/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Footballguys.com In-Season News and Notes September 16, 2002 /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ I N T H I S I S S U E 1. Rod Woodson ties NFL record Sunday night 2. Seeing Bledsoe's first win as a Bill: Priceless. 3. Cowboy's Quincy Carter: Which game is really indicative of his development? 4. Dolphin's juggernaut? 5. Props to Kerry Collins: He was the best QB on the field Sunday 6. No Doubt: Brady, Patriots are ready to defend their Championship 7. Flame-out: Jets' offense has no fuel 8. Vinny Testaverde and team-mates describe humiliating loss to Patriots 9. Da' Bears: Winning but looking lame doing it. 10. Raven's defense: surrenders no TD's to Bucs and suffers loss 25-0 anyway?!! 11. The question in Detroit's Limbo: How Low can you Go? 12. Terrible in Tiger Stripes: Bengal's new season same as the old one. 13. The Packers' D: givin' ground, givin' scores, givin' away the game 14. The Browns - no rushing attack in sight for Green. 15. Minnesota's Doug Brien: Goodbye to a troubled Kicker? 16. Steelers' D: Air-Raid sirens are going off in Pittsburgh 17. Atlanta Falcons, a memo: Close only counts in horse-shoes - not football. 18. Texans: Now we know how the new Browns, Jaguars and Panthers felt! 19. Rodney Peete: Like Rodney Dangerfield, he hasn't gotten any respect - yet. 20. Indianapolis: Lost, but scored big fantasy points doing it. 21. IDP alert: Saints win, but at what cost? 22. Jag's Taylor: It only takes one! 23. Buccaneers' "Chucky": Motivational Speech ignites his team 24. Titan's McNair: Tough in loss, but will concussion linger? 25. Thomas Jones: Where have you been hiding THIS running back, Cardinals? 26. Broncos beat St. Louis, San Francisco in back to back weeks! 27. Are the Rams collapsing? 28. Kansas City: This loss is on the offense. 29. San Francisco's offense: Where have all the good times gone? 30. Rich "My arm feels like Jell-O" Gannon powers Raiders to win 31. Eddie George spends night in hospital. 32. Jimmy Kleinsasser out 2-4 weeks 33. Seattle OT Walter Jones signs
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/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Rod Woodson ties NFL record Sunday night Clipped from the AP article posted on newsday.com 9/16/02 "Former Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson, now a safety with the Raiders, tied an NFL record with three fumble recoveries Sunday night in Oakland's 30-17 victory in Pittsburgh�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Congratulations to Rod Woodson on this latest addition to his hall of fame resume. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Seeing Bledsoe's first win as a Bill: Priceless. Clipped from a Jerry Sullivan editorial posted on buffalonews.com 9/16/02. "�Centers remembers this: There was a point in Sunday's overtime win over the Vikings when he looked into Drew Bledsoe's face in the Bills' offensive huddle and realized he had underestimated him. For the first time, he understood what an extraordinary competitor and quarterback the guy really is. "He comes back to the huddle with a staple in his neck," Centers said after the Bills' 45-39 triumph in the Metrodome. "A staple! A piece of metal holding a cut together. His lip is bleeding. I think he got hit and it bent his helmet somehow. But he comes back to the huddle, and he's standing in front of 10 guys, bleeding, with a staple in his neck, and he's calling the plays, saying, "Let's go,' and trying to get everybody else going." Bledsoe got them going, all right. Bloody but unbowed, he came up with the game of his life when his team needed it most. He did something that had seemed impossible when he came to Buffalo in the spring, with fans cheering and bands playing and the hyperbole flying all over town. He outperformed the hype. For one long, unforgettable late-summer afternoon, Bledsoe outdid himself. He came up with the kind of performance that Buffalo fans will be talking about for years to come, the kind of game that puts quarterbacks on busts in Canton. Perhaps most important of all, he had the kind of game that can propel a young, evolving team to bigger and better things�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Drew Bledsoe played an awesome game against the Vikings. Fantasy owners lucky enough to have Bledsoe (35/49 463 yards and 3 td's, 0 int's), Peerless Price (13 for 185 yards and 2 TD's ), or Eric Moulds (8 for 86 yards) should seriously consider moving these players into the "always start" category among your team's players. Rookie receiver Josh Reed (8 for 110 yards and 1 TD) could be a huge free agent acquisition, especially in keeper or dynasty leagues. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Cowboy's Quincy Carter: Which game is really indicative of his development? Clipped from the Randy Galloway column posted on dfw.com 9/16/02. "�Consider that Carter was roasted for his performance in Houston, and that Joey has been regarded as the biggest waste of draft picks and money in franchise history, there was redemption attached to what happened Sunday. But of significance is that Carter, who threw two TD passes, made an initial postgame point of mentioning the touchdown that wasn't. "I got to hit that," he said of a fourth-quarter overthrow to receiver Darnay Scott, running wide open inside the Titans' 5-yard line. In other words, Q was being critical of his own performance. Better him doing it, I guess, than local media and fans. Clearly upset last week with the media's low approval rating of his Houston game, Carter also refused Sunday to rehash any of that, despite several attempts at prompting him. No doubt, however, that Quincy needed a huge upgrade from Houston, and he delivered, buying extended time as the starter under fire�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The answer to the stated question is, unfortunately, we don't yet know whether the Quincy Carter of the Texans game or the Titans game is the "real deal". Hopefully you have other options at QB, but Carter's quirky performances are going to make handling roster decisions about Joey Galloway, Antonio Bryant and Emmitt Smith very frustrating for a few weeks, yet. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Dolphin's juggernaut? Clipped from the Edwin Pope editorial posted on miami.com 9/16/02. "�''Ricky's something,'' Turner said, shaking his head in wonder. ``He's not going to catch as many balls here as he did in New Orleans [28, 44 and 60 the past three seasons], but it's because we have so many guys wearing 80-something who can catch the ball.'' He was talking mainly about Chambers, Oronde Gadsden, Dedric Ward and Randy McMichael. ''And we've got the guy to get it to them in Jay Fiedler,'' Turner said. ``Nine for 11 the first half. Not bad, huh?'' Not bad at all. But another difference is that, except for Gadsden, Ricky is the only receiver who will run right over defenders instead of only trying to run away from them�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The offense is hitting on all eight (ten? twelve?) cylinders in Miami right now. With the struggling Jets and Chiefs the next order of business for Turner and company in the coming two weeks, fantasy owners with Dolphins should enjoy more weeks of outstanding production from their 'Fins. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Props to Kerry Collins: He was the best QB on the field Sunday Clipped from the Filip Bondy article posted on nydailynews.com 9/16/02. "�I felt sharp today. I feel like I threw the ball well and we were doing good things in the passing game," Collins said. "We hung in there tough and were able to get a win against a quality team on the road." His statistics were extraordinary, his command exemplary. Collins completed 22 of 26 passes, or 84.6%, a Giants record for the regular season. He compiled his fifth straight 300-yard game. Most important, Collins showed resolve and resilience under pressure, as the Giants' lead melted to nearly nothing. Collins engineered two scoring drives for key field goals in the fourth quarter. First, he drove 66 yards in 12 plays, including a 21-yard pass to Barber to the Rams' 16. Later, he piloted a drive that gained 72 yards in eight plays, eating up more than four minutes and restoring a five-point lead. "He played outstanding," Jim Fassel said of Collins. "He missed a couple of plays but he really played outstanding." Fassel had suffered, along with everybody else on the Giants sideline, when Collins failed to spot Barber. "He held the ball and he knew he made a mistake on that," the coach said. "But my opinion coming out of the first two games is that I think we can throw the ball on people. We'll have the best passing attack that we've had around here for a while."� [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The Giants made a statement - on turf and in the Dome against the Rams. They are for real, and Collins looks like he'll mount a solid passing attack during the 2002 campaign. Teams with Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, and Ike Hilliard should be smiling wide just thinking about it. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ No Doubt: Brady, Patriots are ready to defend their Championship Clipped from the Ron Borges article posted on boston.com 9/16/02. "�Tom Brady is making a strong case for winning the affection of even the most battle-hardened and skeptical New England football fan, if such a person still exists anywhere from Skowhegan to New Haven. As of this morning, Brady is 16-3 as an NFL starter and two weeks into his second season as a starting quarterback he has completed 54 passes for 563 yards and five touchdowns against what were supposed to be two of the AFC's best defenses. If the first function of a quarterback is to lead his team to victory and the second is to pass with great accuracy and aplomb, Brady has done both about as well as can be expected thus far. It is difficult to maintain such near perfection over a long season (unless your name is Dan Marino), but if Brady can maintain his current pace, he will complete 432 of his 624 throws for 4,504 yards and 40 touchdowns and his team will finish 16-0. This would leave the '72 Dolphins in danger of not hosting their annual celebration as the last undefeated team in the league. It is a long way from 2-0 to 16-0, of course, but at the moment, the Patriots are as perfect as a team can be�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Pay attention, fantasy football fans - 2002 may be the most extraordinary run by an under-rated team in the past twenty years. If you were smart enough to draft Brady, go ahead, "Pats" yourself on the back. With the weak Chief's D next up on the chopping block, don't hesitate to start Brady or the Patriot's D week 3. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Flame-out: Jets' offense has no fuel Clipped from the Rich Cimini article posted on nydailynews.com 9/16/02. "�Consider these hard-to-digest numbers: In two games, Curtis Martin has only 11 rushing yards. The Jets' leading rusher remains QB Vinny Testaverde, who had a 24-yard scramble in the season opener. The Jets already have allowed eight sacks, a startling total when considering they yielded only 19 last season. The Jets, with two new starters on the line (LG J.P. Machado and RT Kareem McKenzie), are having big-time problems. Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who was criticized last season for being too conservative, had opened up the attack, but yesterday the Jets completed only three passes to wide receivers. Explaining Martin's slow start, Hackett said, "Curtis Martin will run the ball fine. I don't think that will be a problem." Martin, in six quarters, has only eight carries. He missed the second half of the Buffalo game because of a sprained ankle. "They kept the ball and took us off the field," he said of the Patriots. "Before we knew it, we were trying to play catch-up. When you're in that situation, those type of things happen."�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] When your best player (Curtis Martin) has a total of 11 yards in two games, your team is in trouble. So much for all that talk about the "genius of Paul Hackett" during the pre-season. With Miami up next, the misery will not end soon for the grounded Jets. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Vinny Testaverde and team-mates describe humiliating loss to Patriots Clipped from the Mark Cannizzaro article posted on nypost.com 9/16/02. "�"It's horrible," Curtis Martin said. "It's pathetic. More than humbling, this was embarrassing. It was very disappointing, because that's not us." Jets' safety Nick Ferguson called it "pretty shocking to take a loss like this." "How does it feel? It feels lousy," Vinny Testaverde said. "Shell-shocked? No. Maybe a little bit embarrassed. Let me just say this: It's definitely a wake-up call."