I want to start this weeks column by apologizing for the bone head comment from last week about the Sean Taylor suspension being a game day surprise. Apparently I was the only one in the world who missed that piece of news on Friday and Saturday. Not to make excuses but I had a personal emergency that kept me out of touch for a couple of days late in the week. I thought I had backtracked and caught everything but obviously I didn't. Adding insult to the embarrassment, I had started Taylor last week and lost an important game by what amounted to 2 tackles while Adrian Wilson was on my bench... It certainly doesn't look good for an "expert" to miss something that big but we all make mistakes. Reality bites everyone once in a while.  

San Francisco 49'ers
The Niners continue to struggle through injuries but should get a little relief this week with the return of DE Andre Carter. He actually played against the Seahawks but only saw about 15 snaps. It was basically his opportunity to test his bad back. Carter came out of the game with no setbacks and should see his role increase in week 10. He could even start and play full time. All the injuries have pushed John Engelberger into an every down role. San Francisco has a string of games down the stretch in which they face several of the leagues worst pass blocking clubs including the Dolphins, Rams and Bills. If your in a position to gamble a little take a shot on Carter. If he can come back healthy he can be a factor for your playoff run. Coming in at this point with fresh legs will be a big plus for him.  

Houston Texans
I can't confirm this yet but I believe I saw Kailee Wong lineup at ILB on a couple of plays against Denver on Sunday. Remember back in the preseason Wong saw a little action on the inside with the official coach speak being that they were simply preparing for all situations and would likely move Wong inside if Foreman or Sharper were injured. What they didn't point out at the time is that Foreman is a free agent after the season and they may let him go, move Wong inside and promote Antwan Peek to the starting OLB job... Earlier in the season Glenn Earl took over the starting SS job from Eric Brown though it was never clearly stated if he had won the job or if he was just filling in while Brown was injured. Earl soon went down himself and both sat out for a while. Brown returned to action last week and started while Earl was remained sidelined. Week 9 was the first time both were healthy since very early in the season. Brown was listed as the official starter but didn't show up in the stats while Earl seemed to be playing whenever I looked. There is no report of Brown being injured and I know the coaching staff was very high on Earl heading into the season. I can't confirm it but it sure looks like there is a new starter at SS in Houston. Earl produced well in his earlier stint and would probably be worth picking up, especially for dynasty owners.  

Chicago Bears
When I put Alex Brown on the sleepers list last week I never dreamed he would explode for 4 sacks against the Giants. The big game has made him a very hot pickup this week but I suggest you don't over react here. Keep in mind that Brown had just 1 sack through week 8 and he won't get to lineup against the Giants again this season. In fact the rest of the schedule is going to be tough for Bears pass rushers. They will face 5 teams that have allowed 16 or fewer sacks including the Colts and Packers who are tied for the league best having allowed just 5 each. To Brown's credit he is also putting up excellent tackle numbers for a DE averaging 5-1 over the past 4 weeks... The Bears got a boost with the return of Adewale Ogunleye who started and played nearly full time without any setbacks... The Bears safeties have quietly been having a very strong run. Mike Green is currently in the top 15 among DB's with 42 tackles and has chipped in 5 takeaways along the way as well. Meanwhile Todd Johnson is coming on strong with 38 solo stops despite not starting until week 3. Only once in his 6 starts has he failed to record at least 6 solo tackles.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were happy to finally have Kendrell Bell back on the field against the Eagles. He didn't start but did see a lot of action particularly early in the game. He suffered no setbacks and should see his role increase this week. Bell is a major fantasy threat when healthy but has a tendency to heal slowly. I wouldn't get too excited about him until we see him play full time and be effective. He looked rusty against Philly and didn't seem to be flying around the field as he does when he's 100%.   

