing enough to pull the trigger on him. Wait until you see him play a whole game and be productive before reinserting him into your lineup. 40-50yrds, 15yrds
Jamal Lewis (CLE) vs. Pittsburgh – The Browns offense is facing similar disfunctionality and the Steeler defense is in mid-season form, creating pressure, sacks, and turnovers. If you couple that with Lewis’ poor history against Pittsburgh and a lingering injury, Lewis becomes a very unfavorable option. I wasn’t high on Lewis this year because of the schedule and until he proves he’s ready, I’d stay away. 40-50yrds, 10yrds, 1 FUM
WR – Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne, Braylon Edwards, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Greg Jennings (removed: Marques Colston)
Start
Hines Ward/Santonio Holmes (PIT) – Based on what happened last week, the Steeler receivers are must starts this week. The Cleveland secondary gave up big plays last week to similarly explosive offense and the Steelers appear to be in top form. This is a prime-time game Sunday Night where the Steelers seem to thrive. 70-80yrds, 1 TD each
Ronald Curry (OAK) – Curry is the only viable receiving threat on this team, even if or when Javon Walker comes back from his injury. The Oakland running game should be the feature for the season, but they’re going to be behind a lot and need to throw. Curry will be the guy this week. 80yrds, 1 TD
Sit
Torry Holt (STL) – I know he’s usually Mr. Reliable, but there’s nobody else to throw to on this team and defenses know that. Holt is getting older. Pair that with nagging injury problems and you get a receiver who’s lost a step or two. The Rams are at home this week, but the Giants defense, especially their pass rush, will have Bulger on his back early and often. Look for short dump offs to try and offset the rush. 4 rec, 50yrds
Wes Welker (NEP) – I don’t think Welker is going to be a factor this year with Brady out. It’s very difficult to hit those timing patterns that Welker and Brady were so good at. I’m holding off on Welker until I see Cassell start to put some numbers up. 5 rec, 40yrds
TE – Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow
Start
Randy McMichael (STL) – The offense is designed to get him the ball and that showed last week as he caught 5 passes for over 70yrds. Expect Bulger to continue to get him the ball as defenses concentrate on shutting down Holt and Jackson. 60yrds, 1 TD
Anthony Fasano (MIA) – In an offense where the QB can’t throw the ball downfield, the TE is a perfect option for quick hitters over the middle and short dump-offs to the outside. Miami will struggle this year, that’s not surprising anybody. Pennington is a very efficient QB that won’t force the ball and he’ll take what the defense gives him. He has the accuracy to hit his receivers in stride, making yards after the catch a benefit to fantasy owners. 60yrds, 1 TD
K – Nick Folk, Mason Crosby, Stephen Gostkowski, Adam Vinatieri, Rob Bironas, Nate Kaeding
Start
Jeff Reed (PIT) – If you haven’t realized already, Pittsburgh is going to put up points this year and Reed has the power and accuracy to convert those drives that will stall against the better defenses they will play on their schedule. Also, if Pittsburgh’s up big late in games, they tend to run the clock out and kick field goals. 3 FG’s, 3 XP’s
Jason Elam (ATL) – I’m endorsing the king of the 50-yarder this week. Elam continues to prove, that despite his age, he is still among the best at draining those long field goals that fantasy owners covet from their kickers. He’s now playing indoors, and Atlanta may not be that bad, especially with such a potent rushing attack. 3 FG’s, 2 XP’s
DEF – Vikings, Bears, Chargers, Patriots, Cowboys
Start
Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals are home this week and will face one of the worst five teams. Without a threat of the long-ball, the Cardinals defense will be able to creep up to shut down the run, while applying pressure with the front seven. While there might not be a lot of turnovers this week, expect a good number of sacks and low points and yardage surrendered.
13 PA, <299yrds, 4 Sacks, 1 FUM
Tennessee Titans – The Cincinnati offense is in disarray with no semblance of a running game. The Titans will be able to focus on applying pressure on the QB and forcing the turn-over prone Palmer into making more mistakes. 17 PA, <299yrds, 2 Sacks, 2 INT, 1 FUM
BYE WEEK: Tom Brady, Kellen Clemens, Chad Pennington, Jeff Garcia, Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels
MUST START: Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Derek Anderson, J.P. Losman, Matt Hasselbeck
START
Marc Bulger (STL) – The Rams finally got their BYE last week and no other team needed it more. Bulger looked good in Week 8 and the extra week of rest and preparation should benefit him tremendously. The Saints DEF has been playing really good lately, but I see this one turning into a shoot-out in the dome with both teams being very comfortable in doors. QB protection will still be an issue for the Rams, but they’ll be in catch up mode all day. (300yrds, 3 TD’s, 2 INT)
Jason Campbell (WAS) – I’ve got a feeling this is the week that the super-conservative Redskins cut Campbell loose. They have to do something to get the WR’s more involved in this offense. Philly will load the box and have success stopping the run which will force Campbell to throw. We know the RB’s and TE’s will get their looks in check-downs, but this team does have the weapons on the outside to make things happen. If this team considers itself playoff worthy, it needs to start throwing down field now. (280yrds, 30yrds rush, 2 TD’s, 1 INT)
SIT
Brian Griese (CHI) – I’d stay away from Griese this week. The Raiders have excellent corners and safeties but a terrible run defense. Unfortunately Chicago has no semblance of a run game to speak of, so that doesn’t help. This will be a game of defense and special teams, with turnovers making the difference. Unless you’ve got Tom Brady on BYE this week, you should be able to find a much better fill-in. (200yrds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1 FUM)
Jon Kitna (DET) – Something about the Cardinals play-making defense tells me to ignore Kitna this week. He’s had only 2 TD’s in his last 4 games and has thrown for over 250yrds in half of his games this season. I’d look for a similar trend to continue as the Lions would really like to get that run game up to a consistent threat. Playoff teams run the ball in November and December and the Lions look like they’re headed in that direction. (175yrds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 FUM)
Running Back
BYE WEEK: Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Earnest Graham, Michael Bennett, Michael Pittman, Ahman Green, Ron Dayne
MUST START: LaDanian Tomlinson, Frank Gore, Joseph Addai, Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, Adrian Peterson(MIN), Marshawn ####, Marion Barber, Willis McGahee, Reggie Bush, Clinton Portis, Maurice Jones-Drew, LenDale White, Brandon Jacobs, Steven Jackson
START
Priest Holmes (KC) – That’s right folks, you know him, you love him, it’s the man you probably won you a couple of fantasy football titles a few years ago. He’s back, and with Larry Johnson sidelined this week, Holmes gets his crack against the worst rush defense in the league. Holmes is fresh and poised to show the league that he can still play at a high level in the NFL. The Chiefs may go to a different QB this week and Holmes will benefit the most in Herm Edwards super-conservative offense. They’ll play ball control offense and use the home field advantage to win. (125yrds, 7 catches 60yrds, 2 TD’s)
Justin Fargas (OAK) – The only thing the Raiders can do on offense is run the ball and you have to figure they’re going to do the same thing again this week. At home, the Raiders will want to control the ball and try to steal a win against the depleted Bears. Fargas has put up 2 performances of over 100yrds in limited game time. The Raiders get great match-ups this week and look for the run game to carry this team. (110yrds, 3 catches 25yrds, 1 TD)
SIT
Shaun Alexander (SEA) – Until further notice, Alexander needs to be benched. He has 1 rushing TD this year and has failed to top 80yrds since week 3. He’s either injured or just doesn’t care anymore. Which ever it is, you can’t rely on him going forward. While their schedule gets pretty easy, I see Alexander’s carries diminishing as he gives way to Maurice Morris more and more. The glory days are numbered for a player that just a few years ago was on top of the fantasy world. (50yrds 0TD)
Jamal Lewis (CLE) – Lewis has failed to break 100yrds in every game this year except for the Week 2 scoring bonanza against Cincy. If you played Lewis last week, his 4 TD’s probably won you your game. However, he only managed 37yrds rushing. Though he’s had some success against Pittsburgh in the past, don’t expect anything this week against the #1 scoring defense in the league. If the Browns are to stay in this game they’ll need to throw, and throw, and throw, leaving Lewis on the short end of the fantasy stick. (40yrds, 1 TD, 1 FUM)
Wide Receivers
BYE WEEK: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth, Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, Michael Clayton, Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, Andre Davis
MUST START: Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzedah, Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Dwayne Bowe, Marques Colston, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Braylon Edwards, Reggie Wayne, Terrell Owens, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Steve Smith, Plaxico Burress, Lee Evans, Torry Holt
START
