Bottom line is that the cheatsheets are the final say.

Let's jump to it.

Joe

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Joe Bryant
Owner www.footballguys.com

Bye Weeks For Week 3

Chicago is off - Kordell Stewart/Marty Booker and company sit out this week.
Dallas is off - Quincy Carter/Terry Glenn/Antonio Bryant/Joey Galloway and company sit out this week.
Philadelphia is off - Donovan McNabb/Todd Pinkston/James Thrash and company sit out this week.
Carolina is off - Jake Delhomme/Muhsin Muhammad/Steve Smith and company sit out this week.

Buffalo's Passing Game vs. The Miami Defense (Great Matchup)

Buffalo is on a tear. They are 2-0, with 69 points for themselves and only 17 surrendered. Drew Bledsoe is 36/53 for 544 yards with 3 TD's and 1 Int. over the first two, and Eric Moulds (11/214/1) and Bobby Shaw (6/132/1) are lighting up the enemies with authority. Josh Reed has 6/76/0 and is coming on strong, as well.

Miami's vaunted pass defense is a shambles. 40-year old Vinny Testaverde looked like a young Marino against the squad (29/45 for 373 with 1 TD and 1 Int.) - this after David Carr and the Texans embarrassed the Dolphins for 17/36 for 266 yards and 1 TD with 0 Int. Miami is dead last in the NFL with 316 passing yards per game allowed, and has surrendered 2 passing TD's. Not at all what we expected from Madison, Marion, Knight and Surtain.

Buffalo lists no injuries of note, while Miami reports that starting FS Brock Marion (quadriceps) and backup FS Shawn Wooden (hamstring) are questionable to play.

The weather at Pro Player Stadium is expected to be cloudy in the afternoon, with a high of 86F and a low of 76F, and a 50% chance of precipitation - sounds like the field could be sloppy and slow on Sunday.

As hard as it is to believe that these words are being typed, Buffalo looks like they are the dominant unit coming into this matchup.

Indianapolis' Passing Game vs. The Jacksonville Defense (Great Matchup)

The Colts got their 2 TE set working in game two, and their whole offense got on track due to that success. Manning didn't have a spectacular day (14/21 for 173 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int.), but he looked very much in command throwing with authority and decisiveness when the team called passing plays. New TE Dallas Clark had a strong game (4/63/0) and Marvin Harrison pulled in 3/59/1 on a relatively quiet day (in Harrison's world). Manning's struggles week 1 combined with the low-scoring week 2 put him at #27 among all fantasy QB's at present - hopefully, he'll move up that list in the weeks to come.

Jacksonville's secondary staggered out of the Bills game shell-shocked due to the 328 passing yards Drew Bledsoe and company heaved on Sunday (2 TD's with 0 Int. as well). The entire secondary was overwhelmed by Moulds/Shaw/Reed and simply couldn't get the job done. It was a general failure by all the DB's. This year, the Jags are 22nd in the league allowing 224 passing yards per game on average, and they have coughed up 5 passing TD's in 2 games.

Buffalo is still waiting on reserve WR Sam Aiken's hamstring to heal up (but he isn't missed much), while Jacksonville lost reserve DB Kiwaukee Thomas to a serious groin injury last week (out), and starting LB Keith Mitchell injured his neck (all tests were negative) and may be too sore to play this week (out). The Jags were already down a DB with reserve James Trapp hobbled by a sore ankle (probable).

This game is being played in the RCA Dome, so weather is not a factor.

Peyton Manning and company have to be looking forward to attacking this reeling and injury-plagued unit on Sunday. Advantage, Colts.

Minnesota's Passing Game vs. The Detroit Defense (Great Matchup)

Through 2 weeks, Daunte Culpepper is fantasy football's # 2 signal caller, with 35 completions for 409 yards passing with 5 TD's and 16/67/0 rushing. He has yet to throw an interception (although he has lost 3 fumbles in the early going). Randy Moss sees the vast majority of Culpepper's passes in any given game - no surprise here - but, Moss has only caught 1 TD pass so far, which is a surprise. The Vikings are utilizing other weapons (TE Jim Kleinsasser caught 2 TD's last week) in the red-zone.

Detroit's pass defense is a matched set with its rush defense - the Lions are inept in both phases of the game. Over the first two weeks, the Lions rank 24th in the NFL, allowing an average of 238 yards per game (and they have surrendered 5 passing scores so far in 2003). CB Dre Bly did manage to pick Brett Favre off once last week, but the Packers' receivers hauled in 2 scoring tosses. WLB Barrett Green led the losing effort last week with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist.

Minnesota's #2 WR D'Wayne Bates injured his left foot in the game last Sunday, but it doesn't appear serious as of this writing (probable). Detroit's backup LB James Davis couldn't play last week due to his badly bruised ribs, and he may not be able to go this week, either (questionable).

This game is being played in Ford Field, a Dome, so weather is not a factor.

Detroit's defense is not very good, and the Vikings' offense is very good. The only concern here is that, since the Lions' rush defense is also very soft the Vikings' coaches might decide to emphasize the run over the pass on Sunday. Still, Culpepper and company will have ample opportunity to make good things happen when passing plays are called.

Baltimore's Passing Game vs. The San Diego Defense (Good Matchup)

Baltimore didn't need a passing game last week, thanks to Jamal Lewis' remarkable game. Good thing too, since Kyle Boller was knocked out of the game with a knee injury and backup Chris Redman was ineffective in relief duty. The team finished the day with 7/18 for 78 yards and 0 TD's with 1 Int. Needless to say, none of the Raven's receivers were a fantasy factor week 2. In fact, highly touted TE Todd Heap is floundering in 2003, with 7/62/0 over two games - that's 19th in the NFL among fantasy TE's.