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay spent a first round pick on Dewayne White last year but until recently he had given them absolutely no return on their investment. That may be changing at last. White has seen a slightly increased role recently and has recorded a sack in each of the last two games. He is expected to have an even bigger role this week as he will play some tackle in relief of Anthony McFarland who is fighting a triceps injury. The Bucks are coming on and White is finally contributing. Dynasty owners in particular should take note... Apparently the talk in fantasy circles of Derrick Brook declining skills was a little premature. His numbers had declined over the past 3 years when the Buck D was at its peak but now that they are struggling a little Brooks is back at his familiar place as the leagues tackle leader with 61 solo's. The only thing he has yet to regain is his knack for making big plays. Through 8 games Brooks has 1 pick no recoveries and no sacks.

Carolina Panthers
As if things weren't bad enough for the Panthers right now they continue to suffer injuries to their already understaffed defense. Backup safety Travares Tillman was placed on IR this week which is only significant because Mike Minter may miss week 10 with a knee injury. Chris Gamble played through injury last week which is good because nickel corner Artrell Hawkins couldn't go and probably won't go again this week. Kris Jenkins is already on IR and now his backup Kendall Morehead is in danger of missing time with a shoulder injury. MLB Dan Morgan is practicing with the team this week but isn't taking any contact and remains questionable for week 10 with a concussion. There is a little good news though, at least Mark Fields is finally back in action and should be able to go full time this week. Vinney Ciurcui is likely to make a second start in place of Morgan but the only guys left worthy of any fantasy consideration are Will Witherspoon and Julius Peppers. Spooney usually steps up when Morgan is out (7-2-0 with a pick in week 9), and Peppers is currently tied for the lead among defensive linemen with 32 solo tackles. Strangely enough Mike Rucker is still looking for his first sack of the season after several years of hitting double digits.   

Miami Dolphins
I didn't get to watch enough of this game to confirm exactly what role Eddie Moore was playing but according to reports the Dolphins have moved Morlon Greenwood to weak side in place of Seau with Moore coming in at strong. Arizona opened in a 3 receiver set so the game book reflects Miami having their nickel package on the field as starters. What we do learn from this is that for what its worth Greenwood will now takeover Seau's nickel duties.   

New York Giants
Obviously the big news out of Giants camp is the injury to Michael Strahan which was magnified by loosing Keith Washington as well. Both guys are done for the season leaving an already thin Giants line in even worse shape. Osi Umenyiora was seeing significant playing time even before the injuries and now becomes an every down player. DT Lance Legree is the projected starter at the other end at least for now. The club activated Lorenzo Bromell from the PUP list and hope to have him available in a week or two. Obviously this is going tohave a huge impact on the rest of the unit as well. The offense self destructed against Chicago and I have to wonder if this turn of events will be enough to push the Giants over the edge. I expect Kevin Lewis and Gibril Wilson to really step up the production the rest of the way... One bit of good news for Giants fans, they should get Barrett Green back for week 10. Once he's healthy he'll resume his starting role but may have to come off the bench this week.  

St. Louis Rams
Bryce Fisher was the official starter at DE against New England on Sunday but from what I could tell while flipping back and forth through the games Anthony Hargrove saw a significant amount of playing time and seemed to be on the field a lot more that Fisher. It didn't translate into much in the box score in week 9 but the coaching staff remains very high on Hargrove. He should continue to see a lot of action and could capture the job if Fisher doesn't start showing some consistency... When Trev Faulk was promoted to the starting MLB job my initial reaction was that Mike Martz was trying to motivate him (it worked for Polley) but after watching him play for a while I'm not sure Robert Thomas is going to win his job back very easily. Faulk is a classic overachiever who is doing a fine job as the Rams MLB and may hold onto the job for a while. The only concern I have about his fantasy potential is that he leaves the field when opponents bring on a third receiver which will limit his opportunities against clubs who use a lot of 3 receiver sets.  

New England Patriots
With the injury to Ty Law there was speculation that Eugene Wilson would shift back to his original position at corner but the Pats nixed that plan and went with Randall Gay at corner instead. Gay did a solid job against the Rams so Wilson stays at FS and continues to quietly be very productive... It doesn't have much fantasy impact but as a note, Keith Traylor replaced Vince Wilfork as the starter at NT against St. Louis.

