FALCONS: The Falcons boast the 7th rated rush offense and face the Bengals 18th ranked rush defense. The Falcons know the Bengals will air it out and will give Cedric Benson all the work he can handle to keep the ball out of Palmer's hands. Matt Ryan finally got Jenkins back who saw as many targets as White last week. The Bengals do have corners capable of covering Jenkins and White well leaving the opportunity to bring a man up against Turner's rush attack. Turner has not looked particularly stellar this year but will be a good start given the work load he should see. Given the tight secondary the Bengals will play, look for Gonzales to score with single coverage.
Cincinnati has the better match ups here offensively and despite their lack of a pass rush will probably use a lot of cover 1 effectively. Cincinnati is in a much more desperate situation and coming off an extra week to prepare should be effective. Atlanta plays great at home but loses this one by a hair. CINCI 27-ATL 24.
FANTASY STARTS: BENGALS: Palmer (270 yds. 2 TD) Ochocinco (5 for 90 1 TD) T.O. (4 for 60 1 TD) FALCONS: Turner (19 for 100 yds. 1 TD) Gonzales (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) White (7 for 80 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: J. Greisham CIN...Given how the ATL secondary will have it's hands full, Greisham should be productive and sneak in for a score.
SLEEPER: J. Greisham CIN...Given how the ATL secondary will have it's hands full, Greisham should be productive and sneak in for a score.
JACKSONVILLE JAGS at KC CHIEFS: JAGS: David Gerrard went down with what seems to be yet another concussion on Monday night and Trent Edwards has been diagnosed with a thumb injury serious enough for Del Rio to call in some players for a work out. Whoever the QB is, it will be on them to win this game. KC ranks 5th against the run so MJD should be relatively held in check. Good news for Jags is that they also rank 25th against the pass. However if it boils down to Patrick Ramsey or some other guy they pull off the street all Jags, yes even MJD become secondary thoughts if you have another warm body to replace them. If Gerrard does play, MJD is an average play but Simms-Walker and Mike Thomas become decent #3 WR options.
CHIEFS: Somehow in a game where everything went right for the Chiefs they managed to lose. It was a bad call, but none the less was a loss. Todd Hailey has these guys believing in what they can do and the Chiefs are a legitimate contender for the division this year. Jacksonville is 19th against the run where the Chiefs are tops in the league. The Jags are even worse against the pass facing a Matt Cassel that hit his stride last week and looks to build on it. All the Chiefs look to be solid plays this week in Arrowhead where it's tough enough for better teams to win much less the Jags.
The Chiefs should have a field day with Jacksonville, regardless who starts.
KC 28-JAGS 17.
FANTASY STARTS: CHIEFS: Charles (13 for 90 yds 1 TD) Jones (10 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Cassel (240 yds 1 TD) Bowe (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD)
JAGS: If Gerrard plays...MJD (14 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Mike Simms-Walker (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Chris Chambers....If KC gets up quick they will want to involve Chambers and show him some love after he was the only one left out in the cold last week.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS at CHICAGO BEARS: SKINS: Mcnabb and co. finally ran out of 4th quarter luck against the Colts. Washington continues to hang around and while they are not excelling in anything they always get that play when they need it. Torain should find it hard against the Bears 3rd ranked rush defense leaving it to Mcnabb to put up the points. I love Anthony Armstrong and think by season end he becomes this teams leading TD grabber. Look for a big game from him this week against the Bears 18th ranked pass D.
BEARS: A huge let down last week to the Seabags will have this team hungry again. I called the upset last week and believe it was a result of several factors, one being Cutlers rust. That won't be the case this week. Greg Olsen needs to be involved this week as Martz tends to just forget about him yet the team is more effective when he gets targets. Aromashadu actually played last week and is interesting this week to see how they use him. The Skins rank 31st against the pass so there should be plenty to go around for Knox, Olsen and even Hester.
The Bears offense should thrive in this match up as there really is no Washington defense to speak of.
