| Authored by Andrew Perna - 14th October, 2008 - 9:35 pm
 Four games were decided by two points or fewer on Sunday while another went into overtime. Thanks to those last-second finishes, both the Rams and Texans notched their first wins of the season.
With that said, the Lions remain winless, and the Cowboys saw their season flash before them in Arizona.
Week Six was a busy one in the NFL for a variety of reasons, so I won’t waste any more time.
The Downs
First Down...Redskins Surprisingly Fall
The Redskins were flying high heading into Week Six but were instantly knocked off their podium by the formerly-winless Rams at FedEx Field. Washington battled back to take the lead in the fourth with less than four minutes left, but Marc Bulger and Co. moved into field goal range just before time expired.
It’s hard to say who will be more affected by this game. Will it ultimately hurt the Redskins in the NFC East race? Could it help the Rams wake up with eleven games left to play this season? Even with the Romo-less Cowboys on the schedule this Sunday, climbing out of the basement will be tough for St. Louis.
Second Down...Lions Still Searching
Dan Orlovsky started for the first time in his career against the Vikings on Sunday, but the result was still the same. Detroit is 0-5, and they will be without Jon Kitna for the remainder of the season after placing him on the injured reserve Tuesday.
Orlovsky managed a decent game, aside from his embarrassing safety, but a questionable call cost Detroit the game in the final moments after Ryan Longwell kicked Minnesota to a victory. With Kitna on the IR, the Lions are left with Orlovsky, Drew Stanton, and Drew Henson for the remainder of the season. Sadly, their best chance for a win could come this Sunday against the Texans.
Third Down...All Falls Down For Dallas
Not only did the Cowboys fall in overtime to the Cardinals on Sunday, but they also lost Tony Romo (pinkie, four weeks) and Felix Jones (hamstring, at least two weeks) in the process. Dallas was actually lucky that they were able to crawl into overtime and truly didn’t deserve to win that game, regardless.
Brad Johnson won’t make some of the throws Romo can, but he probably won’t lose games, either. Romo’s inability to hold onto the ball (see his three fumbles in Arizona) kept Dallas from taking control of the game, and Johnson is about as savvy as they come these days. At forty, he’s nearly immobile, but I don’t expect the Cowboys to sink with Romo nursing his pinkie.
Fourth Down...Did The Browns Wake Up?
The Browns not only earned their second win of the season, but they also handed the Giants their first loss of the year. Derek Anderson was very good, and Braylon Edwards seems to have cured his case of the drops. Steve Heiden, filling in for Kellen Winslow, also had a productive night.
However, there will be no rest for the weary as the Browns head to Washington to take on the Redskins this weekend. In order to post the ten wins they did in 2007, Cleveland will need to go 8-3 over the next eleven weeks. With the Redskins, Jaguars, and Broncos on the schedule in the next four weeks, that will be no small task.
The ‘Who The Heck’ Statline of the Week...
Patrick Cobbs, Miami RB: Three catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Keyboard Prediction for Week Seven
New Orleans @ Carolina, Sunday 1:00PM EST
After back-to-back correct picks, I’m .500 for the season. This week I’ve decided tackle the Saints and Panthers in their NFC South battle. The division, along with the NFC East, is the only in the NFL without a losing team.
I like Carolina in this matchup, almost entirely because of their nearly immovable defense. New Orleans has one of the league’s best offenses but won’t be able to stop the Panthers’ hard-nosed rushing attack. Drew Brees will throw for 300 yards and probably a couple of touchdowns but only because the Saints will be trailing early on.
The Keyboard Prediction: Panthers 24, Saints 17
Season Record: 3-3
My Fantasy Diary:
Joseph Addai disappointed me mightily, but the rest of The Drew Crew picked up their production and pushed me to .500 (3-3) on the season with a win in Week Six. Addai managed just 3 yards before he departed against the Ravens with an injury, but Philip Rivers, Thomas Jones, Bernard Berrian, and the Eagles defense dominated.
Rivers threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns while Jones had 78 total yards and three scores of his own. Berrian, whom I picked up in favor of Anthony Gonzalez due to a number of injuries to my receivers, owned the Detroit secondary with 131 yards and a trip to the end zone.
It truly was a magical fantasy weekend.
In addition, the Philadelphia defense picked up in the fourth quarter to contribute 17 points to The Crew. Entering the fourth, the Eagles had produced just three fantasy points, but an interception that was returned for a touchdown and a number of sacks in the final fifteen minutes saved the game for the Birds and my team.
I soundly defeated my opponent The K-Team by the score of 121.3 to 103.8. It was a much-needed win, as I am now just a game out of first place in my division.
But with Addai, Felix Jones, Matt Hasselbeck, Chris Chambers, and Marques Colston all limping around, Week Seven will be a tough one.
Week One Record: 4-1
Week Two Record: 4-1
Week Three Record: 1-4
Week Four Record: 3-2
Week Five Record: 2-3
Week Six Record: 4-1
Season Record: 16-9
Top Ten Fantasy Starters At Each Position For Week Seven
Based On Prior Week Performance And Matchups
Bye Week Advisory: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Arizona, Jacksonville
Quarterbacks
1. Jay Cutler, Denver @ New England
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay vs. Indianapolis
3. Philip Rivers, San Diego @ Buffalo
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans @ Carolina
5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis @ Green Bay
6. Brett Favre, N.Y. Jets @ Oakland
6. Jason Campbell, Washington vs. Cleveland
8. Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants vs. San Francisco (injury risk)
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
10. Derek Anderson, Cleveland @ Washington
Running Backs
1. Marion Barber, Dallas @ St. Louis
2. Clinton Portis, Washington vs. Cleveland
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota @ Chicago
4. Frank Gore, San Francisco @ N.Y. Giants
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego @ Buffalo
6. Matt Forte, Chicago vs. Minnesota
7. Ronnie Brown, Miami vs. Baltimore
8. Reggie Bush, New Orleans @ Carolina
9. Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants vs. San Francisco
10. Steven Jackson, St. Louis vs. Dallas
Wide Receivers
1. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis @ Green Bay
2. Brandon Marshall, Denver @ New England
3. Santana Moss, Washington vs. Cleveland
4. Andre Johnson, Houston vs. Detroit
5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay vs. Indianapolis
6. Terrell Owens, Dallas @ St. Louis
7. Lee Evans, Buffalo vs. San Diego
8. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota @ Chicago
9. Chris Chambers, San Diego @ Buffalo (injury risk)
10. Plaxico Burress, N.Y. Giants vs. San Francisco
Tight Ends
1. Antonio Gates, San Diego @ Buffalo
2. Chris Cooley, Washington vs. Cleveland
3. Jason Witten, Dallas @ St. Louis
4. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City vs. Tennessee
5. Anthony Fasano, Miami vs. Baltimore
6. Bo Scaife, Tennessee @ Kansas City
7. Greg Olsen, Chicago vs. Minnesota
8. Owen Daniels, Houston vs. Detroit
9. Kellen Winslow, Cleveland @ Washington (injury risk)
10. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Kickers
1. Matt Prater, Denver @ New England
2. Joe Nedney, San Francisco @ N.Y. Giants
3. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota @ Chicago
4. Nate Kaeding, San Diego @ Buffalo
5. John Carney, N.Y. Giants vs. San Francisco
6. Shaun Suisham, Washington vs. Cleveland
7. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay vs. Seattle
8. Mason Crosby, Green Bay vs. Indianapolis
9. Robbie Gould, Chicago vs. Minnesota
10. Nick Folk, Dallas @ St. Louis
Defense/Special Teams
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, vs. Seattle
2. Tennessee Titans, @ Kansas City
3. Chicago Bears, vs. Minnesota
4. Pittsburgh Steelers, @ Cincinnati
5. Green Bay Packers, vs. Indianapolis
6. Minnesota Vikings, @ Chicago
7. Baltimore Ravens, @ Miami
8. Carolina Panthers, vs. New Orleans
9. N.Y. Jets, @ Oakland
10. N.Y. Giants, vs. San Francisco
Predictions, Fantasy Stories, or Comments? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
