Tuesday (Football) Talk
Monday Night recap...
Steelers Blitz the Redskins....
....the Steelers used fierce pressure on the quarterback to disrupt and completely throttle the Redskins offense. The Redskins caught a few early breaks to jump out front 6-0 in the first quarter, but once things settled down and the Steelers defense settled in, the game quickly changed. The Steelers exercised patience and used a punishing defense that limited the leagues leading rusher to just 51 yards on 13 carries.
The story of the night, was the Steel-Curtain, constant pressure completely disrupted the rhythm of the Redskins offense, forcing QB Jason Campbell into mistakes. In 230 passes prior to Monday night, Campbell had not been picked off once, but against the Steelers he was intercepted twice in 43 passes and sacked him 7 times. The Steeler brigade was led by LB LaMarr Woodley with two sacks and LB James Harrison with 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Steeler LB James Farrior led all tacklers with 13 and added a half sack.
The Redskins run offense was completely shutdown, limited to only 60 yards on the ground. Neither offense was particularly productive, but the Steelers were able to take advantage of a big play by the special teams in the first half to set up their first touchdown. Two second half drives of more than 70 yards each led by the Steelers QB Byron Leftwich, who replaced an injured Roethlisberger put the game away. RB Willie Parker's return was a success with FWP carrying the ball 21 times for 70 yards with a touchdown.
The Steelers improved the 6-2 and sit atop the AFC South by one game over the Ravens. The two will meet again in Baltimore in Week 15. The NFC East's second place Redskins drop to 6-3 and are only a half game in front of the high flying Eagles.
Fantasy notes: The Steelers defense rose to one of it's biggest challenges this season and shut down the league's leading rusher. Owners will want to avoid starting any ball carriers against the Steelers the rest of the way. The Steelers offense did not seem to lose a step when Leftwich came in. Owners will have to check on Big Ben's status, but if you own Roethlisberger, you may want to rush and pick up Leftwich. His big arm seems to fit the Steelers receiving personnel type......the Redskins merely hit a bump in the road, but pass protection will have to be a concern going forward. While Portis has been great up until this matchup, owners should note the Skins still have the Ravens on the schedule; a defense built similar to the Steelers. Campbell threw two picks with no touchdowns Monday night and Santana Moss was limited to 2 receptions. Fantasy owners can relax, with the bye ahead Moss should return healthy in Week 11, and while under Zorn's tutelage Campbell will rebound.
This week's "Dark-horses".....
*Taking a look back at Week 9, only two of our horses saw action, the Jaguars receiver Matt Jones and the Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett. Both players were involved in the passing game, but neither was particularly productive; Jones 7 catches for 69 yards, Bennett 3 catches for 36 yards. Jones remains a solid option in coming weeks, but owners should keep in mind, he has a possible suspension pending. Bennett is more likely going to return to more of a back up role following the team's by week, when tight end Jason Witten is healthy.
Moving forward, in Denver the situation has taken a dramatic turn with the team on a short week and two running backs placed on IR. The rookie RB Ryan Torain now becomes a favorite to see a heavy load in the backfield on Thursday night. Torain made a brief appearance in the first half on Sunday, but because the team had fallen behind, the game plan had changed and he did not see much see any action in the second half. With Selvin Young still nursing his groin injuring, Torain could start Thursday night against Cleveland and be a nice "Dark Horse" going forward.
With their rookie quarterback Matt Ryan playing as well as he has, the coaching staff's confidence in his ability and decision making may continue to grow. Each week Ryan is making more and more plays downfield and it would not be a surprise to see the Falcons continue to open up the play-book. When the season started for WR Michael Jenkins, it started with a bang, a 62-yard touchdown reception right out of the gate. Up until Week 9, Jenkins had been relatively quiet, but the past Sunday Jenkins did turn in nice performance with a couple of catches, both for scores. As the offense opens up more and more, look for Ryan to continue to target Jenkins downfield, making him a nice "Dark Horse" for the second half of the season.
