TheDailyBlitz.com: Chicago Bears Archives

Bears, Peppers agree to 6-year deal

Per ESPN's John Clayton, the Bears and free-agent defensive end Julius Peppers have reached an agreement on a six-year deal.

According to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, the deal is believed to be worth $72 million with up to $45 million due in the first three seasons.

Peppers, who was the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, has had double-digit sacks in all but two seasons and he will help bolster a Bears' pass rush that recorded 35 sacks last year and only 28 sacks in 2008.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Peppers to visit with Bears first ... and then others?

Free-agent defensive end Julius Peppers will visit with the Chicago Bears on Friday, according to Vaughn McClure and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

"It's a good sign that the Bears are getting the first visit," [Peppers' agent Carl] Carey said.

According to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com, however, Carey said there are two other possibilities.

“Of the teams that have called us, there are two other possibilities that could be worth visiting,” Carey said. “When the Bears called, they said enough to entice us to get on a plane to Chicago. Beyond that, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Regardless of the landing spot for Peppers, he will command a huge payday. While there is no denying his ability, many question his effort and consistency.

Peppers has 81 career sacks in his eight-year career. He followed up a career-low 2.5 sacks in 2007 with a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2008.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Weekly Blitz - Week 16

Every week, I make three picks against the spread (ATS) for that week's NFL games. Here are my three guaranteed (well, unless they lose) winners for week 16:

Texans +1.5 (over Dolphins): Good luck Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. They will need all the luck they can get in trying to stop Andre Johnson, who is averaging 194.5 yards per game over the past two weeks. Both teams are 7-7 and need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Texans strengths match up well with Miami. When the Dolphins have the ball, they will look to feature Ricky Williams. But the Texans have a solid run defense, which could force the 'Fins to pass the ball more than they would otherwise like.

Packers -14 (over Seahawks): This game is a match made in blowout heaven. On one hand, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 293.5 yards per game and nine touchdowns in his past four games. On the other hand, the Seahawks have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (249.4) in the NFL. Moreover, the Packers have blown out many of their inferior opponents whereas the Seahawks have been beaten badly by the teams that should beat them. After last week's heart-breaking loss to Pittsburgh, look for the Packers to take out their revenge on their next opponent. Sorry Seattle.

Vikings -7 (over Bears): While a first-round bye for the Vikings seemed like a lock three weeks ago, they have lost two of their past three games and now only lead the Eagles, who host the Broncos this week, by one game for the #2 seed. The Bears have played better at home (4-3) than on the road (1-6) mainly because QB Jay Cutler has been horrible on the road. But the first time these two teams played, the Vikings pummeled the Bears by 26 points. Matt Forte will struggle to run the ball (what else is new?) and the Vikings will pressure Jay Cutler into costly mistakes (again, what else is new?).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football - RB Sit'em Week 16

Merry Christmas to everyone and if you're reading this, there's a good chance you've made it to your fantasy football league's Championship Game. Congratulations and good luck.

Here are some running backs who will likely put fantasy coal into your stockings:

Matt Forte, Bears (vs Vikings): This week concludes a brutal (fantasy) playoff run for Forte, who faced the Packers and Ravens in the two playoff matchups before the Vikings this week. And, in fact, it's been a hugely disappointing season for anyone who drafted Forte as he was arguably the biggest bust of fantasy drafts. In the past five weeks, Forte had one double-digit performance and that was against the Rams. The first time he played the Vikings (week 12), Forte finished with five fantasy points. Don't expect much more in week 16.

Quinton Ganther, Redskins (vs Cowboys): The majority of Ganther's fantasy production over the past two weeks has come from his three rushing touchdowns. But those TDs were scored against teams -- Oakland and NY Giants -- that have allowed the most and third-most rushing TDs, respectively. After last week's pathetic performance collectively as an offense against the Giants, it would be difficult to garner any kind of confidence in Ganther or any Redskins' player. Considering the Cowboys are allowing only 97.7 rushing yards per game (sixth-fewest in NFL), it would be wiser to sit Ganther on your bench.

