Bear with me through our latest voyage. Thanks to the Phils’ World Series loss, I’m in a bit of an ornery mood these days. My email box and Facebook account has been swamped with arrogant and cocksure emails from Yankee fans celebrating title 27. And most of them I can’t even put in print.

On Thursday, I estimated I had roughly five congratulations in me towards Yankees fans. I work around them all day, teach them, and call some of them friend. Nonetheless, I’m rationing out the kudos like it’s a small supply of Ramen noodles on a deserted island. In fact, I only dished out two. Somehow, I don’t think the other three are leaving my mouth anytime soon.

One of the reasons for my anger is the multi-layered facade of Yankee fans and fans of the Dallas Cowboys. Individuals use their team preferences as a bully pulpit to make themselves feel better about their otherwise somewhat questionable lives. Can you blame them, though? As John Madden once said, winning is a great deodorant. Fans bathe in it.

Tired of waiting around for the local team to win or to spite their dad or to look cool for the girls in high school, we have become a nation of front runners. If you read TMW from two weeks ago, you know that I’ve crafted a plan to eliminate such nonsense.

In honour of the Eagles playing the Cowboys this weekend, it’s time to call into question perhaps the biggest set of frontrunning fans that don’t sport the interlocking NY on top of their heads.

I’m willing to bet most Cowboy fans under the age of 30 can’t answer 60 per cent of these questions accurately without checking out Wikipedia.

Without further ado, let’s fire up a sample of the first ever TMW Fan Certification Test:

1 . Which of these future NFL head coaches never played for the Dallas Cowboys?

A. Mike Ditka
B. Dan Reeves
C. John Madden

2. What player said that Terry Bradshaw could not spell cat if you spotted him the c and the t?

A. Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson
B. Larry Cole
C. Mike Hegman
D. Dixon Edwards

3. How many times has Dallas appeared in the Super Bowl?

A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8

4. The only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl MVP as a member of the losing team is:

A. Bob Lilly
B. Mel Renfro
C. Darren Woodson
D. Chuck Howley

5. Dallas lost three straight NFC title games during the 1980-82 seasons. Who was the starting quarterback for the Cowboys in all three?

A. Steve Pelluer
B. Gary Hogeboom
C. Danny White
D. Roger Staubach

6. The first time the Cowboys reached the playoffs in the Jimmy Johnson era was 1991. Who started the team’s playoff game at Chicago for the injured Troy Aikman?

A. Babe Laufenberg
B. Steve Walsh
C. Steve Beuerlein
D. Danny White

7. Who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the famous Ice Bowl?

A. Jim Taylor
B. Max McGee
C. Bob Hayes
D. Bart Starr

8. Dallas acquired what Pro Bowl defensive end from the San Francisco 49ers prior to the start of the ’92 season?

A. Fred Dean
B. Pierce Holt
C. Charles Haley
D. Tim Harris

9. In Super Bowl XII, Robert Newhouse fired a touchdown pass on a halfback option to which receiver:

A. Butch Johnson
B. Drew Pearson
C. Golden Richards
D. Alvin Harper

10. On its way to Super Bowl X against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas defeated Minnesota in the divisional round. Which player caught a Hail Mary for the go-ahead touchdown?

A. Drew Pearson
B. Tony Dorsett
C. Butch Johnson
D. Preston Pearson

See answers at bottom of column.

The Culverhouse Index

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Detroit Lions, 1-6 (8): Detroit showed some limited promise this season, but then the Rams came into town and showed otherwise. A bad loss for the Lions.

2. St. Louis Rams, 1-7 (1): They were holding steady at the top spot until they finally came up with a win.

3. Kansas City Chiefs, 1-6 (4): Can’t the Chiefs stay on bye?

4. Washington Redskins, 2-5 (3): Can’t the Redskins stay on bye?

5. Tennessee Titans, 1-6 (2): Finally, there is life. I’m not sure Vince Young is the answer at quarterback, but with Chris Johnson running the ball it doesn’t matter at the moment.

6. Oakland Raiders, 2-5 (6): At least they played well against the Chargers this season.

7. Cleveland Browns, 1-7 (5): They’ve scored six points or fewer in five of eight games this season.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0-7 (7): First win? Maybe December 6 at Carolina.

9. Buffalo Bills, 3-5 (9): Terrell Owens is on pace for 46 catches this season. Ouch.

10. Carolina Panthers, 3-4 (10): Incredibly, the Panthers are one win away from being 4-4. The league is a bit down in ’09.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Eight

1. The Owen Daniels injury is going to slow the Texan passing game: Destined for a Pro Bowl this season, Daniels went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury. The timing could not be worse for the Texans. Quarterback Matt Schaub is playing the best football of his career while the team plays a huge game against the Colts on Sunday.

2. Perhaps the Giant defense just isn’t that good: Over their last three games, the Giants have surrendered 112 points, allowing 37 points per game over the same stretch. That’s what happens when C.C. Brown is covering people.

3. Percy Harvin is secretly one of the NFL’s most valuable players in 2009: Anytime the Vikings are reeling this season, Harvin finds a way to dig them out of trouble. The rookie from Florida leads the league in yards per touch at 19.8.

4. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart pack a mean punch, as long as Jake Delhomme isn’t killing them: If Delhomme doesn’t turn the ball over, it makes things far easier for Williams and Stewart. Over the last three weeks, the Panthers have rushed for at least 250 yards twice.

5. The Jets = overrated: The bandwagon started to fill up after the Week Two win over New England. However, the Jets’ fourth loss in the last fifth games has made the bandwagon quite a bit lighter. New York’s special teams turned Ted Ginn into a combination of Dante Hall and Devin Hester. How else do you explain the Dolphins scoring 30 points despite gaining just 104 yards?

6. Steve Slaton is killing your Fantasy team one week at a time: Benched by Texan head coach Gary Kubiak last week in Buffalo, Slaton appears to be in great danger of losing playing time to backup Ryan Moats. Slaton has lost five fumbles and is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Sounds like a benching to me.

7. Anquan Boldin may never actually get his money: Boldin did not pose as a model teammate over the past year in part due to a lack of financial security. Now, Arizona’s star receiver has been unable to stay healthy for much of the season. After being hounded by a hamstring ailment, he is now battling ankle problems.

8. Part 1 of Operation 2006 has begun: Whenever you have a quarterback on the wrong side of 30, it is not a good thing in the long run. Arizona and Tennessee got away with it 2008. At least for Tennessee, the story turned differently this season as Vince Young finally made his way into the starting lineup. With the Cards in first, Kurt Warner is not in danger in Arizona…as long as he stops having those five-interception performances.

9. Don’t look now, but outside of Minnesota and New Orleans the NFC is a mess: Eliminate Detroit, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. What else do we know about the NFC? Everyone else hovers between two and five wins. Looks like December should be a mess for tiebreakers.

10. Bob Sanders is out for the year…adjust your Fantasy lineups accordingly: Surprise, surprise. Sanders is out for the year with a torn bicep. Further compounding matters is a season-ending injury to Marlin Jackson, who hurt himself in practice earlier this week. When backs get into the Indy secondary (which Frank Gore did last week), look out.

Week Eight BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1): It seems like the Vikings run at least 50 plays per game inside of the 10 yard line, making it all the more easier for Peterson to score.

2. Peyton Manning (2): Joseph Addai had more touchdown passes than Manning last week.

3. Drew Brees (3): He doesn’t have many tough matchups left on the schedule, but a big battle versus New England in the Superdome looms in a few weeks.

4. Chris Johnson (NR): Watch this video. Now. Do it.

5. Cedric Benson (4): The Ravens will keep Benson under 100 yards rushing on Sunday. Take it to the bank.

6. Ronnie Brown (5): He will a key figure in Sunday’s matchup against New England.

7. Ray Rice (6): The Bengal defense should be a bit softer this time around without Antwan Odom.

8. Tom Brady (10): His productivity this week will be tied to his defense’s ability to get the Dolphins off the field.

9. Andre Johnson (5): The Colts have only allowed three touchdown passes thus far. Johnson could have a good day though against an injury-depleted secondary.

10. Maurice Jones-Drew (7): Too bad he was outdone by Johnson…Chris and Gus.

Video of the Week

It’s one thing to lose a World Series. Losing a World Series to the Yankees hits another stratosphere of misery. It’s time to drown my sorrows in a sad song…and football.

Answers to Cowboys quiz: 1. c. 2. a. 3. d. 4. d. 5. c. 6. c. 7. d. 8. c. 9. c. 10. a.

If you’ve answered between eight and 10 correctly, you’re in great shape and more than likely over 30 years old.

Don’t worry, Cowboy fans. Your fans aren’t the only ones with frauds placed within…and yes, I’m looking at you, Steeler Nation.

As we stand days away from a potential Phillies-Yankees World Series and the biggest sports fan battle to hit the east coast in decades, it is time to issue a test.

I’m declaring open season on all fraudulent fans — and, as they say on the streets, let’s not get it twisted. I love my Phillie fan brethren, but there are numerous frauds infiltrating Phillies-fandom.

In the aftermath of Philly’s World Series win in 2008, Citizens Bank Park became a party zone. Parking lots, which already featured copious amounts of tailgaters, turned into a full-fledged party on a nightly basis, typically filled with 20-somethings and seemingly underage college students getting their crack at partying up.

Games of beer pong and cornhole ran rampant throughout the stadium area; and yes, even people doing whip-its, which is the inhalation of nitrous fumes from a balloon. Not sure who these fans are? You’ll get a look at them in the Video of the Week down below.

Following Philadelphia’s 10-4 win Wednesday night over the Dodgers to clinch the National League pennant for the second straight year, I made my way through the traffic at Citizens Bank Park to see fans celebrating, vendors selling offensive T-shirts about New York and the usual fare one comes to expect with a big win.

Yet, those fans were smashing beer bottles and yelling things that I don’t even feel comfortable saying to my friends. These are the same people who will readily get smashed before each and every remaining Phillie game and subsequently end up face down on the pavement after being arrested by Philadelphia’s finest. It’s the fake ones that ruin it sometimes for the real ones.

In my opinion, some of this behaviour stems from a self-esteem issue. Everyone wants to be associated with a winner. No one wants to go to school or hang out with friends and be laughed at because they are wearing a Kansas City Royals or Detroit Lions cap.

The lazy way out is the easy way out. Having Kobe Bryant or Peyton Manning do your bidding on the field is easier than rooting for Joe Johnson or David Garrard.

However, I’d like to create a breed and society of fan to put a stop to such chicanery. Simply stated, we need fan permits. The time to start calling out the phony fan is here.

In my own Utopia, in order to attend any game, fans must be certified to do so by scoring 80 per cent on a questionnaire about the team’s history. (Think of that classic scene from Diner when Steve Guttenberg’s character makes his girlfriend pass a quiz about the Baltimore Colts before he’ll marry her.)

My first fan base under attack is the Dallas Cowboys. Thanks to its storied and infamous history, few fan bases feature as many rabid frontrunners as this rambunctious gang. Amazingly though, most of its 20-something fans believe the franchise began in 1992.

Enough is enough. Next week, TMW will unveil the first ever Fan Certification Test. Cowboy fans, get ready.

The Culverhouse Index

A tribute to the NFL’s bottom feeders…

1. St. Louis Rams (0-6): They put together a much better effort versus Jacksonville, but are still wildly undermanned.

2. Tennessee Titans (0-6): How awful are the Titans? They put forth such a dreadful performance that Jeff Fisher wore a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event.

3. Washington Redskins (2-4): When your new playcaller was last seen calling numbers for Bingo, that’s a major negative.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5): They have a very slow secondary, but are willing to fight for Todd Haley.

5. Cleveland Browns (1-5): Ben Roethlisberger still hasn’t been touched.

6. Oakland Raiders (2-4): Someone nudged JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders. Although, they got a big assist from the Eagles (more on that later).

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6): Carolina took the ball out of Jake Delhomme’s hand during the game’s biggest drive and thus, took away Tampa’s chance to win.

8. Detroit Lions (1-5): The Lions’ 19th straight loss in Green Bay included an appearance by Drew Stanton.

9. Buffalo Bills (2-4): The Dick Jauron era is dragged out at least another week.

10. Carolina Panthers (2-3): Incredibly, the Panthers are one win away from being .500. Playing other bad teams does the schedule good.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Six

1. The Tennessee Titans are far worse than anyone ever imagined: New England humiliated the Titans 59-0 last Sunday. NFL teams should never lose that badly. Even the 0-16 Lions didn’t lose that badly. Ironically, Detroit’s largest margin of defeat was a 37-point loss to Tennessee on Thanksgiving Day. The pass defense is the most alarming issue in the Music City. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes and an NFL record five in the second quarter. Overall, opposing quarterbacks have a composite passer rating of 117.5. Unacceptable.

2. Don’t throw dirt on Laurence Maroney’s career quite yet: As a part of the Titans’ burial last Sunday, Maroney ran 16 times for 123 yards. The bigger news may be the injury to Sammy Morris, which may keep him sidelined for several weeks. Adjust your Fantasy rosters accordingly.

3. The Eagles are their own worst enemy: Facing one of the worst rush defenses in the league, Andy Reid dialed up 52 dropbacks and just 14 rushing attempts in a 13-9 loss. Already sporting a creaky offensive line, Donovan McNabb was sacked six times. Doesn’t this ring a bell? Last year versus another porous team, the Cincinnati Bengals, Philly attempted 58 passes to just 18 runs in a tie with the Bungles.

4. You probably don’t know that the third-ranked player in Fantasy football is from Rutgers: Believe it or not, after another strong performance, Ray Rice is third in standard Fantasy scoring, trailing Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew.

5. Green Bay does not specialize in pass protection: Despite the Pack shutting out the Lions on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers is still taking a beating. He was sacked five more times. The Packers have allowed an NFL-worst 25 sacks.

6. Speaking of which, protecting your quarterback goes a long way: The Colts, Falcons, Giants and Saints rank one through four, respectively, at protecting the quarterback. Their combined record is 19-2.

7. The Saints are the best team in football that doesn’t have Peyton Manning: While the Saints are 5-0, I’m not a believer. The Colts have the best player in the NFL and a decent defense, which to me, makes them the most formidable at the moment.

8. Anquan Boldin is snake-bitten or injury-prone. Take your pick: Boldin has played all 16 games only twice in his seven-year career. He has been banged up early and often in ’09 and it’s showing. He owns just one touchdown reception this season.

9. Someone needs to tell the NFL Network that games with good fourth quarters did not come about in 2000: The NFL Network trotted out a new series called “Greatest 4th Quarters.” Unfortunately, they keep trotting out games from this decade. It’s okay to use the ’80s and ’90s, gang.

10.  Eddie Royal has plenty of energy: The Denver receiver had two special teams returns for touchdowns. What prompted the sudden burst? I’m guessing his new energy bars.

Week Seven BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1): He made mincemeat out of the Raven defense.

2. Peyton Manning (2): I have a feeling we’ll see Jim Sorgi at some point this week versus the Rams.

3. Drew Brees (6): He exposed the Giants’ number one ranked defense with his usual precision passing.

4. Ronnie Brown (3): The Dolphins line up against the Saints. How often do you think we’ll see the Wildcat to keep New Orleans off the field?

5. Andre Johnson (5): Johnson posted his second straight 100-yard effort last week in Cincy.

6. Ray Rice (NR): He averages six yards per carry and nearly stopped Minnesota’s hot start.

7. Maurice Jones-Drew (7): MJD is the only enjoyable thing about Jaguar football in 2009.

8. Tom Brady (NR): Welcome back, Tom.

9. Reggie Wayne (4): Should be in line for a touchdown versus the Rams in Week Seven.

10. Ben Roethlisberger (10): Big Ben is the NFL’s leader in passing yards through six weeks.

Video of the Week

As mentioned at the jump, Phillie fans these days are a bit on the out of control side. Check out this video which features a fan getting hit with fireworks and another having bottles thrown at him. So much for keeping these fans from climbing on things.

One of my favourite pastimes is watching bad movies. If it’s on cable and has one star, I’m in; Killer Clowns from Outer Space? Check. Where do I sign? Penitentiary II featuring Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson? Probably watched it 15 times. In fact, more that one later…   

Most terrible movies work for me except for Hulk Hogan’s abomination, No Holds Barred, released in 1989. Seriously, few things were as menacing as watching Hogan’s movie nemesis, Zeus. The bald head with a Z carved on the side of the temple augmented by crossed eyes was overwhelming for me as a nine-year-old. Then, Vince McMahon had the audacity to add him as a regular on WWE programming. Zeus was such ugly guy that I swore off the WWE for seven months until he left.

Unfortunately, we’re getting to that point with numerous teams around the NFL. We just need to walk away. After one of the worst slates of 1 p.m. EST games in league history, it’s obvious that the number of bad teams is staggering. Let’s examine some of the weekend’s lowlights.

Carolina 20, Washington 17

With Washington leading 7-0 in the second quarter and backed up at its own three, Jason Campbell hands off wide to Clinton Portis, who promptly gets swallowed up in the endzone for a safety. Running wide on second and eight from your own three, are we? For an encore, the Redskins blew a 17-2 lead and lost 20-17 to the previously winless Panthers.

By the way, Washington’s game Sunday versus Kansas City marks the sixth straight week the Redskins will play a winless team.

NY Giants 44, Oakland 7

JaMarcus Russell fumbled three times, adding to his resume for perhaps one of the worst seasons ever played by an NFL quarterback. He is having the reverse Tom Brady/Dan Marino season. Just when you think he can’t regress as a player, he proves us wrong. Even Giant back-up quarterback David Carr got in on the fun by rushing for a 12-yard touchdown.

Of course, the proverbial cherry on top for the Raiders is the assault charge looming over the head of Oakland coach Tom Cable for allegedly breaking the jaw of an assistant. 

Cleveland 6, Buffalo 3

Almost seemingly upset at the notion of playing an exciting game a year ago in Buffalo, the Browns and Bills offered one of the decade’s biggest stink bombs. Not to be outdone by its 8-0 win over Buffalo in 2007, Cleveland defeated Buffalo last Sunday without scoring a touchdown.

When the victorious quarterback posted a 2-for-17 performance and a 15.1 quarterback rating, something is terribly wrong.

Dallas 26, Kansas City 20 (OT)

Look, I like Miles Austin, but he’s not that good. Austin ran up the best receiving day in Cowboy history during Dallas’ 26-20 win in overtime. The Chiefs redefined bad tackling by missing two tackles on each of Austin’s two touchdown catches. Yet another dreadful defensive effort from KC when it actually mattered.

In other news, the Chiefs are quietly on one of the worst runs in NFL history. According to the good folks at profootballreference.com, they have lost 28 of their last 30 games since they were 4-3 in 2007, which almost seems unfathomable.

Minnesota 38, St. Louis 10

Not to be outdone by Kansas City for worst team in Missouri, St. Louis was dismantled by four touchdowns by Minnesota. The winless Rams’ average margin of defeat is 22 points per game. As AC/DC would say, the Rams are a “runaway train, running right off the track.”

Sadly, that’s only the beginning. Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Jacksonville also got bombed by double digit scores. Seemingly, the NFL has become a league of good teams bludgeoning bad teams. The NFC East serves as living proof of the league’s imbalance.

Philadelphia’s three wins have come against Carolina, Kansas City and Tampa Bay, who have combined for one win. Meanwhile, division rival New York Gianta are 5-0, having crushed Oakland, Kansas City and Tampa Bay in their last three outings.

Dallas’ Tony Romo owns six touchdown passes this season. Five of those came against the winless Chiefs and Bucs.

Translation: we’re living in a golden age for terrible teams. Instead of shying away from the ugliness of the NFL like I did with Zeus years ago, I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. I’m going to embrace these teams as if they are collectively the newest installment of the Penitentiary series. TMW will debut The Culverhouse Index*, a power poll of the league’s worst teams. Without further ado, here we go.

1. St. Louis (0-5): Making last year’s Lions look like the ’76 Raiders.

2. Kansas City (0-5): Man for man, barely better than St. Louis. Yet, they have the look of a college team at times.

3. Oakland (1-4): When is someone in this organization going to understand that Russell is not the quarterback of the future? Is a 2-14 season going to be enough?

4. Cleveland (1-4): The Browns should give Sunday’s win back. This team is scoring a hearty 11 points per game and yet, somehow, that isn’t last in the league.

5. Tampa Bay (0-5): This team features a newbie at quarterback in Josh Johnson and one of the league’s worst pass defenses.

6. Buffalo (1-4): The Bills should receive two losses for losing to the Browns at home without allowing a touchdown.

7. Detroit (1-4): The Lions are still not very good, but they will at least fight teams now.

8. Washington (2-3): Every game the Redskins play should end at 17-14. Football to sleep by.

9. Carolina (1-3): The Panthers were fixing to get blown out at home and drop to 0-4. However, the Redskins gave them some much needed help.

10. Tennessee (0-5): Not only did the Titans lose their best defensive player (Albert Haynesworth), but they also lost their defensive co-ordinator Jim Schwartz and replaced him with Chuck Cecil, who had never been a defensive co-ordinator before. Subsequently, they can’t get a pass rush and rank 31st in the league against the pass.

*The poll’s name honours former Tampa Bay Buccaneer owner, the late Hugh Culverhouse, who ran one of the worst teams in league history, the winless ’76 Bucs.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Five

1. Learn from the new Culverhouse Index: You are running a big risk on your Fantasy rosters by using players from the aforementioned poll. Granted, Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson are amongst the backs that play for some of these dreadful teams. However, what good are these guys if their team is down by 20 every week?

2. Tom Brady isn’t Tom Brady yet: Brady’s lifetime record versus Denver fell to 1-6, but perhaps the most alarming items from Sunday’s game were two missed pass plays for New England. Brady missed a touchdown pass to Randy Moss and then late in the fourth quarter missed on a seam pattern to Wes Welker that could have sprung him to go the distance. Brady’s timing is off considerably.

3. The contract year is a big motivator: Cedric Benson busted through the Raven defense for 120 yards and a score. He is the first running back to rush for 100 yards against Baltimore in three years. Benson just happens to be in a contract year. All of a sudden, he is a respectable running back. Hmm…

4. The Eagles’ regular season schedule begins on October 26: Philly has only played one quality opponent (New Orleans). The first somewhat respectable opponent for the Eagles will be Washington on the road on Monday, October 26.

5. Denver is for real…we think: Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno helped carry Denver to victory over New England in overtime. Orton is a steady game-manager thus far, Marshall is slowly emerging yet again and Moreno is getting his sea legs in his rookie year.

6. Keep your eye on Chad Henne: Everyone is raving about Henne’s performance Monday night. He fits the Bill Parcells criteria, which includes being a four-year starter in college. Perhaps Henne’s biggest asset is the Wildcat which is slicing and dicing rush defenses again, making it all the more easier for him to throw over the top of defenses.

7. Teams are determined to let Minnesota QB No. 4 beat them: Outside of playing Green Bay, the Vikings are another team that has played a lightweight schedule. With tough run matchups upcoming versus Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Minnesota QB No. 4 will be forced to use his aging yet still effective arm to beat them. Thus far, he has been able to do it, but it remains to be seen whether he can make it happen versus teams that will punch back.

8. Dre Bly made a foolish mistake: After intercepting Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Bly went all Deion Sanders and started celebrating about 60 yards before scoring. Roddy White stripped Bly of the ball soon after, leading to the season’s most embarrassing play to date.

9. The Eagles are loaded: Regardless of the competition, the Eagles are going to score points this season. Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson are flyers on the outside; Brent Celek is in store for a career year; and LeSean McCoy looks like a budding mini-Brian Westbrook. Even with Donovan McNabb and Westbrook aging, it looks it will be sunny in Philadelphia for quite some time. Yes, I know. It was a lame reference to the television show.

10. Keep your eye on McNabb and Eli Manning: McNabb returned from a rib injury, while Manning managed his plantar fasciitis. However, both teams were able to ease the quarterbacks into action versus two league doormats. As the season wears on, those injuries could be a problem. Adjust your Fantasy rosters accordingly.

Week Six BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1): Through five games, AP has seven touchdowns and is well on pace to top his career best of 12.

2. Peyton Manning (2): Easily the NFL’s MVP to date, playing the finest football of his career.

3. Ronnie Brown (7): This is not the Dolphins of 2008, but they are a scrappy bunch, led by Captain Wildcat himself.

4. Reggie Wayne (5): Attached at the hip with Manning, Wayne is one of Fantasy football’s best through the first quarter of the season.

5. Andre Johnson (8): He steamrolled Cardinal defenders a week ago; too bad his team can’t finish drives from the one yard line.

6. Drew Brees (3): The more Brees throws, the more it will help your Fantasy team. The less Brees throws, the more it will help the Saints go deep into the playoffs.

7. Maurice Jones-Drew (4): Don’t make this man angry, Jacksonville. He’s one of your few good players.

8. Cedric Benson (NR): I’m stunned he is on this list.

9. Steve “NYG” Smith (10): The other Steve Smith is 49th in standard Fantasy scoring, while this Smith is Eli’s go-to guy.

10. Ben Roethlisberger (9): Hopefully he stays awake against Cleveland. The Browns tend to be boring to play against.

Link of the Week

As mentioned earlier, Penitentiary II is a brilliantly awful film, but few things are as awesome as blaxploitation films. A new movie called Black Dynamite debuts this weekend and the trailer is pure gold.

Following Week Two, I turned on the NFL Network to see numerous analysts, including Brian Billick, lauding the impressive state of quarterbacking around the league. After two weeks, the composite quarterback rating proved to be 83.9, which at the time was an all-time best for the position.

With so many awful teams around the league, I contend that the opposite is true. I don’t believe that the NFL is in this great state of quarterbacking. In fact, we’re actually in worse shape than 10 years ago. For a team-by-team comparison, let’s go back to 1999 to see just how far we’ve advanced or fallen since the year Kurt Warner came on the scene.

NFC East

New York Giants

1999: Kent Graham
2009: Eli Manning

Advantage: Manning. Graham split time with Kerry Collins but did little with a 7-9 Giants squad. He threw nine touchdown passes and nine interceptions in nine starts. How many years did Graham play in the league? You guessed it, nine. Meanwhile, Manning’s passer rating (104.0) trumps the measly 74.6 posted by Graham.

Philadelphia Eagles

1999: Donovan McNabb
2009: Donovan McNabb

Advantage: ’09 McNabb. While young McNabb did not suffer injuries at the seemingly prodigious rate of current day Donny Mac, the ’09 Eagles will rise and fall with the fortunes of its Pro Bowl quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys

1999: Troy Aikman
2009: Tony Romo

Advantage: Aikman. Even though he was playing his second to last season, Aikman got the Cowboys into the playoffs (albeit at 8-8), while Romo continues to disappoint in Dallas. Aikman did not put together a great statistical season, but fired 17 touchdown passes versus 12 interceptions. Meanwhile, Romo is too busy throwing at all-pro corners 16 times during games (see below).

Washington Redskins

1999: Brad Johnson
2009: Jason Campbell

Advantage: Johnson. He made the Pro Bowl in ’99 and led Washington to the playoffs where it won a game and lost by a point in Tampa during the NFC Divisional playoffs. Campbell can only dream of such a season at this point.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

1999: Shane Matthews
2009: Jay Cutler

Advantage: Cutler. Period.

Detroit Lions

1999: Charlie Batch
2009: Matthew Stafford

Advantage: Batch. Just because you were selected number one overall, doesn’t make you a better quarterback instantly. Batch got the Lions into the playoffs with some assistance from Gus Frerotte. Such a feat is a herculean effort, especially when considering Detroit lost its final four games and still made the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers

1999: Brett Favre
2009: Aaron Rodgers

Advantage: Favre. While he was on the first downside run, posted a poor 74.7 passer rating and threw 23 interceptions, he was still Brett Favre, just two seasons removed from winning three straight MVP awards. Rodgers is still building his resume and has been spotty in close games.

Minnesota Vikings

1999: Jeff George
2009: Brett Favre

Advantage: Favre. Coming off the 15-1 season in ’98, Randall Cunningham struggled to return to ’98 form and the Vikes switched to George. He posted 23 touchdowns as the team made a run to the playoffs. Again though, Favre’s mere presence on the Vikings gives Minny a different edge.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

1999: Chris Chandler
2009: Matt Ryan

Advantage: Ryan. Chandler led the Falcons to the Super Bowl a season earlier, but was a career journeyman otherwise.

Carolina Panthers

1999: Steve Beuerlein
2009: Jake Delhomme

Advantage: Beuerlein. The former backup to Aikman in Dallas made the Pro Bowl in ’99 after throwing 36 touchdowns. Delhomme has crafted poor decision making into an art form in ’09.

New Orleans Saints

1999: Billy Joe Tolliver
2009: Drew Brees

Advantage: Brees. You don’t need an explanation other than never trust a quarterback with three names.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1999: Shaun King
2009: Josh Johnson

Advantage: King. As poorly as he played at times, King was a botched officiating call away from quarterbacking a team to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Johnson is as green as they come.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

1999: Jake Plummer
2009: Kurt Warner

Advantage: Warner. An easy victory for Warner. After putting the Cardinals in the playoffs in ’98, Plummer put the Cards in the tank. He threw 24 interceptions and just nine touchdown passes. His QB rating? How does 50.8 sound? Good? Not so good?

Seattle Seahawks

1999: Jon Kitna
2009: Seneca Wallace

Advantage: Kitna. The current caddy of Romo got the Seahawks into the playoffs while Wallace hasn’t done much to distinguish himself. By the way, Wallace is sixth in the league in completion percentage. Scary.

St. Louis Rams

1999: Kurt Warner
2009: Marc Bulger

Advantage: Warner. Bulger can’t stay healthy while Warner put himself on the map during ’99 by winning regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP honours.

San Francisco 49ers

1999: Jeff Garcia
2009: Shaun Hill

Advantage: Hill. Steve Young got knocked into retirement by Aeneas Williams early in 1999. Garcia wasn’t Garcia yet. Hill isn’t great by any means, but will not cost his team the game.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

1999: Doug Flutie
2009: Trent Edwards

Advantage: Flutie. Edwards may never sniff the playoffs at this rate, which is what Flutie did…well, until the great Wade Phillips had other ideas.

Miami Dolphins

1999: Dan Marino
2009: Chad Henne

Advantage: Marino. I’d rather have Marino at age 80 than Henne at this moment.

New England Patriots

1999: Drew Bledsoe
2009: Tom Brady

Advantage: Brady. Bledsoe was a few years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, but entering the downside of his career. Brady, well, is Brady.

New York Jets

1999: Ray Lucas
2009: Mark Sanchez

Advantage: Lucas. Again, we can’t project ahead towards what someone is going to become. Lucas jumped into a tough spot because of an injury to Vinny Testaverde and nearly got the Jets to the playoffs. Sanchez still has to prove himself.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

1999: Tony Banks
2009: Joe Flacco

Advantage: Flacco. The second-year Delaware Blue Hen has already played in an AFC title game while Banks was eventually benched for Trent Dilfer the following year when Baltimore won the Super Bowl.

Cleveland Browns

1999: Tim Couch
2009: Derek Anderson

Advantage: Couch. Look at the numbers. Couch, while awful, actually produced more than Anderson. Outside of his one big year in 2007, Anderson has been dreadful.

Cincinnati Bengals

1999: Jeff Blake
2009: Carson Palmer

Advantage: Palmer. Blake could cause thunderstorms with his deep passes, but Palmer has the ability to make the Bengals respectable. Palmer is trying to become the first Bengal quarterback since Boomer Esiason to lead them to multiple playoff appearances (’88, ’90).

Pittsburgh Steelers

1999: Kordell Stewart
2009: Ben Roethlisberger

Advantage: Big Ben. Kordell’s best asset was as a multiple purpose player in the mid-’90s. Ben owns two rings.

AFC South

Houston Texans

1999: N/A
2009: Matt Schaub

Indianapolis Colts

1999: Peyton Manning
2009: Peyton Manning

Advantage: 2009 Manning. Besides McNabb, he’s the only quarterback to still be the head guy 10 years later. While ’99 Manning wasn’t shabby, this year he’s on a record setting pace once more.

Jacksonville Jaguars

1999: Mark Brunell
2009: David Garrard

Advantage: Brunell. He’s the greatest quarterback in Jaguar history, leading them to the playoffs four consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1999. Garrard still needs to put together two good seasons in a row and get the Jags back to the postseason.

Tennessee Titans

1999: Steve McNair
2009: Kerry Collins

Advantage: McNair. Both appeared in Super Bowls, but the late McNair was the heart and soul of the Titans, grabbing co-MVP honours with Peyton Manning in 2003.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

1999: Brian Griese
2009: Kyle Orton

Advantage: Griese. He was the first man in during the post-John Elway era. Griese led the NFL in QB rating 2000 while getting the Broncos to the playoffs after a poor ’99 campaign. While he wins game rather consistently, Orton has never wowed anyone and laboured to beat out Rex Grossman in Chicago.

Kansas City Chiefs

1999: Elvis Grbac
2009: Matt Cassel

Advantage: Grbac. Cassel has only started 18 games during his career. Grbac was a pretty serviceable signal caller for the Chiefs, getting them to the playoffs in 1997.

Oakland Raiders

1999: Rich Gannon
2009: JaMarcus Russell

Advantage: Gannon. A Pro Bowler in ’99, Gannon would embark on a three-year run after that season that included two AFC title game appearances, a trip to the Super Bowl and losing some playoff game in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Russell is just plain awful.

San Diego Chargers

1999: Jim Harbaugh
2009: Phil Rivers

Advantage: Rivers. The ’99 Chargers were on the way to winning the LaDainian Tomlinson sweepstakes in 2001. Meanwhile, Rivers directs one of the best offenses in the AFC.

Synopsis: 1999 wins 17-14. While ’99 was a Brady-free zone, it was bursting with eventual or previous MVP winners (Favre, Gannon, Marino, McNair, Peyton Manning, Warner). During 2009, it’s more top heavy perhaps than ’99, but the difference between the haves and have nots this year is downright frightening.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Four

1. Don’t throw at Champ Bailey 16 times in a game when armed with average receivers: Romo took it upon himself to throw at Bailey, one of the NFL’s best corners, on 16 occasions. Bailey intercepted him once near the goal line and broke up two plays in the endzone on the game’s decisive drive.

2. The Cowboys miss Terrell Owens: Dallas wide receivers have not scored a touchdown since Week One in Tampa. Also, Romo threw twice to Sam Hurd on goal to go plays from the two in the fourth quarter last Sunday. Enough said.

3. Owens misses the Cowboys: Owens owns just one touchdown this season and seems ready to snap at any moment. Who can blame him though? Trent Edwards makes Romo look like Johnny Unitas.

4. Say what you want about Aaron Rodgers, but his offensive line stinks: Rodgers threw for 384 yards, but was wearing Jared Allen and the Viking defense by game’s end.

5. Peyton Manning is the MVP: Manning is arguably playing the best football of his career and is on pace to shatter Dan Marino’s record for most yards in a season (5,084).

6. There are more bad teams than a season ago: Detroit, Kansas City and St. Louis were in a class by themselves last year, but in ’09 they have company as league bottom feeders. Oakland has somehow regressed further thanks to JaMarcus Russell; while Tampa Bay and Buffalo are embarrassing to watch. Just think — I didn’t include the 0-4 Titans or 0-3 Panthers in the discussion.

7. The finger pointing and excuse making is never going away in San Diego during the A.J. Smith regime: Surprise, surprise. There is controversy in San Diego. General Manager Smith called the team soft. Mr. Smith has a point. They are extremely talented, but fatally flawed. This group will never get to the Super Bowl.

8. I’m not saying you should cut LaDainian Tomlinson, but it’s over: Speaking of the Chargers, LT can’t cut it anymore. It’s sad to say but he reminds me of the 2000s version of Emmitt Smith.

9. I’m saying you should cut JaMarcus Russell and it is over: Jeff Garcia recently questioned the work ethic of Russell, who is sporting a quarterback rating of 42.4. Russell continuously wears a wool ski cap on the sidelines. Maybe he should switch hats and cool off that brain of his.

10. Minnesota QB No. 4 still has it: The Packer defense set its sights on slowing Adrian Peterson and got beaten repeatedly by Minnesota QB No. 4. It didn’t hurt matters that he got up to seven seconds in the pocket on some plays to throw.

Week Five BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1) – It was Minnesota QB No. 4, not AP, who delivered the daggers to Green Bay on Sunday night.

2. Peyton Manning (6) – For the first time in his storied career, Manning has opened the season with four consecutive 300-yard days.

3. Drew Brees (2) – Do you hear the panic in the streets? Two straight games without a touchdown pass? Folks, he can’t play Detroit every week.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew (4) – Despite a less than rousing stat line of 14 yards rushing, MJD still scratched out six.

5. Reggie Wayne (7) – He is probably licking his chops for the upcoming Indy/Titans tilt.

6. Frank Gore (8) – I moved him up because I refuse to put a back that runs out of the wildcat ahead him.

7. Ronnie Brown (NR) – No offense, Ronnie, but the expiration date on this gimmick offense is coming soon. Good season so far though!

8. Andre Johnson (8) – The NFL schedule maker wasn’t that kind to Johnson. He has faced Darrelle Revis, Cortland Finnegan and Nnamdi Asomugha thus far. He throttled Tennessee, but has struggled otherwise.

9. Ben Roethlisberger (NR) – When he is not busy doing bits with Chris Jericho and the Big Show on Monday Night Raw, Big Ben is a pretty fair quarterback.

10. Steve “NYG” Smith (NR) – Yeah, I can’t believe he’s here either.

Link of the Week

I enjoy Facebook. However, the litany of applications for the site is becoming borderline absurd. From Farmville to YoVille to Mafia Wars, please just make it stop. I’m not interested in being kidnapped, sending you a blender, or starting my own farm. Then, of course, there is the phenomenon of old high school acquaintances friending you when they did not want to be within the same 20-mile radius during your four years together in school. Unfortunately though, that is a whole other post. This gentleman does a fair job of explaining my feelings.

In case you were wondering, this young fellow samples Heart’s “Alone.” Not familiar? I thought you’d never ask… (cheesy ’80s hair warning in effect).

While speaking with fellow football fan and RotoRob writer Andy Goldstein, we both decided that the NFL is in need of change. No, we don’t mean changing rules that give even more advantages to quarterbacks and receivers. Yes, Bill Polian, I’m pointing at you. In this new age of economic suffering and blackouts, it’s time we start to pull the proverbial plug on franchises and start moving them.

Candidates, you ask? Carolina, Jacksonville, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Seattle. Those franchises make the list because they seem to possess borderline lifeless fan bases and play in less than suitable stadium accommodations. Meanwhile, we can move either San Diego or Jacksonville to LA.

Florida in particular, is a college football state as is the whole southern region for that matter. However, we have the Dolphins and that is good enough. Jacksonville does not have a strong base and plays in a stadium that is car-equivalent of a Ford Pinto.

Prior to the beginning of the 2009 season, 17,000 Jaguar season ticket holders opted not to renew their seats and for their season opener in a 66,000-seat stadium, they had a paid attendance of 46,520. There has been talk recently of the team possibly using the Citrus Bowl in Orlando if the NFL decides to expand its schedule. Such a suggestion prompted a reporter to compare that stadium to Joan Rivers being in a Miss America competition. Ouch.

Anyways, down south, it’s college football first and professional pigskin second. Without a good product and with poor stadium accommodations, Jacksonville serves as little use in the NFL. Either move the franchise to Los Angeles or get it out of the league altogether. The same goes for San Diego, which plays in the antiseptic Qualcomm Stadium. Enough with these teams playing in bad stadiums with somewhat unenthused fans. Either get a new stadium or move on.

As for moving these teams to Los Angeles, it’s a somewhat daunting, but realistic proposition.

The first and most important concept is getting a team back to Los Angeles. I know, I know. No one cares about football in Los Angeles. That statement is false on two levels. First off, the Rams and Raiders played in two terrible buildings for football, the Los Angeles Coliseum and Anaheim Stadium. Unless the second coming of Jim Brown trotted out on the field, I would not support them either. A new stadium would solve numerous problems including:

• Stimulate the economy in Los Angeles; and
• Stimulate fan interest in whatever team.

Secondly, it’s the number two market in the country. Continuing to not support football out there is pointless. Would an LA fanbase be worse than Jacksonville, Carolina or Tampa Bay? So, don’t give me the fanbase argument. It doesn’t fly.

While we have two MLB teams, two NBA teams, and two NHL teams in Los Angeles, an NFL team is asking too much? Ultimately, it comes down to having the funds for a new stadium and finding some wonderful and extremely rich people to support…or when in doubt, just get the taxpayers to cough up the funds.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Three

1. Ladies and gentlemen, we have identified the NFL’s unholy trinity: So, it is apparent that the three worst teams in the league are St. Louis, Kansas City, and Cleveland. Set your Fantasy lineups accordingly.

2. Tennessee’s season is in great peril: The Titans can’t defend the pass, are turning the ball over, and can’t seem to get their starting quarterback untracked. Sounds like their season is almost over to me.

3. Be careful with quarterbacks over 35: Both Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner did not exactly look themselves on Sunday. Pass rush and constant hits made them glassy eyed passers last weekend. Collins misfired on his final 13 passes on Sunday while Warner looked like he had taken more hits than Joe Frazier in the Thrilla In Manila.

4. Fred Jackson’s value is about to drop: Jackson leads the NFL with 77 touches: That is about to change, though, with the return of Marshawn Lynch from his suspension. The party is over for Jackson owners.

5. Let’s settle down on the Drew Brees for President chatter: Brees failed to throw for a touchdown versus Buffalo last week, thus quieting the claims of the Saint offense torching the NFL.

6. It seems as if firing your offensive co-ordinator before season’s start isn’t the best idea after all: Note to all NFL teams — firing your offensive co-ordinator before the start of the regular season is not the wisest move. Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are a combined 1-8. These teams rank 17th, 25th and 30th in total offense, respectively.

7. Playing the Jet defense is bad for your quarterback’s statistical health: Matt Schaub, Tom Brady and Collins have all struggled versus Rex Ryan’s defense. As New Orleans lurks for the Jets this weekend, consider these numbers, Brees’ owners. Here are the opposing passer ratings versus the Jets:

• Schaub 55.9
• Brady 53.1
• Collins 41.5

Brees is likely to outperform these numbers, but it will not be easy.

8. Invest in handcuffs: If you haven’t done some recon on the name Glen Coffee, do so right now.

9. Seattle’s new lime green jerseys are an eye sore: Hopefully, those jerseys were burned immediately upon game’s end.

10. Dallas is a good running team, just not inside of the 10-yard line: The Cowboys lead the NFL in rushing, averaging 193 yards per game. However, without Marion Barber last week, they didn’t exactly light it up inside the 10. During a third quarter possession, Dallas ran five plays on goal to go from the 10 and it came away with field goal. Even though Tashard Choice eventually punched one into the endzone, the ‘Boys need Barber immediately.

Week Three BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (2): Another week of less than 20 carries! Cheers for preservation.

2. Drew Brees (1): Yet again, Fantasy met reality in Buffalo last Sunday. The Saints running the ball for over 200 yards is great for them, but when Brees is only throwing for under 200 yards and no scores, that is bad news for his owners.

3. Chris Johnson (3): How long before he is taking handoffs from Vince Young?

4. Maurice Jones-Drew (10): The best player on an otherwise completely boring team.

5. Peyton Manning (6): Half man, half machine.

6. Andre Johnson (5): Johnson killed a few Fantasy teams in Week 16 versus Oakland last year by posting two catches.

7. Reggie Wayne (7): The NFL’s leading receiver netted 126 yards, a score and a nifty one-handed catch last Sunday night versus Arizona.

8. Frank Gore (4): An ankle injury mars what was a solid start for the former Miami Hurricane.

9. Larry Fitzgerald (8): Marcus Fitzgerald was not as active on Twitter this week during big brother’s game.

10. DeSean Jackson (NR): Three games, three 60-yard plus plays. Not bad.

Link of the Week

What I am about to show you is one of the many reasons why people cannot deal with the explosion of more Minnesota QB No. 4 talk. A group of Viking fans did a rap video about their new starting quarterback and ripped a few stars on other teams along the way. Just for the record, after watching this video I’m okay with the Vikings not winning another game all season.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/10/04/two-minute-warning-jacksonville-randy-newman-and-you/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/26/dear-rotorob-which-qb-should-i-start/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/26/dear-rotorob-which-qb-should-i-start/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:01:23 +0000 Buck Davidson http://www.rotorob.com/?p=7033
Joe Flacco will surprise people this year, but we’d still start Matt Schaub over him this week.

Dear RotoRob,

Re: QB Selection in Week Three

Matt Schuab or Joe Flacco? I am in a head-to-head pool and have started the wrong guy in both weeks thus far. Now that they have each had a stellar week, I am unsure as to whom to plug in for Week Three. Can you help?

Grant

Hi Grant,

I think Flacco is really going to sneak up on some people this season, and there will be weeks when he could start over a lot of “regular” Fantasy starters. That being said, I don’t think this is one of those weeks: Cleveland has been terrible against the run so far (205 YPG against).

I think the Ravens will pound the rock all day Sunday, and I don’t see big numbers from Flacco as a result.

Andre Johnson has struggled against the Jags lately, and Rashean Mathis is a tough cover corner (look at Larry Fitzgerald’s numbers from last week). As a team, though, J-Ville is soft against the pass, and Houston’s lack of a running game (at least so far) and crummy defense leads me to believe that this game could be a shootout. Schaub probably won’t go off like last week, but he should put up solid numbers against the Jags.

I’d go with Schaub.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/26/dear-rotorob-which-qb-should-i-start/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/25/two-minute-warning-so-tonight-were-going-to-party-like-its-1999/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/25/two-minute-warning-so-tonight-were-going-to-party-like-its-1999/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:13:26 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6999
Derek was amazed the first time he saw Marvin Harrison.

Meet the Machines

Ten years ago, I was a naïve 20-year-old college student on the road to…well, at the time I had little idea. However, at that time I got a first hand introduction to two of the most destructive forces in football…Peyton Manning and the Mount Union College Purple Raiders.

The latter is obviously the lesser known of the two but comprises the most technically sound group of football players not playing Division I football. Their fearless leader and head coach, Larry Kehres, has led his Alliance, Ohio-based squad to 10 national titles, 17 consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference titles and the longest winning streak in the history of college football — 55 games.

My alma mater, Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, fell to the Purple Raiders in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on three occasions (’93, 96, ’98). As luck would have it, my first year as a colour analyst for Rowan football on the campus’ college radio station, would include a trip to Ohio as Rowan faced its longtime nemesis in the national semifinal with a berth to the national championship game on the line.

I had seen them on television once before. They were a Division III combo of the ’80s 49ers and the ’70s Steelers. Scoring on their defense was out of the question while holding their offense under 24 points was a pipe dream.

Incredibly, the Profs (yeah, I know…stop laughing) defeated Kehres’ crew in overtime 24-17 to advance to the Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia. Rowan celebrated and celebrated and celebrated. Why not? It had just beaten a team that was trying to four-peat on its home field. So carried away with beating the mighty Mount, I ripped up blades of grass from the field and put them in my pocket. Finally, the Profs vanquished the demon and would assuredly win the national title a week later; while Mount Union would fall into the depths of mediocrity.

As it turns out, that never happened. Perhaps, so overwhelmed by defeating Mount Union, a little known team from Tacoma, Washington named Pacific Lutheran, who played tag during pre-game warm-ups and enjoyed watching sunsets together as a team (true story), crushed Rowan 42-13 to win the national championship. Colour me devastated.

How did Mount Union respond after a devastating loss to Rowan? It won the next three national titles. Whoops.

A month prior to Rowan’s demise in Virginia, I stood on the worn, beaten up and rather unsafe surface of Veterans Stadium and helped set up some promotional items as a part of my internship with the Philadelphia Eagles’ flagship radio station, 94.1 WYSP-FM.

Looking around, I noticed a rather large youngster firing balls downfield to another guy who could seemingly catch these passes with his eyes closed. I inched closer and now standing just a few feet away, my eyes confirmed what I originally thought; I was watching Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison practice their craft until they perfected it — something they would go on to do in stadiums throughout the country. Manning’s Colts buried the Birds that day at the Vet, 44-17.

Flashing forward six years, for the first time since its memorable victory in 1999, Rowan paid a visit to Mount Union. The Profs, whose starting quarterback who was out with a broken wrist, lost to Mount Union 19-7. While handling radio play by play duties, I noticed a quick Mount Union receiver who was extremely difficult to cover. His name was Pierre Garcon.

When Garcon took a Manning pass 48 yards to the house for a game-winning score on Monday night against Miami, I could not help but realize that two entities which tormented my professional and college teams now were married together on the field.

As a Rowan University football fan, Eagle fan and follower of all things Tom Brady and Bill Belichick related, it was an unsettling moment.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Two

1. Don’t sleep on small college football: You don’t need to be from USC, Miami or Notre Dame to have a good career in the pros. Not only did Garcon stun the Dolphins, but Buffalo’s Fred Jackson is also a D-III player by way of Coe College in Iowa. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco of the University of Delaware led Baltimore to the AFC title game last year and a 2-0 start so far. His head coach at Delaware? K.C. Keeler, formally of Rowan University. Yes, another gratuitous mention of Rowan University.

2. Something is terribly wrong with the Tennessee pass defense: Through two games, the Titan pass defense allowed 321 and 357 yards passing. While they have been solid against the run, their pass defense stinks thus far. Take note if you’re on the fence with a quarterback who is facing them.

3. Don’t get Marcus Fitzgerald on your bad side: Young Marcus is the brother of the great Larry Fitzgerald. Unhappy that his brother wasn’t exactly getting quality looks from Kurt Warner, Marcus did what any calm and rational sibling would do…he took his complaints to Twitter and unleashed the following tirade:

Marcusfitz1 Just got off the phone with my brother.he’s happy about the win. But PISSED he didnt get the ball thrown 2 him much!

Marcusfitz1 Bout time kurt!I almost had to come to jacksonville & strangle his ass lmao.

Marcusfitz1 Ok another drive & kurt doesnt throw 2 larry.YOU OLD ASS MAN,THROW HIM THE DAMN BALL

Marcusfitz1 @TBaby81 kurt warner plays like a damn 80 year old! my brother just texted me during halftime pissed off

Marcusfitz1 Kurt warner needs 2 stop bein a scary ass & throw the ball deep 2 my brother!damn this is annoying 2 watch!he throws 2 the rb’s 2 damn much!

Marcus maintained he was kidding afterwards. Somehow, I don’t quite buy that.

4. When your team gives up 183 yards receiving to a tight end, allows said opponent to hold the ball for under 15 minutes and yet still loses the game, something is terribly wrong: The bloom is off the rose for the Miami Dolphins. Despite dominating time of possession and the tempo, they still managed to lose. Don’t expect them to be a playoff team in 2009.

5. Tony Romo’s Week One performance versus Tampa Bay was clearly a mirage: Watching Playbook on the NFL Network is not a fun view if you’re a Romo fan. He struggled to recognize coverages and did not see the field well. The bizarre Jason Witten kick that led to a pick aside, he looked awful.

6. The San Francisco 49ers are the team to beat in the NFC West: With Arizona playing a slightly more challenging schedule this season, the ‘Niners could make some hay in the NFC West. They already beat Arizona in the desert and this week square off against the Vikings and Minnesota QB No. 4, who the 49ers beat a season ago when he was a Jet.

7. It’s okay to admit that the Cincinnati Bengals have a good defense, really…it’s cool: Antwan Odom leads the league in sacks with seven, while the Bengals are tops in that same category as a team. They should be 2-0 except for that disaster play versus Denver in Week One. Defense is back in Cincinnati. I can’t believe I just typed that.

8. Don’t jump yet, Tom Brady owners: Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper all suffered serious knee injuries. While McNabb is the only one who posted career numbers following his ACL injury, all three struggled to shake off the rust. Why people were expecting the 50-touchdown Brady from the jump is beyond me. It’s going to take some time, America. Let’s not throw dirt on him yet.

9. Every year will be the year of the quarterback: Through the first two weeks of the NFL season, the composite quarterback rating is 83.9, which would be a new standard for quarterback play. Considering defenders are nearly penalized for taking the field at this point, that trend is likely to continue.

10. Darrelle Revis = shutdown corner: Revis has faced Andre Johnson and Randy Moss in the first two weeks. During those two games, he allowed eight catches for 59 yards with a long reception of seven yards. Don’t go his way with a throw, period.

Week Three BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Drew Brees (2) – He is on pace to throw 72 touchdowns. He will never reach that, but it is fun to think about.

2. Adrian Peterson (1) – The biggest concern is his workload and thankfully, Brad Childress did not run him into the ground versus the hapless Lions.

3. Chris Johnson (NR) – He put forth a performance for all seasons against the Texans. Somewhere, Gus Johnson is still screaming.

4. Frank Gore (NR) – It’s good to have back 2006 Gore. It has been a while. We missed you.

5. Andre Johnson (10) – A monster week in Tennessee puts him at the head of the class for receivers.

6. Peyton Manning (9) – Anyone actually believe that Indy was losing that game on Monday night?

7. Reggie Wayne (7) – He will likely not get the credit because of other guys at the position, but he is as steady as they come.

8. Larry Fitzgerald (8) – His brother needs to settle down.

9. DeAngelo Williams (6) – He looked better versus Atlanta, but his ’08 season will be hard to duplicate.

10. Maurice Jones-Drew (5) – Another year, another rough start for the Jags.

Link of the Week

One of America’s greatest musical products, Bruce Springsteen, turned 60 earlier this week. Let’s jump in our time machine and visit the quality year of 1975. Bruce and the E Street Band performed in London and rocked the house with a version of Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/25/two-minute-warning-so-tonight-were-going-to-party-like-its-1999/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/18/two-minute-warning-from-foxborough-with-love/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/18/two-minute-warning-from-foxborough-with-love/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:03:55 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6848
With Dick Jauron in charge, Buffalo fans are in for a long season.

Jake

Earlier this week, I discovered one of my friends, who is a big Carolina Panthers fan, had made her way down to Charlotte, North Carolina to watch Eagles-Panthers. Prior to Sunday, the last Panther game she attended? That’s right, the 2008 NFC Divisional playoff game versus Arizona. 

Thus, over the span of two trips, she spent close to $200 on tickets, sat in a car for over 40 hours, and drove over 2,400 miles there and back to see Jake Delhomme unleash the following performances:

vs. Arizona: 17 of 34, 205 yards, 1 TD, 5 INTs, 39.1 rating
vs. Philly: 7 of 17, 73 yards, 0 TD, 4 INTs, 14.7 rating

Terrifying.

In the wake of those back-to-back horrendous efforts, NFL teams should enact the “Delhomme Clause,” which means if you’re in attendance for a game where the home quarterback’s passer rating is sub 50, home fans should get their money back or a free pizza.

It’s a reasonable request. If anyone failed at such a rate on their own job, they would likely become acquainted with unemployment.

This country is in one of the greatest economic slides of all-time, yet people are subjected to seeing an athlete — who signed a contract extension that includes $20 million of guaranteed money — put together two of the worst quarterback efforts in the Super Bowl era.

That is unacceptable. The only thing as depressing in Week One was probably being a Bill fan watching the Buffalo meltdown in Foxborough on Monday night.

The Inferior Head Coach-Quarterback Combo

Speaking of that game, it was a bit sad to see Buffalo fans suffer once again. However, what did they expect? You are what you eat. Their head coach is Dick Jauron. Let me write that once more, their head coach is Dick Jauron.

The same man that is 0-8 lifetime against William Stephen Belichick is also the same man who has posted a winning record once in his previous nine seasons as a head coach.

In fact, if you want to guarantee that your team is going to lose heartbreaking regular season games on a repeated basis, just examine the head coach and quarterback. Those two figures rank as two of your organization’s biggest decision makers — one from a personnel standpoint and the other having a direct impact with their play on the field.

Look at three of the biggest losers from the Week One: Buffalo, Cincinnati and Oakland. All three lost in heartbreaking fashion.

In Buffalo, you have Jauron and Trent Edwards; Cincy has Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer; and Oakland offers the dynamic duo of Tom Cable and JaMarcus Russell. It’s not an accident those teams end up in those situations.

The aforementioned six gentlemen have a combined zero playoff wins. When a team offers up a bad head coach and either relatively inexperienced or incompetent quarterbacking, that leads to fans crying in their onion dip.

Ten Things We Learned in Week One

1. Well, it didn’t take long for the Eagles’ season to become fun: As surmised in last week’s edition of TMW, Philly’s season was destined to become entertaining. With Donovan McNabb’s broken rib an issue, the Eagles signed former Philly QB Jeff Garcia, who joins Mac5, Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb on the roster. The Eagles are trying to convince people that McNabb might play on Sunday, but that is a strategic move to throw off the Saints. It makes no sense for him to play when their bye lands in Week Four.

2. Apparently, firing your offensive co-ordinator days before the regular season isn’t that awful: Buffalo, Kansas City and Tampa Bay all fired the offensive co-ordinators prior to the regular season’s start. Here’s how they fared on Sunday:

Buffalo – 276 yards, 24 points
Kansas City – 188 yards, 24 points
Tampa Bay – 450 yards, 21 points

While the yardage numbers were not booming for the first two, they at least looked like competent offenses that could score.

3. Tom Brady isn’t all the way back yet: As great as the comeback on Monday night was, Brady’s timing was definitely off. He wasn’t quite stepping into throws and looked out of sync until the final five minutes of the game. It could be several weeks before he returns to 2007 Tom. The good news for Brady owners is that he looked even better trying to escape the clutches of Suzy Kolber during a post-game interview.

4. Gus Johnson + Crazy Finish = Insanity: Johnson’s call of the Brandon Stokley catch ranked right near the top of his all-time best calls. See Gonzaga/UCLA for further details.

5. Giving Delhomme $20 million of guaranteed money wasn’t the best idea: Memo to the Panthers: Draft a quarterback in 2010.

6. Dark days are ahead for the Arizona Cardinals: If Sunday was any indication, the Cardinals are in trouble. The curse of the Super Bowl runner-up is the real deal.

7. The Jets might be for real: One thing is for sure, while their rookie quarterback still has to work out the kinks, the Jet defense looks ready for prime time.

8. Minnesota QB No. 4 is old: He only threw for 110 yards and managed to get sacked four times against Cleveland.

9. The two best teams in Week One played last Thursday night: None of the AFC heavyweights looked Super Bowl ready except for two. After Week One, the two best AFC teams were the same from a season ago — Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

10. Jay Cutler is the newest “gunslinger”: The Bears hope their new quarterback doesn’t find the opposition four times in a game again or repeatedly throws into triple and quadruple coverage. He forced passes and made poor decisions without having a significant pass rush get in his face often.  

Week Two BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1) – Attention, members of the media: Minnesota QB No. 4 passed for 110 yards, not 410 yards. Fighting dehydration and media bias, AP rambled for 180 yards and three scores.

2. Drew Brees (5) – While he seems to be the people’s choice as “best quarterback in the NFL,” let’s see how he does against a defense that shows a pulse.

3. Tom Brady (9) – After a mortal first three and a half quarters of football in his return, he dragged his left knee and the Patriots across the finish line for a win.  

4. Maurice Jones-Drew (2) – After he scored last Sunday against the Colts, he debuted his supermarket dance by pushing a cart and grabbing items off an imaginary shelf. By the way, that dance was inspired by NFL Network’s Rich Eisen. True story.

5. DeAngelo Williams (3) – Fantasy owners can thank Delhomme for burying Williams’ value.

6. Reggie Wayne (NR) – Marvin Harrison stopped being Marvin Harrison three years ago. Thus, Wayne did not miss him on Sunday.

7. Larry Fitzgerald (5) –  One half of the Madden ’10 cover (Troy Polamalu) down, one to go.

8. Peyton Manning (NR) – From September to December, the man is a machine.

9. Tony Romo (NR) – Romo doesn’t have to deal with T.O. while Jessica Simpson is being labeled as “desperate” on tabloids. With his mind clear of clutter, Romo had a career day. I’m guessing that is not a coincidence.

10. Andre Johnson (NR) – The Jets turned into the mini-Baltimore Ravens.

Link of the Week

As I’m putting this together, I’m watching some old movie from the 70s called FM featuring Martin Mull, Cleavon Little and a bunch of actors I’ve never heard of. Anyways, the Doobie Brothers’ song “It Keeps You Runnin’” is playing in the background.

[edit]It brings to mind one of the great TV episodes of all time. The sitcom What’s Happening offered up an episode that featured the Doobie Brothers, a live concert, and a lesson on bootlegging. Nothing sings to me quite like overdramatic television from the ’70s and ’80s.

Oh, one more thing about this movie. Jimmy Buffett is on my screen. I don’t get the appeal. Although, he is one of the main names behind the Dolphins renaming their facility Land Shark Stadium, his popularity amazes me. Is this what Dave Matthews is going to become in 15 years? This concerns me.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/18/two-minute-warning-from-foxborough-with-love/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/11/two-minute-warning-dear-summer-please-go-away/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/11/two-minute-warning-dear-summer-please-go-away/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:41:53 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6735
Can we finally stop obsessing about Dr. Conrad Murray and start focusing on football?

Summer Daze

I live in New Jersey and frequent the Jersey Shore with the consistency of Jake Delhomme’s quarterbacking. While I enjoy many of the perks of the summer — lighter workload, good scenery, vacation, etc. — this is the time of the year.

I’m already over the summer being over. In fact, my timeline every year is the same. My birthday falls on July 16. Once that passes, it might as well be 57 degrees Fahrenheit and cloudy outside. The summer is over to me. However, due to my failure of creating a time machine, I can’t speed ahead to September. Thankfully, the wait is now over.

I’m tired of getting up on a summer weekend and putting on a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and my Asics sneakers to run errands in 96 degree Fahrenheit weather. It is time for jeans, hooded sweatshirts, post-season baseball, seeing your own breath, bad holiday commercials and most importantly, football.

Gone are the days of watching cranky souls yell at each other on MSNBC during town hall meetings over health care (well, for now anyways). No more stories about Dr. Conrad Murray. No more stories about Jon and Kate. Thank you, that is enough.

You know what I did last night out of utter exhaustion and boredom? I put in a Monday Night Football game from 1985 between Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers and John Elway’s Denver Broncos. Nothing notable happened other than 49er quarterback Matt Cavanaugh having a hard time holding for field goals because Denver fans were throwing snowballs at him. That’s how much I miss football.

Fantasy drafts are great, but few things beat the feeling of watching football on Sundays. The mediocre pre-game shows…the first TV game break with an injury update that is sure to ruin your Fantasy season…the endless hours of eating badly…wondering exactly why your local CBS affiliate keeps showing the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens every week. I love being mad about this stuff. It doesn’t matter in life’s grand scheme, but football sparks these somewhat irrational concepts.

Now, after months of waiting, the season is here. All of the shucking and jiving is over. It’s time to get down to business. Week One is set to begin and not a moment too soon.

Ten Things About the 2009 Season

1. Shaky leaders make shaky decisions: What could it possibly say about head coaches Dick Jauron, Raheem Morris, and Todd Haley that they all let go of their offensive co-ordinators prior to the regular season’s start? When your respective quarterbacks are Trent Edwards, Byron Leftwich, and Matt Cassel, perhaps there is a larger problem at hand.

2. Bear fans might want to delay those calls to travel agencies in Miami: Jay Cutler brings his strong, yet inconsistent arm to the Windy City. Instead of throwing to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, he is targeting Earl Bennett, Devin Hester and Juaquin Iglesias. If you’re relatively new to football, the latter trio isn’t exactly the crème de la crème of NFL receivers. If Cutler leads this gang to the Super Bowl, colour me shocked. Sorry, Peter King.

3. Patriot fans should be more worried about their offensive line than Tom Brady’s knee: Three teams that New England might see in the AFC playoffs (that’s right, let’s already jump the gun) — San Diego, Pittsburgh and Tennessee — can bring the heat. If Brady’s protectors don’t get on the good foot, he’s going to spend January with Gisele once more (not that this would be a hardship by anyone’s measure).