With the news of Hasselbeck's possible return to practice in Seattle, there is some hope, even if small that the Seattle passing game could be revived in coming weeks. There were also reports that WR Deion Branch could also be returning to practice this week. Branch has pretty much missed the season, but for one brief appearance for a half in Week 5. If he can get healthy, with the eventual return of Hasselbeck, Branch could have some fantasy value later in the season, as well as into the fantasy playoffs. While his status is uncertain, fantasy owners should monitor Branch's progress in practice this week. If all goes well, he could be a "Dark Horse" down the stretch this season.
Heading for the Sideline......
With nine weeks of action finished in the NFL, the dust begins to settle across the gridiron and we can now see the writings on the wall and those tell tale signs of who is in, and who is out. This past Sunday the Raven's TE Todd Heap was held without a single reception, despite a big effort from the offense gaining 429 yards. This was the second time this season that the tight end did not have a catch in a game and it appears more and more each week, his role in the passing game is diminishing. Heap does not warrant a spot on any roster at this time. It's time to send the Raven's tight end to the fantasy sidelines.
With a struggling offense and a quarterback that has a long way to go, the Raiders WR Rod Curry has pretty much fallen off the fantasy radar. It would be a surprise to find him left on any fantasy rosters now, so if you are still holding onto him, hoping that Russell's big arm and Curry's speed can equate to big fantasy points, its' time to let the dream go. Curry no longer a starter in Oakland has only 8 receptions for the season. It's well past time to send this Raider to the fantasy sideline.
While he has explosive big play potential as a receiver, it appears that the Giants WR Domenik Hixon is the odd man odd in the team's passing game. In the only week that Hixon was a productive fantasy option is when he filled in for suspended receiver Plaxico Burress. While there's always a chance Burress could find himself in a pickle, it is not likely that Hixon will see any more extended time in the passing game. With Steve Smith emerging as a solid third option in New York, Hixon offers no value to fantasy owners and it's time to send him to the fantasy sidelines.
Power Rankings
How they rank...
1. Tennessee Titans (8-0-0)....the Titans just keep doing what they do. In Week 9 against the Packers, the defense recorded 4 more sacks and forced two turnovers, while the offense rolled up 347 yards including 178 yards on the ground.
2. New York Giants (7-1-0)....the Giants easily handled the Cowboys in their Week 9 matchup and took complete control of the NFC East division. The Giants used a strong defense that sacked Dallas quarterbacks 4 times and forced 4 turnovers, while their ball control offense steam-rolled their way to 200 yards rushing.
3. Carolina Panthers (6-2-0)....the Panthers enjoyed their bye week time off. The Panthers have enjoyed home cooking this season with a 5-0 record. In week 10, when they return from the bye, the Panthers will face the Raiders in Oakland.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2-0)....the Steelers re-asserted itself as one of the leagues top tier teams, with a dominating Monday night performance. The Steelers defense harassed and pressured QB Jason Campbell all night sacking him 7 times and forcing his first two interceptions of the season. The Steelers created turnovers and made plays on special teams to earn the victory.
5. Tampa Buccaneers (6-3-0)....the Buc's had to scramble and overcome a late deficit to earn the win on the road in Week 9. The Bucs got a 339 yard passing effort from quarterback Jeff Garcia in Sunday's win. The Buc's have the 8th ranked offense in the league this season.
Rounding out the top 10...
6. Washington Redskins (6-3-0).....the loss Monday Night was the Redskins second loss at home this season.
7. Chicago Bears (5-3-0)....the Bears won their third straight home win.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3-0)....the Bills turned the ball over three times in Sunday's loss to the Jets.
9. Dallas Cowboys (5-4-0)....the Cowboys offense gained only 183 yards and turned the ball over 4 times in their Week 9 loss.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3-0)....the Eagles offense has gained an average of 425 yards in its last two wins.
http://www.fantasyfootballdirectory.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment