text:
QBs: (1 pt per 25 yds passing;
6 pts for all TDs, -2 pts/INT or fumble)
RBs/WRs/TEs: (1 point per 10
yards rushing/receiving, 6 points per TD)
Note: Teams that have a fantasy
relevant TE will be included. Also, for the first weeks, projected
fantasy points allowed will be used as teams have yet to establish
any trends. After the first month of the season, this column will
take on the look it had last season as there will be enough information
to start analyzing trends.
Falcons @ Jaguars
Joey Harrington/Joe Horn/Michael Jenkins/Alge
Warrick Dunn/Jerious Norwood (vs. JAX)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 12.1
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 6.8
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 1.8
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 25.7
Game Thoughts: All things considered, Atlanta's first
game under Bobby Petrino was a success from the standpoint of
offensive efficiency, but no from an execution perspective. Harrington
completed 72% of his passes, however, both times he threw into
the Vikings' defenders hands, they were run back for scores.
If their Week 1 numbers were any indication, we should expect
as many as 6-7 receivers to contribute to the passing game on
a weekly basis, hardly a dramatic departure from Petrino's
play-calling days at Louisville. What it also likely means is
that Crumpler will once likely be the only fantasy play from this
If the Jaguars did something right on Sunday, it was the fact
they held Tennessee to 75 yards passing and picked off one of
Vince Young's passes. However, the fine print will reveal a team
doesn't need to pass the ball more than 19 times if you can run
it 48 times for 282 yards, which is exactly what the Titans did.
After that kind of thrashing, Jacksonville may rejoice in seeing
an Atlanta team that was dominated by an opponent that believes
in a similar defensive philosophy. Obviously, the difference in
this contest will be the fact that Harrington does not present
the same scrambling threat that Vince Young did.
Running Game Thoughts: It was sad to see Norwood only run the
ball eight times in Atlanta's season debut, as he clearly showed
a big-play element that Warrick Dunn did not. The second-year
man from Mississippi State broke runs of 12 and 16 yards early
on and even who contributed 29 receiving yards in garbage time.
While the receiving yards could be considered fluky, being able
to break runs of double digits against the Vikings defense should
serve notice to what should be a changing of the guard in the
Falcons backfield. The potential for this offense to be at least
mediocre in the run game exists because of Norwood, as what little
I have seen of Dunn this season makes me think it may be a while
before he'll actually be able to fully recover – if at all
– from his offseason back surgery.
Expect the Falcons to watch what the Titans did to the Jaguars
on film and exploit it as much as possible. Obviously, the key
difference is not having a Vince Young in the backfield. I would
be mildly surprised not to see a heavy dose of Norwood in this
contest, as he does bring that big-play element to the Falcons
offense that no other player on their offensive roster does. After
all, it was Chris Brown - and not LenDale White - who used his
slashing and cutback style to run roughshod over the Jacksonville
defense. While one could argue that sounds like Warrick Dunn,
I would argue that that mantle has been passed from an unhealthy
Dunn to a young Norwood.
Joey Harrington: 170 yds passing/0 TD/2 INT
Joe Horn: 40 yds receiving
Michael Jenkins: 40 yds receiving
Alge Crumpler: 50 yds receiving
Warrick Dunn: 30 yds rushing/15 yds receiving
Jerious Norwood: 50 yds rushing/15 yds receiving
David Garrard/Dennis Northcutt/Ernest
Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew/Greg Jones (vs. ATL)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 13.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 4.4
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 25.4
Passing Game Thoughts: Much like I will say what the running
game in the next paragraph, one game is too early to decide whether
this is a trend or not. However, OC Dirk Koetter has made his
reputation more by basing his offense around his passing game
more than he has with the run. As a result - and I'll keep saying
this until his ownership in leagues goes up - Dennis Northcutt
is going to be a low-risk, high reward #3 fantasy receiver for
his owners.
It may come as a relief to the Falcons (and they get to start
the season with two - shall we say - rather average passing games.
The Falcons drew a break in Week 1, because the Vikings are unlikely
to eclipse 200 yards passing in many of their games this season
or throw the ball more than 30 times. If my assessment of Koetter
is spot on, the Jaguars will be transitioning from the run-based
team they have been for some time into more of a balanced offense
in which Garrard will take on more of the Jeff Garcia role in
which she scrambles some and makes more high percentage, low-risk
passes to complement the running game. That being said, there
will be more down-the-field passes than in previous years, they
will just be more calculated.
Running Game Thoughts: I believe I spoke in the Week 1 edition
that I expected an improved Titans run defense. I must say I didn't
expect anything close to the performance they displayed against
a quality running team such as the Jaguars. Now, I tend to believe
a few things are at work here: 1) Koetter did not show near the
stubbornness in the run game as his predecessors did, 2) the Titans
owned the ball from the majority of the first half. However, the
emphasis on the passing game appears to be real as the Jags never
trailed by more than one score. While one game is way too early
to tell if this is a trend yet, this is one reason why I mentioned
Jones-Drew as a possible overvalued candidate. Koetter has made
his reputation as an offensive mind by throwing the ball down
the field much more than he has made it by sticking with the run
and pounding it into the heart of the defense 40 times a game.
Week 1 likely showed that all of us just what the Falcons run
defense is made of. It's a speedy unit that may be able to stick
with rushing offenses that in the first half of games, but for
the teams that keep hammering away, they will wear out the Falcons
toward the end of the games due to the lackluster offense they
are expected to have for most of the season.
David Garrard: 220 pass/2 TD/1 INT/30 rush
Dennis Northcutt: 65 rec/1 TD
Ernest Wilford: 50 rec
Fred Taylor: 70 rush/25 rec
Maurice Jones-Drew: 75 rush/30 rec
Greg Jones: 20 rush/1 TD
Bills @ Steelers
JP Losman/Lee Evans/Peerless Price
Marshawn Lynch (vs. PIT)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 14.9
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 10.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 12.4
Passing Game Thoughts: As one may have suspected, the Broncos
put the clamps on the Bills passing game. Josh Reed and Roscoe
Parrish were the only receivers to top 25 yards, but things should
get better against the Steelers this week, but not significantly
so, as the Steelers will likely put more pressure on Losman than
the Broncos were able to. Unfortunately for Evans and his fantasy
owners, things are going to likely continue down this road until
the Bills face an opponent that that will allow Losman to get
somewhat comfortable in the pocket and Evans enough time to get
down the field.
Fortunately for the Steelers, the Bills don't represent much
of an upgrade in the passing game than the one that the Browns
presented. Losman to Evans is a prolific deep ball connection,
but unless Losman has time to set his feet in the pocket and fire
a strike and 40 yards down the field, it takes away a big part
of the Buffalo passing offense. Factor in a healthy Troy Polamalu
and you have the recipe for a second straight poor performance
out of Losman and Evans.
Running Game Thoughts: Given the amount of work that he actually
had, Lynch was able to have a fine game for his owners on Sunday.
His luck, more than likely, will run out this coming Sunday, however,
as he faces a Steelers defense that generally goes up next to
nothing on the ground. Also, if they get off to the same rocky
start Cleveland did in week one, Lynch will end up with a Jamal
Lewis-like 11 carries for 35 yards. The Steelers game in Week
2 begins a rather daunting stretch of games in which Lynch will
likely have to carry the Bills on his back as they travel to New
England next week and face the Ravens and the Dolphins later on
in the season.
Times and coaches may change, but the Steelers run defense pretty
much remains a constant. Don't expect things to dramatically change
this week even after Lynch put on a show against the Broncos.
While DC Dick LeBeau's zone-blitzing scheme is meant primarily
to confuse the passing game of their opponents, it also wrecks
havoc in the running game as well. It also helps that Pittsburgh
has three down linemen that are able to tie up so many blockers
upfront, allowing the linebackers to flow to the ball easily.
JP Losman: 200 pass/1 TD/2 INT
Lee Evans: 50 rec
Peerless Price: 40 rec
Marshawn Lynch: 45 rush/25 rec
Ben Roethlisberger/Hines Ward/Santonio
Holmes/Heath Miller
Willie Parker (vs. BUF)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 21
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 29.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 2.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 19.7
Passing Game Thoughts: As I and a few others predicted, Pittsburgh
opened up their offense against Cleveland in a big way. While
the competition may not have been stout in general, the fact they
were able to burn an above-average secondary has to cause some
fear in their future opponents. Because of their big early lead,
they were able to revert back to Steeler-like football in the
second half. Good or bad, they will likely get a shot to do the
same thing in Week two as well, as Buffalo does not figure to
have any more success in the run game or with the deep ball than
they did against the Broncos.
A strong-armed quarterback throwing the ball downfield to legitimate
deep threat and a big receiver with good hands... some familiar?
In Week 1, Cutler found Walker for 119 yards on nine catches,
and also connected with Brandon Marshall for 52 yards and a touchdown.
There is very little reason to expect things to change in this
game, and with the Steelers defense probably a bit better than
the Broncos at this point, one should figure Pittsburgh will have
their opportunities to put the game out of reach early with a
deep strike to Holmes and short to medium range passing to Ward.
Running Game Thoughts: The Steelers running game isn't a whole
lot like the Broncos, but Pittsburgh should have similar success
attacking the undersized front four of the Bills defense. Given
that the Steelers will likely be able to limit Buffalo's
offensive execution early on, expect Pittsburgh to put up some
fine numbers on the ground, which will lead to a more effective
play-action passing game.
The one redeeming quality from Week 1 is that the Bills can rejoice
in the fact that they were able to keep Travis Henry out of the
end zone. Just because they may have the same luck with Parker
does not mean he won't have a good yardage day and that
the Steelers won't be able to put this game away fairly early
in the second half. This is not a good run defense and that will
likely rear its ugly head as the season continues.