4. Pittsburgh will not appear in too many five-star matchups this season: After playing a schedule that seemingly featured the ’89 49ers and ’92 Cowboys, the Steelers’ schedule is a bit friendlier this season. The opposition’s winning percentage is .434 which ranks as the league’s fourth-easiest schedule and includes an appearance by the Detroit Lions. By the way, I’d like to use this opportunity to state the ’72 Dolphins faced a schedule with an opposing winning percentage of .367. That is all.

5. Buffalo is running the no-huddle offense: I can’t express how incredulous of a decision this is. What personnel do the Bills have to run such an offense? They are using a quarterback, Edwards, who has all of 24 starts under his belt and is working with another new offensive co-ordinator. Further compounding matters, guess which receiver is a bit unhappy with the no-huddle’s installment? Yep.

6. It’s always cloudy in San Diego: For my next topic, I would like to channel Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary”:

Y’ know, every now and then
I think you might like to hear something from us
Nice and easy
But there’s just one thing
You see we never ever do nothing
Nice and easy
We always do it nice and rough

This is not only a duet by Ike and Tina Turner, but it also perfectly describes the San Diego Chargers. Thanks to this Shawne Merriman/Tila Tequila fiasco, the Chargers just have one more problem to deal with. If they go to the Super Bowl, again, colour me surprised.

7. This will be a Brett Favre-free zone: Starting next week, this will be an article free of Favre mentions. Instead, I will pull a page straight from the video game playbook. He will henceforth be known as “Minnesota QB #4” whenever I need to refer to him.

8. Philadelphia is in store for a bananas season: I’m not sure what is going to happen with the Eagles this season. However, I feel confident by saying that is likely to be a chaotic. If the Michael Vick stuff is not a distraction and the defense plays well, it could be a Super Bowl team. If Vick goes south and the team goes belly up, we’re in store for a show that will put this upcoming season of The Hills to shame.

9. The slide of the Indianapolis Colts begins…now: Safety Bob Sanders is already injured and the Colts endured massive changes to their coaching staff. How does this all equal to another 12-win season? Can’t be, right?

10. 10. Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay will be Super Bowl XLIV: After being clubbed over the head by the media with “one for the thumb,” back-to-back Manning Super Bowl wins, and “Sixburgh,” doesn’t this mean that we are in store for something different? Nope. Instead, get ready for the obligatory “Steelers: Team of the Decade” discussion and plenty of questions for Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers regarding what is was like playing with Minnesota QB #4. Great, where do I sign?

Power Poll

Note: I’m adjusting the previous Fantasy power poll to the BPITW Poll. The abbreviation is short for Best Player in the World. Granted, there isn’t a high volume of professional football teams in Asia or Mexico, but since the CFL exists and the phrase works, it’s time to put it to good use.

Week One BPITW Poll

1. Adrian Peterson: Perhaps Minnesota QB #4 will turn him into Adrian Peterson, catcher of screen passes.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew: He sports the most important shin in the state of Florida, unless you throw Tim Tebow into the mix.

3. DeAngelo Williams: One of these days, having Jake Delhomme as his quarterback will cost him…just not yet.

4. Matt Forte: The Packer defense will give him a good workout on Sunday night.

5. Drew Brees: The Fantasy gods are dealing Brees’ owners a bad hand by offering up the Lions in Week One as opposed to last year’s Week 16 tilt.

6. Larry Fitzgerald: No offence to Larry, but he did a great deal of his damage with Anquan Boldin injured. The Quan was just as effective before his Meadowlands facial injury.

7. Andre Johnson: It would be nice to see him reach double-digit touchdowns at some point.

8. Michael Turner: Is this the man who will break the Curse of 370?

9. Tom Brady: Our long nightmare is over. He is back!

10. LaDainian Tomlinson: The last stand for LT?

Link of the Week

Speaking of BPITWs, the story of Bo Jackson is a sad one. Check out this compilation of crazy Jackson runs which ironically ends with the final run of his career. Little did Dick Enberg know he was calling a career-ending hip pointer injury during the 1990 AFC Divisional playoffs versus Cincinnati. It was another sad chapter in Raider history over the past 20 years.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/11/two-minute-warning-dear-summer-please-go-away/feed/ 1 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/04/the-marshall-plan/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/04/the-marshall-plan/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:22:07 +0000 Matt Wilson http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6535
Is drafting Brandon Marshall akin to trying your luck with Megan Fox and her skimpy nipple coverings?

To win it all, you have to risk it all. Nobody ever achieved greatness by playing it safe. These theories hold true in just about every walk of life, but they are especially pertinent in the world of Fantasy sports. No matter how knowledgeable you are about a particular sport, you will always need a little luck to truly get over the top. All that you can do is put yourself in a position to actually get lucky. Think about the guy who stays out at the bar until last call, talking to girls that are way out of his league. Sure, there are safer moves than trying to pick up a Megan Fox clone, but the risk/reward of the conversation is worth the gamble.

Keeping this theory in mind, I am here to personally implore you to take a look at Brandon Marshall in your upcoming Fantasy draft. Your natural response to this idea should be to assume that I am crazy. That’s fine. I am aware that I am crazy; insanity allows me to think outside the box. After Marshall’s antics in practice, many Fantasy owners are using the “avoid at all costs” way of thinking. It certainly is understandable because Marshall does not have a track record that would lead you to believe a change of attitude is on the horizon. The trick is trying to understand what is going through Marshall’s head right now, which is no easy task.

Personally, I believe that this pre-season suspension is the best thing that could have happened for Marshall owners. Previously, he was injured, caught up in a judicial case and desperate for a big payday. Like any person, he was distracted by all this extracurricular activity and it really started to jade him. None of this even takes into account the fact that Marshall had lost his star quarterback and is being forced to learn a new offense.

The cynic in all of us says “He is being paid plenty of money to play a game; he needs to just shut up and play.” I am on the same page with everyone making that argument. Realistically, it all had to come to a head at some point and the Broncos are fortunate that it happened in the preseason. If it had not, Marshall owners would be waiting for the other shoe to drop all season long. He was on a collision course with Josh McDaniels and finding some sort of resolution sooner rather than later is ideal.

Look at it this way: it cannot get any worse.

I took a semester of Intro to Psychology in school, so I am obviously somewhat qualified to look into the way that this guy is thinking. With all of the mounting frustration in his life, Marshall lost his sanity and decided to put on one of the worst practice displays in history. I am not arguing that he was right to act like Veruca Salt in pads, but if you take away the fact that he is a professional athlete, you probably know somebody like Marshall. He expected to get everything he wanted immediately.

The driving force behind all this lunacy is money; it’s just simple greed. For as long as Marshall is suspended, not only will he hurt his chances of signing a lucrative contract for next season, he will also lose out on money this season. While he will hardly miss $2,000 for his pre-season suspension, he would lose over $100,000 per regular season game that he misses. All that this suspension really amounts to is his coach, McDaniels, making a stand against rebellion within the organization. Jay Cutler threw a fit and he got exactly what he wanted; why wouldn’t Marshall try the same thing?

McDaniels’ problem is that he set a precedent for acquiescing demands from his players and now he is trying to right that mistake. Marshall gambled that his temper tantrum would result in the Broncos giving in once again, but it turned out to be a horrible miscalculation.

The night after his foolishness in practice, Marshall told ESPN’s Trey Wingo that he acted out in frustration and just wanted a fresh start with the Broncos. Maybe I am just extremely gullible, but I believe that he will not be a problem again this season. Members of the media might tell you differently when Marshall is reinstated to the Bronco roster, but this guy needs to play. There is no chance in hell he gets his payday if he is unwilling to play under his current contract.

As it is, the lucrative contract Marshall expects is a long shot at best. If Marshall expects to be paid like the star wide receiver that he is, he will have to drop all the baggage like Randy Moss did in New England, and show that he can become a team player. NFL owners have no problem paying for talent (Michael Vick got a contract less than a month after he was officially released from prison), so Marshall has not destroyed his chances of getting the Greg Jennings’-like contract he desires. 

If there is just one person (just one) advising him that has any semblance of how the NFL works, Marshall will shut up and get back on the field.

Some Fantasy owners are acting like it is the end of the world that Marshall is missing the preseason. He’s actually getting a vacation, a chance to clear his head, and time to work out on his own schedule. For anyone that has ever seen Marshall, you know that his body is clearly his temple and he will not be sitting and watching television for these two weeks. By the time the preseason is over, he’ll be itching to get back on the field and should become a sponge with the new system.

I do not begin to presume that he will be a key factor in Week One, but remember that he did not even play last year in Week One and still ended up with over 100 receptions. Kyle Orton is not Cutler, but he’s also not as horrible as some people make him out to be. Last year, Marshall was targeted over 170 times and he caught just over 100 of those passes. That means about 40 per cent of the throws towards him resulted in incomplete passes.

No matter what you think of Orton, even he can get the ball to Marshall half the time. You should not expect 100 receptions again, nor should you expect 170 targets, but you cannot expect those numbers from any receiver that is available in the fifth round, where Marshall has been going since his suspension.

The beauty of acquiring Marshall is his No. 1 wide receiver upside. By the time you draft him, you will likely already have your stud receiver and possibly even your No. 2 receiver. If you only use two active receivers in your league, he makes for a phenomenal flex player. If he bottoms out, you will hopefully have struck gold with a later draft pick or a waiver wire all-star.

It’s easy to throw these theories at you, but it all means nothing if you don’t see proof that I have faith in the theory. My proof comes from the RotoRob Regulars league. One of the owners in the league had a real life (whatever that is) conflict with the draft time, so he was “stuck” with Marshall. When he expressed his displeasure at acquiring the malcontent, I jumped on the opportunity to bring him into the fold. With Anquan Boldin as my No. 1 and Chad Johnson (I am bothered by the whole Ochocinco thing) as my No. 2, Marshall represents a guy that I would use in my flex.

In order to obtain Marshall, I traded the very capable Lee Evans. Evans is about the same age as Marshall, has elite speed, and will benefit from more single-coverage with Terrell Owens playing on the opposite side. He’s a nice player, but we kind of know who he is at this point. With Evans having Trent Edwards at quarterback and a sieve for an offensive line, the upside of Marshall outweighs him in my eyes.

In spite of my faith in Marshall, there are plenty of signs that indicate he just “doesn’t get it.” Rumour has it that in high school he quit on his basketball team, much like he quit on the Broncos in practice last week. This type of character issues scared away more prestigious college football programs and landed Marshall at the lesser known University of Central Florida for his collegiate experience. After proving to be a man among boys in college, he still was unable to convince teams that he was worth a first round pick.

Marshall clearly possesses first-round talent and is one of the most physically gifted wide receivers in football today. If a team were willing to give Denver a third round pick today, they could probably acquire this No. 1 receiver, but the baggage remains too heavy for most teams. Marshall is a certifiable game changer, yet his attitude has caused him to become nothing more than an enigma.

Since history tends to repeat itself, it’s no wonder that general managers are not interested in making the gamble. However, the difference between a general manager and a Fantasy owner is quite significant. You’re playing to win this year, but if you fall short, you’ll be able to draft again next season. A general manager would have to tie his job to Marshall, and if it does not work out he could very well find himself unemployed. But if you’re truly looking to win a simple Fantasy league, Marshall’s talent versus his average draft position offers tremendous upside.

So sit down at that bar and take your chances with Megan Fox. You just might get lucky.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/09/04/the-marshall-plan/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/29/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-rookies/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/29/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-rookies/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:09:26 +0000 RotoRob http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6473
Mark Sanchez is an intriguing rookie to watch this season.

To wrap up the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit, we’re going to take a look at some Rookies you need to be aware of for Fantasy purposes.

Quarterbacks

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: The USC product has already been named the starter, but under Rex Ryan look for the J-E-T-S to lean heavily on Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and even Shonn Greene. That and a strong defense was a recipe for success in Baltimore last year, which is where Ryan served as defensive coordinator. Expect Sanchez to post modest totals, meaning he should only be selected in leagues where you’ll be carrying three quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: Stafford has completed just 12 of his 27 passes this preseason, though a banged up receiving corps hasn’t done him any favours. It seems unlikely he’ll unseat Daunte Culpepper as the team’s Week One starter, and even once he gets in the lineup, there isn’t a lot of high-end talent outside of Calvin Johnson. Bypass Stafford in single-year leagues.

The rest…

The only other true quarterback drafted in the first three rounds was Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman, who remains in a three-way competition with Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich for the starting job. It’s hard to picture anyone in that group being better than a No. 3 Fantasy QB.

Running Backs

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos: Moreno (knee) has carried the ball just three times this pre-season due to a sprained MCL. However, despite rumblings that Peyton Hillis might be the team’s Week One starter, Moreno remains the best bet in the Denver backfield. Given the team’s depth the rookie may not be a true featured back, but he’s still worth grabbing as a low-end No. 2 option.

Chris Wells, Arizona Cardinals: Much like Moreno, Wells (ankle) has been held back this pre-season by an injury and has yet to appear in a game. With Wells sidelined, Tim Hightower has looked pretty good (15 carries, 66 yards) and should at least split time with Wells this season. What is really working against both of them is Arizona’s deadly passing attack, which will certainly reduce the ground game to an afterthought some weeks. Draft Wells as a mid-level No. 3 Fantasy back.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts: Brown has looked explosive in limited touches thus far, but unlike the two rookies listed above him, the UConn product has little chance of being the No. 1 back this year unless Joseph Addai were to be injured. Instead, expect the Colts to deploy a committee approach with Addai and Brown, similar to what they did in years past with Dominic Rhodes. As such, Brown is more of a fourth back or Flex candidate, though Addai owners would be wise to handcuff the two.

The rest…

Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy has gotten plenty of work with Brian Westbrook (ankle) recovering from ankle surgery, and he’s looked good in the process. Unfortunately, the Eagles are loaded with impact players on offense, leaving McCoy primarily as a necessary handcuff for Westbrook owners. He’s also a strong No. 5 back on his own…San Francisco’s Glen Coffee leads the NFL in pre-season rushing (196 yards). That’s the good news. The bad news: Marcus Mason led the league in 2008. Yes, that Marcus Mason. Coffee has shown enough to be worth a late-round selection, just don’t expect him to see the field much as long as Frank Gore stays healthy…The New York Jets’ Shonn Greene has been banged up and is behind Jones and Washington on the depth chart, but he’s got enough potential to be selected as your fifth or sixth back in deeper leagues…Jacksonville’s Rashad Jennings is battling with Chauncey Washington to be the backup to Maurice Jones-Drew. While this may not sound like a great spot to be in, keep in mind Jones-Drew has never reached 200 carries in a season so his ability to hold up under a full-time workload is unproven. Jennings isn’t a name for standard leagues, but those in deep single-year or keeper formats might want to roll the dice.

Wide Receivers

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers: Any breakdown of Crabtree must begin with his contract status, as the 10th overall pick continues to hold out because he feels he should be paid more than the seventh pick. Whatever. Even unsigned, Crabtree offers the most upside of any rookie receiver, though the longer he holds out the longer it may take to see it. He’s a risk/reward selection at this point and is someone only an owner with a strong top three receivers should consider. Just make sure your fifth receiver is a steady one.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings: Perhaps the most intriguing rookie this season, Harvin is expected to line up all over the field, including serving in the club’s new Wildcat formation. He has speed to burn and is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. That being said, Harvin’s durability is a red flag, which combined with his less-than-stellar work as a route runner make him a bit of a risk. Some may fall in love with his potential and reach for him on draft day. Don’t be that guy. If he’s around in the latter rounds, though, by all means make him your fourth receiver.

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles: Maclin should push Reggie Brown to be the team’s third receiver, but as noted with McCoy, Philly has a lot of options offensively. Maclin’s value is no greater than that of a low-end No. 5 or quality No. 6 receiver, though those that count special teams yardage should keep on him to see if his fumbling issues subside enough to earn him a regular role as the Eagle return man.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants: There are a ton of young wideouts in Gotham, but Nicks might have the most upside of the bunch. He’s physically mature at 6’1”, 215 pounds, and should still be available in the final round of most standard drafts. He’d be a great flier at that point.

