NFL Week 4 Fantasy Round-up

Yippee-kai-yeah motherf----r!! It's Round-up time again!

Now that was a week of football;  crazy fantasy football.  We saw some unbelievable points totals and we saw some unforgiving zeroes.  Names you’ve never heard of coming up big and names you’re used to seeing at the top are suddenly at the bottom.  But we’ll get into that in just a bit.  What I’d like to do first, before continuing with the round-up, is I’d like to start giving out a Fantasy Player of the Week Award.  It’s not a Buzzie.  Those are something special that really only come from Keith’s brain.  I just want to start acknowledging that one guy who either helped you win big by starting him or crushed your hopes and dreams if you played against him.  The guy whose point total for the week crushes entire teams.  The true difference-maker.  And you know who it is this week.  I probably don’t even need to build any suspense…

A 6 TD game? Just add it to what's already a Hall of Fame resume.

That’s right baby!!!  #4 in your program, #1 in your hearts!!!  Congratulations to N.Y. Jets QB Brett Favre!!!  What a day!  289 passing yards with 6…count ‘em…6 TD passes.  He tied a Jets record set by Joe Namath and, in the process, had a MONSTER fantasy day!  Congrats if you own and started him, my apologies if you played against him.  If you had him on your bench, learn something today that Jets coach Eric Mangini had to learn the hard way.  He’s Brett f—in Favre.  If he says he’s gonna play, you keep him active.

Now onto the round-up…

N.Y. Jets 56  Arizona Cardinals 35

We’ll start here so I can continue my Gang Green high.  What a game.  I figured it to be a shootout and there was certainly no disappointment.  89 total rushing yards for the Jets with a paltry 42 total for the Cards.  Edgerrin James owners lucked out with the pair of TD scores, but Thomas Jones owners bit it.  He only had 46 yards on 18 carries and is steadily losing carries to Leon Washington.  Keep a watchful eye on that situation all year, especially for the fact that the Jets are suddenly a pass first team and Washington does better with that than Jones.  It was great to see Favre and Laverneus Coles get acquainted with 3 TDs and even better to see that despite the past 2 weeks, Favre doesn’t hate Jerricho Cotchery and threw him a pair of TDs as well.  The special note here for the Jets though is rookie TE Dustin Keller.  That’s two staright weeks with a TD catch and we all know how Favre loves his TEs in the red zone.  As for the Cards, well the only real surprise was 2nd year WR Steve Breaston.  He came up big with 9 catches for 122 yeards, but don’t expect much more of that unless Anquan Boldin loses time after getting his bell rung.  Larry Fitzgerald still commands the #1 slot though.  As for Kurt Warner, hey…if he stays healthy he’s going to throw the ball plenty.  He won’t fumble it 4 times and throw 3 INTs every game, but he’ll definitely be throwing for 300+ yards regularly.

Tennessee Titans 30  Minnesota Vikings 17

This one went pretty much according to plan — save for the final score.  Honestly, I thought the totals would be a little lower considering both teams’ defenses are so highly regarded.  The Titans did exactly what we all thought they would do and pound the ball on the ground.  Its not that they don’t have faith in Kerry Collins’ throwing abilities, it’s that there just aren’t any real quality receivers.  You’re not scaring anyone with Justin Gage (92 yards) as your main target.  Same story for the Vikings.  Gus Frerotte to Bernard Berrian?  Barely.  Nope.  This game was all about the ground attack as the tandem of Chris Johnson (61 yards, 2 TD) and LenDale “Chubbs” White (13 yards, 1 TD) narrowly outperformed Adrian Peterson (80 yards, 2 TD).  The rest was pretty much left up to the defense and the kicking game.  Expect more of the same next week as the Titans take on the Ravens while the Vikings D gets tested by the Saints high octane offense.

Tampa Bay Bucaneers 30  Green Bay Packers 21

So Aaron Rodgers finally throws in a stinker huh?  Only 168 passing yards, a pair of TDs and 3 very frustrating INTs.  Well, what can you expect from a guy sporting a shoulder sprain?  Reports are that there’s no structural damage, but you might want to make sure you either grab Matt Flynn for insurance or another waiver wire QB to keep yourself covered.  The Pack gets Atlanta in week 5, so Flynn might not be too bad a bet.  Anyway, it was nice to see that the Pack has been reading the Buzz lately as Greg Jennings was not only Rogers main target (6 catches for 109 yards), but he also found the endzone twice.  Somebody had to step it up since the Bucs D held Ryan Grant in check all day.  As for Tampa, the fantasy studs for this week were RB Earnest Graham and kicker Matt Bryant.  Graham battered the Packers defense for 111 yards and a TD, while Bryant, who sadly buried his 3 month old son the day before, knocked down 3 field goals and hit all 3 PATs.  It was a very emotional day for Tampa as all players had their thoughts with Bryant, so it was nice to see them come out on top.  Next week against Denver might not be as kind.