BEARS 31- SKINS 21
FANTASY STARTS: WASH: Mcnabb (250 yds. 2 TD) Armstrong (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Moss (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) CHI: Cutler (300yds. 3 TD) Knox (6 for 110 yds. 1 TD) Hester (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Forte ( 14 for 90 yds./ 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Olsen ( 4 for 50 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: K. Williams WASH....after last week, he should look to be more involved going ahead. Maybe as a 3rd down back but could see more action with Torain a bit nicked up.
CLEVELAND BROWNS at NO SAINTS: BROWNS: As if it couldn't get worse, Massoqoui and Cribbs went down with injuries. Massoqoui seems more serious as he may have a concussion and was down for a bit before getting up. Cribbs is a gamer and it wouldn't surprise me if he plays. McCoy probably gets the start, but he is facing an uphill battle against a NO pass Defense that ranks 7th and likes to bring the heat. NO brought 8 and even 9 men up against the Bucs last week and should have no problem being effective again. Hillis says he will be fine after getting banged up as well but will see too many Saints in his way to be effective.
SAINTS: Quite simply, a great match up for Brees and co. whom will be facing the Browns 21st pass defense and 23rd Run defense. Chris Ivory should get the start again and is a good bet to hit 100 yards. Look for Colston to get his this week after not having a huge day while everyone else did against the Bucs.
The Saints should roll over the Browns...NO 32-CLE 13.
FANTASY STARTS: BROWNS: Watson (7 for 60yds. 1 TD) Hillis (17 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
SAINTS: EVERYBODY!!! Just be wary of Devery Henderson who continues to look phased out since Bush' injury.
SLEEPER: Julius Jones....The Saints should be trying to be respectable and run often in the 4th, giving Ivory some rest and Jones garbage time that could result in a score. Betts is a possibility here too depending on which back Payton wants to get a better look at.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at TENNESSEE TITANS: EAGLES: Kolb gets the nod as Vick still lingers and all of a sudden Reid seems to be easing off the Vick is the starter rhetoric. The Eagles will be without Deshaun Jackson who suffered memory loss and is a good bet to lose decent time possibly after the bye week. Jason Avant becomes the pick up you want since he's a good possession guy and does have the ability to break one. Celek gets a big boost since he already is Kolb's go to guy in the red zone and of course Maclin is a must start. The Titans have the 23rd ranked pass defense and 8th rush defense so look for a lot of success through the air.
TITANS: Vince Young got away with only a knee sprain but is iffy for Sunday as it stands. Collins looked like he hasn't missed a beat, and should get the start even if Young feels good to go. Scaife seemed to actually play better with Collins and gets a little boost here since Britt will be facing the Eagles 9th rated pass defense. Tennessee will...run the ball, especially against a lower tier rush defense like the Eagles. Look for a lot of ground game, ball control to keep Kolb off the field.
The Titans are hot right now and looking for three straight as are the Eagles. This will be an interesting game and higher scoring than most people would expect since both teams strengths play to each others weaknesses. While the CJ run game will eat clock and move the ball, I give the edge to the Eagles who have a stronger pass game and may force a rusty Collins into a turnover or two which decides the game. Collins looked good last week, but it was the Jags. PHI 28-TEN 24
FANTASY STARTS: EAGLES: Celek (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Maclin (8 for 100 yds. 1 TD) McCoy (14 for 60 yds. 1 TD) TITANS: CJ (16 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Britt (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Scaife ( 5 for 55 yds.)
SLEEPER: Jason Avant PHI....He will see enough targets and if the Titans force coverage on Maclin he will get a lions share of the yardage with a score.
BUFFALO BILLS at BALTIMORE RAVENS: BILLS: Fred Jackson is expected to get the ball in his hands more as Buffalo realizes he is their best option as CJ Spiller develops. Unfortunately, he will face 8 man fronts since Baltimore has the 3rd rated pass defense and is capable of keeping the Bills receivers in check with man to man coverage. There really doesn't seem to be many positives for the Bills this week as the Ravens defensive strengths fit well with the Bills strengths. However, S. Johnson will be the one to watch as he has the speed and ability to make the Ravens pay if they get over zealous.