LeSean McCoy/Brian Westbrook/Leonard Weaver, Eagles (vs Broncos): After missing five weeks, Westbrook will return and play against the Broncos although it's uncertain how many looks he'll eventually get. Nonetheless that will lower McCoy's value as if it weren't low enough due to sharing work with Leonard Weaver, who had a career high in rushing attempts (17) last week. In a pass-first offense like Philly's and with three backs to get touches, none of them should be within 10 feet of your starting lineup this week.

Justin Forsett, Seahawks (vs Packers): After Julius Jones suffered a bruised lung in week 10, Forsett picked up the slack. In weeks 10-12, Forsett averaged nearly 20 fantasy points per game, had two 100-yard rushing games and scored four touchdowns. But since Jones returned in week 13, Jones (42) has received nearly twice as many carries as Forsett (23). That said, it doesn't help that the Seahawks are facing the Packers, who allow the second-fewest rushing yards per game (83.6) in the NFL.

Click here for RB Start'em for Week 16 and/or my Week 16 RB rankings.

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

Fantasy Football: Week 14 WR Sit'em

With your playoff survival on the line, here are three receivers that I would bench for week 14:

Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers (vs Jets): Antonio Bryant has been playing well as he has hauled in eight receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown in his past two games. However, Bryant is no Randy Moss, Andre Johnson or Steve Smith (Panthers). Aside from being better than Bryant, what do those three have in common? Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis shut them down. So, don't expect for Bryant to buck the trend and sit him on your bench.

Devin Hester, Bears (vs Packers): While I would argue that Darrelle Revis is the league's top cornerback, you could argue that it's Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha or Green Bay's Charles Woodson. This week, the Bears and Hester will face the Packers and Woodson. Hester, who left the week 13 game early with a calf injury, hasn't scored a touchdown since week 7 and he has only one reception in each of his past two games.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs Texans): Houshmandzadeh has been very frustrating to fantasy owners this year. And now that the playoffs are set to begin, can you trust a guy that has posted seven TOTAL fantasy points over the past three weeks? I can't.

For wide receivers to start in week 14, click here.

Check back later for our position-by-position rankings for week 14.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football: Week 14 RB Sit'em

With playoffs beginning this week, here are three running backs that I would consider benching for week 14:

LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (vs Cowboys): Tomlinson has seen a resurgence recently at least in terms of scoring touchdowns. In the past six weeks, he has rushed for eight touchdowns. This week, however, L.T. faces a Dallas defense that has been stingy against the run as they have allowed only five rushing TDs on the season. With a strong possibility of a scoreless day for L.T., it's not likely that you can rely on him accumulating a lot of rushing yards either.

Kevin Smith, Lions (vs Ravens): Smith had a decent game last week as he finished with a combined 104 rushing/receiving yards and a score. As the Lions face another tough run defense, it would be risky to rely on Smith. Smith has been productive in the passing game, but he has only two games with 20+ rushing attempts. And it's been seven weeks since the last 20-carry game.

Matt Forte, Bears (vs Packers): Forte made the Start'em list last week and he delivered with 91 rushing yards and a score. He has had only three games with more than 66 rushing yards and those three games came against Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis. (Let's face it, you or I may be able to run for 100 yards against those defenses.) In week 14, Forte begins the murderers row of run defenses in fantasy playoffs against Green Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore.

For running backs to start for week 14, click here.

Check back later for our position-by-position rankings for week 14.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football: Top 50 WRs for Week 13

With the fantasy football playoffs on the horizon, here are my top 5 wide receivers for week 13:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Dolphins): In his first matchup against the Dolphins, who rank in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed (233 ypg), Moss had six receptions for 147 yards and one TD. On the season, Moss leads the NFL in receiving yards (992) and is only one behind the leaders in TD receptions (eight). After getting their ass whooped on prime-time TV, expect the Patriots, Tom Brady, Moss & Co. to come out swinging.

2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Jaguars): Johnson is one of the league's most complete receivers and perhaps the most underrated. This week, Johnson gets a favorable matchup against the Jaguars, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to receivers this season. On the season, Johnson ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards (945).

3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Vikings): The Vikings have been without Antoine Winfield, the team's best cornerback, for the past five games. On the season, the Vikings have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. My expectation is for QB Kurt Warner to return from his concussion as Fitzgerald had his worst game of the season with Matt Leinart as QB last week. Fitzgerald is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (nine) including four TDs in the last three games in which Warner has played.

4. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Titans): Wayne is second in receptions (79), second in receiving yards (987) and tied for first in touchdowns (nine) in the league. In addition to their improvements with Vince Young under center, the Titans have improved on the defensive side of the ball as they are healthier now. Only the Lions (27) have allowed more receiving touchdowns than the Titans (25) on the season. During their five-game winning streak, however, the Titans have allowed only the 18th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

5. Sidney Rice, Vikings (at Cardinals): In three of his past six games, Rice has 136 receiving yards or more including a game with 201yards. With the exception of his game at Green Bay, Rice has had 89 yards or more in five of his past six. Favre and Rice have built chemistry quickly and they have a favorable matchup against the Cardinals, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers this season.

Click here for top 50 wide receivers for week 13.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football: Top 40 RBs for Week 13

With the fantasy football playoffs on the horizon, here are my top 5 running backs for week 13:

1. Thomas Jones, Jets (at Bills): The first time that Jones faced the Bills this season, he rushed for 210 yards and a touchdown. The Bills have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season and only the Raiders have allowed more rushing TDs than the Bills (16). Since the Jets want QB Mark Sanchez to air it out less and less (his attempts have gone from 35 to 30 to 21 to 17), Jones better bring his lunch-pail tonight.

2. Chris Johnson, Titans (at Colts): As well as Johnson has played in the past six weeks (125+ rushing yards every week), you can consider Johnson 1(a) -- not #2 -- in this week's rankings. During their five-game winning streak, Johnson has rushed for seven touchdowns. Although the Colts have a middle-of-the-pack run defense on the season, they've given up the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs in the past three weeks.

3. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Buccaneers): DeAngelo has cooled off a bit with no touchdowns in the past three weeks and only one 100-yard game during that span. The first time that Williams faced the Buccaneers this season, he carried the ball 30 times for 152 yards and two scores. Expect more of the same against the league's third-worst rush defense.

4. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Cardinals): The Cardinals were the league's top-ranked run defense earlier in the season, but they have dropped to 14th in the NFL against the run (108.6 ypg allowed). In four of the past five weeks, they have allowed an opposing running back to eclipse the century mark. Surprisingly, Peterson has only three 100-yard games on the season, but he is second in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Texans): MJD has rushed for more rushing touchdowns (13) than any other running back. (Of course, none of those are as famous as the TD that he didn't score.) That said, Jones-Drew faces a Texans run defense that turned itself around after the first three weeks. In week 3, however, MJD rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

Click here for top 40 running backs for week 13.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Fantasy Football: Top 25 QBs for Week 13

It's time to put up or shut up. If you haven't yet clinched a playoff berth in your fantasy league, it likely comes down to week 13 for you as most fantasy leagues start their playoffs in week 14.

And to paraphrase Bill Parcells, this is why you buy those cheat sheets, do those mock drafts, etc. -- to get into (and win in) the playoffs.

Here are my top 5 quarterbacks for week 13:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Titans): Manning is the only QB to average over 300 passing yards per game (310.5) and is second in passing touchdowns (24). While the Titans and their defense have been playing better lately, they have allowed the second-most passing touchdowns (25) this season.

2. Brett Favre, Vikings (at Cardinals): In his past four games, Favre has thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. On the season, Arizona allows the fourth-most passing yards (258.3 ypg).

3. Drew Brees, Saints (at Redskins): Brees is coming off a five-TD performance against the Patriots in what was arguably the most important regular-season game in team history. Although this week's opponent (Washington) allows the fewest passing yards in the NFL (170.4 ypg), Brees and the Saints offense are firing on all cylinders right now.

4. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Dolphins): Brady failed to connect on a TD pass last week, but he had 332 passing yards against the Dolphins in their first match-up. With targets like Randy Moss and Wes Welker, it's not likely that Brady goes TD-less in back-to-back games.

5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Chiefs): Rivers has posted three consecutive 100+ QB ratings and this week he faces the Browns, who have allowed the ninth-most passing yards (233.4 ypg) this season. In the past four games, Rivers has thrown eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Click here for top 25 quarterbacks for week 13.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

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

Fantasy Football: RB Start'em for Week 13

For some, this is the do-or-die week in fantasy football as many leagues begin their playoffs in week 14. Fortunately for fantasy owners, there are plenty of favorable matchups for some second-tier running backs.

Here are five running backs that are starts for week 13:

Matt Forte, Bears (vs Rams): Since his bye in week five, this first-round draft pick has exceeded 41 rushing yards only once. However, Forte has been a contributor in the passing game as he ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards (433) among RBs. During typical fantasy football playoff weeks (14 to 16), Forte will face three elite run defenses (ranks): Green Bay (4th), Baltimore (6th) and Minnesota (2nd). In week 13, however, Forte faces St. Louis, who has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs in the past three weeks.

Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs Chiefs): Moreno has rushed for 80+ yards in three consecutive weeks. In week 13, Moreno faces Kansas City, which has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs over the past five weeks.

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (vs Raiders): Mendenhall has rushed for 400 yards against the first three AFC West opponents he's faced. The Raiders, this week's opponents, has allowed a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns in 11 games. And only the Bills and Browns have allowed more fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (vs Browns): While 28 running backs have rushed for more yards than LT, only six have rushed for more touchdowns. Tomlinson has rushed for seven of his eight TDs in the past five weeks. This week should be more of the same as he faces Cleveland, who has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Laurence Maroney, Patriots (vs Dolphins): Another RB that has had the nose for the endzone has been Maroney. Maroney has rushed for a score in six consecutive games and he has scored all eight of his touchdowns during that six-game span. In the last six games, Maroney is averaging over 14 fantasy points per game. While the Dolphins rank in the top 12 in fewest rushing yards allowed, only six teams have given up more rushing touchdowns than Miami has.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Fantasy Football - RB Duds for Week 12

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)

Cutler throws 5 INTs in loss

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)

Fantasy Football: RB Duds for Week 9

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)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 9:

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Miami)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Houston)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Tampa Bay)
4. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Carolina)
5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at NY Giants)
6. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (vs Dallas)
7. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs Detroit)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Philadelphia)
9. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Chicago)
10. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Indianapolis)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 9.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 9:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Kansas City)
2. Ray Rice, Ravens (at Cincinnati)
3. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at New Orleans)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Washington)
5. Ryan Grant, Packers (at Tampa Bay)
6. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs San Diego)
7. Chris Johnson, Titans (at San Francisco)
8. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Baltimore)
9. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs Tennessee)
10. Pierre Thomas, Saints (vs Carolina)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 9:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Houston)
2. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Miami)
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Chicago)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at NY Giants)
5. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Carolina)
6. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Indianapolis)
7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs Dallas)
8. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs Miami)
9. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (vs Baltimore)
10. Greg Jennings, Packers (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

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

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 9:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Houston)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at NY Giants)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Philadelphia)
4. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs Tennessee)
5. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Dallas)
6. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Washington)
7. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Carolina)
8. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Detroit)
9. Fred Davis, Redskins (at Atlanta)
10. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs Green Bay)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 9:

1. Green Bay Packers (at Tampa Bay)
2. New Orleans Saints (vs Carolina)
3. Seattle Seahawks (vs Detroit)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (at Denver)
5. New England Patriots (vs Miami)
6. San Francisco 49ers (vs Tennessee)
7. Philadelphia Eagles (vs Dallas)
8. Atlanta Falcons (vs Washington)
9. Denver Broncos (vs Pittsburgh)
10. Indianapolis Colts (vs Houston)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 8:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs San Francisco)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Atlanta)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Minnesota)
4. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Buffalo)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Oakland)
7. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Cleveland)
8. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Carolina)
9. David Garrard, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
10. Brett Favre, Vikings (at Green Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 8.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 8:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Green Bay)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
3. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Detroit)
4. Steve Slaton, Texans (at Buffalo)
5. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (at NY Jets)
6. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Jacksonville)
7. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs Denver)
8. Matt Forte, Bears (vs Cleveland)
9. Kevin Smith, Lions (vs St. Louis)
10. Michael Turner, Falcons (at New Orleans)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 8:

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Carolina)
2. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Atlanta)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs San Francisco)
4. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
5. Miles Austin, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (at Baltimore)
7. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs Oakland)
8. Roddy White, Falcons (at New Orleans)
9. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Buffalo)
10. Sidney Rice, Vikings (at Green Bay)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 8:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs San Francisco)
2. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Buffalo)
3. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Oakland)
4. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Atlanta)
5. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs NY Giants)
6. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
7. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at New Orleans)
8. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Green Bay)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (vs Cleveland)
10. Vernon Davis, 49ers (at Indianapolis)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 8:

1. San Diego Chargers (vs Oakland)
2. Arizona Cardinals (vs Carolina)
3. Indianapolis Colts (vs San Francisco)
4. Chicago Bears (vs Cleveland)
5. Dallas Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (vs NY Giants)
7. Minnesota Vikings (at Green Bay)
8. New Orleans Saints (vs Atlanta)
9. New York Giants (at Philadelphia)
10. Baltimore Ravens (vs Denver)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 8:

1. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Oakland)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Minnesota)
3. John Carney, Saints (vs Atlanta)
4. Robbie Gould, Bears (vs Cleveland)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Green Bay)
6. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
7. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
8. David Akers, Eagles (vs NY Giants)
9. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Philadelphia)
10. Rob Bironas, Titans (vs Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cedric Benson runs all over former team

Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who said the Bears "blackballed" him after releasing him, got the better of his former team today.

However, Benson says that he wasn't looking to exact revenge against the Bears.

“I didn’t want to seek revenge,” Benson said, per Kevin Goheen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Revenge was not a goal of mine – it’s not how I wanted to play against them.”

Nonetheless Benson finished the day with 189 rushing yards and a touchdown against what was the sixth-ranked rush defense. Entering today's game, the Bears had only allowed 88.4 rushing yards per game.

Barring a huge performance Monday night, Benson's performance was the biggest of the week. And it was eighth-most by a Bengal in team history, per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Bengals have a bye next week and then face the Baltimore Ravens at home.

In Benson's last game against the Ravens, he ended their streak of 39 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.

Benson has been remarkably consistent despite facing some top rushing defenses, such as Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Chicago, and is a must start in fantasy leagues regardless of the matchup.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 7:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at St. Louis)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (at Miami)
3. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Cleveland)
5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Kansas City)
6. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs San Francisco)
7. Jay Cutler, Bears (at Cincinnati)
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
9. Eli Manning, Giants (vs Arizona)
10. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at NY Giants)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 7.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 7:

1. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Buffalo)
2. Thomas Jones, Jets (at Oakland)
3. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Houston)
4. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Pittsburgh)
5. Michael Turner, Falcons (at Dallas)
6. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (vs New Orleans)
7. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Chicago)
8. Ryan Grant, Packers (at Cleveland)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (at Kansas City)
10. Joseph Addai, Colts (at St. Louis)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 7:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs San Francisco)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at St. Louis)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at Kansas City)
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at NY Giants)
6. Roddy White, Falcons (at Dallas)
7. Marques Colston, Saints (at Miami)
8. Wes Welker, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
9. Hines Ward, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
10. Steve Smith, Giants (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 7:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (at St. Louis)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Kansas City)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Atlanta)
4. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at Dallas)
5. Heath Miller, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
6. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Philadelphia)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs San Francisco)
8. Brent Celek, Eagles (at Washington)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Cincinnati)
10. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (at Miami)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 7:

1. Green Bay Packers (at Cleveland)
2. Indianapolis Colts (at St. Louis)
3. New England Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
4. New York Jets (at Oakland)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (at Washington)
6. New York Giants (vs Arizona)
7. New Orleans Saints (at Miami)
8. Carolina Panthers (vs Buffalo)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Minnesota)
10. Minnesota Vikings (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 7:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (at Cleveland)
3. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Kansas City)
4. David Akers, Eagles (at Washington)
5. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (vs Arizona)
6. Matt Stover, Colts (at St. Louis)
7. John Carney, Saints (at Miami)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (at Dallas)
9. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Pittsburgh)
10. Kris Brown, Texans (vs San Francisco)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cedric Benson has extra motivation for Sunday

Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who was released last year by Chicago, has extra motivation for Sunday's game against the Bears. Benson believes he was blackballed by the Bears.