San Diego has been rocked in their first two games (they are 29th vs. the rush so far and 21st vs. the pass), and have yet to stop a top tier back - heck, they have yet to slow one down. While that is good news for Lewis owners, realize that Baltimore may not need to throw much again this week. If and when they do put the ball up, the Ravens should find room to roam - San Diego is generously giving opposing passers an average of 222 yards per game so far, with 4 passing scores allowed. They all-new secondary just isn't hacking it, yet. Heck, Jake Plummer only threw for 9 completions before leaving the game on Sunday, and 3 were for TD's. It's ugly in San Diego right now.

Starting FS Jerry Wilson is probable to play through a wrist injury, although LB Donnie Edwards (groin) and DE Marcellus Wiley (hamstring) are both questionable. Boller is probable to go despite the knee.

The weather at Qualcomm Stadium is expected to be sunny in the afternoon, with of 79F and a low of 67F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. That is just about ideal weather for a football game.

This is a good opportunity for Boller and company to find a rhythm (if the Ravens bother to throw the ball much).

Denver's Passing Game vs. The Oakland Defense (Good Matchup)

The bad news is that Jake Plummer only completed 9 passes last week before being forced from the game with a slightly separated shoulder. The good news is that he threw 3 TDs on those 9 completions, with no interceptions. Shannon Sharpe snagged one of the scores (4/47/1), backup FB Rueben Droughns caught the second, and OT Cooper Carlisle hauled in a score on 1/6/1 worth of work. Steve Beuerlein was effective in relief of Plummer, with 7/16 for 98 yards, with 0 TD's and 0 Int. Ashley Lelie awoke from his week one slumber, and posted 2/45/0 on the day.

Oakland's defense was torched all day long by Jon Kitna (most especially Phillip Buchanon, who was consistently beat) for 25/41 for 303, with 1 TD and 2 Int. On the season, Oakland is the 28th ranked passing D in the NFL, allowing 272.5 yards per game on average, with 3 passing TD's surrendered so far. SS Derrick Gibson led the secondary (and team) on Sunday with 7 solo tackles and 3 assists.

Starting FS Rod Woodson remains doubtful to play, thanks to his injured knee, and backup S Anthony Dorsett is questionable with an ankle injury. Plummer is currently questionable with the hurt shoulder, but is expected to play on Monday.

The weather at Mile High Stadium is expected to be sunny all day, with a high of 76F and a low of 50F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. It should be a very fine evening to play a game of football.

The Raiders miss Rod Woodson, and their RCB Phillip Buchanon isn't playing very well. Denver has been Jekyll and Hyde in the first two weeks, but are coming off a solid performance. We give the edge to the Broncos at home vs. the hated Raiders.

Green Bay's Passing Attack vs. The Arizona Defense (Good Matchup)

First off, WR Donald Driver is questionable to play going into this game, so keep an eye on his status as the week progresses towards Sunday. Last week, Favre and the Packers pounded the ball vs. Detroit, with limited opportunities in the passing game due to their depleted WR corps (TE Wesley Walls missed the game, too). Favre ended the day 15/28 for 132 yards, with 2 TD's and 1 Int. Robert Ferguson battled through his hurt knee and ankle to catch a TD, (3/29) and FB Tony Fisher snagged a shovel pass for the other passing score (2/16). Antonio Freeman contributed with 4/32/0, and was soundly cheered in his return.

Arizona, meanwhile, was humiliated 38-0 at home by a Koren Robinson-less Seahawks (Holmgren fought with one hand tied behind his back, in essence) squad that torched the Cards for 10/21 for 195 yards and 2 TD's with 0 Int. The Cards are 14th in the NFL allowing 194 yards per game, but have coughed up a league-high 6 passing TD's through 2 weeks. They aren't too good at stopping the opposition down there in the desert.

The Cards list backup SS Justin Lucas as probable to play with his ankle injury. Walls is questionable to play due to that bum hamstring, and Ferguson is probable to play despite his knee and ankle injuries.

Sun Devil Stadium expects sunny skies, with a high of 103F and a low of 78F, and a 10% chance of evening showers. This game kicks off at 4:05 PM ET (1:05 Local Time), so this game will be played out in the full blast-furnace heat of the desert. Conditioning and hydration will be a major issue for both teams in those conditions.

The Cardinal's defense is not playing well, and the Packers seem to be overcoming their injury problems without too much trouble. This is a good matchup as it stands (assuming Driver is out), but could be really great for Favre if Driver can play on Sunday.

New Orleans' Passing Game vs. The Tennessee Defense (Good Matchup)

Aaron Brooks and Joe Horn got their groove back last week against the Texans, and hooked up for 10 receptions and 111 yards (not bad for a gimpy WR, huh?). Brooks hit Donte' Stallworth on a beautiful long TD pass (35 yards) and generally looked much more in sync week 2. Over the first two weeks, Brooks is the 12th ranked fantasy football QB, with 47 completions for 463 yards with 3 TD's and 1 Int. and 5 rushes for 6 yards, so far.

Tennessee got drilled by the Colts last week, and the pass defense was picked apart by an efficient Peyton Manning (14/21 for 173 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int.). Manning didn't have huge stats, but was never disrupted by the Titans' defense and threw basically at will. Over the first two weeks, the Titans are in the middle of the pack vs. the pass, allowing 205 yards per game (16th in the NFL) and 3 passing scores so far. FS Lance Shulters led the secondary last week with 3 tackles and 3 assists.

Tennessee's reserve DB Andre Woolfolk is still struggling to get back on the field due to his injured toe (questionable). New Orleans came out of their game with no new injuries of note.

The forecast for the Coliseum calls for a high of 80F and a low of 56F with a 10% chance of rain. It should be a beautiful day to play football.

