Showing posts with label Injuries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Injuries. Show all posts

Sunday, October 05, 2008

5 NFL Questions - Week 5

  1. Will the likes of Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers be able to play and be effective?
  2. With both starting tackles out for Carolina, can Kansas City actually get to the quarterback?
  3. Can Indianapolis hold Houston's backs to under 125 yards?
  4. Which unconventional formation (if any) will we see from the Miami Dolphins?
  5. Is Adrian Peterson due for a 200-yard game?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Drafting For Need Is Not Overrated - Just Ask The Steelers Now

Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens. However, the win came with potentially greater losses. First, they lost 1st-round pick Rashard Mendenhall (shoulder fracture), whose name I often altered due to his tendency to put the ball on the ground. Second, starting right guard Kendall Simmons suffered a right Achilles injury. Both players are done for the season and will be placed on injured reserve. In the meanwhile, either Darnell Stapleton or Trai Essex will start in Simmons's place. As for running backs, Mewelde Moore is the only healthy one on the roster, so do not be shocked if the likes of Shaun Alexander, Cedric Benson, Najeh Davenport, Barry Foster, Franco Harris or Rocky Bleier get a call.

After the end of last season, one thing was clear for Pittsburgh. They needed to strengthen the offensive line. In short, that did not happen. Alan Faneca did not re-sign and the Steelers gave a backup tackle (Max Starks) Lee Majors type money. At the NFL Draft, all signs pointed to beefing up the O-Line; however, the first two picks were spent on ultra-talented skill position players who slipped in the eyes of many. In the third round, the Steelers selected speed rusher Bruce Davis with the intention of moving 2007 first-round pick and Ricky Williams shoulder crusher Lawrence Timmons to the inside. Offensive tackle Tony Hills was selected in the 4th round, but was that enough? No.

If the Steelers cannot run the ball with authority, then the team loses the identity that the city of Pittsburgh has come to know and love. Furthermore, the team becomes one-dimensional and predictable, resulting in their big investment, Big Ben, to be on his back on Sundays and in the trainer's room on Monday through Saturday. With a physical defense like the Jacksonville Jaguars (Pittsburgh's Week 5 opponent) anxiously waiting in the wings, I am curious to see how the Steelers will alter their passing game to avoid situations early in the game in which Big Ben is in the pocket for long periods of time. Earlier in Big Ben's career when he was less established, the Steelers used more wide receiver screens to get the ball out of his hands and let teammates makes plays. Perhaps, this will be a strategy employed to reduce the predictability of a team led by a dropback passer who lacks the privilege of a firm run game. No matter what strategy they use in the coming weeks to win games, the Steelers will need to rely on defense and special teams.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Implications of Bob Sanders's Injury

As if the Colts early struggles were not enough to warrant worry, concerns about being a serious Super Bowl contender multiplied when hearing that 2007 Defensive POY Bob Sanders will be out for up to six weeks. Even with Sanders in two games this season, the Colts defensive statistics were nothing to write home about. With a healthy Sanders who played in all but one game last season, the Colts boasted a top five defense while playing in a division that had three teams make the playoffs. In 2006, the 5 foot 8, 206 pound Sanders only featured in four regular season matchups, allowing for everyone with two legs to rack up 100+ yards and at least one touchdown on the ground.

2008 Defensive Ranks for Indianapolis
Total Defense: 16th
Rushing: 28th
Passing: 4th

2007 Defensive Ranks for Indianapolis
Total Defense: 3rd
Rushing: 15th
Passing: 2nd

2006 Defensive Ranks for Indianapolis
Total Defense: 21st
Rushing: 32nd
Passing: 2nd

Looking forward to the next six weeks, Sanders will likely be replaced by backup strong safety Matt Giordano, who started four games last season and played admirably in three years of spot duty. Though he is not the dynamic safety that Sanders is, Giordano will be very serviceable in defending the pass. Yet, the major void left by Sanders’s absence may be felt immediately in stopping the run when Jacksonville, an equally hurting team, visits Indianapolis with the desire to resurrect the physical nature that has made them a regular fixture in the AFC Playoffs. Knowing this, the Colts must also rectify their inability to make holes for Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes in order to reduce the number of throws that Peyton Manning must make in order to win games. A team that cannot win either battle on the line will be a team that will be watching the playoffs at home.