"I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago," Benson said Wednesday in a conference call with Chicago media (per ESPN). "Even the Bengals told me, they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things -- just that I didn't work hard, that I was a prima donna, or didn't work hard on the field, or I wasn't focused. Anything negative they could say, it was said. I'm sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away."

Not surprisingly, the Bears' coaching staff deny the rumors.

"He was not blackballed by anyone in our organization," Smith said. "If anything, when a player decides to leave here, or is cut from here, we do everything we possibly can to help them go somewhere else. That was the case with Cedric."

We'll most likely never know who's telling the truth. But what we do know is Benson did not produce in Chicago and he had his share of run-ins with the law.

In his three seasons in Chicago, Benson, who was drafted by Chicago with the fourth overall pick in 2005, had 1593 rushing yards for an average of 3.8 yards per carry in 35 games.

After signing with Cincinnati last year, he finished the season strong and had 355 rushing yards in the final three games of the season.

Although I named Benson as one of five running backs to target in your fantasy draft, he's exceeding the level of production even I expected.

Benson, who recently ended the Ravens' streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher at 39 weeks, is finally living up to his potential and is currently ranked third in the NFL in rushing (531 yards).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears give Cutler a two-year extension

The Chicago Bears have signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a two-year extension worth $30 million, of which $20 million is guaranteed, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The extension keeps Cutler, who was the Broncos first-round pick in 2006, under contract with the Bears through 2013.

In the off-season, Denver traded Cutler (and a fifth-round pick) to Chicago for Kyle Orton, two first-round picks and a third-round pick. The Bears used the fifth-round pick to draft receiver Johnny Knox, who leads Bears' receivers in touchdown receptions (three) through five games.

Although Cutler is generally playing well, he had multi-interception games in the Bears' two losses this season. Through five games, he has completed 64 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1201 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton and the Broncos are off to a surprising 6-0 start and are running away with the AFC West.

''The league is funny. It's all about timing,'' Cutler said Tuesday on the ''Waddle and Silvy Show'' on WMVP-AM (1000), per the Sun-Times. ''You could be one of the best players in the league, but if you're not in the right system, you don't have the right people around you, there's a lot of different aspects that go into making or breaking a player. It's working for Kyle. It's working for Josh. And it's working for the Broncos. They've got a good thing going.''

The Bears play the Bengals this weekend and Chad Ochocinco and Cutler have engaged in some "trash-tweeting."

Although Ochocinco congratulated him on his new contract via Twitter, he also wrote, "@JayCutler6 well after I embarass the secondary I want your jersey after game. ..."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bucs send Adams to Chicago for second-rounder

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have sent Gaines Adams to Chicago yesterday in exchange for the Bears' second-round pick in 2010, per Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times.

Adams, who was the fourth overall pick in 2007, hasn't lived up to the status of being a top pick. In 37 career games, Adams has only 13.5 sacks.

In five games this season, Adams has only one sack and ten tackles.

The move likely means that Stylez White, who leads the team in QB pressures (11), will start at right defensive end with Adams' departure.

And Bucs left defensive end Jimmy Wilkinson, who has five sacks this year, has ten sacks in his past 12 games.

Meanwhile, the Bears have one of the league's better defensive line coaches in Rod Marinelli.

Only three NFL teams -- Vikings, Broncos and Steelers -- have more sacks than the Bears, who have 14 sacks through four games. However, those three teams have all played five games.

‘‘Really, I can’t say right now that a fresh start was what I needed,’’ Adams said, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘Really, I am just privileged to be a Bear. It is going to be a new start for me, and I am excited. Hopefully, I go out and play Sunday.’’

Adams joins Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson, who have started at defensive end. Ogunleye leads the team in sacks with 4.5.

Considering Adams' lack of production in Tampa, getting a second-rounder back is a win for Tampa. If Marinelli can get Adams to look more like a fourth-overall pick should look, this could turn out to be a win-win.

