NFL Quick Hits (Sep. 30th)

(The quarterback musical chairs continues.)

Marion Barber Expected to Face Denver

Considering how badly he wanted to play on Monday night, this isn’t very surprising. Throw in the fact that Felix Jones is hurt, and it’s downright predictable.

ESPN’s Michael Smith reports that Barber may be “eased” back in, and may not actually start Sunday’s contest with the Broncos, but he’s a good bet to get 10-15 carries.

Keep your eye on the situation, and keep Tashard Choice handy whether or not you’re a Barber owner.

Derek Anderson to Replace Brady Quin as Cleveland’s Starter

Yeah, because he did better than Quinn last week, right?

Anderson’s three first-half interceptions should have been a good indication that he’s not the guy for the job, but after two and a half dismal offensive performances, Eric Mangini figures it’s time for a change.

After all, if he doesn’t correct things quickly, he will be the change.

The upside here is Anderson has a better connection with “star” receiver Braylon Edwards, and Mangini is banking on the two re-connecting against a defense a little less over-whelming than the Baltimore Ravens. We’ll see.

Glen Coffee to Be “Every Down” Back While Frank Gore is Out

This just goes to show you the trust the 49ers have in Coffee, and quite possibly the lack of trust they have in his back-up, Michael Robinson.

Coffee showed great vision and athleticism throughout the preseason, and fought hard for 50+ yards on 25 carries against a stout Minnesota front line.

Expect a solid day with Coffee and the 49ers looking for revenge against the lowly Rams.

Saints Tackle Jammal Brown Out For Season

This could potentially impact the running game in the long-run, but probably has more to do with Drew Brees future in 2009, than anything else.

Brown never recovered from multiple surgeries, and was only a good bet to start playing by mid-season, anyways.

While the loss hurts the Saints have been doing just fine without him up until now.

Felix Jones Definitely Out Against Denver

His knee sprain is bad enough that Dallas won’t rush him back. After all, if they weren’t rushing back Marion Barber, why rush back his back-up?

Tashard Choice showed he still has game after scoring a touchdown and running for almost as many yards as Jones against Carolina on Monday night.

Choice is a strong bet to get 10-15 touches against the Broncos this Sunday with Barber still “iffy”.

Chad Pennington Officially Put on IR

Pennington’s season was officially ended after the acquisition of Tyler Thigpen demanded a roster spot.

At 33, and with a history of shoulder injuries, it’s quite possible Pennington’s career could be over. He will wait to get a second opinion, but will ultimately need surgery down the road.

If he ever does make it back as a starter somewhere else, however, he could be a candidate for an unprecedented third “Comeback Player of the Year” award. Here’s top hoping, Chad.

For all the rest of your fantasy news and advice, go here.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Football: Risers and Fallers

(Coffee will benefit from Gore’s absence.)

It took one carry to change Glen Coffee’s fortunes, sending him from solid back-up to fantasy riser status.

Read on for analysis on Coffee and other risers, as well as some players who are dropping in value, and are strong candidates to also be dropped from your team.

 

Risers

Glen Coffee, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Last Week: 25 att, 54 yds, 0 TD

Coffee is only averaging 1.8 yards per carry on the season, but considering 25 of his 35 career carries came against the Vikings’ stout run defense, you should give him a break.

Frank Gore’s ankle injury should keep Coffee’s value at a solid level, and considering San Francisco’s dedication to smash-mouth football, Coffee should project as a fine RB2 against St. Louis and Atlanta for the next two weeks.

Available in 76 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

 

Pierre Garcon, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Last Week: 3 rec, 64 yds, 1 TD

Garcon scored his second straight touchdown and looked much more comfortable as Peyton Manning’s second receiver than he did on last Monday night.

The better chemistry the two have, the better Garcon’s value is. Tight end Dallas Clark is still Manning’s official “number two,” but Garcon is an explosive target that Manning should continue to look to more and more leading up to Anthony Gonzalez’s return.

Available in 67 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

 

Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Last Week: 7 rec, 96 yds, 2 TD

In just one game against Minnesota, Davis both matched his 2009 reception total, as well as his 2008 touchdown total.

It’s clear that Davis is becoming a bigger part of the offense, and as long as Shaun Hill is confiding in him, he should project as a solid TE2 with the potential to finally achieve TE1 numbers down the stretch.

Available in 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

 

Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

Last Week: 17-30, 171 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 4 att, 10 yds, 1 TD

Sanchez proves more each week that he’s a flat-out gamer, and is also proving to be a reliable fantasy option. I’m not sure if he’s channeling Matt Ryan or not, but it’s time to stop waiting for him to mess up, and get him on your roster.

