Seahawks O-Line Prove There’s Life Without Jones

It went largely unnoticed in the Seahawks’ 28-0 demolition of the lowly St. Louis Rams, but Matt Hasselbeck was untouched.

Kudos must go to an offensive line missing two starters, Chris Spencer and Walter Jones.

Some will point to the fact it was “only” the Rams.

There’s no doubt that tougher tests will come in the upcoming weeks, none more so than the difficult trip to San Francisco on Sunday.

But it wasn’t a complete walk over against the St. Louis.

Steve Spagnuolo might be in the early stages of a massive rebuild, but he brought over some of those successful blitz packages from New York to keep Seattle guessing.

There were other factors that added to the impressive performance.

It was the first test for the newly installed zone blocking scheme and a debut for rookie Max Unger at guard.

Replacement center Steve Vallos was making just his sixth career start.

Sean Locklear, considered by some as the long term successor to Walter Jones at left tackle, had to show he’s capable of making the switch.

After a year on injured reserve, Rob Sims was making his return to the lineup at left guard.

All things considered, the O-line put in a much more credible performance than it initially appeared.

Reports suggest both Jones and Spencer will practice this week, with a potential return to the starting lineup as soon as this weekend.

The dilemma facing Head Coach Jim Mora is whether to stick with the guys who did so well against the Rams or recall the veterans.

It’d be previously unthinkable to keep a healthy Jones on the sidelines, but that might actually happen.

Let’s face it, the Seahawks will never know if guys like Locklear can fill the void Jones will eventually leave unless they get a chance.

Bringing the future Hall of Famer back slowly might be best to preserve his long-term health for the rest of the year, whilst in the short term, offering a vote of confidence in Locklear’s abilities at left tackle.

Any move will probably affect rookie Unger, too.

When Jones does return, Ray Willis could move from right tackle to guard.

The Seahawks aren’t used to experiencing this kind of selection problem, particularly on the offensive line.

If everyone can stay healthy, Coach Mora won’t mind having to make a few tough decisions.

Whoever starts, the importance of maintaining the Week One performance cannot be underestimated.

Hasselbeck put up solid numbers against St. Louis, despite a rusty opening.

No doubt, the Seahawks will only go as far as their franchise quarterback can take them, and keeping Hasselbeck harm-free will be vital after his injury plagued the 2008 season.

Quality play up front will also keep the Seahawks run game relevant.

Not many people have written positively about the Seattle running backs in preseason, but Julius Jones’s 117-yard effort on Sunday raised a few eyebrows. A lot of credit has to go to the blocking not only from the line, but also from fullback Justin Griffith.

Yes, it’ll be a tougher test against the 49ers. But let’s not downplay the offensive line’s performance last week.

They’ve set the bar high for the rest of the year, we’ll soon find out if they can maintain it.

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Cleveland Browns Midweek Thoughts: Staying on the Same Page

While deconstructing last Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, my thoughts inevitably turn to the debacle that was the Brown’s passing game.

Debating what went wrong with Brady Quinn and his receivers was an enlightening exercise because one unarguable fact rose to the surface during this debate:  Braylon Edwards doesn’t know what he’s doing.

 

I suggested more reps with Quinn were needed, but conceded that was splitting hairs. This “splitting hairs” point was proven, as my brother pointed out, by watching the Bears/Packers game where Jay Cutler was equally as bad at finding his receivers.

 

Then when you think about Edwards through the years, you have to remember he left Derek Anderson with a whole lot of nothing as well. Former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano was pretty adamant on STO Monday night that Edwards just can’t run routes.

 

With that being said, I’m pretty sure Edwards time in Cleveland is coming to an end, because I have to believe Eric Mangini sees the same things Rutigliano does. What happens to Edwards, though, still is a mystery.

 

Plus, when you look back at the preseason, Quinn went out of his way to NOT throw the ball Edwards’ way.

 

Tight end Robert Royal ended up being the team’s leading receiver in Week One and recipient of the touchdown-scoring throw, for cryin’ out loud!

