| Authored by Jean-Luc Nicolas - 11th September, 2006 - 8:10 pm
 Where Did That Come From?
- Donte Stallworth, wearing the 81 in reverse, gave the Eagles exactly what Terrell Owens gave them for about 20 games; 141 yards, including a 42 yard score. Stallworth has always had heaps of talent and he will now be Donovan McNabb’s favorite target.
- As I wrote in my column on the
Niners, Frank Gore had a monster game at Cardinals ‘Don’t Call It Pink Taco’ Stadium. If he is on your roster, trade him now, as his value will never be higher. If you don’t have him, be careful how much you give up. This was far from a fluke game, as he did prove his worth in a productive rookie season, but his stock will surely drop next week versus a Rams’ team that made the Broncos’ storied running game look fairly ordinary.
- That shoulder of Chad Pennington looked very good in Tennessee. Let’s not forget that the Jets were a field goal away from the AFC Championship Game just a year and a half ago and his 319 yards could take the franchise out of the Brady Quinn derby.
What Happened There?
- Shaun Alexander began life without Steve Hutchinson with a nightmare game for fantasy owners. 51 yards on 19 carries, with a fumble instead of a touchdown is not what we have come to love, expect and demand from a consensus top-three pick. The fact that the poor performance came against the Lions, who haven’t exactly been a defensive force over the past few years, but perhaps that defensive line is better than advertised; we’ll find out when Seattle hosts Arizona.
- Larry Johnson began life without Priest Holmes wearing all white at home and officially laying an egg. The 80 yards receiving were nice, but when they beat his rushing numbers, we have a problem. Now that Trent Green will be out for at least two weeks, opposing defenses will key in on the run even more and it will be extremely difficult for him to produce against a stingy Denver defense next week. Saved by the bye in week 3, but 2000 yards on the season is already a dream that is over.
- Since even the most optimistic fan couldn’t have expected Carson Palmer back and healthy in Week 1, it is tough to be too disappointed, but the Bengals’ Passing Game was disappointing in their victory at Kansas City. Palmer only threw for 127 yards and had a fumble. Chad Johnson was on the receiving end of just 48 of those yards. If they don’t air it out better next week against Cleveland, then the concern will be substantiated.
Just About Right
- Warrick Dunn had a typical Warrick Dunn game; a ton of yards and no touchdowns. What is really promising here is how good Michael Vick looked. He is not going to remain in the pocket this year, which will open up the whole offense, including holes for the little veteran running back.
- That ten years of tape that Terrell Owens referred Bill Parcells to sure looked a lot like his performance in Jacksonville. 80 yards and a touchdown for Owens is a nice average effort and kudos to all those who overlooked the circus that is a T.O. preseason.
- Jeff Wilkins has been one of the most underrated kickers for too many years now. His five field goals (26,38,29,51,48,24) are a very nice way to get points from a position that is usually just a cherry on top.
A Final Note
- We were all expecting the Reggie Bush era of the NFL to be exciting, but exactly how productive he would be was in doubt. After his lunch pale effort in Cleveland, ironically enough, there is no reason not to anoint Bush the LeBron James of the NFL. The Saints needed him as much as the Cavaliers did in 2003 and he will deliver in similar ways. An interesting side note is the effectiveness of utilizing both Deuce McAllister and Bush. There are too many things that Bush can do to just hand the ball off to him 30 times a game and have him rush up the middle 10 times a game. They will use Deuce in that role and let Bush get outside the hash marks where his skills are second to none.
Who do you nominate? Email Jean-Luc at nicolasjeanluc@yahoo.com |
