Steelers MAQB: Will ’06 Nightmare Repeat Itself?

The Monday Afternoon Quarterback goes deep while he wonders if the Steelers really did select Rashard Mendenhall one spot ahead of Chris Johnson in the 2008 NFL Draft…

 

First down

Look, I’m not here to spread doom and gloom, but there’s something eerily similar about this season and the 2006 clunker.

As you may recall, in the regular season opener three years ago, the defending Super Bowl champions struggled to beat the Miami Dolphins at home, not unlike the way they did against the Tennessee Titans in overtime earlier this month.

In Week Two of the 2006 season, the Steelers were beaten by a rather ordinary Jacksonville Jaguars team on the road, similar to what happened to them against Da Bears in Chicago last weekend.

In the third week of the 2006 season, the Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals at home.

You know who the Steelers play this weekend, right?

After a bye in the 2006 season, the Steelers lost against the San Diego Chargers on the road one week later. At 1-3, they were pretty much toast for the rest of the season.

Uh, you know who the Steelers play next week, don’t you?

You guessed it—the Chargers.

(Download Twilight Zone theme here.)

What I’m sayin’ is, it would behoove the Steelers to take care of business in Cincinnati this weekend—or else it could be history that repeats this season.

 

Second down

If there’s one guy who has to step up his game immediately, it’s Bruce Arians, the offensive coordinator.

The Steelers have scored a grand total of 27 points in two-plus games, which ranks 30th in a 32-team league. C’mon, the Detroit freakin’ Lions have more points right now.

Seriously, who scores less—the Steelers on the field or Tim Tebow away from it?

It’s not like the Steelers lack talent here either. In fact, the offense has more weapons than it has had in years. For some reason, though, Arians either can’t or won’t make use of his big-play guys.

My advice: Get scatback Stephan Logan and wide receiver Mike Wallace involved more.

Logan has the speed and quickness to be effective out of the backfield on second or third and long. Know how much mileage the San Diego Chargers get out of Darren Sproles on flares, screens, reverses, and shovel passes? Well, why not have Logan play a similar role occasionally?

As for Wallace, the rookie has a long pass thrown his way once each game. Why stop there? The kid has been a threat every time. Even though the deep ball isn’t one of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s strengths—he underthrows the target far too often—it plants a seed in the mind of the defense at the very least.

I have no problem with the third-and-2 pass that wide receiver Santonio Holmes couldn’t grab in the end zone last weekend. I’d like to see more aggressive calls, in fact.

Third down

Stud linebacker James Harrison has yet to register a sack this season, which suggests that he has been a non-factor thus far. The truth is, Harrison has been every bit as good as he was last season, when he was the best defensive player in the league.

The problem is, opponents have made Harrison even more of a priority in their game plans. More times than not, that means a second blocker is assigned to him. When Harrison is involved a one-against-one matchup, he’s either grabbed or held or both about every third pass play, but referees simply won’t call it.

I wonder—if his name were Michael Strahan or Lawrence Taylor, would the men in stripes whistle a penalty then?

I’m reluctant to second-guess D-coordinator Dick LeBeau, who has forgotten more about defense than I remember. I also understand that structure and discipline are primary reasons for his success all these years.

Still, especially in obvious pass situations, I’d like to see Harrison move around more. If the offense couldn’t predict where he would line up on a given play, the guy might wreak more havoc than he does already.

 

Fourth down

Nice to see that the Sporting News has written off the Steelers this season already.

The magazine named the New England Patriots as its Team of the Decade even though the ’00s aren’t over yet and the Steelers would match the Patriots with a third Super Bowl championship this season.

Check that. The Steelers would surpass Bill and the Belicheats, because as far as we know, they didn’t have to break the rules to get any of their trophies.

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Could the Eagles’ Best Run Defense Be “Trot”-ting Beneath Their Nose?

If Jeremiah Trotter is even anything remotely close to the linebacker he was two years ago, then the answer to my headline is “yes.”

If you haven’t heard, apparently the Eagles brought Jeremiah Trotter in for a workout this week. Much like with Jon Runyan already this fall, it seems to be more of a case of “let’s see what you can do,” rather than “we need you on the roster right now.”

But, hey, if Trotter can go, why not bring him back?

It’d be easy to question what Trotter has left. While he’s only 32—hardly old by NFL standards but ancient by Eagles’ ones—there must have been a reason he was released during the 2007 preseason.

And coming off a season in which he didn’t play at all (and one season removed from an unremarkable 2007 campaign in Tampa), it’s not like he’d be a “hot” signing, like, say, a Derrick Brooks.

But even if he’s not as good as he once was, Trotter brings dimensions that others might not be able to—for one, he knows the system.