 

While the Edwards avoidance policy probably contributed to the interception throw, you can hardly blame Quinn for not wanting to throw to the guy. Edwards scouting report says just two things on it:

 

1. Braylon Edwards drops most passes thrown his way.
2. Braylon Edwards should not be the target of the passing game as he tends to drop most passes thrown his way.

I’ll concede Edwards had a spectacular catch that was ruled incomplete that was a touchdown, but that’s the problem with Edwards, he never seems to make those big catches without some kind of asterisk attached.

 

The bigger problem with the Browns passing game at this point is the complete lack of talent at the position, not that I haven’t said that same statement three or four times already. What Mangini did with that problem on Sunday is what’s perplexing.

 

Edwards was on the field, but basically was a non-participant because not only can he not catch the ball or run routes, he doesn’t handle the blocking aspects of the job well, either.

 

I don’t know if Mike Furrey even suited up for the game and Joshua Cribbs was busy being forced to not fool anybody with the Wildcat formation on the goal line.

 

Mohamed Massaquoi, whose name I can now spell without having to look it up, was on the field for a few plays, but I don’t recall seeing Brian Robiskie at all.

 

With a defense like Minnesota’s versus the run, the Browns were wise to try and throw the ball more, but it’s hard to keep a defense on their toes if all your wide receivers are over on the sidelines drinking Gatorade.

 

Like in the preseason, I expect Mangini will have the team looking much better in Week Two. It takes bad games to make teams better since their flaws all are exposed for the world to see.

 

The difference between this year and last year is that we have a head coach who is much more capable of fixing those flaws.

 

 

A note about special teams

 

Leon Williams and DeAngelo Smith were both cut this week; signed were wide receiver Ray Ventrone and offensive lineman Billy Yates.

 

Despite being labeled a wide receiver, Ventrone played mainly on the Patriots special teams unit last year. Given how bad our special teams blocking was versus the Vikings, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Ventrone won’t be catching many passes for the Browns.

 

While Cribbs runback for a touchdown was spectacular, his conversion to second wide receiver/Wildcat punching bag means he no longer participates on the defensive side of the special teams. It’s a tradeoff.

 

Yates signing makes sense in the sense that our offensive line can’t remember their own snap counts in their own stadium.

 

Finally, I was happy to see Mangini take the blame for the bad play calling on the goal line, even though it originated from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. It was his prerogative to accept or deny the call and he shouldered the responsibility.

 

I point this out because I expected Mangini to just give a bland, “we’re all accountable” answer to the question.

 

Rather than check this point on my “Naughty Coach” list, this raised my respect for Mangini. Instead of playing cloak and dagger, he stood up and took the blame.

 

Don’t let it happen again.

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Seahawks Near Deal With Former Cardinals Cornerback Eric Green

 

With Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant out the next five games, and dime back Travis Fisher out with a hamstring injury, the Seattle Seahawks brought in former Arizona Cardinals nickel back Eric Green for a visit today.

Green was part of the 2008 Arizona defense that played in last year’s Super Bowl. 

He played a limited role throughout his four seasons at Arizona, recording an average of 41 tackles, nine pass deflections, and two interceptions.

If signed, his role will likely be dime duties behind nickel corner Kelly Jennings. When Trufant gets back, a decision will likely be made between Fisher and Green for the team’s fifth cornerback. 

Looks like I picked the wrong former Cardinals cornerback, but my speculation was close though:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/245927-seattle-seahawks-sign-cornerback-roderick-hood

 

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NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week One Results

Week One of the 2009 NFC West FC Competition is in the books, and there could already be some separation.

Andrew, Ron, and Seth took advantage of the Underdog Bonus in Week One, as each selected one winner who earned them extra points.

Here are the results and honors from Week One.

