Kevin
11-03-2004, 08:23 AM
Week 8 Fantasy Recap
November 2, 2004
By Nate Ravitz, Matt Watson, and Mike Rainey
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals offense was dreadful against the Bills on Sunday, and none of their players were of much use to fantasy owners. Josh McCown was just 9-of-24 passing for 101 yards and a TD. The best we can say about McCown is that he's now thrown a TD pass in three straight games after failing to do so in the season's first four games. However, wet and windy conditions were a major factor in Sunday's game, so no one should get too down on McCown based on this performance . . . Anquan Boldin made his season debut after missing six games with a knee injury and led the team in receiving with four receptions for 50 yards. Boldin will be more of a factor in the weeks ahead once he gets up to full speed . . . Larry Fitzgerald should ultimately benefit from the return of Boldin, but he was held without a catch for the first time this season against the Bills. Fitzgerald had five passes thrown his way but wasn't able to come up with any of them . . . Bryant Johnson continues to be a big disappointment even though he did catch his first TD pass of the season at garbage time on Sunday. Still, he finished the game with only three receptions for 38 yards. . . Emmitt Smith had a nice first half with 66 yards on 16 carries but then lost two yards on six attempts in the second half to finish with 64 rushing yards on the day. With the weather wreaking havoc on the passing game, the Buffalo defense was able to focus on Smith in the second half . . . Troy Hambrick was actually the Cardinals' most effective runner on Sunday as he churned out 53 yards on 13 carries (4.1 YPC). This was Hambrick's second-best performance of the season, but it still doesn't make him even close to a fantasy option.
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick finally put together the type of terrific game on Sunday that had eluded him all season. He made quick decisions and accurate throws and completed 18-of-24 passes for 254 yards with two TDs and no INTs. It was far and away Vick's best passing performance of the year, and he complemented it by gaining 115 yards on 12 attempts on the ground. This is the kind of dominant performance that Vick should, in theory, be capable of consistently . . . Warrick Dunn got the bulk of the work on the ground Sunday, but T.J. Duckett continues to see his workload increase. Dunn managed only 33 yards on 15 carries but did score on a five-yard TD run. Duckett, meanwhile, gashed the Broncos for 45 yards on eight carries, including a 21-yard TD run. Duckett has only seen more than 10 touches in two games this season, but he's averaging a yard more per carry than Dunn and could continue to cut into Dunn's workload in the coming weeks . . . Alge Crumpler had a season-high in receptions (seven) and yards (86) on Sunday and continues to be the top receiving threat on this team. Crumpler is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards among tight ends with 441 and continues to be an elite option at this position. Don't be surprised if Crumpler surpasses 1,000 yards this season since he's clearly Vick's favorite target . . . Peerless Price has been a big disappointment since he got to Atlanta last season, but he made a pair of spectacular TD catches on Sunday. Unfortunately, those were the only balls Price caught all day, and he finished with just 59 receiving yards. The TDs were his first two of the season. Despite the "breakout" Pr ice is nowhere close to a reliable fantasy option.
Baltimore Ravens
If you projected Kyle Boller to have better fantasy numbers than Donovan McNabb on Sunday, you're the best prognosticator in the world. Boller threw for a season-high 223 yards against Philly, including 150 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Boller did a better job of using his wide receivers, but there's no reason to think he'll become a reliable fantasy option. With Jamal Lewis returning next week, the Ravens will get back to their power run game . . . Travis Taylor had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 80 yards. Taylor was a feast-or-famine player back when the Ravens had a modicum of a passing game, and that's the absolute best that could be expected of him now. Taylor was the only wide receiver to start, and he saw significantly more action than any of the others . . . Deion Sanders lined up at wide receiver on the first play of the game, but it was only to serve as a decoy for a failed bomb to Taylor . . . Rookie Clarence Moore caught a 52-yard pass and finished with 82 yards on three receptions. Neither Randy Hymes nor Kevin Johnson caught a pass. Neither Moore nor Hymes nor Johnson belongs on a fantasy roster right now, though Moore does have some upside if the Ravens ever upgrade their quarterback situation . . . Todd Heap was out again, and he's expected to be listed as questionable this week. It's probably not a good idea to count on a return . . . Tight end Daniel Wilcox caught five passes for 26 yards and a score, but he'll have no value once Heap returns . . . Chester Taylor rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries in his second start, and the absence of injured left tackle Jonathan Ogden definitely hurt his cause. Overall, Taylor did a good job during Lewis' two-game suspension, but he didn't show anything to suggest he'd ever be a star in his own right even if given a full-time job.
Buffalo Bills
It appears as if Willis McGahee will be the Bills' starting running back until further notice. He wasn't great on Sunday, but his 102 yards and two TDs on 30 carries (3.4 YPC) is still better than anything Travis Henry has done this season. McGahee has now topped the century mark in both of his starts. In addition, he's the first Buffalo running back to find the end zone this season, and he did it against a team that came into Sunday's game without a single rushing TD allowed. . . Henry was active on Sunday but carried only one time for two yards. One of McGahee's biggest assets is that he continues to be more effective than Henry at picking up yards after first contact . . . After years of hanging with the elite, Drew Bledsoe is now one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football. His only saving grace on Sunday were his two TD passes. The rest of his stat line was sick: 8-of-17 passing for 81 yards. The conditions were poor on Sunday, but optimum conditions likely would have made little difference . . . Eric Moulds managed three receptions for 40 yards and a TD and continues to mine some fantasy value out of almost every game. . . Josh Reed hyper-extended his left knee while returning a punt and could miss this week's game. He didn't catch a pass on Sunday before leaving the game and has been a total non-factor to fantasy GMs this season.
Carolina Panthers
With Stephen Davis sidelined yet again, the Panthers turned to a committee of running backs on Sunday. Brad Hoover was the hero in Week 7 (24-99), but he was held to seven carries for 20 yards. Joey Harris led the team with nine carries for 45 yards, but he left with a shoulder stinger. The pain didn't linger too long as Harris said after the game that he felt fine. Coach John Fox said it was possible that Davis could return in Week 10, though at this point it's a gamble for fantasy owners to rely on him. No one knows just how long his knee injury will linger, and considering the joint is still bothering him after being operated on earlier in the year, it won't be a surprise if it is a season-long problem. . . . Jake Delhomme completed just 19-of-36 passes, but he finished with a respectable 248 yards with two TDs and one INT. Both Muhsin Muhammad and Keary Colbert topped 100 yards, and Muhammad hauled in both scores. Delhomme attempted more than 30 passes just four times last season, but he's already had more than 30 attempts in five out of seven games this year.
Chicago Bears
Thomas Jones could have had a nice game on Sunday night. Instead, he carried only once for one yard. Jones suffered a sprained toe on that opening carry and didn't play again. An MRI revealed no serious injury, but his status for this week's game is questionable. In his place, Anthony Thomas rushed for 98 yards on 25 carries and chipped in 46 yards on four receptions. If Jones is out this week, Thomas could be a decent option against the Giants, who are allowing 4.7 yards per rush this year . . . In his first pro start, Craig Krenzel completed 13-of-25 passes for 168 yards, one TD and one INT. He probably wouldn't be much of a fantasy option if he was surrounded by great receivers, which he isn't. Krenzel's numbers are even less impressive considering they came against a San Francisco defense that has been decimated by injuries . . . Rookie Bernard Berrian caught a 49-yard touchdown pass, and none of the other receivers did anything. David Terrell continues to be an enigma and is barely even worth owning.
Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer's 247 yards on Sunday were his most since Week 3, but he also failed to throw a TD for the first time since that game. Palmer also threw a pick and has now tossed at least one of those in every game this season. While Palmer has had his moments, his remains the lowest-rated starting quarterback in the NFL . . . Rudi Johnson ran 17 times for 57 yards and a TD against the Titans and has now scored in three of his past four games. The 57 yards tied a season low for him, but considering that he only had 13 yards on eight carries in the first half, he salvaged a somewhat decent day. . . After a huge game against Denver in Week 7, Chad Johnson was held to six catches for 67 yards on Sunday. Those totals aren't bad considering he saw a lot of Pro Bowl cornerback Samari Rolle and has a struggling quarterback throwing to him, but his owners expect more from an elite receiver like him most weeks . . . T.J. Houshmandzadeh grabbed four passes for 81 yards, 62 of which came on a single reception early in the fourth quarter. Houshmandzadeh is capable of occasionally popping up with a nice performance like this (as he did in Week 3), but he's not a consistent enough part of the game plan to garner much more than consideration as an injury or bye-week filler.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns used their bye week to rest a couple of their injured wide receivers, but it may not have been enough. Andre Davis tested his turf toe in individual drills on Monday but didn't take part in team activities. Andre King wasn't able to practice at all due to his high left ankle sprain. Both players are considered day-to-day. The Browns play the Ravens on Sunday night, so if these two players are game-time decisions, fantasy owners won't be able to wait and see if they're active in order to adjust their fantasy rosters. . . . After having an extra week to digest the offense, Antonio Bryant should be able to play a larger role when the Browns take the field against the Ravens on Sunday night. He caught just two balls for 26 yards in his Week 7 debut.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys placed Terry Glenn on the IR over the weekend due to torn ligaments in his foot. He suffered the injury in Week 7. Newcomer Quincy Morgan, who caught four balls for 76 yards in his Week 7 debut, was inactive on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. The two injuries left the Cowboys scrambling for wide receivers. They called up two players from their practice squad -- Terrance Copper and Patrick Crayton -- and started Randal Williams, a four-year veteran without a single catch in his career. Those three combined for just one catch and 30 yards (by Crayton). . . . Although there's little to no fantasy implications, it's worth noting that cornerback Terrence Newman played a little offense and emerged with one catch for 30 yards, as well. . . . Keyshawn Johnson ran two wrong routes on Sunday, and both times it resulted in an INT for Vinny Testaverde. He eventually got on the same page and finished with three catches for 80 yards and two TDs. It stands to reason that Johnson should see his fantasy value rise with Glenn out for the rest of the year. The same can be said for tight end Jason Witten, who led the team with nine catches for 84 yards and a TD. Witten has at least five catches over the past four games and leads the team with 39 receptions on the year. . . . Eddie George saw his most action of the year with 31 carries. He averaged just 3.2 yards per carry, though, finishin g with 99 yards. It was just the second time all year he's topped 15 carries -- and the first since he had 18 in Week 2. For the second week in a row, ReShard Lee was held without a single carry. If anyone out there was still holding onto him in hopes that the Cowboys would give him a chance, it's long past time to let him go. . . . Drew Henson was promoted over Tony Romo to the primary backup QB job for Sunday's game. Bill Parcells doesn't appear to be wavering in his support for Testaverde, but Henson is now just one hit away from the starting job.
