FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

February 1st, 2010 11:30pm PST

David's Daily Digest

[My Take]

More football news and happenings from around the league; here’s the latest I am hearing, reading, and following with my take on things and how they will impact the coming fantasy week……

Player Notes From Across My Wire...

Mike Martz finds work in Chicago....

The reunion of the former Rams coordinators (Marts & Smith) in the windy city could be a good thing for quarterback Jay Cutler as well as running back Matt Forte. The recent signing on of Mike Martz as the team's new offense coordinator could also signal change is coming.

Like former Dolphin's head coach Don Shula did nearly 27 years ago, the Bears head coach Lovie Smith could be looking to develop his offense more around the talent he has under center, rather than ask his quarterback to adapt to the team's running philosophy of the past.

Let's face it, you don't sign on Martz to call run plays and when you have a quarterback with Cutler's arm strength who has the ability to make any throw on the field you don't ask him to just hand off. The Bears have some young talent at the wideout position, but don't be surprised to see them seek some veteran skill at the position and focus on revamping the line in the offseason.

The change could also bode very well for Forte who has already shown great versatility as a pass catcher and runner. If the team builds around an offense similar to what Martz ran in St. Louis, Cutler and Forte could be very popular fantasy prospects in 2010.

Chicago may not be the likely place for 4,500 yard and 30 touchdown passer, but if Brady can set records in the Boston cold, why not?

More Notes....

Vick done in Philly?….

The signs appear to be there and the rumors are now swirling that Michael Vick could be exiting the city of brotherly love. It makes sense that the team only brought in Vick as insurance for McNabb Now. After Kevin Kolb successfully displayed his ability to play in two starts this past season, it sure looks like he could supplant number five sometime down the road.

If Kolb is the future, Vick becomes a rather expensive commodity coming off the bench for 4-6 plays per game. While there have been no reports yet, it would make better sense for the Eagles to invest their long-term future in Kolb and try to trade Vick this off-season. Right now reports indicate there are a few takers that could show interest, including the Bills. With that said, it sure does sound like he's leaving.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

February 1st, 2010 - 8:25pm PST

[Late Edition]

Monday Morning Huddle

Next up the Big Dance!

Despite the roller-coaster ride of the 2009 season we should not be surprised to find what were arguably the two best teams in the NFL this past season. Both the Saints and Colts started out on a record setting pace with each team winning their first 13 games this season (the Colts won their first 14).

Now that the dust has finally settled and we have two left standing nothing could be more appropriate than Drew Brees versus Peyton Manning. The Saints signal caller on the cusp of greatness taking on the great Mr. Manning who continues to write his own legacy. With his fourth NFL MVP award, Manning will try to secure his second NFL title and cement himself as one, if the not the greatest ever.

While his counterpart would appear to have much to play for, Drew Brees is not without his own personal motivation. Brees has become the face of a franchise that not only represents a city, but represents so much more. Following the Katrina disaster the Saints have led a march of great hope and resolve and the face out front of this march has been Drew Brees. Brees has often been compared to the great names in today's game; Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Brett Favre, and though he lacks the hardware (Lombardi Trophies and MVP awards) he has the numbers. His first appearance should not legitimize his greatness; he has been great since he arrived to New Orleans. His first appearance in the Big Dance should be the next chapter to his own legacy.

What to Expect

While both teams have two very quick and opportunistic defenses, there is little doubt that this game is going to be all about the two gunslingers calling the signals. The Saints (4th) and Colts (2nd) offenses finished the 2009 season ranked in the top five passing and both clubs were in the top seven in scoring.

While the Saints were second in the league with 39 takeaways, they are going to find it difficult to capitalize on Manning who has just one turnover in 83 passes this post season. Like his counterpart Brees has been steady taking care of the ball with no turnovers in 63 passes.

The Saints led the league in scoring and finished number one in yards per game; they will surely test the Colts defense all game long. And when Manning takes the field with his number two ranked passing offense (9th overall) the Saints defense will face their ultimate test this season. Don't expect too many punts or a lot of stops, this one could easily turn into a regular shootout at the O.K. corral with the quarterback with the ball last deciding this classic matchup of a pair of gunslingers.

Injury notes for Sunday...

RB-Pierre Thomas (Saints).....ribs-probable.

RB-Joseph Addai (Colts).....shoulder-probable.

WR-Robert Meachum (Saints)....ankle-probable.

TE-Jeremy Shockey (Saints)....knee-questionable

DB-Darren Sharper (Saints).....knee-probable.

DL-Will Smith (Saints)....groin-probable.

