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*select the team's helmet to jump to their game recap
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The Houston Texans put together a well-balanced performance on offense and defense to beat the Carolina Panthers in their home opener. Matt Schaub connected with Andre Johnson twice for TDs, and the Texans running game kept the chains moving to put the Panthers on their heels. The only thing Carolina had going for it this game was Steve Smith who put in a monster performance with 8 catches, 153 yards, 3 TDs. |
Fantasy Impact |
Both Carolina RBs had bad days as the Panthers struggled to establish the run against a feisty Texans D. The only consistent performers for the Cats right now are Smith and Jake Delhomme. Schaub (Carr who?) and Johnson were equally good with their aerial assault. Ahman Green left the game in the 4th with cramps, giving Ron Dayne a few carries to show that he still has something to give fantasy owners, and might get a few more in the coming weeks to keep Green fresh. |
at 
A pitiful display of defense by both teams led to the highest scoring game of the week. Cleveland’s new starting QB Derek Anderson (328 yards, 5 TDs) outlasted Carson Palmer (401 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT) and the Bengals to earn their first win of the year 51-45. While the two QBs were slinging it around, the running game for both teams was equally impressive (Jamal Lewis, 216 yards, 1 TD; Rudi Johnson, 118 yards). |
Fantasy Impact |
Turns out the Bengals D you picked up last week after they beat up Baltimore is really really bad. On the flip side, just about everyone that was expected to do well for the Bengals offense put in a good to great day. For the Browns, Derek Anderson is sure to be picked up in almost every league thanks to his huge day, but he won’t be playing Cincy every week, so don’t gush over him too much. Jamal Lewis showed he has something left in the tank, and as long as the Browns can continue to pass the ball effectively he should be a decent start. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow will benefit the most from some consistency at QB and should be started every week. |
at 
This game was the anti-Cincinnati/Cleveland matchup. The Jags D was all over Joey Harrington, sacking him 7 times. The offensive woes for the Falcons didn’t stop there, as rookie kicker Matt Prater missed two FGs allowing Jacksonville to walk away with a 13-7 victory. |
Fantasy Impact |
Maybe it was the 125°F heat index on the field, or maybe it’s a greater emphasis on passing the ball, but the Jags RBs only totaled 87 yards, a second lackluster performance for a group that was so good last year. Warrick Dunn is still the #1 RB in Atlanta, actually putting in a TD in this one, but Jerrious Norwood saw some more action out of the backfield this week as the carries move toward a 50-50 split for both. WR Roddy White put in a solid performance which hasn’t been said about many Falcons receivers lately, but Harrington is just too inconsistent to merit starting any Falcons WRs on a regular basis. |
at 
Brett Favre (283 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) became the NFL’s all-time winningest QB in vintage Favre form with a 35-13 win over the struggling Giants. Eli Manning (211 yards, 2 TDs) started at QB for the G-men and looked unhampered by last week’s shoulder injury, but the offense wasn’t able to put the ball in the end zone. Ultimately mistakes in the form of penalties, missed coverage, dropped passes, and a general lack of intensity doomed the Giants to their second loss in a row. |
Fantasy Impact |
If you have to pick up a TE, pick up whoever is playing the Giants. Their linebackers were terrible over the middle allowing a TD to both Donald Lee and Bubba Franks. Deshawn Wynn (50 yards, 2 TDs) was a pleasant surprise for the Packers at RB, and should be getting some more action out of the backfield in the near future. Derrick Ward had another nice game, and should continue to produce while Brandon Jacobs recovers from a knee injury. |
at 
Pittsburgh dominated this game defensively, and Willie Parker made it easy on Ben Roethlisberger to throw his 242 yards and a touchdown. The Bills couldn't do anything right or get any sustained drives in this game, and only managed 92 yards on the ground to Pittsburgh's 192. Buffalo is a better team than they played, but Pittsburgh's defense is seemingly back to iron curtain status. |