The rest…

Oakland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey was the first wideout taken, but he went into a bad situation. The Raiders have a quality triumvirate of tailbacks, which should be the focal point of the offense, while JaMarcus Russell continues to struggle with his consistency from one practice to the next. Heyward-Bey isn’t an option in standard leagues and is no more than a borderline sixth or seventh Fantasy receiver…Cleveland’s Brian Robiskie has been improving as camp wears on and remains in contention for the starting job opposite Braylon Edwards. It’s debatable how much value that post would afford, however, leaving Robiskie as a mediocre sixth wideout at this point.

Tight Ends

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: A quad injury has slowed Pettigrew in the preseason, but the starting job is still his. With limited options outside of Johnson, Pettigrew could be the target of a lot of underneath and check down routes. Consider him an interesting sleeper as a No. 2 tight end in point-per-reception formats.

Chase Coffman, Cincinnati Bengals: Coffman posted huge numbers in college and has a great pedigree (his father, Paul Coffman, was an NFL tight end). Unfortunately, the tight end position has never been featured in Cincinnati with Carson Palmer at the helm, and Coffman is still behind Ben Utecht on the depth chart. At best he’d earn a roster spot if someone the caliber of Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez was your starter and you wanted to draft purely on potential in the final round.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/29/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-rookies/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/28/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-cheat-sheets/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/28/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-cheat-sheets/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:52:26 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6460
Trent Edwards ranks No. 14; who are the rest of our top 40 quarterbacks?

BY DEREK JONES and ANDY GOLDSTEIN

In order to guide you through Draft Day, the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit continues by providing you with comprehensive customizable cheat sheets for quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers.

For those of you wondering, “hey, where are the tight ends, defenses, and kickers?” my colleague Andy Goldstein taught me a few very valuable lessons:

1. Kickers don’t matter until the end of the draft.
2. Tight ends are overvalued. Once you get past Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Antonio Gates, the position is a wash.
3. Defenses are wildly overrated. Trying to guess the performance of defenses on a weekly basis isn’t easy and which teams represent the league’s best constantly changes from year to year. Thus, using mid-round picks on them is useless in my opinion.

Thus, let’s start it off with an explanation on how we arrived at these numbers.

Rankings: Andy and I compiled rankings for 40 quarterbacks, 60 running backs and 80 wide receivers. Following those initial lists, we teamed up to produce a fair and perhaps somewhat shocking list of positional rankings (hint: quarterbacks usually don’t finish at the position’s top spot in Fantasy points two years in a row). Upon examining these, some may be a bit skeptical over the lack of reaction towards pre-season success from players. It’s not a true indicator for success considering it is backups versus other backups for a majority of these games.

Tier: Each position was assigned a tier number, which is used to help separate the men from the boys and the great from the good, so to speak. Ranging from 1 to 20, players with a 1 should be considered cornerstone players while those with anything in double digits should not be considered a top level player.

ADP (10-team league & 12 team league): ADP refers to average draft position, a phenomenon that tracks where players are drafted on average, in part based on their overall rank, after a series of mock drafts have been conducted utilizing specific scoring systems. For example, if you see that Randy Moss has an ADP of 2.03, it simply means that his average draft position is the second round’s third pick. The ADP component was used under standard scoring systems.

Auction: The last column measures how much money one should spend on a player under auction only rules. The prices are based on the premise that the player would be the first one selected during the draft. Interestingly enough, auction drafts allow any player to be chosen for auction at any point. In leagues such as this, teams may be given a cap to work under. In the process, their chances of building a superpower team are greatly compromised.

Also, these sheets will provide you with plenty of room to diss fellow owners, take notes on the opposition, or just simply monitor your player’s health. Overall, these sheets will get you up and running for 2009 Fantasy drafts throughout the country.

Get your cheat sheets here:
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/28/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-cheat-sheets/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/21/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-new-faces-new-places/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/21/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-new-faces-new-places/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:42:15 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6342
Think Brett Favre is a Fantasy stud as a Viking? Think again.

The 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit rages on as today we look at key players who have changed uniforms this season and what the Fantasy impact of these moves will be.

How many times do you suppose I stopped and started this article? Thanks to the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, I’ve flip-flopped on this story more than Br…oh, never mind.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the names you need to know that are in different places in 2009.

NFC

Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings: I can’t explain how little Fantasy impact this has right out of the gate. Look at Favre as being in that Jake Delhomme/Chad Pennington/Jason Campbell range in the 20s. Why the low rating, you ask? Consider Favre’s final four games of the season versus those of now teammate Tarvaris Jackson.

Favre: 75 of 132, 56 per cent, 764 yards, two TDs, eight INTs, 53.3 rating

Jackson: 57 of 89, 64 per cent, 740 yards, eight TDs, one INT, 115.3 rating

I’m not suggesting that Jackson is a better quarterback than Favre. However, No. 4 is going to be 40 in October and is likely to wear down again towards season’s end as those numbers from last season might suggest. Does that sound like a headache you need throughout the season? He’s a Fantasy backup, period. Alright, too much Favre talk. I’m spent.

Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears: Before one hops onto the Cutler Express, consider the following. Our conquering hero from Minnesota (Favre) led the NFL in interceptions last season. Second place in that dubious category belonged to Cutler with 18.

While his decision making isn’t the best, his biggest problem will be the lack of weapons. Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis are just a few of his receiving options. Boldin, Fitzgerald and Breaston, they are not.

After Cutler threw for over 4,500 yards last season, expect that number to come down significantly thanks to him having fewer receiving options and having to play in one of the tougher weather sites in the NFL.

Michael Vick, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: Living in the land of green and silver, mass hysteria ensued upon the announcement of Vick’s signing during the Eagles-Patriots pre-season tilt. Andy Reid says that Vick is coming as a quarterback but that’s clearly a smokescreen for the hodgepodge of the Wildcat.

Does Vick have real Fantasy value? Not really. Trying to evaluate Fantasy value based off five to 10 plays he’s going to run is very difficult. If anything, he’s likely to drag guys down (i.e., Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook). In other words, he’s the Red Bull of Fantasy guys — supplying quick energy, but leaving you relatively empty after the sugar rush subsides. As far as his quarterback prospects, he might be worth a flier if you take McNabb. Otherwise, don’t even try it.

Derrick Ward, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A part of the Giants’ Earth, Wind & Fire backfield, Ward proved to be a capable back. After running for 1,025 yards in ’08, he moved onto Tampa, who could use a shot in the arm in the backfield.

Ward not only brings his well rounded running style, but with the injury history of the Tampa backfield, he’s likely to see action early and often. Consider him one of the true sleepers of 2009.

Tony Gonzalez, TE, Atlanta Falcons: Another year removed from the Alge Crumpler era, Atlanta decided to help out its passing game by acquiring the future Hall of Fame tight end from Kansas City. He was targeted 155 times last season, far and away the highest mark for a tight end. Roddy White and Michael Turner are the big guns in Atlanta offense, but don’t expect Gonzalez to be merely a showpiece. He is still likely one of the first three tight ends to go off the board.

Other key names to watch in the NFC:

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Here’s hoping Seattle finally has a receiver that doesn’t get injured. He should play well with a revitalized Matt Hasselbeck.

Brandon Jones, WR, San Francisco 49ers: As long as he stays out with a shoulder injury, the 49ers don’t have a lot of bargaining power with rookie receiver Michael Crabtree.

Kellen Winslow, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The change of scenery will not help unless the oft-injured Winslow stays healthy.

AFC

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos: As a part of the deal that sent Cutler to Chicago, Orton comes in for new head coach Josh McDaniels to lead a Denver offense that finished second in yards per game in 2008.

However, all of those Orton for Fantasy sleeper campaigns might want to hold off the enthusiasm. The new Bronco signal caller was certainly asleep last weekend in San Francisco when he fired three interceptions. Granted, it’s only preseason, but Orton’s accuracy was never confused with that of Troy Aikman at his zenith.

Since Denver could be in chase mode a great deal in ’09, Orton potentially has value as a spot starter. Tread carefully, though. His inconsistent play could land him on the bench and behind backup Chris Simms.

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo Bills: Here’s a look at Owens in his last two stops during the first season — 2004, with Philadelphia, 77 receptions, 1,200 yards, 14 TDs; 2006, with Dallas, 85 receptions, 1,180 yards, 13 TDs.

Certainly, that’s impressive considering that Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo combined on Owens’ first year in Dallas. Another change in scenery and quarterbacks should give Owens the fresh start he needs, correct? Not necessarily. Owens will turn 36 in December and is steadily declining.

Since his first year in Dallas, the mercurial receiver has seen his reception total drop every year.
Age, along with weather and circumstances are more contributing factors as to why Owens is no longer a significant Fantasy threat. Another matter that will hinder him is quarterback. Regardless of what he thought of Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Romo personally, all three were competent Pro Bowl quarterbacks. I’m not sure Trent Edwards is quite ready for prime time. No longer an elite option, consider Owens as a number two receiver on Fantasy rosters.

Matt Cassel, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: Few players and coaches that have left New England turn out well. Cassel, who filled in admirably for the Patriots by guiding them to an 11-5 record, has only 15 career starts and just signed a big contract.

While he still needs to prove himself, he’s missing a few key components in Kansas City including a future Hall of Famer at receiver (Randy Moss), one of the league’s premier number two receivers (Wes Welker), and a future Hall of Fame head coach (Bill Belichick).

Examining the Chief roster, only Dwayne Bowe provides a significant pass-catching threat now that Gonzalez is in Atlanta. Cassel is still an up and coming quarterback who needs a lot more seasoning. He should be considered a back-up option on Fantasy rosters.

Other new faces to watch in the AFC:

Laveranues Coles, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: He will not produce numbers similar to the departed Houshmandzadeh, but will offer a good compliment to Chad OchoCinco.

Fred Taylor, RB, New England Patriots: I’m not sure how much gas he has left in the tank, but playing for New England should allow him to punch a few in the endzone.

L.J. Smith, TE, Baltimore Ravens: Smith underachieved in Philly, but may find the field thanks to the ailing tight end Todd Heap.

Torry Holt, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Without playing a down, he is already the third greatest receiver in Jaguar history.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/21/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-new-faces-new-places/feed/ 1 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/20/video-game-review-madden-nfl-10/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/20/video-game-review-madden-nfl-10/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:12:14 +0000 Herija Green http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6327
The graphics in Madden NFL 10 are so realistic you can even see Brett Favre’s liver spots…I kid, I kid…

With the 2009 NFL regular season right around the corner, the time has arrived for Electronic Arts to unleash Madden NFL 10 on the gaming public. It’s unquestionably the biggest sports release of the gaming calendar, and for many it is the biggest release of the year period. This year’s iteration boasts some new features, including online franchise with up to 32 human players and co-operative play, along with an increased focus on re-creating what you’ll see Sundays this fall. Those that write Madden NFL 10 off as a glorified roster update are doing themselves a disservice as the improvements make this one of the finest football games ever made.

Controls (5/5)

The majority of the control scheme remains unchanged as you’ll still pass to your receivers by pressing the corresponding button appearing above their heads. However, quarterbacks have been given an improved ability to evade the rush, which comes in handy when the blitz is on. The moves are mapped to the right stick, so flicking the stick up will cause your quarterback to step up to let the rush go past you while moving it to the left or right allows you to side step oncoming defenders. Your controller also rumbles when the rush is closing in to help avoid sacks.

Once you’re running in the open field you’ll have plenty of moves at your disposal, including the spin (B), stiff arm (A), hurdle (Y) and dive (X). The right stick is where you’ll be making your highlight reel moves, though, as right, left and back juke your defenders in the same direction you press, while pushing up either makes you lower your shoulder or attempt to dodge the would-be tackler. You can also sprint (RT), but don’t fall in love with it as most of the big runs in this game are the result of reading your blocks and evading tacklers.

Defensively, things have changed for the better, specifically when it comes to rushing the passer. Instead of using the right and left bumpers to execute swim moves and spins, those are now handled with the right stick, which feels much more natural. For example, if you’re being blocked and the quarterback is rolling to your right, you can attempt to disengage by pressing right on the stick. It works great and is a nice upgrade from past years.

Madden NFL 10 also comes loaded with the usual pre-snap adjustments on both sides of the ball. As the quarterback, you can call full-fledged audibles, assign hot routes for your receivers, roll your blocking or send players in motion. On defense, you can call audibles for the entire group or specifically for each level of defense (line, linebackers and secondary). As someone who has watched and covered football as a profession for many years, I love the pre-snap chess match, and it’s something that’s done exceedingly well in this game.

Graphics/Sound (4.5/5)

This is hands down the best looking football game I’ve ever played. The lighting is amazing, particularly during night games, and the player animations are startlingly realistic. Nowhere is this more evident than with EA’s signature in-game addition for Madden NFL 10, the Pro-Tak system, which allows up to nine tacklers to wrap up a runner simultaneously. Once they lock up, players struggle to move the pile while more players become entangled, adding to the chaos. It’s really well done and you never feel like you’re watching canned animations as so many outcomes branch off from the initial lock up. In that same vein, Madden NFL 10 also introduces fumble pile-ups where you’ll do some button mashing to see who comes out with the pigskin. It’s a cool concept and a welcome addition after all those years of seemingly random recoveries.

The in-game presentation has also received a face lift, and EA deserves major credit for creating a very realistic broadcast atmosphere with additional camera angles, sideline shots, stat tickers and little things like referee conferences. One of my favourite of these little touches happened when, while driving the ball late in a 7-7 game, they showed a shot of my kicker warming up on the sidelines. It was perfectly timed and spot-on with something you’d see in an NFL broadcast. There are literally dozens of things like this that do a phenomenal job of immersing you in the experience, and I often found myself just smiling at a particular animation (like guys jumping over a tackled player after the whistle) because of how accurately it had been recreated. Plus, who doesn’t get a kick out of hearing the classic NFL Films music when you watch an instant replay.

Unfortunately, the in-game commentary doesn’t match the high standard set by the visuals. Cris Collinsworth does a decent job as the colour man, but Tom Hammond’s play-by-play work leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest problem is that the commentary lacks any emotion or feel for the situation, and while they were rare, I still encountered issues where consecutive lines would contradict each other — i.e., suggesting it’s time to go for it, then expressing surprise when I did. EA’s NHL ‘09 had some of the best commentary I’ve ever heard in a sports game, so hopefully the folks at Madden can take some inspiration from that and shore up this area up in time for next year.

There’s also an added segment called “The Extra Point,” which is a studio show designed to keep you up to speed on what’s going on in the NFL during franchise mode. It does a pretty good job, but there are no in-game highlights to be seen and the audio for it is disjointed. The soundtrack offers a healthy mix of rock and hip-hop.

Gameplay (4.5/5)

One of the things EA did for Madden NFL 10 was to slow things down a bit to create a more realistic pace on the field. The results are excellent, particularly in the running game as you’ll need to read blocks and find holes as they open up to take advantage rather than jamming on the sprint button and hoping for the best. The move to a slower pace also necessitated some improved blocking AI, which EA delivers as your offensive line will now at least attempt to create a nice pocket for you to pass from.

The playbooks are deep and contain a healthy amount of unique sets for each club, and the suddenly en vogue Wildcat formation has been added — much to the chagrin of online players that square off against opponents that run little else. The in-game AI remains a mixed bag. The computer actually does a nice job of taking things away if you continuously run the same plays, but you’ll still see the computer veer out of bounds for no reason at times.

Once again, the two primary offline modes are Franchise and Be an NFL Superstar. The franchise mode is clearly the meat and potatoes as you guide your team through season after season, trading, drafting and signing players along the way. The traditional calendar has been removed, as has the ability to schedule practices between your games, but to me it has merely served to streamline the process and won’t be missed. The franchise hub has also been redone to give quicker access to the necessary info, which is another welcome refinement.

I also found that the trading AI has been amped up as teams are more hesitant to part with their draft choices or take on salary, though the trading block is often filled with uneven trade demands. For instance, the CPU will offer a halfback with an overall rating of 72 while asking for a quarterback with an 83-plus rating in return. Conversely, the trading block works well when trying to determine value for your own talent as you can list a player, select up to three player types or draft picks you’d accept in return, and then see which teams, if any, are interested in meeting your asking price.

