A Deeper Look Into Week 3
So I gave you my picks and some suggested standouts, but let's delve a little deeper here in each game with some note worthy thoughts of mine...
Carolina @ Tampa Bay
It appears that WR Steve Smith will play on Sunday and that has fantasy owners salivating. But hold the phone here. Tampa's corners are solid and they rank in the top 5 in passing defense. Look for the Panthers to use Smith as a decoy and watch Keyshawn Johnson come away with more receptions. The battle here is going to be won on the ground.
Chicago @ Minnesota
While I think QB Rex Grossman should have a good game, it's not going to be the free for all he had last week. Bernard Berrian is becoming a favorite, so he should fare well, but the big matchup here is the Chicago D stopping Chester Taylor. If they do that, which for them isn't that difficult, then they're going to force Brad Johnson into a lot of passing mistakes. I like the Bears here in a low scoring affair.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
This is not the same Steelers team we saw last year. If they're letting Fred Taylor run on them for 90+ yards last week, then how are they stopping Rudi Johnson? That alone will make it an easier day for the banged up Bengals wideouts. I see lots of points for Cincy....probably more than the Steelers. Big Ben is still not 100% so he's going to have to rely a lot on Willie Parker.
Green Bay @ Detroit
I'm still trying to figure out this one. Brett Favre should eat up the Detroit secondary, but with such a suspect running game, will Favre even be allowed to? At some point, Mike Martz needs to get this offense in motion. With such a crappy D in Green Bay, this is make or break for guys like Kevin Jones, Jon Kitna and Roy Williams.
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis
The Colts and Jags have been at each other for some time now and it always seems like the Jags get the better of them. Peyton Manning should still put up decent numbers, but the Jags D is going to be in his mug all day long. The key is going to be the Colts defense. They need to contain Fred tayor and they need to put a lot of pressure on Byron Leftwich. If they don't then you could see a lot of Ernest Wilford and, if he plays, Matt Jones.
NY Jets @ Buffalo
A good matchup here as the Jets will get another solid divisional test. So far Chad Pennington has looked good in his revived relationship with Laveraneus Coles, and even better is the threesome they've invited Jerricho Cotchery into. No ground game though coul dmake for a long afternoon. The Bills D should have a decent day...possibly even better than their offense. J.P. Lost-man doesn't look good out there. That sound you hear is Kelly Holcombe laughing as he warms up on the sidelines.
Tennessee @ Miami
A King of the Hill/Suicide Pool favorite here. The Titans look awful on both sides of the ball. Kerry Collins will get the start but I bet Vince Young gets the finish. I don't care what coach Jeff Fisher says, Vince will be his starter at some point very soon. This is the week you Daunte Culpepper owners have been waiting for. The Fins will establish a ridiculously effective ground game with Ronnie Brown and the Culpepper/Chris Chambers hook-up will be big here.
Washington @ Houston
Just like Miami, Washington could be headed for a breakout day here. The Texans D is just laughable at times. Even Mark Brunnell could look good. Clinton Portis is back and with him, Ladell Betts, and T.J. Duckett getting some work, it should allow Brunnell to find Santana Moss and maybe even Chris Cooley. Th eTexans will use Ron Dayne as the primary this week, so that should be interesting. Look for David Carr to have to start airing it out big by the middle of the second quarter as he tries to play catch up.
Baltimore @ Cleveland
This one has Jamal Lewis written all over it. He is notorious for abusing the Browns defense. Look for him to start strong and open the door for Steve McNair to hook up with Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. The only Cleveland player I start here is Phil Dawson and even that's a reach. The Browns could put up a big goose egg this week.
NY Giants @ Seattle
Big Blue is still looking for some payback from last year, but this could be a tough one. The Seattle D is strong and could hold Tiki Barber in check forcing Eli Manning to air it out more than Tom Coughlin would like. Owners are still waiting for Shaun Alexander to break out, but if you watched what McNabb and the Eagles did last week, you know that the Giants' pass defense is the Achilles heel. Still, I expect a high scoring game here and maybe Jay Feeley gets redemption.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco
The Eagles kept Tiki in check last week....can they do the same with Frank Gore? I don't know about that with the loss of Jevon Kearse and a banged up linebacking corps. Unfortunately, we might not get to see as much of him (Gore) as we'd like. The Niners pass defense is amazingly suspect and Donovan McNabb and Donte Stallworth could hook up a few times early putting the Niners on their heels. If that's the case, then hello Antonio Bryant and Vernon Davis.
St. Louis @ Arizona
If you own players on either team, now is the time to start them. Barn-burner doesn't even come close to what's going to happen here. Both teams will try to establish a ground game early, but this has all the earmarks of turning into a passing shootout. That is of course, unless either Steven Jackson or Edgerrin James makes their mark early enough. Either way, I'm sensing a lot of yards both ways with a very high score.
Denver @ New England
In the past 2 weeks we've seen to games finish up 9-6. This could be the third. It has all the makings of a big snoozer. Jake Plummer is still playing like Jake the Fake and the multi-Bell running game will have a tough time against the Pats D. On the other side of the ball, the Broncos should stack the box considering Tom Brady's passing options are very limited and they should keep the 3 headed monster of Corey Dillon-Kevin Faulk-Laurence Maroney in check. For all you weekly gamblers out there, I say take the under.
Atlanta @ New Orleans
A big Monday night matchup here as MNF returns to NOLA. Michael Vick has never looked better in the fantasy world and Warrick Dunn is running like a champ. But these ain't your daddy's Saints and this one could be a breeze for Brees; Drew that is. The Falcons have a decent defensive line, but their corners are terrible. And even if they pull the linebackers back into coverage, the dump offs to Reggie Bush are going to be huge.