New Orleans has a very good passing attack, and the Titans are only so-so at defending the pass. Home field advantage helps out the Titans, but not enough to tilt the table in their favor in this phase of the game.

San Francisco's Passing Game vs. The Cleveland Defense (Good Matchup)

Head coach Dennis Erickson's new offense is doing something right, as Jeff Garcia is the #1 fantasy QB in the land through 2 weeks - 38/70 for 451 yards, with 4 TD's, 2 Int. and 9/50/1 in the rushing department. In the tough loss vs. St. Louis, both Garcia and Owens missed time due to being shaken up (minor concussions), with Tai Streets the main benefactor (4/53/1). On the day, Garcia put up 19/35 for 222 yards with 2 TD's and only 1 Int. - not bad in light of his injury.

Cleveland's D got totally mauled last week by the Ravens - in the rushing phase of the game. Since the Ravens barely bothered to pass at all, its hard to say if the Browns are better or worse now than in week 1, when they were narrowly defeated by the Colts (and denied any TD's to Manning and company). Over the first two weeks of the season, the Browns rank 3rd in the NFL allowing only 127 passing yards per game on average, with 0 passing TD's allowed. However, that's not really indicative of how the defense played last week.

San Francisco will go without TE Eric Johnson (collarbone, out), but otherwise lists no injuries of note. Cleveland lists backup CB Michael Lehan as their only significant injury (hamstring, questionable).

The weather at 3Com Park is expected to be sunny in the afternoon, with a high of 82F and a low of 58F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. That is just about ideal weather for a football game.

The 49ers have a potent aerial assault, and the Browns are hard to evaluate, given they have faced only one test in this phase (which they passed week 1). We give the nod to the home-team in this matchup.

Tampa Bay's Passing Game vs. The Atlanta Defense (Good Matchup)

Tampa Bay had a tough outing vs. the Carolina Panthers last week, but Brad Johnson overcame a groin injury to play a good game - 34/61 for 339 yards, with 1 TD and 1 Int. However, he lost Joe Jurevicius for 4-6 weeks during the game, which is a big blow to the passing attack. Keenan McCardell was 5/35/1 TD in the game, Keyshawn Johnson snagged 9 balls for 102 yards but no score. 9 players caught passes, and 7 of them had multiple catches, so Johnson is utilizing a lot of weapons in this phase of the game.

Atlanta's secondary has been gutted by injuries, and the mounting toll showed in their loss vs. Washington. Starting CB Tyrone Williams injured his neck in the game, reserve DB Allen Rossum injured his thigh, starting FS Kevin McAdam injured his thigh (he was in for the injured Keion Carpenter), last week's starting FS Keion Carpenter did not play due to an injured hamstring, starting SS Cory Hall did not play due to his injured knee, and reserve DB Tod McBride did not play due to his injured thumb - all are questionable this week. Only 5 of the Falcons' 11 DB's are uninjured at this point. Anyway, the Falcons were exploited by the Redskins, who threw for 356 yards and 2 scores on the day. Over the first two weeks, the Falcons are 29th in the league allowing an average of 282 passing yards per game and 3 touchdowns, so far.

Tampa lists Jurevicius as out. Johnson is probable to play despite the groin strain.

This game is being played in the Georgia Dome, so weather isn't a factor.

The advantage goes to the Bucs, despite the loss of Jurevicius. The Falcons are very banged up at this point in the season.

Washington's Passing Game vs. The New York Giants' Defense (Good Matchup)

Patrick Ramsey looked tough, resilient and pretty darn good against the Falcons in a see-saw battle last week. He persevered through some tough stretches to end up with 25/39 for 356 yards, 2 TD's and 0 Int. That was the top fantasy performance of the week by a QB. Laveranues Coles (11/180/1) and Rod Gardner (9/118/1) both topped 100 yards receiving, and had long catches of 33 and 35 yards, respectively. It was a great day for Redskins' owners in Fantasy Football.

The Giants' secondary was embarrassed by the Cowboys. Quincy "Mad Bomber" Carter tore them up for 321 yards on 25 completions (40 attempts), although he didn't manage to throw a TD. Terry Glenn, Antonio Bryant and Joey Galloway all caught balls for 20+ yards, so the Giants were vulnerable to the long ball in this game. This season, the Giants rank 31st in the NFL, allowing a whopping 305.5 passing yards per game on average, although they have surrendered only 1 passing score. FS Omar Stoutmire led the losing effort in the secondary with 6 solo tackles and 3 assists.

Ramsey (shoulder) was limited in practice Wednesday from throwing long so keep an eye on that. Laveranues Coles (neck) is probable to play despite getting dinged up in the game vs. Atlanta. TE Zeron Flemister is questionable (ankle), and reserve WR Taylor Jacobs (abdomen) is out. CB Ray Green is probable to play with a pulled hamstring.

Washington's Fed-Ex Field expects partly cloudy weather with a high of 76F and a low of 61F, with a 10% chance of rain. Sounds like perfect football weather.

Ramsey can throw the long ball when healthy, and he's tough enough to absorb a few sacks - this looks like a game where the Redskins' strength (long balls) finds a chink in the Giants' armor - but remember their 6 sack game vs. St. Louis. Keep an eye on Ramsey's shoulder this week though and see what he's able to do in practice. The Redskins' scheme seems vulnerable to QB sacks. It will be a fun game to watch, with the Redskins enjoying an edge at home.

Houston's Passing Game vs. The Kansas City Defense (Neutral Matchup)

David Carr woke up from his dream of decent pass protection in week 2, when the Saints sacked him 5 times and pressured him all day long. The results were predictable, 17/36 for 213 yards, 0 TD's and 2 Int. (although he did get a rushing score on 4/14 worth of carries). For the season, Carr is 14th in the NFL as a fantasy signal caller, with 34 completions for 479 yards and 1 score, with 2 Int. - if he gets time in the pocket, he can do some good things with the ball.

