Anyway, maybe a lengthy blogging will do the trick ...
EAGLES 56, LIONS 21: I knew Donovan McNabb couldn't look so bad for so long. That's the kind of statement game (381 yards, four TDs) that should put your mind at ease if McNabb's your starter. ... Now, Kevin Curtis' 221 yards and three TDs, I'm not sure how to react to that. I just dropped him in one of my leagues, too. He'll still be a useful fantasy player, but I don't see many more three-TD games in the near future.
Sunday was pretty much an encapsulation of Brian Westbrook's career: questionable going into the game with a bad knee, leaves the game with a rib injury, and in between somehow finds a way to get 100 rushing yards AND 100 receiving yards. Drives you crazy, but unless they officially rule him out of a game, you start him.
On the Detroit side, Jon Kitna's still airing it out, with Roy Williams (201 yards, TD) the main target and Shaun McDonald (76 yards, TD) still making an impact. Calvin Johnson left with a bad back, so watch that. And there was even a Kevin Jones sighting! He scored on his first carry but didn't do much else as Detroit was trying to play catch-up. Tatum Bell's days may be numbered though.
Oh, and one more thing .... I don't have a problem with celebrating your franchise's past, but let's not see these unis again, OK? This is the NFL, not the World League.
JETS 31, DOLPHINS 28: This one played out just how I envisioned it. Laveranues Coles caught a TD just like he always does against Miami. Thomas Jones (110 yards) made a contribution, as did Chris Chambers (101 yards). Trent Green and Chad Pennington were serviceable. Ronnie Brown was the biggest surprise - I figured he'd show a pulse, but 112 rushing, 109 receiving and three scores? Suddenly I'm feeling a lot better about him now if he's on my team.
STEELERS 37, 49ERS 16: I think I've got this Mike Tomlin guy's M.O. figured out: Run on offense, stop the run on defense. Willie Parker (133 yards) is going to be a workhorse all year, and opposing RBs are going to have a rough time against these Stillers. Ask Frank Gore (14 carries, 39 yards).
A bunch of guys got beat up in this one: Gore had to have X-rays on that broken hand of his (they were negative), Hines Ward left with a "bone bruise" on his leg, and Vernon Davis left with a sprained right knee. You'll want to check on each of those injuries during the week.
PATRIOTS 38, BILLS 7: You mean to tell me the Pats couldn't give up one lousy garbage TD in this one, just to make the final score of all three of their games so far 38-14? How cool would that have been?
Anyway, regarding Randy Moss: I'm a believer. Start him until further notice. Also, good to see Laurence Maroney (103 yards) and Ben Watson (TD) getting involved. Sammy Morris (46 yards, TD) refuses to go away.
On the Buffalo side, things aren't so happy-go-lucky. JP Losman left with a "significant" knee injury; I know you probably weren't starting him (certainly not in this game, I hope!), but you could make a case for drafting him as your backup. Now you might as well look elsewhere ... ditto for Lee Evans (one catch, seven yards), unless he has some crazy chemistry with rookie backup Trent Edwards we don't know about. Somebody put that guy's face on a milk carton or something ... Peerless Price is outperforming him for cryin' out loud!
BUCS 24, RAMS 3: Who's Earnest Graham (eight carries, 75 yards, two rushing TDs)? Well, he used to be known as "Mr. August" in Bucs-land for being a training-camp hero who never really did much when the real games actually started. But before you go all Buc-wild (get it?) and pick him up, realize he didn't really do his damage until Cadillac Williams was on the sidelines in the fourth quarter after he had already a) scored a TD, b) fumbled and c) hurt his sore ribs. I don't think Caddy's in a lot of danger, even though Jon Gruden says he wants to get Graham more involved. He said the same thing about Mark Clayton, too.
The Rams, meanwhile, are falling apart on the offensive line, and it's killing Marc Bulger (116 yards, 0 TDs, three INTs) and everyone else along with him. Steven Jackson cracked 100 yards for the first time but it didn't come easy. I'm officially worried.
GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 17: A lot of just-OK offensive performances all around, so I'll focus on the RB situations. Derrick Ward (94 yards) is still hanging in there for the G-Men with Brandon Jacobs on the sidelines. Reuben Droughns scored twice in the second half after being inserted with the Giants on the goal line, but I still don't think he'll get the consistent touches to warrant a starting spot at this point. For the Skins, Clinton Portis was the go-to guy as expected, but Ladell Betts has really dropped off (seven carries, nine yards; one catch, 13 yards) from what looked like an equal timeshare. Betts had a chance to tie the game up at the end but couldn't cross the goal line. I'm not starting him again unless I have to, or unless the matchup really floats my boat.
RAIDERS 26, BROWNS 24: Derek Anderson, I hope you enjoyed that ride on Cloud 9. Nothing like a devastating loss to the Raiders to bring you back down here with us mortals. At least it was nice to see the old Jamal Lewis (15 carries, 56 yards) we know and love. LaMont Jordan, meanwhile, deserves some love (121 yards, TD). ... And it looks like we've got a QB controversy brewing in Oakland between Josh McCown, who got hurt again, and Daunte Culpepper, who rallied the troops. I'll let somebody else fight for those scraps, thanks.
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