RAVENS: The Ravens are actually middle of the pack in both offensive categories and face a Bills team that does rank 10th against the pass and will focus on Boldin without having to worry about Todd Heap since he looks to miss a game after a helmet to helmet hit and possible concussion. Regardless, the Bills are dead last against the run and will need help up front if they want to try to stop Rice which will lead to Boldin getting his.
The Ravens should not allow a let down and will come out making sure the Bills have their backs against the wall early. BAL 28-BUFF 17.
FANTASY STARTS: BILLS: S. Johnson (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (15 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
RAVENS: Flacco (280 yds. 2 TD) Rice (15 for 100 yds. 1 TD) Boldin (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Mason ( 5 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: W. Mcgahee....after getting zero touches last week, Ray Rice is a prime candidate to get rest after leaving a mark on this worst rated run defense allowing McGahee a good amount of touches.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at MIAMI DOLPHINS: STEELERS: Roethlisberger was no doubt hungry and had a great match up against the Browns during his return. While he will be prepared this week, he faces a much better pass defense in Miami ranked 12th against the pass, and he is on the road for the first time. The Dolphins are a well balanced team defensively, ranking 16th against the run. Big Ben does have the weapons to expose the Dolphins, but Miami is quick and will be his first real challenge of the year. Even against Cleveland there were moments where you saw the little rust and the adjustment to throwing to Wallace. Mendenhall should be called on to relieve that pressure but also will face a decent challenge on the road. Ben's conditioning will also be tested in what is expected to be 90 degree heat with the good old Florida humidity.
DOLPHINS: Henne and the team are coming off a huge confidence booster after beating Green Bay on the road and will no doubt be ready for the Steelers as a result. The Steelers are 1st against the run which will limit the Dolphins 14th run offense. However, the Steelers are 24th against the pass and facing a Henne that will have more steadiness throwing the ball. Marshall should be in for a good day, and the emergence of Bess and Hartline will be an issue for the Steelers.
My upset of the week, Miami's pass game steps up two weeks straight and Ben comes back to earth after an easy opening game. MIA 23-PITT 20.
FANTASY STARTS: STEELERS: Wallace (5 for 80 yds.) Ward (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Miller (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Mendenhall ( 16 for 80 yds. 1 TD) DOLPHINS: Bess (5 for 60 yds 1 TD) Hartline (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Marshall (7 for 85 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Fasano...the Dolphins should be in a position where they throw often to win and Fasano will find room in the middle of the field possibly getting either Bess' or Hartline's score instead of them when it gets inside the ten.
FANTASY STARTS: CHIEFS: Charles (13 for 90 yds 1 TD) Jones (10 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Cassel (240 yds 1 TD) Bowe (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD)
JAGS: If Gerrard plays...MJD (14 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Mike Simms-Walker (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Chris Chambers....If KC gets up quick they will want to involve Chambers and show him some love after he was the only one left out in the cold last week.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS at CHICAGO BEARS: SKINS: Mcnabb and co. finally ran out of 4th quarter luck against the Colts. Washington continues to hang around and while they are not excelling in anything they always get that play when they need it. Torain should find it hard against the Bears 3rd ranked rush defense leaving it to Mcnabb to put up the points. I love Anthony Armstrong and think by season end he becomes this teams leading TD grabber. Look for a big game from him this week against the Bears 18th ranked pass D.
BEARS: A huge let down last week to the Seabags will have this team hungry again. I called the upset last week and believe it was a result of several factors, one being Cutlers rust. That won't be the case this week. Greg Olsen needs to be involved this week as Martz tends to just forget about him yet the team is more effective when he gets targets. Aromashadu actually played last week and is interesting this week to see how they use him. The Skins rank 31st against the pass so there should be plenty to go around for Knox, Olsen and even Hester.
The Bears offense should thrive in this match up as there really is no Washington defense to speak of.
BEARS 31- SKINS 21
FANTASY STARTS: WASH: Mcnabb (250 yds. 2 TD) Armstrong (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Moss (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) CHI: Cutler (300yds. 3 TD) Knox (6 for 110 yds. 1 TD) Hester (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Forte ( 14 for 90 yds./ 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Olsen ( 4 for 50 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: K. Williams WASH....after last week, he should look to be more involved going ahead. Maybe as a 3rd down back but could see more action with Torain a bit nicked up.