 

Individual Standings

Andrew 15, Ron 15, Seth 14, Rob 13, Chris 12, Dray 12, Steven 12, Scotty 9

 

Overall Standings

St. Louis 29, San Francisco 27, Arizona 24, Seattle 22

 

Pick of the Week – Seth Doria (San Francisco over Arizona)

Super Bowls be damned, Seth took the Niners to topple last year’s NFC Champs. More impressively, he did so without the support of either San Francisco representative. Seth was the lone advocate of the Niners, but this correct choice netted him two points from the Underdog Bonus

 

Fail of the Week – Dray Miller (St. Louis over Seattle)

Honorable Mention here goes to Scotty (Kansas City over Baltimore) and Chris/Seth (Carolina over Philadelphia), but the St. Louis Rams were certainly the worst looking of the bunch.

St. Louis rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled their way to a shutout loss in Seattle, which, given the state of Seahawks football, doesn’t paint a beautiful portrait of their 2009 outlook.

 

Hot Streak – Andrew Garda (Undefeated in Early Games)

Andrew was on fire in the early games of Week One. He began the day 9 for 9, including an Underdog Bonus choice of the Denver Broncos over Cincinnati. Andrew was finally tripped up when his San Francisco 49ers upset the Arizona Cardinals. He still finished tied for first with 15 points. Good week, Andrew!

 

Struck Out Swinging – Scotty Kimberly (four picks eligible for Underdog Bonus)

Picking Kansas City to win in any given week is bold. Picking Oakland to win in any given week is also bold. Picking them to win in the same week is suicide. Don’t believe me? The last time Kansas City and Oakland won in the same week was in September… in 2007!

Scotty took courage to heart and picked four unpopular choices: Tennessee over Pittsburgh, Kansas City over Baltimore, Miami over Atlanta, and Oakland over San Diego. Not a single one hit, and he is currently in last place.

 

What Might Have Been – Seth Doria

Had Brandon Stokley not found an early Christmas present in his lap, the Bengals would have held on to a close victory over Denver, and Seth Doria would be sitting in first place.

Instead, he is nestled into third place, behind two men who earned Underdog points from that same Denver victory. If it weren’t for the tip drill, Seth, you could have been in first.

 

That’s it for Week One. Chip in on what you think.

 

sk.

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The New England Patriots Have True Grit

There are many views about how the Patriots fared Monday night, the majority of which say the Bills just plain choked.  I prefer to think that New England just stepped up to the challenge. 

A young secondary clamped down on Terrell Owens and Lee Evans but somehow failed to shore up the middle part of the field.  They still couldn’t stop the run.  Yet when it counted they stepped up to the challenge and gave Tom Brady the opportunity he needed to lead them to victory. 

Bill Belichick now has a raw defensive blueprint from which to draw on.  He understood that both teams were inexperienced and both Owens and Brady were coming back from injury.  The game was essentially up for grabs and his team found a way to win.

The Mayo injury will test that blueprint even further.

Media heads are now thinking that Belichick must be missing Richard Seymour now, especially since he had a great defensive game.  His team lost when it counted.

Where was that fire when he was here?

Last year when Bruschi needed defensive leadership help, the only one that provided that help was Mayo with his fire and tenacity.  Bruschi saw that and taught him the little nuances of leadership that helped  him to elevate his  game.

Seymour will wow you with statistical numbers, but no one trusted him enough to follow.  New England made a great move; they took their eye-candy Richard Seymour and used him as a dowry for a future option.

I’m sure you have all had some eye-candy in your past lives at one time or other.

Jerod Mayo is the real deal and the defensive coaches of New England will conjure up schemes as the defense continues to grow. 

This weekend the Jets and Rex Ryan smell an easy win because they think they can take advantage of the defense.  They are now for all intensive purposes, in the Jets mind, on equal footing with a slight advantage.  Their next glamour boy of Broadway, Mark Sanchez,  is fresh off a win in Houston. 

The Patriot offense and defense were tested under the bright lights of Monday Night Football and passed.  The Jets walked all over a clueless Texan team.

I’ll put my money on the Pats any day.