Unfortunately for Carr, the improved KC defense features pass-rushing menace Vonnie Holliday (6 solo tackles and 3 sacks so far in 2003) and some good LB's (Shawn Barber and Mike Maslowski spring to mind), so he isn't likely to enjoy a quiet day in the pocket this week. For the season, the Chiefs are 27th in the NFL, allowing 244 passing yards per game on average, with 3 pass TD's allowed - most of the yards were coughed up to Tommy Maddox last week, but they also intercepted him 3 times.

Kansas City is dealing with a rash of injuries right now - starting S Greg Wesley hurt his right knee on Sunday (probable), and Holliday has a rib contusion (probable). Starting CB William Bartee is slow to come back from an ankle injury (doubtful), and reserve DB Julian Battle missed the game due to a back injury (questionable). Houston's unit is enjoying relative good health this season, with only starting LG Milford Brown on the injury report (knee, questionable).

Reliant Stadium expects partly sunny conditions at game time, with a high of 84F and a low of 63F, with a 10% chance of rain. Weather shouldn't be a factor in the game (and if it were going to be, the Texans would close their retractable-roof).

Carr and company may get opportunities to make things happen - if the OL holds up on Sunday. The Chiefs will come after him, and have the personnel to generate pass pressure --- this looks like an even matchup, with the Chiefs trying to sack Carr and Carr trying to hit quick routes against the suspect Chiefs' secondary.

Kansas City's Passing Game vs. The Houston Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Kansas City had a tough game against Pittsburgh, who blanketed Tony Gonzalez (2/8/0) and intercepted Trent Green twice while holding him to 15/21 for 125 yards and 1 TD. This season, Green is the 23rd ranked fantasy quarterback with 36 completions for 407 yards, with 2 scores and 3 interceptions. Gonzalez is a disappointing 36th among all TE's, with 4/26/0 - his injured knee is robbing him of explosiveness and separation right now. Eddie Kennison (4/43) and Johnnie Morton (4/44) were the top receivers last week - hardly the stuff of fantasy football legend.

Houston, meanwhile, came back down to earth in New Orleans, losing 31-10. Aaron Brooks picked apart the secondary for 18/27 for 189 yards, 2 TD's and 0 Int. On the season, the Texans are the 15th ranked pass D, allowing 198.5 yards per game on average, and 5 passing scores so far in 2003. FS Matt Stevens led the secondary with 4 solo tackles on Sunday.

Houston's backup DB Travares Tillman missed the game on Sunday with his injured arm. KC is still waiting on Gonzalez to fully heal, but otherwise are in good shape.

Reliant Stadium expects partly sunny conditions at game time, with a high of 84F and a low of 63F, with a 10% chance of rain. Weather shouldn't be a factor in the game (and if it were going to be, the Texans would close their retractable-roof).

Two mediocre units clash in this matchup, and neither is clearly better than the other. This team is all about Priest Holmes rushing the ball and assuming he's good to go, Sunday, that likely won't change.

Miami's Passing Game vs. The Buffalo Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Jay Fiedler and the Dolphins rebounded from the embarrassing week 1 defeat to lambaste their division rivals, the Jets, last weekend. Fiedler was an efficient 14/19 for 190 with 1 TD and 0 Int., and added 5/35/1 on the ground. Chris Chambers continues to be target #1, with 4/91/0, but TE Randy McMichael picked up the score, going 3/21/1. Fiedler is the 3rd ranked fantasy QB so far in 2003, with 31/51 for 417 yards, 4 TD's and 2 Int. and 8/37/1 rushing on top.

Buffalo is a defense transformed, with the addition of FA's Takeo Spikes and Lawyer Milloy. This year, they are the 8th ranked pass defense in the NFL, allowing only 163 passing yards per game on average, and they have surrendered 1 passing TD so far in 2003. That lone passing TD happened in garbage time last week, once Byron Leftwich had been inserted for Mark Brunell. Basically, the Bills are playing tough pass defense, especially their awesome corners Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield.

Both teams come into this one relatively injury-free.

The weather at Pro Player Stadium is expected to be cloudy in the afternoon, with a high of 86F and a low of 76F, and a 50% chance of precipitation - sounds like the field could be sloppy and slow on Sunday.

Two top units lock horns in this game - they sound evenly matched to us.

New England's Passing Game vs. The New York Jets Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Tom Brady feasted on the depleted Eagles' secondary last week, racking up the 2nd best fantasy performance of the week with 30/44 for 255 yards, 3 TD's and 0 Int. (6/7/0 rushing). Deion Branch led the way among his receivers, with 6/89/1 TD - in all, 10 players caught passes in the game, and 8 of them had more than one catch. It was a much improved game over week 1, and helped land Brady at 20th among all fantasy QB's for the season, with 44 completions for 378 yards, with 3 TD's and 4 Int. so far.

The Jets' defense absorbed a huge loss this week when the team found out that LCB Donnie Abraham will be out indefinitely (at least 8 weeks) due to a broken right shoulder suffered in the Miami loss. 8th year pro Ray Mickens is a definite downgrade at this position in the secondary. Up until now, the Jets have been playing tough in this phase, allowing only 189 yards to Jay Fiedler last week and averaging 178 passing yards allowed per game over the first two weeks (2 TD's allowed so far).

Besides Abraham's loss, the Jets are relatively healthy. The Patriots are doing without reserve WR David Givens, who is nursing an injured leg.

The forecast for Gillette Stadium calls for a high of 71F and a low of 51F, under sunny skies with a 10% chance for precipitation. Just about perfect football weather, in other words.