Negotiating with free agents has both good (detailed list of what each player is interested in) and bad (offer $1.19 million and you’re told we’re miles apart on money, offer $1.2 million and it’s a deal). It’d be nice to see some counter offers from agents as well as a little more diversity in what you can offer — incentive-laden or back- or front-loaded contracts, for example. I’d also like to see free agents lower their demands as the signing period wears on. For instance, Graham Harrell shot down a four-year, $5 million deal to be my backup to Philip Rivers on Day One of free agency and remained unsigned on Day 29. However, he was still asking for the same money.

Superstar mode has largely been gutted and feels like more of an afterthought. You only have one practice per week, which consists of one play being run over and over again until you quit with no real benefit to doing it, and you can communicate with your agent. The game itself is fun if you’re playing a skill position, but the AI play calling can be pretty shaky at times. I often found myself asking questions like why are we running a play-action pass on third and 14 down 10 points with two minutes left?

Moving online, the most anticipated arrival is that of online franchise mode, where you and up to 31 other people can take control of a team and play full seasons against each other. It’s an excellent addition that brings a ton of replay value to the package. As with any new feature, it’s impossible to know how it’ll ultimately play out, particularly when it’s reliant on the community to support and embrace, but EA has put the tools in place and the early response has been overwhelmingly positive. Just take a look in gaming forums around the Internet and you’ll see hundreds of leagues forming. I’ve joined three online leagues myself and have enjoyed signing free agents and negotiating trades with other human owners. If you get the right mix of active owners, the possibilities are endless.

Another smart move by EA was to offer the ability to manage your online franchise from your PC or even your iPod Touch or iPhone with a free application. I’ve encountered some issues with managing my franchise from my computer, usually relating to the server being down or being unable to save my changes, though I’m inclined to chalk that up to growing pains. The interface itself is solid. The iPod app was set for release Tuesday, but as of this writing, it had not appeared in the iTunes App Store. Does anyone else smell a decline in workplace productivity on the horizon?

The other new online mode in Madden NFL 10 is co-operative play. The camera, which is focused in tight on you, takes some getting used to and can be downright wonky when switching players on defense. Co-op works best when one player is the quarterback and the other mans another skill position (receiver, tight end or running back) as you can more or less draw up plays in the dirt so to speak. Clearly, having a human controlled partner offers more chances to ad lib on the fly. It still feels like a bit of a work in progress, but it is fun as a secondary mode.

Of course, old school Madden players will find that standard head-to-head online play returns and runs as smoothly as ever. There are online lobbies to find worthy opponents and challenge them to a game with some customizable options. You can also choose a quick match and be thrown together with someone by the CPU. For those that crave a more hardcore experience, EA has rolled out Elite Status, which gives players access to private lobbies and allows for the use of the All-Madden difficulty setting online. Elite Status will set you back 400 MS Points ($5) and is part of a trend that will no doubt irk some gamers: micro transactions.

Beyond Elite Status, Madden NFL 10 also features a laundry list of downloadable accelerators through the Madden Shop tab. For instance, you can download an item that allows you to see all the real stats for the upcoming draft class at any given position at a cost of 40 MS Points ($.50). Another download guarantees your aging superstar won’t retire (80 points – $1) *cough* Brett Favre *cough*. Those that want everything can download all 20 accelerators in the Madden Max Pack for 800 MS points ($10). Of course, none of these items are necessary to play the game, and in fact they’re all unusable online.

Overall (4.5/5)

While Madden NFL 10 has a handful of shortcomings, it’s impossible not to recognize the amazing job EA has done here recreating the NFL experience. From the outstanding graphics and upgraded presentation to the creation of online franchise mode, this year’s release is simply a must own for football fans.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/20/video-game-review-madden-nfl-10/feed/ 2 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/18/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-sleepers/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/18/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-sleepers/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:25:38 +0000 Buck Davidson http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6258
New Bengal receiver Laveranues Coles should help Carson Palmer rebound.

Now that we’re done all the team previews, the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit will switch gears and get into the meat of the kit. Today, Buck provides his sleeper picks for the upcoming season.

Quarterbacks

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals: Before an arm injury limited him to just four games last season, Palmer had tossed at least 26 touchdown passes in four straight seasons. His wing looks fine, but a minor high ankle sprain might slow him down a bit in the preseason. Nonetheless, Palmer could be primed for a fine comeback in 2009. Although top target T.J. Houshmandzadeh is no longer in town, former Jets’ regular Laveranues Coles is a dependable receiver who can make the tough catch in traffic, while former police blotter regular Chris Henry looks as if he has cleaned up his act and could become a solid red-zone target again. Chad Ochocinco is still around, and hopefully he’ll contribute more than the patetico 540 yards and four touchdowns he managed in ’08. At this point, Palmer makes a great “1/1a” quarterback in a “play the matchups” kind of Fantasy strategy, but if things fall into place he could become your every-week starter by season’s end.

Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills: Edwards started the 2008 season like a house afire…and ended up just like that burning house: a smoking pile of embers. Through the first half of the season, though, Edwards averaged 216 yards passing per game, with a completion percentage of 68…but he only managed six touchdown tosses. The lack of a reliable red zone target undoubtedly contributed to Edwards’ second-half collapse – but that has all changed now that Terrell Owens is in town. T.O. should team with incumbent wideout Lee Evans (63-1,017-3 last year) to give Buffalo one of the league’s better receiving tandems, and Evans should benefit from the double teams his eminent teammate will undoubtedly draw. Don’t count on Edwards as your Fantasy starter just yet, but he’s a great backup – with the upside to post starter’s numbers this season.

Running Backs

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens: The Raven backfield situation is a bit murky, but with injury-risk Willis McGahee looking to be on the downside of his career, the time may be now for Rice to become a Fantasy staple. The second-year back had a rather bland rookie season, but he did display good receiving skills out of the backfield. Rice has been taking a lot of snaps with the first team in practice, so he figures to see plenty of touches in the early going. A caveat with Rice – and for that matter McGahee – is that fullback LeRon McClain has shown that he is a very capable fill-in tailback, rushing for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. While Rice may lose some goal-line opportunities to the 260-pound McClain, he should garner enough touches to be Fantasy-relevant from the get-go – especially in PPR leagues – and he could be a solid starter if McGahee again goes down with an injury.

Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals: At the beginning of last season, Benson looked to be on his way out of professional football – another casualty of the woeful 2005 NFL Draft class, which had more busts than…on second thought, let’s just leave that one on the table, okay? Not so fast, though. When the Bengals’ need was dire, Benson stepped in and looked a bit like his old self – his old University of Texas self, that is – averaging 76 rushing yards per game over the second half of the season. This year, he looks like a man on a mission; he’s in shape and going full-bore at practice. He doesn’t face much competition for reps in the Bengal backfield, so Benson could be a major Fantasy contributor early in the season. His line is suspect, and his quarterback is recovering from a serious arm injury, but Benson has the opportunity to put up some nice numbers in 2009 – especially when the match up is right. Draft him as a flex or No. 3 running back for now, but don’t be surprised if Benson finds his way into your Fantasy lineup sooner rather than later.

Wide Receivers

Ronald Curry, St. Louis Rams: The Rams will be without No. 1 wideout (and ubiquitous Fantasy sleeper) Donnie Avery for the first two regular season games after he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot during a scrimmage. Enter Curry – who is by far the most experienced and accomplished of the remaining Ram wideouts. You’ve heard of the “Who’s Who” list; the Rams’ corps of wideouts is more of a “Who?” list. Curry posted a decent 55-717-4 line for the woeful Raiders back in 2007, and the eighth-year vet stands to become the No. 1 aerial target in St. Louis come Week One. If Curry is able to spice up the lackluster Ram passing attack, he could be a bona fide No. 3 Fantasy wideout even after Avery returns. If you grab Avery in your draft (and he may be a nice value pick at this point) be prepared to snag Curry later on…then keep whichever of them becomes The Man in St. Loo.

Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are searching for a deep threat to replace the departed Nate Washington, and Sweed looks like he could be that guy – and more. The 6′4″ Sweed isn’t the greatest of route runners, but his size and speed create all kinds of match-up problems for opposing secondaries. He hauled in a 45-yard reception in the Steelers’ first pre-season game, and more should be in store as the big kid adjusts to regular playing time. There are some downsides to Sweed: he has yet to win Ben Roethlisberger’s trust in the red zone (or any zone for that matter) and his sub par blocking may limit his playing time. If your league rewards long distance touchdowns, though, Sweed is well worth a late-round look as a reserve wideout – with the upside to become a starter if either Hines Ward or Santonio Holmes succumbs to injury.

Chaz Schilens, Oakland Raiders: With top draft pick Darius Heyward-Bey battling hamstring problems early in camp, Schilens has emerged as Oakland’s top wideout – and he may just keep that distinction after DHB returns. Schilens has the kind of size (6′4″, 225) that could make him an inviting red zone target for quarterback JaMarcus Russell – especially if defenses are draped all over Russell’s favourite 2008 target, tight end Zach Miller. As your draft winds down, consider taking a flier on Schilens, and if he winds up on the waiver wire be prepared to grab him if he has a breakout game.

Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers: Every day that San Francisco’s top draft pick Michael Crabtree resides on the nation’s unemployment roll, Morgan’s stock drifts higher and higher. The second-year wideout scored three times on his 20 receptions a season ago and averaged a respectable 16 yards per catch. The current No. 1 wideout in San Fran is Isaac Bruce, but he’ll turn 37 this season, and is clearly nearing the end of his fine career. The opportunity is there for the athletic Morgan to stake his claim as the 49ers’ wideout of the future, and even if that doesn’t happen, he should still see plenty of looks even after Crabtree finally inks a deal and makes it onto the field. Crabtree’s holdout looks like it could be a long one, so bump Morgan up your sleeper board a few notches, as he could easily lead ‘Niner wideouts in yardage and/or touchdowns this season. Don’t look for week-in-week-out consistency from Morgan, but his big-play potential (and Crabtree’s holdout) makes him worth drafting as your No. 4 Fantasy wideout.

Tight Ends

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles: The departure of L.J. Smith (37-298-3 in 13 games last season) opens the door for Celek, who was very impressive in last year’s playoffs – snagging 19 receptions for 151 yards and three touchdowns. The 24-year-old Celek has been very sharp in camp, and the Eagles have made it quite clear that he’ll play a large role in their offense this season. Don’t worry about Celek’s pedestrian 27-318-1 line of a year ago: He is a talented receiver who has the ability to get down the field, and to make something good happen after he gets the ball. If he wins Donovan McNabb’s red-zone trust early on, Celek could post numbers worthy of Fantasy starter status in 2009.

IDP

Jermaine Phillips, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs plan to move Phillips to Derrick Brooks’ old digs at weak side linebacker, and if the former safety can make the transition, his tackle numbers should skyrocket in 2009. Brooks – who was a Tampa Bay icon before his release – amassed more than 100 total tackles in 12 straight seasons, while intercepting 24 passes, recording 12.5 sacks and scoring seven touchdowns over that period. While Phillips probably won’t achieve those totals, he is a solid defender who racked up 109 tackles of his own back in 2006. Phillips is injury-prone, but his move to the Will ‘backer spot (and rare DB/LB position eligibility) makes him a risk worth taking as you fill out your Fantasy roster.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/18/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-sleepers/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/17/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-washington-redskins-team-preview/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/17/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-washington-redskins-team-preview/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:35:29 +0000 Alex Hardin http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6247
If the Redskins don’t show progress this season, fingers will be pointed at Jim Zorn.

The 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit continues today with the final team preview. Next up, we’ve got customizable cheat sheets, rookies, sleepers and a column about new faces in new places. With images of Michael Vick crying in prison, let’s review the Washington Redskins, who will look to get back to playing winning football in 2009.

What Went Right

The Jim Zorn era got off to a fast start in 2008, with the team managing victories in six of its first eight games. The team was winning close games and Zorn was playing the part of riverboat gambler. With that 6-2 start came expectations that were never realized last year, but the team did have some bright spots. RB Clinton Portis continued on his path to Canton as he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards to go along with nine rushing touchdowns. Tight end Chris Cooley caught a ton of balls (83), but only managed to get in the end zone once. Wide out Santana Moss had a decent year with over 1,000 yards receiving and six scores. Outside of the three mentioned, the team had no other viable Fantasy starters. The defense was stellar, but did not create turnovers or score defensive touchdowns. Rookie defensive back Chris Horton was a giant bright spot for the ‘Skins as he anchored the strong safety position at close to a Pro Bowl level.

What Went Wrong

About halfway through the season, injuries and lack of depth on the offensive line finally caught up to the Redskins. The line was not providing adequate time for the offense to execute, which shortened the playbook and made the team plain, predictable, and ineffective. What started as such a promising season, ended in disappointment and no playoff berth. Overall, 8-8 was not too bad for a rookie head coach in a pressure-packed market, but considering the Redskins made the playoffs the season before, 2008 was a letdown.

Off-season Outlook

The Redskins made arguably the biggest off-season splash when the signed stud defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. He is known for causing havoc and severely disrupting what opposing offenses are trying to accomplish. The team also released aging veterans Jason Taylor, Marcus Washington and Shawn Springs, all of whom did not produce to expected levels last season.

I think it is well known in the Washington media that this is a make or break year for Coach Zorn. If the team does not show improvements (on the field and in the standings), owner Dan Snyder will make a coaching change next offseason.

Draft Outlook

Without a second- or fourth-round draft pick this year, the Redskins must have been happy when pass rushing specialist DE/LB Brian Orakpo fell to them at No. 12 overall. He will immediately see the field, most likely as a pass rushing linebacker. With their third-round pick, the Redskins selected Kevin Barnes, who hopes to prove himself as an NFL caliber cornerback during camp. The ‘Skins filled out the rest of their draft with two linebackers, a tight end, and a wide receiver who all will have little to no impact in the foreseeable future.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

Jason Campbell is the clear cut starter in DC, but this could be his last year if he does not step up his game. He is a free agent after this season and the Redskins have made it clear that they are not sold on him as their long-term quarterback. Campbell is not a top 15 Fantasy quarterback and should not be relied upon as such. He may turn into a nice waiver wire pickup this year if he finally picks up his passing numbers. The back-up job is being battled out during camp, but it looks like the position belongs to sophomore Colt Brennan. He showed flashes last preseason and he looks forward to showing the team brass that he is the real deal.

Running Backs

If healthy, you can pencil in Portis for 1,300 yards and close to 10 scores, although Washington may try to reduce his workload in an attempt to keep him fresh throughout the season. If Portis goes down, backup Ladell Betts becomes an immediate Fantasy pickup, as he has shown in the past to be a reliable ball carrier who can make some plays.

Wide Receivers

Going into the season, the wide receiving corps is one of the huge question marks on the team. Second-year guys Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas need to justify their second round billing by stepping into the role of No. 2-type receivers to take some pressure off the oft double teamed Moss. I like Thomas as a sleeper this year, especially because of his leaping ability potentially transforming into touchdown-producing situations. Antwaan Randle El should return to being a slot/third wide out because he is not talented enough or big enough to be a secondary wide receiver lining up outside.

Tight Ends

Everyone knows who Cooley is by now, but watch out for TE2 Fred Davis. He is a second-year guy out of USC who won the Mackey Award as the best tight end in college. He is super athletic and has decent hands. Davis was a bit of a knucklehead last season, but he seems to be more focused and ready to produce this year. Cooley is still a great Fantasy option, but Davis may start stealing some of his catches.

Defense/Special Teams

The Redskin defensive unit has the potential to be great this year, but in the past they have lacked the big game-changing plays that translate into Fantasy points. Possibly, with the addition of Haynesworth and the re-signing of DeAngelo Hall, more big plays will come this season. I would take a shot at the ‘Skins this year as my Fantasy defense as they should be cheap and reliable.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/17/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-washington-redskins-team-preview/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/09/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-busts/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/09/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-busts/#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:08:04 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6094
Whether he’s burying his face in the bust of Michelle Johnson, Jessica Simpson or Natalie Smith, we expect Tony Romo to be a bust of his own this season.