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Correcting An Autodraft: Week 1/2—How to Fix a Disaster

It’s very rare that I do an auto draft for any league no matter what the stakes.  If I’m paying for the league or not, I’ve always found that participating in the draft is half the fun, so why miss it?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice for one of my friends’ football leagues this season.  It’s a free league, so I didn’t mind too much, but I wish I had a chance to pre-rank my players at the least.  Something came up at the last minute, costing me a chance to set all but the first few players.

So, I knew what I was going to get in the first round, but was left to hope for the best after that.  It turned out worse then I ever could have imagined.

First of all, let’s just set the rules of the league.  It is a 10-team league, but it has two quarterbacks and a flex spot, so it is still rather deep.  It is also not a PPR league.

Here’s the roster that I was left with after the draft:

1. LaDanian Tomlinson—RB
2. Clinton Portis—RB
3. Pierre Thomas—RB
4. Dwayne Bowe—WR
5. Antonio Bryant—WR
6. Hines Ward—WR
7. Jay Cutler—QB
8. Owen Daniels—TE
9. Pittsburgh Defense
10. Jake Delhomme—QB
11. David Akers—K
12. Willis McGahee—RB
13. Michael Crabtree—WR
14. Shonn Greene—RB
15. Miami Defense
16. Heath Miller—TE
17. Nick Folk—K

There are just too many negatives to really list.  Pierre Thomas in the third?  Bryant in the fifth?  Akers in the eleventh?

So, being handed this debacle of a team, I made it my own goal to try to turn it into a winner.  (I actually came close in the first week, losing by 1.1 pts.)

I want to make something fun out of a difficult situation and went to work.  I’ve made numerous trade offers, though none have been successful quite yet.  I’ve also hit the waiver wire hard, making the following moves:

Prior to Week One:

• Drop Miami Defense, pick up QB Mark Sanchez
• Drop Heath Miller, pick up RB Jamal Charles
• Drop Shonn Greene, pick up QB JaMarcus Russell
• Drop Nick Folk, pick up WR Mushin Muhammad
• Drop Michael Crabtree, pick up WR Sydney Rice

I haven’t stopped there, already hitting the waiver wire this week:

• Drop JaMarcus Russell, pick up WR Justin Gage
• Drop Mushn Muhammad, pick up WR Laurent Robinson

I’ve worked on and sent out a slew of additional trade offers this week, hoping to shake things up.  I may be down early, but I’m far from out.  There’s always hope, you just have to try and figure out where to go and how to make positive moves.

So, here is my question to everyone here.  What would you try to do to improve this team?  Would you trade one of the running backs?  Dwayne Bowe?  Jay Cutler?  Who would you target?

Given the state of this team, I’m going to continue to update on its status on a week-to-week basis, and let’s see just how much magic I can work.

 

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

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The Five Most Gut Punching Cincinnati Bengals Losses Of All Time

(Most Bengals fans would love to knock the smile off of Joe Montana’s [pictured right] face)

For most NFL fan bases, losing a game on an 87-yard tipped touchdown pass would probably be the low point in franchise history.

Not in Cincinnati though. Nightmares happen here more often than on Elm Street.

The truth is that no Cincinnati fan over the age of six actually thought the game was over after Cedric Benson’s touchdown.

With 38 seconds left in the game, I swear to David Klingler I had this exact thought:

“I bet Orton throws a high liner for Marshall that Leon Hall tips into the air, it will be caught by Brandon Stokely, who hasn’t had a catch all day and he’ll scamper 87-yards for a touchdown.”

OK, so I didn’t think that. I was thinking more along the lines of, “I bet Matt Prater makes a 68-yard field goal left-footed with no shoe on.”

Hopefully you get the point here, Bengals fans have very active imaginations when it comes to ways to lose a game.

Anyway, let’s get to the five most gut punching losses ever. Please get out the puke bucket because your stomach is going to get queasy….