He may not be ready to stand with the big boys as a QB1 yet, and may not all season, but if you were running with Chad Pennington or were still holding out hope on Kyle Orton or Trent Edwards, it may be time to make the jump on Sanchez.

Available in 58 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

For the “Fallers” and much more fantasy advice and news, go here.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Quick Hits (Sep. 27)

Frank Gore Expected Out For “at least” Two Weeks

NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora is reporting that Gore will miss about two weeks with what seems to be a high ankle sprain.

There are conflicting reports, but the fact that Gore only had one carry in a very close and heated battle with the Vikings, shows he was hurt fairly badly.

This benefits rookie Glen Coffee immensely, as he has soft match-ups against the Rams and Falcons coming up. Coffee had a horrible rush average, but did find his way to 50+ yards rushing against a tough Minnesota front-line.

Chad Pennington Misses Half of Sunday’s Action With Shoulder Injury

Not much is known specifically about the injury, but it did force trainers to cut Pennington’s jersey just to take a good look at it. Pennington was also seen inspecting and flexing his wrist while exiting the field.

It’s never a good sign when trainers have to use scissors to remoe a jersey, simply to look at an injury.

Chad Henne stepped in and performed well enough to suggest a controversy if Pennington is even slightly less-than-ready for next week’s action.

Donovan McNabb Expected Back After Bye Week

Kevin Kolb has been playing well, and the Eagles got past the Chiefs (quite handily) without McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Kevin Curtis.

Sure, it was only the Chiefs, but Kolb moved the ball with ease, while DeSean Jackson was more explosive than he had been all season.

LeSean McCoy also filled in nicely for Westbrook, giving Andy Reid and the coaching staff extra confidence that McNabb can take all the time he needs to rest.

Jim Zorn Still Redskins Head Coach, For Now

Zorn’s Redskins are 1-2, with their only win being a less-than-impressive 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams. And their latest loss? A 19-14 defeat by the hands of the formerly hapless Detroit Lions.

Their offense is virtually non-existent, and even when it’s working, it’s fairly predictable.

Zorn and the Redskins have a match-up with Tampa Bay next week that looks like a win on paper. And if Zorn want to keep his job, it better be one.

Terrell Owens Held Catch-less For First Time Since 1997

This is bigger than T.O. or anyone in Buffalo will let on.

Remember when Jerry Rice went an entire game without a catch for the first time in over 10 years? Yeah, he was with the Raiders, regressed the rest of the way in his final season with them, and was out of football by the end of the next year.

Owens may not be too far off. With regressing hands (if you can imagine that) and an inability to effectively beat double teams, Owens value is dropping on a run-first team.

Byron Leftwich to Remain Starter

It’s still his job, if only by default.

Josh Johnson didn’t look too much better, and Raheem Morris still isn’t about to throw Josh Freeman into the fire.

After seeing how awful his offense with a veteran under center, Morris would be smart to stick with his guns. Freeman’s career would be over before it even started.

Leftwich, on the other hand, would have a hard time not rebounding from a horrible showing with a relatively friendly match-up with the Redskins in week four.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Favre Saves Vikings, Himself, and NFL

Like it or not cheeseheads, the magic is back; and you have a date with it next Monday night.

Brett Favre erased an otherwise forgettable second half of three-and-out’s, an interception, and a turnover on downs by throwing the game-winner against the San Francisco 49ers.

But it wasn’t so cut and dry as that; after all, with Favre, it rarely is.

On third and three from the 49ers 32-yard line, Favre dropped back, rolled to his right, avoided a sack, and then launched one of his classic bullets jut before getting thrown to the turf. Greg Lewis did the rest, stretching his entire body out, making the catch, and then possessing the awareness to come down with both feet in bounds.

No, really, watch this one again. It’s one for the ages.

With Adrian Peterson being locked down outside of a nice 35-yard run, the rest was on Favre and the Vikings defense. When the defense began to cave, Favre and the Vikings got one last crack at it, and then lost their chance after Favre incompleted a pass on fourth down with two minutes remaining.

At least, that’s what they thought.

The Vikings defense turned things around and held the 49ers to a three-and-out on the next possession, giving Favre one last shot at making things right. One last shot at restoring the magic, validating the big-money signing, and one last shot at injecting life into the Minnesota faithful.