Colts’ Opponents During the Next 6 Weeks
Week 3: v. Jacksonville
Week 4: v. BYE
Week 5: @ Houston
Week 6: v. Baltimore
Week 7: @ Green Bay
Week 8: @ Tennessee

Monday, September 24, 2007

Key Injuries Looking Forward to Week 4

I have a little time today due to having four wisdom teeth removed on Friday, so here are some of the injuries that may impact your fantasy teams. There will be more information as we receive further reports.

QUARTERBACKS
Player Injured: JP Losman (knee)
Prognosis: Out at least 3 weeks and probably longer
Impact: Rookie Trent Edwards will be the starter. Lee Evans loses overall value, but will not be completely useless as both the Jets and Cowboys give up yards to #1 wide receivers. The Bills have a bye in Week 6.

Player Injured: Jake Delhomme (elbow)
Prognosis: No structural damage. Day-to-day (but aren’t we all?)
Impact: Hello, David Carr. If he can’t go against Tampa, Carr is the guy. Not too much of a fantasy drop-off for Steve Smith.

Player Injured: Jay Cutler (mild ankle sprain)
Prognosis: Uncertain
Impact: Cutler is resilient and his backup Patrick Ramsey moves around the pocket like a person with a chronic ankle sprain. Either way, good luck playing at the Colts next week.

Player Injured: Josh McCown (left foot injury)
Prognosis: Uncertain
Impact: McCown gutted it out until halftime, but Oakland head coach Lane Kiffin opted for Daunte Culpepper. No fantasy drop-offs expected, though the team seemed to operate slightly better with McCown at the controls.

RUNNING BACKS
Player Injured: Brian Westbrook (abdominal strain)
Prognosis: X-rays negative
Impact: Westbrook will be likely listed as questionable and come out to play against the Giants, who will expect him to be at 100%.

Player Injured: Ahman Green (left knee sprain) and Ron Dayne (chest)
Prognosis: Uncertain
Impact: If I am Gary Kubiak, I sit both of these guys down and play Samkon Gado against the hapless Falcons.

Player Injured: Rudi Johnson (hamstring)
Prognosis: Should play next week
Impact: Uh oh. Hamstring injuries don’t go away. The shifty Kenny Watson is the beneficiary of Rudi’s ailments. He won’t benefit too much as the Bengals face New England. Rudi is a trooper though and the extra day to heal will alleviate doubts.

Player Injured: Clinton Portis (?)
Prognosis: Should play after bye week
Impact: Portis limped off the field in the second quarter but returned. His absence on the final drive was curious, though Ladell Betts is a very established backup.

Player Injured: Chester Taylor (hip)
Prognosis: Questionable (like his ability to carry the ball inside the red zone)
Impact: A molester to defenses within the 20s, Taylor’s hip continues to trouble him. Childress could have used Taylor yesterday in the second half to lighten the load for rookie phenom Adrian Peterson.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Player Injured: Hines Ward (bone bruise)
Prognosis: MRI negative. Likely to play in Week 4
Impact: No real impact. The Steelers have had comfortable leads in the second half of each of their games, so that has subtracted from Ward’s fantasy output.

Player Injured: Calvin Johnson (bruised lower back)
Prognosis: Uncertain
Impact: Johnson was poised for a career game when he made an amazing catch that put his condition in doubt. This will improve the fantasy status of Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald, but may hurt Roy Williams in the rare two-receiver sets.

Player Injured: Jacoby Jones (separated shoulder)
Prognosis: Out at least 2 weeks
Impact: If you’ve seen Jones’s potential, this stinks. Kevin Walter and Jerome Mathis are the only healthy receivers for the Texans. They could sign or trade for a receiver. If they were playing 30 other teams, they’d have no chance this week, but they play the Falcons (and possibly without DeAngelo Hall).

OTHERS
Player Injured: Vernon Davis (sprained right knee)
Prognosis: Will undergo MRI and re-evaluation
Impact: Head coach Mike Nolan is optimistic that Davis is fine, but I’m not optimistic about that offense. The 56 yards gained surpassed his previous output, but it’s pitiful given the camp reports during the pre-season. NEVER read into the pre-season.

Player Injured: Paul Posluzny (arm)
Prognosis: Out for the year
Impact: There goes my defensive rookie of the year pick. He was off to a solid start. This hurts a stout Bills defense that is on the field for long periods of time due to a largely inept offense.