Indianapolis Colts
As if things weren't bad enough for the Colts struggling defense, they just can't seem to keep any of their DB's healthy. Corner Nick Harper returned from his shoulder injury Monday only to tweak the injury against Minnesota. He is likely to be listed as questionable again this week. Even if he plays he won't be 100% and the chances of his getting knocked out of the game are high. Don't start him unless your desperate... There has been no official word on the status of Mike Doss for week 10 but the initial word last week was that his groin injury was fairly serious and he could miss a few weeks. I have noticed that people have been slow to move on Bob Sanders in a few of my leagues. Don't be; especially if your in a dynasty league. Groin injuries linger so Doss could very well fight this the remainder of the season. Besides we have already seen Sanders lead the club in tackles 2 weeks in a row. Dynasty owners keep in mind that Sanders is expected to challenge Bashir for a starting job next year. A battle he is very likely to win. 

New York Jets
Many fantasy owners have been sitting on Sam Cowart and wondering what the heck is going on. Two weeks in a row now he's been supposed to play only to end up on the inactive list at the last moment. This can be explained in 2 words, Jonathan Vilma. The rookie has been sensational and the coaching staff has the luxury of allowing Cowart to sit until he is completely healthy. He'll be listed as probable again in week 10 but we know by now not to believe it until we see him on the field with a helmet on Sunday... The Jets have to be loosing patience with injury prone FS Jon McGraw. The guy is a big talent who makes things happen when he plays but seems to go from one injury to another. After his huge outing in week 8 he was on the top of a lot of pickup lists this week only to be sidelined by an abdominal injury. He is expected to be listed as questionable for week 10 and likely will sit.   

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings got a bit of a scare Monday night when E.J. Henderson was bent backwards and tweaked the same knee that he sprained earlier in the season. Henderson was out for a series having the knee checked out but returned to finish the game. Apparently it was no big deal but we need to keep an eye on the situation later in the week just in case he gets sore after the fact... Injury prone Raonall Smith missed yet another game. This time with a concussion. This guy has a ton of ability but has missed more game with injury than he has played in his short career. Dontarrious Thomas filled in at WLB against the Colts but I don't know that I would count on him starting again this week. Smith may be available and the club expects Chris Claiborne to make a go of it as well. If everyone is available Smith will likely get the start but even that's not a sure thing... DT Kevin Williams is quickly becoming an outstanding fantasy option. Last year and even early this season Williams tackle numbers were average at best but he really come on in that area. His 11 solo's over the past 2 weeks raises hit total to 24 on the season which has him tied for 12th in the league among DL and his 5 sacks it best among defensive tackles.  

Philadelphia Eagles
There were some unexpected names that showed up big in the Eagles week 9 box score. Maybe the most significant being Ike Reese who came in with a solid 6-1-0. I didn't get to see much of this game but would have to assume by the box score that Reese replaced the conspicuously absent Nate Wayne at WLB in the game. Though the game book shows Wayne as the starter he failed to make a tackle in the game. So far there is no report of an injury which leads me to wonder if the coaching staff has demoted Wayne. They weren't particularly pleased with his play last season and he's done little to change their opinions so far this season. If indeed this is the case, Reese might make a solid addition for depth in large leagues... Sam Rayburn came in with a strong 2 sack performance but at least we know why on this one. Corey Simon suffered a calf injury early in the game and Rayburn saw extensive action in relief. Simon's status is unknown for week 10 at this point but Rayburn may be out after being involved in an auto accident and requiring stitches in his head... As anticipated Jeremiah Trotter saw a lot of action against Pittsburgh but don't read too much into it. He's simply a bigger more physical guy than Mark Simoneau and was a better match up against the Steelers big back attack. 

Cleveland Browns
Chris Crocker was promoted to starting FS heading into the teams bye week. While his first start didn't produce huge numbers, its certainly noteworthy that he did lead the Browns in tackles with 6 on the day. He'll never be Rodney Harrison but for should continue to be productive and would probably make a decent third starter... Ebenezer Ekuban has officially beaten the wrap of first round bust. After being a complete flop with the Cowboys he has quietly emerged as the Browns best defensive lineman. His 23 tackles tanks 18th among linemen and he has put up 5 sacks in the past 7 games. He has yet to turn in that breakout game that will get him noticed and is sliding under the radar in a couple of leagues I am in (whish I had room). You might want to check your waiver wire and see if he's available. 