Good luck to you all this week.
Carolina @ Tampa Bay
It appears that WR Steve Smith will play on Sunday and that has fantasy owners salivating. But hold the phone here. Tampa's corners are solid and they rank in the top 5 in passing defense. Look for the Panthers to use Smith as a decoy and watch Keyshawn Johnson come away with more receptions. The battle here is going to be won on the ground.
Chicago @ Minnesota
While I think QB Rex Grossman should have a good game, it's not going to be the free for all he had last week. Bernard Berrian is becoming a favorite, so he should fare well, but the big matchup here is the Chicago D stopping Chester Taylor. If they do that, which for them isn't that difficult, then they're going to force Brad Johnson into a lot of passing mistakes. I like the Bears here in a low scoring affair.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
This is not the same Steelers team we saw last year. If they're letting Fred Taylor run on them for 90+ yards last week, then how are they stopping Rudi Johnson? That alone will make it an easier day for the banged up Bengals wideouts. I see lots of points for Cincy....probably more than the Steelers. Big Ben is still not 100% so he's going to have to rely a lot on Willie Parker.
Green Bay @ Detroit
I'm still trying to figure out this one. Brett Favre should eat up the Detroit secondary, but with such a suspect running game, will Favre even be allowed to? At some point, Mike Martz needs to get this offense in motion. With such a crappy D in Green Bay, this is make or break for guys like Kevin Jones, Jon Kitna and Roy Williams.
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis
The Colts and Jags have been at each other for some time now and it always seems like the Jags get the better of them. Peyton Manning should still put up decent numbers, but the Jags D is going to be in his mug all day long. The key is going to be the Colts defense. They need to contain Fred tayor and they need to put a lot of pressure on Byron Leftwich. If they don't then you could see a lot of Ernest Wilford and, if he plays, Matt Jones.
NY Jets @ Buffalo
A good matchup here as the Jets will get another solid divisional test. So far Chad Pennington has looked good in his revived relationship with Laveraneus Coles, and even better is the threesome they've invited Jerricho Cotchery into. No ground game though coul dmake for a long afternoon. The Bills D should have a decent day...possibly even better than their offense. J.P. Lost-man doesn't look good out there. That sound you hear is Kelly Holcombe laughing as he warms up on the sidelines.
Tennessee @ Miami
A King of the Hill/Suicide Pool favorite here. The Titans look awful on both sides of the ball. Kerry Collins will get the start but I bet Vince Young gets the finish. I don't care what coach Jeff Fisher says, Vince will be his starter at some point very soon. This is the week you Daunte Culpepper owners have been waiting for. The Fins will establish a ridiculously effective ground game with Ronnie Brown and the Culpepper/Chris Chambers hook-up will be big here.
Washington @ Houston
Just like Miami, Washington could be headed for a breakout day here. The Texans D is just laughable at times. Even Mark Brunnell could look good. Clinton Portis is back and with him, Ladell Betts, and T.J. Duckett getting some work, it should allow Brunnell to find Santana Moss and maybe even Chris Cooley. Th eTexans will use Ron Dayne as the primary this week, so that should be interesting. Look for David Carr to have to start airing it out big by the middle of the second quarter as he tries to play catch up.
Baltimore @ Cleveland
This one has Jamal Lewis written all over it. He is notorious for abusing the Browns defense. Look for him to start strong and open the door for Steve McNair to hook up with Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. The only Cleveland player I start here is Phil Dawson and even that's a reach. The Browns could put up a big goose egg this week.
NY Giants @ Seattle
Big Blue is still looking for some payback from last year, but this could be a tough one. The Seattle D is strong and could hold Tiki Barber in check forcing Eli Manning to air it out more than Tom Coughlin would like. Owners are still waiting for Shaun Alexander to break out, but if you watched what McNabb and the Eagles did last week, you know that the Giants' pass defense is the Achilles heel. Still, I expect a high scoring game here and maybe Jay Feeley gets redemption.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco
The Eagles kept Tiki in check last week....can they do the same with Frank Gore? I don't know about that with the loss of Jevon Kearse and a banged up linebacking corps. Unfortunately, we might not get to see as much of him (Gore) as we'd like. The Niners pass defense is amazingly suspect and Donovan McNabb and Donte Stallworth could hook up a few times early putting the Niners on their heels. If that's the case, then hello Antonio Bryant and Vernon Davis.
St. Louis @ Arizona
If you own players on either team, now is the time to start them. Barn-burner doesn't even come close to what's going to happen here. Both teams will try to establish a ground game early, but this has all the earmarks of turning into a passing shootout. That is of course, unless either Steven Jackson or Edgerrin James makes their mark early enough. Either way, I'm sensing a lot of yards both ways with a very high score.
Denver @ New England
In the past 2 weeks we've seen to games finish up 9-6. This could be the third. It has all the makings of a big snoozer. Jake Plummer is still playing like Jake the Fake and the multi-Bell running game will have a tough time against the Pats D. On the other side of the ball, the Broncos should stack the box considering Tom Brady's passing options are very limited and they should keep the 3 headed monster of Corey Dillon-Kevin Faulk-Laurence Maroney in check. For all you weekly gamblers out there, I say take the under.
Atlanta @ New Orleans
A big Monday night matchup here as MNF returns to NOLA. Michael Vick has never looked better in the fantasy world and Warrick Dunn is running like a champ. But these ain't your daddy's Saints and this one could be a breeze for Brees; Drew that is. The Falcons have a decent defensive line, but their corners are terrible. And even if they pull the linebackers back into coverage, the dump offs to Reggie Bush are going to be huge.
Good luck to you all this week.
posted by Howard Bender at
9:26 PM
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