After failing to top 155 passing yards in his first two games due to a conservative offense, Favre was finally unleashed, as he passed the ball 47 times en route to 301 yards and two touchdowns; the last one putting an epic stamp on Favre’s new presence as a Minnesota quarterback.

Favre quickly led the Vikings down the field from his 20-yard line, as he completed six passes, including the final throw, as he was calm and cool- exactly what the Vikings thought they had paid for.

After his throw sent the Minnesota crowd into a frenzy, Favre only had enough strength to lift his head, watch what he had created come to life, and then, dropped his face into the turf exhausted.

Now, with Green Bay coming into town next Monday night, Favre and the rest of the offense will have to regroup, correct the mistakes that stalled their early success, and do everything possible to ensure that whatever magic was in that stadium Sunday afternoon, stays there.

It’s like Jared Allen said, “Be Brett. Just one time. Be Brett.”

And thankfully, for all the purple-people-eaters out there, Favre found his “ness.” His Favre-ness.

It’s moments like these that remind us what football is all about, and why Brett Favre, for as long as he desires to, is more than welcome to be a part of them.

This may not validate the Vikings signing Favre quite yet, despite five touchdowns and only one interception, as well as a 3-0 record. But it’s sure one hell of a start.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Quick Hits (Sep. 26th)

Derrick Ward to Start Over Carnell Wiliams

This is awesome news for anyone who drafted Ward and was holding out hope that he’d start to get more carries. Congratulations, your wish has been granted.

Williams, owners, yours has not. As expected, Cadillac’s knee is acting up again, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season, his immediate status, or his future in the league.

Let’s hope this is only a one-week set-back. That is, unless you own Ward.

Wes Welker Questionable, Randy Moss Added to Injury Report

Great, just like last week.

Except of course, now Moss owners have to worry about an injury taking Moss out of action like it did for Welker in Week 2. He practiced both on Wednesday and Thursday, though, so it’s up in the air if this is just time off, or an injury flaring up.

Both Joey Galloway and Julian Edelman (also now questionable) would benefit immensely from added looks with either Moss or Welker out.

Galloway caught his first five passes of the season with Welker out last week, while Edelman caught eight for 98 yards.

Clinton Portis Questionable, Should Play

The Redskins are saying he’ll play, and he’s just being limited as a precaution.

After a weak performance against the lowly Rams, the Skins’ need all the offensive firepower they can get to avoid being the first team to lose to Detroit in over a year.

Count on Portis starting and having a solid day.

Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Stokley Questionable For Sunday

Moreno is nursing a groin injury while Stokley is dealing with a thigh injury.

They both have been very active in Denver’s offense of late, and Stokley is Denver’s leading receiver, but they have late games and are expected to be game-time decisions.

You won’t cry over not starting Stokley this week, and if you can, find a safer alternative for Moreno.

LaDainian Tomlinson Ruled Out For Game With Dolphins

After the offense put on a show against a stout Ravens defense, Norv Turner probably feels fairly confident that Darren Sproles and company can get it done against an average Dolphins defense.

Don’t bank on Sproles being the guy to start here, though, as Philip Rivers could have a Peyton Manning-like game as the Colt had last Monday night.

Tomlinson should be ready to go in the Chargers next game after being able to completely rest his ankle for two straight games.

Dwayne Bowe Questionable For Sunday

Him and everybody else, it seems.

Like several other receivers across the league, Bowe is dealing with a sore hamstring, and is 50-50 to make Sunday’s contest with the Eagles.

Philly’s defense was burned by New Orleans last week, so there’s a chance for a break-out effort, and considering Scot Pioli always had his New England players listed as questionable before game-days, the media could be blowing this out of proportion.

Texans’ Kevin Walter Upgraded to Probable

He’s been dealing with a bad hamstring for two weeks now, and considering it’s just now getting better, he may not be a great play, even if he does start.

The Texans are facing a horrendous Jacksonville secondary, but Walter is too big of a risk to rely on for anything more than a Flex spot or a last-dash for a WR3.

If possible, wait for the hammy to be fully healed before you count on him to produce.

Pierre Thomas Probable, Mike Bell Out For Saints

Looking for more advice? Go here for more injury and status updates, as well as Start and Sit advice.

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NFL Week Three: Five Things to Watch For

(Will Favre finally get to air it out?)

The first two weeks of the NFL season have been nothing short of exciting and informative, both from a fantasy and “real-life” spectrum.

We’ve seen a ton of close games, prime-time performances worthy of being shown under the lights, and enough stud fantasy production to make us feel “okay” about how we drafted before the season began.