CLEVELAND BROWNS at NO SAINTS: BROWNS: As if it couldn't get worse, Massoqoui and Cribbs went down with injuries. Massoqoui seems more serious as he may have a concussion and was down for a bit before getting up. Cribbs is a gamer and it wouldn't surprise me if he plays. McCoy probably gets the start, but he is facing an uphill battle against a NO pass Defense that ranks 7th and likes to bring the heat. NO brought 8 and even 9 men up against the Bucs last week and should have no problem being effective again. Hillis says he will be fine after getting banged up as well but will see too many Saints in his way to be effective.
SAINTS: Quite simply, a great match up for Brees and co. whom will be facing the Browns 21st pass defense and 23rd Run defense. Chris Ivory should get the start again and is a good bet to hit 100 yards. Look for Colston to get his this week after not having a huge day while everyone else did against the Bucs.
The Saints should roll over the Browns...NO 32-CLE 13.
FANTASY STARTS: BROWNS: Watson (7 for 60yds. 1 TD) Hillis (17 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
SAINTS: EVERYBODY!!! Just be wary of Devery Henderson who continues to look phased out since Bush' injury.
SLEEPER: Julius Jones....The Saints should be trying to be respectable and run often in the 4th, giving Ivory some rest and Jones garbage time that could result in a score. Betts is a possibility here too depending on which back Payton wants to get a better look at.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at TENNESSEE TITANS: EAGLES: Kolb gets the nod as Vick still lingers and all of a sudden Reid seems to be easing off the Vick is the starter rhetoric. The Eagles will be without Deshaun Jackson who suffered memory loss and is a good bet to lose decent time possibly after the bye week. Jason Avant becomes the pick up you want since he's a good possession guy and does have the ability to break one. Celek gets a big boost since he already is Kolb's go to guy in the red zone and of course Maclin is a must start. The Titans have the 23rd ranked pass defense and 8th rush defense so look for a lot of success through the air.
TITANS: Vince Young got away with only a knee sprain but is iffy for Sunday as it stands. Collins looked like he hasn't missed a beat, and should get the start even if Young feels good to go. Scaife seemed to actually play better with Collins and gets a little boost here since Britt will be facing the Eagles 9th rated pass defense. Tennessee will...run the ball, especially against a lower tier rush defense like the Eagles. Look for a lot of ground game, ball control to keep Kolb off the field.
The Titans are hot right now and looking for three straight as are the Eagles. This will be an interesting game and higher scoring than most people would expect since both teams strengths play to each others weaknesses. While the CJ run game will eat clock and move the ball, I give the edge to the Eagles who have a stronger pass game and may force a rusty Collins into a turnover or two which decides the game. Collins looked good last week, but it was the Jags. PHI 28-TEN 24
FANTASY STARTS: EAGLES: Celek (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Maclin (8 for 100 yds. 1 TD) McCoy (14 for 60 yds. 1 TD) TITANS: CJ (16 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Britt (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Scaife ( 5 for 55 yds.)
SLEEPER: Jason Avant PHI....He will see enough targets and if the Titans force coverage on Maclin he will get a lions share of the yardage with a score.
BUFFALO BILLS at BALTIMORE RAVENS: BILLS: Fred Jackson is expected to get the ball in his hands more as Buffalo realizes he is their best option as CJ Spiller develops. Unfortunately, he will face 8 man fronts since Baltimore has the 3rd rated pass defense and is capable of keeping the Bills receivers in check with man to man coverage. There really doesn't seem to be many positives for the Bills this week as the Ravens defensive strengths fit well with the Bills strengths. However, S. Johnson will be the one to watch as he has the speed and ability to make the Ravens pay if they get over zealous.
RAVENS: The Ravens are actually middle of the pack in both offensive categories and face a Bills team that does rank 10th against the pass and will focus on Boldin without having to worry about Todd Heap since he looks to miss a game after a helmet to helmet hit and possible concussion. Regardless, the Bills are dead last against the run and will need help up front if they want to try to stop Rice which will lead to Boldin getting his.
The Ravens should not allow a let down and will come out making sure the Bills have their backs against the wall early. BAL 28-BUFF 17.
FANTASY STARTS: BILLS: S. Johnson (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (15 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
RAVENS: Flacco (280 yds. 2 TD) Rice (15 for 100 yds. 1 TD) Boldin (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Mason ( 5 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: W. Mcgahee....after getting zero touches last week, Ray Rice is a prime candidate to get rest after leaving a mark on this worst rated run defense allowing McGahee a good amount of touches.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at MIAMI DOLPHINS: STEELERS: Roethlisberger was no doubt hungry and had a great match up against the Browns during his return. While he will be prepared this week, he faces a much better pass defense in Miami ranked 12th against the pass, and he is on the road for the first time. The Dolphins are a well balanced team defensively, ranking 16th against the run. Big Ben does have the weapons to expose the Dolphins, but Miami is quick and will be his first real challenge of the year. Even against Cleveland there were moments where you saw the little rust and the adjustment to throwing to Wallace. Mendenhall should be called on to relieve that pressure but also will face a decent challenge on the road. Ben's conditioning will also be tested in what is expected to be 90 degree heat with the good old Florida humidity.
DOLPHINS: Henne and the team are coming off a huge confidence booster after beating Green Bay on the road and will no doubt be ready for the Steelers as a result. The Steelers are 1st against the run which will limit the Dolphins 14th run offense. However, the Steelers are 24th against the pass and facing a Henne that will have more steadiness throwing the ball. Marshall should be in for a good day, and the emergence of Bess and Hartline will be an issue for the Steelers.
My upset of the week, Miami's pass game steps up two weeks straight and Ben comes back to earth after an easy opening game. MIA 23-PITT 20.
FANTASY STARTS: STEELERS: Wallace (5 for 80 yds.) Ward (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Miller (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Mendenhall ( 16 for 80 yds. 1 TD) DOLPHINS: Bess (5 for 60 yds 1 TD) Hartline (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Marshall (7 for 85 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Fasano...the Dolphins should be in a position where they throw often to win and Fasano will find room in the middle of the field possibly getting either Bess' or Hartline's score instead of them when it gets inside the ten.
ST. LOUIS RAMS at TAMPA BAY BUCS: RAMS: They got their biggest win of the year without their best receiver as Danario Alexander looks to be the newest rookie sensation. However, the Rams have yet to win on the road and have only traveled to Oakland and Detroit. This will be the Rams second game outdoors so far all year. Bradford continues to make a case for ROY and looks to have a new weapon in Alexander who came from the practice squad and showed his speed, burning SD for a TD pass. Tampa does have run stop issues, ranking 31st against the run. They lead the league in interceptions, but rank 16th against the pass. Steven Jackson must be salivating at this match up with good reason.
BUCS: After playing a great defensive game against the Bengals, the Bucs as they often do came out looking equally as bad against the Saints. Part of it was Drew Brees understanding of the Bucs defense, facing them twice a year for quite some time, and part was blown assignments in the secondary. They still have only 1 sack in four of their games, and are abysmal at stopping the run. Their run game has been as bad, ranking 27th and the loss of Huggins should have the Bucs turning to Graham who has always been reliable. Mike Williams is a good play here as the Rams rank 20th against the pass. The wild card player here is Stroughter, whom the Rams will have trouble accounting for in the middle of the field.
This could be an interesting game, coming down to the 4th quarter. The key here is if the Bucs secondary can hold Rams receivers in check using man and cover 1, allowing extra bodies to guard against Steven Jackson. Since the Rams have yet to win a road contest and Alexander's talents will be no surprise.......BUCS 23-RAMS 21
FANTASY STARTS: RAMS: Jackson (17 for 110yds. 2 TD) Amendola (11 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
BUCS: M. Williams (6 for 90 yds 1 TD) Stroughter ( 5 for 80 yds.) Winslow (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: E. Graham....if his hammy is healthy this week, watch for Graham to get a good share of the carries if Williams comes out struggling again. The Bucs will probably allow Cadillac two series to see where he is and then make an adjustment.