� The Jets were out-played, out-coached, out-hustled, out-everythinged yesterday by the Patriots, who've now won 11 consecutive games dating back to last season. "Battles are won before they're fought," Patriots' coach Bill Belichick said afterward, perhaps referring to how dramatically he and his staff outwitted the Jets' coaches. The loss was the Jets' worst since a 47-10 shellacking they were handed by the Oakland Raiders in 1995, when they were coached by Rich Kotite� [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Think long and hard before you start any Jets week 3 against the Dolphins. They look as bad as they say they looked - maybe even worse. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Da' Bears: Winning but looking lame doing it. Clipped from the John Mullin article posted on chicagosports.chicagotribune.com 9/16/02. "�They made more mistakes than quality plays at several critical points Sunday yet escaped with a 14-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons (0-2) before a crowd of 68,081 in the Georgia Dome� "When we hit the middle of our schedule," guard Chris Villarrial said, shaking his head, "we'd better not play like this." The Bears had their chances to put away a team that dominated them early, then gradually slumped under a game plan that players privately said was too complicated. Among their missed opportunities:Paul Edinger hit the right upright with a 50-yard field goal try at the end of the first possession of the second half.Dez White bobbled away a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.Thomas fumbled when he was stripped of the ball at the Atlanta 16 in the third quarter.Miller threw an interception after the Bears took possession at their 40 in the first quarter.The Bears failed to convert a third-and-1 situation at their 35 with 2:31 to play, allowing the Falcons to get the ball back and eventually attempt a game-winning field goal. "A win is a win and there'll be a handful that are ugly," said Miller, who completed 12-of-24 passes for 143 yards but reinjured his ankle and was limping after the game�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The Bears are winning, but they aren't doing it convincingly and they aren't doing it with the kinds of numbers that lead to fantasy football championships. Anthony Thomas had to scratch and claw for his 88 yards rushing against a team that Green Bay shredded on the ground in week 1. None of the Bear's receivers went over 50 yards in the game, against a secondary lacking their best player (Ray Buchanan, out for 4 weeks due to NFL suspension). Miller's bad ankle just keeps getting worse. A very tough Saint's squad will be a huge obstacle for good fantasy production in week 3, as well. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Raven's defense: surrenders no TD's to Bucs and suffers loss 25-0 anyway?!! Clipped from the Edward Lee article posted on sunspot.net 9/16/02. "�Although it didn't allow a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive player to cross the goal line, the Ravens' defense wasn't kicking off a fiesta in the locker room after yesterday's humbling 25-0 loss in the home opener at Ravens Stadium� The Ravens, who are 0-2 for only the second time in their seven-season history in Baltimore, have given up just 35 points in two contests. The last time they gave up fewer points in back-to-back games and still lost both was during their Super Bowl run in 2000, when they dropped a 14-6 game to the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 22 and a 9-6 decision to the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week. Ravens coach Brian Billick described yesterday's setback as "a pretty thorough [butt]-whipping in every phase of the game. We'll take positives where we can. The defense not giving up a touchdown is a positive thing." [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Well, teams with IDP'ers Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware are getting good production. Remember, Baltimore is on bye week 3, so don't count on them for anything this week, though. Chris Redman, Jamal Lewis and Travis Taylor are fantasy tragedies so far this season. Maybe they'll pull the offense together during the bye week. But with Ray Rhodes and the Denver D coming to town week 4, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ The question in Detroit's Limbo: How Low can you Go? Clipped from the Curt Sylvester article posted on freep.com 9/16/02. "After the dismal display the Lions put on Sunday, there is no telling how bad they can be. And this time they had no excuse. The Lions weren't playing the Miami Dolphins -- a potential Super Bowl contender -- this week. Nor were they playing the San Francisco 49ers or the New England Patriots. They were facing the Carolina Panthers, a team that won only once in 16 games last season. But on this rainy afternoon on a soggy turf, the Panthers handled the Lions like it was child's play in a 31-7 victory before 50,349 at Ericsson Stadium� Mornhinweg, who was terse all last week after the 49-21 loss to Miami in the season opener, had even less to say Sunday. "We played poorly in all three phases," he said. "We couldn't rush the passer, our offense was horrible, we had trouble completing basic passes. It was still close at halftime and then we did absolutely nothing. "We've got a lot of work to do, men. A lot of work to do." Mornhinweg juggled his two young quarterbacks -- Mike McMahon and rookie Joey Harrington -- in and out of the game, trying to get something going, but the result was predictable: 12 completions in 30 attempts, six sacks, no touchdowns and two interceptions�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] What words describe the fantasy angle on the debacle in Detroit? Abysmal, horrendous, wretched, hopelessly bad - these come close, but even they aren't really strong enough. Bury any Lions you may have deep on your roster until further notice. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Terrible in Tiger Stripes: Bengal's new season same as the old one. Clipped from the Ben Daugherty editorial on bengals.enquirer.com 9/16/02. "�High hopes have given way to Bengal-ness. It's only taken two weeks. The alternate version of what occurred Sunday goes something like this: The Bengals couldn't score for 54 minutes on a team that gave up 40 points last week. The Bengals needed to give Corey Dillon the ball 30 times. Cleveland couldn't stop him. He got it 22 times. The Browns couldn't run or stop the run. They had 12 penalties. They started a backup quarterback. They didn't have their best defensive player (Jamir Miller) or their best defensive lineman (Courtney Brown). They started a patched-up offensive line that was musical chairs all week. They had the game won after three quarters. Other than into Jay Leno's monologue, I'm not sure where the Bengals go from here�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Oreos and a glass of milk, franks and beans, ham and cheese, the Bengals and losses - the classic combos never change. At least Corey Dillon awoke from the comatose state of week one and posted good yardage-league numbers (108 yards rushing, 67 yards receiving). Avoid their receivers like the plague right now, though. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ The Packers' D: givin' ground, givin' scores, givin' away the game Clipped from the Rob Demovsky article posted on packersnews.com. "�This week, in the more difficult environment of the Louisiana Superdome, the Packers' defense struggled again, making survival impossible. Despite a myriad of blitzes designed to pressure New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks, the Packers again were gouged on the ground and unable to confuse a young quarterback. Like Atlanta's Michael Vick did last week, Brooks and the Saints seemed to make all the right calls in a 35-20 victory over the Packers on Sunday. "We came off the preseason, and everybody was saying how good we were going to be," Packers safety Darren Sharper said. "Honestly, we're not as good as we think we are." That optimism stemmed from the offseason acquisitions of defensive end Joe Johnson, the former Saints Pro Bowler, and linebacker Hardy Nickerson. Neither has made his presence felt in the first two weeks. "Hopefully, this was a wake-up call for our defense," defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "It was for me."� [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] If you have the Packer's defensive team on your fantasy football squad, it is time to bench them and find another alternative until they prove they have overcome these early-season woes. If they do overcome them. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ The Browns - no rushing attack in sight for Green. Clipped from the Tony Grossi article posted on cleveland.com 9/16/02. "�With virtually no running game to help him - the Browns averaged 2.8 yards a rush - Holcomb was able to execute enough plays behind a makeshift line to keep the Bengals playing catch-up. He put both touchdowns on the board in the second quarter with rain falling harder by the minute. One was a 15-yard pass to rookie Andre Davis, who appeared to push off Artrell Hawkins as if he'd been doing it for years. Holcomb put the ball where only Davis could get it. The other, set up by Lang's interception, was on another slant to Johnson, who picked it off his left hip skipping into the end zone�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Holcomb and the Brown's receivers are doing their jobs - but the offensive line and the rushing attack are laying down on the job. This week, William Green was lousy again, with 17 rushes for 36 yards (2.1 average) and no scores or receptions. Jamel White, on the other hand, went 8 rushes for 38 yards (4.8 average) and 3 receptions for 42 yards (14 yard average). If I were depending on William Green as one of my running backs in 2002, I'd be very worried. How much longer will Davis and company be able to ignore the obvious fact that White is flat-out outplaying Green? /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Minnesota's Doug Brien: Goodbye to a troubled Kicker? Clipped from the Kent Youngblood story posted on startribune.com 9/16/02. "�Brien, the Vikings placekicker Sunday, appears to have played his final game with the Vikings. In an overtime loss to Buffalo in the home opener, he missed a 44-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half. Worse, he missed two extra points -- both pulled left -- in the second half. All he could do after that was wait for a shot at redemption that never came. Afterward, Vikings coach coach Mike Tice was searching for the right words, too. "You can't miss PATs in this league, and we missed two PATs. And that shouldn't happen to anybody regardless. . . . I am just kind of at a loss for words," he said. A team source said after the game that Brien, who survived a kick-off at the end of the preseason, likely won't survive this�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] If you need a good kicker, pay attention to who the Vikings bring in. The team is putting up points in bunches, so Brien's replacement should have lots of opportunities to score. [[[[[[[[[[ Our View ]]]]]]]]]] Look for team to bring in Gary Anderson for field goals. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Steelers' D: Air-Raid sirens are going off in Pittsburgh Clipped from the Mike Prisuta column on pittsburghlive.com. "�the Raiders, who managed to either bleed the Steelers to death or strike quickly often enough to improve to 2-0 and provide another example of how the 0-2 Steelers should be attacked� But unlike the Patriots, the Raiders maintained the threat of a running game. And the Raiders used it to make the Steelers pay on a draw to Charlie Garner into a blitz that resulted in a 36-yard touchdown, a shovel pass to Terry Kirby on third-and-15 from the Oakland 5 that went for 24 yards (and kept alive what became a 90-yard touchdown drive), and a shovel pass to Garner that resulted in a 34 yard gain. Still, the Steelers got better defensively as the game wore on, which is an encouraging development they can build on from 0-2. And they might be better still on defense when they resume play in two weeks against Cleveland, particularly if the offense can start holding up its end and torturing opponents with a passing game that has thus far badly underachieved�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The Steelers didn't look very good Sunday night, but they didn't roll over and die in this one, either. Miscues and turn-overs were the death-knell of their roster this time, despite the impressive 403 yard passing performance of Rich Gannon. Remember, they have a soft schedule after the first part of the season, and should look better as the weeks go by. At least, those fantasy squads with the Plaxico Burress, Jerome Bettis, and Kordell Stewart devoutly hope that this will be so� On thing is for sure, they won't help your fantasy squad week 3 - the Steelers are on an early bye. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Atlanta Falcons, a memo: Close only counts in horse-shoes - not football. Clipped from the Furman Bisher article posted on ajc.com 9/16/02. "�There are stretches when Michael (Call Me Mike) Vick leaves the opposing defenders in a state of perplexity. Take the word of Brian Urlacher, another Bears linebacker in the mold of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Larry Morris and that ilk. "He has got to be the hardest guy to tackle in the NFL right now," he said, just two full pro seasons out of New Mexico U. This is the same Urlacher who drew a bead on Vick and nailed him on a 16-yard sack late in the fourth quarter when the Falcons were trying to muscle up for one last punch. As a matter of fact, they made it within the last two minutes on the wings of another of Vick's streaks. Within a yard of a first down at the Bears' 28 and two pops at it, the 180-pound Warrick Dunn came up short on one thrust at all those Chicago Clydesdales, then Vick himself was ruled short on a sneak. By this time, there was considerable consternation among the jury in the press box as to the whereabouts of the 254-pound T.J. Duckett, who was drafted for just such dray-horse duty. There he was, standing on the sideline, flexing his body, waiting for the call that never came. Duckett had carried the ball five times for 32 yards in the first half, then disappeared from the screen�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Mike Vick is a great talent that is learning his NFL craft in on-the-job training. He looks fantastic in portions of the game, but then average at other times. He's not a fantasy stud yet, as the statistics from this game show (17 for 28, 166 yards and 1 td, 0 int's and ten rushes for 56 yards and a fumble). Warrick Dunn is getting his shots (3 td's in 2 games) but may start sharing more time with Duckett - although Dan Reeves doesn't seem inclined to utilize Duckett much, no matter how the media screams about it. Alge Crumpler had a solid game, with 3 catches for 28 yards on key downs. The really good news here is that the defense looked much better week 2, only giving up 88 yards to Anthony Thomas on the ground and generally playing much stronger in all phases of the game. With Cincinnati coming to town, Vick and Dunn should notch their first victory and look strong doing it week 3. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Texans: Now we know how the new Browns, Jaguars and Panthers felt! Clipped from the Joseph Duarte column on chron.com 9/16/02. "David Carr feels his offensive line's pain. For the time being, the expansion Texans are without their two starting tackles, their top backup and have two rookies starting on a patchwork offensive line besieged by injuries. The small detail has not been lost on the Texans' first two regular-season opponents, Dallas and San Diego, which have devised defensive strategies to exploit what has been the team's biggest weakness. The Chargers romped through the Texans' offensive line like a raging bull Sunday afternoon, knocking Carr to the ground for nine sacks in a 24-3 victory at Qualcomm Stadium� Asked if he could take the weekly abuse from opposing defenses, Carr replied, "I'll just get in an ice bucket with a snorkle and come back the next week." [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] That last comment from Carr is indicative of just how bad the line played on Sunday. With Tony Dungy's Colts (up next, hard hitting LB's Mike Peterson and Marcus Washington) Carr should lay in a large supply of Ben-Gay. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Rodney Peete: Like Rodney Dangerfield, he hasn't gotten any respect - yet. Clipped from the John Delong article posted on journalnow.com 9/16/02. "�Critics can spout a thousand reasons why Peete should be carrying a clipboard or looking for a new house in a retirement community these days. But Peete is 2-0 as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback - and all things considered, that's not too bad. The 36-year-old journeyman got the last laugh again yesterday afternoon, leading the Panthers to a 31-7 victory against the Detroit Lions before a crowd of 50,349 at Ericsson Stadium. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown, compiling a quarterback rating of 107.6 for the game, with his second straight turnover-free performance. It further vindicated the Panthers' coaching staff for benching Chris Weinke and giving Peete the job before last week's 10-7 season-opening win against Baltimore, and it was even more special to him because it came against one of his former teams. Beyond that, it gave the Panthers a firm foundation to build on for the rest of the season�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] I was one of the critics, I'll admit. And these wins have come against the Ravens and the Lions, hardly "complete" teams (the Ravens have no offense, the Lions don't have anything). But, Rodney Peete has shaken off the rust and actually thrown the ball well. Muhsin Muhammed's fantasy stock is rising in my book, and matchups against the pass-vulnerable Minnesota and Green Bay defenses the next two weeks don't look as daunting as they did two weeks ago. Carolina could (shh!) sneak out of September 3-1, with some quality fantasy football performances coming from the likes of Lamar Smith, Muhsin Muhammed, and Wesley Walls. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Indianapolis: Lost, but scored big fantasy points doing it. Clipped from the Paul Kravitz article posted on indystar.com 9/16/02. "Once again, the numbers will look all gaudy and impressive, the Colts offense rolling up and down the field like Air Coryell for the new millennium. And once again, the numbers will mean as much as a financial statement prepared by Arthur Andersen. I think it was Vince Lombardi, or maybe Abe Gibron, who once said it: "There are lies, damned lies and statistics." Forget the eye-popping numbers, unless, of course, you have these guys in a fantasy league, and are thus in desperate need of a life. Four times, the Colts were inside the Miami 12-yard line. Four trips yielded six whole points. End of story. End of game�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison are doing just fine, thank you very much. Those of us out here in fantasy-football leagues are fine-and-dandy with big numbers in losing efforts. Those of us with large enough intellects to understand the intricacies of fantasy football are having a ball enjoying all the NFL games we watch, unlike certain crabby columnists in the "real" world. Who needs a life? /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ IDP alert: Saints win, but at what cost? Clipped from the Brian Allee Walsh column on nola.com 9/16/02. "Sunday's 35-20 victory against the Green Bay Packers did not come without a price for the Saints. Rookie cornerback Keyuo Craver, special teams standout Fred McAfee and right defensive end Darren Howard suffered injuries. Craver has a slight tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, McAfee tore his right hamstring and Howard sprained his left shoulder�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] If you were thinking about activating Keyuo Craver off your rookie squad, think again. The MRI is scheduled for today. McAfee is a big part of the Saint's D/ST, so remember that if your league has a ST position. Howard's injury is not considered serious. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Jag's Taylor: It only takes one! Clipped from the Bart Hubbuch article posted on jacksonville.com 9/16/02. "�The speedy but oft-injured running back wasn't the only one shaking off cobwebs as he sprinted 63 yards untouched for the decisive touchdown in the Jaguars' 23-16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. Long scoring runs are a Taylor trademark, but his teammates hadn't enjoyed the sight of one since he sprinted 90 yards against Miami in the playoffs on Jan.15, 2000. That is a span of 18 games.. "It was nice," Taylor said of his jaunt down the left sideline yesterday with 3:09 left and the Jaguars clinging to a 16-9 lead. "I had to make sure I got to the end zone first [before celebrating], because I hadn't been there in a long time." Taylor's scoring run was unexpected because the Chiefs had kept him firmly in check for much of the game. Until the touchdown, he had mustered just 37 yards on 15 carries. But Taylor's teammates weren't shocked. Just consider them pleasantly surprised. "It makes you feel good to see when the running back pops through there like that," said offensive tackle Maurice Williams, who along with tight end Kyle Brady was credited with the block that sprung Taylor�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] As I have been saying all year long, the poor offensive line in Jacksonville is limiting Taylor's chances to shine - but does he ever make the most of what few breaks they are able to provide. Also credit Mark Brunell, Patrick Johnson and Jimmy Smith with solid performances in the win. The Jags are fighting hard this season� Don't count on any of them to help you week 3, though. The Jaguars are on an early bye. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Buccaneers' "Chucky": Motivational Speech ignites his team Clipped from the Jim Brockman article posted on bradenton.com 9/16/02. "�Gruden was at his most Grudenesque on Saturday night in a fiery speech he delivered to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Waterfront Marriott, the team hotel in downtown Baltimore. The Bucs didn't dare lose to the Baltimore Ravens and fall to 0-2. Not on Gruden's watch. "He had this Knute Rockne thing going," said Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who at 62 has heard a few pregame speeches over the years. "It was unbelievable. He was awesome. He challenged us to come out and get it done." Actually, Gruden was more specific than that. "It was a mind-set message to come out and kick some butt," Bucs safety John Lynch said. "Jon was on fire. Last night was one of the best motivational speeches I ever heard. "I was so pumped up to compete, I couldn't sleep last night. It was evident in the way we played. We did go out and kick some butt. "He told us to play to win, not to play to not lose. Everyone pitched in." [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Now, if only he can get the offensive team to respond with better efforts. No td's makes for lean fantasy football pickings among the Buc's offensive stars� /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Titan's McNair: Tough in loss, but will concussion linger? Clipped from the Jeff Legwold article posted on tennessean.com 9/16/02. "�if yesterday's game is any indication, McNair's flirtation with good health this season will be a short one. He left yesterday's game in the second quarter after a scramble to escape the ever-increasing rush resulted in a collision with two equipment trunks behind the Dallas bench. He returned to play the entire second half, however. Beyond the sacks, McNair wasn't allowed to consistently set his feet in the pocket. On Coakley's interception, Cowboys safety Darren Woodson beat Titans tight end Frank Wycheck on a blitz and hit McNair's arm. On the Titans' second-to-last play of the game, a Cowboys defender was around McNair's feet as he threw a pass to Kevin Dyson, who had gotten behind the defense. The ball was underthrown. ''I just couldn't get anything on it,'' McNair said. ''You need your legs to make a throw.'' The Titans are now 7-16 in games where McNair has been sacked three or more times, including 3-5 the past two seasons. ''Steve's a warrior and he fights through a lot of things,'' running back Eddie George said. ''But we just have to protect him better." [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Eddie George summed it up. If the Titan's don't give McNair adequate protection, it's going to be a long season in Tennessee. Pay attention to how much McNair practices this week - concussions tend to linger and cause problems beyond the obvious game-day consequences. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Thomas Jones: Where have you been hiding THIS running back, Cardinals? Clipped from the Kent Somers article posted on azcentral.com 9/16/02. "To win, you must run the ball and stop the run - it's been a football truism since the first ball was stuffed. The Cardinals did both against Seattle, gaining 249 yards rushing and holding the Seahawks to 81. The result? A 24-13 victory in the first game in the realigned NFC West and the first in Seahawks Stadium, played before 63,104 fans. "How about that running game?" a giddy coach Dave McGinnis said as he ran off the field. Thomas Jones did most of the damage, gaining 173 yards on 24 carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter. It was the first time in nearly two years, a span of 28 games, that the Cardinals had a 100-yard rusher. And it was the first 100-yard game ever for Jones�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] I don't mean to rain on Jones' and the Cardinals parade, but this performance against a soft Seattle rushing defense was probably equal parts Cardinals dominance and Seahawks ineptitude. Kudos to Jones for finally rushing for more than 100 yards in a game, but he'll actually convince me he's for real if he can go over 100 yards against the Chargers and the Giants, the Cardinal's opponents in weeks 3 and 4. We'll see, but this one is only an aberration, not a trend - so far. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Broncos beat St. Louis, San Francisco in back to back weeks! Clipped from the Adam Schefter article posted on denverpost.com 9/16/02. "�This is what happens when the Broncos bully the San Francisco 49ers for a 24-14 victory one week after they silenced St. Louis 23-16. Back-to-back Sundays produce back-to-back wins that represent the Broncos' loudest statements since their back-to-back world championships� The Broncos are now playing powerball. Only their version of powerball features: * A three-dimensional backfield that combined Sunday to rush for 201 yards, including a game-high 95 from fullback Mike Anderson. * A reliable quarterback who threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns, compiled a 124.7 passer rating and played the efficient way his father did for the Miami Dolphins. * A dominant defense that limited a potent San Francisco attack on par with St. Louis' to one meaningful touchdown. * And a daydreaming team thinking of possibilities that once seemed more improbable than the 2-0 start these Broncos carry into Sunday's game against the 1-1 Buffalo Bills�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] The problem with the Denver offense from a fantasy standpoint is that: The 201 yards rushing were shared out among 3 backs, 2 wide receivers and the quarterback; Griese's efficient 119 yards aren't much to brag on points-wise in yardage leagues; and the receivers all shared the ball to the tune of no-one getting more than 52 yards (Shannon Sharpe) and the duo of Smith/McCaffrey "racking up" 22 and 11 yards apiece (0 td's), respectively. The Broncos are beginning to look like a great NFL team with a ton of poor-to-mediocre fantasy football players. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Are the Rams collapsing? Clipped from the Bernie Miklasz editorial on stltoday.com 9/16/02. "�because the 2002 St. Louis Rams remind me of Foreman after Zaire. Last season, with New England coach Bill Belichick using his own Rope-a-Dope strategy on Rams coach Mike Martz, the underdog Patriots KO'd the seemingly invincible Rams in a startling Super Bowl upset. The Rams can claim otherwise, but they lost more than a game that night. They also lost their drive to compete, their hunger to be the best. The Rams collapsed hard on the turf of the Lousiana Superdome on Feb. 3, and they still haven't shaken off the humiliation. And like the post-Zaire Foreman, the Rams are taking a long time to recover. In losing 26-21 to the New York Giants in Sunday's home opener, the Rams failed to generate the required energy to match the vigor and vitriol of a charged-up opponent. The Giants led 17-7 at the half, and the Rams made a go of it after that but couldn't pull out a save. Once again the Rams were lackluster at the start of a game. "We came out flat," defensive end Grant Wistrom said. "I think that's obvious. We have to come out in the beginning, ready to play, something we haven't done in the first two games." Counting the preseason, the Rams (0-2) have lost seven consecutive games. Bad habits can be difficult to break. And the Rams are in a rut in several areas: * The offense formerly known as the "Greatest Show on Earth" has scored 54 points in the last 12 quarters of real football. That's 18 points a game; the Rams used to drop 18 on a defense in a good quarter. Most of the time, the Rams are short-circuiting themselves with mistakes. They talk about how they need to clean up, smooth the offense, correct their timing, etc. Isn't what the preseason is for?�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] I think a lot of really legitimate points are brought out in this column. Why can't the Rams score more than 20 points or so in a game over the last seven? They have all the fire-power in the world. But, they just aren't utilizing it. Torry Holt catches lots of passes, but where are the td's? Ditto Isaac Bruce. Heck, the latest loss was on turf, in the Dome, where they are supposedly so explosive. It may not be time to panic, yet, but if they lose a third straight due to poor play, lack of offensive production and etc. at Tampa next Monday, it WILL be time to panic. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Kansas City: This loss is on the offense. Clipped from the Jason Whitlock column on kansascity.com 9/16/02. "� Kansas City's defense didn't lose Sunday's game. In fact, KC's defense looked remarkably improved from a week ago, when Kelly Holcomb, Quincy Morgan and Kevin Johnson carved it up for 39 points. Nope. Responsibility for this loss falls at the headset of offensive coordinator Al Saunders and, of course, head coach Dick Vermeil's favorite quarterback, Tr-INT Green. Everybody knows what the Chiefs have to do to win this season. There has been no false advertisement. The Chiefs have a horrible defense and a complicated defensive strategy that accentuates the sad state of their personnel. Kansas City, which spent the off-season ramping up Tr-INT's supporting cast, needs to score four touchdowns each week to have a chance at winning. Period. One touchdown and three Morten Andersen field goals each week will carry the Chiefs to a 2-12 season and the draft rights to Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich. It certainly won't win many games unless Detroit is added to the AFC West. There's no excuse for the Chiefs allowing Jacksonville to shut down their offense. You could argue that the Jags' starting defense is as bad as Kansas City's. They can't pressure a quarterback. They replaced veteran linebackers Kevin Hardy and Hardy Nickerson with Wali Rainer and Akin Ayodele (who?)�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] Guess what? This week, the Chiefs play the Patriots in Gillette Stadium. Think that Belichick's Patriots can provide the Chiefs with an excuse for having their offense shut down week 3? /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ San Francisco's offense: Where have all the good times gone? Clipped from the Ira Miller column posted on sfgate.com 9/16/02. "THE OFFENSE that once was the envy of the NFL turned into a cliche of itself on Sunday. The 49ers had no running, no passing, no imagination, no aggressiveness and no chance. This was the West Coast offense at its worst. Bad and boring. Given three extra days to prepare for their home opener against the Broncos, the 49ers' stunk it up. They never challenged Denver. Steve Mariucci let the Broncos sit back in their two-deep zone without threatening them deep, without forcing them to adjust by running successfully, without ever once trying to change the tempo of the game by doing something different or unusual� Their offensive approach looked like something a team might use in late December in Buffalo, with the wind howling and the snow blowing, making it impossible to stretch the field. It did not look like something they would need in perfect, late-summer conditions at home. And it's not as if the two-deep zone, in which the safeties each cover half the field, is some revolutionary concept. It's in every team's defensive playbook, and many teams, like the Giants last week and the Broncos on Sunday, use it as their basic defense. One way to beat it is by running the ball effectively so the defense can't drop linebackers to help in pass coverage. But the 49ers could not run effectively. Until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, after the game was decided, they ran the ball on nearly half of their 1st-and-10 plays. But those nine runs averaged 2 yards apiece�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] A tough review of a poor game on the 49'ers part. Considering that the intimidating Washington Redskin defense comes calling this week, coach Mariucci better come up with a solution for their offensive woes quickly, or they'll be staring at 1-2 going into their bye week 4. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Rich "My arm feels like Jell-O" Gannon powers Raiders to win Clipped from the Alan Robinson AP article posted on bayarea.com 9/16/02. "�Rich Gannon broke nearly every major single-game Raiders passing record, even those from the early days of the AFL, by throwing 64 times and Oakland's defense forced five turnovers as the Raiders beat the reeling Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 on Sunday night� Coach Bill Callahan insisted all week the Raiders (2 (0)- wouldn't do as the Patriots did Monday by using a no-huddle offense, emptying the backfield and throwing on nearly every down. Then they did exactly that, throwing a remarkable 41 times just in the first half, including 30 of their first 32 plays. The turnaround was remarkable for a team that both ran and passed for more than 200 yards in easily beating Seattle last week. "The plan going in was to throw - it always was and it always has been," Callahan said. "The players knew that. They knew it prior to the Monday night game. We had to be aggressive and we had to attack." The Steelers also lost five turnovers as former Steelers defensive back Rod Woodson tied an NFL record by recovering three fumbles. They have 11 turnovers during their second 0-2 start in three years�" [[[[[[[[[[ Wimer's View ]]]]]]]]]] What more can one say about a 403 yard performance (in regulation, no OT!)? Magnificent, scintillating, marvelous - Gannon was extraordinary in this game, and Jerry Porter (6/62 yards 1 td; long of 21 yards) looks like the next gleaming weapon in the Raider's passing arsenal. Unfortunately, the Raiders can't help your team this week - they're on bye. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Eddie George Spends Night in Hospital http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0916/1432678.html Clipped from the ESPN story: Tests conducted Monday on the left foot of Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George showed no damage. Coach Jeff Fisher said George called doctors Sunday night, hours after the 21-13 loss to Dallas, and met them at an emergency room around midnight because the pain in his left arch would not ease. "He says he's had it before but not this bad,'' Fisher said. "He had attributed it to taping before. He gets taped so tight. ... He says he'll practice Wednesday. We'll have to see. We want to be sure it's nothing working as far as a foot sprain or anything.'' George is expected to be listed as questionable when the team releases its injury report Wednesday. [[[[[[[[[[ Our View ]]]]]]]]]] So much for a healthy Eddie George. It's good there is no damage, but you have to wonder if he is going to carry this injury with him for the rest of the season. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ TE Jimmy Kleinsasser to miss 2-4 weeks http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/4088686.htm Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser will miss three to four weeks with a small fracture in his right leg. Kleinsasser suffered the injury on the offense's second drive of Sunday's loss to Buffalo, but he returned to the game and finished with six catches for 56 yards and a handful of key blocks. The second-leading receiver on the team with 11 catches for 114 yards, Kleinsasser was even more valuable as a blocker. But Pro Bowl tight end Byron Chamberlain, who missed the Bills game because of a knee injury, said he hopes to return Sunday. [[[[[[[[[[ Our View ]]]]]]]]]] Jimmy Kleinsasser was filling in for Byron Chamberlain so this has minimal fantasy value going forward. We think Chamberlain will be ready to go this week as he was making great progress at the end of the last week. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ OT Walter Jones Joins Seattle http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/134536888_hawk17.html Jones, a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle who missed all of training camp and the first two games, decided to report back to the team late Sunday. He signed the Seahawks' one-year tender offer of $4.92 million before practice yesterday and was out on the team's practice fields to run and stretch with his teammates. "I just wanted to come back and help the team get a victory any way I can," said Jones, who did not watch Sunday's 24-13 loss to Arizona. "That was my only reason for coming back. And I missed the guys. This is what I do. ... It was very tough (sitting out), but that is the business side of it, and hopefully things will get settled." [[[[[[[[[[ Our View ]]]]]]]]]] This is a big boost to Shaun Alexander who has had difficulty finding holes in the Seahawk's patchwork line. Walter Jones will start this week. |