Denver Broncos
Jake Plummer set a Broncos franchise record with 499 passing yards on Sunday against the Falcons. He completed 31-of-55 passes with four TDs and three INTs, all of which were of the backbreaking variety. Still, fantasy GMs who compete in leagues that don't penalize turnovers (and even those that don't) got a huge performance out of Plummer, who has topped 200 passing yards in all but two games this season and has thrown at least one TD pass in all but one game. . . Rod Smith was the biggest beneficiary of Plummer's huge day, catching eight passes for 208 yards and a TD. Smith had failed to reach the century mark in any of his first seven games of the season prior to Sunday. He's now scored in consecutive games after scoring just once in the first six weeks. . . Ashley Lelie also came through with his best game of the year. He caught six passes for 94 yards and a TD and has now scored in four of his last six games. Lelie is easily having his best season as a pro and is on pace for just under 1,000 yards. . . A fashionable sleeper in the preseason, rookie Darius Watts had been pretty quiet until Sunday when he pulled down seven passes for 86 yards and TD. The main reason Watts was so involved is because the Broncos fell behind and had to use multiple-receiver sets and a pass heavy attack in attempt to get back in the contest. Watts has a lot of upside but probably won't have a repeat performance like this in a closer game. . . After three 100-yard performances in his first three starts, Reuben Droughns managed only 49 yards on 15 carries on Sunday. Twenty of those yards came on a single run, meaning he only had 2 9 yards on his other 14 carries. Droughns still salvaged a nice day by catching six passes for 63 yards out of the backfield, but this was the first game he's started thus far where he was stuffed on the ground. It's worth noting that he was facing an Atlanta defense that had ranked No. 1 in run defense before it was torched by the Chiefs in Week 7, and the Falcons were certainly motivated to bounce back from that pathetic performance.
Detroit Lions
Roy Williams returned from his sprained ankle to play in Week 7, but he tweaked the injury and missed a lot of practice last week as a result. Still, the Lions gave little indication that he was actually at risk of missing another game, so it was quite a surprise Sunday morning when the club ruled him out as a game-time decision. Unlike the first game Williams missed, Joey Harrington actually held his own without his star receiver for much of the game. Harrington finished with 255 yards and two TDs, though his lone INT came in the fourth quarter and sealed the Cowboys' win. . . . Facing a run defense that entered the game giving up over five yards per carry, Kevin Jones managed just 36 yards on 11 carries -- though he did salvage his fantasy stats by catching a TD among his four catches for 11 yards. Jones had the majority of rushing work for the Lions -- the team ran the ball just 14 times all day -- but for whatever reason Detroit just isn't comfortable relying on the running game. It's not like the team abandoned the run playing catch-up, either -- the Lions scored first and led much of the first half, but Jones had just five carries entering halftime. . . . Az Hakim started in place of Williams, and he led the way with four catches for 90 yards. Aside from Williams, he's the closest thing Detroit has to a reliable wide receiver -- and this was just the second time he's topped 50 yards. . . . Robert Porcher announced his retirement on Monday. The all-time sack leader for the Lions had yet to be active for a game this year.
Green Bay Packers
Following a win against the Redskins, the Packers will enjoy a bye in Week 9. As it seems to be the case every year, the bye couldn't come at a better time for Brett Favre, who is nursing a sprained thumb. Though it isn't affecting his accuracy, Mike Sherman said that it did prevent Favre from putting the usual zip on his throws last week in practice. Favre downplayed the injury and refused to use it as an excuse for his three INTs on Sunday, but Sherman thinks it could have been a factor. Regardless, the injury isn't serious and it should have ample time to heal with this week's bye. The team expects Favre to be 100% when the Packers play the Vikings in Week 10. . . . Darren Sharper missed Sunday's game with a knee injury, and he's not a lock to return to action in Week 10. . . . Despite playing through a nagging Achilles injury, Ahman Green has flashed plenty of big-play ability the past two weeks. After recording a 90-yard TD run in Week 7, he hauled in a 48-yard reception on Sunday. He finished with 143 total yards from scrimmage.
Houston Texans
David Carr continues to put together one terrific game after another. He was 26-of-34 passing for 276 yards and one TD on Sunday in a huge divisional win over the Jaguars. Carr still hasn't thrown for less than 228 yards in any game this season and has tossed at least TD in every game since Week 1. In addition, he only has one INT in his last four games. Considering that his QB rating is nearly 100 and he's on pace for over 4,000 passing yards, it's safe to say that Carr has officially arrived as a fantasy stud. . . Domanick Davis has been hampered by nagging injuries for much of this season, but that can't be used as blanket excuse for how dreadful he's been. He compiled only 56 yards on 25 carries Sunday but drew high marks for getting tough yards at key times. He also helped himself somewhat by catching five passes for 39 yards. Fantasy GMs are concerned by the fact that Davis hasn't run for more than 87 yards in any game this season and is averaging only 2.5 yards per carry. Observers say he doesn't look like the same back who churned out over 1,000 yards last season. . . Jabar Gaffney (five catches, 88 yards), Andre Johnson (nine catches, 74 yards) and Corey Bradford (three catches, 52 yards, TD) all had performances worth mentioning on Sunday. Gaffney's day could have been much better if he hadn't broken into a premature TD celebration after a 15-yard reverse which forced him to lose the ball before he crossed the goal-line late in the first quarter. The play ultimately resulted in a touchback and a most embarrassing turnover for both Gaffney and any fantasy GM he could have helped by having that score c ount.
Indianapolis Colts
As expected, the sideline confrontation between Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne last week had no negative repercussions. Manning threw for 472 yards and five touchdowns against the Chiefs, and Wayne caught six of his passes for 119 yards and two scores. While Daunte Culpepper got most of the early-season publicity, Manning is on pace for a league-record 50 touchdown passes as well as 4,939 yards, which would be the second-highest total in history. While Culpepper has slumped since Randy Moss got hurt, Manning has all of his horses healthy, and his cause continues to be aided by an abysmal defense . . . Marvin Harrison finally produced his first 100-yard game of the season, as he went for 119 yards and two scores on just five catches. Harrison could be ready to go on a nice run. Seven of Indy's next eight games are on turf and indoors (actually one, in Houston, is under a retractable roof), so very little should slow the Colts' passing game down . . . Brandon Stokley was quiet on Sunday, but don't get down on him. He could easily bounce back with a big game against the Vikings next week. That's a great matchup for him . . . Edgerrin James failed to take advantage of what was, on paper, a terrific matchup, as he rushed for only 34 yards on 10 carries. James did finish with 90 receiving yards on six catches, with most of it coming on a 56-yard play . . . Dallas Clark and Marcus Pollard continue to show glimpses of fantasy value but not much more. Clark caught three passes for 88 yards, but remember that that was on a day when Manning threw for nearly 500. Pollard caught three passes for 21 yards but was able to find the end zone.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Byron Leftwich didn't have the game many envisioned against a leaky Houston pass defense, but a left knee injury he suffered just before halftime is a big reason why. While Leftwich came out for two plays in favor of backup David Garrard, he brought himself back in the game without input from the coaches. Leftwich went to Alabama to have his left knee examined by Dr. James Andrews and was told that he'll miss four-to-six weeks with a torn lateral collateral ligament. He finished Sunday's game 25-of-40 passing for 227 yards no TDs and two INTs, marking his worst performance since Week 2. Garrard will start in Leftwich's absence. He's a scrambler with very limited NFL experience, and the Jaguars are likely to go to a more conservative game plan with Garrard in as the starter . . . Jimmy Smith caught nine passes for 117 yards on Sunday, marking the third time in the past four games that he's topped the century mark. Smith has been terrific this season (he's on pace for over 1,400 receiving yards), but his owners would like him better if he scored more in the second half of the year. He has only two TDs through eight games. Smith's value will take a hit now that Leftwich is out for at least a month. . . Rookie Reggie Williams caught five passes on Sunday, a new season high, but those catches only amounted to 27 yards . . . After his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season in Week 7, hopes were high that Fred Taylor would be able to build off of that on Sunday while going up against a weak Texans run defense. Unfortunately, Taylor was forced from Sunday's game after just three carries with a hip pointer. T he injury isn't serious and Taylor should be ready to play in Week 10 after the Jags enjoy a bye in Week 9. Taylor has been hurt by the Jaguars' increased usage of shotgun sets and increased reliance on the passing game, but that could change in the wake of Byron Leftwich's injury . . . LaBrandon Toefield saw the most work in the Jacksonville backfield after Taylor went down, but all that amounted to was five carries for 24 yards and four receptions for 28 more.
Kansas City Chiefs
Let there be no doubt, the Chiefs are back to playing the same kind of football as last year. Their offensive line is dominant, their wide receivers are healthy, and Trent Green is at the top of his game. They won't rack up 600 yards of offense every week - because they don't get to play the Colts every week - but they will be a source of great fantasy numbers the rest of the way. Priest Holmes rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Most people don't realize this, but Holmes is one pace for over 1,900 yards and 29 touchdowns - the first a career-high and the latter a league record . . . Green threw for 389 yards and three scores on Sunday and is averaging 324 passing yards over his last three starts . . . Johnnie Morton was able to do his "worm" dance on Sunday after scoring for the first time this year. He won't do that often, but he has caught at least four passes in six straight games and is reliable for at least a few points each week . . . We can't say the same for Eddie Kennison, even though he did catch five passes for 50 yards on Sunday. Kennison hasn't topped 61 yards since the season opener, and he doesn't have a touchdown this season . . . Lawrence Tynes has 14 extra points and only one field goal in the last two weeks, but fantasy owners can't complain about his point totals. More field goals will come, anyway.
Miami Dolphins
Randy McMichael has become a top-shelf fantasy performer at the tight end position this season. In previous years, McMichael produced enough big games to be a top 10 tight end, but he was horribly inconsistent. This year, consistency has been the name of his game. McMichael caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown on Monday night, the seventh time in eight games that he's tallied at least 50 yards. Only Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates are obviously better options at the position than McMichael . . . If you can live with the turnovers, Jay Fiedler has been a respectable fantasy performer the last couple of weeks. He's not the worst choice for a bye-week fill-in, but he's also not likely to hold onto his job for the rest of the season. At some point, the Dolphins need to give the ball back to A.J. Feeley and determine if he's an option for next season, because Fiedler clearly isn't. Multiple Florida newspapers are calling for Feeley to get the job this week, and it should happen within a few weeks, at the latest . . . Chris Chambers followed up his three-catch, 128-yard performance of last week with a three-catch, 29-yard game on Monday night. This should come as no surprise, as Chambers' touchdown last week was a fluke. When you catch three or fewer passes in a game (as Chambers has in all but two games this year), you're chances of success aren't very good . . . Speaking of chances that aren't very good, Ricky Williams continues to pursue a return to the NFL this season, though his representatives appear resigned to the fact that 2005 is more viable. The attorney for Williams officially filed for reinstatement this week. No one expects Williams to play for the Dolphins this season, and they will most likely sucker some team into acquiring him for next year.
Minnesota Vikings
Sunday was easily Daunte Culpepper's worst game of the season, as he completed just 24-of-42 passes for 231 yards, one TD and two INTs. It's clear that Culpepper misses Randy Moss' presence in the passing game, and without Moss he can't really compete with Peyton Manning for the top spot among fantasy quarterbacks. Culpepper was good in Week 7 without Moss but struggled throughout Sunday's game against a playoff-caliber team. It sounds as though the Vikings may finally hold Moss back to allow his hamstring to heal, so we might not see any monster games from Culpepper for a few weeks . . . Mewelde Moore had his first disappointing game as a starter, running for only 29 yards on eight carries. Moore also had a costly drop on the Vikings' first series of the game when failed to haul in a catchable pass from Culpepper behind the line of scrimmage that was considered a lateral and a live ball. Culpepper was officially charged with the fumble, but it was Moore's fault and wound up foreshadowing what would be a long day for both himself and the Vikings. Things got even worse for Moore after he sprained his ankle and was limited to only one carry in the second half (the score had something to do with that as well). X-rays were negative and Moore will start in Week 9 if his ankle will allow him, despite the fact that Michael Bennett is healthy and Onterrio Smith is coming back from his suspension. . . Bennett got into the mix at garbage time once Moore was out of the game and got five carries for 20 yards and a TD. His role in the offense is even more clouded now that Smith is ready to return. Bennett could be third on the depth chart at running back. Where does Smith stand? It's hard to say since he wasn't allowed to have contact with the team during his suspension. More will be known after Wednesday's practice . . . Moss was in uniform again on Sunday but failed to catch a pass, and it's unclear why the Vikings continue to waste an active roster spot on him when he's clearly nowhere close to 100 percent. It looks like they've finally learned their lesson and will likely keep him out of at least this week's game unless he miraculously gets better as the week progresses. . . Marcus Robinson got open deep a couple of times on Sunday and wound up catching four passes for 91 yards. Robinson was slowed in the second half with a sprained left foot but is expected to practice this week. This was his second-best performance of the season in terms of yardage but marked the first time since Week 3 that he failed to score. . . While the Vikings went to Kelly Campbell a couple of times early, Nate Burleson wound up having a decent day. He caught six passes for 43 yards, including a one-yard TD late in the fourth quarter. Burleson has caught six passes in each of the past three games but has failed to average even 10 yards per catch in the last two. However, the fact that Culpepper looks to him so often bodes well for his future.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady may be the best quarterback in football, but even the best can't be perfect every time out. Brady had his worst performance since Week 5 in completing 25-of-43 passes for 273 yards with two TDs and two INTs in a loss to the Steelers. That equates to a QB rating of 72.9 - a level that is usually occupied by the Jay Fiedler's and Josh McCown's of the world. . . In fairness to Brady, he had no running game whatsoever and that made it much easier for the Steelers to defend the pass. With Corey Dillon sidelined with a thigh injury, Kevin Faulk was the starting running back. Faulk only managed four yards on five carries but made his presence felt in the passing game with eight receptions for 72 yards. He's always been a better receiver than a runner, and a performance like this indicates that the Patriots could be in trouble if Dillon were ever to suffer a long-term injury. . . Dillon is expected to return from his injury this week against the Rams. . . David Givens had his second straight 100-yard performance on Sunday and his first multi-TD game of the season. Givens caught eight passes for 101 yards and two TDs. He continues to be the best fantasy option in the New England receiving corps. . . David Patten caught four passes for 39 yards but failed to score for just the third time this season. . . Troy Brown returned from his shoulder injury and hauled in five balls for 59 ya rds. Brown had missed three games with the ailment. He won't have much value going forward if Deion Branch is able to return, but the Patriots continue to be tight-lipped about Branch's progress. At this point, it doesn't look likely that he'll play in Week 9 . . . Cornerback Ty Law will miss a significant amount of time with an ankle injury that is more serious than first believed. His absence will leave the Pats' secondary vulnerable, which is never a good thing when you're heading into St. Louis. That's exactly where the Pats are playing this week.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the Saints' coaching staff has compared game tapes from this season and last year to see what Deuce McAllister is doing differently. He's not running with the same authority, confidence, or explosiveness. Much of it boils down to the sprained ankle he suffered earlier in the year. He missed two weeks and gained about six pounds, which has slowed him down. Then he returned earlier than expected, and may not have been 100% -- despite gaining 102 yards in his first game back. In any case, he rested the ankle during last week's bye and should be fresh when the team takes the field. Fantasy owners may have also noticed that he's not as active in the passing game this year. He averaged 4.3 catches and 32.2 receiving yards per game last year, but that's down to just 1.6 and 10.4 this season. . . . There's been little bye-week information coming out of New Orleans, but the time off can only help receivers Donte Stallworth (bruised rib) and Joe Horn (perpetually banged up knee).
New York Giants
Tiki Barber continued his phenomenal season Sunday by rushing 24 times for 101 yards and two TDs. Barber has scored and reached at least 100 all-purpose yards in all but one game this season. The only downside to his boxscore was that he caught only one pass for 10 yards, marking his worst receiving day of the year thus far. . . Mike Cloud got plenty of action in place of Ron Dayne, who was simply left off the active roster because there was no room (translation: he's not playing well). Cloud got nine carries and banged out 55 yards along with two goal-line scores. He should continue to be the team's primary short-yardage back since Dayne had no success in that role. Keep in mind that Cloud scored five touchdowns for the Patriots last season. . . Kurt Warner didn't play very well on Sunday, completing 13-of-21 passes for 144 yards with no TDs or INTs. He also threw at least two passes that should have been picked off and fumbled the ball three times, although none were lost. Warner is doing a good job leading this offense and not making key mistakes (or at least not having them result in turnovers), but he's not worthy of being a starting fantasy quarterback because he simply can't put the ball in the end zone. Warner has only four touchdown passes this season - among quarterbacks who haven't missed any time, only Kyle Boller (3) has fewer. Warner is also still holding the ball too long and taking too many sacks. . . Jeremy Shockey can't seem to have a breakout game. He caught three passes for 60 yards on Sunday and fell just a yard s hy of a TD after grabbing a 26-yard pass from Warner midway through the third quarter. Shockey hasn't had more than 74 receiving yards in a game this season and ranks just seventh among tight ends in yards with 319. He's got nowhere to go but up in the second half. . . Amani Toomer was a game-time decision with a hamstring injury but wound up suiting up. The injury limited him somewhat, and he only caught three passes for 31 yards.
New York Jets
It's not often that a quarterback is a fantasy stud in a game in which he completed only 11 passes, but Chad Pennington was just that on Monday night. Pennington threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns, even though he completed only four passes that traveled more than 10 yards through the air. Pennington has definitely been a fantasy disappointment thus far, as the Jets have become more of a running team. Don't despair if he's off the next couple of weeks, as Pennington begins a very nice stretch of the schedule in Week 11 (@ Cleveland, followed by @ Arizona and Houston) . . . Santana Moss appeared back at full speed on Monday night. He caught a 47-yard pass and outran the coverage all the way across the field on a punt return that didn't end up going for much. Still, with Pennington throwing few passes and Justin McCareins becoming more of a go-to target, Moss remains all upside, no consistency right now . . . McCareins caught only three passes for 56 yards but scored a touchdown for the first time as a Jet. He has at least 56 yards in three straight games, and it's saying something that we have to point out that meager achievement . . . Curtis Martin topped the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season and the second time against Miami, rushing for 115 yards on 19 carries, including a 25-yard touchdown. It was just his second touchdown longer than 20 yards in the last three seasons. Martin left the game with a bruised right knee in the third quarter, but it clearly wasn't a serious injury. He was hopping around on the sideline and was obviously ready to go back in the game if needed . . . LaMont Jordan sa w his most extensive action of the season, most of it coming after Martin left the game. Jordan duplicated Martin's 115 rushing yards and his 25-yard touchdown, but he needed only 15 carries to do so. Jordan has looked terrific in his limited action the last couple of weeks. He's no threat to Martin's job but would be a terrific fantasy performer in his own right if anything happened to Martin.
Oakland Raiders
Charles Woodson re-injured his left hip in the first half and did not return on Sunday. He wants to keep playing through the pain, but he may be better served by sitting out this week in order to take full advantage of the club's Week 10 bye. Woodson also had some choice words regarding a perceived lack of intensity by his teammates. That, combined with Warren Sapp's televised outburst to Norv Turner on the sidelines, suggests the locker room turmoil which has marked this team the past couple of years is still alive and well. . . . Kerry Collins threw for 263 yards, one TD, and two INTs on Sunday. Collins has 11 INTs this season, and he's only played five and a half games. . . . Jerry Porter (four catches) and Doug Gabriel (three catches) each posted 50 yards. Ronald Curry was held without a catch, and he hasn't topped 25 yards the past three games. As we've pointed out the past few weeks, Porter is the only real fantasy play (albeit a poor one) among Raiders receivers, but Gabriel is a better option than Curry if you want to gamble on a second. . . . Tyrone Wheatley returned after missing three games with a shoulder injury. The team ran the ball just 11 times, and Wheatley led the team with just 23 yards on four carries. Amos Zereoue, whose fantasy value plummets following Wheatley's return, carried six times but finished with minus-one yard. He didn't help matters by losing a fum ble, but at least he caught five balls for 42 yards. . . . The offensive line is pretty banged up. Rookie tackle Robert Gallery aggravated a groin injury on Sunday, but he will try to play through the pain. Right guard Ron Stone suffered a left knee injury for the second time this year.
Philadelphia Eagles
It's not at all surprising that McNabb had his worst game of the season against the Ravens; we dropped him all the way to ninth on our Week 8 cheat sheet for quarterbacks. McNabb still managed to throw for 219 yards and a score, and this game did nothing to diminish his status as a top-five fantasy QB for the rest of the season . . . Terrell Owens is the only receiver in the game who can say he's been a fantasy stud every week. Owens has scored in all but one game this season, and in that game he still went for over 100 yards. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, his fifth straight 100-yard game. Amazingly, Owens' previous best for consecutive 100-yard games was two, and his personal best of six 100-yard games in a season (in 2001) seems certain to fall this year . . . Todd Pinkston left Sunday's game with what was believed to be a sprained knee, but an MRI on Monday revealed nothing more than a bruise. It hardly matters. Pinkston's Week 7 breakout was a pure fluke, and he's not worth having on your fantasy radar . . . With Brian Westbrook out, Dorsey Levens got the start for the Eagles and rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries, with another 10 yards on two receptions. Reno Mahe was more effective, as he rushed for 22 yards on only five carries. The Eagles are hopeful that Westbrook will be able to return from his cracked rib this week, but if he can't Levens and Mahe will share the work again . . . L.J. Smith caught two passes for 28 yards. Whether or not the injury is the reason, Smith simply hasn't been the s ame player since suffering a bruised shoulder in Week 3. Before the injury, he had 10 catches for 150 yards and two scores in three games. Since then, he has four catches for 34 yards and one score in four games.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Many thought Ben Roethlisberger's amazing run of quality performances to start his career would come to an end against Bill Belichick's defense on Sunday. Instead, Roethlisberger continued to dazzle by going 18-of-24 passing for 196 yards and two TDs. He made clutch throws and has now posted a quarterback rating of over 100 in his last four starts. He's completed an amazing 70.1 percent of his passes and has only thrown one interception in his last four games. Rookies just simply aren't supposed to play this well . . . Duce Staley continued a terrific season that is only marred by the fact that he can't get in the end zone. He rolled up 125 yards on 25 carries Sunday and now has topped the century mark in four of the past five games. Staley still has only one TD all season and hasn't been a factor in the passing game (four catches, 25 yards thus far). . . Jerome Bettis got a season-high 15 carries (all in the second half) and churned out 65 yards, including his eighth TD of the season. Bettis never would have gotten that much work if the score hadn't gotten out of hand, but he's now scored in four consecutive games. . . Perhaps the most interesting thing about Roethlisberger's ascent to stardom is that he's bringing Plaxico Burress back from the dead along with him. Burress scored for the third straight game on Sunday, catching three passes for 63 yards and two TDs. . . Hines Ward continues to be money in the bank for at least six receptions a game, but he's failed to top 100 yards since Week 2 and hasn't scored since Week 3. Ward caught six passes for 58 yards on Sunday and has caught at least six passes in e very game this season.
St. Louis Rams
Aside from two weightlifting sessions, Mike Martz gave his players the entire week off during their bye. Re-charged and ready to go, they were back in full pads for an intense practice on Monday. Over Martz's career, the Rams are 4-0 coming off their bye. They return this year to face the Patriots, who lost their first game last weekend and may have lost All-World cornerback Ty Law for a significant amount of time with an ankle injury. If that's the case, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce can breathe a little easier. . . . Martz announced that Trev Faulk has won the starting middle linebacker job. Robert Thomas lost it when he went down with a bad ankle, and nobody else stepped up as much as Faulk in his absence. . . . Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who's been out since early August with a broken foot, took part in all of the drills on Monday and might make his season debut on Sunday. His presence would certainly help shore up a defense that hasn't been able to stop the run all year.
San Diego Chargers
Drew Brees was about as perfect as you could be on Sunday. He completed 22-of-25 passes for 281 yards, five TDs, and no INTs. Of his three incompletions, two were balls that he threw away and one was batted down at the line of scrimmage. He set a team-record by completing 88% of his passes, and he tied a team-record for TDs. Ever since two mediocre games early in the year, Brees has played very well: he has 11 TDs and one INT in his last five games. Four players caught a TD from Brees on Sunday: Antonio Gates (who had two), Keenan McCardell, Justin Peelle, and Tim Dwight. Eric Parker did not score, but he led the team with six catches for 91 yards. . . . LaDainian Tomlinson carried 19 times for 71 yards and a TD. The Chargers had a three-TD lead entering halftime, which allowed them to rest Tomlinson, who had just two carries after the break. He's been slowed by a nagging groin injury, so there was no need to push him with the game well in hand. Jesse Chatman carried 12 times for 69 yards, all coming in the second half. Chatman was playing through an injury as well -- he was a game-time decision because of a toe injury. The Chargers have a bye in Week 10, but instead of holding out L.T. in Week 9 so that he can give his ailing groin two weeks of rest for the price of one, Marty Schottenheimer said that he expects his star back to play if he's healthy enough.
San Francisco 49ers
After failing to practice last week, Tim Rattay was listed as the No. 3 quarterback for Sunday's game because of his strained forearm. However, Dennis Erickson said Monday that an MRI showed dramatic improvement, and Rattay is expected to be able to play this week. That's good news for the 49ers, as Ken Dorsey did not look good at all on Sunday night. Dorsey completed just 16-of-36 passes for 122 yards with one interception, and at times he appeared to have tunnel vision for Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd caught five passes for 63 yards, but none of the other wide receivers caught more than one pass. Cedrick Wilson was shut out, and he hasn't caught more than four passes in a game since Week 3 . . . Lloyd did suffer a hip injury on Sunday night, and he's already listed as questionable for Week 9 . . . Kevan Barlow continues to disappoint fantasy owners, but there's really not much they, not the 49ers, can do about it. Barlow rushed for just 56 yards on 18 carries on Sunday and chipped in only 16 yards on his three receptions. Barlow still must be regarded as the future at running back for the 49ers, so he'll continue to get work. But the offensive line just isn't what it used to be, and the passing game - even when Rattay has things going - doesn't really scare anyone. The Niners don't really have any alternatives to Barlow, anyway.
Seattle Seahawks
After giving him just 18 and 12 touches the past two weeks, the Seahawks fed the ball to Shaun Alexander 35 times on Sunday. It paid off: he scored twice while racking up 195 yards on the ground and 13 through the air. The performance also relieved some of the pressure on Matt Hasselbeck, who was coming off a four-INT game. Hasselbeck tied a season-high by completing 70% of his throws (21-of-30) for 201 yards, one TD and one INT. His lone INT came when Seattle was on Carolina's seven-yard line, which was disappointing. . . . There's still no news as to when (or if) Koren Robinson will serve a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. Perhaps that should have been expected: the league rarely discusses the appeal process, and it's important to remember that the news was leaked, not officially announced. The league usually lets a team know on Monday if a player will be suspended for the coming game, so the lack of news coming out of Seattle so far this week suggests that Robinson will play at least one more game before a punishment is handed down. In football news, Robinson caught three balls for 52 yards without any drops on Sunday. He entered the game with 10 drops on the year. . . . Despite suffering a right ankle injury in the first quarter, Darrell Jackson finished the game and led the team with six catches for 71 yards. He was using crutches on Monday, and his status for Week 9 is not yet known. Jerry Rice also sprained his ankle, but he was walking without crutches on Monday. . . . Alex Bannister, who is more v aluable on special teams than as a wide receiver, broke his collarbone while diving for a catch in the end zone. He may be placed on the IR. . . . Bobby Engram has a chance to return from his sprained ankle this week after missing the past two games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joey Galloway returned to practice on Monday, but Jon Gruden said that his status for Week 9 is still "very, very questionable." Galloway is returning from a torn groin suffered in the season opener, and a realistic timeline for him to return is probably Week 10. . . . Charles Lee returned to practice Monday but is still questionable with a sprained knee. . . . Michael Pittman is certainly one player that enjoyed last week's bye. He's been banged up in his last few games, playing through back spasms and a sprained knee. After a week to rest, he should be ready to play. . . . Mike Alstott will need longer than one week to recover from his sprained knee. He's expected to miss another three weeks with the ailment.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans finally decided to give Steve McNair the only thing that will help him get over his sternum injury: rest. With McNair out, backup Billy Volek got his second start of the season and did a nice job. He was a crisp 21-of-32 passing for 210 yards, two TDs and one INT. Volek has been very good in his two starts this season and awful in his one relief appearance. McNair hopes to return in Week 10 after the Titans enjoy a bye this week. Given McNair's injury history, Volek is likely to get another start or two this season and will have plenty of value anytime he starts a game. . . Chris Brown played through a turf toe injury on Sunday but still turned in his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He ran for 147 yards and a TD on 32 carries and is now the NFL's second-leading rusher, trailing Priest Holmes by only 23 yards. Brown hopes to use the Titans' bye this week to rest his toe and get closer to 100 percent before the team's next game in Week 10 against Chicago. . . Derrick Mason came through with eight catches and 85 yards for the second straight week. Mason has been held under 50 yards in just one game this season, but he's scored only two TDs and none in the past three weeks. . . Drew Bennett was shut out for the first time this year, which was more than a little surprising since he had his best game of the season in Week 4 when Volek started. Bennett has just eight receptions in his last four games, and he may be bothered by his ribs more than he's letting on.
Washington Redskins
After being held under 100 yards in his previous two games, Mark Brunell managed 218 yards on Sunday. Before his fantasy owners start to breathe easy, realize that it took him 44 attempts (25 completions). He's been held under five yards per attempt the past three games and is really struggling to move the chains. Still, Joe Gibbs has maintained his support and a switch to Patrick Ramsey does not appear to be in the works. The Washington Post reports that Brunell is completing just 37% of his passes on third down, which is worst among NFL quarterbacks. . . . Clinton Portis carried 17 times for 70 yards (4.1 yards per carry), but he managed just 17 yards on seven catches. He did break free for a 43-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter, but the play was called back because James Thrash was flagged for illegal motion -- a dubious call that Joe Gibbs still doesn't understand. . . . Rod Gardner scored two more times on Sunday, giving him three TDs in his past two games and five on the year. Laveranues Coles, on the other hand, is still looking for his first score of the year. Coles is still the better fantasy play because he's far more consistent with his yards and catches; he had seven for 84 on Sunday while Gardner had just three for 41 -- which was his most since Week 3. . . . John Hall is expected to miss his third consecutive game due to his groin injury. In Hall's place on Sunday, Ola Kimrin missed his only field goal attempt -- he was wide left from just 35 yards. . . . LaVar Arrington's knee injury is more serious than originally thought. He's now expected to be sidelined another four games on top of the five he's already missed. . . . Chad Morton tore the ACL in his right knee on a kick return. He will miss the rest of the season. The Skins also lost safety Andre Lott for the rest of the year with a torn left pectoral muscle.
November 2, 2004
By Nate Ravitz, Matt Watson, and Mike Rainey
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals offense was dreadful against the Bills on Sunday, and none of their players were of much use to fantasy owners. Josh McCown was just 9-of-24 passing for 101 yards and a TD. The best we can say about McCown is that he's now thrown a TD pass in three straight games after failing to do so in the season's first four games. However, wet and windy conditions were a major factor in Sunday's game, so no one should get too down on McCown based on this performance . . . Anquan Boldin made his season debut after missing six games with a knee injury and led the team in receiving with four receptions for 50 yards. Boldin will be more of a factor in the weeks ahead once he gets up to full speed . . . Larry Fitzgerald should ultimately benefit from the return of Boldin, but he was held without a catch for the first time this season against the Bills. Fitzgerald had five passes thrown his way but wasn't able to come up with any of them . . . Bryant Johnson continues to be a big disappointment even though he did catch his first TD pass of the season at garbage time on Sunday. Still, he finished the game with only three receptions for 38 yards. . . Emmitt Smith had a nice first half with 66 yards on 16 carries but then lost two yards on six attempts in the second half to finish with 64 rushing yards on the day. With the weather wreaking havoc on the passing game, the Buffalo defense was able to focus on Smith in the second half . . . Troy Hambrick was actually the Cardinals' most effective runner on Sunday as he churned out 53 yards on 13 carries (4.1 YPC). This was Hambrick's second-best performance of the season, but it still doesn't make him even close to a fantasy option.
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick finally put together the type of terrific game on Sunday that had eluded him all season. He made quick decisions and accurate throws and completed 18-of-24 passes for 254 yards with two TDs and no INTs. It was far and away Vick's best passing performance of the year, and he complemented it by gaining 115 yards on 12 attempts on the ground. This is the kind of dominant performance that Vick should, in theory, be capable of consistently . . . Warrick Dunn got the bulk of the work on the ground Sunday, but T.J. Duckett continues to see his workload increase. Dunn managed only 33 yards on 15 carries but did score on a five-yard TD run. Duckett, meanwhile, gashed the Broncos for 45 yards on eight carries, including a 21-yard TD run. Duckett has only seen more than 10 touches in two games this season, but he's averaging a yard more per carry than Dunn and could continue to cut into Dunn's workload in the coming weeks . . . Alge Crumpler had a season-high in receptions (seven) and yards (86) on Sunday and continues to be the top receiving threat on this team. Crumpler is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards among tight ends with 441 and continues to be an elite option at this position. Don't be surprised if Crumpler surpasses 1,000 yards this season since he's clearly Vick's favorite target . . . Peerless Price has been a big disappointment since he got to Atlanta last season, but he made a pair of spectacular TD catches on Sunday. Unfortunately, those were the only balls Price caught all day, and he finished with just 59 receiving yards. The TDs were his first two of the season. Despite the "breakout" Pr ice is nowhere close to a reliable fantasy option.
Baltimore Ravens
If you projected Kyle Boller to have better fantasy numbers than Donovan McNabb on Sunday, you're the best prognosticator in the world. Boller threw for a season-high 223 yards against Philly, including 150 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Boller did a better job of using his wide receivers, but there's no reason to think he'll become a reliable fantasy option. With Jamal Lewis returning next week, the Ravens will get back to their power run game . . . Travis Taylor had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 80 yards. Taylor was a feast-or-famine player back when the Ravens had a modicum of a passing game, and that's the absolute best that could be expected of him now. Taylor was the only wide receiver to start, and he saw significantly more action than any of the others . . . Deion Sanders lined up at wide receiver on the first play of the game, but it was only to serve as a decoy for a failed bomb to Taylor . . . Rookie Clarence Moore caught a 52-yard pass and finished with 82 yards on three receptions. Neither Randy Hymes nor Kevin Johnson caught a pass. Neither Moore nor Hymes nor Johnson belongs on a fantasy roster right now, though Moore does have some upside if the Ravens ever upgrade their quarterback situation . . . Todd Heap was out again, and he's expected to be listed as questionable this week. It's probably not a good idea to count on a return . . . Tight end Daniel Wilcox caught five passes for 26 yards and a score, but he'll have no value once Heap returns . . . Chester Taylor rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries in his second start, and the absence of injured left tackle Jonathan Ogden definitely hurt his cause. Overall, Taylor did a good job during Lewis' two-game suspension, but he didn't show anything to suggest he'd ever be a star in his own right even if given a full-time job.
Buffalo Bills
It appears as if Willis McGahee will be the Bills' starting running back until further notice. He wasn't great on Sunday, but his 102 yards and two TDs on 30 carries (3.4 YPC) is still better than anything Travis Henry has done this season. McGahee has now topped the century mark in both of his starts. In addition, he's the first Buffalo running back to find the end zone this season, and he did it against a team that came into Sunday's game without a single rushing TD allowed. . . Henry was active on Sunday but carried only one time for two yards. One of McGahee's biggest assets is that he continues to be more effective than Henry at picking up yards after first contact . . . After years of hanging with the elite, Drew Bledsoe is now one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football. His only saving grace on Sunday were his two TD passes. The rest of his stat line was sick: 8-of-17 passing for 81 yards. The conditions were poor on Sunday, but optimum conditions likely would have made little difference . . . Eric Moulds managed three receptions for 40 yards and a TD and continues to mine some fantasy value out of almost every game. . . Josh Reed hyper-extended his left knee while returning a punt and could miss this week's game. He didn't catch a pass on Sunday before leaving the game and has been a total non-factor to fantasy GMs this season.
Carolina Panthers
With Stephen Davis sidelined yet again, the Panthers turned to a committee of running backs on Sunday. Brad Hoover was the hero in Week 7 (24-99), but he was held to seven carries for 20 yards. Joey Harris led the team with nine carries for 45 yards, but he left with a shoulder stinger. The pain didn't linger too long as Harris said after the game that he felt fine. Coach John Fox said it was possible that Davis could return in Week 10, though at this point it's a gamble for fantasy owners to rely on him. No one knows just how long his knee injury will linger, and considering the joint is still bothering him after being operated on earlier in the year, it won't be a surprise if it is a season-long problem. . . . Jake Delhomme completed just 19-of-36 passes, but he finished with a respectable 248 yards with two TDs and one INT. Both Muhsin Muhammad and Keary Colbert topped 100 yards, and Muhammad hauled in both scores. Delhomme attempted more than 30 passes just four times last season, but he's already had more than 30 attempts in five out of seven games this year.
Chicago Bears
Thomas Jones could have had a nice game on Sunday night. Instead, he carried only once for one yard. Jones suffered a sprained toe on that opening carry and didn't play again. An MRI revealed no serious injury, but his status for this week's game is questionable. In his place, Anthony Thomas rushed for 98 yards on 25 carries and chipped in 46 yards on four receptions. If Jones is out this week, Thomas could be a decent option against the Giants, who are allowing 4.7 yards per rush this year . . . In his first pro start, Craig Krenzel completed 13-of-25 passes for 168 yards, one TD and one INT. He probably wouldn't be much of a fantasy option if he was surrounded by great receivers, which he isn't. Krenzel's numbers are even less impressive considering they came against a San Francisco defense that has been decimated by injuries . . . Rookie Bernard Berrian caught a 49-yard touchdown pass, and none of the other receivers did anything. David Terrell continues to be an enigma and is barely even worth owning.
Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer's 247 yards on Sunday were his most since Week 3, but he also failed to throw a TD for the first time since that game. Palmer also threw a pick and has now tossed at least one of those in every game this season. While Palmer has had his moments, his remains the lowest-rated starting quarterback in the NFL . . . Rudi Johnson ran 17 times for 57 yards and a TD against the Titans and has now scored in three of his past four games. The 57 yards tied a season low for him, but considering that he only had 13 yards on eight carries in the first half, he salvaged a somewhat decent day. . . After a huge game against Denver in Week 7, Chad Johnson was held to six catches for 67 yards on Sunday. Those totals aren't bad considering he saw a lot of Pro Bowl cornerback Samari Rolle and has a struggling quarterback throwing to him, but his owners expect more from an elite receiver like him most weeks . . . T.J. Houshmandzadeh grabbed four passes for 81 yards, 62 of which came on a single reception early in the fourth quarter. Houshmandzadeh is capable of occasionally popping up with a nice performance like this (as he did in Week 3), but he's not a consistent enough part of the game plan to garner much more than consideration as an injury or bye-week filler.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns used their bye week to rest a couple of their injured wide receivers, but it may not have been enough. Andre Davis tested his turf toe in individual drills on Monday but didn't take part in team activities. Andre King wasn't able to practice at all due to his high left ankle sprain. Both players are considered day-to-day. The Browns play the Ravens on Sunday night, so if these two players are game-time decisions, fantasy owners won't be able to wait and see if they're active in order to adjust their fantasy rosters. . . . After having an extra week to digest the offense, Antonio Bryant should be able to play a larger role when the Browns take the field against the Ravens on Sunday night. He caught just two balls for 26 yards in his Week 7 debut.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys placed Terry Glenn on the IR over the weekend due to torn ligaments in his foot. He suffered the injury in Week 7. Newcomer Quincy Morgan, who caught four balls for 76 yards in his Week 7 debut, was inactive on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. The two injuries left the Cowboys scrambling for wide receivers. They called up two players from their practice squad -- Terrance Copper and Patrick Crayton -- and started Randal Williams, a four-year veteran without a single catch in his career. Those three combined for just one catch and 30 yards (by Crayton). . . . Although there's little to no fantasy implications, it's worth noting that cornerback Terrence Newman played a little offense and emerged with one catch for 30 yards, as well. . . . Keyshawn Johnson ran two wrong routes on Sunday, and both times it resulted in an INT for Vinny Testaverde. He eventually got on the same page and finished with three catches for 80 yards and two TDs. It stands to reason that Johnson should see his fantasy value rise with Glenn out for the rest of the year. The same can be said for tight end Jason Witten, who led the team with nine catches for 84 yards and a TD. Witten has at least five catches over the past four games and leads the team with 39 receptions on the year. . . . Eddie George saw his most action of the year with 31 carries. He averaged just 3.2 yards per carry, though, finishin g with 99 yards. It was just the second time all year he's topped 15 carries -- and the first since he had 18 in Week 2. For the second week in a row, ReShard Lee was held without a single carry. If anyone out there was still holding onto him in hopes that the Cowboys would give him a chance, it's long past time to let him go. . . . Drew Henson was promoted over Tony Romo to the primary backup QB job for Sunday's game. Bill Parcells doesn't appear to be wavering in his support for Testaverde, but Henson is now just one hit away from the starting job.
Denver Broncos
Jake Plummer set a Broncos franchise record with 499 passing yards on Sunday against the Falcons. He completed 31-of-55 passes with four TDs and three INTs, all of which were of the backbreaking variety. Still, fantasy GMs who compete in leagues that don't penalize turnovers (and even those that don't) got a huge performance out of Plummer, who has topped 200 passing yards in all but two games this season and has thrown at least one TD pass in all but one game. . . Rod Smith was the biggest beneficiary of Plummer's huge day, catching eight passes for 208 yards and a TD. Smith had failed to reach the century mark in any of his first seven games of the season prior to Sunday. He's now scored in consecutive games after scoring just once in the first six weeks. . . Ashley Lelie also came through with his best game of the year. He caught six passes for 94 yards and a TD and has now scored in four of his last six games. Lelie is easily having his best season as a pro and is on pace for just under 1,000 yards. . . A fashionable sleeper in the preseason, rookie Darius Watts had been pretty quiet until Sunday when he pulled down seven passes for 86 yards and TD. The main reason Watts was so involved is because the Broncos fell behind and had to use multiple-receiver sets and a pass heavy attack in attempt to get back in the contest. Watts has a lot of upside but probably won't have a repeat performance like this in a closer game. . . After three 100-yard performances in his first three starts, Reuben Droughns managed only 49 yards on 15 carries on Sunday. Twenty of those yards came on a single run, meaning he only had 2 9 yards on his other 14 carries. Droughns still salvaged a nice day by catching six passes for 63 yards out of the backfield, but this was the first game he's started thus far where he was stuffed on the ground. It's worth noting that he was facing an Atlanta defense that had ranked No. 1 in run defense before it was torched by the Chiefs in Week 7, and the Falcons were certainly motivated to bounce back from that pathetic performance.
Detroit Lions
Roy Williams returned from his sprained ankle to play in Week 7, but he tweaked the injury and missed a lot of practice last week as a result. Still, the Lions gave little indication that he was actually at risk of missing another game, so it was quite a surprise Sunday morning when the club ruled him out as a game-time decision. Unlike the first game Williams missed, Joey Harrington actually held his own without his star receiver for much of the game. Harrington finished with 255 yards and two TDs, though his lone INT came in the fourth quarter and sealed the Cowboys' win. . . . Facing a run defense that entered the game giving up over five yards per carry, Kevin Jones managed just 36 yards on 11 carries -- though he did salvage his fantasy stats by catching a TD among his four catches for 11 yards. Jones had the majority of rushing work for the Lions -- the team ran the ball just 14 times all day -- but for whatever reason Detroit just isn't comfortable relying on the running game. It's not like the team abandoned the run playing catch-up, either -- the Lions scored first and led much of the first half, but Jones had just five carries entering halftime. . . . Az Hakim started in place of Williams, and he led the way with four catches for 90 yards. Aside from Williams, he's the closest thing Detroit has to a reliable wide receiver -- and this was just the second time he's topped 50 yards. . . . Robert Porcher announced his retirement on Monday. The all-time sack leader for the Lions had yet to be active for a game this year.
Green Bay Packers
Following a win against the Redskins, the Packers will enjoy a bye in Week 9. As it seems to be the case every year, the bye couldn't come at a better time for Brett Favre, who is nursing a sprained thumb. Though it isn't affecting his accuracy, Mike Sherman said that it did prevent Favre from putting the usual zip on his throws last week in practice. Favre downplayed the injury and refused to use it as an excuse for his three INTs on Sunday, but Sherman thinks it could have been a factor. Regardless, the injury isn't serious and it should have ample time to heal with this week's bye. The team expects Favre to be 100% when the Packers play the Vikings in Week 10. . . . Darren Sharper missed Sunday's game with a knee injury, and he's not a lock to return to action in Week 10. . . . Despite playing through a nagging Achilles injury, Ahman Green has flashed plenty of big-play ability the past two weeks. After recording a 90-yard TD run in Week 7, he hauled in a 48-yard reception on Sunday. He finished with 143 total yards from scrimmage.
Houston Texans
David Carr continues to put together one terrific game after another. He was 26-of-34 passing for 276 yards and one TD on Sunday in a huge divisional win over the Jaguars. Carr still hasn't thrown for less than 228 yards in any game this season and has tossed at least TD in every game since Week 1. In addition, he only has one INT in his last four games. Considering that his QB rating is nearly 100 and he's on pace for over 4,000 passing yards, it's safe to say that Carr has officially arrived as a fantasy stud. . . Domanick Davis has been hampered by nagging injuries for much of this season, but that can't be used as blanket excuse for how dreadful he's been. He compiled only 56 yards on 25 carries Sunday but drew high marks for getting tough yards at key times. He also helped himself somewhat by catching five passes for 39 yards. Fantasy GMs are concerned by the fact that Davis hasn't run for more than 87 yards in any game this season and is averaging only 2.5 yards per carry. Observers say he doesn't look like the same back who churned out over 1,000 yards last season. . . Jabar Gaffney (five catches, 88 yards), Andre Johnson (nine catches, 74 yards) and Corey Bradford (three catches, 52 yards, TD) all had performances worth mentioning on Sunday. Gaffney's day could have been much better if he hadn't broken into a premature TD celebration after a 15-yard reverse which forced him to lose the ball before he crossed the goal-line late in the first quarter. The play ultimately resulted in a touchback and a most embarrassing turnover for both Gaffney and any fantasy GM he could have helped by having that score c ount.
Indianapolis Colts
As expected, the sideline confrontation between Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne last week had no negative repercussions. Manning threw for 472 yards and five touchdowns against the Chiefs, and Wayne caught six of his passes for 119 yards and two scores. While Daunte Culpepper got most of the early-season publicity, Manning is on pace for a league-record 50 touchdown passes as well as 4,939 yards, which would be the second-highest total in history. While Culpepper has slumped since Randy Moss got hurt, Manning has all of his horses healthy, and his cause continues to be aided by an abysmal defense . . . Marvin Harrison finally produced his first 100-yard game of the season, as he went for 119 yards and two scores on just five catches. Harrison could be ready to go on a nice run. Seven of Indy's next eight games are on turf and indoors (actually one, in Houston, is under a retractable roof), so very little should slow the Colts' passing game down . . . Brandon Stokley was quiet on Sunday, but don't get down on him. He could easily bounce back with a big game against the Vikings next week. That's a great matchup for him . . . Edgerrin James failed to take advantage of what was, on paper, a terrific matchup, as he rushed for only 34 yards on 10 carries. James did finish with 90 receiving yards on six catches, with most of it coming on a 56-yard play . . . Dallas Clark and Marcus Pollard continue to show glimpses of fantasy value but not much more. Clark caught three passes for 88 yards, but remember that that was on a day when Manning threw for nearly 500. Pollard caught three passes for 21 yards but was able to find the end zone.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Byron Leftwich didn't have the game many envisioned against a leaky Houston pass defense, but a left knee injury he suffered just before halftime is a big reason why. While Leftwich came out for two plays in favor of backup David Garrard, he brought himself back in the game without input from the coaches. Leftwich went to Alabama to have his left knee examined by Dr. James Andrews and was told that he'll miss four-to-six weeks with a torn lateral collateral ligament. He finished Sunday's game 25-of-40 passing for 227 yards no TDs and two INTs, marking his worst performance since Week 2. Garrard will start in Leftwich's absence. He's a scrambler with very limited NFL experience, and the Jaguars are likely to go to a more conservative game plan with Garrard in as the starter . . . Jimmy Smith caught nine passes for 117 yards on Sunday, marking the third time in the past four games that he's topped the century mark. Smith has been terrific this season (he's on pace for over 1,400 receiving yards), but his owners would like him better if he scored more in the second half of the year. He has only two TDs through eight games. Smith's value will take a hit now that Leftwich is out for at least a month. . . Rookie Reggie Williams caught five passes on Sunday, a new season high, but those catches only amounted to 27 yards . . . After his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season in Week 7, hopes were high that Fred Taylor would be able to build off of that on Sunday while going up against a weak Texans run defense. Unfortunately, Taylor was forced from Sunday's game after just three carries with a hip pointer. T he injury isn't serious and Taylor should be ready to play in Week 10 after the Jags enjoy a bye in Week 9. Taylor has been hurt by the Jaguars' increased usage of shotgun sets and increased reliance on the passing game, but that could change in the wake of Byron Leftwich's injury . . . LaBrandon Toefield saw the most work in the Jacksonville backfield after Taylor went down, but all that amounted to was five carries for 24 yards and four receptions for 28 more.
Kansas City Chiefs
Let there be no doubt, the Chiefs are back to playing the same kind of football as last year. Their offensive line is dominant, their wide receivers are healthy, and Trent Green is at the top of his game. They won't rack up 600 yards of offense every week - because they don't get to play the Colts every week - but they will be a source of great fantasy numbers the rest of the way. Priest Holmes rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Most people don't realize this, but Holmes is one pace for over 1,900 yards and 29 touchdowns - the first a career-high and the latter a league record . . . Green threw for 389 yards and three scores on Sunday and is averaging 324 passing yards over his last three starts . . . Johnnie Morton was able to do his "worm" dance on Sunday after scoring for the first time this year. He won't do that often, but he has caught at least four passes in six straight games and is reliable for at least a few points each week . . . We can't say the same for Eddie Kennison, even though he did catch five passes for 50 yards on Sunday. Kennison hasn't topped 61 yards since the season opener, and he doesn't have a touchdown this season . . . Lawrence Tynes has 14 extra points and only one field goal in the last two weeks, but fantasy owners can't complain about his point totals. More field goals will come, anyway.
Miami Dolphins
Randy McMichael has become a top-shelf fantasy performer at the tight end position this season. In previous years, McMichael produced enough big games to be a top 10 tight end, but he was horribly inconsistent. This year, consistency has been the name of his game. McMichael caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown on Monday night, the seventh time in eight games that he's tallied at least 50 yards. Only Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates are obviously better options at the position than McMichael . . . If you can live with the turnovers, Jay Fiedler has been a respectable fantasy performer the last couple of weeks. He's not the worst choice for a bye-week fill-in, but he's also not likely to hold onto his job for the rest of the season. At some point, the Dolphins need to give the ball back to A.J. Feeley and determine if he's an option for next season, because Fiedler clearly isn't. Multiple Florida newspapers are calling for Feeley to get the job this week, and it should happen within a few weeks, at the latest . . . Chris Chambers followed up his three-catch, 128-yard performance of last week with a three-catch, 29-yard game on Monday night. This should come as no surprise, as Chambers' touchdown last week was a fluke. When you catch three or fewer passes in a game (as Chambers has in all but two games this year), you're chances of success aren't very good . . . Speaking of chances that aren't very good, Ricky Williams continues to pursue a return to the NFL this season, though his representatives appear resigned to the fact that 2005 is more viable. The attorney for Williams officially filed for reinstatement this week. No one expects Williams to play for the Dolphins this season, and they will most likely sucker some team into acquiring him for next year.
Minnesota Vikings
Sunday was easily Daunte Culpepper's worst game of the season, as he completed just 24-of-42 passes for 231 yards, one TD and two INTs. It's clear that Culpepper misses Randy Moss' presence in the passing game, and without Moss he can't really compete with Peyton Manning for the top spot among fantasy quarterbacks. Culpepper was good in Week 7 without Moss but struggled throughout Sunday's game against a playoff-caliber team. It sounds as though the Vikings may finally hold Moss back to allow his hamstring to heal, so we might not see any monster games from Culpepper for a few weeks . . . Mewelde Moore had his first disappointing game as a starter, running for only 29 yards on eight carries. Moore also had a costly drop on the Vikings' first series of the game when failed to haul in a catchable pass from Culpepper behind the line of scrimmage that was considered a lateral and a live ball. Culpepper was officially charged with the fumble, but it was Moore's fault and wound up foreshadowing what would be a long day for both himself and the Vikings. Things got even worse for Moore after he sprained his ankle and was limited to only one carry in the second half (the score had something to do with that as well). X-rays were negative and Moore will start in Week 9 if his ankle will allow him, despite the fact that Michael Bennett is healthy and Onterrio Smith is coming back from his suspension. . . Bennett got into the mix at garbage time once Moore was out of the game and got five carries for 20 yards and a TD. His role in the offense is even more clouded now that Smith is ready to return. Bennett could be third on the depth chart at running back. Where does Smith stand? It's hard to say since he wasn't allowed to have contact with the team during his suspension. More will be known after Wednesday's practice . . . Moss was in uniform again on Sunday but failed to catch a pass, and it's unclear why the Vikings continue to waste an active roster spot on him when he's clearly nowhere close to 100 percent. It looks like they've finally learned their lesson and will likely keep him out of at least this week's game unless he miraculously gets better as the week progresses. . . Marcus Robinson got open deep a couple of times on Sunday and wound up catching four passes for 91 yards. Robinson was slowed in the second half with a sprained left foot but is expected to practice this week. This was his second-best performance of the season in terms of yardage but marked the first time since Week 3 that he failed to score. . . While the Vikings went to Kelly Campbell a couple of times early, Nate Burleson wound up having a decent day. He caught six passes for 43 yards, including a one-yard TD late in the fourth quarter. Burleson has caught six passes in each of the past three games but has failed to average even 10 yards per catch in the last two. However, the fact that Culpepper looks to him so often bodes well for his future.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady may be the best quarterback in football, but even the best can't be perfect every time out. Brady had his worst performance since Week 5 in completing 25-of-43 passes for 273 yards with two TDs and two INTs in a loss to the Steelers. That equates to a QB rating of 72.9 - a level that is usually occupied by the Jay Fiedler's and Josh McCown's of the world. . . In fairness to Brady, he had no running game whatsoever and that made it much easier for the Steelers to defend the pass. With Corey Dillon sidelined with a thigh injury, Kevin Faulk was the starting running back. Faulk only managed four yards on five carries but made his presence felt in the passing game with eight receptions for 72 yards. He's always been a better receiver than a runner, and a performance like this indicates that the Patriots could be in trouble if Dillon were ever to suffer a long-term injury. . . Dillon is expected to return from his injury this week against the Rams. . . David Givens had his second straight 100-yard performance on Sunday and his first multi-TD game of the season. Givens caught eight passes for 101 yards and two TDs. He continues to be the best fantasy option in the New England receiving corps. . . David Patten caught four passes for 39 yards but failed to score for just the third time this season. . . Troy Brown returned from his shoulder injury and hauled in five balls for 59 ya rds. Brown had missed three games with the ailment. He won't have much value going forward if Deion Branch is able to return, but the Patriots continue to be tight-lipped about Branch's progress. At this point, it doesn't look likely that he'll play in Week 9 . . . Cornerback Ty Law will miss a significant amount of time with an ankle injury that is more serious than first believed. His absence will leave the Pats' secondary vulnerable, which is never a good thing when you're heading into St. Louis. That's exactly where the Pats are playing this week.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the Saints' coaching staff has compared game tapes from this season and last year to see what Deuce McAllister is doing differently. He's not running with the same authority, confidence, or explosiveness. Much of it boils down to the sprained ankle he suffered earlier in the year. He missed two weeks and gained about six pounds, which has slowed him down. Then he returned earlier than expected, and may not have been 100% -- despite gaining 102 yards in his first game back. In any case, he rested the ankle during last week's bye and should be fresh when the team takes the field. Fantasy owners may have also noticed that he's not as active in the passing game this year. He averaged 4.3 catches and 32.2 receiving yards per game last year, but that's down to just 1.6 and 10.4 this season. . . . There's been little bye-week information coming out of New Orleans, but the time off can only help receivers Donte Stallworth (bruised rib) and Joe Horn (perpetually banged up knee).
New York Giants
Tiki Barber continued his phenomenal season Sunday by rushing 24 times for 101 yards and two TDs. Barber has scored and reached at least 100 all-purpose yards in all but one game this season. The only downside to his boxscore was that he caught only one pass for 10 yards, marking his worst receiving day of the year thus far. . . Mike Cloud got plenty of action in place of Ron Dayne, who was simply left off the active roster because there was no room (translation: he's not playing well). Cloud got nine carries and banged out 55 yards along with two goal-line scores. He should continue to be the team's primary short-yardage back since Dayne had no success in that role. Keep in mind that Cloud scored five touchdowns for the Patriots last season. . . Kurt Warner didn't play very well on Sunday, completing 13-of-21 passes for 144 yards with no TDs or INTs. He also threw at least two passes that should have been picked off and fumbled the ball three times, although none were lost. Warner is doing a good job leading this offense and not making key mistakes (or at least not having them result in turnovers), but he's not worthy of being a starting fantasy quarterback because he simply can't put the ball in the end zone. Warner has only four touchdown passes this season - among quarterbacks who haven't missed any time, only Kyle Boller (3) has fewer. Warner is also still holding the ball too long and taking too many sacks. . . Jeremy Shockey can't seem to have a breakout game. He caught three passes for 60 yards on Sunday and fell just a yard s hy of a TD after grabbing a 26-yard pass from Warner midway through the third quarter. Shockey hasn't had more than 74 receiving yards in a game this season and ranks just seventh among tight ends in yards with 319. He's got nowhere to go but up in the second half. . . Amani Toomer was a game-time decision with a hamstring injury but wound up suiting up. The injury limited him somewhat, and he only caught three passes for 31 yards.
New York Jets
It's not often that a quarterback is a fantasy stud in a game in which he completed only 11 passes, but Chad Pennington was just that on Monday night. Pennington threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns, even though he completed only four passes that traveled more than 10 yards through the air. Pennington has definitely been a fantasy disappointment thus far, as the Jets have become more of a running team. Don't despair if he's off the next couple of weeks, as Pennington begins a very nice stretch of the schedule in Week 11 (@ Cleveland, followed by @ Arizona and Houston) . . . Santana Moss appeared back at full speed on Monday night. He caught a 47-yard pass and outran the coverage all the way across the field on a punt return that didn't end up going for much. Still, with Pennington throwing few passes and Justin McCareins becoming more of a go-to target, Moss remains all upside, no consistency right now . . . McCareins caught only three passes for 56 yards but scored a touchdown for the first time as a Jet. He has at least 56 yards in three straight games, and it's saying something that we have to point out that meager achievement . . . Curtis Martin topped the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season and the second time against Miami, rushing for 115 yards on 19 carries, including a 25-yard touchdown. It was just his second touchdown longer than 20 yards in the last three seasons. Martin left the game with a bruised right knee in the third quarter, but it clearly wasn't a serious injury. He was hopping around on the sideline and was obviously ready to go back in the game if needed . . . LaMont Jordan sa w his most extensive action of the season, most of it coming after Martin left the game. Jordan duplicated Martin's 115 rushing yards and his 25-yard touchdown, but he needed only 15 carries to do so. Jordan has looked terrific in his limited action the last couple of weeks. He's no threat to Martin's job but would be a terrific fantasy performer in his own right if anything happened to Martin.
Oakland Raiders
Charles Woodson re-injured his left hip in the first half and did not return on Sunday. He wants to keep playing through the pain, but he may be better served by sitting out this week in order to take full advantage of the club's Week 10 bye. Woodson also had some choice words regarding a perceived lack of intensity by his teammates. That, combined with Warren Sapp's televised outburst to Norv Turner on the sidelines, suggests the locker room turmoil which has marked this team the past couple of years is still alive and well. . . . Kerry Collins threw for 263 yards, one TD, and two INTs on Sunday. Collins has 11 INTs this season, and he's only played five and a half games. . . . Jerry Porter (four catches) and Doug Gabriel (three catches) each posted 50 yards. Ronald Curry was held without a catch, and he hasn't topped 25 yards the past three games. As we've pointed out the past few weeks, Porter is the only real fantasy play (albeit a poor one) among Raiders receivers, but Gabriel is a better option than Curry if you want to gamble on a second. . . . Tyrone Wheatley returned after missing three games with a shoulder injury. The team ran the ball just 11 times, and Wheatley led the team with just 23 yards on four carries. Amos Zereoue, whose fantasy value plummets following Wheatley's return, carried six times but finished with minus-one yard. He didn't help matters by losing a fum ble, but at least he caught five balls for 42 yards. . . . The offensive line is pretty banged up. Rookie tackle Robert Gallery aggravated a groin injury on Sunday, but he will try to play through the pain. Right guard Ron Stone suffered a left knee injury for the second time this year.
