FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

October 6th, 2009 2:37pm PST

[Tuesday Edition]
Monday Morning Huddle

So What I Saw in Week 4

Brandon is still a Bad Man….

After a tumultuous training camp that was highlighted with a suspension, many owners had their doubts about the future of Marshall in Denver. With talks of trade and the scare of a potential holdout, it looks like the hardline stance the organization took may be paying off now and in the long run.

After a slow start that saw limited action the first couple of games, Marshall is once again a bad man on the filed of play. In his last two games Marshall has come up with big catches and scored twice, including a decisive and spectacular 51 yard catch and run last Sunday. With nine catches for 158 yards over the past two weekends has Marshall quickly becoming a fantasy favorite again.

Steve Smith is coming of age….

Few can argue how far along the Giants third year receiver Steve Smith has developed this season. In the wake of the loss of Plaxico Burress many football people believed the Giants passing game would struggle with out a true go-to option. Over the teams last three games Smith has really come of age catching 28 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns. It looks like the Giants have filled the void.

Worst of the Worst

After his poor performance in week 3 when he passed for only 156 yards, threw one pick, and no touchdowns quarterback Trent Edward's encore showing was even worse. Last Sunday against the Dolphins Edwards completed only 14 passes and threw three more interceptions, bringing his season total to five. With a pair of wideouts like Lee Evans and Terrell Owens it's hard to pinpoint why he is struggling, but clearly after four games this season Edwards has been one of the worst.

Thus far this season, clearly no quarterback has looked as bad or performed as poorly as the Raider’s JaMarcus Russell. In four games this season Russell has completed less than 40 percent of his passes, thrown just one touchdown and has four interceptions. He is averaging only 4.7 yards per pass and has a paltry 42.4 passer rating; not much else can be said.

Jury is still Out

When the season openend, this was supposed to be his breakout year, but after four games this season running back Darren McFadden’s 2009 campaign has been marred with turnovers and injury. Much like his freshman year in the NFL (missed three games, fumbled three times) his sophomore season has been anything but memorable. Through four games McFadden is averaging a very pedestrian 3.1 yards per carry and has turned the ball over four times. The kids appears to have the skill set to be dynamite, but this shaky start leaves the jury still out.

Many folks believed this would be LaDanian Tomlinson’s comeback year, but a slow start and early injury have derailed any prospect of that happening for the moment. After his disappointing return Sunday night, just seven carries and 15 yards many folks may now be questioning whether or not L.T. has enough anything left in the tank. Regarded as one of the leagues elite just a few short seasons ago, it appears Tomlinson is showing his age and wear. It may be a bit too premature to count him out, by the jury won’t deliberate too long on this one if we don’t see some of the old L.T. soon.

10 Things I Remember From
Sunday (Week 4)....

1. Matt Forte Breaks out; the Bears running back had his best game this season racking up 121 yards on the ground with a score.
2. Brandon Marshall is a stud; with his electric 51 yard catch and run to lift the Broncos, he showed he is a playmaker making plays.
3. Derrick Mason is still clutch; despite their week four loss the Raven’s savvy veteran receiver still performs at a high level grabbing seven passes and a score.
4. Mohamed Massaquoi is a rising star; his eight catches for 148 yards on Sunday against the Bengals was evidence of his arrival.
5. Trent Edwards looked bad; his three interceptions pretty much sealed the fate of the Bills, especially the pick six.
6. Welcome to the NFL Mark Sanchez; the Jet’s rookie quarterback had a small taste of a different reality (four turnovers) with his first setback losing to the Saints on the road.
7. Rashard Mendenhall looked sharp; so far this season Fast Willie Parker has not looked like his old self and it may not matter if Mendenhall can play like he did Sunday night (165 yards rushing, two touchdowns).
8. The new Orange Crush defense is here; the Bronco’s defense continued to be a difference maker and make plays with five more sacks and two more takeaways on Sunday.
9. Pierre Thomas is making it tough; with another solid performance (132 yards of offense, one touchdown) the Saints running back is making it tough for head coach Sean Payton to decide who to start.
10. The Saints defense came to play; surprisingly it was the defense that made the biggest difference on Sunday recording four sacks and four turnovers in its’ win over the Jets.

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