SF 49ERS at CAROLINA PANTHERS: SAN FRAN: Finally, a win, though it was at home against Jason Campbell whom was horrible last week with a 10.7 passer rating. The win also came at the expense of Vernon Davis whom suffered a strained right knee and is day to day. Crabtree has settled in as I called once they made the change from Jimmy Raye at OC. Despite the win, don't be fooled into thinking San Fran found it's passing game. They were struggling early and were still sporadic passing wise. They face a Carolina team coming off a bye with extra prep time that ranks 5th against the pass. Where they will have great success is in the run where Carolina is 26th. Expect heavy doses of Frank Gore with average at best passing numbers.
PANTHERS: Matt Moore gets the call at QB. Carolina has opted to protect their franchise QB Clausen and not feed him to the wolves. However, like Gore, Williams and Stewart should have productive days against the SF 20th ranked run defense. Steve Smith did practice on Wednesday, so it may open things a bit for Carolina as San Francisco is 11th against the pass. He's always been a good healer, and should be good to go Sunday. San Francisco ranks 10th in total yards allowed despite their run D problems and is an indication of how they will give up plays but do have success holding opponents from long drives.
This game looks like toss up, you have two teams that love to run the ball. I am a big fan of teams coming off a bye week facing close match ups. SF does have more weapons, but if Davis is unable to go, this becomes a dead even race. Carolina has yet to put up more than 7 pts. at home and SF has maxed out at 14 pts. on the road. Carolina wins a close one that sees both teams score more than their norms.
CAR 24-SF 20.
CAR 24-SF 20.
FANTASY STARTS: SF: Gore (17 for 90 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 40 yds.) Crabtree (5 for 70 yds 1 TD)
PANTHERS: Williams (13 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Stewart (9 for 50 yds. 1 TD) S. Smith (4 for 60yds. 1 TD)
ARIZONA CARDINALS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: ARIZONA: The Cards are coming off a bye where hopefully Beannie Wells had yet another week to get healthy and in shape to perform. Max Hall received a ton of credit for their win versus NO but his actual play was far from better than Anderson. Hall does have the luxury of facing the 30th ranked pass defense, but is in Seattle where better teams find it hard to win. Seattle is 2nd against the run so despite Wells return don't expect much.
SEAHAWKS: A huge win in Chicago may be just what this team needed to propel them to that next level of play they have been lacking. It should be easy for the Hawks to execute against Arizona as they are 26th and 29th against the Pass and Run respectively. Mike Williams continues his return from the depths of obscurity under his college coach. Marshawn Lynch had some very telling carries last week which seem to point in the direction of him being the goal line/red zone back.
While this will be a hard fought divisional game, the Seahawks always find ways to win at home and Sunday should be no different against a lesser opponent. The game should be closer than expected though since they will get Arizona's best effort after a bye week. Take the points with Arizona if you're a betting man. SEA 24-ARI 21.
FANTASY STARTS: ARI: Fitzgerald (7 for 100yds. 1 TD) Wells (16 for 60yds. 1 TD)
SEA: M. Williams (4 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Butler (3 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Forsett (12 for 60yds./3 for 20 yds.) Lynch ( 9 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: B. Patrick ARI....Patrick hat five receptions last week and as everyone knows a TE is a young QB's best friend. Expect Patrick to see about as many catches again with a score as the attention focus' on Fitz come red zone time.
OAKLAND RAIDERS at DENVER BRONCOS: RAIDERS: oh what a difference a week makes. Oakland pounded SD defensively two weeks ago and then comes up flat against the 49ers. Campbell may be out this week leaving Kyle Boller at QB who actually looked very good in pre-season. Believe it or not, he may be the best QB on this team in my eyes. He is more of a pocket presence and has been waiting for a shot at becoming a starter in the NFL again. I believe he actually helps the value of the Raiders WR's, but especially Z. Miller who will be his security blanket. McFadden will test the hammy out this week and looks close to a return. He and Bush should see plenty of yardage against the Bronco 25th ranked run defense.