Drew Bennett (STL) – The game this week will be a huge shoot out and Bennett draws the best match-up in the Saints secondary. Look for the Rams to throw a lot and Bennett has the skill set to exploit the defense. The Saints will be busy covering Holt, Bruce, and Jackson all day, leaving Bennett to grab big plays all over the field. (7 catches 100yrds, 2 TD’s)
Amani Toomer (NYG) – Toomer should benefit the most from a Redskins defense concentrating on everything else this week. Toomer has scored 2 out of his last 3 games and I’d expect him to get one here. The play-action pass will be big for the Giants and Toomer is a seasoned veteran that will take advantage of the Redskins aggressive defense. (5 catches 75yrds, 1 TD)
SIT
Bernard Berrian (CHI) – The Raiders have the ability to shut down opposing receivers. The Bears will focus more on getting their ground game going this week after how bad it’s been for the season. The Bears coaching staff has said they’ve made the adjustments to rectify the problems, so we’ll see how that goes. (3 catches 30yrds)
Ronald Curry (OAK) – With Jerry Porter likely to miss this week’s game, the Bears only have to neutralize Curry to shut down Oakland’s pass game, which wasn’t much to begin with in the first place. The Raiders will try and run the ball this week and shorten the game anyway, making Curry a bad option. (5 catches 40yrds)
Tight Ends
BYE: Ben Watson, Kyle Brady, Jeremy Stevens, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Owen Daniels, Jeb Putzier
MUST START: Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Dallas Clark, Heath Miller, Chris Cooley, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow, Jeremy Shockey
START
L.J. Smith (PHI) – Smith will emerge as the go to receiver behind Brian Westbrook this week. With no real threat from the WR’s on the outside, McNabb needs to start moving the ball downfield in other ways. With Smith being as healthy as he’s been all year, I see him getting more involved each week going forward. Teams are always trying to stop Westbrook first, and Smith should benefit the most when that happens. (6 catches 75yrds, 1 TD)
SIT
Todd Heap (BAL) – Probably being Mr. Obvious here, but until Heap starts and gets through an entire game; you should look elsewhere for TE help.
Weekly Plug & Play
KICKERS
John Kasay (CAR) – The Panthers should be able to move the ball between the 20’s all day. They’ll also probably stall in the red zone all day. I look for Steve Smith to be limited and the run game to get jump-started this week to take some pressure off of Testaverde and his lack of play makers on offense. (2-2 XP, 3-3 FG)
DEF / SPECIAL TEAMS
Oakland Raiders – The Raiders have the defense to hold the Bears offense in check all day. This is a perfect time to grab them and plug them in. Don’t get worried about the Raiders lack of ability to stop the run, the Bears can’t and don’t run on anybody. Look for this DEF to take advantage of the secondary’s ball skills and grab a couple of picks. The thing to fear the most in this game is actually Chicago’s special teams. (16 PA, 250yrds allowed, 2 INT, 1 FUM)
Atlanta Falcons – If you read my blog last week, you would have scored nicely by starting the Falcons against the 49ers. The Falcons are looking like a good play again this week with David Carr OUT and Vinny Testaverde QUESTIONABLE. If the Panthers have to start Matt Moore, they could be in for a long day. The Falcons will shut down Steve Smith and focus on pressuring the young QB into making some mistakes. (13 PA, 200yrds allowed, 3 INT, 2 FUM). If Testaverde starts the Falcons are not worth a play here.
All information provided in this blog is of 100% original material. This article does not guarantee how a player will perform in their game, but rather an educated prediction based on my knowledge and research.
1.(2) New England Patriots (9-0). Last: WIN 24-20 at Indianapolis Colts. I loved watching Belicheat and Crybrady moping and sulking for 3 quarters. I was saddened when they came back and won. They’re clearly the best team right now and probably barring their team charter plane crashing, they’ll likely go undefeated. I think the Steelers have the best chance to beat them Week 14, but the game is at New England. The ’72 Dolphins will fade from memory like they never were.
2.(1) Indianapolis Colts (7-1). Last: LOSS 20-24 against New England Patriots. The Colts are off to their worst start in 3 years (pause until laughter dies down). Look, this game determined home field advantage for the playoffs and not too much else right now. The Colts need to get Marvin Harrison back at least by the next time they play the Pats. This team is affine and will continue to roll up their opponents and start another win-streak this week when they play San Diego.
3.(3) Dallas Cowboys (7-1). Last: WIN 38-17 at Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys looked polished coming off their BYE week to dismantle the Eagles on Sunday night. Terrell Owens is playing at the top of his game, he’s happy, and the rest of the team is feeding of his positive energy. Their one loss was against the Patriots, so no big deal there. Another big divisional game is on tap this week at the Giants. A win here would pretty much solidify their hold on the NFC.
4.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2). Last: WIN 38-7 against Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers looked impressive this past Monday Night as they dominated all aspects of the game and crushed the Ravens. The Steelers are unbeatable at home and as the weather gets worse, they get better. They get Cleveland at home this week and could be up by two games in the division with a few cupcakes up in the next weeks before heading to New England. Special Teams has always been the weak link for the Steelers, but they have the weapons to overcome a few mistakes here and there.
