- Tough loss for the Chiefs in their opener, and even more damaging is the loss of QB Trent Green with a head injury for the forseeable future. Eddie Kennison, Tony Gonzalez and even Larry Johnson have to be slightly downgraded while K.C. goes with Damon Huard (seriously, he's the backup? Seriously? Koy Detmer wasn't available?).
- Rams-Broncos was supposed to be a track meet but turned into a field goal festival. New St. Louis coach Scott Linehan and his coaching staff unveiled this radical new thing called "defense," intercepting Jake Plummer three times and officially beginning the Jay Cutler Watch. Now the Rams' offense just needs to perfect those things called "touchdowns" and they'll be all set.
- Are things any clearer in Denver's RB situation? Not really. Tatum Bell went over 100 yards but predictably fumbled, while Mike Bell gained 58 yards on just 10 carries but scored a TD. It's gonna be like this all year, folks.
- Um, who were those imposters playing defense for Tampa Bay and Carolina? Two top-5 Ds played like expansion teams. Very disappointing showings, but you have to believe things will be fixed soon.
-And the Bucs' offense was almost as embarrassing. I know it was against the Ravens, and I know two OL starters were out this week ... but 25 yards for Cadillac Williams? No catches for Joey Galloway? Three INTs by Chris Simms? I'd be concerned.
- Warrick Dunn (132 yards) was a pleasant surprise against the Panthers. He doesn't get the respect he deserves as a fantasy force. Start him against New Orleans next week.
- Could Michael Jenkins (three catches, 77 yards, TD) be the breakout Atlanta receiver we've been waiting for?
- Nice Eagles debut for WR Donte' Stallworth (141 yards, TD), but keep this important fact in mind: He was playing the Texans.
- Decent debut for Reggie Bush, but the Earth is still rotating on its axis. Too bad return yardage doesn't count. I still think Deuce McAllister will have slightly more fantasy value this year.
- Checking in on some murky RB situations: Lawrence Maroney (17 carries-86 yards-0 TDs) vs. Corey Dillon (16-73-0) in New England; Thomas Jones (21-63-0) vs. Cedric Benson (11-34-0) in Chicago; Dominic Rhodes (16-29-1) vs. Joseph Addai (7-26-0) in Indianapolis; Chris Brown (16-64-0) vs. Travis Henry (9-22-2) in Tennessee; Derrick Blaylock (19-36-0) vs. Kevan Barlow (11-35-1) with the New York Jets.
- More signs of the Tight End Renaissance: eight TEs (Jeremy Shockey, Alge Crumpler, Kellen Winslow, Tony Gonzalez, Vernon Davis, Dallas Clark, Chris Baker, Adam Bergen) caught TDs on Sunday.
- Byron Leftwich (237 yards, 1 TD rushing, 1 TD passing) is a viable fantasy QB. He's got some weapons and will give you points when he's healthy.
- Is it time to worry about Shaun Alexander (19 carries, 51 yards, two fumbles, no TDs)? Not yet - he had a similar game (14 for 73 yards, no TDs) in last year's opener, and that season turned out OK) - but the Madden Curse is a powerful thing.
- Sure, Eli Manning was outdone by big brother Peyton, but he's going to put up numbers this year. He's learning.
- Those Manning brothers could be big stars someday. If only their agents could get them in some commercials or something.
- Titans QB Kerry Collins might actually be a usable spot starter at some point this season. One of his two INTs wasn't his fault. Vince Young will see a little action, but he's in no condition to start at this point.
- Good to see signs of life from Ahman Green and Jamal Lewis. They'll come in handy on your studs' bye weeks. Unless they are your studs.
- An encouraging sign: Clinton Portis was cleared to play tonight, even if it's just a backup role. Watch him closely, and if all goes well he should start next week.
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4 comments:
Jason--What are your feelings on E. James this year in Arizona? Think that offensive line will allow him to get to 1500 with a good amount of TD's? Also, do you like Julius Jones over Jamal Lewis?
Edge will be solid this year but I do expect his numbers to take a slight dip - I'm thinking more along the lines of 1,500 total yards and about 10 TDs. The Cards' offense simply won't be as good as the Colts of the past few seasons, at least not this year.
As for Jones vs. Lewis, both have had injury problems and both have talented backups lurking behind them (Marion Barber in Dallas, Mike Anderson in Baltimore). If both stay healthy all season, they could finish with similar stats. Give Jones a slight edge because he's got less mileage on him.
Last question for you Jason, and I'll leave you alone. I had Trent Green as my QB. My back up is Bledsoe. With Pennington and Leftwich on the market, which would be your choice to be the back up. With the questions regarding whether Bledsoe will even be the starter for very much longer, who do you like? Thanks for the comments.
Keep the fantasy questions coming!
Your instincts are correct, and Pennington and Leftwich are both decent options. Chad made a statement in Week 1 after being written off in some circles, but keep in mind his big performance came was against the Titans. He's also a bigger injury risk thanks to the recurring shoulder problems, and the Jets don't have much of a running game right now.
I'm a big believer in Leftwich both as an NFL player and in fantasy terms. He's got a few more weapons in Jacksonville and should be a good injury fill-in and backup in deeper leagues.
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