Tuesday (Football) Talk
Monday Night recap...
Patriots bust the Broncos..
....did anyone see this coming? Perhaps the writing was on the wall for several weeks, with the Bronco's defense playing with fire; giving up big plays, lots of yards, and no takeaways. This was due to happen sooner or later for the Broncos porous defense (ranked 30th in the NFL), but few would expect to see the 2007 Patriot's show up on Monday night. Maybe it wasn't Brady leading the charge, but the Pats were inspired as if their field general was back on the field, while their offense rang up 450 yards of offense and posted 41 points. It was disappointing for Denver fans to see a lack of effort from the visitors, as quarterback Matt Cassell and running back Sammy Morris seemed to have their way most of the night. Morris carried the ball only 16 times, but plowed his way through the Broncos defense gaining 138 yards rushing and scored a touchdown. The Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss also got involved catching six passes and scoring twice. Matt Cassell, when he wasn't on his back (sacked six times in the game) was effectively efficient and precise completing 18 of 24 passes for 185 yards and throwing three touchdowns! His passer rating for the night was 136.3.
For the Broncos, it had to be a pleasant surprise to see the resurrection of some kind of a pass rush, led by Elvis Dummerville and his two sacks. But for most of the night it had to be a disappointment getting pummeled by a team that looked like it was backed into a corner and on their heels all night just a week ago against the Chargers. The Broncos defense had the usual troubles stopping the run, giving up the big plays, allowing a ton of yardage (404 yards allowed Monday night) and not recording a single takeaway (negative 9 turnover ratio this season). Denver started fast this season with three straight wins, but have now lost three of their last four and appear to be spiraling backward in the division. The only bright spot on the offense was the effort of running back Michael Pittman who carried the ball 20 times in the loss and gained 88 yards. On a down note, it won't be hard to figure out who the odd man out will be once running back's Selvin Young and Ryan Torain are activated. The Broncos running back and kick returner Andre Hall committed two turnovers that ended Bronco drives and resulted in Patriot scores!
Fantasy notes: The Bronco's have many issues on the defensive side of the ball and with injuries to DB Champ Bailey and little brother LB Boss Bailey, the holes in the defense get bigger. Fantasy owners who have the Broncos as a team defense, if you haven't already drop them and run away.......considering the Bronco's defensive track record, let's not start any coronation ceremonies for the Patriots offense just yet. The big win will play as a confidence booster and lay down the road map for what the Pats must and will try to do going forward; get the ball in the hands of your playmakers. Fantasy owners in PPR leagues should consider Welker a must play and consider running back Sammy Morris a viable flex or RB3 option.
This week's "Dark-horses".....
*Looking ahead to week 8 in the NFL, we have a few interesting situations developing in Philadelphia and in Oakland. On Sunday the Raiders passing offense was not particularly impressive, but compared to what we have seen thus far this season, there were signs of life. A forgotten name resurfaced in the Black Hole in wide receiver Javon Walker. With talks floating around about his possible demotion to the bench, could the former Packer and Bronco find his re-focus and get back on track? Jamarcus Russell will continue to be a work in progress, but I like Javon Walker to emerge as his go-to receiver to show him the ropes and help the kid develop. Based on nothing but his talent, Walker is certainly capable of playing big, the only question will be is he motivated.
In Philly it is beginning to sound like wide receiver Kevin Curtis is about ready to make his 2008 NFL debut. He has been practicing and reports are he looks close to returning and it is expected he could be re-inserted into the starting lineup. Based on what we have seen with recent receivers returning from injury (Colston, Branch) fantasy owners may worry about Curtis' immediate impact. In the Eagles system there is no apparent number one receiver, although DeSean Jackson has emerged as a more reliable option, Curtis's return and immediate insertion make him one of my dark-horses for Week 8. If he does start, Curtis will have a favorable matchup this week going up against the Falcons 26th ranked pass defense.
A couple of "light-ponies" this week that I would watch as possible plays in the coming weeks (including week 8) are the Niner's WR Josh Morgan and the Rams WR Donnie Avery. Morgan was just promoted to the starting lineup this past week and played well catching 5 passes for 86 yards and a score. The Niner's heralded receiver entered the regular season expecting to be a starter, but was slowed up with a staph infection. Now healthy he looks ready to make an impact.