Arizona Cardinals
No defense has been as hard to get a read on as the Cardinals who seem to be putting their linebackers names in a hat and drawing for positions. Once again James Darling followed an excellent week 8 outing by pitching a goose egg in week 9. I learned my lesson with him early this year when he followed good weeks 1 & 2 with a zero in week 3, then a 6-2-0 in week 4 followed by a zero in week 5. You simply can't count on him from week to week. Maybe the strangest note from this week box score is the lack of production by any LB. Granted it was the Dolphins but Miami managed to establish a running game in this one with 27 carries for 146 by their backs. Yet somehow Arizona LB's combined to go only 7-0-1. Even more strange, the starting trio went just 1-0-1 all by SLB Carlos Dansby. According to the game book Darling got the start at WLB with Ray Thompson making his first ever start at MLB but it looks like McKinnon saw most of the action in the middle with Gerald Hayes on the weak side. The moral of this story is simple, stay away from Arizona linebackers.       

Detroit Lions
The lack of playing time for DE Kalimba Edwards is a complete mystery to me. The guy has talent but can't seem to put together enough consistency to break the starting lineup. One tell tale fact is that tackle Shaun Rogers actually played end on a few snaps against Washington on Sunday while Edwards saw limited action. Speaking of Rogers, the big man has quietly become a very good fantasy option. His 26 solo's is 9th best among defensive linemen and his 4.5 sacks is second only to Kevin Williams among tackles... Teddy Lehman owners are smarting from last weeks whopping 1-1-0 but don't discouraged. this was simply a fluke caused by the offensive nature of the Skins. Washington did run the ball 40 times but between the blocking scheme and Clinton Portis's cut back running style, Lehman was either left on the wrong side of the play or with a guard/fullback in his face all day. Dynasty owners who are suffering through Lehman's mediocre production need to be patient. Sooner or later Boss Bailey will be back and Lehman will loose the ball and chain that is the SLB position.   

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals MLB position has been a revolving door this year after the injury to Nate Webster. For the most part rookies Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson have shared the duties but Kevin Hardy has seen some work at the position as well. Miller is generally considered the more talented of the two youngsters. He's a bigger hitter and is easily the most physical but has cost himself some playing time by being too aggressive and making mental mistakes. Against Dallas Miller was active and actually started the game (though the game book relates otherwise) but aggravated the ankle injury that has hampered him all year and was unable to continue. Those of you looking for that last bye week fill in might want to consider Johnson this week as Miller will be listed as questionable thus Johnson should play full time. This will be an interesting situation to watch in the future. Will Webster recover fully by next season? Will Miller grow into a more disciplined player or will Johnson hit the weight room in the off season and become more physical? One thing is for sure, the position has a lot of fantasy potential... Marvin Lewis is just full of surprises this year, especially when it comes to the safety positions. Kim Herring was inactive again in week 9 as he continues to fight nagging injuries so everyone expected Madieu Williams to make another start. What no one expected was that Rogers Beckett would return and replace Kevin Kaesviharn at SS. At this point with all the switching and swapping its hard to call just who the starters really are. Williams has certainly been impressive enough to deserve one of the jobs but after he played behind Kaesviharn for a couple of weeks we sure can't count on it. Beckett made it through the game healthy and Herring will be listed as probable this week so at this point starting any of the Bengals safeties is a game of Russian roulette... With Tony Williams on IR and Carl Powell out last week Langston Moore got the call at tackle. The interesting point here is that rookie DE Robert Geathers split time with him and posted his first career sack. The coaching staff really likes Geathers and fully expect him to be a factor for them in the near future.      

