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Today the Giants have placed middle linebacker Antonio Pierce on injured reserve (IR) with a bulging disk in his neck.

“It’s crazy because I feel great,” Pierce said on WFAN (via the NY Daily News), before the Giants’ decision was announced. “And that’s honest. The only reason I went and got MRI done anyway is just because the trainers wanted to have something on record as far as just making sure you’re OK, because when a player gets a burner or a stinger you just want to get a check up on it. That’s where I thought we were. That’s where the Giants thought we were.

“But obviously it turned out to be something different, something that still doesn’t bother me. But when the MRI says one thing and the doctors say ‘This is what happens if you do play,’ you’ve got to listen to them.”

As Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News points out, Pierce, 31, will earn $4.75 million in the final year of his contract in 2010. However, the Giants may release him and look for help in free agency.

Chase Blackburn has started while Pierce has been out for the past two games and it's likely that Jonathan Goff will see an increase in playing time.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

His Notre Dame "internship" has officially come to an end.

Back in 2005, Charlie Weis signed a new 10-year contract to replace the six-year contract he had signed in 2004.

"In a very short period of time, Charlie has clearly and impressively demonstrated the ability to take the Notre Dame program where we all want it to go," said Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White at the time.

Today Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick announced that Weis won't be back as Notre Dame coach.

"He will go on to have great success. He'll add some Super Bowl rings to the ones he already has as a successful coordinator in the NFL and we will miss him," Swarbrick said (via ESPN). "But for us it's time to move forward. It's time to move forward because it is critical to this program and to its place in the university and college football that we compete at the highest level. That we compete for national championships."

Weis finished with a record of 35-27 in his five years as head coach in South Bend. In the past three seasons, however, Weis had a losing record (16-21).

With the Weis firing, there is a very high likelihood that top of its top playmakers -- QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate -- will leave early for the NFL.

Although the interest may not be reciprocal (at least based on public comments), Florida's Urban Meyer and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops are rumored to be at the top of Notre Dame's list. ESPN's Adam Schefter has said that he's hearing (albeit not firsthand) that the interest from Stoops is "mutual."

Other possible candidates are Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, TCU's Gary Patterson, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, among others.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion against the Washington Redskins yesterday.

That leaves his status for week 13 against the Falcons in doubt although I would expect Jackson to miss the game considering the increased awareness and risk of coming back to soon from concussions.

In the game, Jackson caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season.

On the season, he has caught 44 passes for 769 yards and his average of 17.5 yards per catch ranks fifth in the NFL.

Not only is Jackson a playmaker on offense, but he's the leading punt returner in the NFL with an average of 15.5 yards per return.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Very few people (if any) expected last year's top seed in the AFC to begin the season with an 0-6 record.

As many (i.e., few) expected the Titans to rattle off five consecutive wins after benching Kerry Collins in favor of Vince Young, who owner Bud Adams wanted to see inserted as the team's starter.

Five weeks later, however, it was Young's 99-yard drive to win the game against Arizona yesterday that has them only one game out of the wildcard with five games to go.

Young hit rookie receiver Kenny Britt, who was the Titans' first-round pick, on a 10-yard touchdown pass with time expiring for the game-winner.

"Once you see Vince scramble around, you never know if he's going to run it or throw it," Britt said. "You just have to stay alive, and that's what I did."

If you missed it, here's the drive:

As it stands, the Broncos (7-4) and Jaguars (6-5) currently hold the AFC wildcard spots. Tied with the Jags are the Steelers and Ravens.

But then it's the 5-6 Titans tied with the Texans, the Dolphins (their week 15 opponent) and the Jets.

With five games to go, the Titans play two tough teams -- Indianapolis (this week) and San Diego -- and two bad teams -- St. Louis and Seattle -- in addition to Miami.

Not to be forgotten, Titans RB Chris Johnson has been the league's best running back as he has seven rushing touchdowns during the team's winning streak. And he's rushed for 125+ yards in six consecutive games.

That said, VY passed for a career-high 387 yards and it was his arm that led this run-first team to victory. It's a QB not named Manning that's making coach Jeff Fisher "feel like a winner."

If the Titans, who are as hot as any team lately, can knock off the unbeaten Colts, who clinched the division yesterday, this team just may become the first 0-6 team to make the playoffs.

Whether the Titans make the playoffs or not, who would have expected that "playoffs" and "Titans" would be used in the same sentence this late in the season?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bengals were without running back Cedric Benson for a second straight game.

For a second consecutive game, a Bengals running back went over 100 yards.

Last week, Bernard Scott had 119 yards against the Raiders. This week, Larry Johnson had 107 yards against the Browns.

LJ had 22 carries while Scott had 18 carries for 87 yards.

The Bengals have another favorable run matchup versus the Detroit Lions next week.

While it would seem likely that Benson would play, it seemed likely that he would play today. And I would expect Johnson to be a better handcuff than Scott for Benson next week, if necessary.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Falcons have lost RB Michael Turner and QB Matt Ryan for the remainder of today's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ryan suffered a toe injury during the first series and only threw three passes in the game.