Fantasy Impact |
Ben Roethlisberger is never going to be a stat monster, so he's not a top-tier fantasy QB. He also throws a lot of interceptions. However, his receivers and tight end are very good options to have on your team because he spreads the ball around. Willie Parker is a stud, and the Steeler defense is a very good one to have. The Buffalo offense can be anemic one week, and booming the next. It's hard to justify having Losman as your no.1 fantasy QB when there are so many other options. Marshawn Lynch is a good player, but he may be a victim of Losman's up and down play. I'd still start him until he just obviously hits the wall. As a rookie, it's highly possible. |
at 
Frank Gore is the only reason the 9ers won this game. He gutted out 2 touchdowns on 81 yards rushing despite the death of his mother earlier in the week. A muffed punt late in the game by Rams returner Dante Hall, also put the 9ers in position to kick a game-winning field goal. St. Louis' passing game looked very good, but the running game is suffering severely with the loss of Orlando Pace. |
Fantasy Impact |
I would totally try to unload Steven Jackson before he becomes to obvious of a bust this year. I don't think the Rams are going to recover from the loss of Pace this year. Marc Bulger remains a top-tier fantasy QB, and his receivers are still very viable options. Randy McMichael even got in on the action, keep an eye on him. Vernon Davis of the 49ers has had disappointing production the first 2 weeks, and it's solely a reflection on the play of his QB and offensive line. They aren't very good at pass blocking. Frank Gore is a stud, say no more. The SF defense is quickly becoming a top defense, pick them up if you need one. Leave the Rams D on the waiver wire. |
at 
It was another abysmal outing for the Saints this week. The Bucs totally dominated the game from start to finish on both sides of the ball. The Saints couldn't get anything going on the ground or in the air. The secondary was torched by Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway the same way Peyton Manning & co. did it. Even Carnell Williams got out of his funk against them. |
Fantasy Impact |
It may be time for Bush, Colston, Brees, and McAllister owners to get real worried. If this team doesn't improve, the value of these guys will continue to plummet. They're due for a breakout game any week, but will it be too late to establish this as their tone for the rest of the season? Sean Payton looks inept as a play caller, and the players seem highly unmotivated. The Bucs, on the other hand look like Jon Gruden has breathed some life into an offense that looked dead last season. Jeff Garcia may be still a very viable option as a starter, and Joey Galloway is still a fireplug. Cadillac is still not trustworthy due to his injury proneness. The Saints defense should be 0% owned in any league until further notice. |
at 
This game was surprisingly a defensive struggle, despite the score. Peyton Manning threw for 312 yards and a touchdown, and Vince Young had 184 yards and a score. The running game for Tennessee did not come through like last week, and it was due to Indy's newfound love for stopping the run. Joseph Addai had 81 yards and a td on 20 carries. The Titans almost pulled off the comeback upset, but they fell short due to the clock running out. |
Fantasy Impact |
Vince Young looked a world better than last week, due to his receivers stepping up. No clear-cut receiving stud has emerged yet though. Lendale White and Chris Brown got bottled up just like Reggie and Deuce last week, so their defense is not a mirage. The Indy offense is still a machine, and Dallas Clark caught a td and had 69 yards. Rookie Anthony Gonzalez got in on the action also, with 3 catches for 49 yards. Tennessee's defense caught an interception and sacked Manning twice. |
at 
By all marks it had the look of a typical Arizona Cardinals game. They looked good by jumping out to a 17-0 lead, blew the lead, tied the game, and then had a late chance to win the game on a last second field goal. The difference this week was (coincidentally 1 year removed from the Chicago Bears collapse) the Neil Rackers nailed a 44 yard field goal to win the game with 1 second left on the clock. Welcome to the Wisenhutt era in Arizona. |
Fantasy Impact |