New Orleans Saints 31  San Francisco 49ers 17

This one was supposed to be a shootout, and while the Saints, more or less, lived up to their end of the bargain, the 49ers just couldnt put the ball in the endzone to live up to theirs.  J.T. O’Sullivan threw for 250+ yards, but his 2 INTs and his lost fumble did the Niners offense in.  He had one garbage TD to Isaac Bruce, but the sputtering offense was forced to rely on kicker Joe Nedney for the bulk of their points.  He had 3 FGs on the day.  One good thing to note is that we just may have a WR on the Niners worth looking at.  I’m sure Arnaz Battle is still on your waiver wire, but after this 120 yard performance, it might not be for long.  Bryant Johnson’s hamstring woes could lead to a better standing for Battle in Martz’ offense.  For the Saints, the player of the day was WR Lance Moore.  With the absence of Marques Colston and the apparent forgetting of Devery Henderson, Moore became Drew Brees’ favorite target as he hauled in 7 catches for 101 yards and 2 TDs.  Grab him if he’s available.  Also, we warned you about Robert Meachem a few weeks ago, so hopefully you were able to grab him.  His 99 yards with a TD certainly helped my teams…hope it did the same for you.  About the only disappointment for the Saints was that Reggie Bush just couldn’t seem to get it going.  He’ll have a tough time next week with the Minnesota D, but I think he’ll rebound nicely on Monday Night Football.

Kansas City Chiefs 33  Denver Broncos 19

Holy upsets, Batman!!!  You know, I heard all the backstory about how Denver doesn’t play well at Arrowhead Satdium and how Larry Johnson loves to shred the Broncos, but I just wasn’t buying it.  Hell, no one was.  Until now.  Crushing me (and 117 others) in a King of the Hill pool and embarrassing Keith and I on our “Lock of the Week”, Johnson mowed down the Broncos D to the tune of 198 yards and 2 TDs.  I mean…I knew the defense was a little soft, but that was just ridiculous.  And even when they did all they could to contain Johnson, they still got burned as freakin’ Damon Huard played a very efficient game throwing for 160 yards and a TD to ol’ reliable Tony Gonzalez.  They key was that Huard was mistake free — no turnovers.  As for the Broncos, we’ll have to save the big trophy until later as they showed their vulnerability.  Sure, Jay Cutler threw for over 350 yards.  Sure, the WRS were solid with Brandon Marshall tallying 77 yards and a TD while Eddie Royal topped over 100 yards again.  But with no defense and little or no ground game, this team could have problems.  Next week against Tampa could be another tough test while the Chiefs could come back to earth with a matchup against the always tough Carolina D.

Jacksonville Jaguars 30  Houston Texans 27 (OT)

Ah, the squeaker.  The Jags just barely came out of this one alive.  I’m sure there were plenty who had to sweat this one out for their King of the Hill pool.  But we did get to learn a few good things here.  Number one is that the Texans offense is not dead, afterall.  Yes, Andre Johnson continues to be a bust, but the emergence of Steve Slaton, the reliability of Kevin Walter and the coming out party for Matt Schaub was enough to give the Jags a tough run for their money.  While the ground game was tough to come by, Slaton showed his versatility by grabbing 8 catches for 83 yards and a TD making him a solid choice for RB if you need someone.  I doubt he’s available, but if you have some depth elsewhere, he could be an intriguing guy to trade for.  As for the rest of the game it was all about the short passes for Shaub as he marched his offense up and down the field to the tune of 307 passing yards.  The Colts come to town next for the big home opener at Reliant Stadium, so it could be another pass happy day for the Texans.  The other thing we learned on Sunday was that David Garrard can, in fact, lead this team on the field, even if his RBs get stifled.  Neither Fred Taylor nor Maurice Jones-Drew did anything to note, so Garrard did it by himself with a very effiecient 236 pasing yards, a passing TD and a rushing TD of his own.  He’s going to need to study his own game film, because a similar performance will be needed next week agaisnt the Steelers.  Oh yeah…and don’t go running out to grab Montell Owens.  He may have rushed for a TD, but it was the only time he touched the ball  in four games and it was a total fluke.