Turner, who returned after missing only one game due to a high-ankle sprain, carried the ball 12 times for only 33 yards before aggravating the ankle injury.

With less than 7 minutes to go in the game, the Bucs have surprisingly held the trio of Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling to only 63 rushing yards on 22 carries.

Coming into this game, the Buccaneers ranked 32nd in the league against the run allowing 168.9 yards per game.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Things have gone from bad to worse for Eli Manning and the New York Giants.

Manning, who had been playing with plantar fasciitis, has developed a stress reaction in his right foot, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. And if the stress reaction could turn into a stress fracture, which would end his season.

In his past six games, Manning has struggled more often than he has not.

He posted solid back-to-back performances against San Diego and Atlanta. But in his other four games during that span, he has thrown only three touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Giants, who started 5-0, are now 6-5 and fighting for their playoff lives as their remaining schedule is challenging with their next three games against their division rivals.

From a fantasy perspective, Manning's opponents from week 13 to 16 (championship game in most leagues) are as follows (pass defense rankings in parenthesis): Dallas (19th), Philadelphia (9th), Washington (1st) and Carolina (5th).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So much for Jason La Canfora's report that Bengals running back Cedric Benson was expected to play today against the Browns.

ESPN's Adam Schefter just reported that Benson won't play in today's game, which makes Bernard Scott an attractive play in fantasy.

Last week, Scott had 119 yards against the Raiders, who have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Today he faces one of the two teams that have allowed more fantasy points to opposing RBs than Oakland in Cleveland.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, Bengals running back Cedric Benson is expected to play today against the Cleveland Browns.

Meanwhile, La Canfora reports that Bengals LB Keith Rivers will miss his third straight game.

In their first matchup of the season, Benson had a pedestrian day against the Browns -- 18 carries for 74 yards and no touchdowns.

However, the Browns are allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, which means Benson could be poised to have a huge week if the reports about his status are accurate.

Last week, Bernard Scott had 119 rushing yards against the Raiders and he would get the start if Benson can't go.

On the season, Benson is averaging 95.4 rushing yards per game and has scored six touchdowns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith has been added to the team's injury report as questionable with sore ribs, according to Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer.

Smith has caught three (of his four) touchdown passes in the past two games.

If Smith plays against the Jets, however, he could have a long day as he'd likely be matched up against shutdown corner Darrelle Revis.

The Jets allowed their first 100-yard receiver (New England's Wes Welker) of the season last week. While Welker was having a career day (15 receptions for 192 yards), Revis held Randy Moss to only 34 receiving yards on five receptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Atlanta Falcons have released running back Verron Haynes and added receiver Troy Bergeron to the active roster today.

Michael Turner, who will be a game-time decision with a high-ankle sprain, has been a limited participant in practice this week. Meanwhile Jerious Norwood, who is questionable for tomorrow's game, was a full participant at practice this week.

Perhaps by releasing Haynes, it indicates that Norwood and/or Turner will be able to play against the Buccaneers tomorrow. If they can't, running back Jason Snelling would see the majority of work.

Tampa Bay has allowed a league-worst 168.9 rushing yards per game so the Falcon running backs should have a big day tomorrow regardless of how the carries will be distributed.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney won't play against the Houston Texans on Sunday, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Freeney, who leads the Colts in sacks (9.5), hasn't practiced all week due to an abdominal injury.

The Texans have the league's third-ranked passing offense (295.8 yards per game) led by quarterback Matt Schaub.

With cornerback Kelvin Hayden still questionable, the Colts could again be without three quarters of their starting secondary. (Safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson are on injured reserve and out for the season.)

In their first matchup, which the Colts won by three, Freeney had 1.5 sacks and Schaub passed for 311 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who has a sprained knee, will miss Sunday's game against the Eagles, per David Elfin of the Washington Times.

With Hall out, Carlos Rogers will step into the starting lineup opposite of Fred Smoot.

"I'll be ready to play," Rogers said. "It ain't nothing new. I'm not going into the game with the attitude of showing [them]. I know I can play. Obviously, they know it, too. That's just how things shaked out. I just gotta take advantage of the opportunity I get, put something good on the field right now."

The first time the Redskins faced the Eagles, Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson beat Rogers on double-move for a 57-yard touchdown.

However, Redskins coach Jim Zorn says that Rogers has "had a good week of practice."

On the season, the Redskins have allowed the fewest passing yards (161.6 ypg) in the league.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who was knocked out of last week's game due to a concussion, had been cleared to play by the Steelers' medical staff and he participated fully in practice this week.

That said, Roethlisberger will not play against the Ravens in their Sunday Night Football matchup, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.

With Charlie Batch out for the remainder of the season, that means Dennis Dixon will get the start in this key divisional matchup.

Both the Steelers, who are 6-4, and the Ravens, who are 5-5, trail the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals, who are 7-3 and hold the head-to-head tie-breaker over both teams.

If Roethlisberger had played, he didn't have as favorable of a fantasy matchup as you might have expected versus a relatively weak Ravens' pass defense. The Ravens have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks over the past four weeks.

Dixon is a must-sit fantasy-wise and Big Ben's absence downgrades the value of the Steelers' receivers -- Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace -- as well as Rashard Mendenhall.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson didn't participate in Friday's practice due to illness and is listed on the team's injury report as questionable, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

It doesn't appear serious as coach Brad Childress said, "It's a concern today. He's sick, but that's it."

Peterson currently ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 999 yards and he is second in rushing touchdowns with 11.

While it seems as though Peterson will be play on Sunday, it would be wise to check back on Sunday. The Vikings and Bears have a 4:15 kickoff.

The Bears rank 23rd in the league against the run allowing 122.3 yards per game.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bengals running back Cedric Benson will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Browns.

"I think Ced is in a good spot right now, and we'll make that decision on Sunday," coach Marvin Lewis said, per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, however, Lewis says that "he's ready to play now."

In last week's loss to the Raiders, rookie Bernard Scott had 119 rushing yards on 21 carries.

Meanwhile Larry Johnson, who had two carries for five yards last week, could be active again for the Bengals.

Said Lewis of Johnson: "He's been doing really good in practices. He has a pretty good grasp of things and looks comfortable. He also has fresh legs compared to the other guys."

Whether it's Benson or Scott that receives the start, either back should have a big week against the Browns, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

And with a victory over the Browns, the Bengals would complete a sweep of the entire division.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit Lions rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew will miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in yesterday's game against the Packers, per Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.

The injury happened on a non-contact play in the first series of yesterday's game.

Pettigrew, the second of the Lions' two first-round picks, had 30 receptions for 346 yards and two touchdowns.

The other tight ends on the Lions' roster are Will Heller and Casey Fitzsimmons. Heller has 19 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns and Fitzsimmons has 17 receptions for 119 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson was questionable and a game-time decision for today's game against the Green Bay Packers.

Meanwhile the Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford seemed to be all but out of this game after suffering a separated (non-throwing) shoulder last week.

Both Stafford and Johnson, however, are in today's starting lineup and are currently on the field for the first series of the game after Detroit recovered a Jordy Nelson fumble on the opening kickoff.

You can discuss the game in our NFL Gameday Forum here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are three running backs that I would consider benching in week 12:

Knowshon Moreno, Broncos: During the Broncos' four-game losing streak, Moreno has received more than 10 carries only once. That was two weeks ago when he had 18 carries for 97 yards against Washington. If that performance gave you hope that he would see more of a featured role in the running game, last week's distribution should have dashed those hopes. Moreno and Correll Buckhalter saw a 10-to-7 split in carries against the Chargers, which makes banking on a workload worthy of starting Moreno a risky proposition.

Matt Forte, Bears: It's always difficult to run the ball against the Minnesota Vikings. However, Forte has found it difficult to run on nearly everyone. In the six weeks since his bye, Forte has rushed for 41 yards or less five times. The one exception (90 yards) came against the Cleveland Browns, who have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards this season. During that six-game span, Forte has more receiving yards (307) than rushing yards (245), but he has had only two games this season with more than 40 receiving yards.

Pierre Thomas, Saints: Thomas always has the potential to have a big week in the high-powered Saints offense. In his past five games, however, Thomas has 57 carries, which is an average of less than 12 carries per game. Thomas has five rushing touchdowns on the season, but he hasn't scored in his past two games. And only the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than this week's opponent (New England).

Also see my RB Studs and my top 40 RB rankings for week 12.

More rankings: Top 20 QBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs | Top 20 Ks | Top 20 Defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Here are three running backs that I expect to have a big week in week 12:

Marion Barber, Cowboys: You could argue that the Cowboys have the most talented trio of running backs in the league. Yet they haven't exploited their ability of their backs as much as I think they could (or should) have this season. Last weekend, the Cowboys gave Marion "The Barbarian" his first 20-carry workload of the season. Although he didn't reach paydirt, MBIII rushed for 99 yards and had his best game since week 2. This week, Barber faces the Raiders, who have given more rushing touchdowns (16) than any other team this season. Only the Bills and Browns have allowed more fantasy points than the Raiders this season. On a short week, the Cowboys and Barber should be able to wear down the Raiders defensive front and get their offense back on track.

Ricky Williams, Dolphins: With Ronnie Brown out for the season, Williams had a three-TD performance (two rushing and one receiving) in his first start of the season last week in prime time against the Carolina Panthers. In the past two games, Williams has received 20+ carries and 100+ yards in both games and this week should be no different. The Bills, who have one of the league's best pass defenses, struggle against the run. In fact, no team has allowed opposing running backs to score more fantasy points on the season.

Jason Snelling, Falcons: Provided that Michael "The Burner" Turner is out for another week, Snelling should be in for a big day against the Buccaneers. With Turner suffering a high-ankle sprain two games ago, Snelling has scored three touchdowns and has put up 35 fantasy points in the past two weeks. This week, he faces the Buccaneers, who are allowing a league-worst 168.9 rushing yards per game. Turner did practice yesterday, but it is unusual for players to only miss one game with this type of injury. If Turner can go, that would diminish Snelling's fantasy value significantly so make sure to check the actives/inactives for the game.

Click here to see my top 40 running backs for week 12.

More rankings: Top 20 QBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs | Top 20 Ks | Top 20 Defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week was my worst week of the season in picking games against the spread (ATS) as I had my first O-for of the season. My goose egg dropped my 2009 cumulative record to 18-15 ATS.

With no help from me, collectively, we (our four "handicappers") went 7-5 in week 11 to improve to 72-59-1 (55%) versus the spread on the season.

Reader beware but here are my week 12 picks:

Dolphins -3 (over Bills): What the Dolphins do well the Bills do poorly. Despite having one of the league's best pass defenses, the Bills rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (165.9 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (15). Even without Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins have an explosive running game as evidenced by Ricky Williams' three-TD (two rushing, one receiving) performance in prime-time against the Panthers last week. Winners of five of their past seven, Miami has gotten itself back on track and into the playoff picture while the Bills are conducting seven-hour interviews with potential coaching replacements.

Seahawks -3 (over Rams): The Seahawks are bad. The Rams are bad. But in this case, "bad" does not equal "bad." Granted the Rams are playing better lately, but if you remember, the Seahawks beat the Rams 28-0 in their first matchup in week 1. The Rams' offense is one-dimensional with Steven Jackson and the Rams will be without QB Marc Bulger this week and perhaps the rest of the season. Facing eight-men fronts, it really is amazing that Jackson is second in the NFL in rushing yards. But the Seahawks have a much more balanced team than the Rams and should be able to put this one away early.

Patriots +1.5 (over Saints): The Saints face their biggest challenge to their unbeaten streak when they host the Patriots on Monday Night Football. The Saints have scored 24 points or more every game this season, but they have allowed five of their past six opponents to score 20+ points and they haven't yet faced an offense nearly as explosive as the Patriots' offense. Tom Brady has thrown for 300+ yards in five consecutive games. During that five-game span, the Patriots have held four of their opponents to 17 points or less. The lone exception was Indianapolis, who scored 21 of their 35 points in the fourth quarter. With two high-powered offenses, I'm taking the defense that has been more consistent lately.

To view the picks of all of our "handicappers" for week 12, click here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will be a game-time decision for the Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Oakland Raiders due to his sprained foot, according to the Associated Press.

"As far as I know, it's a situation where if he's not well enough, he could hurt it more," [Cowboys coach Wade] Phillips said. "That's a big concern."

Witten, who has only missed one game in his career, is having an off-year compared to his production of the past two seasons (177 receptions for 2097 yards and 11 touchdowns).

Through 10 games, he has 54 receptions for 481 yards and only one touchdown.

As ESPN's Matthew Berry points out, Oakland hasn't allowed a receiving TD to tight ends this season so Witten may be in for another long day even if he plays.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford tied a franchise record by throwing five touchdowns in a come-from-behind 38-37 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

At 21 years old, Stafford, the 2009 top overall draft pick, also became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

It looked like Stafford's shoulder might have popped out on the second-to-last play, but he didn't miss any snaps as the Browns called time out. And then he threw the game-winner to fellow first-round rookie Brandon Pettigrew with time running out.

“There’s a lot more that needs to be done,” Schwartz said. “But the first thing you wanted to eliminate was a broken collarbone or one of those things.”

The Lions play the Packers on Thanksgiving and it would seem unlikely that Stafford would play. But then again, he didn't miss a snap after suffering the injury.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Redskins were already without starting running back Clinton Portis, who has missed the past two games with a concussion.

Now they have lost back-up Ladell Betts to a knee injury for at least the rest of this game. There is no word on the extent of his injury.

Betts had four carries for five yards before being injured.

Rock Cartwright has 129 combined yards (63 rushing and 66 receiving) as the Redskins lead 6-0 after three quarters against the Cowboys.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Lions have the league's worst-ranked pass defense (271.7 yards per game allowed) and it's showing today.

As bad as the Browns' offense has been in the past year, they've been equally explosive against the Lions in the first quarter of today's game.

Browns QB Brady Quinn completed eight of nine passes in the first quarter for 151 yards and three touchdowns.

The TDs were all caught by different receivers -- Mohamed Massaquoi, Chansi Stuckey and Josh Cribbs.

It should be back to business as usual for the Browns' offense when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals next week.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are three running backs that I would sit on my bench for week 11:

Marion Barber, Cowboys: The last time that Barber had over 53 rushing yards was in week 2 against the New York Giants. And MBIII has reached paydirt only once in his past five games. Meanwhile Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones wants to see more of Felix Jones as JJ said, "I certainly understand balance, but I'd sure like to see [Felix Jones] with the ball more." I would expect Barber to get more than five carries like he did last week. Since the Redskins have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, however, Barber's production may be limited even if he were to receive a full workload.

Marshawn Lynch, Bills: After serving his three-game suspension, Lynch has played six games and hasn't reached 70 rushing yards in any of them. And he has only one rushing touchdown this season. On the season, Lynch is averaging 42.3 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. In the past two games, Lynch has had only nine carries in each game. Until Lynch shows that he's worthy of a starting spot on your fantasy team, he should remain on your bench.

Laurence Maroney, Patriots: In the past four games, Maroney has rushed for a touchdown every week. Considering his best performance in the first five weeks of the season was a 32-yard game with no touchdowns, Maroney has been a nice surprise for fantasy owners lately. But last week Maroney only received one more carry than Kevin Faulk and Maroney had a critical fumble inside the 5-yard line. Meanwhile Sammy Morris is a game-time decision so Maroney could receive a couple less carries should Morris play. Over the past five weeks, only five teams have allowed fewer fantasy points to opposing running backs than the Jets have.

See my RB studs for week 11.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are three running backs that should have big weeks in fantasy football for week 11:

Kevin Smith, Lions: Along with Cincinnati's Cedric Benson and Baltimore's Ray Rice, Detroit's Kevin Smith was one of my Five Running Backs to Target in Fantasy Drafts. While Benson and Rice have exceeded even my expectations, Smith has been a huge disappointment in 2009. This season, Smith has rushed for 515 yards and only three touchdowns through nine games. He has only one 100-yard rushing game (week 3) and he hasn't scored a touchdown in five weeks. Smith's fortunate should change this week as the Lions face the Cleveland Browns this week. Only the Bills have allowed more fantasy points and more rushing touchdowns to running backs this season.

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers: Mendenhall loves playing the AFC West as his two best games of the year came against the Broncos (155 rushing yards) and Chargers (165 rushing yards). This week, Mendenhall and the Steelers visit the Chiefs, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs this season. The Steelers should be able to establish an early lead against a bad Kansas City team that will be without its best offensive player (Dwayne Bowe) for the next four weeks. With a matchup against the Raiders in week 13, Mendenhall could have an opportunity to eclipse the century mark against the entire division.

Beanie Wells, Cardinals: In his past four games, Wells has scored three touchdowns and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Wells is also getting a bigger chunk of the workload in his timeshare with Tim Hightower. In the past four games, Wells has 51 carries compared to 37 carries for Hightower. In the first five games of the season, the split was in Hightower's favor (51 to 35). With a favorable matchup against the Rams, who have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, Wells (and Hightower, for that matter) should have a big day Sunday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Saints put their unbeaten record on the line against the one-win Buccaneers, they will do so without running back Reggie Bush and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, per Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Neither Bush, who didn't practice this week, nor Ellis, who has missed the past three games, made the trip to Tampa for tomorrow's game.

According to Triplett, Saints coach Sean Payton doesn't expect Bush's injury to linger. Meanwhile Ellis returned to practice on a limited basis this week.

Last week, Bush had his best game of the season when he rushed for 83 yards (on six carries) and scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving).

In the three games that Ellis has missed, the Saints have allowed a league-worst 473 rushing yards, which should bode well for Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are the stats (receptions and receiving yards) for Patriots receiver Randy Moss in his first three games of the year: 12-141, 4-24 and 10-116.

Can you guess in which of those three games Moss faced Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis?

If you recall, Moss said that it was safety help over the top that led to his lack of production in week two and that there is no such thing as a "shutdown corner."

That said, it's time for round two between these two and Revis is standing by his words.

“Everybody saw the game, everybody knew I was in man coverage,” Revis said (via the Boston Herald). “He’s supposed to say that . . . (That) day wasn’t his day. He got shut out, and he was frustrated about it. Cool. I don’t have nothing against him. I still think he’s one of the best receivers in the league. If that’s what he said, that’s on him. We play them twice a year. I have to see him again, he has to see me again.”

“I don’t feed into talking and all that crazy stuff. I’m a 12-year vet. So that stuff don’t bother me,” Moss said. “My biggest thing is, when you talk like that, you better back it up. So, we’ll see. We’ll see what goes down.”

In his past four games, Moss has 28 receptions for 524 yards and six touchdowns including three 100-yard games.

If you have Randy Moss on your fantasy football team, he's a must-start even when he's facing arguably the league's top cornerback (no disrepsect intended for Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha). That said, I would temper your expectations if you expect another 100-yard, multi-touchdown performance from Moss.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As one of the two last teams to have their bye, the New York Giants moved up in the NFC East standings last week as both the Cowboys and Eagles lost.

This week, the Giants host the Atlanta Falcons, who will almost definitely be without running back Michael "The Burner" Turner.

After yesterday's practice, former Giant defensive end Michael Strahan delivered an impromptu pep talk, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

"He said just 'Trust in each other. Teamwork is in huge,'" said linebacker Danny Clark. "He said, 'That's why this team has been so successful for so long. This is a team.' And he knows something about that."

The bye week came at the perfect time for the Giants, who have lost their last four games.

With an extra week to prepare for the Falcons and the slight momentum change in week 10, I expect the Giants to right the ship in week 11 whether they had a pep talk from Strahan or not.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For entertainment purposes, I pick three NFL games against the spread (ATS) every week. The past three weeks have been "entertaining" as I've picked seven games correctly (and only two incorrectly) ATS in the past three weeks.