BRONCOS: A heart breaker against the Jets last week will have the Broncos up and ready for a divisional match against the Raiders. The Broncos horrible run game actually broke the century mark in a collective effort that saw Tebow rush for his first score. If Moreno is going to have a good game this year it should come against the Raiders as they are 30th against the run. This will make it easier against the Raiders tough secondary and is the key to winning this game. Orton targeted Thomas heavily in the second half and seems to be his go to guy in the red zone.
The Broncos will get the Raiders best shot this week. However, the Broncos have three great WR's and that may be one more than the Raiders can handle despite their tough pass D. In the end, it should be the Denver run game of all things that makes the difference and forces the Raiders loss. DEN 28- OAK 21.
FANTASY STARTS: OAK: McFadden (12 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Bush (10 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Miller (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Murphy (4 for 50 yds.) DENVER: Moreno (15 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Gaffney ( 4 for 60 yds.) Lloyd (6 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Thomas (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Heyward Bey....With Murphy drawing Champ Bailey, Heyward Bey should be the one who has the most success out of the two Raider wide outs...if he shows up that is.
NE PATRIOTS at SD CHARGERS: PATRIOTS: New Englands new dink and dunk pass offense had success last week against Baltimore and the emergence of Woodhead is for real. Especially in this new offense, Woodhead should thrive. This new offense should be the perfect fit going against the Chargers 1st ranked pass Defense and they don't allow many big downfield plays. The Chargers are just as stout against the run 5th and given that NE has a weak run game we could see Brady air it out 40-50 times this week. All the NE receivers should bring in decent numbers due to sheer work load, but especially A. Hernandez.
CHARGERS: Another loss, this time at the Rams has a bitter taste in the franchise's mouth. They may have lost Floyd for this game and Gates looks like he will play through a toe injury. Regardless, SD does have enough talent to be effective against the Pats 29th pass defense. Expect to see a heavy work load for Mathews this week and for him to be effective. Mike Tolbert only saw three carries last week but did score. Due to the Pats weak rush defense 17th, I see Mathews getting the goal line touch as they need him to get going.
This will be one of the better games of the weekend. NE makes the East coast to West coast trip which is always a hard one. While they will be in the game, the Chargers have just too much to lose at this point and their backs are against the wall. Their defense is the difference maker.
SD 28- PATS 20.
FANTASY STARTS: NE: Brady (260 yds. 2 TD) Welker (7 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Woodhead (90 total yards) Branch (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) SD: Rivers (300yds 2 TD) Mathews (16 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Gates (8 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Buster Davis...with Floyd out, Davis becomes the field stretcher and connects on one deep.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS at GREEN BAY PACKERS: VIKINGS: Finally out of their slump, the Vikes looked effective against Dallas and could be the spark they needed. Moss gets another week of practice with Favre which is needed. He still looks a bit uncomfortable out there but the more time that passes will develop their connection. The Packers rank 21st against the run so Peterson could have success her and will be a big part of the game to keep the ball out of Rogers hands.
PACKERS: Green Bay defense gets a boost with the return of Matthews this week and they will need it facing a Viking offense slowly coming into their own with Moss in the fold. Green Bay had a let down last week against Miami and the loss of Finley with Driver's injury slowing him down has had it's effect on this once explosive offense. The run game allowed the trade deadline to pass without getting help. Don't expect much either as the Vikes rank 11th against the run and are even better against the pass.
While Green Bay needs this game desperately, there seems to be a lack of confidence surrounding this team. The lack of any run offense has had big impact on the offense overall and the Vikings many weapons are going to cause issues for the Pack. I think the Pack actually lose another one at home. VIKES 24-GB 21.
FANTASY STARTS: VIKINGS: Moss ( 5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Harvin ( 4 for 50 yds/ 2 rush for 25 yds.) Peterson (16 for 90 yds. 1 TD) PACK: Rogers (250 yds. 2 TD) Jennings (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: D. Lee...after being held in check last week the Pack need that TE position to be a difference maker. Lee should become more involved and score as the Viking defense clamps down against the run in the red zone.
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