Honorable Mention

Sept. 19, 1976 at Baltimore—28-27

Maybe the Bengals should just forfeit weeks one and two to make things easier on the fans. In week two of 1976, the Bengals watch their 27-21 lead disappear late in the fourth quarter on a Roosevelt Leaks two-yard touchdown run.

Cincinnati would finish 10-4 and out of the playoffs. The Colts would go 11-3 and be the last team in.

Jan. 24, 1982, Super Bowl XVI

The Bengals first foray into the big game almost turned into embarrassment when they found themselves down 20-0 at halftime. However, the Bengals came within inches of a miraculous third quarter comeback.

On first-and-goal from the one, Cincinnati had four chances to punch the ball in for a touchdown that would have left the 49er lead at 20-14.

However, this is the Bengals, so we all know what happens. Bengals don’t get in, 49ers end up winning 26-21.

Sept. 13, 2009 vs. Broncos—12-7

You know what happened. The immaculate deflection. Lets just say that historically, the Bengals do not respond well to adversity. See the past 18 seasons for reference.

Sept. 12, 1999 vs. Tennessee—36-35

On opening day 1999, the Bengals managed to blow a 35-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Al Del Greco hit the game winner as time trickled down.

Dec. 31, 2006 vs. Pittsburgh—23-17, OT

Mr. Almost Always Automatic Shayne Graham goes wide on a 39-yard attempt that would have put the Bengals in the playoffs. This is probably just as painful as game number five on the list, but number five shows off Bengal ineptitude, which no other franchise can match.

 

5. Dec. 24, 2006 at Denver

99 percent of Bengals fans had a flashback to this game on Sunday.

Either you did it after Brad St. Louis botched the snap on the first half field goal. Or you kept saying to yourself after Cedric Benson’s touchdown, “They’re going to screw up the extra point, I just know it.”

We all remember this Christmas Eve classic. St. Louis and holder Kyle Larsen look like they’ve never held or snapped a ball in their lives. Blah, blah, blah, read this post for the rest of the story.

Bottom line: this game costs Cincinnati a playoff spot, Bengals lose 24-23.

4. TIE: October 30, 1994 vs. Dallas and October 20, 1996 at San Francisco

I think you’ll notice that the 49ers are on this list 17 times.

Anyway, in the Dallas game, the 0-8 Bengals are 17-point underdogs to the defending Super Bowl champs.

Jeff “Shake n” Blake comes out firing and hits Darnay Scott with two long touchdown passes (67, 55) as the Bengals shoot out to a 14-0 lead. Um, lets see, how does this game end again?

How about Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol hitting a late fourth quarter field goal for a 23-20 Cowboys win.

The 49ers-Bengals game also involves a bomb or two to Darnay Scott. Only this time the Bengals would jump out to a 21-0 lead.

Then Steve Young, who, if you believe the announcers, was dying of cancer in the second half, made a miraculous comeback.

49ers win 28-21 with a fourth quarter touchdown, Young is called a hero, a trooper, and he probably would have been named Pope if he wasn’t Mormon.

3. September 20, 1987 at Cincinnati vs. San Francisco

Former Bengals kicker Jim Breech is going to love this list because three of the five losses listed cost him fame, fortune and probably his own Cessna.

In this game that most fans don’t remember and pretty much is the equivalent of getting hit in the face with a tire iron, Breech hit four field goals (23, 42, 41, 46) including two in the fourth quarter that gave Cincy a 26-20 lead.

With six seconds showing on the clock, the Bengals had the ball on their own 31.

Coach Sam Wyche didn’t want to risk a blocked punt, so he had running back James Brooks run a sweep. The thought being that the speedy Brooks could run out six seconds.

But this is the Bengals, so we all know that didn’t happen.

Brooks loses six yards and is tripped up at the 25-yard line with one second left.

That turns out to be all the time Joe Montana needs to hit Jerry Rice for a game-winning touchdown.

Ray Wersching’s extra point means the 49ers escape Riverfront with a 27-26 win. If you’re looking for a gut punching last second loss where there is no time left on the clock, this is it.