Philadelphia Eagles
It's not at all surprising that McNabb had his worst game of the season against the Ravens; we dropped him all the way to ninth on our Week 8 cheat sheet for quarterbacks. McNabb still managed to throw for 219 yards and a score, and this game did nothing to diminish his status as a top-five fantasy QB for the rest of the season . . . Terrell Owens is the only receiver in the game who can say he's been a fantasy stud every week. Owens has scored in all but one game this season, and in that game he still went for over 100 yards. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, his fifth straight 100-yard game. Amazingly, Owens' previous best for consecutive 100-yard games was two, and his personal best of six 100-yard games in a season (in 2001) seems certain to fall this year . . . Todd Pinkston left Sunday's game with what was believed to be a sprained knee, but an MRI on Monday revealed nothing more than a bruise. It hardly matters. Pinkston's Week 7 breakout was a pure fluke, and he's not worth having on your fantasy radar . . . With Brian Westbrook out, Dorsey Levens got the start for the Eagles and rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries, with another 10 yards on two receptions. Reno Mahe was more effective, as he rushed for 22 yards on only five carries. The Eagles are hopeful that Westbrook will be able to return from his cracked rib this week, but if he can't Levens and Mahe will share the work again . . . L.J. Smith caught two passes for 28 yards. Whether or not the injury is the reason, Smith simply hasn't been the s ame player since suffering a bruised shoulder in Week 3. Before the injury, he had 10 catches for 150 yards and two scores in three games. Since then, he has four catches for 34 yards and one score in four games.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Many thought Ben Roethlisberger's amazing run of quality performances to start his career would come to an end against Bill Belichick's defense on Sunday. Instead, Roethlisberger continued to dazzle by going 18-of-24 passing for 196 yards and two TDs. He made clutch throws and has now posted a quarterback rating of over 100 in his last four starts. He's completed an amazing 70.1 percent of his passes and has only thrown one interception in his last four games. Rookies just simply aren't supposed to play this well . . . Duce Staley continued a terrific season that is only marred by the fact that he can't get in the end zone. He rolled up 125 yards on 25 carries Sunday and now has topped the century mark in four of the past five games. Staley still has only one TD all season and hasn't been a factor in the passing game (four catches, 25 yards thus far). . . Jerome Bettis got a season-high 15 carries (all in the second half) and churned out 65 yards, including his eighth TD of the season. Bettis never would have gotten that much work if the score hadn't gotten out of hand, but he's now scored in four consecutive games. . . Perhaps the most interesting thing about Roethlisberger's ascent to stardom is that he's bringing Plaxico Burress back from the dead along with him. Burress scored for the third straight game on Sunday, catching three passes for 63 yards and two TDs. . . Hines Ward continues to be money in the bank for at least six receptions a game, but he's failed to top 100 yards since Week 2 and hasn't scored since Week 3. Ward caught six passes for 58 yards on Sunday and has caught at least six passes in e very game this season.
St. Louis Rams
Aside from two weightlifting sessions, Mike Martz gave his players the entire week off during their bye. Re-charged and ready to go, they were back in full pads for an intense practice on Monday. Over Martz's career, the Rams are 4-0 coming off their bye. They return this year to face the Patriots, who lost their first game last weekend and may have lost All-World cornerback Ty Law for a significant amount of time with an ankle injury. If that's the case, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce can breathe a little easier. . . . Martz announced that Trev Faulk has won the starting middle linebacker job. Robert Thomas lost it when he went down with a bad ankle, and nobody else stepped up as much as Faulk in his absence. . . . Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who's been out since early August with a broken foot, took part in all of the drills on Monday and might make his season debut on Sunday. His presence would certainly help shore up a defense that hasn't been able to stop the run all year.
San Diego Chargers
Drew Brees was about as perfect as you could be on Sunday. He completed 22-of-25 passes for 281 yards, five TDs, and no INTs. Of his three incompletions, two were balls that he threw away and one was batted down at the line of scrimmage. He set a team-record by completing 88% of his passes, and he tied a team-record for TDs. Ever since two mediocre games early in the year, Brees has played very well: he has 11 TDs and one INT in his last five games. Four players caught a TD from Brees on Sunday: Antonio Gates (who had two), Keenan McCardell, Justin Peelle, and Tim Dwight. Eric Parker did not score, but he led the team with six catches for 91 yards. . . . LaDainian Tomlinson carried 19 times for 71 yards and a TD. The Chargers had a three-TD lead entering halftime, which allowed them to rest Tomlinson, who had just two carries after the break. He's been slowed by a nagging groin injury, so there was no need to push him with the game well in hand. Jesse Chatman carried 12 times for 69 yards, all coming in the second half. Chatman was playing through an injury as well -- he was a game-time decision because of a toe injury. The Chargers have a bye in Week 10, but instead of holding out L.T. in Week 9 so that he can give his ailing groin two weeks of rest for the price of one, Marty Schottenheimer said that he expects his star back to play if he's healthy enough.
San Francisco 49ers
After failing to practice last week, Tim Rattay was listed as the No. 3 quarterback for Sunday's game because of his strained forearm. However, Dennis Erickson said Monday that an MRI showed dramatic improvement, and Rattay is expected to be able to play this week. That's good news for the 49ers, as Ken Dorsey did not look good at all on Sunday night. Dorsey completed just 16-of-36 passes for 122 yards with one interception, and at times he appeared to have tunnel vision for Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd caught five passes for 63 yards, but none of the other wide receivers caught more than one pass. Cedrick Wilson was shut out, and he hasn't caught more than four passes in a game since Week 3 . . . Lloyd did suffer a hip injury on Sunday night, and he's already listed as questionable for Week 9 . . . Kevan Barlow continues to disappoint fantasy owners, but there's really not much they, not the 49ers, can do about it. Barlow rushed for just 56 yards on 18 carries on Sunday and chipped in only 16 yards on his three receptions. Barlow still must be regarded as the future at running back for the 49ers, so he'll continue to get work. But the offensive line just isn't what it used to be, and the passing game - even when Rattay has things going - doesn't really scare anyone. The Niners don't really have any alternatives to Barlow, anyway.
Seattle Seahawks
After giving him just 18 and 12 touches the past two weeks, the Seahawks fed the ball to Shaun Alexander 35 times on Sunday. It paid off: he scored twice while racking up 195 yards on the ground and 13 through the air. The performance also relieved some of the pressure on Matt Hasselbeck, who was coming off a four-INT game. Hasselbeck tied a season-high by completing 70% of his throws (21-of-30) for 201 yards, one TD and one INT. His lone INT came when Seattle was on Carolina's seven-yard line, which was disappointing. . . . There's still no news as to when (or if) Koren Robinson will serve a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. Perhaps that should have been expected: the league rarely discusses the appeal process, and it's important to remember that the news was leaked, not officially announced. The league usually lets a team know on Monday if a player will be suspended for the coming game, so the lack of news coming out of Seattle so far this week suggests that Robinson will play at least one more game before a punishment is handed down. In football news, Robinson caught three balls for 52 yards without any drops on Sunday. He entered the game with 10 drops on the year. . . . Despite suffering a right ankle injury in the first quarter, Darrell Jackson finished the game and led the team with six catches for 71 yards. He was using crutches on Monday, and his status for Week 9 is not yet known. Jerry Rice also sprained his ankle, but he was walking without crutches on Monday. . . . Alex Bannister, who is more v aluable on special teams than as a wide receiver, broke his collarbone while diving for a catch in the end zone. He may be placed on the IR. . . . Bobby Engram has a chance to return from his sprained ankle this week after missing the past two games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joey Galloway returned to practice on Monday, but Jon Gruden said that his status for Week 9 is still "very, very questionable." Galloway is returning from a torn groin suffered in the season opener, and a realistic timeline for him to return is probably Week 10. . . . Charles Lee returned to practice Monday but is still questionable with a sprained knee. . . . Michael Pittman is certainly one player that enjoyed last week's bye. He's been banged up in his last few games, playing through back spasms and a sprained knee. After a week to rest, he should be ready to play. . . . Mike Alstott will need longer than one week to recover from his sprained knee. He's expected to miss another three weeks with the ailment.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans finally decided to give Steve McNair the only thing that will help him get over his sternum injury: rest. With McNair out, backup Billy Volek got his second start of the season and did a nice job. He was a crisp 21-of-32 passing for 210 yards, two TDs and one INT. Volek has been very good in his two starts this season and awful in his one relief appearance. McNair hopes to return in Week 10 after the Titans enjoy a bye this week. Given McNair's injury history, Volek is likely to get another start or two this season and will have plenty of value anytime he starts a game. . . Chris Brown played through a turf toe injury on Sunday but still turned in his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He ran for 147 yards and a TD on 32 carries and is now the NFL's second-leading rusher, trailing Priest Holmes by only 23 yards. Brown hopes to use the Titans' bye this week to rest his toe and get closer to 100 percent before the team's next game in Week 10 against Chicago. . . Derrick Mason came through with eight catches and 85 yards for the second straight week. Mason has been held under 50 yards in just one game this season, but he's scored only two TDs and none in the past three weeks. . . Drew Bennett was shut out for the first time this year, which was more than a little surprising since he had his best game of the season in Week 4 when Volek started. Bennett has just eight receptions in his last four games, and he may be bothered by his ribs more than he's letting on.
Washington Redskins
After being held under 100 yards in his previous two games, Mark Brunell managed 218 yards on Sunday. Before his fantasy owners start to breathe easy, realize that it took him 44 attempts (25 completions). He's been held under five yards per attempt the past three games and is really struggling to move the chains. Still, Joe Gibbs has maintained his support and a switch to Patrick Ramsey does not appear to be in the works. The Washington Post reports that Brunell is completing just 37% of his passes on third down, which is worst among NFL quarterbacks. . . . Clinton Portis carried 17 times for 70 yards (4.1 yards per carry), but he managed just 17 yards on seven catches. He did break free for a 43-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter, but the play was called back because James Thrash was flagged for illegal motion -- a dubious call that Joe Gibbs still doesn't understand. . . . Rod Gardner scored two more times on Sunday, giving him three TDs in his past two games and five on the year. Laveranues Coles, on the other hand, is still looking for his first score of the year. Coles is still the better fantasy play because he's far more consistent with his yards and catches; he had seven for 84 on Sunday while Gardner had just three for 41 -- which was his most since Week 3. . . . John Hall is expected to miss his third consecutive game due to his groin injury. In Hall's place on Sunday, Ola Kimrin missed his only field goal attempt -- he was wide left from just 35 yards. . . . LaVar Arrington's knee injury is more serious than originally thought. He's now expected to be sidelined another four games on top of the five he's already missed. . . . Chad Morton tore the ACL in his right knee on a kick return. He will miss the rest of the season. The Skins also lost safety Andre Lott for the rest of the year with a torn left pectoral muscle.