On the other hand, we still have some uneasy feelings, even as we approach week three.

First we can’t be completely certain about the futures of some of the leagues undefeated teams. Are they truly division, playoff, and/or Super Bowl contenders? Or are they just getting off to 2008 Buffalo Bills-type fast starts?

Are the Patriots going to continue being this sluggish? Is this really a new and improved San Francisco team? And, quite naturally we think to ourselves, is this Mark Sanchez kid for real?

Those are just a few of the questions meandering in our thoughts as we make our bets, picks and set our weekly fantasy line-ups. Unfortunately, however, none of those questions can be answered in one week.

For the things to watch for, or the things that can actually be answered in week three, continue reading:

5. Will the Browns Finally Score an Offensive Touchdown?

Not only will the Browns not score an offensive touchdown, but I’m fairly confident that they can go another two or three games without doing so.

Brady Quinn looks flustered almost all the time, their running game is virtually non-existent, and Braylon Edwards is their only real threat on offense, and he can’t even catch the ball.

Believe me, the trade talks are heating up in Cleveland, and Eric Mangini wants a Leon Washington like Whitney Houston wants her voice back. Oh, too soon?

But seriously, it’s already really bad in Cleveland, as their main offensive threat has been Phil Dawson. Considering his off-season contractual issues, do you think this guy finally has leverage to get a new deal?

The worst part is actually the fact that Cleveland has to take its woeful rushing offense and run defense up against the Baltimore Ravens, a team that can run the ball at will, and can fall asleep while punishing running backs into submission.

Just ask Darren Sproles how it felt last week. Or Larry Johnson in week one.

You truly won’t know how happy Jamal Lewis is that he has a bad hammy until after you watch this game.

Fantasy Perspective: Outside of Joe Flacco getting another crack at 300 yards and Ray Rice and Willis McGahee running wild, is there one? Not for Cleveland, there isn’t.

Your only “safe” bets are Brady Quinn (33 attempts per game), and hope he doesn’t throw 33 interceptions, and Braylon Edwards (six catches last week), and hope he doesn’t go back to his one reception performance of week one. That’s way too much hoping for my liking.

4. Can the Giants Ground Attack Get Back on Track?

The Giants are 2-0, appear to be the best team in football, and are loving every minute of Eli Manning and his chemistry with his new top receivers.

Oh, and their defensive front four is making opposing quarterbacks cry. Constantly.

Even with Justin Tuck (shoulder) expected out for 1-2 weeks, they’re expected to not miss a beat. Sorry, Steve Spagnuolo, but apparently you aren’t going to be that missed.

Regardless of all the great things happening in New York, for what seems to be the third consecutive year now, there is still some ground that needs to be made-up. Quite literally, actually.

While the Giants rush attack of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw hasn’t been non-existent, it has still been very under-whelming.

However, with a nice match-up with Tampa Bay’s soft run defense and spotty secondary, it figures to be a beautiful day for both backs in the Giants backfield, and also could figure to be a cakewalk for Eli Manning and the receivers, too.

Nothing like finally getting your entire offense clicking on all levels on your way to a 3-0 start.

Fantasy Perspective: The Buccaneers gave-up 160 rushing yards to Fred Jackson, and watched “Team Obliterator” (T.O.-thank you, Skip Bayless) obliterate them. Well, sort of.

It’s a safe bet that the Giants as a whole are better than the Bills on every level, so don’t be shy: Manning, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Brandon Jacobs, and Ahmad Bradshaw all make solid plays in week three.

3. Will Brett Favre and the Vikings Finally Air it Out?

In one completely unnecessary and made-up word: Abso-freaking-lutely.

It’s arguably been all about Adrian Peterson for the first two weeks, as Minnesota’s solid defense has allowed only two offensive touchdowns, and then sitting back and relaxing while the man nicknamed “All-Day” has waltzed his way to over 270 rushing yards.

But against a much better San Francisco defense, it will surely take more than Peterson to put up more than the 25.5 points they’ve been averaging. However, maybe not too much more.

While the 49ers have been solid on defense through the first two weeks, they, like Minnesota, haven’t been truly tested, as they beat up a struggling Cardinals team that couldn’t run the ball, and ran all over a Seahawks team that lost Matt Hasselbeck mid-way through the game.

Something tells me Brett Favre and the rest of the offense aren’t about two lay an egg at home after winning two straight on the road.

Fantasy Perspective: Even if Adrian Peterson doesn’t figure to crack 150 and ramble for 2 or more scores, you still leave him in your line-up. He’s Adrian Peterson.