2. September 20, 1992 at Green Bay (Sept. 20 must be cursed. This game, the game above. None of this bodes well for this Sunday’s game.)

I won’t go into detail here about this game because I’ve written about it here on b/r.  Let’s just say Bengals kicker Jim Breech hits a 41-yard field goal to give Cincy a 23-17 lead with 1:11 showing on the clock.

The ensuing kickoff leaves the Pack at their own 8-yard line. 

What do the Packers have going against them?

Top receiver Sterling Sharpe goes out one play into the drive thanks to an injury. Starting quarterback Don Majkowski had already gone down in the first half, so Green Bay needed their backup quarterback (a second year castoff from Atlanta) to drive them 92 yards which is the equivalent of putting a homeless guy in a chemistry lab and asking him to cure AIDS. 

What do you think happens? It’s the Bengals, and it’s the game that makes Brett Favre a legend. Packers 24-23.

Even more heartbreaking, the Bengals were 2-0 going into this game. They would finish the season 5-11.

1. Super Bowl XXIII (I’ll let YouTube explain this one)

But lets just say, Jim Breech makes his cameo appearance with 3:16 left in this game when he hits a 40-yard field goal to put the team up 16-13.

Bengals fans get happy.

Bengals fans realize they will probably lose.

Bengals fans knew this was coming, so crying was kept to a minimum.

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Atlanta Falcons Week 1-2 Mid Week Report: Kickin’ It Old School

The Atlanta Falcons are in the process or preparing for the division rival Carolina Panthers on Sunday, following the team’s impressive 19-7 victory of the Miami Dolphins this past weekend.

Atlanta will debut fresh throwback uniforms for the occasion.

Speaking of throwback, nothing settled Atlanta fans stomachs last week more than some good ole hard-nosed defense.

Mike Peterson, John Abraham, and rising standout Kroy Biermann gave the Fin’s hyped “Wild-Cat” offense serious problems throughout the contest.

Atlanta finished allowing just 259 yards, which was pleasing considering a rather porous performance during preseason.

Not only that, but the defense forced three fumbles, one interception, and sacked quarterback Chad Pennington four times. Abraham and Biermann both had two sacks a piece.

As for Mike Peterson, the seasoned veteran knocked all memories of Keith Brooking out the door, recording the lone interception and a forced fumble.

The corners did not get exposed nearly as much as they had in the preseason contests, however an incredible circus catch involving Greg Camarillo’s ankle and behind inflated the statistics a tad.

The Dolphins also got one of their lone big plays on a halfback throwback to Pennington, who threw the ball downfield to a wide open tight end.

Besides the tush grab and the trick play, the Falcon’s defense was outstanding and did not give up a score until the final minutes with the game already decided.

The score might have also looked a little bit more impressive had the usually sure footed Jason Elam connected more often. Elam, uncharacteristically, missed two field goals and a point after. A more pleasing score would have been 26-7, but 19-7 works too.

Matt Ryan did a good job of quieting critics who believe Michael Turner is the best passing game Atlanta has.

Many pundits have preferred to claim that Atlanta’s imposing rushing threat had a direct influence on the Falcons’ ability to throw last year.

However, with the running game getting stuffed all day, Ryan was still able to complete 22 of 36 attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns—and he had a “sloppy” outing.

Tony Gonzalez helped with five grabs for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Jerious Norwood showed off some good hands with five grabs of his own.

Receivers Michael Jenkins and Roddy White picked up where they left off last year, both hauling in everything thrown their way. White, who had just 49 yards receiving, would have stood out more had Ryan not completely missed him on a beautiful double move on the Falcons first scoring threat.

Overall, the Falcons played a sloppy opening game, but showed they can win ugly—and more importantly, rely on their defense to win them ball games.

Coming into this weekends showdown with the Panthers, it seems like the week two opponent has lost its leverage. Jake Delhomme threw four interceptions and fumbled in the season opener.