DL-Dwight Freeney (Colts)....ankle-questionable

Quick Notes:

The Saints wide receiver Robert Meachum has resumed full participation in practice and looks to be ready for the big dance. Meachum could be a big key in the Saints passing game on Sunday. He tied with Colston for the team lead with nine touchdowns this season and finished the year with 45 catches for 722 yards receiving (16.0 yards per catch).

The Colts have made their name on the passing of Peyton Manning all season, but it wouldn't surprise to see Joseph Addai taking on a larger role in the run game this Sunday. In the AFC title game Addai finished with 80 yards averaging five yards a carry against a pretty good Jets run defense; Saints rank 21st against the run.

Remember to check back for more "Monday Morning Huddle!"

FSH: FOOTBALL TALK

January 27th, 2010 10:17pm PST

FOOTBALL TALK

Looking under the hood of the

Championship Weekend

Saints prove they have the Savvy...

When the Saints began their post season run they were coming off a three game slide to end the regular season; not exactly how they wanted start their post season.

Despite the poor finish the Saints rebounded in the divisional round lighting up the scoreboard with 45 points against a suspect Cardinals defense. The offense showed no I'll effects from their two week layoff outlasting Arizona in a classic shootout.

The Championship matchup took on a completely different complexion with a more physical style of play. The Saints defense stepped up to the plate on Championship Sunday and brought a lot of wood and hurt to the Vikings offense; constant pressure and hits on quarterback Brett Favre characterized the style and play of the Saints defense.

With the defense applying the heat and the offense making the needed plays, the Saints proved throughout the playoffs, as they did much of the regular season they had the savvy to get the job done.

With the big dance up next on Super Sunday the Saints are going to need to raise the bar and bring their best. The offense has as much firepower as the Colts boast, but they won't be able to count on Manning and company to make mistakes.

Manning proves to be too much....

The Colts took a little time in preparation for their Championship run and against the Jets in the AFC title game; they proved their rest time was well spent. It was never the goal of this team to be perfect this season, but perfection is what they have achieved if this was their plan all along.

Peyton Manning led his troops into the post season with one mission in mind, win a Super Bowl. Neither Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis nor an upstart rookie quarterback could slow down the leagues four-time MVP.

In two games, Manning bested two of the AFC's best defenses passing for well over 600 yards and throwing five touchdowns. Even if the face of adversity during the AFC title tilt with the Jets, the Colts signal caller kept his poised and systematically shredded the Jets secondary taking what the defense allowed and what he wanted. He used experience, savvy, and his crafty skill to constantly find and target his best matchups; the result 26 of 39 passing, 377 yards passing, and three touchdowns.

Peyton Manning does not have the pedigree he boasts for nothing; he is a winner. On Super Sunday when he faces the Saints, expect to see his very best effort. The only way Manning will lose in Miami, the Saints are going to have to be at their best to beat him; no way does he give anything away.

More fantasy Notes

The Colts signal caller Peyton Manning has been exceptional throughout the playoffs completing more than two-thirds of his passes. The biggest key has been pocket protection and while it was a little shaky in the AFC title game, Manning's feathers were never ruffled. Peyton was sacked just twice in 41 pass plays; the Saints will have to do a much better job.

The Saints running back Pierre Thomas has not been a huge factor on the ground for offense just yet, but on Super Sunday that could all change. Thomas has 113 yards rushing in the post season averaging better than four yards a carry and against the Colts undersized defense (ranked 24th against the run) he might get an opportunity for a big day.

The Colts receiver Reggie Wayne was stifled in the AFC title matchup constantly being shadowed by the Jets cover corner Darrelle Revis. In the two games he faced Revis, Wayne caught just six passes for only 88 yards; granted the Saints have an opportunistic secondary they lack a corner of Revis' skill level cover ability. With the Saint having to worry about all of Manning's weapons, expect to see Wayne more involved in the passing game on Super Sunday.

By David Ortega

Check back every Tuesday for more “Football Talk”

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

January 26th, 2010 11:30pm PST

David's Daily Digest

[My Take]

More football news and happenings from around the league; here’s the latest I am hearing, reading, and following with my take on things and how they will impact the coming fantasy week……

Player Notes From Across My Wire...

Thomas looks for big day in big dance....

The Saints running back Pierre Thomas did not have a big day on the ground against the Vikings number two run defense, but he was effective at time and totaled nearly 100 yards of offense. Against the Colts (ranked 24th against the run) he'll face a less formidable front and should be a huge part of the Saints ground attacked.

Wayne set to breakout on Super Sunday...

The Colts big play receiver and one of Peyton Manning's go-to playmakers, Reggie Wayne was pretty much held in check against the Jets on Sunday catching just three passes for 55 yards. Wayne has just 118 yards receiving in the post season and with the Saints not having any corner of the same calibre as the Jets Darrelle Revis, expect Manning to get his 100-catch receiver involved early and often in the big dance on Super Sunday.