It’s the reason the Eagles signed Jeff Garcia and “worked out” Runyan, and it’s the best reason Trotter would fit over a Derrick Brooks or someone else.

Even though two years have passed and there’s a new coordinator, not much has changed on the Eagles defense. Sure, the MIKE linebacker is now a little bit more responsible in run coverage, but that was the best facet of Jeremiah’s game; it was a damn good facet, as Trotter almost single-handedly turned the Eagles’ run defense from terrible to respectable in his second stint.

These days, Eagles run coverage usually calls for the SAM (Chris Gocong) to go after the lead blocker, the WILL (Akeem Jordan) to stay out wide and the MIKE (Omar Gaither) to make the tackle in the hole.

In case you haven’t noticed, as good and versatile as Gaither is, that’s not exactly his best trait.

Enter Trotter.

Even if he was a two-down (or even a one-down) linebacker, he can simply fill a role like a specialty lefty pitcher in baseball—come in, make one play, and head to the bench.

And even that one play off could have a big effect on keeping the backers fresh. Last week against New Orleans, the trio of Gocong, Gaither, and Jordan looked a little tired at times. And that’s understandable; their backups are a rookie (Moise Fokou), an injury risk (Joe Mays), and a special-teams maven (Tracy White). Not exactly the 1986 Giants back there, so they’re playing almost every play.

Should Trotter come in to play the MIKE on first or even second down, it would give one of the latter two a momentary breather. He’d ostensibly replace Gaither, but Omar could also move back to WILL and give Jordan a play off.

If he can do it well, why not try it?

Most importantly, though, he’d bring a level-headed veteran presence to the defense—one they’re clearly missing without Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles are used to young MIKEs quarterbacking the defense; both Gaither and Stewart Bradley are in their mid-20s and have been filling that role since Trotter was released.

But they always had Dawkins to be the heart, soul, and mouthpiece of that defense. Even if it’s just for one year, Trotter has enough Philly cred to come in and do that—even as a backup.

Now, of course, someone would have to be released to make room for him. Based on injury and inconsistency, it could be Mays.

But who would you rather have on the field?

Maybe the third time will be the charm. After all, there had to be a reason Andy Reid texted Trotter out of the blue to come in for a workout, right?

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How Should the Jacksonville Jaguars Combat Relocation Talk?

It has been 15 years since the Jacksonville Jaguars took the field for the first time, but in many ways, they are still considered to be the new kids on the block.  Often dismissed, and mostly ignored, the Jaguars have lived their entire existence in relative obscurity as a result of being located in the smallest media market in the National Football League.

The only time the Jaguars get consistent attention from outside of the local market is when blackouts start to become a fact of life, or players wind up on the wrong side of the law.

While most media “experts” focus on the negatives, predicting the demise of the franchise in the undeserving Jacksonville market, few if any take the time to look at the problem and offer solutions.

Being a fan of the team, I have a vested interest in keeping the Jaguars in Jacksonville. I understand the value this franchise has to the city. Rather than fixate on the gloom and doom surrounding the current situation, I want to look at what is needed to assure the long-term viability of the team in Jacksonville.

I cannot guarantee my suggestions will provide the ingredients which will assure the team remains in Jacksonville for generations to come, but I am fairly certain the current strategy deployed by the team is not working, especially in difficult economic times.

The team can only use the economy as a crutch for so long. There needs to be a concerted effort to begin focusing on the market itself, trying to find new and creative ways to expand their fan base in a town that is not growing quickly enough to sustain the necessary season ticket base.

So, I offer this five-step plan to help the team navigate through these difficult times with the hope someone will read it and possibly act upon the suggestions.

First, the Jaguars need to stop thinking locally and start marketing the team regionally.

There are only so many bodies in the immediate market footprint for the Jaguars to draw from, and if they only brought their fans from this area, the requirements to assure consistent sellouts would mean one in every twenty residents must own a season ticket. That ratio is one of the highest in the league to assure seats are sold.

The Jaguars first step should be to take a more expanded marketing approach to turn the team into a regional presence.

By growing the Jaguars marketing footprint to take into account fans in areas where they are already drawing from, they could expand their pool of potential fans from the current 1.3 million residents in the immediate market to more than 3 million fans regionally.

Fans attending Jaguars games currently come from as far north as Myrtle Beach, west from Tallahassee, and south from the Orlando area.  Few of the fans traveling to Jaguars games were not lured to purchase tickets because of slick marketing.  Still, they come to support their team, planting the seeds that should be a sign the Jaguars could become a regional draw with minimal effort or investment.

Imagine what an aggressive marketing campaign might do to bring in new fans.