Ben Roethlisberger: 210 pass/3 TD/1 INT
Hines Ward: 65 rec/1 TD
Santonio Holmes: 70 rec/1 TD
Heath Miller: 35 rec/1 TD
Willie Parker: 110 rush/1 TD/20 rec
Bengals @
Carson Palmer/Chad Johnson/Doug Houshmandzadeh
Rudi Johnson (vs. CLE)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 24.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 22.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 17.2
Passing Game Thoughts: Let's keep this one short. Ben Roethlisberger
threw for four touchdowns in Week 1 and the Steelers aren't
even all that great of a passing team. So while I'm not expecting
the same thing for Palmer & Co. in this game, the NFL is renowned
for making sure they stick to what has proven to be effective
until a team proves it is not effective anymore. Expect both Johnson
and Houshmandzadeh to reach paydirt for the second straight week
- this time against a much less effective defense than the Ravens.
Perhaps it is just a case of the Steelers picking on the Browns
again, but the Browns pass defense was supposed to be their strong
point this year. Of course, it doesn't help that their run defense
is so porous that they have to respect every play-action fake
that is run against their defense or that the offense could not
get out of their own way. Until the Browns can get their front
seven fixed and hold on to the ball, expect their back four to
Game Thoughts: Suffice to say the Rudi Johnson has owned
the Browns over his career. In nine games against them, Johnson
is averaging 99 yards and a touchdown per game. In fact, he has
335 fewer yards in one more game played against Baltimore than
against Cleveland. While there is no such thing as money in the
bank in fantasy football, Johnson gives more bang for his buck
against the Browns than he does against any other team. Also consider
that what he did against the Ravens in Week 1 was without Levi
Jones and Willie Anderson for the most part - the two bookend
tackles that often clear the way for Rudi to get things going.
Things just quite simply aren't going to get better in Cleveland
until they can stop the run. More than anything, they lack a central
force - a Ray Lewis type - that that gets the entire defense on
the same page on the early downs. And as great as Ted Washington
has been in his career, there is no way Cleveland should still
be throwing him out in the middle of its 3-4 each week as a full-time
starter. More than likely, they will bring effort each week, but
with the rugged running games in the AFC North, that probably
won't be enough.
Carson Palmer: 260 pass/2 TD/1 INT
Chad Johnson: 90 rec/1 TD
Doug Houshmandzadeh: 80rec/1 TD
Rudi Johnson: 120 rush/2 TD/20 rec
Derek Anderson/Braylon Edwards/Joe Jurevicius/Kellen
Jamal Lewis (vs. CIN)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 11.1
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 13.1
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 2.9
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 22.9
Passing Game Thoughts: Week 2 and the Browns are already on their
second quarterback. With Charlie Frye traded to Seattle and Derek
Anderson taking his place in the lineup, expect the Browns offense
to be running at maximum efficiency - at least until next season.
At this point, it would be a dream to expect Brady Quinn to be
able to operate this offense any better than Anderson, considering
his long holdout and his inexperience in the pro game. Both Winslow
and Edwards have experienced a certain degree of success against
the Bengals and there is no reason for that to change in this
All in all, when a team forces six turnovers in one game, there
is a certain amount of luck involved. At least three of the six
miscues were somewhat unforced. But what is good to know from
a Bengals point of view is that multiple turnovers in a game sound
like the 2005 team as opposed to the 2006 version. Giving Palmer
& Co., more possessions than the opposing offense is a good
recipe for a blowout. The Ravens were able to hang in due to a
spectacular defense; the Browns may not be so lucky if they commit
the same errors. Another thing for Bengal fans to take out of
the MNF contest with Baltimore was the fact that the secondary
was flying around and looked like they could be a physical defense.
Running Game Thoughts: Much like Rudi Johnson has owned the Browns,
Lewis has had the Bengals number for most of his career. However,
much like the preceding paragraph states, the Ravens defense allows
an offense to make mistakes and stay in the game. Lewis does not
have the same luxury now with Cleveland, which will take away
from the likelihood of 20-25 carry games. Expect a fairly heavy
dose of Lewis early on in this game, but as the Browns fall further
and further behind, they will likely be forced to go away from
him and become one-dimensional.
Despite allowing nearly 170 total yards and a touchdown to the
RB position in Week 1, the Bengals held up pretty well against
the run versus Baltimore. It wouldn't be overly shocking to see
Lewis struggle to reach 50 yards in this contest. I've said it
before and I'll say it again, the situation in Cleveland will
not get better until they can stop the run. Until that time, even
average run-stopping units like the Bengals will be able to keep
the Cleveland in check.
Derek Anderson: 210 pass/2 TD/2 INT
Braylon Edwards: 85 rec/1 TD
Joe Jurevicius: 35 rec
Kellen Winslow: 60 rec/1 TD
Jamal Lewis: 55rush/20 rec
Packers @
Brett Favre/Donald Driver/Greg Jennings
Brandon Jackson/Vernand Morency (vs. NYG)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 40.4
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 36.9
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 23.1
Passing Game Thoughts: If Favre wannabe Tony Romo can torch this
defense, don't you think the real thing could do it too?
Seriously, Romo has a few more tools to work with than Favre,
but expect the old man to have one of his finer games of the season
in Week 2. The Giants will struggle to mount enough pressure on
Favre and, more importantly, will struggle to get the Packers
in third-and-long, where defenses can sometimes get the gunslinger
to force a ball into coverage.
Even though I believe the hiring of DC Steve Spagnulo will turn
out to be a good decision, this defense is going to struggle most
of the season. Its top playmakers are either on the verge of retirement
(Michael Strahan), injured (Osi Umenyiora) or playing a new position
(Matthias Kiwanuka). The parts will fit eventually, but it may
not happen until 2008. The secondary is – at this point
– horrid. If I'm a fantasy owner and I see my players
playing against the G-Men during fantasy playoff time, I may be
licking my chops.
Running Game Thoughts: We learned that the Eagles defense is
a slightly better run-stopping unit than they were in 2006. However,
the Packers miss Ahman Green and a certain nastiness up front
and it showed in Week 1, as Jackson quite often appeared to run
into a brick wall. It should get a little easier against the G-Men,
who couldn't stop much of anything against the Cowboys.
The run defense was better than the pass defense on Sunday, but
not by much. Spagnulo will have his hands full game-planning each
week if the injuries and the poor play continue – a theme
that was apparent during the preseason as well. The more aggressive
approach the Giants are taking will serve them better down the
road against the run and the pass, but for now, he hardly has
the personnel to play read-and-react defense. This has become
a bad defense very quickly.
Brett Favre: 270 pass/3 TD/1 INT
Donald Driver: 100 rec/1 TD
Greg Jennings: 85 rec/1 TD
Brandon Jackson: 70 rush/20 rec/1 TD
Jared Lorenzen/Plaxico Burress/Amani
Toomer/Jeremy Shockey
Derrick Ward (vs. GB)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 14.1
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 18.1
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 1.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 14.3
Game Thoughts: The sediment sure has changed in New York.
Suddenly, it has went from "Eli isn't his brother"
to "Are you kidding…We actually have to play the Hefty
Lefty?". Perhaps what worked so well for Manning in Week
1is what Lorenzen may try to do, and that is to find Burress.
What is a shame is that for the first time in years, the Giants
are building a solid WR corps, meaning Manning was actually being
given a shot to take the next step. Now, he may push to come back
too early and play poorly, further drawing the ire of Giants fans
who want to see him improve.
The Packers defense fared very well against Donovan McNabb, so
it shouldn't be much of a shock if they are able to contain
Burress and keep the Giants in check, especially considering Lorenzen's
inexperience. I would expect a fair amount of the running game
mixed in with several short-to-mid range attacks to Toomer and
Shockey, making Burress much more of an afterthought than he was
against a Terrence Newman-less Cowboys secondary.
Running Game Thoughts: One prominent analyst stated this week
that the G-Men had one of the top five run blocking lines in the
league. I'm not sure I disagree. Ward played very well in
relief of Ward and may just get an opportunity to forge a timeshare
situation with Brandon Jacobs if he is able to take advantage
of said line in Jacobs' absence. That said, I don't
like that situation playing itself out this week against a defense
I believe will finish among the best in the league by the end
of the season in the Packers, who did a fine job keeping Brian
Westbrook from doing too much.
I saw nothing from the much-improved Packers defense to make
me believe that they will not be a top option in fantasy leagues
this fall. My lone concern coming into the season was a weak pair
of safeties, but the play of Atari Bigby has settled those fears
a bit. The front seven is otherwise stout and has several sure
tacklers among its ranks. In short, I expect a small fantasy number
coming from the Giants' backfield this week.
Eli Manning or Jared Lorenzen: 220 pass/1 TD/2 INT
Plaxico Burress: 60 rec
Amani Toomer: 50 rec
Jeremy Shockey: 45 rec/TD
Derrick Ward: 60 rush/30 rec
Texans @ Panthers
Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson/Jacoby Jones/Owen
Ahman Green (vs. CAR)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 14.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 18.1
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 2.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 8
Passing Game Thoughts: Most Texans fans had to feel good about
Schaub's debut. Only six passes hit the ground and he was
sacked just twice. I think most Houston fans would accept those
numbers in 14 of 16 games this season. With Johnson and Schaub
obviously already on the same wavelength, most fantasy owners
need to make their move on Johnson before the demand for him goes
through the roof. And as teams begin to double him with more frequency,
expect Jones to put together some #3 fantasy WR-worthy performances.
The Panthers did a fine job keeping the Rams receivers in check
(although St. Louis missed Drew Bennett) for most of the game.
They face a less experienced but pretty talented group of WRs
from Houston who may just be a bit more productive than the Rams
were on Sunday if they dare underestimate the Texans. The potential
to keep Houston's passing game under 200 yards (like they
did with the Rams) is there if the Panthers DBs bring their A-game.
Also, this game figures to be the first true test as to how Schaub
reacts with a real pass rush coming at him. Kansas City's
front four pales in comparison to Carolina's.
Running Game Thoughts: If anyone was shocked at Green's
Texan debut, they probably should not have been. He still has
his trademark speed. The question that most every Green owner
would like to know though is: Can he hold up all season? I would
venture to say he will be good for his usual 12-14 games, all
the while making for a good #2 fantasy RB. Also, don't be
too alarmed at the number of Green carries as compared to Ron
Dayne's (16 to 13) as nine of Dayne's rushes came
in the fourth quarter after the Texans had a 17-3 lead with little
reason to believe Kansas City would come back.
Another impressive contest from the Panthers when they have MLB
Dan Morgan in the lineup. For those that don't recall, last
week I stated just how much more dominant the Carolina defense
is when they have their spiritual leader in between the stripes
and not on the training table. Holding Steven Jackson to a combined
61 yards is a very good sign even though the Rams were likely
trying to "break him in" after he did not see a snap
in the preseason. Either way, it's likely bad news for Green
this week.
Matt Schaub: 220 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Andre Johnson: 90 rec/1 TD
Jacoby Jones: 50 rec
Owen Daniels: 25 rec
Ahman Green: 55 rush/30 rec
Jake Delhomme/Steve Smith/Drew Carter
DeShaun Foster/DeAngelo Williams (vs. HOU)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 8.4
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 9
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 12.1
Game Thoughts: No offense, but there a few hundred past
and future QBs that could light up the 2007 Rams defense, particularly
with a healthy Smith. So long as Smith stays healthy, expect 100
yards and a score on just about a weekly basis. With the amount
of attention Smith receives, it's safe to figure there will
be more three-TD performances in Delhomme's future, probably
just not in this contest as the run game may take center stage.
I'm not sure I'm buying Houston yet as a middle-of-the-pack
pass defense quite yet, but once again, they will be improved
in this area (pass defense) as well this season, taking advantage
of what will be a dreadful Chiefs passing game. A bang-up job
on a stud WR like Smith will go a long way in proving where they
truly stand against the pass.
Running Game Thoughts: Just imagine if one of these two RBs could
separate themselves from the other…oh, what a fantasy force
he would be! But I guess if ex-OC Dan Henning and current OC Jeff
Davidson see the committee approach as the answer to this situation,
they can't be wrong, can they? (We'll save that discussion
for another time…) What it does look like for the time being
is that Foster will get the first-half work and that Williams
will be the man most of the time in the second half. So, I guess
it boils down to just how often you think the Panthers will play
with a big lead…call me old school, but I'm going
to opt with the starter (Foster) and a back that I know will get
some carries early on even though Williams is the most talented
player in my mind.
Don't look now, but the Texans defense is getting some
pub! I'm going to write up their dominating defensive performance
over the Chiefs to 75% bad offense and 25% good defense. The Panthers
should provide much more of a litmus test on just how improved
Houston's defense really is, particularly if they can keep
both Panther RBs in front of them all day long.
Jake Delhomme: 230 yds passing/2 TD/1 INT
Steve Smith: 110 yds receiving/1 TD
Keary Colbert: 35 yds
DeShaun Foster: 70 yds rushing/1 TD/20 yds receiving
DeAngelo Williams: 50 yds rushing/25 yds receiving
Colts @ Titans
Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne/Dallas
Joseph Addai (vs. TEN)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 16.6
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 19.2
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 3.8
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 7.6
Game Thoughts: As expected, Manning torched the Saints
secondary. In Tennessee, he'll face a defense that he has
beaten for two or more scores in five of his last six games against
them. Harrison absolutely had his way with the Titans in their
last meeting in December and that was with Pacman Jones playing.
All in all, Manning has just about seen it all, so if Tennessee
insists on protecting its CBs from the deep ball, expect a heavy
dose of Clark in the passing game and Addai on the ground.
Does the challenge get any more difficult than going from defending
John Broussard and Dennis Northcutt than to keeping up with Wayne
and Harrison? A Pacman Jones-less team did a fine job keeping
Jacksonville under wraps, but I have a hard time seeing Manning
& Co. being held under two scores in this contest. And it's
not exactly like they shut down the Jags WRs down either. In an
effort to keep this game close, expect a lot of zone and cover
2, perhaps at the expense of the run defense.
Running Game Thoughts: I think it was quite clear from Week 1
that Addai will not be sharing too many carries. And what's
funny is that the one thing that keeps him from being a candidate
to push Tomlinson for being the league's most prolific fantasy
RB is the very same thing that allows him to be so productive
each week (Manning). That paradox will likely be at work again
this Sunday as Addai should have little trouble going over 100
total yards and a score while Manning will make sure the passing
game remains the foremost thought on the mind of the Titans defense.
After Week 1, your rushing defense champion is?...The Titans?
At least from a fantasy perspective. They held the Jags to 16
touches for 76 yards and no scores. I think a lot of us expected
improvement, but being the toughest defense vs. RBs after one
week is not what most of us had in mind. Bear in mind that Tennessee
probably felt it had little to worry about in the passing game
– a luxury that will not have in Week 2. Addai was held
in check – although he was splitting carries – by
the Titans last season. Don't expect a repeat of that or
the dominating rushing defense performance from Tennessee again
in Week 2.
Peyton Manning: 300 pass/2 TD/1 INT
Marvin Harrison: 105 rec/1 TD
Reggie Wayne: 85 rec/1 TD
Dallas Clark: 50 yds
Joseph Addai: 85 yds rushing/1 TD/35 yds receiving
Vince Young/Brandon Jones/Eric Moulds/Bo
Chris Brown/LenDale White (vs. IND)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 10
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 9.9
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 5.7
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 13.1
Passing Game Thoughts: If ever a team has treated the passing
game as if I didn't matter in an age when most teams live
and die by it, it would be the Titans. But when a team like Tennessee
can play the ball-control, field possession game like a Jeff Fisher
team has historically been able to do, it doesn't matter
as much. With that in mind, expect Young to have 75 yards passing
(his total from Week 1) by halftime in this contest, as the opportunities
to find Scaife and Moulds will be there against the Cover 2.
The thing that was most surprising to me from Thursday's
Opening Night win by the Colts was not how effective their pass
defense was – they have shown quite a tendency under HC
Tony Dungy to do that – but how ineffective all the Saints
playmakers were going against it. They face quite an opposite
challenge in Week 2, as Young as no problem tucking and running
if he doesn't like what he sees after one or two reads.
Running Game Thoughts: I would like to take all the credit for
saying last week that Chris Brown would be the back most likely
to prosper against the Jags, but I have to admit I did not see
him getting 19 carries – for one – and ripping each
of them off for an average of nearly 10 yds/carry. The thing is,
he has shown the capability to do this from time to time, but
he has never stayed healthy long enough in a season to become
"the man". As such – and seeing that the Colts
are a team built for speed – expect the powerful White to
be the best fantasy RB this week.
Sorry, Colts fans…I'm not sure I'm buying the
defense's performance from Week 1. Holding down Bush &
McAllister to similar stat lines was impressive, but I'm
interested in seeing if they can take the same approach on the
road, on the grass field of LP Field in Tennessee. The other difference
is that the Colts will need to respect any run-action as Young
gouged the Colts for 121 yards and a score in two meetings last
season. Expect similar success by the Titans QB this time as well
as a pretty fair performance from White.
Vince Young: 150 pass/1 TD/1 INT/60 rush/1TD
Brandon Jones: 40 rec
Eric Moulds: 35 rec
Bo Scaife: 60 rec/1 TD
Chris Brown: 50 rush/15 rec
LenDale White: 60 rush/1 TD
Saints @ Bucs
Drew Brees/Marques Colston/Devery Henderson/Eric
Deuce McAllister/Reggie Bush (vs. TB)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 15.8
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 11.2
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 4.3
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 31.6
Passing Game Thoughts: Last season, the passing game took a back
seat to the running game in the Saints' 31-14 win at Raymond
James Stadium. One has to hope for a bounceback performance from
Brees and his mates after looking shellshocked against the Colts
in Week 1. The problem is they face another Cover 2 team this
week that did a pretty fair job keeping Seattle close for most
of the game. HC Sean Payton needs to make sure in his zest to
be efficient, he doesn't become conservative with throwing
the deep ball. Just planting that seed in the defense's
mind should be enough to get Bush and McAllister the room they
need to work with in Week 2. Rest easy, Brees fans. The Saints
don't face another team that specializes in Cover 2 again
until December.
Based on recent history and Week 1, the Bucs defense may be able
to keep Brees and the passing game under wraps on Sunday. There
are enough weapons in the run game to allow the passing game to
take a back seat and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see
Bush be the leading receiver in this contest once it is over.
Expect Payton to learn from his Week 1 mistakes and exploit the
Bucs rush defense, with just enough play-action passes mixed in
to make Brees an effective fantasy starter this week.
Running Game Thoughts: Last season, the running game reigned
supreme on the road as the Saints dismantled the Bucs in early
October. Bush and McAllister owners have to be pretty happy looking
at the fantasy point totals surrendered by the Bucs defense in
Week 1 (196 total yards and two TDs to the RB position) against
Seattle. There is absolutely no reason they can't match
or exceed those numbers.
While Tampa Bay did a fine job in completely shutting down the
Seahawks receivers, they had very little success stopping Seattle's
RBs in the passing or running game. I like McAllister, Bush and
the Saints offensive line just a bit more than Seattle's
trio, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a repeat of Week
1's numbers in Week 2 against the Saints.
Drew Brees: 260 pass/2 TD/1 INT
Marques Colston: 55 rec/1 TD
Devery Henderson: 40 rec
Eric Johnson: 60 rec/1 TD
Deuce McAllister: 80 rush/1 TD/15 rec
Reggie Bush: 50 rush/70 rec
Jeff Garcia/Joey Galloway/Maurice Stovall
Cadillac Williams (vs. NO)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 26.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 37.8
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 23.3
Passing Game Thoughts: Much like Brees, Garcia was efficient
but that didn't help a Cadillac-less offense do enough to
challenge the Seahawks late in the game. This offense desperately
needs Stovall, Michael Clayton or Ike Hilliard to step up each
week so the passing game is not so reliant on Galloway to carry
it. They may draw a break against the Saints in Week 2, as Galloway
torched the Saints for 207 yards and three scores in two meetings
last season. Expect Galloway to hold up his end against on Sunday
and for the Bucs offense to get on track, meaning Garcia is a
strong play.
The above numbers are quite gaudy, but I do expect the Saints
defense to improve as the season progresses. They can't
help they faced the most potent passing attack in the game in
Week 1. But I do think they will struggle with the deep ball for
most of the season, an area in which Galloway should expose to
his benefit both times the teams meet this season, including this
Running Game Thoughts: With Williams likely limited or out, it
may mean Michael Pittman may be reintroduced to the feature back
position, if only for a game. His forte is catching the ball,
which once again makes me think that it is a good week to start
Garcia unless you have an elite starting QB on your roster. Even
with the Saints not possessing the strongest run defense, it's
hard to imagine HC Jon Gruden calling 30 running plays against
New Orleans with no grinder available to him in the running game.
After seeing the film of the Saints getting lit up in the passing
game in Week 1, he may have no choice.
Much like I said in the preceding paragraphs, I expect the Saints'
rushing defense will get a bit of a break if Cadillac is unable
to go. In short, who wins this game should boil down to the Saints
rushing offense vs. the Bucs passing offense.
Jeff Garcia: 220 pass/2 TD/0 INT/25 rush
Joey Galloway: 100 rec/1 TD
Maurice Stovall: 50 rec
Cadillac Williams: 90 rush/20 rec
Niners @ Rams
Alex Smith/Darrell Jackson/Arnaz Battle/Vernon
Frank Gore (vs. STL)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 23.3
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 32.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 3.5
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 19.2
Passing Game Thoughts: For those that drafted Smith, these are
the games that you got him for…I expect all three receivers
listed above to contribute heavily, with Davis the biggest beneficiary.
While Carolina is probably trying to work the TE more into their
offense, for Jeff King to be targeted six times in Week 1 means
the TE was open against the Rams as the Panthers have much more
appealing options in the aerial attack. If he has five catches
like King did Opening Week, figure Davis will have one of his
better games as a Niner.
Much like I'll keep repeating throughout the season, the
Rams defense will not be very good. For a team that likes to run
as much as the Panthers do, it's a bad sign the Rams gave
up such gaudy numbers in the passing game. This can only mean
good things for teams looking to get their passing games going
after a rough showing the previous week.
Game Thoughts: This matchup bodes very well for Gore. He
went well over 100 yards and a score in each meeting last season
and the Niners offensive talent has only improved, if anything.
Gore should have a huge day with multiple scores somewhat likely.
I believe I stated last week the Rams will not have one of the
better defenses and while rookie DT Adam Carriker should one day
be a force, it probably isn't going to happen in 2007. The
rest of the front seven are either undersized, ineffective a lot
of the time or suspended (DT Claude Wroten).
Alex Smith: 230 pass/2 TD/1 INT/20 rush
Darrell Jackson: 55 rec/1 TD
Arnaz Battle: 60 rec
Vernon Davis: 70 rec/1 TD
Frank Gore: 120 rush/1 TD/30 rec
Marc Bulger/Torry Holt/Isaac Bruce/Drew
Bennett/Randy McMichael
Steven Jackson (vs. SF)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 12.6
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 11.4
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 2.2
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 19.2
Passing Game Thoughts: After finding Holt for a scoring strike
in the first half, the Panthers were able to shut down an offense
that was without Bennett and may just as well been without McMichael,
who only caught two passes late in the game. Remember two things:
Bulger and the Rams started off slowly last season as well and
Bulger has typically not done all that well against the Niners.
Bennett's likely return this week does bode well for the
offense, but figure St. Louis will concentrate on getting Jackson
going after seeing the success Edgerrin James was able to have
against San Francisco on Monday night. Much like the Saints above,
things should pick up after this week as the number of teams that
have three CBs that can match with the Rams WRs are very few and
far between.
So far, so good for the Niners rebuilt secondary, picking off
Cardinals QB Matt Leinart twice. It wouldn't be a big surprise
to see that trend continue, much like I expect the trend of teams
running on San Fran to continue as the season progresses. Holt
was held to 30 yards receiving in both games last season, so shift
your expectations on him downward until next week. As a result,
expect Bruce, Bennett and McMichael to be fairly solid plays.
Running Game Thoughts: Jackson's road to fantasy success
in this game does not figure to be as easy as Gore's, but
that doesn't mean he won't be every bit as productive.
Losing LT Orlando Pace will hurt the passing game more than it
will the running game, but it didn't make much of a difference
last season for Jackson, who actually exploded onto the fantasy
scene in the games in which Pace missed. As far as this game is
concerned, expect the gameplan to feature Jackson getting nearly
30 or more touches and for HC Scott Linehan to do his best to
eat clock to keep his porous defense off the field.
Week 1 was an interesting test for the Niners. Even without Pace,
the Rams o-line figures to be a bit better than the Cardinals'
and Edgerrin James, who is not in Jackson's class as a runner
anymore, fared pretty well. The Niners will get better vs. the
run as the season progresses, but I expect Jackson to be able
to carry this offense in Week 2 as San Francisco searches for
answers on what they need to do to become a complete defense.
Marc Bulger: 230 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Torry Holt: 50 rec
Isaac Bruce: 50 rec
Drew Bennett: 45 rec/1 TD
Randy McMichael: 30 rec
Steven Jackson: 100 rush/2 TD/45 rec
Cowboys @ Dolphins
Tony Romo/Terrell Owens/Terry Glenn/Jason
Julius Jones/Marion Barber (vs. MIA)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 14
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 19
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 1
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 24.7
Game Thoughts: Wow. As much as I would like to say Romo
set the world on fire Sunday night, I just can't bring myself
to say it. I can recall three TDs where the receiver did not have
to worry about contact because there was no one close enough for
him to be concerned about. And as cliché as it sounds,
it was as much good offense as it was bad defense because the
Cowboys should have one of the better offenses and I think that
time will show the Giants defense is going to be porous as well.
For the Cowboys to get going in this game, however, they are going
to need to get the ball to Owens much quicker than they did against
New York, as he held catch-less for most of the first half. If
I'm a Witten owner, I prepare for the worst after seeing
what Miami did to Chris Cooley in Week 1.
The Dolphins will present a slightly (ok, much) greater obstacle
to the end zone than did the Giants. Much like he ended up doing
in Week 1, Romo will need to carry the offense on his shoulders
as the running game will likely struggle to maintain a 4 yds/carry
clip. Jason Taylor and Joey Porter will likely force Romo out
of the pocket a handful of time, so ad lib passing will play a
key role in determining whether Miami' s defense or Dallas'
offense rules the day.
Running Game Thoughts: This game could get ugly quickly if Dallas
experiences anywhere near the success Washington enjoyed against
Miami on the ground. However, I'm not going to put Barber/Jones
into the Portis/Betts class quite yet and I feel Washington's
line is better run blocking unit than Dallas' at this point.
Either way, that nugget should not be enough to keep Barber owners
from using his as their #2 RB and expecting a score from him while
Jones owners could do much worse than use him as their flex player.
Yes, Miami gave up a lot of yards on the ground in Week 1. No,
I don't expect a repeat of that in Week 2. There are very
few coaches left in the game who are as committed to rushing the
ball as Redskins HC Joe Gibbs and OC Al Saunders. Miami's
pass defense figures to be more suspect than their run defense,
so figure that the Cowboys will attack that area since they possess
one of the league's top WRs. The Dallas offense is balanced
enough that it should be able to attack a team in whichever area
it thinks its opponent is weakest at – a luxury few teams
Tony Romo: 235 pass/2 TD/1 INT/20 rush
Terrell Owens: 90 rec/1 TD
Patrick Crayton: 50 rec/1 TD
Jason Witten: 40 rec
Julius Jones: 45 rush/20 rec
Marion Barber: 50 rush/1 TD/20 rec
Trent Green/Chris Chambers/Marty Booker/David
Ronnie Brown (vs. DAL)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 32.4
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 43.1
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 4.1
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 20.7
Passing Game Thoughts: Don't look for Eli Manning-like
numbers from Green this week, even though the bottom fell out
of the Cowboys defense in Week 1. If CB Terrence Newman returns
and is anywhere close to 100%, it could make for a tough game
for Chambers. As such, expect a fairly equal distribution in the
passing game for the Dolphins, similar to last week when their
pair of RBs (Brown, Jesse Chatman) combined for 12 catches and
88 yards. Dallas is not unlike Washington nowadays when it comes
to being blitz-happy, so expect short, safe passing from Miami.
I knew Newman was good, but Dallas made Plaxico Burress look
like the greatest WR ever with their #1 CB gone. If Newman returns
and is pronounced fit, feel somewhat safe that Chambers will be
held in check. Otherwise, the offensive floodgates may open in
this game similar to what they did against the G-Men for Dallas.
But plantar fascitis, which is what Newman is suffering from,
just doesn't go away, so look for Newman to eventually have
to play a reduced role in 2007.
Running Game Thoughts: Expect a high concentration of rushing
yards in this contest. Not only will it give the Dolphins'
defense time to recover, but it figures to be the Cowboys'
greatest weakness on defense now with NT Jason Ferguson out. While
losing a NT is not a death sentence when it comes to stopping
the run, it can be if there is no other viable alternative behind
him. As such, feel good about playing Ronnie Brown as a #2 RB
this week, especially if Chatman is ruled out.
In just one week, my opinion of the Cowboys' defense went
from potential top 5 to lower-half of the standings. While Ferguson
– who was injured in Week 1 and is out for the season –
is no All-Pro, he is a very capable veteran at a position not
many defensive linemen can play and do well. His loss will be
felt repeatedly throughout the season.
Trent Green: 220 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Chris Chambers: 80 rec/1 TD
Marty Booker: 50 rec
David Martin: 30 rec
Ronnie Brown: 80 rush/1 TD/35 rec
Vikings @ Lions
Tavaris Jackson/Troy Williamson/Bobby Wade
Chester Taylor/Adrian Peterson (vs. DET)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 24
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 23
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 31.9
Passing Game Thoughts: I think Week 1 served as an excellent
microcosm of what HC Brad Childress would like to see from his
2007 Vikings. Pound the ball all day, turn any questionable situation
over to an opportunistic defense and ask Jackson to do very little
outside of being the athlete that he is when he needs to be. That
last request may not need to happen in this game, much as it didn't
in the first one (10 yards rushing). Expect the Vikings fantasy
contributions from the passing game to be minimal for at least
another week.
Josh McCown didn't seem to have all that much trouble picking
apart the Lions, completing 75% of his passes for over 300 yards.
While a good chunk of that came in "garbage time",
completing three of every four passes – especially when
a team throws 40 times – is not a good sign. It may not
matter much this week, but look for Jackson to take a shot or
two down the field as he looks to get more comfortable with passing
in the NFL in his fourth career start.
Running Game Thoughts: That was a nice little show the rookie
Peterson put on for us last week. If Taylor is unable to go, we
may get to see it again. Otherwise, hold the optimism down on
Peterson. If I'm a Peterson owner right now, I'm doing
what I need to do to acquire Taylor, as it is Peterson –
not Taylor – who is the more significant injury risk. (Plus,
it's just good fantasy business to get a capable player
whose stock is a bit down.) Either way, if both backs play, expect
a fairly leaky Lions defense to allow Taylor and Peterson to have
a field day one week after LaMont Jordan made his triumphant return
to the fantasy scene.
Almost five yds/carry and 110 yards receiving to the RB position,
are you serious? Where is Chris Spielman when you need him? While
Oakland will be a much better offense than last season, they will
not exactly find their way into the NFL history annals anytime
soon either. All this bodes well for the Vikings RB duo, as the
Vikings will likely stick to their plan of starting Taylor and
bringing Peterson around later on. If Taylor cannot play, expect
a Jordan-esque (LaMont, not Michael) type of day from A.D. (Peterson)
Tavaris Jackson: 180 yds passing/1 TD/40 yards rushing/1 TD
Troy Williamson: 55 yds
Bobby Wade: 40 yds/1 TD
Chester Taylor: 50 yds rushing/1 TD/30 yds receiving
Adrian Peterson: 75 yds rushing/10 yds receiving
Jon Kitna/Roy Williams/Calvin Johnson/Mike
Furrey/Shaun McDonald
Tatum Bell/Doug Duckett (vs. MIN)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 10.8
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 8.8
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 14.1
Game Thoughts: To me, this contest registers as one of
the more intriguing ones in Week 2. Can the Lions offense –
that just got dispatching the #1 overall pass defense from 2006
– do the same thing against a defense that was the worst
against the pass last season but looked drastically improved and
much more opportunistic? Detroit gets to showcase its aerial circus
to the home fans this week and, as such, expect them to score
points. Kitna threw three INTs in each game against the Vikings
last season with Williams taking a back seat in each one –
even though he was injured early in the first game. Expect Furrey
and McDonald to show up again – like they did in Week 1
– to make sure Kitna gets his numbers.
While the philosophy of Atlanta HC Bobby Petrino and Lions OC
Mike Martz may be similar (get the ball down the field), the talent
level that each coach possesses is at quite a different level.
So while the schemes may be similar, the Vikings will need to
make sure they match the pressure they applied on the Falcons
in Week 1 if they hope to keep the Lions tamed.
Running Game Thoughts: What a surprise…a Martz offense
passing twice as much as it runs. That was the case in Week 1
as Martz likely had his eye on proving his offense would work
against the league's best pass defense from a year ago.
However, it would be silly if he went the other way this week
and decided he was going to force the issue in the running game
as if Bell was going to bust through the Vikings defense. Play
Bell only as a flex option, as the Vikings run defense isn't
getting any worse.
For the sake of not beating a dead horse, this Vikings defense
can stop the run, period. Don't try to overanalyze it. Detroit
isn't going anywhere on the ground this week.
Jon Kitna: 285 pass/2 TD/2 INT
Roy Williams: 55 rec
Calvin Johnson: 75 rec/1 TD
Mike Furrey: 60 rec/1 TD
Shaun McDonald: 60 rec
Tatum Bell: 40 rush/20 rec
Seahawks @ Cardinals
Matt Hasselbeck/Deion Branch/Nate Burleson/Marcus
Shaun Alexander (vs. ARI)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 9.9
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 9.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 0.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 14.1
Passing Game Thoughts: How far back do we have to go to find
a team that won by 14 points that had its two WRs combine for
seven yards? That's not likely to happen again this year
in the NFL, let alone more than a handful of times in our lifetime.
Now with DJ Hackett out, expect Branch to get a lot of targets
from here on out. Also, don't sleep on Pollard, who caught
all five passes thrown his way. He figures to get more work with
Hackett out as well.
The Niners did not provide a good "look" for the
Cardinals as they prepare to play the Seahawks. Hasselbeck &
Co. will be much sharper and will find the going much easier against
the Cardinals than they did against the Bucs. Remember, the Bucs
scheme helps them deal with receivers much more than the Cardinals,
who are a more aggressive, man-to-man type of team. They could
get lit up in Week 2 if they don't play a fair amount of
Game Thoughts: As I highlighted in some of my preseason
articles, the Cardinals commitment to the run can only help their
rush defense numbers as well as keep their opponents' down.
(Having S Adrian Wilson also helps the run defense in a significant
way.) This is especially useful vs. teams like Seattle, which
would like nothing more than to get Alexander 30 carries. As a
result, don't expect Alexander to carry the ball 25 times
again unless the Seahawks go ahead early. Something that is particularly
interesting is that as inviting as the Arizona defense was for
fantasy RBs last season, it allowed four 100-yard rushers (two
in the same game). So while Alexander should have a #1 fantasy
RB performance, don't expect him to carry your fantasy team
this week.
In general, the Cardinals did a fine job limiting the 49ers offense,
especially holding Gore to 76 total yards. Is a similar fate awaiting
Alexander? Well, it could be if the Seahawks are unable to get
their WRs involved, much like Week 1. Alexander averaged a bit
over 80 yards and scored just once in two games last season, a
number the Cardinals should be able to limit Alexander to on Sunday.
Keep your eye on Wilson, if he continues to creep into the box
as effectively as he did on MNF, Alexander may actually struggle.
Matt Hasselbeck: 220 pass/2 TD/0 INT
Deion Branch: 90 rec/1 TD
Nate Burleson: 55 rec
Marcus Pollard: 45 rec/1TD
Shaun Alexander: 85 rush/1 TD/10 rec
Matt Leinart/Anquan Boldin/Larry Fitzgerald
Edgerrin James (vs. SEA)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 11.7
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 13.2
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 13.2
Passing Game Thoughts: I think
the majority of us expected just a bit more from Leinart than
108 yards passing and two INTs. It's also not all that great
of a sign he ran for 35 yards either. Of all things, it was the
running game that stood out, while Leinart did not appear to be
all that much in sync with his WRs. It should be expected from
a young QB like Leinart, who is seeing how the league has adjusted
to him while, at the same time, learning all the nuances of HC
Ken Whisenhunt's offense. It will happen, but then again,
this is one big reason Leinart should be your #2 fantasy QB and
not a #1.
I'm expecting Seattle to be a much better overall defense
this season, particularly in the passing game. Both Kurt Warner
and Leinart put together solid games in their starts vs. Seattle,
but it wouldn't be at all surprising if this contest takes
on the same personality of each team's Week 1 game. Whichever
team runs and stops the run the best and wins the field position
and turnover battles should win.
Running Game Thoughts: We saw
Whisenhunt's commitment to the run…now let's
hope he keeps it. If he didn't know it already, he probably
knows now that he won't be getting a lot of big gains from
James, but he will get consistency. And all Whisenhunt really
wants to do is control the game – making sure teams respect
James enough to make the pickings easier for Leinart and the passing
game as well as resting easy that his defense is not spent at
the end of each game. Until we see differently, expect James to
get his 20-25 touches each week no matter the opponent, with a
TD likely just about every other game.
With the exception of two carries late in the second quarter,
the Seahawks bottled up Cadillac Williams. While the run defense
looks to be in better shape than it was at the end of last season,
let's see how it holds up this week and next week against
Cincinnati before we start suggesting they are a top-flight unit.
With Arizona's commitment to running the ball, they will
get their yards against just about any opponent except the most
elite defenses.
Matt Leinart: 220 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Anquan Boldin: 80 rec
Larry Fitzgerald: 85 rec/1 TD
Edgerrin James: 80 rush/30 rec
Chiefs @ Bears
Damon Huard/Eddie Kennison/Dwayne Bowe/Tony
Larry Johnson (vs. CHI)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 9.4
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 4.3
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 17.1
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 19.1
Passing Game Thoughts: I thought the Chiefs would get a game
against an average Texans defense to get the ship righted just
a bit before taking on Chicago…oops. Kansas City will need
LJ at 100% (not likely) to have a shot to keep this game close
at half, but I expect this to be one of the most lopsided games
of the season before it is over.
Much like I'll state below with the running game, San Diego
has a much more potent attack and the Bears needed LT to throw
its only TD pass. I don't expect LJ to bail Huard out the
same way, and that's even if the Chiefs get that close to
the end zone.
Running Game Thoughts: Johnson had better be ready after just
10 carries last week. Early prognostications appear to be right
on about just how inept the Chiefs offense might be this season.
This is not the type of game Kansas City needs after getting handled
by the Texans.
The Bears held a much more potent ground attack (Chargers) down
in Week 1. This week their sole focus needs to be on LJ. Look
for them to get that done and put up some ridiculous defensive
numbers in the process.
Damon Huard: 165 pass/0 TD/3 INT
Eddie Kennison: 30 rec
Dwayne Bowe: 30 rec
Tony Gonzalez: 50 rec
Larry Johnson: 45 rush/40 rec
Rex Grossman/Bernard Berrian/Muhsin Muhammad/Desmond
Clark/Greg Olsen
Cedric Benson (vs. KC)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 15.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 24.5
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 1.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 13.2
Passing Game Thoughts: Unlike Week 1, this game should be a chance
for Grossman to get comfortable. The Chiefs are roughly the exact
opposite of the Chargers, that is, a team that is happy to sit
back in Cover 2 and not blitz all that much. As a result, expect
Grossman to throw for a high completion % and to have a fairly
productive day, that is, unless Benson is able to carry the offense
by himself.
With DE Jared Allen missing his second straight game due to suspension,
expect the Bears to take their shots at picking apart the Chiefs
zone packages. With a good offense, this Chiefs defense may be
good enough to go places. Unfortunately, the Kansas City defense
does not have that luxury, thus, expect Grossman to hit Berrian
at least once deep after Benson has been established.
Game Thoughts: After getting pretty much stonewalled against
the Chargers, running an offense against the Chiefs figures to
be much easier. This is definitely one of those "if you
got him, play him and expect a lot" type of plays this week
for Benson. Given the Bears defense and the lackluster Chiefs
offense, Benson could carry the ball close to 30 times as they
will probably never trail in this game.
Once again, the Chiefs defense is a good enough all-around unit
to keep up with teams like the Bears. But until their offense
shows signs of life, it will be a matter of how long their stamina
holds up before they crack each and every week.
Rex Grossman: 215 pass/3 TD/1 INT
Bernard Berrian: 75 rec/1 TD
Muhsin Muhammad: 45 rec
Desmond Clark: 25 rec
Greg Olsen: 35 rec/1 TD
Cedric Benson: 90 rush/1 TD/10 rec
Jets @ Ravens
Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens/Laveranues
Coles/Jerricho Cotchery
Thomas Jones (vs. BAL)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 17.7
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 26.5
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: N/A
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 8
Passing Game Thoughts: One has to admit Pennington's line
in Week 1 was pretty good (16-for-21, 2 TDs). My biggest question
coming from that game was: How did Pennington's leg not
break on that tackle? Either way, it's likely Clemens makes
his first start against what is probably the last team a new QB
should face in his first start. Clemens does have an arm, but
his line is going to have protection issues all day long, making
even a nice combo like Coles and Cotchery hard to play as anything
more than #3 WRs this week.
Even as their ranks were dropping like flies on Monday Night
Football, the Ravens were truly impressive in keeping the Bengals
offense under control, especially in the second half. Week 2 does
not figure to bring about the same challenge and it will get even
worse/better (depending on your loyalties) if Clemens has to make
the start. He is more mobile than Pennington, but will not be
able to make decisions near as quickly as Pennington does with
the ball, meaning he does not stand much of a chance in light
of what will be an angry Ravens defense. Downgrade all your Jets
Running Game Thoughts: You may remember how I stated in the preseason
Jones may struggle early on? Consecutive games against the Pats,
Ravens and Dolphins will do that to a RB. For owners in the middle
of that mix right now, don't say I didn't warn you.
For those owners who would like a midseason pick-me-up, trade
for him now. As far as the game is concerned, expect a modest
stat line similar to the one Jones posted against New England.
The Ravens are just too big, too aggressive and too fast for most
running attacks.
The Bengals possess a better line and better offense than do
the Jets (and even though they were in Cincy), the Ravens held
them well under 300 yards and that is with Pro Bowl talent at
every offensive skill position. With Clemens under center and
an average o-line at best, don't expect the Jets to do any
Kellen Clemens: 150 pass/0 TD/2 INT/35 run
Laveranues Coles: 45 rec
Jerricho Cotchery: 50 rec
Thomas Jones: 50 rush/20 rec
Steve McNair/Mark Clayton/Derrick Mason/Todd
Willis McGahee (vs. NYJ)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 27.3
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 38.8
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 6.9
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 21.1
Passing Game Thoughts: After hinting he may open things up, the
Ravens were pretty much forced to go vanilla when their offense
could not hold on to the ball. I fully expect more passing than
usual from the Ravens offense as the season progresses, but this
game will probably not need McNair to air it out all that much
– if he even plays. With Clayton certainly far from 100%,
expect more Mason and Demetrius Williams, with Williams likely
using his size and speed to get past the Jets defense for a long
While the score of this game should be closer than 38-14, I'm
not sure the Jets will feel any better after Week 2. They will
have issues with stopping McNair if he leaves the pocket as much
as they will struggle with him throwing to Mason, Clayton, Heap
or Williams. Expect an efficient day from McNair, but not a standout
fantasy performance as the Jets try to figure out their defensive
Running Game Thoughts: Don't be scared off by the Bengals
game, they are a better defense than given credit for that was
playing very aggressively in their home opener on Monday night.
The Jets are going to show themselves as a very average defense
unless rookie CB Darrelle Revis' star rises earlier than
expected. I say all this to tell you that McGahee should post
his first 100-yard day against the Jets and get a lot of work
as well – he has tortured New York his entire career. Most
of the fumbles that occurred on MNF came as a result of missed
assignments (McNair turning the wrong way, McGahee expecting the
ball in a different place than where he received it). Expect that
to get ironed out in time for the Jets.
The Jets surrendered 34 carries for 131 yards on the ground to
the Patriots. While that mark is above average from per carry
standpoint, it speaks to how easily the Pats controlled the game.
The Ravens should be expected to do the same and will likely be
more effective doing it.
Kyle Boller: 210 pass/2 TD/1 INT/20 rush
Mark Clayton: 55 rec
Derrick Mason: 45 rec
Demetrius Williams: 40 rec/1 TD
Todd Heap: 40 rec/1 TD
Willis McGahee: 100 rush/1 TD/20 rec
Raiders @ Broncos
Josh McCown or Daunte Culpepper/Jerry Porter/Ronald
Curry/Zach Miller
LaMont Jordan (vs. DEN)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 6.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 6.5
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 1.5
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 16.6
Passing Game Thoughts: Oakland has an offense, everybody! Regardless
of whether it was the Lions or not, the 2006 version of the Raiders
would not have: 1) come back from a 20-0 deficit or 2) completed
75% of their passes. I'm paying for going against my original
inclination that Porter would be the main man. My defense? I thought
a few weeks ago and I still think C-pepp ends up being the QB.
In that case, Curry and Porter will get a more equal distribution
of the targets. Once I sat back and thought it about it, it's
not surprising that Curry was so busy in Week 1 as Detroit's
Cover 2 combined with McCown's work all offseason with Curry
and Miller plus McCown's average arm strength probably all
contributed to Curry getting 10 targets and Miller six as opposed
to Porter's two. Expect that number to balance out as the
season progresses, especially if Culpepper keeps the starting
That said, don't look for Porter to step up in this game
either. More than likely, CB Champ Bailey will cover Porter most
of the day. CB Dre Bly, no slouch himself, will probably draw
Curry. Oakland would be best suited to pound Jordan and to throw
to him in the flat as the Broncos have a secondary good enough
to shut down all but a handful of offenses.
Running Game Thoughts: Jordan is no Marshawn Lynch, but he should
be a busy man and should be moderately productive in Week 2. Whether
the full load continues to go Jordan's way once Dom Rhodes
returns is anybody's guess, so this may be a good sell-high
situation as Rhodes' contract almost dictates that he see
at least 1/3 of the work. For this Sunday, however, expect Oakland
to use Jordan in much the same way it did against Detroit with
about 15-18 carries and 5-6 receptions.
The Broncos will be a standout defensive unit, in my estimation,
before the season is over. That is, if the front seven can get
right and MLB DJ Williams can settle in to his new role in short
order. Buffalo should not have been able to have any success on
the ground against Denver. Seeing how the league is a copycat
league, expect the Raiders to hammer away with the run until the
Broncos show they have that leak plugged.
Daunte Culpepper: 190 pass/1 TD/1 INT/20 rush
Jerry Porter: 35 rec
Ronald Curry: 55 rec
Zach Miller: 50 rec/1 TD
LaMont Jordan: 80 rush/1 TD/35 rec
Jay Cutler/Javon Walker/Brandon Marshall/Daniel
Graham & Tony Scheffler
Travis Henry (vs. OAK)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 28.2
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 41.2
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 4.6
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 16.2
Passing Game Thoughts: Cutler looked like a green QB on occasion
in Week 1, as one might expect. He still did go over 300 yards
and turned the ball over just once, so while it may not have been
all that pretty, he got the job done. Expect the passing game
to take a back seat this week though, keeping in mind that –
while very talented – Walker & Marshall are not Roy
Williams and Calvin Johnson with a little Mike Furrey and Shaun
McDonald sprinkled in.
While very good, the Oakland secondary cannot be flawless. Heck,
they even allowed Alex Smith and Charlie Frye to each throw for
three scores in Weeks 4 & 5 last season before clamping down
and yielding just eight more TD passes the rest of the season.
So until they string together multiple poor performances, tread
carefully with expectations when your fantasy WRs go up against
the Oakland secondary.
Game Thoughts: One week probably is not enough to prove
to the fantasy world that Henry is indeed the lone man in the
backfield. But he sure did look good in Week 1, even giving his
owners 40-plus receiving yards. In fact, if things had gone his
way just a bit more, he could have added two scores to what was
already an impressive day. I expect more of the same in this contest
from Henry, particularly with the Raiders secondary as talented
as it is.
The Oakland front seven still has some work to do to catch up
with the secondary. Detroit made the Raiders DBs look bad on a
few occasions, but bear in mind few teams will stick with the
Lions receivers all game long. Their secondary matches up well
with Denver's WRs, so expect minimal contributions from
them, another reason why I expect a heavy workload for Henry.
Jay Cutler: 225 pass/1 TD/1 INT/30 rush
Javon Walker: 65 rec
Brandon Marshall: 55 rec
Daniel Graham: 30 rec/1 TD
Tony Scheffler: 25 rec
Travis Henry: 110 rush/1 TD/10 rec
Chargers @ Patriots
Philip Rivers/Vincent Jackson/Malcolm Floyd/Antonio
LaDainian Tomlinson (vs. NE)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 18.4
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 24.6
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 2.9
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 9.3
Passing Game Thoughts: The Chargers' early-season slate
does not bode well for Rivers, but it sure makes for some entertaining
football. However, it gets easier after next week (Green Bay).
Until then, expect San Diego to struggle just a bit on offense
(struggle is a relative term in this case) and, in particular,
Rivers. He is not going to be a QB that turns the ball over multiple
times, so play him as you normally would. Just realize he is facing
three consecutive tough defenses to open the season.
Perhaps it is a bit disconcerting that the Pats could not force
Chad Pennington into an INT. It's too easy to assume we
will get a carbon-copy of the Charger-Patriot playoff game last
year, but this may not exactly be a defensive struggle either.
The Pats match up as well as any team does with the Chargers,
but it will take a special defense to keep San Diego out of the
end zone less than twice a game.
Running Game Thoughts: Tomlinson is one of the few backs I have
ever seen in fantasy who can be bottled up all game long and still
deliver top-flight numbers. The New England defense figures to
put up a better fight than it did in the 2006 playoffs, but LT
will come plenty motivated, which is a scary thing if you think
about it. LT owners weren't going to bench him regardless,
but I must admit I expect a big day from LT this week and just
about every week from here on out.
Owners should not have been shocked to see the Pats shut down
Thomas Jones. They will not have the same luck against Tomlinson.
In fact, I expect New England to give up its highest number of
rushing yards this season in this contest. Once again, outside
of Chicago, the Pats match up about as well as any team does with
San Diego, but New England will desperately miss DE Richard Seymour
in this affair.
Philip Rivers: 205 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Vincent Jackson: 55 rec
Malcolm Floyd: 30 rec
Antonio Gates: 70 rec
LaDainian Tomlinson: 105 rush/1 TD/30 rec/1 TD
Tom Brady/Randy Moss/Donte Stallworth/Wes
Welker/Ben Watson
Laurence Maroney (vs. SD)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 7.3
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 9.1
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 3.8
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 9.6
Game Thoughts: Brady owners, let this feeling sink in.
I think you may experience it a few more times where Brady goes
for nearly 300 and 3 scores. Moss owners, I don't think
you will be as fortunate. Moss will be hit or miss, in my opinion,
most of the season. The Jets will soon be exposed as an average
defense, something the Chargers are not. I'm not suggesting
that you should ever sit Moss, but just don't expect Week
1 numbers every game. What is clear is that the Pats will get
Welker involved as well, maybe even to the detriment of Stallwoth,
which would be an interesting development. Watson appears to be
a good play against the best pass defenses for now and an average
play vs. the defenses that don't understand how to bracket
The Chargers likely had one goal in mind against Rex Grossman:
don't get beat deep. And they didn't. Is a similar
approach in mind for the Pats? I imagine so. Expect San Diego
to let New England throw underneath to Welker all day at the expense
of keeping Moss contained. The one thing that Brady had against
the Jets that he won't have against the Chargers is time
in the pocket. The blitzes that the Chargers will run will actually
rush Brady, something the Jets' pressure could not do.
Running Game Thoughts: Not sure if fantasy owners are ready to
transfer the title of "Public Enemy #1" from Mike
Shanahan to Bill Belichick quite yet, but it was somewhat curious
Heath Evans got two cracks from inside the 1-yard-line after Maroney
had carried four of the first five plays of the Pats' last
real drive. This would be quite a buzzkill for a number of owners
out there that thought they may be able to count on Maroney as
the linchpin of their teams. And Sammy Morris probably got a little
too much work for those same Maroney owners. It's never
worth playing guessing games with Belichick – one big reason
I didn't draft Maroney or any of the WRs – as the
Pats could be hiding an injury or going 60/40 with the workload
between Maroney and Morris. It may not be a bad idea to field
offers for Maroney as I'm not liking the feeling I'm
getting here.
Maroney is more Adrian Peterson (the one from Chicago) than he
is Cedric Benson. Peterson actually posted fairly good numbers
in limited work (7 carries, 38 yards) against the Chargers defense.
That being said, it would be mildly surprising if Maroney sees
20 carries in this game as it is still a better idea to attack
San Diego via the pass than it is vs. the run. Plan accordingly.
Tom Brady: 260 pass/2 TD/1 INT
Randy Moss: 80 rec
Donte Stallworth: 40 rec
Wes Welker: 65 rec/1 TD
Ben Watson: 40 rec/1 TD
Laurence Maroney: 90 rush/1 TD/20 rec
Redskins @ Eagles
Jason Campbell/Santana Moss/Brandon Lloyd/Chris
Clinton Portis/Ladell Betts (vs. PHI)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 10.1
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 10.9
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 4.4
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 10.1
Passing Game Thoughts: Football can be a funny game sometimes.
Moss gets targeted seven times in Week 1 and ends up with three
catches for 28 yards, while Randle El gets targeted one less time
and collects five receptions for 162 yards. What makes it worse
for Moss this week, is that he faces a Philadelphia team that
has not allow him to score a touchdown since 2003. In fact, he
only caught five balls in two games last year for a measly 51
yards. See how Philly's defense was able to keep Donald
Driver in check, it makes me think they can do a similar job on
Moss although, if you are a Moss owner, one of the reasons you
drafted him was due to his explosive play-making ability. If the
Redskins ground game continues to be as effective as it was in
Week 1, expect more opportunities for Moss.
Granted, the Eagles were able to hold down a banged up Packers
receiving corps as Driver is nursing multiple injuries and fellow
starter Greg Jennings was out with a hamstring. The challenge
is slightly smaller in stature this week, but probably no less
difficult. Expect more attention than usual to be paid to Randal
El, who may allow Campbell to hook up with Moss and Cooley on
a more regular basis. As Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson
gains more trust in his secondary, expect more and more blitzing.
I expect a fair share of that on Monday, just to contend with
the Redskins running game, if for no other reason.
Running Game Thoughts: It was quite impressive for the Redskins
to be able to run 36 times in their Week 1 victory over the Dolphins.
If Week 1 was any indication, it appears the Redskins running
back situation is the 50-50 timeshare, just as many Portis owners
had feared. Obviously, the upside of this is that Portis owners
made get their back for a full season as opposed to eight to 10
games. And we all know what a healthy Portis can bring to a fantasy
squad. His track record in the Eagles is pretty good, minus his
last game against Philadelphia in which he only carried the ball
six times before leaving for good in the 27-3 loss. Betts picked
up for Portis in that game, and he absolutely annihilated the
Eagles in their second meeting, rushing 33 times run and 171 yards.
Expect another heavy dose of the run in this game.
The Eagles were able to put aside their rushing defense woes
from last year for one game against Packers. However, Green Bay
does not figure to be one of the top rushing teams this season.
So while the Eagles should be much improved in that stopping the
run, the real test will come when a team like Washington, which
will commit to running the ball 35 to 40 times a game plays them.
Expect Philadelphia to get gashed a couple times as a result.
Jason Campbell: 210 pass/1 TD/1 INT/30 rush
Santana Moss: 60 rec
Antwan Randle El: 45 rec
Chris Cooley: 60 rec/1 TD
Clinton Portis: 75 rush/1 TD/10 rec
Ladell Betts: 60 rush/25 rec
Donovan McNabb/Kevin Curtis/Reggie Brown/LJ
Brian Westbrook (vs. WAS)
FF Points Allowed vs. QBs: 15
FF Points Allowed vs. WRs: 11.2
FF Points Allowed vs. TEs: 7.9
FF Points Allowed vs. RBs: 13.5
Passing Game Thoughts: I suggested earlier in my preseason articles
that McNabb may start out slow and look a bit rusty in his return
from injury. I think it's fair to say that is exactly what
we saw for the most part and some of the reason that this offense
should be the Westbrook show, with McNabb complementing his talents
and not the other way around. As for this week, Curtis has to
be licking his chops after seeing what Chris Chambers was able
to do against Washington. If Westbrook struggles on the ground
at all, don't be surprised to see McNabb try to go up top
a few times.
Giving up 88 yards receiving to Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman
does not bode well for the Redskins as they prepare to stop Westbrook.
Expect the Eagles to test this facet of the game early and often
as they attempt to move the ball more efficiently than they were
able to against the Packers. (Westbrook was targeted 12 times
out of the backfield in Week 1, expect a repeat of that.)
Game Thoughts: As a first-time Westbrook owner myself,
I know I'll be quite happy with the workload he received
in Week 1 all season long. The road will be easier from here on
out as the Packers will be one of the top defenses before too
long in the NFL. He will face another fairly stiff test in the
Redskins, who showed they may be up to their 2005 tricks –
that is, being a nasty defense to face. However, Philly's
offensive line is one of the best, so continue to expect somewhere
around 130-150 total yards from Westbrook.
The Redskins will be taking a step up in offensive competition
this week, for the Dolphins are not one of the league's
better blocking units nor are they all that sound execution-wise
yet. Washington will find their pressure packages will be a bit
less effective against a team that knows them as well as the Eagles
and an offense that as multi-faceted as Philly's is. That
said, the Redskins will force the Eagles into some long down-and-distance
situations, so this won't exactly be a track meet either.
Donovan McNabb: 245 pass/1 TD/1 INT
Kevin Curtis: 75 rec/1 TD
Reggie Brown: 60 rec
LJ Smith: 25 rec
Brian Westbrook: 85 rush/1 TD/65 rec/1 TD
Copyright © 1998-2019 FFToday.com. All rights reserved.
FFToday.com is a member of the Fantasy Sports
Trade Association.
Partner of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties.


text:
What You'll Get
After purchasing this deal, you will need to visit the website listed on your Groupon voucher to complete redemption.
Choose Between Two Options
- One personalized fleece sweatshirt blanket ($29.98 value)
- Two personalized fleece sweatshirt blankets ($59.96 value)
These 50"x60" blankets are made of the same material as your favorite fleece sweatshirt. Made from a polyester-cotton blend, they feature sturdy double-needle stitching and can be personalized with everything from names and titles to important years and favorite photos.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires 90 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Limit 3 per person. May buy 2 additional as gifts. Valid online only. Must use promotional value in 1 visit. Valid online only. Must use promotional value in 1 visit. Offer is valid for US/AK/HI/Canada. Shipping not included; shipping costs for Canada will be higher than the US. Offer is in US Currency. See shipping FAQ here. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About GiftsForYouNow.com
GiftsForYouNow.com keeps its digital storeroom packed to the brim with thousands of personalized gifts for just about every occasion imaginable. Besides the perennially popular T-shirts and sweatshirts, the online shop's inventory covers all aspects of your loved one's lives, from drinkware and home decor to keepsakes such as memorial garden stones and jewelry boxes. Each gift can be personalized with unique designs, inspirational quotes, or even special titles such as Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, or frankly anything that sounds nicer than Those People Who Forced Me to Eat Broccoli.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rfj needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 42 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
The Keynotes Group
The Keynotes Group, LLC is an upcoming public speaker and public arts management company. Our main focus is on providing the perfect keynote speaker for any event. We are a fun professional bunch and enjoy what we do. Although we wear business attire, we are still laid back. We speak on all kinds of topics ranging from current events to blasts from the past. We can moderate your next debate. We are intelligent and educated we know what is going on in the world.