Bush will need to bounce back....

The Saints are going to need a full compliment of weapons to keep pace with the great Peyton Manning. One of the keys will be running back Reggie Bush who can add that estra dimension when he runs well. He'll need to clean up his play for the big dance on Super Sunday; no room for error.

IDP Notes....

Colts will need to apply pressure….

Against the Jets in the AFC championship the Colts defense did a great job slowing down the leagues number one rushing offense, but they were unable to get to the rookie quarterback. Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney will have to bring their best game to apply the needed pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Mathis and Freeney (23 sacks combined) will have to do a better job of getting to Brees (sacked 20 times in 2009) if they hope to slow the Saints offense.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

January 26th, 2010 - 8:25pm PST

[Tuesday Edition]

Monday Morning Huddle

Championship Weekend

Well it the weekend ended pretty much in the fashion how many expected, although how we got there was a bit surprising in some sense. Missed opportunities and pure experienced highlighted the AFC matchup with Peyton Manning proving to be too skillful even for a Rex Ryan defense. In the nightcap, miscues and misfortune highlighted some of the action as the Saints too advantage and converted opportunity into destiny.

Both teams (Vikings and Saints) started fast with a few early scores in the first quarter and the game had the look of a track meet to start, but as both defenses started to settle in the offenses would very much have to earn their keep.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the charge passing for 197 yards and tossing three touchdowns. The offense was not spectacular on Sunday, but effective making the plays it needed to make. Brees and the Saints capitalized on the Vikings mistakes (5-turnovers) and turned possible defeat into victory.

It was a tough and bitter defeat for the Vikings, in particular Brett Favre who ended his only season with the Vikings with a turnover (interception). It was the third consecutive season that Favre ended his season with an interception; hardly the legacy who should be remember for.

The Saints were the number one offensive team in the league and finished with the second best record in the NFL, so there's no question they are deserving of their first ever appearance in the Super Bowl against the Colts.

Favre and the Vikings had a great season and made a great run, but in no way should the golden boy carry the weight of this loss on his sole shoulders. There were costly turnovers in the game long before his late interception that did the Vikings in, as well as a critical penalty down the stretch that took them out for seeming field goal range.

Congratulations to the Saints

Despite some of the late questionable calls or missed calls down the stretch of the NFC title bout, take nothing away from the New Orleans Saints winners); they deserve to be in the Super Bowl. By virtue of their win alone they are deserving, but also credit their physical play on Sunday.

The Saints brought their number one offense into this matchup and while Brees and company had struggles moving the ball at times against the Vikings stout defense, the passing game was still able to produce with three scoring plays. The biggest scoring play came late in the game when Reggie Bush caught a 5-yard pass in the flat and turned up field just inside the pylon to give the home team the lead, 28-21.

The Saints defense not to be outdone brought the wood and laid the hurt on Favre and company and that just may have been the biggest difference down the stretch of Sunday's classic tilt. The Saints defense harassed the Vikings signal caller; although Favre was not sacked he was hit relentlessly and may have played a big part in his ill-fated turnover down the stretch. The defense physical style of play was also responsible for four fumbles and five turnovers.

The Saints had a few miscues of their own with some untimely mishandles, but in the end they made all the plays they needed; two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and a game-winning 40-yard field goal.

With the victory on Sunday, Drew Brees has come full circle. Over the past several season he has led one of the league’s most explosive offenses and without that championship ring he has often been overlooked among the elite. With a chance to win his first championship Brees has a chance to complete the circle and put to rest any doubt about his deserving to be grouped with the likes of Manning and Brady as one of the elite.

The Saints are the deserving NFC Champions and with the league’s top rated offense, they will challenge for their first Super Bowl Championship ever.

Injury notes from Sunday...

RB-Pierre Thomas (Saints)...looks good for SB Sunday.

RB-Joseph Addai (Colts)....expected to start SB Sunday.

WR-Robert Meachum (Saints)....ankle should be fine for SB.

TE-Jeremy Shockey (Saints)....suffered no setbacks Sunday.

DL-Dwight Freeney (Colts)....fractured arm, will play.

Quick Notes:

The Saints quarterback Drew Brees has passed for only 444 yards in the post season, but he has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions in 63 passes. He'll face the leagues 14th ranked pass defense in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has passed for over 600 yards in the post season while completing 67 percent of his passes. He has also thrown five touchdowns with only one pick and will face the leagues 26th ranked pass defense that finished third in the NFL with 26 picks.

Remember to check back for more "Monday Morning Huddle!"