The second step the Jaguars should do to grow the fan base is to get businesses in the region to buy into the idea that partnering up with the Jaguars will benefit their bottom line.

Get out in the business community, not only here in Jacksonville, but also in secondary media markets like Savannah, Tallahassee, and Orlando. Take players, coaches, cheerleaders, and administrators and reach out to established businesses in these markets and offer them a partnership of sorts. The exposure from being associated with an NFL franchise has global implications regardless of the size of the local market.

A more visible presence in the business communities in Jacksonville and the surrounding media markets will lead to more sponsorship dollars. The fiscal security of the team is what will determine the city identified with the team over the long haul. By partnering up with businesses in the region, it will give the Jaguars the revenue flow required to rebound quickly and squash relocation talks.

The third step in the process of building up the Jaguars fan base is to reach out to the kids.

The team does a fairly good job of getting out locally and sponsoring events with schools here in Jacksonville, but they do not do enough to really lock these kids in as lifelong Jaguar fans.

One of the most effective ways to bring a family into the fold is to get the kids first. The parents will follow.

Expand the current outreach, and get the more visible players out in the regional schools so the kids can meet the stars and form a connection. The Jags cannot just send out the long snapper or special team guy to schools. The front-line players need to be part of the process as well.

Send players on a bus tour to schools in Orlando, Daytona, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Savannah, and Myrtle Beach. Get them out visiting schools, signing autographs, giving away memorabilia, and offering free tickets to the kids to attend Jaguar games.

The fourth step in the recovery effort needs to be focused on drawing in fans from the fringes of the new expanded market. Offer enticements like travel packages and discounted hotel rates for fans coming from these areas to attend Jaguars games.

If people feel they are getting a bargain travel package offering a weekend getaway including tickets to an NFL game, they will jump at the opportunity.

By partnering up with local hotels and restaurants, the Jaguars can block off rooms and offer discounts to purchase ticket packages including hotel and meal vouchers. It would help the team and it would give a boost to the local hotel and restaurant business as well.

Finally, the Jaguars need to think big.

The goal for any strategy to turn around the fortunes of the team should be focused on expanding the fan base to the point where the stadium can be filled on a regular basis. The games need to be sold as an event people will not want to miss, win or lose.

Growing the fan base will cost money, and the team cannot do this cheaply. But the reward for investing more effort into thinking regionally will have a significant impact on the bottom line if the team approaches this with the right mindset.

By marketing the team regionally, partnering up with businesses in the region, getting the kids to buy into the team, and finding ways to bring people to Jacksonville for a major league event, the Jaguars can very quickly shift away from worrying about blackouts and fan apathy to removing the tarps and proving once and for all that Jacksonville is deserving of an NFL franchise.

The time to act is now. The old approach clearly is not working. It is time to think outside of the box, and outside of the market to find ways to fix what ails the team.

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Who Dat Fans: It’s Only Week Two

Not to rain on everyone’s parade here but for all of those claiming the Saints are going to the promised land this season, relax, it’s only week two. While all the national media is drooling over Drew Brees’ absolutely ridiculous numbers and the Saints 2-0 start, most people have been starting to drown out the last 10 years.

Have the past 40 years not meant anything to every who dat fan? How many times have the Saints looked promising in these past 10 years only to falter in the end?

I believe former Saints Coach Jim Mora said it best, “Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs!” Though he was sporting a colts emblem and not a fleur de lis that day, he still remains a part of this franchise.

Maybe Jim Haslett, coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2005, can refresh your minds about how this franchise really works. In 2002, the Saints started the season 3-0.

The offense was scoring at will with their gun slinging quarterback Aaron Brooks and his WR combo of Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth. Coming off a week 14 win at Baltimore, the team was 9-4 as fans were already trying to buy playoff tickets.

Then the Minnesota Vikings come to town with nothing to lose and the “same ole saints” came out to play. In the final possession of the game, Minnesota scores a late touchdown and decides to go for the win instead of forcing overtime.

Daunte Culpepper, the quarterback of the Vikings that day, fumbled the snap yet still had enough time to pick the ball up and run it in for the win. The rest is history as the saints went on to lose the next two games including a 10-6 “shootout” with the lowly Carolina panthers in the regular season finale. The 2002 saints finished 9-7 with no playoff appearance.

I know the 2002 and 2009 saints are light years apart, but the fact remains, this franchise will always be embraced by this city as the NFL version of the Chicago Cubs, “loveable losers.”

Some things change, such as the QB or the coach, but others remain, such as the gut wrenching feeling when the playoffs are on, what seems to be, every channel, with no saints sighting.

Do not interpret this article as a warning sign to abandon ship right away, it is merely a reminder that everyone remain cautious. 