Here are my NFL picks for week 11:

Giants -6.5 (over Falcons): Last week was the best week for the Giants in over a month. Not only did they not lose another game (due to their bye), but they gained on their division rivals -- Dallas and Philadelphia, both of whom lost last week. Despite their current four-game losing streak, the Giants are a good football team and sometimes it takes a week off where things fall into place to get a team out of a rut. That's actually what happened with the Cowboys, who began a four-game winning streak after their bye with a win over Atlanta. The Falcons will be without stud running back Michael "The Burner" Turner and the Giants have had an extra week to game plan for the Falcons.

Lions -3.5 (over Browns): While the Lions and Browns have identical 1-9 records, I believe there is a big difference in the level of competitiveness between these two teams. In my opinion, the Browns are the worst team in the league and it's possible they will be without their best all-around player in Joshua Cribbs, who was hurt on the last play of the Ravens' Monday Night game. On the season, the Browns have scored only 78 points in ten games. They've scored six or fewer points in six of their ten games including their only win in 2009.

Bengals -9.5 (over Raiders): The Bengals may be without running back Cedric Benson, who suffered a hip injury against the Steelers last week, as it looks like he'll be a game-time decision. Meanwhile, the Raiders have benched former #1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. (That should turn their fortunes around, right?) The Bengals are one of the best teams in the league and the feel-good story of the 2009 season. The Bengals, who have been dubbed "The Bungles," should provide inspiration to the Raiders, who are perhaps the most poorly-managed franchise in major team sports. Meanwhile, the Raiders provide the Bengals with a scrimmage partner.

See all of our week 11 picks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Miami Dolphins have placed running back Ronnie Brown on injured reserve (IR), which ends his season.

For the second time in the past three years, Brown will play less than ten games in a season.

When Brown played only seven games in 2007, he was playing as well as any running back in the league. In his final five games of that season, Brown had 850 combined rushing and receiving yards during that span.

After a down (but full) year in 2008, Brown was playing well in 2009 before suffering a season-ending injury to his right foot last week.

On the season, Brown had 648 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in nine games.

Last week, Ricky Williams rushed 20 times for 102 yards and he will be expected to carry the load for the Dolphins. Lex Hilliard will move into the back-up role.

This week, the Dolphins play the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed the 25th-most rushing yards in the NFL.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was a statement victory for the Bengals yesterday.

Tied with Pittsburgh heading into yesterday's game, the Bengals beat the Steelers on the road despite losing running back Cedric Benson to a hip injury in the second quarter of the game.

That said, Benson hopes to play next week against the Oakland Raiders.

While the Bengals would obviously prefer to have Benson than to not have him available, the Bengals should be able to win their next three games (Oakland, Cleveland and Detroit) with or without his services.

And at 7-2 and after completing season sweeps against their two main division rivals -- Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the Bengals are clearly in the driver's seat in the division.

So, how might they ruin the momentum?
ESPN reports that the Bengals are about to sign running back Larry Johnson, who was released by the Chiefs last week.

"... It would be as a fourth running back and an opportunity as a backup player on this football team doing all the things backup players do, and that's work their tails off in the kicking game and showing looks [on the scout team] and so forth that way," [Bengals coach Marvin] Lewis said (via ESPN). "And then he would be an insurance policy if something would happen down the line to one of our guys where he'd have a chance to be active. But I couldn't foresee him being active when he was initially here, if this is what happens. And that's what I've told him."

From a football standpoint, LJ's physical running style could provide depth and insurance for the Bengals at a reasonable price (prorated league-minimum salary).

From a locker room and team chemistry standpoint, however, it surprises me that a team that has essentially put character and off-the-field problems behind it are tempting fate.

On the season, Johnson was averaging 51.1 rushing yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's the easily the best modern-day rivalry in the NFL.

And tonight it didn't disappoint.

The Colts, who trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter, scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to edge the Patriots 35-34 to remain unbeaten.

The Patriots and coach Bill Belichick set up the Colts in their final drive by going for it on fourth and two and coming up short on a pass to Kevin Faulk.

Had the Patriots held on to win, the Colts would have fallen to 8-1 with only a one-game lead over the Patriots, who would have held the tie-breaker, and the Bengals.

The Colts have now won 18 consecutive regular-season games -- nine wins to end 2008 and nine wins to begin 2009. They trail only the Patriots for the longest streak (21).

The Colts next four games are against Baltimore, Houston, Tennessee and Denver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't look now.

Actually, that's just a saying and I want you to look.

In the past two weeks, I am 5-1 in picking NFL games against the spread (ATS) and now my season record is 16-11 (or 59.3%) ATS.

Let's keep the ball rolling with these week 10 picks:

Patriots +2.5 (over Colts): The Colts have picked up where they left off last regular season by winning their first eight games to extend their regular-season winning streak to 17 games. They face their biggest challenge of the season in week 10 as the Patriots and their explosive passing attack come to town. The Patriots, who have started their own three-game winning streak, have beaten their last three opponents by a combined score of 121-24. In those three games, Patriots QB Tom Brady has thrown for 1,020 yards (300+ in all three games), ten touchdowns and three interceptions. Losing three-quarters of their starters in the secondary, the Colts young secondary will be put to the ultimate test this week.