Player Injured: Steve McKinney (torn ACL)
Prognosis: Out for the year
Impact: Houston is competing with Buffalo for the most injuries. McKinney’s injury hurts the depth for an already-thin Texans O-line.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

NFL Not-So-Quick Hitters

After two weeks, the experts are deciding which 2-0 teams are pretenders and contenders. I’ll spare you the regurgitation of 15-minute ESPNEWS loops and provide comment on the major goings-on in the National Football League.

I’m avoiding talk of the “declining” Donovan McNabb, because I intend to rail on that issue tomorrow.

1. First things first. Randy Thomas suffered torn left triceps during last night’s game against the Eagles. According to the AP, Thomas will have surgery to repair the tear, which will require him to wear a splint for at least six weeks followed by rehabilitation for several weeks afterwards. He’s likely headed to the injured/reserve list. That means the right side of the undefeated Redskins line is out of commission (Jon Jansen out for the year). Normally, it would be panic time in Washington, but Joe Gibbs has faith in longtime Jets guard Jason Fabini and fellow veteran Todd Wade. Additionally, Washington is high on rookie tackle Stephon Heyer, who excelled in training camp. Don’t be shocked if Keydrick Vincent enters talks with Washington. His run blocking quality fits the two-back system employed by the Redskins.

2. The Jets season of woe continues. No, there is no QB controversy, but they lost their sole Pro Bowl player CB/KR Justin Miller for the year. In this league where you now need 15 corners to endure a season, Miller possessed added value. As an aside, for the Madden ’08 heads, use Miller as the third player from the right in the punt block formation. He has nine blocks for me this season. Yes, nine. On top of that, I suck at Madden, so a real player who can actually force the computer to punt would get at least twenty.

3. Lord Byron has landed in Lukewarm-lanta. With that poor excuse for an offense, I refuse to call it Hotlanta unless when referring to the Braves. Leftwich's deal lasts two years and is worth $7M. He will be there “to compete with” Joey Harrington. Reading between the lines, Leftwich will be starter after a successful second-half showing prior to the bye and named starter thereafter, or he will be the starter after the Week 8 bye. I guess Bobby Petrino is not serious about drafting Brian Brohm. Side note: What kind of slap in the face would it be to Brohm if the Falcons drafted Kentucky’s ‘Andre Woodson?

4. The Pokes signed suspended and embattled defensive tackle Tank Johnson. NFL teams think they’re so brilliant when they sign players the week before their team plays their new signee’s team. Honestly, what can Johnson tell them? They like to blitz a lot. They play Cover 2. Urlacher is good. Let Grossman throw a pick-six. Anyhow, Dallas can look forward to Johnson contributing from Week 9 onward when his suspension is over. In that time, he will have to become accustomed to the switch from his role in a 4-3 Cover 2 defense to being a nose tackle in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 setup. Starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson was ruled out for the year after their Week 1 shootout with New York.

5. Kevin Curtis is tarrible [sic]. He was a bad signing and has shown signs of one Todd Pinkston. He can still be good, but why sign a player to a lucrative contract with a similar skill set to your new #1 wide receiver Reggie Brown (who should not be a WR1 but that is another story for another day)? Until Philadelphia signs an impact player who can catch the ball over the middle, Donovan McNabb will continue to be marginalized by a limited playbook. Expect Philly to consider speaking with free agent misfit Antonio Bryant or a player on the block who’s not afraid to be a possession receiver.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Clement’s Weekly Picks and Prognostications – Week 2…

One week down, sixteen to go. While some of your favorite NFL teams faltered (cough, Jets), others like Tarvaris Jackson and the 1-0 Vikes surprised.

In the fantasy realm, Dallas QB Mr. Carrie Underwood broke open more than a few matchups with a 5-touchdown performance (4 through the air, 1 on the ground) while still enabling fantasy owners of TO (2 TD receptions in the second half) and even Marion Barber III (impressive TD run on a fourth and short) to enjoy their respective days.

That Randy Moss guy (9 receptions, 183 yds, TD) put up impressive numbers in his Patriots debut despite missing nearly the entire pre-season. The same can be said for Plexico Burress and his 3 TD Sunday night performance.

The opening week signified struggle and disappointment for the big three of fantasy football. Despite totaling 2 TDs, LT underachieved with less than 30 yards rushing. LJ was non-existent. Steven was missing the “Action” from his Jackson, matching last year’s lost fumble total of two.

As for last week’s predictions, as one of my idols, Johnny Drama might say, “VICTORY!”