Look for the Patriots to test Mickens now that Abraham is gone. The Jets' defense will need to get better play from its' remaining players if Abraham's absence is to be made up. The loss of Abraham levels the playing field in this matchup of solid units.

New York Giants' Passing Game vs. The Washington Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Kerry Collins had a strong game vs. the Dallas secondary, with most of his production coming in the second half once the Giants' line got the Dallas pass rush under control. He finished the day 21/51 for 265 yards, with 3 TD's and 2 Int. All three of his primary receivers caught touchdowns: Toomer was 7/126/1, Hilliard was 6/85/1, and Jeremy Shockey was 2/8/1 (and dropped an easy TD, as well). So far this year, Collins is the 15th ranked fantasy QB, with 35 completions for 467 yards, 3 TD's and 2 Int.

Washington did a great job against a depleted Falcon's unit last week, limiting Doug Johnson to 16/36 for 197 yards with 2 TD's but also 2 Int. So far, the Redskins are 6th in the NFL allowing 142.5 yards per game on average, and have surrendered 2 passing scores. Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot are as good as they come at the corners, and smothered the Falcon's wideouts on Sunday, for the most part, though reserve WR Jimmy Farris busted a 42 yard TD on the secondary at the very end of the game. SS Ifeanyi Ohalete led the secondary with 4 solo tackles and 1 assist.

Both units come into the game enjoying relatively good health - no injury issues should impact the matchup. Fred Smoot was shaken up in practice today after a collision where briefly lost consciousness. So keep an eye out here.

Washington's Fed-Ex Field expects partly cloudy weather with a high of 76F and a low of 61F, with a 10% chance of rain. Sounds like perfect football weather.

Collins and the Giants have excellent players, but so do the Redskins - this looks like a great battle between evenly matched units.

New York Jets' Passing Game vs. The New England Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Vinny Testaverde proved that he can still light up a football game with aerial pyrotechnics last week - 29/45 for 373 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. allowed Testaverde to join the select 40,000 yard club (a small group of QBs). His resuscitation of the Jets' passing attack benefited Santana Moss (5/142/1), Wayne Chrebet (7/69/0) and Curtis Conway (5/81/0) - maybe the Jets' WR corps won't be a total loss until Pennington gets back, after all. One thing is for sure, the Jets can't seem to run the ball, so if anything positive is going to happen on offense for Herman Edwards the wellspring will have to rise from Testaverde's arm.

New England came back from their week 1 drubbing to frustrate and defeat the Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb went 18/46 for 186 yards, 0 TD's and 2 Int. against the Patriots in perhaps the worst game of his career. Unsurprisingly, with 46 passes in the air, the Patriots were led on defense by RCB Tyrone Poole, with 6 solo tackles on the day. For the season, the Patriots are 13th in the NFL allowing an average of 192 yards passing per game, with only 1 passing TD surrendered so far.

The Jets' current passing unit is in good shape, health-wise. The Patriots' secondary is OK, but LB Ted Johnson is out and new LB Roosevelt Colvin is dealing with a hip injury (out), so the intermediate part of the field may hold promise for the Jets this week. Reserve DB Je'Rod Cherry (leg) is questionable to play, as is reserve CB Asante Samuel (shoulder).

The forecast for Gillette Stadium calls for a high of 71F and a low of 51F, under sunny skies with a 10% chance for precipitation. Just about perfect football weather, in other words.

The up-and-down Jets' passing attack faces a rebounding Patriot's defense in this game - neither one looks like it is dominant compared to the other.

Pittsburgh's Passing Game vs. The Cincinnati Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Tommy Maddox has a hot hand, there can be no question about it. After 2 games he is 4th among all fantasy QB's with 49 completions for 596 yards, 5 TD's and 4 Int. Both of his primary receivers are in the top 10 among fantasy wideouts - Hines Ward is #2 with 18/237/2 and Plaxico Burress is #7 with 13/231/1 - this offense is a fantasy owner's dream, basically. Last week Maddox was a little off, with 28/47 for 336 yards, but only 1 TD and 3 Int. both Ward (9/146/0) and Burress (7/115/1) topped 100 yards receiving.

Cincinnati did a great job containing the Raiders on Sunday, allowing only 103 yards passing to Gannon and basically smothering the wide receivers (Rice, 4/40 while Brown was 1/7). Over the opening weeks, the Bengals are ranked 2nd in the NFL with 106 passing yards per game allowed on average, and 0 passing TD's given up. SS Rogers Beckett led the way in the secondary last week with 3 solo tackles and 3 assists.

Both starting CB's for the Bengals, Artrell Hawkins (neck) and Tory James (leg cramps) were dinged up vs. Oakland but are expected to play as usual this week. There are no injuries of note on the Pittsburgh side of the ball.

Paul Brown Stadium expects partly sunny conditions at game time, with a high of 72F and a low of 55F, with a 10% chance of rain. Weather shouldn't be a factor in the game.

Two top units duke it out in this game - it looks like an exciting and even matchup.

St. Louis' Passing Game vs. The Seattle Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Marc Bulger came in and led the Rams to an OT victory over division-rivals San Francisco. He did so in an efficient if not spectacular manner, with 25/36 for 236 yards, 2 TD's and 0 Int, and showed grit in recovering from a poor start (9 incompletions in the first half, 3 sacks and 2 fumbles lost). His favorite targets were Holt (6/64/1), Bruce (6/63/0) and Dane Looker, the new #3 guy (5/47/1). The OL needs to tighten up and do a better job of pass-blocking, though, or Bulger will get his block knocked off - the Rams QB's are taking too many sacks to date in 2003.