Cleveland Browns 20  Cincinnati Bengals 12

Wow.  What an awful game.  The Battle of Ohio was a huge stinker that had fantasy owners cringing up until the 4th quarter.  Where to begin?  Well how about the fact that at the last minute, Carson Palmer was handed 3rd string status?  Ugh.  The inflamed elbow is going to be a huge issue all season long and something tells me, he’s going to get shut down in the next few weeks.  If you got suckered into drafting him (and I did in one league), then you better go hunting for a viable replacement.  With that, you might want to go and find replacements for all your Bengals.  Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson and T.J. Who’syermama are going to see their numbers drastically decline with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm.  Not to mention that Chris Perry could be a dud and remember that Ben Utecht sleeper pick?  Fuhgheddaboutit!!  Cincy’s a sinking ship right now, so you better get yourself a life vest.  Not that the Browns are too much better.  Afterall, the Cincy defense is nothing to write home about andf the Browns couldn;t find the endzone until the 4th quarter.  It was nice to see Derek Anderson find Braylon Edwards in the red zone and it was nice to see Jamal Lewis put up some ok numbers (79 yards, 1 TD), but if they don’t use the upcoming bye week to revamp their strategy, then they could be in trouble.

Carolina Panthers 24  Atlanta Falcons 9

Well, it was like Keith said…the Carolina offense was primed to start clicking, and click they did.  Jake Delhomme was solid throwing for 294 yards and a pair of TD strikes, Steve Smith made his presence felt with 96 receiving yards and a TD, and Mushin Muhammed resurrected his career with a whopping 147 receiving yards and a TD of his own.  Throw in the fact that rookie RB Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams pitched in 100+ rushing yards (with a Stewart TD) and you’ve got a pretty well balanced offense.  Just too much for the Falcons to handle.  Get your Panthers active and ready for next week.  I don’t think the Chiefs will do to them what they did to Denver.  As for the Falcons, it was another disappointment.  This team will live and die by Michael Turner all year long apparently.  He only rushed for 56 yards and was unable to sustain any kind of momentum, leaving a tough job for rookie QB Matt Ryan.  If he doesn’t have the ground game support, then Ryan will find it tough to hit his receivers at all.  Neither Roddy White nor Michael Jenkins had any sort of an impact.  A big matchup next week against the Packers should be a nice test to see if they can rebound against a quality team.

Buffalo Bills 31  St. Louis Rams 14

Anyone else get really nervous about this game come halftime?  I know I was watching it pretty closely.  The Bills looked pretty flat in the first half as Marshawn Lynch seemed incapable against a usually porous Rams defense and the Bills had to settle on a pair of Rian Lindell FGs.  The Rams, on the other hand, appeared to be revitalized with the benching of Marc Bulger and the re-emergence of Trent Green.  Steven Jackson looked like a new man as he barrelled his way to almost 100 yards and a TD in the first half alone.  But then it happened.  The NFL decided to let these teams play a second half, much to the chagrin of the Rams, and suddenly all was right with the universe.  Bills QB Trent Edwards led a nice comeback as he marched the team downfield in the 3rd quarter resulting in a Fred Jackson TD, the defense took care of business with an INT returned for a TD, and even Lee Evans got into the picture snagging a 39 yard TD pass and a 2 point conversion to boot.   And the yang to the Bills yin?  Well, the Rams put up no second half points and barely added to their first half yardage total.  The result?  The Bills are 4-0 heading into a matchup against Arizona while the Rams limp into their bye week hoping that new coach Jim Haslett can do whatthe rcently fired Scott Linehan couldn’t.  Bulger owners can breathe a sigh of relief.  He should be back under center come week 6.