We've said it all preseason and we'll say it again. Edgerrin James looks like he's officially back. With the addition of Coaches Wisenhutt and Grimm, the Cardinals run game looks to have been reborn. Expect more good things from Edge (after this week against the Ravens that is). Larry Fitzgerald looked sharp catching 7 passes for 87 yards but took a hard hit in the 3rd quarter. Hasselbeck and Deoin Branch had several nice connections in the game and Seattle could have easily pulled out a win were it not for a botched play in the closing minutes of the game. Shaun Alexander had his 2nd stright game with a TD and looks to be back in form. |
at 
The game can be summarized by the following: the 2 teams combined for 10 turnovers and 2 missed field goal attempts in the final 45 seconds. YUK! In the end it turned out that Minnesota was the team that wanted to win less. JT O'Sullivan stepped in for Jon Kitna part way through the game when Kitna was knocked out of the game with a concussion. However, Kitna would return (a self proclaimed miracle) to lead his team to victory in overtime. |
Fantasy Impact |
Aside from Kitna's concussion, which looks to be a non-issue thanks to the miracle, Troy Williamson injured his hamstring and Dan Campbell suffered an elbow injury in the game. Adrain Peterson came back to earth in this game but was still solid in his numbers. Detroit's run-pass ratio was 21-56 which basically nullified any usefulness for Tatum Bell (9 carries). Last season, teams outright refused to run on Minnesota and pass all game long (because Minnesota was horrible in their secondary). Looks like Detroit followed the blueprint. Expect more teams to follow the example. |
at 
The Dolphins lost their home opener for the 3rd time in the last 4 years and started the Cam Cameron era 0-2. Although the Miami Dolphins kept it close for 3 quarters, the Cowboys capitalized on 5 turnovers in the game and won the game 37-20. With 4 minutes left in the game, Terrell Owens caught a TD and celebrated by leaning against the goalpost and pretending to use the ball as a video camera, mocking the New England Patriots scandal that rocked the NFL this past week. "It was all in good fun," Owens said with a grin. "I hope they don't give me a hefty fine like they gave Belichick." Owens was assessed a 15 yard penalty on the play. |
Fantasy Impact |
Noteworthy observation in the game are 4 INTs and a fumbled snap for Trent Green. he was also booed in the home opener and it looks to be a very long season for the Dolphins and Green. The Cowboys did give up 2 passing TDs to Green which would indicate to you that their pass D is terrible (don't forget the 4 TDs thrown by Eli Manning in week 1). Marion Barber apepars to be the big TD threat in the DAL running game. Ronnie Brown looks non-existant averaging 3 yards per carry and only having 11 carries on the day. The Dolphins are a death trap for fantasy players with the possible exception of Chris Chambers. |
at 
Trying to avenge their week 1 loss to Cincy, the Ravens stormed out to a 17-3 lead at halftime with Kyle Boller throwing for 2 first half TDs to Willis McGahee and Todd Heap. Heap made a great catch in the final minutes of the half for the 2nd TD. The 2nd half of the game was a completely different story. Kellen Clemens got into a groove starting in the 3rd quarter and took over the game in the 4th, bringing the Jets back within 7 points. The Jets drove down the field in the final minutes of the game and should have tied the game were it not for 2 Justin McCariens dropped TDs. On the 2nd dropped Td by McCariens, Ray Lewis intercepted the ball to effectively end the game. |
Fantasy Impact |
Kyle Boller looked good in the game and was only stiffled by Billick's conservative playcalling in the 2nd half, otherwise his stats would have been better. McNair will get back into the starting linup this week but should be looking over his shoulder. It seems clear to me that Boller has more upside of the 2 players. Demetrius Williams was injured in the later stages of the game on a long pass play where he landed akwardly on his wrist. His injuries are not deemed to be serious. However, the Ravens suffered a loss with Trevor Pryce breaking his wrist in the game. Johnathan Ogden did not play in the game. Without Ogden, the Ravens rushing attack appears to be mediocre at best. Kellen Clemens showed excellent leadership qualities in his 1st ever start and may be a guy to look at for the future for the Jets. |
at 
This game was fairly predictable - the Chicago offense sputtered again, and Devin Hester saved the day with a punt return TD and another long return to set up a field goal. The Chicago defense once again shut down an elite RB, which bodes well for their chances of repeating as NFC champions. KC still looks awful, with no fantasy relevance so far this year. |
Fantasy Impact |
Brody Croyle made it into the game and went 4 for 4 passing with 55 yards. If KC keeps losing, the job could be his by the middle of the season. If your league counts return yards, Devin Hester is the man on the Bears team. Many of the Bears' fantasy points will be scored by him and the defense, if things keep going the way they are now. However, keep an eye on Cedric Benson, because he responded well to the claims that he was weak by rushing for 101 yards. |
at 
Despite gaining only 11 first downs to Denver's 26, Oakland stayed in the game and took a lead of 20-17 into the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The Oakland defense was solid for most of the day, and scored a safety by sacking Cutler in the end zone. Just like last week, Denver won on some late field goal heroics - although this time, they needed help from Sebastian Janikowski. Janikowski nailed what seemed to be the game winning 51 yard field goal in overtime, only for the officials to call it back on a last second timeout by the Broncos. On the second try, he hit the left upright and the kick bounced wide. Denver then drove to the Oakland 5 yard line, and Jason Elam once again kicked a game-winning field goal. |
Fantasy Impact |
LaMont Jordan had another great game, and right now he is Oakland's fantasy MVP. Brandon Stokley made it back into the TD column, after what seems like a long absence following his 10-TD season in 2004. He has scored only 1 TD in each of the past 2 seasons, though he played only 4 games last year. Jerry Porter had a nice 46 yard TD catch, and he should have a decent season. Javon Walker and Jay Cutler are continuing to work well with each other, to the benefit of both (though Cutler had only 1 TD and 2 INT's). |
at 
San Diego was unable to put the Cheaters to shame, and by the half they were down 24-0. The Cheaters' defense put on a great show, holding LT to 43 yards and scoring a defensive touchdown. San Diego made a push in the second half, beginning the half with an 8 minute touchdown drive, but it didn't make much of a difference in the end. Once the Cheaters got far enough ahead, they ran Maroney down San Diego's throat to grind down the clock and end the game. |
Fantasy Impact |
After facing 2 of the NFL's top 3 defenses, LT should have much better stats for the rest of the season, particularly within the AFC West. Philip Rivers started poorly, with 63 yards passing and 2 INT's in the first half, but with a strong second half ended with 179 yards and 2 TD's. The Cheaters had a lot of strong performances against a very good Chargers defense, and if you have the chance to pick up any key player on their offense (Maroney, Welker, Watson), do it because the Cheaters will be scoring a lot of points this year. Randy Moss pulled out another 2 TD performance, and if Brady keeps throwing him the ball, he could end up with a 20 TD season. |
at 
The Eagles had another disappointing game, failing to score a touchdown despite three trips inside the 10 yard line. McNabb looked awful and sailed many passes, including a sure touchdown in the fourth quarter. At one point near the end of the game, he scrambled for a first down, but looked like he was hobbling. His knee may not be holding up well, which could spell serious trouble for the Eagles since they got rid of Jeff Garcia. Washington could have won by more - Jason Campbell missed a wide open Santana Moss on a bomb down the middle about halfway through the fourth quarter, which would have iced the game. |
Fantasy Impact |
Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley got in on the action for Washington, scoring a touchdown each. Campbell is starting to look better as he starts more games, and as a result Washington's offense is considerably better than expected. They are able to move the ball and score touchdowns, and though Ladell Betts and Portis split carries, Betts is good enough at catching the ball to make up for some of that lost production. Philly is a disaster right now, and if they can't pull it out against Detroit next week, the only decent fantasy player on their roster other than the PK is Westbrook, who had 162 total yards in the game. |
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