Seattle's defense enjoyed a laugher in the desert, blanking the injury-plagued Cardinals 38-0 and intercepting starter Jeff Blake and backup QB Josh McCown twice each. SS Reggie Tongue grabbed 2 of the interceptions, while RCB Ken Lucas led the team with 8 solo tackles and 1 assist. To date, the Seahawks rank 23rd in the NFL allowing an average of 224.5 passing yards per game, but have only surrendered one passing score.

Seattle's secondary is in good health, while the Rams remain very thin at WR with Shaun McDonald recovering from a thumb injury and Kevin Curtis healing up a broken leg.

Seattle's Seahawk Stadium expects partly cloudy weather with a high of 72F and a low of 52F, with a 10% chance of rain. Sounds like perfect football weather.

Seattle has a respectable pass defense from a yardage standpoint and they're extremely tough when it comes to yielding points. Bulger and the Rams have fine starting personnel (if no depth right now). Holt and Bruce are a challenge for any defense to cover, but home field advantage helps even the scales. We'll call it a neutral matchup.

Seattle's Passing Game vs. The St. Louis Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Seattle's passing game is a story of two lineups. When Koren Robinson is allowed to play, instead of holding his helmet on the sidelines, the Seahawks have a deadly 1-2 punch between Robinson and Darrell Jackson. However, when Mike Holmgren has a fit of pique and leaves his potential Pro-Bowl receiver on the sidelines without telling anybody outside of his coaching staff that he is going to bench Robinson, then the receiving corps is much reduced in fantasy value, at least for Robinson owners. He looks to be good to go for this week though.

Anyway, Darrell Jackson owners were happy last week, as he led fantasy receivers with 3/133/2 in the Robinson-less passing attack. Hasselbeck has been solid all year, with 20 completions for 312 yards and 4 TD's with 0 Int. in the early going. A powerful ground game with Shaun Alexander grinding out yardage has limited Hasselbeck's need to throw a ton, but he is still racking up fantasy points, (he's the 8th best fantasy QB as of today).

St. Louis managed to hold off the 49ers last week, barely, but gave up 19/35 for 222 yards, 2 TD's, with 1 Int. to Jeff Garcia in so doing. On the season, the Rams' secondary ranks 20th in the NFL allowing an average of 214.5 passing yards per game, with 2 pass TD's allowed. FS Aeneas Williams led the secondary with 6 solo tackles in the game, while Adam Archuleta helped out in coverage a lot and was generally disruptive to the 49ers attack.

Seattle's receiving corps is in good health, especially Robinson who got to "rest" last week. St. Louis is waiting on Jason Sehorn to heal up, but otherwise their secondary is in good shape.

Seattle's Seahawk Stadium expects partly cloudy weather with a high of 72F and a low of 52F, with a 10% chance of rain. Sounds like perfect football weather.

As long as Robinson doesn't get chastised again this week, it looks like the Seahawks and the Rams have a very competitive game ahead of them, with neither side clearly dominant over the other.

Tennessee's Passing Game vs. The New Orleans Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Tennessee may have shot themselves in the foot by releasing backup QB Neil O'Donnell as regular season approached, because Steve McNair dislocated the ring finger on his throwing hand last week and didn't look too good passing the ball after the injury. The Titans say that they will hold him out of practice this week to let his finger and his tweaked knee heal up - but how effective McNair can be remains to be seen. Also, TE Frank Wycheck is still suffering from the after-effects of his 11th concussion, and isn't likely to play. The pre-eminent receiver on this team is Derrick Mason, with 20 receptions for 197 yards and 1 TD so far in 2003. TE Erron Kinney, filling in for Wycheck, has done a nice job with 8 snags for 70 yards in 2 games.

New Orleans' defense is really, really banged up coming into this game - and it should hurt their pass defense in significant ways. First off, the DL is shattered: starting DE Darren Howard is out indefinitely with a dislocated wrist; starting LDT Jonathan Sullivan had a knee scoped and is out 2-3 weeks, meaning half the DL starters are out of commission. Backup DT Henry Ford has a tweaked ankle (probable). Starting OLB Sedrick Hodge injured his right knee last week and is gone for 10-12 weeks - generating a pass rush among the remaining players on the front seven may be a problem. Backup LB Cie Grant is doubtful with a knee injury. Secondly, starting S Mel Mitchell has already been lost for the season, and now starting LCB Dale Carter is sidelined for a month due to a fractured right eye-socket that required surgery to repair. Carter was a big presence on the corner that was helping to elevate the secondary's performance in 2003. Over the first two weeks of the season, the Saints were the 7th ranked pass defense in the league, allowing only 151 yards per game on average (with 2 passing TD's given up so far).

Tennessee's starting OG Benji Olsen injured his right knee last week, and is questionable to play on Sunday. As we saw above, injuries are a significant factor in this matchup.

The forecast for the Coliseum calls for a high of 80F and a low of 56F with a 10% chance of rain. It should be a beautiful day to play football.

If McNair can play effectively on Sunday, then the Saint's own injury woes will even out with Tennessee's problems. If Billy Volek ends up under center, it could be a very long game for Tennessee fans and fantasy football owners with Titans on their roster. Keep a close eye on McNair's status as the game approaches, and remember that the Titans' injury report always tends to report guys as "questionable", even if they aren't likely to play - so don't rely heavily on that metric in this case. Right now, we are calling this matchup neutral, but things could change drastically by Sunday.

Arizona's Passing Game vs. The Green Bay Defense (Tough Matchup)

Arizona's starting QB Jeff Blake couldn't play for half of the game last week due to a heel injury, but that problem is apparently behind him because he isn't on the first official injury report of the week. That's good news for the Cards, who suffered through a humiliating 38-0 defeat with Blake on the sidelines last week. So far this year, Blake is the 18th ranked fantasy QB, with 35 completions for 408 yards, 3 TD's and 3 Int. His favorite target is rookie Anquan Boldin (8/62 in week 2), but fellow rookie Bryant Johnson emerged as a threat last week, too (7/68). One concern is that none of the receivers caught a pass for more than 15 yards last week vs. Seattle as they were contained neatly by the Seahawk secondary.