The Panthers game finished exactly as I expected. Ditto for the matchup on Sunday Night. Had Brian Billick arrived in Cincinnati with a gameplan and Steve McNair had two less turnovers, I’d be bringing out the brooms. Unfortunately, he didn’t. Nevertheless, LSU putting the beatdown on Virginia Tech made for a 3-1 final tally in Week 1. The Tigers thrashing allowed us to take the briefest of glimpses at QB Tyrod Taylor, who should be a professional after his junior season in Blacksburg.

Now that Week 1 is spoken for, I figured I’d keep the love coming fast and furiously!

Week 2 NFL Picks: [2-1]
Indianapolis @ Tennessee [-7]















Source: ViewImages.com


-So Vince Young, you’ve got the Madden curse staring you directly in the face and the Colts at your place in Week 2. Step up with the upset and you can lay claim as the leader of the up-and-coming team in the AFC. Sadly, that’s easier said than done. Despite totally shutting down the Jaguars rushing attack last week, look for the downhill rushing of Addai and the precision downfield aerial assault of Manning to take over midway through the 2nd quarter as the Colts cruise by double digits.

Sunday Night Football
San Diego @ New England [-3.5]


















Source: NBCSports


-Both teams took home key victories in Week One. However, the Patriots looked as good as possible doing it. While LT is more than willing to call out the Patriots yet again, the Patriots seem as determined as ever to return to the Super Bowl. Always trust a Bill Belichick team over a Norv Turner team. Always.

Monday Night Football
Washington @ Philadelphia [-6.5]













Source: Yahoo! Sports

-If you think Philly only lost due to a pair of special teams disasters, you completely ignored the dominant performance by the Packers front 7 against the interior of the Eagles offensive line. While Jason Campbell was far from stellar against the Fins, he did walk away 1-0. Neither team looked very good, but remember that the Skins always play the Eagles tough at home. Since it’s a road game, take the Iggles…big.

Week 2 NCAA Picks: [1-0]
#22 Tennessee @ #5 Florida [-8]
















Source: FoxSports.com

-Run the ball and you win in this series. If you are Tennessee, control the game for three quarters and then let the whole dang thing slip away in the closing minutes. Tennessee is too mistake-prone to win in the Swamp, or cover the points, without a more solidified rushing attack.

#1 USC [-10.5] @ #14 Nebraska














Source: GettyImages


-It will be a sheik pick to take Bill Callahan’s Huskers in this game; a sort of program-rebuilding game. Yeah, we’re buying that one. Don’t let any upset talk fool you, Pete Carroll is more than ready to lead his Trojans, who may double or triple this spread, to certain victory.

3 Must Starts and 3 Must Sits;
START
Last Week
Jacksonville Defense: Neither beautiful nor a disaster, fantasy-wise at least. Push. I should’ve suggested anyone playing against Charlie Frye.
Brian Westbrook:
No TD and an Eagle loss. Unimpressive on all accounts.
Darrell Jackson:
Too bad we couldn’t count that fumble recovery he pounced on in the endzone.

This Week
Willis McGahee:
Without the Jets rush D (or complete lack thereof), McGahee gets $20-million from Baltimore instead of $40. Start him. Unless you don't like 117.5 ypg versus 73 ypg for his career.
Donald Driver:
Don’t even think about sitting him, bum foot or not. The Giants secondary will get torched for the second week in a row.
Maurice Jones-Drew:
It’s going to be a bumpy ride all season. When you see the Atlanta D (especially without Rod Coleman) on your schedule, start your running back with confidence.

SIT
Last Week
Lee Evans:
Hater or not, I KNEW IT! Score one for the big guy.
Ronnie Brown:
Not the trickiest of picks. Now as for next week…
Joe Horn:
Nice fill-in pick. Then again, was it too easy?

This Week
Antwaan Randel-El:
He won’t see nearly as many targets as the Skins will pound the ball on Monday night. Don’t buy this guy too heavily.
Jerricho Cotchery:
Lav Coles is a sturdier redzone target; nevertheless, neither Jet wideout will fare as well as Ocho Cinco and Houshmandzadeh did on Monday night (especially since Clemens appears to be in as Pennington is likely out this weekend).
Laurence Maroney:
You gotta start him … or do you? The Chargers rush D will force Tom Brady to beat them with his arm … which he gladly will.

I’d say more, but you’ve had more than enough love this week.

Until next time…