San Diego Chargers 28  Oakland Raiders 18

Almost a duplicate of the Bills/Rams game.  The underdog Raiders took control of the game in the first half as they jumped out to a 15-0 lead with a pair of Sebastian Janikowski FGs, a safety, and a monster 63 yard TD catch by TE Zach Miller (it’s about time he and Jamarcus Russell connected).  Darren McFadden and Michael Bush were unimpressive but steady, and the Raiders defense was hounding Phillip Rivers as they contained the struggling Chargers ground game as well.  But just like the Bills/Rams game, there was a total reversal in the second half.  The Chargers started to move the ball and their defense suddenly put the clamps down on the Raiders.  Then in the 4th quarter…BAM!!!  Rivers hit Antonio Gates for a TD, LaDanian Tomlinson ran one in from 13 yards out, and with just under two minutes left, Nate Kaeding hit one from 47 yards out to give the Chargers the lead.  Tomlinson then put the finishing touch on with a 41 yard TD run to put him over the century mark in rushing for the first time this season.  Sure, it was a garbage time TD, but I don’t hear any fantasy owners complaining.  He’ll only continue to improve this season, but that’s an article for all you doubters and haters later this week.  The Bolts have the Fins next week, so start licking your chops now…

Washington Redskins 26  Dallas Cowboys 24

I’ll try and contain my enthusiasm here for Keith’s sake, but I can honestly say, I’ve never been happier about being wrong with one of my picks.  The game started off like a typical NFC East battle as both teams went back and forth, stifling each other in the first quarter until Tony Blow-mo hit his favorite pet, Jason Kitten, for a 21 yard TD strike.  But the Skins refused to lay down and smacked the Cowgirls around in the second quarter, putting up 17 unanswered points.  Clinton Portis was a bull on Sunday, and while he left the endzone dancing to the wideouts, he was a work horse on the ground totalling 121 yards on 21 carries.  Jason Campbell did what he needed to do, throwing for a very efficient and mistake free 231 yards, and Santana Moss had another outstanding game with 145 receiving yards.  Look for the Skins to try and carry this momentum into next week’s matchup with the Eagles.  Portis might not find the same success, so the burden will fall on Campbell.  As for Dallas, they still put up a solid offensive performance, save for the seemingly absent Marion Barber.  Blow-mo connected for 300 yards and 3 TDs, T.O. found his way into the endzone, and we’re all going to stay on the Miles Austin watch as he, too, found the endzone in consecutive weeks.  We pointed him out last week, and he’s diappearing from waiver wires faster than a fat kid on cake.  The hapless Bengals are next, so tie that napkin around your neck and get ready to feast.

Chicago Bears 24  Philadelphia Eagles 20

Everything you thought was going to happen, happened…save for the final score.  The Eagles defense completely stifled Matt Forte and the Bears ground game, forced Kyle Orton to lose two fumbles and intercepted him twice.  But it wasn’t enough.  Orton was crafty enough to pass for 3 short TDs in the first half and then let his defense do the talking in the second.  The Eagles, onthe other hand, just couldn;t overcome the loss of Brian Westbrook who was declared inactive just prior to the game.  Perennial backup Correll Buckhalter couldn’t get anything legit going (even though he had 66 yards and a TD) against the Bears D, and Donovan McNabb was less than stellar throwing for 262 yards with a TD and an INT.  The good news is that rookie DeSean “Showboat” Jackson continues to produce on offense.  Another TD for him with a solid 71 receiving yards.  He, of course, muffed a punt too, but you dont get penalized for that.  Philly has a solid divisional matchup against the Redskins next week, so hopefully Westbrook can return.  Their offense just isn’t the same without him.  For the Bears, it’s punching bag Detroit, so it could be a fun one for them.

Pittsburgh Steelers 23  Baltimore Ravens 20 (OT)

This one should have been called the Battle of the Broken Down Backs.  Anyone get a look at Willis McGahee’s eye?  Gross!!  Well, if that wasn’t enough, he then had to leave in the second quarter with a chest injury.  LeRon McClaine continues his ascent as he took over and was able to muster 63 yards on the ground and found the endzone once.  For the Steelers, they were without Willie Parker coming in, then lost Rashard Mendenhall to a broken shoulder (IR here we come…time to drop him) , then lost Carey Davis to a sprained ankle and had to finish the game with Mewelde Moore as their starting tailback.  It was not a thing of beauty as an underperforming Ben Roethlisberger finally hit Santonio Holmes for a TD and then the defense scored on a fumble return to take the lead.  But the Ravens wouldn’t quit and rookie QB Joey Flacco showed some toughness and drove the Ravens down the field using Derrick Mason (137 yards) every chance he could get.  They tied the game on McClaine’s TD, but it wasn’t enough as Jeff Reed kicked the game winner in OT to seal the deal.  It could be a tough week 5 for the Steelers as the go to Jacksonville next week and will probably still be without Parker.  If you need a RB, then Moore could be your guy.  Just don’t expect too much from him.  Meanwhile, the Ravens get a visit from Tennessee, so that could spell trouble for Flacco and company.