New Orleans Saints
Orlando Ruff got another start at MLB in week 9 and had another strong fantasy game with a 7-2-0 but don't count on his production run continuing. Ruff is replacing an injured Courtney Watson who is expected to return to practice this week and possibly play on Sunday. Ruff is a decent backup but is not a threat to replace a healthy Watson on a permanent basis... Has anyone else noticed that Darren Howard is healing a lot faster this year than he has in the past? Wonder how much that has to do with Will Smith being on the roster? Darren "don't call me Wally Pip" Howard wasn't listed as the starter on Sunday but he seemed to get the majority of the action at the position.    

Seattle Seahawks
The news of note on Seattle amounts to an injury report. Grant Wistrom is likely to sit at least one more week with his sprained knee. He hasn't practiced but is improving. The team hopes to have him back by week 11 or 12. Meanwhile Antonio Cochran has done a solid job filling in. He recorded 9 tackles a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery over the past 3 games and might be worthy as a short term fill in... Ken Lucas spent Sunday night in a San Francisco hospital with a severely bruised chest and isn't expected to play in week 10. He'll be replaced by Bobby Taylor or Chris Richard. If Richard gets the call expect him to be targeted often by opposing offenses as he comes in will very little game experience. 

Oakland Raiders
Hand it to the Raiders defensive coaches for being very creative in their defensive schemes from week to week but it would sure be nice if they would settle on something so we could get an idea of what to expect from their players. After playing a 3-4 base D in week 8 they opened week 9 in a 4-3 with Napoleon Harris at WLB. However they didn't stay in a "normal" 4-3 very much bringing in DB Jarrod Cooper to play a similar role to the one Marques Anderson has played a time or two which is basically what I call an "Adam Archuleta". Cooper lined up as more like a linebacker than DB and his speed created problems for the blocking scheme. Both Cooper and rookie DL Tommy Kelly saw extensive playing time in the game and managed to make an impact with each landing a sack. Don't expect either of these guys to start showing up in the box score regularly though. Danny Clark was able to shake off his injury and make the start but Tim Johnson spelled him often enough to lead the club with 6 tackles on the day. Clark should be close to 100% this week so we probably won't see much of Johnson either.   

Kansas City Chiefs
There were several interesting notes to come out of the Chiefs week 9 game at Tampa Bay. The one with the most fantasy impact is the knee injury suffered by Shawn Barber. He's been ruled out for week 10 and there is speculation he could end up on IR soon. This leaves an already thin LB corps even weaker. Kawika Mitchell has played well in the middle replacing Monte Beisel who is expected to return to practice this week. The question for now is who will replace Barber? Quentin Caver is the listed backup and would be my guess. There are some speculating that Beisel might move over if/when he is healthy but to the best of my knowledge (without doing a bunch of research) Beisel has never played outside as a pro. Its a situation to watch and could produce a decent waiver pickup once it all pans out... FS Jerome Woods suffered some sort of injury in the week 9 game though as of Tuesday evening no one seems to know what it was. He was replaced by Shaunard Harts who would make a nice pickup if he should inherit a full time role... Both Vonnie Holliday and John Browning were healthy for Sunday's contest but strangely neither was in the starting lineup. Not sure what is up here but rookie Jared Allen got the start. Maybe we are seeing a changing of the guard here. Allen has been playing well and has recorded 4 sacks in his last 5 games. Unfortunately he has yet to put up more than 2 tackles in any game. He's a player to keep an eye on.    

Washington Redskins
The Skins were excited to get Phillip Daniels back for the game against the Lions but their excitement was very short lived. Daniels suffered a setback to his injured groin. The re-injury isn't as serious as first thought but Daniels is now expected to be out at least a couple more games... The Skins off season addition of Cornelius Griffin is paying off big. He has single handedly improved Washington's DL and has become a major fantasy option in the process. Griffin is currently tied with Julius Peppers for the league lead in tackles among defensive linemen with 32. He's also recovered a fumble and tallied 4 sacks on the season which is third among defensive tackles.         

Green Bay Packers
Darren Sharper spent the teams bye week treating his sore knee and trying to make his way back to the field for week 10. He didn't practice Monday and is considered day to day but the club is optimistic that he will be able to go. Sharper has a history of playing through pain and producing well even at less than 100%.     

Until next week, Just Win Baby!

John

John