5.(5) Green Bay Packers (7-1). Last: WIN 33-22 at Kansas City Chiefs. The Pack keep rolling under the strong play of Brett Favre and those young WR’s. The defense has been lights out too. A huge divisional game this week against Minnesota will test the run defense. Luckily they can load up the box against Peterson because Bollinger isn’t scaring anyone. The Packers would love to grab home field advantage for the playoffs and this is the first step. They shouldn’t have any problem this week.
6.(6) Tennessee Titans (6-2). Last: WIN 20-7 against Carolina Panthers. The Titans continue to get the job done by pounding the football and playing great defense. It’s a formula that works. They’ve had no play from Vince Young lately, which will catch up with them sooner rather than later. They need to get the pass game going to ensure a nice balance on offense. They get the depleted Jaguars this week, so expect a low scoring affair with the turnover being the difference maker here.
7.(7) New York Giants (6-2). Last: BYE. The Giants got some rest this past week and they needed it. With all the important parts getting healthy and having two weeks to prepare for Dallas, they’ve got a chance at winning this week. The run game has to continue to carry this team and Eli Manning cannot turn the ball over at the end of the halves. The defense is playing as good as any right now and they’ll need to keep pressure and contain on Tony Romo this week to give them the best chance.
8.(10) Detroit Lions (6-2). Last: WIN 44-7 against Denver Broncos. A dominating performance by every aspect of this team has them pushing hard for that NFC North Title. They still have two games coming up against the Packers, so there is a big possibility of that happening. Every week, a new player steps up and makes a play. The defense was huge last week, now the offense gets its chance to match that output. Who’s gonna lead this team to victory this week?
9.(12) Cleveland Browns (5-3). Last: WIN 33-30 against Seattle Seahawks. The Browns are on a roll. They’ve got a huge mental hurdle to overcome this week though as they travel to Pittsburgh this week. They’ve got the fire power to exorcise their demons. Can they keep their collective cool if things start to go the wrong way for them? The Steelers have a history of frustrating teams into bad spots then the turnover bug starts to eat away. Protect the ball and the quarterback and they’ve got a chance, however small it may be.
10.(16) New Orleans Saints (4-4). Last: WIN 41-24 against Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints have now won 4 games in a row and have completed the hardest part of their schedule. They should have no problem continuing their winning ways the rest of the year. Drew Brees is back and the timing of this offense has never been better. They’re finally getting that consistent play from the #2 WR they were missing in the beginning of the year. And don’t forget about how well the defense has been playing.
11.(8) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3). Last: LOSS 24-41 at New Orleans Saints. The Jaguars are slipping fast and David Garrard doesn’t look like he’ll play this week. This is a big divisional game coming against the Titans. They need to win to stay in the hunt because the AFC just has too many good teams for them to fall so far behind. They’ll be without Marcus Stroud who got suspended by the NFL. The Titans scorched them on the ground in Week 1. The defense needs to come up big this week to give this team a chance.
12.(14) Washington Redskins (5-3). Last: WIN 23-20 at NY Jets. Just squeaking by the Jets leaves a lot to be desired, but a win is a win. The Redskins need to stop being so stinking conservative because someone is going to shut down the run and then they’ll be forced to throw. Jason Campbell has the tools to get the job done, the coaches just need to take the restraints off and let him throw downfield to the receivers. If they don’t, wins will be tough to come by going forward.
13.(9) San Diego Chargers (4-4). Last: LOSS 17-35 at Minnesota Vikings. Wow! I hope this team can get its head straight after they were taken behind the woodshed this past week by Adrian Peterson. Oh ####, here come the Colts. The Chargers need to get Tomlinson going this week to keep control of the clock and keep Manning off the field. The Colts are missing some weapons on offense, but I don’t know if it will matter. If this game comes down to coaching, the Chargers stand no chance.
14.(11) Kansas City Chiefs (4-4). Last: LOSS 22-33 against Green Bay Packers. There’s a lot of talk about making a QB switch this week. The Chiefs need to do something to spark this offense with Larry Johnson sidelined at least this week. You can’t throw every pass to Gonzalez and the RB in the flat. Teams will catch on to this and stop it. Throwing down field opens other things up. Herm Edwards is probably the most conservative coach in the league, but he’ll not be afforded that luxury much longer.