A 2-0 record doesn’t put you in the playoffs. The Saints must continue to improve in all facets of the game especially on defense and special teams.

It’s easy to point to the defensive struggles against the pass but everyone needs to realize that most teams will be playing catch-up thanks to Drew Brees and his high-flying offense. 

We also have no idea how the saints will do in a closely contested battle. The 2008 Saints lost six games by five or less.

The 2009 Saints must prove that this year they mean business. With upcoming games against both New York teams, the Saints must beat the teams they already placed a W next to (aka Detroit and Buffalo). Then they must prove to the rest of the league that they are for real with at least one victory against the Jets or Giants.

So before you book that plane ticket to Miami, watch the next 10 or so games, after all, it’s only week two.

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Five NFL Story Lines for Week Three

Week Three of the NFL season is upon us. As fans, we have been given many good games, some upsets, some high scoring affairs, and plenty of trash talk (Thanks, Rex!)

We can’t ask for much more, but as always, we expect the best week in and week out. These are five storylines I look forward to seeing during Week three of the NFL season.

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New England Patriots Deserve Benefit of Doubt for Now

 

Ever since Mark Sanchez dinked and dunked New England to death and Rex Ryan’s infectious defense dared Tom Brady to beat the Jets through the air last weekend, we have heard it all. We’ve heard all of the reasons why the Patriots aren’t that good and aren’t nearly the team they were expected to be.

Brady isn’t confident in his knee that was shredded like a pound of hamburger before being rebuilt; the receivers don’t have their timing with Brady; the Pats were so worried about whether or not their all-world quarterback would return to form that they neglected their running game; losing linebacker Jerod Mayo for the next month cripples a defense that is already soft and can’t defend the run; and for good measure, Brady this and Brady that…

The ironic thing about all of this is that those claims are true. Those are all legitimate concerns for a Patriots team that doesn’t really look like they know what to do when they take the field.

The difference is that the way New England has looked so far in this short season shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody. If the expectations for this team are those of the 2007 squad, well then everything this season is going to be a disappointment. But given what has happened over the last year to this franchise, New England deserves at least this week against the Falcons before we all start doing cannon bombs off the bandwagon.

The Patriots were stifled on the opening night of their season against the Buffalo Bills, until Brady went, well, Brady on us and found Benjamin Watson twice in the end zone before I could run to the fridge and back. Did they look impressive? No. Buffalo was tough and New England’s defense relaxed.

But the nation proclaimed Brady was back after proving to all of us why the man could retire today and head to the Hall of Fame. But, of course, the shine was wiped off after a visit to the Meadowlands left Pats fans perplexed. The glimpse of greatness that was Brady in the fourth quarter of the Buffalo game wasn’t nearly enough to knock the doubts out for a couple of weeks.

All right, fine. Give it one more week. Let’s see what the Patriots do this weekend at home against a Falcons team that plays to the soundtrack of T.I.’s “Swagger Like Us.” Sitting at 1-1, this could very well be a swing game for the Patriots’ season. Which way are they going to go?

The difference between 2-1 and 1-2 at this junction of the season isn’t enormous in the standings, but psychologically it’s big. It’s the difference between confidence and insecurity.

The undefeated Falcons rank 10th in the NFL in total offense, but they play bigger than that. They play in control and it all starts with their sensational second year QB, Matt Ryan.

Ryan currently ranks 16th in the league in passing, just ahead of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, but it has been more than enough for Atlanta. Consider his 5-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and Ryan’s 108.5 QB rating is fourth among all passers (and less than two points behind Brett Favre, whose days consist of short slants and handoffs).

Falcons head coach Mike Smith has done a fabulous job putting Ryan in a position to succeed. Atlanta is riding Michael Turner as much as possible–he is tied for the most rushes in the NFL with 50–and tight end Tony Gonzalez has quickly become Ryan’s favorite target in the red zone.

Even though Atlanta lost defensive tackle Peria Jerry for the season with a left knee injury, they still boast a defense that is big up front, tough, and has underperformed. Heading to Foxborough is almost like a homecoming for Ryan, who played his college ball at Boston College. Will he be comfortable in Bill Belichick’s home? I doubt it, but it’s not exactly foreign turf to him, either.

As for the Patriots, they are dangerous because of all the things I said about the Falcons. They know that the Falcons are a very good team, one that has aspirations involving January football. If New England falls to 1-2 after this Sunday, they will have to grind out the next month.

The Pats’ next four games are against Baltimore, at Denver, against Tennessee, and at Tampa Bay. At worst, we would think that would be a 2-2 month for New England, which would put them at 3-4 (assuming a loss to Atlanta this week) and hanging out with the AFC’s bottom feeders.