Green Bay, meanwhile, vented their week 1 frustrations on Detroit by thrashing the Lions 31 - 6. Harrington had 3 interceptions and 0 TD's on the way to a 26/55 for 241 yard performance. On the season, the Packers are 17th in the NFL allowing an average of 210 passing yards per game, with 3 scores surrendered through the air so far. FS Darren Sharper overcame his sore groin and led the secondary with 3 solo tackles and 2 assists last week.

WR Kevin Kasper is questionable due to his back injury, while former starters Larry Foster (ankle) and Brian Gilmore (knee) are questionable to play. Darren Sharper is probable to play despite the groin injury.

Sun Devil Stadium expects sunny skies, with a high of 103F and a low of 78F, and a 10% chance of evening showers. This game kicks off at 4:05 PM ET (1:05 Local Time), so this game will be played out in the full blast-furnace heat of the desert. Conditioning and hydration will be a major issue for both teams in those conditions.

The Cardinals have some young WRs with talent in their lineup, but inexperience and a lack of depth will take its toll in the desert heat. Look for the Packers to contain the Cardinals and limit their success on Sunday.

Cincinnati's Passing Game vs. The Pittsburgh Defense (Tough Matchup)

Jon Kitna came back from a poor opening week performance to play fairly well against the Oakland Raiders, 25/41 for 303 yards, with 1 TD and 2 Int. Chad Johnson remains "the man" in Cincy, with 8/131/0, but Peter Warrick is also coming on strong (8/109/1 on the day). Kitna has a nice 1-2 punch going with these guys heading into week 3.

Pittsburgh played KC tough in this phase, blanketing Tony Gonzalez (2/8/0) and intercepting Trent Green twice while holding him to 15/21 for 125 yards and 1 TD. For the season, they are averaging 133.5 passing yards allowed per game, 5th in the NFL, and have surrendered only 2 passing scores. RCB Dewayne Washington led the secondary and the team with 9 solo tackles and 1 assist for the day.

S Mike Logan left the game last week with a bruised thigh, but expects to start for the Steelers on Sunday. The Bengal's starting unit is in fine health.

Paul Brown Stadium expects partly sunny conditions at game time, with a high of 72F and a low of 55F, with a 10% chance of rain. Weather shouldn't be a factor in the game.

The emerging Bengals' attack faces a top-tier secondary in this one. Expect a hard-fought game with yardage and scores tough to come by in this phase of the game.

Detroit's Passing Game vs. The Minnesota Defense (Tough Matchup)

Joey Harrington had a rough game last week - he threw a ton of passes - 55 - but only completed 26 of those attempts for 241 yards, with 0 TD's and 3 Ints. The 29 incomplete passes were not pretty balls, either, generally off-target or easily deflected by the Packer's DB's. Schroeder and Rogers both added to Harrington's misery by dropping a lot of passes (Schroeder was targeted 9 times and caught 3/42, while Rogers saw 10 targets and only snagged 4/38). TE Mikhail Ricks was so bad (2/14 receiving on 6 targets) that he ended up on the bench and may have lost his starting job. On the young season, Harrington is the 11th ranked fantasy scorer at QB, with 43 completions for 436 yards, 4 TD's and 3 Ints.

Minnesota is playing pretty tough pass defense in the early going, allowing a 12th-ranked
185 yards per game on average. They have only coughed up 2 passing TDs so far in 2003. Last week, against lowly Chicago, the Vikings allowed only 128 passing yards and 1 thrown TD, with 1 Int. RCB Brian Williams led the secondary with 5 solo tackles and 1 sack.

Backup WR Az-Zahir Hakim missed last week's game due to an injured knee, but early indications are that he will be available to play this week (questionable on the injury report). S Jack Brewer is out for the Vikings; S Corey Chavous is probable (knee).

This game is being played in Ford Field, a Dome, so weather is not a factor.

The Lions' passing attack is on a see-saw so far this year, looking good week 1 and pretty bad week 2. The Viking's pass defense, on the other hand, is playing consistently solid football. This matchup looks like a tough challenge for youngsters Harrington and Rogers.

Oakland's Passing Game vs. The Denver Defense (Tough Matchup)

It looks like Jerry Porter was more important to this offense than some thought. Gannon, Rice and Brown have looked terrible in his absence, and nobody is doing much of anything, statistics-wise, in this attack. Gannon is the 21st ranked fantasy QB through 2 weeks, with 37/66 for 367 yards, 2 TD and 0 Int. (Quincy Carter is 40/72 for 589 yards, 1 TD and 2 Int. in the same period). Tim Brown is the 46th ranked WR with 6/71/1, while Jerry Rice is 8/83/0 (62nd). To say that the Raiders are struggling is a gross understatement, considering the talent on this roster.

Denver's secondary is solidly mediocre so far this year, allowing an average 212.5 passing yards per game, with 2 passing scores. Last week, vs. San Diego, they allowed 182 yards and 1 TD, with 1 Int. to the overmatched Chargers. RCB Deltha O'Neal led the secondary with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist.

Denver's unit is injury-free heading into this one, while the Raiders are down Porter, but no-one else.

The weather at Mile High Stadium is expected to be sunny all day, with a high of 76F and a low of 50F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. It should be a very fine evening to play a game of football.

Neither unit is playing very well coming into the game. With Denver getting a big boost from home-field advantage, we'll give the Broncos a slight edge in this one.