On a lighter note, this may be the week where it’s finally time for Brad Childress to see just what he has in Brett Favre. Prepare for some fireworks.

Want the final two things to watch for? Head over to TRZR to check them out, as well as get a good dose of NFL and Fantasy Football news.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Brett Favre Leads Vikings to Win, Still Getting No Respect

No thanks, Adrian Peterson. Brett Favre had this one.

Favre may still not own a 200-yard passing day as a Viking, but no one ever said winning games had to or would come by launching 50-yard passes.

Favre can’t face the 2007 Denver Broncos in overtime every week. But then again, he won’t be getting back-to-back supposed “cakewalk” matches with the Browns and Lions on a regular basis, either.

The Vikings stumbled through another sorry first half and collected themselves in time to earn their second straight victory, despite facing their second 0-2 ball club.

But no matter the excuse or reason, the criticism on Favre and the rest of this Minnesota offense has got to stop. I’m talking about you, Mike Lombardi, and the rest of you yardage-cravers that are so deep in your Drew Brees man-crush that you can’t recognize pure, honest leadership when you see it.

Down 10-0 on the road, against a hungry Lions team that hadn’t won in over an entire season, Favre gave his usual “whatever” shrug, and calmly presented a “we can do this” facial expression that mixes between a frown and a smile. We’ll call it a smrown.

The Brett Favre smrown.

Regardless, Favre proceeded to, with the help of the running game of course, march Minnesota down the field to respond with a touchdown pass.

Favre and the Vikings then went into halftime down by three points for the second consecutive week, only to emerge victorious with a 27-13 win, out-scoring the Lions 27-3 following the Lions short-lived 10-0 lead.

Yes, Favre has not passed for over 160 yards yet. Yes, he only has three touchdowns. And yes, the competition has been average, at best.

But, like most Favre skeptics, you’re only looking at the obvious truths if you banish Favre and the rest of the Vikings to the land of the mediocre this early in the season.

For instance, while both Detroit and Cleveland are sorry opponents to ramble off insane scoring sprees of 24-0 and 27-3, it must be brought to the public’s attention that both of these performances have come on the road.

I’m guessing most writers bashing Favre and the supposedly “one-dimensional” Vikings wouldn’t tell you that. Regardless of which team you’re playing, any player in the history of the league will tell you that is impressive.

And both times after trailing at halftime? Even more impressive.

But that’s not where the list of feats ends.

While Favre may not yet be airing it out to Bernard Berrian and co., he has been completely error free, while completing 77 percent of his passes, en route to a fabulous quarterback rating over 110.

The other thing to think about is how the Vikings didn’t need Favre to carry them in week one. And when they hit a block in the road against Detroit, they simply borrowed him for a touchdown pass to get back in the game, and then another late in the game to seal the win.

The guy isn’t trying to bite off more than he can chew, and the coaching staff is doing a fantastic job of not asking him to.

If you were to tell me the Vikings would be 2-0 against anyone to start the season, Favre wouldn’t have any interceptions, and both games were on the road, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

But alas, here we are, judging and predicting, giving excuses and arguing.

The fact is, the NFL isn’t about power rankings and who we think is the best player or which team has the best offense.

Whether we like it or not, Favre is playing flawless football, the Vikings are a well-balanced attack, and their defense has allowed 26 points through two games.

Regardless of your opinion of all of that, Brett Favre has got to be loving it.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Risers: Promoting Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon

Their lines from Sunday aren’t going to make you fall off your chair. You won’t be racing your friends to the waiver wire.

But maybe you should be.

Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, the immediate beneficiaries of extra targets and playing time in the wake of Anthony Gonzalez’s knee injury, are worth taking a chance on.

True, it will be difficult pinpointing which of these young, talented receivers will progress the most and take advantage of their new role in the offense. But both should make big enough strides to warrant roster consideration in deep leagues.

Let’s look at the facts:

Anthony Gonzalez was the No. 2 receiver in the Colts’ pass-happy offense, which meant that these two guys were already fighting for decent action as the third and fourth receivers.

The loss of mini-Gonzo simply means that one of them is, at least for label’s sake, the team’s new No. 2, while the other is the team’s official third receiver.

However, with the chemistry Manning has with tight end Dallas Clark, we can safely assume we’ll still see Clark splitting out and lining up in the slot as he has done much of the past two years.

Regardless, both receivers will see a solid rise in production and targets (Garcon had five on Sunday, while Collie had three).

So what separates them?