All things considered, this is a statement game for Brady and for the Patriots. What are they? More importantly, who are they? We can crunch the numbers and pull up many reasons to convince us that the Pats aren’t working at the same speed or efficiency as in years past. But that’s unnecessary. We already know that by watching.

But Randy Moss still lines up out wide, and he is one of the most difficult covers in the league. Wes Welker, who didn’t play against the Jets, can slip comfortably back into the slot and use his slashing style to churn out crucial first downs.

Benjamin Watson isn’t your typical tight end. He is versatile and athletic enough to split out wide like a receiver, making him a mismatch against a linebacker or a corner.

Belichick could help Brady by giving more of the workload to Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris, but I don’t see Atlanta’s defense getting pummeled by the run. They may bend, but they won’t break. The knockout punch must come from Brady.

And that’s the point of all of this. There are reasons to be concerned, but when the crowd is on its feet bouncing and yelling with the kickoff, and the Patriots offense jogs onto the field, it’s still THAT guy under center.

I’m not saying the Patriots are going to win this week, and I’m not saying they are going to lose. It should be a fascinating game, one where New England, as 4.5-point favorites, could struggle to cover the spread.

But with three minutes to go, Patriots down one, and Brady with the ball, are you betting the house against him? Are you willing to unequivocally say that this offense just isn’t the same, that Brady just can’t find a rhythm with his receivers when it counts, that his knee just won’t let him do that? Are you comfortable with those words?

When Brady has three fingers that sparkle as much as that new stadium in Dallas, I can’t say that I am.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at tm4000@yahoo.com.

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Saints Vs. Bills Preview: Turf War

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Shaking off the disappointment of their Week One collapse against the Patriots, the Bills left no doubt against the Buccaneers, jumping to a 17-0 lead on the way to an eventual 33-20 win. The 1-1 Bills now face the daunting task of slowing the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, a Saints squad averaging over 46 points per game.

“It won’t be easy,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “If we can keep ’em under 30, I think maybe we could go home happy to un-vandalized lawns.

“You know, it was really unfortunate that fans felt the need to deface the lawn of Leodis McKelvin, whose fumble against the Patriots cost us the game. However, I’ve got to hand it to those fans for accentuating their vandalism with imagination and clever wording. It seems they painted Leodis’ front yard like an end zone, with a sign that read ‘Keep On.'”

The Saints are no yard vandals, but they have been known to “tear up the turf” so far this year. And regardless of how well the Bills’ defense plays, their offense will have to produce to keep up with the Saints. Much of the burden for that falls on Terrell Owens, who had his first touchdown catch as a Bill last week.

“I’m not one to shy away from attention,” said Owens. “Unfortunately, there’s very little of that to be had here. In Buffalo, doing sit-ups in the driveway is not a spectator sport.

“Now, it only someone would have told me years ago of this yard vandalism as a form of protest, then I could have left a swath of destruction running from San Francisco to Dallas, via Philadelphia.”

Expect Owens to have a big day, catching eight balls for 128 yards and two touchdowns, but that’s not enough to keep up with the Saints’ offensive juggernaut. Nobody circles the wagons like the Bills, but nobody crosses the “T” in touchdown like the Saints.

New Orleans wins, 31-22.

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Bears-Seahawks Preview: Analysis and Prediction

The Bears travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks this weekend, in what should be a pretty good football showdown in the rainiest city in the USA.

Here is your quick-hit viewer’s guide and Jerod’s pick from this week’s NFL TV schedule and point spread post:

Chicago Bears (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

• Bears-Seahawks Date: Sunday, September 27th
• Bears-Seahawks Time: 4:05 ET
• Bears-Seahawks TV Network: Dick Stockton and Charles Davis
• Bears-Seahawks Announcers: FOX
• Bears-Seahawks Point Spread: Bears -2.5
• Bears-Seahawks Over-Under: 37
• Bears-Seahawks Pick by Jerod: Poor Matt Hasselbeck. He just can’t seem to stay healthy anymore. If he were healthy and playing, they’d be a good bet to win and certainly to cover 2.5 points. However, I think last week’s win was a big confidence builder for Jay Cutler and the Bears. And after seeing what Frank Gore did to Seattle last week, Matt Forte will no doubt be ready for his 2009 breakout game. I think he gets it, and I think the will Bears win by a TD. Bears-Seahawks free spread pick: Bears -2.5 (for the record, I’m already re-thinking this one…Seattle is tough to beat at home. But the absence of Hasselbeck seals it. Bears, minus the points, final answer.)