Cleveland's Passing Game vs. The San Francisco Defense (Bad Matchup)

The Ravens sacked Kelly Holcomb 3 times last week, Ed Reed intercepted 2 passes, one of which was returned for a TD, and held Cleveland to 147 yards passing. On the day, Holcomb was 17/37 for 147 with 1 TD and 2 Int. - hardly a scintillating performance. Kevin Johnson (6/34/1) and Dennis Northcutt (5/62/0) led the team in the loss. Northcutt is the leading Browns' receiver through 2 weeks, with 10/119/0, while Quincy Morgan has 3/32/0.

San Francisco played a great half of a game vs. the Rams (forcing 9 incompletions, with 3 sacks and 2 fumbles recovered), only to watch Bulger come back with 15/17 in the second half for 1 TD and 0 turnovers. For the season, they have allowed 131 yards passing per game on average (4th in the NFL), and 3 passing scores so far. FS Zack Bronson led the secondary with 7 solo tackles in the OT loss.

Backup DB Rashad Holman (groin) is questionable to go, and CB Jason Webster remains sidelined by his bum knee. LB Julian Peterson (who led the team in tackles last week) is probable to pay with a sore groin. Cleveland's receiving corps is good to go heading into the game.

The weather at 3Com Park is expected to be sunny in the afternoon, with of 82F and a low of 58F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. That is just about ideal weather for a football game.

Cleveland's offense is sputtering in general, and the 49ers play tough pass defense. It looks like another tough day is in store for Kelly Holcomb and company.

Jacksonville's Passing Game vs. The Indianapolis Defense (Bad Matchup)

After an auspicious start against the Panthers, the Jaguar's passing attack regressed to mediocrity week 2 (Brunell was 13/32 for 122 with 0 TD's and 0 Int. before getting yanked late for Byron Leftwich (7/8 for 92 yards and 1 TD with 0 Int.)). J.J. Stokes was a non-factor (1-7 with only 3 looks from Brunell) and Matthew Hatchette couldn't get away from Winfield or Clements (2-12 on 7 targets). Jimmy Smith, where are you? Smith has 2 weeks left on his suspension, by the way.

Indianapolis looked very stout in this phase last week as they throttled the Titans - they allowed only 183 yards passing and snagged an interception on the way to a 33-6 victory. RCB Nick Harper (4 solo tackles) and FS Idrees Bashir (3 solo, 1 assist) led the secondary on Sunday. This season, the Colts have averaged only 182.5 passing yards allowed per game, and have surrendered only 1 passing TD so far.

Backup DB Donald Strickland is struggling to return to the field due to his injured groin (doubtful) and CB Joseph Jefferson is out (pelvis). Jacksonville lost KR/WR Jermaine Lewis for the season with a blown knee this week - he was contributing about 10-15 downs on offense as well has his KR duties this year, and had 4 receptions for 100 yards and 1 TD so far in 2003 - he will be missed by Brunell and Leftwich, whose WR cupboard is just about bare of talent at this point.

This game is being played in the RCA Dome, so weather is not a factor.

Jacksonville just doesn't have the talent at WR to match up to the young and talented Colt's secondary. The problems will be a huge barrier for whichever QB is under center.

San Diego's Passing Game vs. The Baltimore Defense (Bad Matchup)

San Diego's Drew Brees is being visited by Ray Lewis and company at a time when his #1 WR David Boston is struggling with a heel injury (questionable), his #2 WR Reche Caldwell is out (wrist), starting TE Stephen Alexander is questionable due to a groin injury, and #2 TE Josh Norman is out due to a bad hamstring. Welcome to the spotlight, Eric Parker and Tim Dwight. Parker is actually answering the bell, and was the 14th best WR in week 2, with 5/59/1 (Dwight went 2/19/0). In fact, over two weeks, Parker is the 15th fantasy receiver in the land, with 7/102/2 - grab him if you need WR help on your squad.

The Ravens sacked Kelly Holcomb 3 times last week, Ed Reed intercepted 2 passes, one of which was returned for a TD, and held Cleveland to 147 yards passing. Ray Lewis was all over the field with 9 solo tackles as the Browns were completely dominated. For the season, Baltimore is the 11th ranked pass D in the NFL, allowing an average of 183 yards per game and 4 TD passes in 2 games. It was a nice rebound from their abysmal week 1 effort vs. Pittsburgh.

Reserve DB Gerome Sapp is doubtful to play due to a knee injury, while backup CB Alvin Porter is nursing a sore groin (questionable). San Diego's injury problems are documented above.

The weather at Qualcomm Stadium is expected to be sunny in the afternoon, with a high of 79F and a low of 67F, and a 10% chance of precipitation. That is just about ideal weather for a football game.

Brees and company face an uphill battle against the surging Ravens this week.

Atlanta's Passing Game vs. The Tampa Bay Defense (Bad Matchup)

The loss of #2 WR Brian Finneran was keenly felt last Sunday, as new #2 Quentin McCord failed to have a measurable impact and the Redskins felt free to double-cover Peerless Price all day long (2/28/0). The most potent weapons the Falcons have right now are TE Alge Crumpler (4/54/1) and their pass catching backs Warrick Dunn (5/24/0) and FB Justin Griffith (2/25/0). Doug Johnson is doing the best he can with who is on the field (16/36 for 197 yards with 2 TD's and 2 Int.) but there is only so much he can do.

Tampa continues to dominate in the passing phase of their games. They have allowed 0 passing TD's thus far in the season, and average only 105.5 passing yards allowed per game. Jake Delhomme was 9/26 for 96 yards, 0 TD and 2 Int. last week against the Buccaneers. SS John Lynch led the way last week with 7 solo tackles and 4 assists.

Neither team has new injuries of note coming into this game, but as highlighted above the lack of Finneran is a problem for the Falcons.

This game is being played in the Georgia Dome, so weather isn't a factor.

This is a brutal matchup for the injury-ravaged Falcons.