Our speakers are professionals in their areas of expertise and are great in front of any group. We target our brand to any event whether it be at a College or University, Business event, government event, or non-profit event, or personal gathering. We are targeting anyone who desires a captivating event.
We are looking for a logo represent The Keynotes Group.
Although The Keynotes Group represents performing artists and public speakers, we like our brand image to represent the public speaking aspect more.
We want a sophisticated but abstract look. The logo will be used in web and print media and it is important that it looks good in both. Ribbons of color or text can be a nice look. It would also be nice if it were clear to the public that the logo appeared to be from a public speaking company.
In addition our website has a dark background so the final design will need to look nice on light and dark backgrounds.
It may be nice to integrate an abstract rendering of things that represent public speaking into the design; however this is not required if your design embodies our vision.
Things that will not work.
1. No Cartoons - we are not marketing to children
2. The typeface should be clear, simple and bold.
3. Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
Please feel free to experiment with the colors!
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
And .eps
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Say hello to Ms Spam-Spam! We've put in a special account for linkspams to make it more clear that linkspams are a group effort here. All the old linkspams are now listed with this account too.
- Most Big-Company Women CEOs Are Also Mothers. Sadly, this isn't a sign that motherhood + career isn't difficult: "The fact most big-company female CEOs have children may just state the obvious—that the highest achievers can handle big challenges"
- You may enjoy John Scalzi's "Things I Don't Have to Think About Today" even though many readers here probably had to think about a few of them.
- Intui has a nice infographic up: Payroll by Gender: Who Makes More Money? Most of this is moderately well-known stats (at least within feminist circles), but it's nicely put together and the section that gave pay divided up by gender and ethnicity was fairly interesting.
- The Cranky Product Manager is cranky: "Software Sisters, add your own experiences in the comments!"
- The Awesome Foundation is running a programming workshop for girls, which will have them "design, program, and produce their own video games based on situations, systems, or relationships in their own lives".
- Brit Mandelo has a post titled "Queering SFF: Two Feminist Book Clubs for 2011" up at TOR.com.
If you have links of interest, please share them in comments here, or if you're a delicious user, tag them "geekfeminism" to bring them to our attention. Please note that we tend to stick to publishing recent links (from the last month or so).
Thanks to everyone who suggested links in comments and on delicious.


text:
From Broad Side of the Barn Blog - Ditch GoDaddy
"Yet my complaint about Godaddy is due to their customer service and business practices. I strongly recommend looking for another registrar like Network Solutions or NameCheap, because GoDaddy misleads its customers and bleeds money from them through their dubious practices. The most recent example I encountered is of a client who purchased a domain and email service believing they had also signed up for a hosting account. Technically they could 'host' their domain at GoDaddy, but it was a severely limited plan that only allowed for a canned page to be 'hosted' at Godaddy, which left them without the actual service they needed..."
Read more - Ditch GoDaddy at NH Web Development site, Broad Side of the Barn
In New Hampshire Broad Store Supporter Blue Collar Who Do I Vote For Blogger Resource More Pols US Independent Round Four Circle Web Linked Web Rambling Web McCain States Science Less Online Volunteer Web Inquiry Battle Ground Purple People Indie Site Obama Independents American Independent Independent Blogger Change Candidate NH Web Blog


text:
June 27, 2006
What does the average Hoosier high-school grad know of the Native Americans of Indiana? Assuming he or she chose not to nap during fourth grade history class, whatever was known might have been swept away alongside algebra, organic compounds, and John Steinbeck.
But there are those who are attempting to combat the lack of awareness of the rich cultural heritage the Hoosier state has in American Indian culture. The Native American influence on Indiana extends beyond 2000 years. Evidence of that ancient culture can be found in Mounds State Park near Anderson. Between 200 and 500 years before America was colonized by the Europeans, a Mississippian culture thrived on the banks of the Ohio and influenced other cultures as far away as Alabama and Pennsylvania.
Several education programs are either in the works or exist to combat a lack of knowledge concerning the American Indian heritage of Indiana. For example, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art boasts an educational facility that offers children hands on experience with crafting pieces of bead or weaving work. Several state parks, such as Mounds State Park, Prophetstown, and Angel Mounds offer further hands-on possibilities for Hoosiers to understand more about those who came before us. Through the additional efforts of the Miami Nation leadership, exhibitions are provided for school children and a possible educational center a la Conner Prairie has been proposed in Parke County.
The best way to learn about the native culture of Indiana is to go straight to the source. Visit the Miami Nation of Indiana's Homepage. For learn more about Native Americans see DeRolf's brochure on Native Americans.
Andy Derolf '08 is a history major from Shelbyville, Ind.


text:
Monday, January 6, 2014
PHOTO DIARY 1.6.14 // always spelled wrong
6 comments:
I love your pictures, they look really cool !ReplyDelete
Great photos! :) Looks like Pepe is judging real hard.ReplyDelete
Lovely pictures. You should post more often!ReplyDelete
Andreea | http://catsfika.blogspot.ro/
amazing photos!ReplyDelete
love the retro flair of them :)
-Johanna nailpolish-and-icecream.blogspot.com
Lovely pics! :)ReplyDelete
Lovely! I missed your blog posts. :3 Now I have a strong need to play Suduko.ReplyDelete
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Juniper Networks having bowed to pressure from activist investors to cut expenses and increase cash payouts, is finally focused on boosting sales.
The maker of computer-networking equipment said Tuesday that first-quarter revenue increased 10 percent from a year earlier to $1.17 billion, exceeding the average analyst estimate of $1.15 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
With telecommunications companies upgrading their networks to accommodate rising wireless Web traffic, demand for Juniper's routers is increasing. Phone service providers supply more than 65 percent of revenue for Juniper, which is second in the networking-equipment market to Cisco Systems.
"They seem to be holding their own," said Jason Ader, an analyst at William Blair & Co. in Boston who has the equivalent of a buy rating on the stock. "People are getting comfortable with change, because there is a lot of change."
For the first three months of the year, Chief Executive Officer Shaygan Kheradpir, who took the helm in January, was in cost-cutting mode. Juniper said on April 2 that it's eliminating 6 percent of its workforce, or about 570 jobs, and ceasing development on new products, after hedge funds Elliot Management Corp. and Jana Partners pushed the company to improve its cost structure.
Juniper spends about 22 percent of revenue on research and development, compared with 12 percent at Cisco. The company pays its engineers the most in Silicon Valley — an average of almost $160,000, according to a study released in October by job-search site Glassdoor Inc.
Juniper shares gained 1.9 percent to $25.89 at the close in New York. The Sunnyvale-based company's stock has climbed 15 percent this year.
Restructuring tied to job cuts and other steps resulted in first-quarter charges of about $122 million. In addition to reducing expenses by $160 million, Juniper agreed in February to return at least $3 billion to shareholders through stock repurchases and dividends.
Net income in the quarter rose 22 percent to $110.6 million, or 22 cents a share, from $91 million, or 18 cents, a year earlier, Juniper said today in a statement. Sales to service providers rose 10 percent to $782.7 million.
Kheradpir had been on the job less than two weeks when Elliott, run by billionaire Paul Singer, said it had amassed a 6.2 percent stake in Juniper and demanded changes. The company was also pressured to alter the composition of its board. Juniper has proposed adding Gary Daichendt and Kevin DeNuccio, both former Cisco executives.
"We're coming out of it stronger and the best days are ahead of us," Kheradpir said today in an interview.
The CEO's challenges aren't just financial. Juniper and Cisco said this month that some of their routers, switches and security firewalls are susceptible to the Heartbleed Web- security bug recently discovered by researchers at Google Inc. Juniper said it issued a patch for its most vulnerable products that feature virtual private network, or VPN, technology.
Revenue in the second quarter will be $1.2 billion to $1.23 billion with adjusted earnings of 36 cents to 39 cents a share, Juniper said. Analysts on average predict sales of $1.21 billion and per-share earnings of 36 cents, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.


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Moderators: Zahru II, Natalya, RedRover
Pwnerade wrote:What would happen if you attacked the ORANGE TRANSPARENT BARRICADE with an ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAINSAW?
UmbraPhasmatis wrote:Yeah, that's what I was going for before deciding to use it with the Phobians. Speaking of which I just found pictures of a full battle from two years ago... should I still throw it in the battle reports list? The only notable thing I can remember without looking through it is that Dumbledore was wielding a Gravity Hammer and riding a dragon.
UmbraPhasmatis wrote:ORANGE TRANSPARENT CHAIN-CLAYMORE
UmbraPhasmatis wrote:deals at least 2d10 damage (sounds fair)
Stormblessed wrote:A few issues with that.
5. Awesomeness
12. OTC deal all damage, but no damage. They are the epitome of damage. Zen Damage.
17. Fairness. Fairness. Fairness! FAIRNESS!!1one!!! Who ever has fairness in Brikwars? Only destruction matters. Not fairness.
8. This army is pretty rocking, however for marines they sure aren't very uniformed.
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A classic. Happy holidays to you all.
24 December 2008
In the Drunk Tank
Posted by shadowfax at 8:58 PM
2 comments:
- Johnny Urologist12/25/2008 1:18 PM
Best. Christmas. Song. Ever.ReplyDelete
Happy Holidays to you and yours, my friend!
My Favorite! Thanks! And a blessed 2009 to you! It wouldn't be Christmas without "Fairytale of New York!ReplyDelete
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FashionBridesmaides Street StyleThursday, January 22, 2015
Style is the only thing that matters in the end. Trends come and go but style is eternal. That's why FashionBridesmaids invites you to a journey of discovery and innovation going through all the major fashion icons of our days. We'll analyse together different styles from casual to ceremonial and you can decide what style suits you better. What do you think? Would you steal some of his fashion ideas?