Bears-Seahawks Analysis

The Bears are coming off of a spectactular and uplifting win against the defending Super Bowl champions; the Pittsburgh Steelers. The No. 1 question for the Bears right now is when will Matt Forte put up some decent numbers? So far Forte has been shut down, and is only averaging 2.2 yds per carry. There still isn’t any need to worry though because the two teams he played have very good run defenses.

The Seahawks are ranked 26th in the league in run defense. Forte is set up to run over 100 yards this Sunday. A good running game means less pressure on the QB, which will be greatly needed because Jay Cutler has his work cut out for him. The Seahawks pass defense is ranked 2nd in the league. Passing against this defense will be tough, but Forte can help significantly if he can find the holes the OL setup.

Bears fans liked seeing Cutler bounce back in Week two after a horrid Week one, but will this just be another Good-Cutler, Bad-Cutler deal, just like what happened with Rex Grossman? Chicago fans sure hope not.

The new player to look for is rookie WR Johnny Knox. He has created a stir around the NFL for showing great speed and catching ability. The Bears could have found a sleeper in this kid. Keep an eye out for him.

The Seahawks might have lost Hasselback again due to a rib injury. If Hasselback doesn’t play, Seneca Wallace will start for Seattle. Wallace started some games last year, and isn’t a bad QB. Losing Hasselback however, is a huge loss for a team that heavily relies on their QB. Seattle might have to find a way to win without Hasselback, a task that might prove futile.

The Seahawks best bet is their running game. While it’s not great, it has been consistent, averaging 116.5 yds per game. If the running game doesn’t get going it puts more pressure on the passing game, a section that already is weakened.

Bears-Seahawks prediction: the loss of Hasselback is just do much for the Seahawks to recover from. Bears win 21-14.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Hawk: Week Three

How to burglarize your waiver wire before anyone gets a chance to.

The concept is simple. Grab the waiver-wire pickups the week before they become hot so you do not have to luck out on the wire. Each week I will predict NEXT week’s hot waiver-wire pickups so you can snag them before they become a hot commodity.

I will continue to focus mainly on running backs and wide receivers because that is where your bread is buttered in fantasy football. The players are listed in order of relevance, and it is up to you to decide on which one is valuable enough to fit in a league your size.

Make sure you don’t miss this article each week to become the waiver hawk in your league.

 

Some Highlights from Last Week’s Digging Deeper

Correll Buckhalter RB, Denver Broncos 22% (28%)
Chansi Stuckey WR, NY Jets 9% (15%)
Laurent Robinson WR, St. Louis Rams 5% (23%)
Johnny Knox WR, Chicago Bears 1% (39%)
Biggest Movers from past articles
Carnell Williams, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22% (65%)
Fred Jackson, RB Buffalo Bills 49% (84%)
Brandon Stokley WR, Denver Broncos 4% (18%)
Robert Meachem WR, New Orleans Saints 8% (16%)
Louis Murphy WR, Oakland Raiders 0% (12%)
Julian Edelman WR, New England Patriots 0% (4%)

 

This Weeks Pickups

Lynell Hamilton RB, New Orleans Saints (1%)

Arguably the waiver–wire darling of this week, Hamilton is a must-add if he is available. Hamilton could potentially get the start in New Orleans this week after Mike Bell suffered a MCL sprain in Week Two. The latest news is Mike Bell is expected to miss three to four weeks.

Hamilton is a very capable back that showed some elite ability in college at San Diego State. Hamilton is a good runner between the tackles and has pass-catching ability if Reggie Bush is limited. While I would hold off on putting Hamilton in your lineup immediately, he could find his way on many starting rosters after Week Four.

 

Jacoby Jones WR, Houston Texans (3%)

We remember Jones because of his sleeper status his rookie year. He immediately was productive and was injured and has been limited to mainly special teams since. The injury bug has found its way to the Texans receiving core and Kevin Walter should be a game-time decision. The buzz in Houston is Jones will at least steal some snaps from Walter this week. Jones is just another deep threat on a dangerous offense. This one has “upside” written all over him.

 

Derek Anderson (2%) QB, Mohammad Massaquoi (0%) WR, Cleveland Browns

This is more of a speculative add for deep leagues, especially dynasty leagues. Cleveland is 0-2 and has an upcoming schedule with some very tough pass defenses, including Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh in its next four games. I would not be surprised to see Derek Anderson be inserted into the lineup soon and Massaquoi be given a shot to take attention off Braylon Edwards.

Cleveland’s defense is allowing 30.5 points per game so far and shows little sign of slowing down, so the Browns should be playing from behind quite a bit. The talent between Edwards, Massaquoi, and Anderson is enough to warrant an upside claim in a deeper league.