Garcon is better suited to play the outside, as he has better speed and overall play-making ability.

However, Collie was more productive in college, has much better hands, and is a precise route-runner. On that same note, Collie isn’t exactly an athletic push-over, either, as he isn’t leaps and bounds below Garcon when it comes to speed and agility.

Regardless, with Collie’s strengths putting him mostly in the slot to start, his value is limited initially, as the Colts are likely to put Dallas Clark in the slot at least 50% of the time.

With the long-term view in mind, however, Collie may be the better pick-up. Manning wouldn’t mind having a second sure-handed receiver who knows how to get open, and while we may not see it happening immediately, Collie could end up having a very solid stretch up until Gonzalez’s return.

There is a strong argument to add both players, as the final answer ultimately comes down to what players are on your roster, the depth of your league, and who else is available in the free agency pool.

Still, despite the likelihood that at least one of these players will see significant improvement starting this Monday night, both players remain available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Take the early jump on the Colts receiver of your choosing, but know that one of them will surely be handing out solid fantasy production when the lights go on this coming Monday.

For all other fantasy advice and needs, go here.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Quick Hits (Sep 17th)

Colts’ Anthony Gonzalez Eyeing Week Seven Return

Whew.

Peyton Manning and Gonzalez owners can breathe a collective sigh of relief. While it’s great news that Gonzalez is officially coming back in 2009, losing him for the next six weeks hurts the Colts offense.

Not to mention leaves a hole in your receiving corps. If you only had the mini-Gonzo as a WR3 you should be able to recover just fine. Anything more, and you could be in the position Indy is is.

Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon are top considerations to replace him in Indianapolis.

Paul Posluszny Out Indefinitely With Arm Injury

Posluszny broke his left arm in Monday night’s action and had surgery to repair it on Tuesday.

While it’s a big loss and “Puz” will miss significant time, it’s not season-ending, and a speedy recovery is hopeful.

Dick Jauron is taking the conservative approach and guessing on a return around mid-season, but arm injuries are fairly easy to come back from, especially as a linebacker. Posluszny is a tough beast too, so you can expect him back before week eight.

Kevin Kolb to Start for Eagles if Donovan McNabb Can’t

It’s beginning to be old news, but Andy Reid wants everyone to know how he’s “rolling” with his quarterback depth chart.

Eliminating any mixed signals from the Jeff Garcia signing probably isn’t a bad thing.

Regardless of who starts this Sunday, neither Kolb or McNabb make particularly sexy starts against an improved Saints defense that picked off Matthew Stafford three times.

Kolb is healthy, but reportedly could be yanked in favor of either McNabb or Garcia if he’s ineffective. The same could apply to McNabb if he does indeed start, with his injury being the main concern. Keep away from Eagles quarterback this week.

LaDainian Tomlinson Doesn’t Practice, Wears Boot

A boot is only a good sign if you’re a pirate or a cowboy.

LT is neither, at least to the best of our knowledge.

Regardless, even a completely healthy LT isn’t a terrific play against the Baltimore Ravens, while Darren Sproles still looks to carve into his carries, as well.

If you can stay clear of Tomlinson for the week and do as the Chargers do; wait for him to get healthy.

Saints’ Pierre Thomas Practices, Still Questionable

Thomas did complete a full practice with the Saints on Wednesday, but did so with a “heavy brace”.

Not exactly what you want to hear.

The Saints have good depth at running back, and after Mike Bell’s huge game against the Lions, they’re unlikely to rush Thomas back.

As reported before, even if he does play on Sunday, he’s almost guaranteed to see a three-way timeshare with Bell and Reggie Bush.

“Hold Your Horses”, Darren Sproles Not a Feature Back

While speculation is a fun experiment, it doesn’t always bring out the truth.

Despite Sproles being used more in the passing game and late in the game on Monday night, reports have the reason having more to do with LaDainian Tomlinson’s ankle injury, rather than a passing of the torch.

This gives a good amount of value back to LT, as well as some confidence back to his owners. LT is still questionable for Sunday’s action, and if he does miss the game, Sproles is expected to split carries with Michael Bennett.

New York Jets and Eric Mangini Fined $75,000

Jets GM Mike Tannenbuam was fined 25,000, while Mangini, now with Cleveland, was fined the same amount.

The Jets failed to report Brett Favre’s arm injury during the stretch run last season, and have been under scrutiny of the league since Favre released the information.

This should equate to the Favre/Jets relationship officially coming to a close.

For all other Fantasy injury and status updates, visit www.theredzonereport.com

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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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