The Rams speedy rookie receiver is a big play threat every week now that he is starting opposite Torry Holt. Avery showed off his running skills two weeks ago with a 37 yard touchdown run and this past Sunday hooked up with Marc Bulger on a 42 yard touchdown score. The Rams receiver finished Sunday as the team's leading pass catcher with 5 receptions for 65 yards. Both Morgan and Avery have favorable matchups in Week 8 and could be nice pickups as flex options or WR3!
Heading for the Sideline......
For fantasy owners in deep leagues playing running back roulette with the Denver backfield, following Monday night's blowout loss to the Patriots, fantasy owners can remove Broncos RB Andre Hall from the equation. His two fumbles have undoubtedly sealed his fate with the prospects of running backs Selvin Young and Ryan Torain on the verge of returning. Just another note for fantasy owners with Michael Pittman running well as the current starter, Selvin Young it may not be long before he heads for the (fantasy) sidelines!
In Oakland, the writing is definitely on the wall in the bay area. Following his demotion to the proverbial and literal bench, WR Ronald Curry has seemingly lost his fantasy relevance. Not only did Curry not start on Sunday, but the Raider's receiver did not even record a single catch. Curry has been a disappointment this season and appears the new head coach is going to look to other talent for production in the offense. For now Curry is heading for the sideline and for fantasy owners that thought the combination of Curry's speed and Russell's arm would play big, it's time for him to find his way to your bench and perhaps off your roster.
There's no question that injuries play a big part in the NFL and fantasy football. If you took a shot on the Packers second year receiver James Jones to follow up his strong freshman campaign, it may be time to terminate his scholarship. Jones has been battling a knee injury that has kept him out most of this season. There's been no official word, but we've seen this before and it could be not long before this injury gets to the point where Jones has to shut it down for the year. Fantasy owners in deeper leagues holding onto this prayer shouldn't wait for the announcement, it's time to send Jones to the sideline and find another option.
Power Rankings
How they rank...
1. Tennessee Titans (6-0-0)....the Titans kept the wheels rolling on Sunday gaining over 300 yards on the ground. With the NFL's 4th ranked rushing offense and the leagues overall 3rd ranked defense, there's not too much sounding wrong in the Music City. The Titans seem to have all cylinders firing although the teams they have defeated this season have a combined record of 12-23.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1-0)....the Steel Curtain appears to be alive and well in the Steel town. The Steelers easily dispatched their division rivals, the Bengals on Sunday 38-10. The league's number one overall defense recorded 8 sacks and one turnover in Week 7. The Steelers continue to win in impressive fashion led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who found better protection against the Bengals passing his way to 216 yards and two touchdowns. The team also received a huge lift from the play of running MeWelde Moore who ran well gaining 120 yards on the day!
3. Buffalo Bills (5-1-0)....coming off their bye week, the Bills appeared to have rested well and got healthier against a visiting Charger's team. The Bills play a well balanced game rushing for over 100 yards and passing for 261 yards. The return of Trent Edwards was a successful one, with the Bills quarterback completing 25 of 30 passes (83.3% completion) and throwing a nice touch pass score to Lee Evans in the corner of the end-zone. The Bills look strong and are in complete of the AFC East. The Bills opponents this season have a combined record of 15-22.
4. New York Giants (5-1-0)....the G-men rebound Sunday from their Monday night meltdown. Hosting the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants used their power running game behind the legs of Brandon Jacobs. The Giants 260 pound runner carried the ball 17 times for just 69 yards on 17 carries, but did score twice in the team's home win. It was the Giants 4th win at home this season to improve their home record to 4-0. The Giants are out scoring opponents at home 115-53.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2-0)....the quiet surprise of the season has to be the Buccaneers who crack the top five. With Garcia healthy and unselfish team (Graham) focused on the prize, this team is doing what they need to do each week to win. Garcia looked sharp and played well Sunday night completing 27 of 36 passes (75% completion) for 310 yards. The Buccaneers defense has raised their play as of late, ranked 9th overall in yards allowed and 4th in scoring.
Rounding out the top 10...
6. Washington Redskins (5-2-0)....the team jumped back on the Portis train and rode to victory on Sunday.
7. Carolina Panthers (5-2-0)....it was Smith to Delhomme, a preview of things to come.
8. Arizona Cardinals (4-2-0)....lookout NFC, the Cards are playing defense and have a talented offense.
9. Dallas Cowboys (4-3-0)....America's team is quickly becoming a circus of dysfunction.
10. Chicago Bears (4-3-0)....Kyle Ortons' arm is carrying the Bears with the defense banged up.
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