 

Seneca Wallace QB, Seattle Seahhawks (2%)

I cannot see any way Matt Hasslebeck plays this week. Seneca Wallace, meanwhile, was secretly very productive last year. He completed almost 60 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games. Not eye-popping stats, but these are solid stats considering the lack of weapons Seattle had last year. Now he gets a healthy Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and a dangerous pass-catching running back with Justin Forsett. Seattle plays much better at home and could surprise Chicago this week.

 

Nate Washington, WR, Tennessee Titans (24%)

Dropped in many leagues early on, Washington now is healthy. Nate was on the field for 93 percent of the Titans’ plays against Houston compared to that of just 34 percent for Kenny Britt.

 

Jabar Gaffney, WR, Denver Broncos (2%)

Wait, Jabar Gaffney? What? Yes, that’s how I feel about it too, but let me explain before you hate Jabar. Many have attributed Eddie Royal’s and Brandon Marshall’s trouble to Kyle Orton’s incapability of throwing. The real problem has been Josh McDaniel’s relying on Brandon Stokley and Gaffney.

In Week Two, the only player on the field for more than 51 percent of the plays was Gaffney, at 82 percent. Denver is 2-0 and doesn’t show any real sign that things will change. As of now, it is safe to assume Gaffney is the WR1 on the Denver Broncos.

 

Bobby Wade (6%), WR, Dantrell Savage (0%), RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Todd Haley and McDaniels remind me of each other with their ability to completely ignore depth charts of popular opinion. We saw Wade join the team and earn the WR2 role immediately. I frankly would not be astonished to see Savage take Larry Johnson’s RB1 role as well. You just never know with guys like Haley and McDaniels. Savage is said to be being groomed by Priest Holmes himself and some claim he has the same late-round upside as Holmes.

 

James Davis RB, Cleveland Browns (9%)

Mentioned in previous articles, it is now Davis’ time to shine. With Jamal Lewis’ hamstring injury, Davis could get the start and majority of carries.

 

Mike Sims-Walker Jacksonville Jaguars (25%)

He should be owned in almost all leagues as he is now the WR1 in Jacksonville.

 

Digging Deeper

Tashard Choice RB, Dallas Cowboys (10%)
Justin Forsett RB Seattle Seahawks (7%)
Matt Leinart QB, Arizona Cardinals (2%)
Brandon Jones WR, San Francisco 49ers (0%)
Michael Bennett RB, San Diego Chargers (0%)
Jared Cook TE, Tennessee Titans (0%)
(More Digging Deeper In Full Article)

…

Read Full Article & More

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NFL Week 3 Picks and Predictions.

I remember the days I used to do the work football pool. In most cases, I actually ran the pool. I used to be so good at this, I would have to post my picks on my office door prior to the end of the day Friday.

There was even a point when co-workers would copy my picks prior to leaving work on Friday to make sure I wasn’t cheating.

Those were the days.

Week 1 – 9-6

Week 2 – 9-7

I have been pretty good at picking the upset specials, picking the Jets to beat the Patriots, and the Giants to ruin the Cowboys opening night of their Billion dollar stadium. Maybe all is not lost, and I just need to get back into my old routine.

So, I have my Cherry Pepsi, and my Black Jack Gum here, and I can smell the right-ness in the air. I sat down last night, and studied every match up, and am ready to break the double digit win total this week.

Redskins @ Lions

Trap game right off the bat. The Lions are a decent team for the first half of games this year. Unfortunately, there are two halvs in the NFL. The Redskins were on the brink of losing to the Rams last week, and didn’t score a touchdown, but had to win on three field goals.

Right off the bat—Upset special. Detroit ends their 19 game losing streak and beats the Redskins 17-13.

Packers @ Rams

Last weeks game against the Bengals, the Packers had a hard time with the tough defense of the Bengals, allowing Antwan Odom five sacks.

As hard as it is for me to compliment the Bengals, their defense is much improved, and the Rams are nowhere near that level.

Packers win 31-10

49ers @ Vikings

Who would have thought that this would actually be a good game prior to the start of the season?

The 49ers strength is their defense, and the Vikings offense is a machine. AP is the one of the best backs in the league, and possibly of all time.

I believe this game will be decided by the men under center, and Shaun Hill is nowhere near the level of Brett Favre, even if he were still retired.

Vikings win 21-14

Falcons @ Patriots

This could be one of the best games of the week. The Patriots are coming off a disappointing loss to the Jets, while the Falcons are riding high starting the season 2-0.

As I said before, Tom Brady is not playing like Tom Brady, and the Patriots defense, after losing five defensive leaders in the off season, and Jarrod Mayo in week one, will not be able to stop Matt Ryan and the Falcons attack.

Falcons win 24-20.