Broncos -3.5 (over Redskins): If this game were played two weeks ago, the spread would have been much higher. While the Broncos have struggled in the past two weeks, they've played two physical teams in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Broncos aren't as bad as they have looked in the past two games whereas the Redskins are still one of the worst teams in the league. (Dan Snyder may be able to keep signs out of the stands, but he would be wiser to keep the Redskins off the field.) The Redskins will be without running back Clinton Portis, who suffered a concussion last week. The Broncos will get back on track in the nation's capital.

Ravens -10.5 (over Browns): The Ravens have lost four of their past five games and haven't played well. However, they have lost to the Vikings, Bengals (twice), Patriots -- all division leaders. The perfect cure for a team's struggles is to face the Browns, who have been outscored 78-209 this season. In their first matchup this season, the Ravens beat the Browns by 31 points. This will be one of the worst Monday Night Football games of the year, especially if you're a Browns' fan, as the Ravens will easily take care of business.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has thrown a lot of interceptions in his short career. Heading into tonight's game, he threw 49 interceptions in 45 games in his career.

But he's never thrown five interceptions in one game.

Until now, that is.

In tonight's loss to the 49ers, Cutler passed for 307 yards but he threw five interceptions and no touchdowns.

On the season, Cutler has thrown 17 interceptions through nine games and leads all quarterbacks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After serving his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, running back Larry Johnson was waived by the Chiefs, per the Associated Press.

For teams interested in Johnson, they can make a waiver claim for him by 4 p.m. today. If a team claims Johnson off waivers, they would owe him the prorated remainder of his $4.55 million salary. If he clears waivers, then he would be free to sign with any team.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley wouldn't comment specifically on whether it was his low production or his recent off-the-field issues that were the primary reason for his release.

“It wouldn’t be fair of me to try to comment on that in any way other than to say the totality of the situation was factored in—what we felt was best for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Haley said.

In any event, Johnson, who had 2,199 yards from scrimmage in 2006, could provide some value to some teams who need help at running back.

However, those teams will likely think twice.

Not only has his production declined considerably and he's nearly 30 years old (Nov. 19th), he's a potential cancer to bring to the locker room (and to the night clubs in the team's community).

Some rumored landing spots for LJ are Pittsburgh, by whom Johnson thought he might have been drafted, and Washington, where Clinton Portis recently suffered a concussion and is doubtful for Sunday's game.

Meanwhile that leaves Jamaal Charles, who is averaging over 5 yards per carry for his career, as the starting running back in KC.

In his start Sunday, however, Charles was only given six carries (for 36 yards) while Kolby Smith, who was activated from the PUP list, received four carries.

Charles (and Kansas City) has favorable matchups down the stretch in fantasy football against average-to-bad run defenses, such as Oakland, San Diego, Buffalo and Cleveland. It remains to be seen whether the Chiefs will allow Charles to take advantage of those matchups by giving him the rock.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who fractured his arm in today's game, could be done for the season, according to the team's website.

"I caught the ball, I looked upfield. I tried to split the guys and turned toward the end zone," said Henry. "I was about to get up and I felt my arm (hurt), and then I noticed it was broke.”

Henry broke his arm while making a 20-yard reception, which was his only catch of the day.

On the season, Henry only had 12 receptions for 236 yards, but Henry provided the Bengals with the big-play threat.

Of his 12 receptions, 11 were for first downs and his 19.7 yards per reception leads the team.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to sources of ESPN's Adam Schefter, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook won't play in tonight's game against the Cowboys.

Westbrook sat out last week after suffering a concussion during the game against the Redskins on October 26th.

Both the Cowboys and Eagles are tied for first in the NFC East with 5-2 records. The Giants, who are a half-game behind the leaders at 5-3, are playing the San Diego Chargers this afternoon.

Rookie LeSean McCoy, who was the Eagles' second-round draft pick, will get another start and he leads the Eagles in rushing with 294 yards.

But in the past four games, McCoy has yard-per-carry averages of 2.3, 2.6, 2.6 and 7.5. However, if you remove the 66-yard run he had last week against the Giants, he had 10 carries for 16 yards (or a 1.6 YPC).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With six teams on a bye in week 9, you won't have the services of Adrian Peterson (Minnesota), Steven Jackson (St. Louis) and Thomas Jones (NY Jets) for your fantasy team this week.

Here are some players who are scheduled to play that I think will under-perform relative to their fantasy rankings for week 9:

Matt Forte, Bears (consensus rank 14): Last year, Forte was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy football. This year, he's one of the biggest disappointments. Through seven games, he has 408 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He's had two good games: 121 yards and a score vs Detroit and 90 yards and two scores vs Cleveland. But anyone can run on Cleveland and Detroit, who have given up the third most and sixth most fantasy points to running backs, respectively. In fact, Forte followed up his first good performance (vs Detroit) with a 23-yard game (15 carries) against a Falcons run defense that currently ranks 23rd in the NFL. This week, Forte faces the team that had led the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed heading into last week. Although the Cardinals allowed the Panthers to run the ball against them last week, they still rank eighth in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed (96.4 ypg). And if you're looking for Forte to compensate as a receiver, only the Buccaneers have allowed fewer receptions to RBs than the Cardinals have.