15.(NR) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4). Last: WIN 17-10 against Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay won again this past week, jumping them into the Power 16. They’re still not a very good football team with average players at every position. They get a BYE this week and when they return to action they’ll be in a tie for first place. Get some rest and get ready. They’ll need everything they can get to keep pace with the surging Saints.
16.(15) Seattle Seahawks (4-4). Last: LOSS 30-33 at Cleveland Browns. Hmmm… It wouldn’t be right not to include all of the division leaders this week. Seattle will get to show what they’re made of this coming Monday Night when they get the woeful 49ers at home. This team has no run game and inconsistencies in every other area. Someone on offense needs to step up and start making some plays. Alexander needs to be benched because he’s hurting this team more than helping at this point.
1. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) - They're still the team to beat in the NFL in my opinion. Coming off a Super Bowl win and putting a better team on the field this year. We'll see what happens this week.
2. New England Patriots (8-0) - They're game this week against the Colts will tell the tale. If they keep running up the score we'll have the second QB named Brady watching games from the sidelines, only this Brady will be there because of injury.
3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1) - I hate putting an NFC team this high, but they've been the most consistent of the group. Someone has to get clobbered by an AFC team in the Super Bowl this year, may as well be the Cowboys.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Their only loses this year have come on the road and by a total of 10pts. Not to mention that one of them was against their old coach who's playbook still had that new playbook smell. Baltimore this week will tell us just exactly how good they are.
5. Green Bay Packers (6-1) - Brett Favre is back ladies and gentlemen and look what he's brought with him this year, a team with some talent. In the terrible NFC, the Pack look solid and Lambeau is always a tough place to play come December & January.
6. Tennessee Titans (5-2) - Surprised? You shouldn't be. They find ways to win games with or without Vince Young and are 2-1 in the division. Oh yeah, they also have arguably the easiest schedule here on out. Don't sleep on this team.
7. New York Giants (6-2) - They get the nod here by winning their last 6 games. This will probably be the last year for Tom Coughlin, but at least he has his guys ready and willing to play now. Let's see how they rebound after their next loss. Everything's peachy when you're winning.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) - If they can maintain their winning ways while David Garrard is out, this team will be stronger when he gets back. Take that plus another cake of a schedule and the Jags look ready to go back to the playoffs.
9. San Diego Chargers (4-3) - Resurgent, but their coach is still holding them back. What makes people think that this guy can coach? Everywhere he goes, his teams fail. Thank god for LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates.
10. Detroit Lions (5-2) - That's right, the Lions round out the Top 10. This team is playing smarter football and it's showing in the win column. John Kitna is turning the ball over less and the coaches realized they do have a running game. The defense is still the weak link, but they're improving each week.
11. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) - The Chiefs are finally playing Herm Edwards defense. That translates to wins in a weak AFC West. With the addition of ROTY candidate Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs finally have a threat on the outside to take heat off of Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson. Oh yeah, they just got some guy named Priest Holmes back.
12. Cleveland Browns (4-3) - Charlie Frye must have really been holding this team back. The Browns are in 2nd place and have already beaten the Ravens and Bengals. They've got Pro-Bowlers at WR and TE and Derek Anderson is legit. If the defense can start matching the offense, this team could be scary (as in good). A sleeper playoff contender this year.
13. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) - The Ravens are on their way down. The defense is getting old, wait, so is the offense. How much does this team have left in the tank? If they get handled by the Steelers this Monday Night, you can stick a fork in them. They need this game... bad.
14. Washington Redskins (4-3) - They're slipping and this past weeks beat down at the hands of the Patriots doesn't help. They need to get back on track in a hurry. This game will tell the season for this team. Do they have any will to live after what happened? Lucky for them they get the lowly Jets this week. Funny how things have a way of working out.
15. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) - I guess leading your division has to mean something... except when it's the NFC West. This team is not very good, but when you look at the rest of the division, well, luckily for Seattle they automatically give a playoff spot to every division winner. At least they'll be able to say they made it.
16. New Orleans Saints (3-4) - Yeah, I know they're 3rd in their division right now, but come on, the Panthers and Buccaneers aren't fooling anyone. If you look at the Saints schedule after their game against Jacksonville this week, it screams AFC South Champs.
ZombieNation is back for a third strong season of everything that is the NFL. After spending the last seven years in exile on the West Coast, I have returned to my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA... the greatest sports town of all the land.
My column will consist of three weekly posts, Good/Bad (week in review) on Tuesdays, Power 16 on Thursdays, and Fantasy Football Start/Sit on Fridays.
All material provided in this blog is of original material. These are expert opinions and analysis that I have concluded based upon research that I myself have performed.
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