Considering how the Falcons defense played in week one, a lack of major strides from Jake Delhomme could mean another dominating performance from the Falcons.

What we can look for this weekend is for the defense to prove their opening game was not a fluke, and for the balance of the Falcons offense  to return.

I’m going to say 23-14 Falcons.

As for the game day attire, the Falcons will be wearing a designated “throwback” uniform for the first time in their history (minus the 1994 season, where every team donned one as part of a special event).

The threads are b-e-a-u-timus! They are very accurate replications of the original Falcons uniform worn in 1966. The jerseys are plain black templates with the old Falcons crest on the sleeves and white block numbers laced in red.

The helmet is red with the original white, black, and gold—yes I said gold—stripe.

White pants, and striped socks complete the uniform.

They are by far one of the sharpest throwback uniforms the NFL will see this year.

 

 

 

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NFL Fantasy Quick Hits (Sep. 16th)

Michael Vick Taken Off Exempt List, Okay to Practice

Jeff Garcia just cried.

Now that the Eagles have Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Garcia, and an active Vick, a decision will have to be made.

Vick should be ready to go in week three and is a strong candidate for some serious action in Wildcat packages, and could even end up being the back-up quarterback to McNabb.

Regardless of his designated role, his being active forces Philly to decide one way or the other on Kolb’s future with the team, as well as re-evaluate signing Garcia.

Patriots Jerod Mayo Has Sprained MCL

Sources are initially saying Mayo could be sidelined with an MCL sprain for roughly three weeks, while other reports have it appearing to be much more serious.

The latter sources state the possibility of it being a “level three” sprain, which is a half a step away from a complete tear, and could see Mayo miss almost two months.

Any substantial time missed by Mayo would deeply affect this young Patriots defense.

NFL Won’t Suspend Saints’ Defensive Linemen

This is good news for Charles Grant and Will Smith, and even better news for the Saints growing defense.

Believe it or not, the Saints look to have a solid rush defense in 2009, so watch your matchups now that Grant and Smith are cleared to play for the entire season.

LaDainian Tomlinson to be Game-Day Decision

With LT already losing game-time work to Darren Sproles, his rolled ankle couldn’t have come at a worse time.

And you thought it was all gravy when he scored that touchdown early on Monday night, didn’t you?

Well, think again.

Tomlinson should still be valuable this season, but expecting more than 50 yards and a touchdown on any given week would be a tremendous reach.

Sproles is already figuring to be the better fantasy play, starting with week two’s matchup against Oakland.

Matt Cassel Still Questionable For Week Two

At this point, who cares?

Todd Haley has reportedly been enamored with Cassel’s drive to get healthy and try to play in week two, but with good depth at quarterback, he and Cassel won’t rush it.

Even if he makes the start, he’s both an injury risk and a low-level start due to Oakland’s active secondary.

Tom Cable Addresses Oakland’s Running Back “Situation”

Darren McFadden is still the starter, but after Michael Bush’s solid Monday night performance, questions were raised about both players’ playing time, as well as how Justin Fargas would fit into the mix.

Both Bush and Fargas are “the back-up” to McFadden, and should split carries in the appropriate situations.

Bush is a demon at the goal-line in short yardage, while Fargas is an excellent every-down runner with great blitz pick-up ability.

It’s clear that at least in some respects, there remains a three-headed horse at running back in Oakland.

 

Go check out www.theredzonereport.com for Fantasy tips, advice, and injury updates.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Top Priority: Protect Ben Roethlisberger

In the voluminous outpouring of analysis of the Steelers’ running game that has followed the Steelers vs. Titans game last Thursday, what is missing is the amazing fact that the Steelers won.

True, I am unabashedly clinging to a silver lining but honestly, I feel that the 2008 Steelers would have lost that game had it been their season opener the previous September.

Looking back to the four losses suffered by the Steelers in the 2008 season, reasons can be found to applaud the progress that has been made by the team in the offseason and perhaps get our hopes back on track for a repeat.

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