Joseph Addai, Colts (consensus rank 12): The positives for Addai? Two consecutive 20-carry games and he's scored five touchdowns in seven games. But Addai is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry on the season and he's never had more than 64 rushing yards in any game this season. Donald Brown, who was injured two weeks ago and didn't play last week, is questionable for Sunday's game and will be a game-time decision. If Brown returns, that will reduce several of Addai's carries. And in the past five weeks, the Texans have allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs in the NFL.

Brian Westbrook, Eagles (consensus rank 13): Westbrook has been one of the best and most dangerous running backs in the NFL for several years. After sitting last week due to a concussion, Westbrook will be back in the starting lineup against the Cowboys. But let's take a look at Westbrook's numbers pre-concussion. He's averaging only 39.4 rushing yards per game (lowest since his rookie season) and 26 receiving yards per game (lowest since his second season). Westbrook has never received more than 13 carries in one game this season and there is only one game in which he has more than 20 receiving yards. While Westbrook has the potential to make a big play at any time, he's no longer a sure thing (when healthy) in fantasy football.

Click here to view my RB Studs in week 9 for fantasy football.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week the Texans benched running back Steve Slaton after he fumbled his only carry in favor of Ryan Moats.

Moats, who was probably the most added player in fantasy football this week, finished the game with 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns (a franchise record).

For tomorrow's game against the Colts, Texans coach Gary Kubiak has named Moats the starter, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

On the season Slaton has lost five fumbles in 110 carries. Last year he lost only two fumbles in 268 carries.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is the final of three consecutive weeks where six teams have their bye week. Some notable running backs on bye are Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, St. Louis' Steven Jackson and New York's Thomas Jones.

That said, here are three running backs that may be a little under the radar that I expect to have a big week:

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers: It should be fairly obvious that Stewart's running mate, DeAngelo Williams, is a must-start every week. And I expect Williams to have a huge game this week. That said, Stewart should have a strong performance as well. In the past four games, Williams and Stewart have combined for a total of 700 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. During that span, Stewart has scored four times including twice last week against what was the league's top-ranked rush defense. This week, the Panthers face a Saints defense that has lost defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis for several weeks and has allowed six rushing touchdowns in the past three games. Only the Giants have allowed more (7) during that span. As the Panthers enter tomorrow's game in a hostile environment as a 13-point underdog against the unbeaten Saints, look for both Stewart and Williams to get a heavy dose of carries as the Panthers try to keep the Saints' high-powered offense off the field and take the crowd out of the game.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs: As Larry Johnson finds himself in the team's doghouse again, Jamaal Charles will finally get his shot to be the offense's featured back. In 90 career rushing attempts, Charles is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. This week he faces the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed Tennessee's Chris Johnson to run for 228 yards last week. Charles, who was drafted in the third-round last year, should get more opportunities to start beyond this week even though LJ's suspension officially ends after this week. If so, Charles will have several favorable matchups in the weeks ahead including Oakland, San Diego, Buffalo and Cleveland to go along with a favorable matchup this week.

Pierre Thomas, Saints: The Saints can pass it and can run it. Quarterback Drew Brees is one of the league's top three quarterbacks and the Saints are tied for the most passing touchdowns (16) in the league. But what may not be as widely-known is the Saints rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (153.3). Of the three options in New Orleans, Thomas is the best bet (over Reggie Bush and Mike Bell). Thomas is averaging nearly six yards per carry. And running on Carolina is much easier than passing on them. The Panthers' pass defense ranks first in the NFL in yards allowed (160.6 ypg). Meanwhile the Panthers run defense ranks 24th in the league and they've allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. In addition, no other team has allowed running backs to catch touchdown passes (four) than the Panthers have.

See week 9 consensus rankings for running backs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez could have had his season go from good to bad to worse.

What helped save it?

Apparently, a DVD given to Sanchez by coach Rex Ryan did, per Rich Cimini of the NY Daily News.

When viewing the DVD called "What We Want," which began with clips of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, Sanchez thought to himself, 'Jeez, who's next, Troy Aikman? Dan Marino?  I'm like, 'I really have to start playing.'"

Instead the video Ryan gave Sanchez included highlights of Sanchez (from USC and his start with the Jets).

"Just looking at the throws, I was like, 'Man, I was awesome. That's me doing it,'" said Sanchez, according to Cimini. "It was a little boost, a little something I could really use. That's exactly what I needed and Rex knew it."

It's easy to forget with the performance of rookie quarterbacks from last year's draft class (Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco) that it's common for rookie quarterbacks to have ups and downs.

Overall Sanchez has played reasonably well "for a rookie."

With the exception of two games (Buffalo and New Orleans), Sanchez never had a QB rating lower than 81.4 for a game.  In those two horrible games, Sanchez threw no touchdowns and eight interceptions.

In his other six games, however, Sanchez has eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.

But Sanchez says, "A lot of people will say, 'Hey, man, you're a rookie and you're playing really good for a rookie.'  But I don't want to play like a rookie. I want to play like a 10-year vet, a Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl champion."

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