While busts are great to look at, fondle, bury your head into and generally bask in the presence of, absolutely no one wants to draft any busts for their Fantasy football team. But don’t sweat it, the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit is here to help you avoid those kinds of busts.

Tony Romo

Romo and the phrase “quiet offseason” does not seem to go together; if it’s not dealing with a playoff loss, the public is trapped with information on who he is dating. Is it Jessica Simpson or the 43-year-old Michelle Johnson from Blame It On Rio? This offseason featured another breakup for Romo but this time with Terrell Owens. Whenever the braggadocios receiver leaves a spot, his former team is not the same for quite some time.

Just ask the 49ers. Owens was the last receiver to break the 1,000-yard plateau there back in ’03. The Eagles finally seem to be equipped with respectable receivers after struggling to find guys to fill the void. Expect Dallas to have a similar problem and Romo is likely to suffer the consequences.

Over the past two seasons with Owens in tow, Romo totaled 62 touchdown passes and 13 300-yard passing games. Regardless of what you think of T.O. as a person or player, it’s clear that when he exits, he is not easy to replace. Don’t look for Roy E. Williams to fill the void. Don’t be surprised if Romo’s numbers decline without Owens to bail him out.

Michael Turner

Any veteran of Fantasy football has heard of the “Curse of 370” which was started a few years ago by the folks at Football Outsiders. For the uninformed, it states that backs that carry 370 times or more during the regular season are often ripe for injury the following season. With the exception of the immortals (Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson), most backs see to a sharp decline in productivity in the season following a 370-carry year.

Turner carried 376 times in ’08, which was a bit surprising considering it was his first year as a full-time starter and Atlanta has a respectable backup in Jerious Norwood. Instead of using his assets, head coach Mike Smith pounded and pounded and pounded some more with Turner. There was no coincidence that after carrying 25 times for 208 yards versus the 2-14 Rams in the regular season’s final game that the 27-year-old laid in egg against the Cardinals during the first round of the playoffs.

After rushing for nearly 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns, Turner will experience a drop in his numbers in 2009 — you can take that to the bank.

Brian Westbrook

Much of the pre-season talk regarding Westbrook has featured the word “hobbled” in front of his name, which is never a good sign. He is recovering from right ankle surgery and should be ready by the regular season’s beginning. However, as 30 beckons for Westbrook on September 2, he is trying to buck the all too familiar trend of running backs petering out at that age. Personal history is already against him. He has never played an entire season. As backs age, staying healthy becomes increasingly less likely.

Just consider that the surgery stems from an ankle injury Westbrook suffered all the way back in Week Three last season during an Eagle victory over eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh. Once the mileage stacks up on backs, getting over ailments is not such an easy chore.

He is a gamer and will be out there, but don’t expect him to reach levels of years past. The Philly passing attack is a bit more talented and the club drafted Pitt’s LeSean McCoy, who will be a factor this season at some point. In all, Westbrook’s prime is gone and his days of being a top 10 back are likely to finish up this season.

Roddy White

Any time a player has a big year and then decides to hold out during the following season, the outcome can be negative. White, who has two straight 1,200-yard seasons to his credit, is in the middle of holding and is apparently looking for “Larry Fitzgerald money.”

As White does this, he is missing out on conditioning and reps in training camp. Plus, he is not doing any favours for his second-year quarterback, Matt Ryan. The Falcons made the playoffs last season and now it appears the trappings of success are becoming a problem for White.

Atlanta lost receiver Harry Douglas early in camp to a torn ACL, thus putting just a bit more pressure on White to produce. This injury, combined with opponents not going to sleep on a previously dreadful franchise, will make White’s road to glory far more difficult in 2009.

Antonio Bryant

While Jeff Garcia is not going to the Hall of Fame, it is a lot easier catching passes from him than doing so from either Byron Leftwich, rookie Josh Freeman, or Josh McCown. Leftwich should get the nod to start, but he is not as effective a passer as Garcia. That is likely to have an impact on Bryant, despite new head coach Raheem Morris saying he wants to take a less conservative approach offensively.

Last season, Bryant posted career-best numbers in receptions (83), yards (1,248), and touchdowns (seven). Also, he had three 100-yard performances in a row over the season’s final four games. Those numbers will be difficult to repeat, though, with the changes in personnel Tampa has undergone.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/09/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-busts/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/08/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-carolina-panthers-team-preview/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/08/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-carolina-panthers-team-preview/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:06:08 +0000 Buck Davidson http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6087
No one had more tackles in the NFL last season than Jon Beason.

And the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit rages on with yet another team preview (there’s just one more team to go). We’re going to try to shoot out all these team previews and then start releasing the kit’s other goodies (cheat sheets, sleepers/busts lists, etc.). While we wonder if the Carolina Panthers can take the next step and actually parlay their regular season success into some post-season wins, it’s definitely starting to appear that Ben Roethlisberger is going to be vindicated in the sexual assault case against him.

What Went Right

Carolina finished atop the NFC South division with a stellar record of 12-4, including a perfect 8-0 mark at home. The Panthers brandish one of the NFL’s most potent rushing attacks, and their 2008 per-game average of 152.3 yards was good for third in the league. Tailback DeAngelo Williams led the way with 1,515 rushing yards and a league-best 20 total touchdowns. After serving a two-game suspension to open the season, wideout Steve Smith topped all NFL receivers by averaging 101.5 receiving yards per game over his last 14 contests. On the defensive side of the ball, middle linebacker Jon Beason led the league with 110 solo tackles, while defensive end Julius Peppers racked up a fifth-best total of 14.5 sacks.

What Went Wrong

Remember that perfect home record Carolina posted during the regular season? It – and the Panthers’ Super Bowl aspirations – came crashing to earth on January 10, when Carolina suffered a 33-13 thrashing at the hands (beaks?) of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Divisional playoffs. Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme committed six turnovers in the nightmarish loss, leaving many to wonder whether he has the right stuff to take his team all the way to pay dirt. The Panther passing game finished a rather lackluster 19th in the league last year, while Delhomme’s 15 TD passes was only 17th-best among NFL signal callers.

Off-season Outlook

The Panthers largely played a pat hand in the offseason, with the team returning 21 of its 22 starters from the ’08 squad. Peppers signed a lucrative franchise tender, and all those Benjamins just might help him to play in Happy Mode this season – whilst eating up a huge chunk of Carolina’s salary cap allotment.

Draft Outlook

The Panthers did not have a No. 1 draft pick this season, but when defensive end Everette Brown fell to the second round, the Cats were quick to pounce. Brown is an athletic (if a bit smallish) pass rushing specialist who could give Carolina an impressive bookend for Peppers this season. Sixteen picks later, the Panthers nabbed Sherrod Martin, a safety with solid cover skills who should boost the team’s nickel and dime packages almost immediately.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

Delhomme once again didn’t come close to achieving the kind of numbers he did back in the ’04 and ’05 seasons, but at least the nine-year veteran played all 16 games for the first time since 2006. Game number 17 was a killer, though, as he tossed five interceptions in the Panthers’ crushing loss to Arizona. While he’s not as bad as that game made him appear, Delhomme is not an elite passer by any means – and with the Panthers boasting one of the league’s best rushing attacks, it would seem highly unlikely that Delhomme will surpass 3,500 yards or 20 touchdowns in 2009. Those numbers relegate him to a Fantasy backup in most formats, and that’s exactly how you should treat him on draft day.

Running Backs

It’s hard to believe now, but Williams didn’t score his first touchdown nor garner a 100-yard rushing game until Week Five of last season. D-Will exploded in the second half, though, averaging 124 rushing yards and scoring 15 touchdowns over his last eight games. While it’s tempting to think of him as the top back in Fantasy, remember that he’ll almost certainly share carries with Jonathan Stewart again in 2009 – and he’s not much of a receiver out of the backfield. Nonetheless, Williams is still a great pick in the middle-to-latter part of the first round.

And what of Stewart – who ran for 836 yards and scored 10 times in ’08? He is currently nursing a gimpy Achilles’ tendon, but that injury only figures to limit him in practice for the short term. Stewart should find a place in every Fantasy league this season, mainly as a third back or flex option. Needless to say, if you draft Williams, Stewart is an indispensable handcuff pick later on.

Receivers

Smith is Delhomme’s top target; you know it, I know it, and every defensive back in the land knows it. Whenever Smith steps on the field, he draws more attention than Kim Kardashian at a frat house kegger – but the diminutive wideout still finds a way to rack up the yardage. Smith has never been an elite red-zone option, and that fact alone keeps him from being a top five Fantasy wideout. Look for Smith towards the end of Round Two in most Fantasy drafts.

Lanky Muhsin Muhammad lines up opposite Smith, and Mooshie quietly posted some serviceable numbers last season: 923 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He is 36 years old, however, and the time may have come for Dwayne Jarrett to stake his claim to a starting spot in the Carolina lineup. Whoever wins the job is probably worth a late round look as your third or fourth Fantasy wideout, but don’t expect more than a few spot starts during the course of the season.

Tight Ends

Yes, Virginia, the Panthers do have a tight end…but he’s often disguised as an extra tackle. Carolina does not employ its tight end a great deal in the passing game, so it set the Fantasy world on its collective ear when Dante Rosario snagged seven receptions for 96 yards and a touch in Week One last season. Rosario slumped just a bit thereafter, managing just 11 catches for 113 yards the rest of the way. Jeff King nabbed 46 receptions in 2007, but slipped to just 21-195-1 last season. Rosario has some upside, but he’s no more than a speculative pick in deeper leagues at this point.

Defense/Special Teams

The Panthers’ once-fearsome defense was only serviceable last season, finishing in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories. A big worry heading into the 2009 campaign is the loss of run-stuffing nose tackle Ma’ake Kemoeatu, who will miss the season due to a torn Achilles’ tendon. Carolina was only 20th against the run last year, and the loss of Kemoeatu may make the Panthers easy pickings for a ground-pounding offense. They only 16th against the pass last year, so plenty of high-scoring games could be in the offing for the ’09 season. Expect the Carolina defense to go undrafted in most Fantasy leagues this season – though middle ‘backer Beason is an IDP beast.

Kick returner Mark Jones was lost to free agency, and Ryne Robinson is the front-runner to handle kickoff return duties this season. Whether Robinson or a newcomer wins the position, remember that the Panthers are typically one of the league’s worst kick return units, so don’t set your bar too high.

Place kicker John Kasay went undrafted in most Fantasy leagues last year, then proceeded to cobble together his best season in over a decade. He could definitely do it again, but there is also a risk that he’ll revert to the same form that produced only three triple-digit scoring seasons in his previous nine campaigns. Proceed with caution, and know that Kasay’s Week 16 (AKA Fantasy Championship Week) game is against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands (and the Evil Wind that oft swirls therein).

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/08/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-carolina-panthers-team-preview/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/04/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-revisiting-the-vikings/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/04/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-revisiting-the-vikings/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:22:46 +0000 RotoRob http://www.rotorob.com/?p=6018
Tarvaris Jackson isn’t suddenly valuable now that Brett Favre won’t be heading to the Minnesota Vikings.

When we originally released our Minnesota Vikings Team Preview last week as part of the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit, it was written under the assumption that in 2009, Brett Favre would become the greatest purple-wearing creature since Barney.

Now that we know that all the off-season wooing will not result in a consummation of this proposed marriage, the football landscape has changed dramatically in Minny.

With this in mind, Herija has rewritten much of the Vikings’ Team Preview, so we thought we better draw our readers’ attention back to this for clarification now that the Favre fantasy is over.

Without further ado, here’s our revised Minnesota Vikings Team Preview.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/04/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-revisiting-the-vikings/feed/ 0 http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/01/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-st-louis-rams-team-preview/ http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/01/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-st-louis-rams-team-preview/#comments Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:24:41 +0000 Derek Jones http://www.rotorob.com/?p=5948
Steve Spagnuolo plans to make the Rams a tougher team.

We’re back with more of the 2009 RotoRob NFL Draft Kit with yet another team preview (we’re nearly done now, with just a couple of
teams to go). We’re going to try to shoot out all these team previews and then start releasing the kit’s other goodies (cheat sheets, sleepers/busts lists, etc.). While we wonder if the St. Louis Rams bottomed out in 2008 — much as we wondered if they had bottomed out in 2007 — how about Larry Fitzgerald suggesting his own team was “mediocre” last season?

What Went Right

(Crickets chirping…..still chirping….still chirping…..still chirping…still chirping)

What Went Wrong

After Week One, it was pretty clear that along with the Chiefs and Lions, the Rams were going to redefine bad football. While the Lions forged ahead as the worst of the bunch, the 2-14 Rams gave them plenty of competition. Marc Bulger and the Rams offense finished tied for 30th in points scored, averaging a measly 14 points per game; and only the Lions allowed more points per game than the Charmin-like Ram defense (29 per contest). St. Louis trailed early and often and it dragged the offense into the toilet.

Off-season Outlook

The Rams made a change at the top by bringing in former Giant defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as their new head coach. The Rams also shed plenty of age in the personnel department. Torry Holt, one of the last links to the Greatest Show on Turf Rams, was released; the same fate met former All-Pro offensive tackle Orlando Pace; and other vets such as quarterback Trent Green, safety Corey Chavous and receiver Drew Bennett were let go. The message was simple: out with the old and in with the new.

Draft Outlook

St. Louis’ offensive line has been an abomination over the past few seasons. In ‘08, they allowed 45 sacks — amongst the worst in the NFL. Thus, it was an easy choice to select offensive tackle Jason Smith. The D received much of the attention during the draft as the Rams went with defense for its next three selections including former Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis in Round Two.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

Bulger’s career is becoming a broken record over the past few years. Someone on the offense gets injured, leading to the unit’s (his especially) complete meltdown. While Bulger made 15 of 16 starts, he didn’t get much done because of offensive line problems and the decline of Holt. For the second straight year, he posted a passer rating barely above 70. He has peaked as a quarterback. At 32 years old with an injury- riddled past, don’t look for him to emerge as Fantasy star at this point of his career. Clearly, he is a backup on Fantasy rosters. Oh yeah, and Kyle Boller is his backup. I’m sure that made your toes curl.

Running Backs

Steven Jackson is what you might call a cursed back. He’s the guy that has the phrase “if everything goes right…” attached to him and for good reason. If offensive linemen aren’t hurt, he’s injured. If he’s not injured, then the quarterback is injured. If everyone is healthy, then the team is trailing by four touchdowns. While Jackson is still young (26), he needs to stay on the field. He has missed eight starts over the last two seasons combined and for all of the Fantasy fuss over him, he just has one season over 1,100 yards to his credit. He possesses tremendous upside and could be a top five guy if everything goes right. Don’t worry, though, it wont. Consider Jackson a second rounder.

Receivers

Name the Ram receivers right now. Do it. You can’t? Well, that’s acceptable considering their top three guys could be Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton and Laurent Robinson. The team acquired former Raider Ronald Curry to add some of the speed and veteran presence they’ll miss with the departure of Holt. Avery is most likely to produce right away in his second year and easily owns the best Fantasy value of any Ram receivers. He can be a deep threat, but with the team employing a variation of the West Coast offense, getting throws downfield might be tricky. This group will be a work in progress. Outside of Avery, don’t expect much from the rest of the bunch.

Tight Ends

Despite the receiver woes, Randy McMichael does offer the Rams a decent pass catching tight end. He is by no means Jason Witten, but he’ll get opportunities in the red zone and probably snag a few touchdowns during the season. Keep him as a second string tight end. Meanwhile, if you’re searching for the name of back-up tight end Joe Klopfenstein, that’s a sign your team is probably in trouble.

Defense/Special Teams

As explained earlier, the Ram defense left a little to be desired in 2008. Struggling to stop the run or the pass, the Rams failed to generate a pass rush (Leonard Little and James Hall led with six sacks apiece) and did not stop the run (allowed 26 rushing touchdowns, while finishing 29th in rush defense). Second-year end Chris Long needs to produce and give the team a fighting chance upfront. Overall, the Rams should get a boost with the arrival of Spagnuolo who will least make them a bit tougher. However, don’t even think about adding this group to your Fantasy roster.

]]> http://www.rotorob.com/2009/08/01/2009-rotorob-nfl-draft-kit-st-louis-rams-team-preview/feed/ 0