Titans @ Jets

The Titans came into the 2009 season with Super Bowl aspirations, and have lost their first two games by a total of six points. The game against the Steelers in week one could be excused. Opening night, national TV, the whole Terrible Towel stomping issue.

But losing to the Texans last week had to hurt.

The Jets are undefeated, and have not allowed either of their opponents in the end zone yet this year. Problem is, they have a banged up secondary, and if they have to commit safety up to help support the run, Kerry Collins has the ability to light up man to man coverage.

Titans win 27-20.

Chiefs @ Eagles

No Donovan McNabb, no problem. The Eagles suffered at the hands of Drew Brees and the Saints last week, who lit them up through the air. Some people say that the Saints exposed the Eagles to be susceptible to the pass. Sure if your team has a QB that can play like Brees.

The Chiefs don’t.

Phillys D will again return to dominance, and with Mike Vick able to return from suspension, the Eagles will out match the Chiefs in a big way.

Eagles win 31-13.

Giants @ Buccaneers

The Bucs are in rebuilding mode, after releasing many of their team leaders in the off season. The Giants are just a considerably better team, and Tampa has no real shot to upend the G-Men.

Giants win 27-7.

Browns @ Ravens

The Ravens defense has been known as one of the best defenses in the NFL for years. They still are monsters against the run, but their passing game has allowed the Chiefs and Chargers to throw all over them.

With Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards, the Browns should be able to put some points on the board. The Ravens are not the run every down team that they used to be, and Joe Flacco has thrown the ball 69 times in their first two games this year.

Ravens win 21-10.

Jaguars @ Texans

The Texans looked awful in week one against the Jets, then put 34 points on the board against an amazing Titans defense. In the Jaguars first two games, they just looked bad.

The Texans look to play like they did against the Titans, and the Jaguars will have no chance.

Texans win 27-13.

Bears @ Seahawks

Though normally a tough team at home, the Seahawks are a bruised team heading into week three. The Bears are coming off an emotional win against the Steelers, and look to continue their success.

Jay Cutler has found a new weapon in Johnny Knox, and if the Hawks can get pressure on Cutler, he will have another big day with his new rookie receiver.

Bears win 24-14.

Saints @ Bills

Get your popcorn ready, TO! You are about to see an aerial assault from a QB that not even you could complain about.

The Bills defense is suspect at best, and the Saints put almost 50 points on the board against a very good Eagles team last week.

Dick Juron better not have made Sean Payton mad ever in his life, because if Payton wanted to, the Saints could score 80 points against the Bills. If he wanted to. I don’t think it will be THAT bad, but close.

Saints win 41-13.

Steelers @ Bengals

The worst thing that could have happened to the Bengals in week two was the Steelers losing to the Bears. Pittsburgh, who has not lost in Cincinnati since drafting Ben Roethlisberger, will come into Cincinnati with a chip on their shoulder the size of Paul Brown stadium itself.

For Cincy to be successful, they are going to have to control the clock by running the ball, and that is easier said than done.

Steelers win 24-17.

Broncos @ Raiders

The Broncos are looking to be the surprise team of 2009, starting off the season 2-0. They beat the Browns and Bengals, but hey, they are still 2-0.

Oakland is a good team without a good QB. Had they kept Jeff Garcia and had him as the starter, they may be 2-0 right now. The Raiders took the Chargers to the limit in week one, and beat the Chiefs last week.

This could be more of the same. This game will go to the wire, with the home team winning it in the end.

Raiders win 13-10.

Dolphins @ Chargers

The Chargers were on the brink of beating the Ravens in San Diego last week, only to have Ray Lewis blow up Darren Sproles on fourth and short to end the game.

The Dolphins controlled the clock against the Colts, having possession for over 45 minutes, but still allowed Peyton Manning to throw for over 300 yards against them.

The Wildcat is good, but the Dolphins just don’t have the fire power to hang with the Bolts.

Chargers win 31-21.

Colts @ Cardinals

Which Arizona team is going to show up? The one that lost to the 49ers in week one, or the one that played almost a perfect offensive game against the Jaguars last week?

Either way, if you are the type of person that likes high scoring games, then this one is for you.

If you are a betting person, take the over—regardless of what it may be! Just kidding, don’t gamble. Between these two teams, we very well could see 900 yards of total offense this game, and maybe more.

Cardinals win 41-37.

Monday Night Football

Panthers @ Cowboys

Dallas were humiliated losing their home opener to the Giants last week. They beat the Giants in every category except the one that counted, the score.

Tony Romo threw three picks, and it was still a close game.

Jake Delhomme is trying to get his confidence back, but it isn’t going to happen against the Cowboys.

Cowboys win 27-13.

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