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

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 6:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Detroit)
2. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
3. Drew Brees, Saints (vs NY Giants)
4. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Seattle)
5. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (at Oakland)
6. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs Arizona)
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs Cleveland)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Cincinnati)
9. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Denver)
10. Jay Cutler, Bears (at Atlanta)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 6.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 6:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs St. Louis)
2. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Houston)
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs Baltimore)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Chicago)
5. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs Detroit)
6. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Tampa Bay)
7. Matt Forte, Bears (at Atlanta)
8. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Jacksonville)
9. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (at San Diego)
10. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (at Oakland)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 6:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Seattle)
3. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Detroit)
4. Steve Smith, Panthers (at Tampa Bay)
5. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (at San Diego)
6. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (vs Houston)
7. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Chicago)
8. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Cincinnati)
9. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
10. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 6:

1. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Chicago)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Denver)
3. Brent Celek, Eagles (at Oakland)
4. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs Carolina)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Kansas City)
6. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Cincinnati)
7. Jermichael Finley, Packers (vs Detroit)
8. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Giants)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Atlanta)
10. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 6:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (at Oakland)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Cleveland)
3. New York Jets (vs Buffalo)
4. Green Bay Packers (vs Detroit)
5. New England Patriots (vs Tennessee)
6. Minnesota Vikings (vs Baltimore)
7. Washington Redskins (vs Kansas City)
8. Baltimore Ravens (at Minnesota)
9. New York Giants (at New Orleans)
10. Denver Broncos (at San Diego)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 6:

1. David Akers, Eagles (at Oakland)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Detroit)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
4. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (vs St. Louis)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs Baltimore)
6. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at New Orleans)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (at Seattle)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Chicago)
9. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Denver)
10. Matt Prater, Broncos (at San Diego)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 5:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Arizona)
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at Detroit)
4. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Houston)
6. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Denver)
7. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
9. Brett Favre, Vikings (at St. Louis)
10. David Garrard, Jaguars (at Seattle)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 5.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 5:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at St. Louis)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Seattle)
3. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Oakland)
4. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Indianapolis)
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Washington)
6. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
7. Marion Barber, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at Detroit)
9. Steve Slaton, Texans (vs Oakland)
10. Michael Turner, Falcons (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 5:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Arizona)
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Houston)
4. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Denver)
5. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (vs Houston)
6. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Pittsburgh)
7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
8. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (at Seattle)
9. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (at Detroit)
10. Steve Smith, Panthers (vs Washington)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 5:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
3. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at San Francisco)
4. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at Carolina)
6. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Arizona)
7. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Jacksonville)
8. Dustin Keller, Jets (at Miami)
9. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs Atlanta)
10. Heath Miller, Steelers (at Detroit)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

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

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 5:

1. New York Giants (vs Oakland)
2. Minnesota Vikings (at St. Louis)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (at Detroit)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Baltimore Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
6. New York Jets (at Miami)
7. Dallas Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee)
9. San Francisco 49ers (vs Atlanta)
10. Miami Dolphins (vs NY Jets)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

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

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 5:

1. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at St. Louis)
2. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs Houston)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at Denver)
4. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (vs Oakland)
5. Kris Brown, Texans (at Arizona)
6. David Akers, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
7. Nick Folk, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Joe Nedney, 49ers (vs Atlanta)
9. Steven Hauschka, Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
10. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (at Seattle)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 4:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs NY Jets)
3. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Detroit)
4. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
5. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Oakland)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
7. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Minnesota)
8. Eli Manning, Giants (at Kansas City)
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs San Diego)
10. Carson Palmer, Bengals (at Cleveland)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 4.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 4:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs Green Bay)
2. Chris Johnson, Titans (at Jacksonville)
3. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Kansas City)
4. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at Cleveland)
5. Matt Forte, Bears (vs Detroit)
6. Steve Slaton, Texans (vs Oakland)
7. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Tennessee)
8. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (vs Buffalo)
9. Willis McGahee, Ravens (at New England)
10. Steven Jackson, Rams (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 4:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
3. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at Chicago)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
5. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs Oakland)
6. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (at Cleveland)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (at Minnesota)
8. Steve Smith, Giants (at Kansas City)
9. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (vs San Diego)
10. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (at New Orleans)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 4:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Denver)
3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Tampa Bay)
4. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs Oakland)
5. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
6. Greg Olsen, Bears (vs Detroit)
7. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs St. Louis)
8. Dustin Keller, Jets (at New Orleans)
9. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (at Washington)
10. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs NY Jets)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 4:

1. New York Giants (at Kansas City)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (at Cleveland)
3. San Francisco 49ers (vs St. Louis)
4. Chicago Bears (vs Detroit)
5. Washington Redskins (vs Tampa Bay)
6. Minnesota Vikings (vs Green Bay)
7. Indianapolis Colts (vs Seattle)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs San Diego)
9. Baltimore Ravens (at New England)
10. Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 4.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 4:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
2. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs Green Bay)
3. John Carney, Saints (vs NY Jets)
4. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Kansas City)
5. Robbie Gould, Bears (vs Detroit)
6. Mason Crosby, Packers (at Minnesota)
7. Shayne Graham, Bengals (at Cleveland)
8. Kris Brown, Texans (vs Oakland)
9. Rian Lindell, Bills (at Miami)
10. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 4.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 3:

1. Drew Brees, Saints (at Buffalo)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at St. Louis)
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Miami)
5. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
6. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
7. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at New England)
10. Eli Manning, Giants (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 3:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Houston)
2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs San Francisco)
3. Matt Forte, Bears (at Seattle)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (at New England)
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Dallas)
6. Ryan Grant, Packers (at St. Louis)
7. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Tampa Bay)
8. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs Green Bay)
9. Fred Jackson, Bills (vs New Orleans)
10. Clinton Portis, Redskins (at Detroit)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 3:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Marques Colston, Saints (at Buffalo)
4. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
6. Steve Smith, Panthers (at Dallas)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (at St. Louis)
8. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Washington)
9. Roddy White, Falcons (at New England)
10. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (at Cincinnati)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 3:

1. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Miami)
2. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at New England)
4. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at Detroit)
6. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs NY Giants)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
8. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (at Buffalo)
9. Dustin Keller, Jets (vs Tennessee)
10. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Kansas City>

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 3:

1. Ravens (vs Cleveland)
2. Eagles (vs Kansas City)
3. Steelers (at Cincinnati)
4. Packers (at St. Louis)
5. Giants (at Tampa Bay)
6. Jets (vs Tennessee)
7. Vikings (vs San Francisco)
8. Redskins (vs St. Louis)
9. Bears (at Seattle)
10. Broncos (at Oakland)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 3:

1. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Tampa Bay)
2. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Miami)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
4. David Akers, Eagles (vs Kansas City)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs San Francisco)
6. Mason Crosby, Packers (at St. Louis)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
8. John Carney, Saints (at Buffalo)
9. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
10. Kris Brown, Texans (vs Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football QB Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 2:

1. Drew Brees, Saints (at Philadelphia)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Miami)
3. Tom Brady, Patriots (at NY Jets)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs NY Giants)
6. Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs Carolina)
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at Chicago)
9. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
10. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

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

Fantasy Football RB Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 2:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Detroit)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Arizona)
3. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Carolina)
4. Clinton Portis, Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (vs New Orleans)
6. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Atlanta)
7. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs Seattle)
8. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Houston)
9. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
10. Thomas Jones, Jets (vs New England)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football WR Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 2:

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Miami)
3. Randy Moss, Patriots (at NY Jets)
4. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
5. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Minnesota)
6. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Tennessee)
7. Marques Colston, Saints (at Philadelphia)
8. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Carolina)
9. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (at San Francisco)
10. Wes Welker, Patriots (at NY Jets)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football TE Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 2:

1. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Carolina)
2. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Miami)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs NY GIants)
4. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
6. John Carlson, Seahawks (at San Francisco)
7. Todd Heap, Ravens (at San Diego)
8. Zach Miller, Raiders (at Kansas City)
9. Dustin Keller, Jets (vs New England)
10. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Detroit)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 2:

1. Vikings (at Detroit)
2. Packers (vs Cincinnati)
3. Steelers (at Chicago)
4. Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Titans (vs Houston)
6. Ravens (at San Diego)
7. Falcons (vs Carolina)
8. Giants (at Dallas)
9. Patriots (at NY Jets)
10. Seahawks (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Football Kickers - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 2:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at NY Jets)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
3. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Detroit)
4. David Akers, Eagles (vs New Orleans)
5. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
6. Rob Bironas, Titans (vs Houston)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Carolina)
9. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs NY Giants)
10. John Carney, Saints (at Philadelphia)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mike Martz is not a fan of Jay Cutler

Following in Tony Dungy's footsteps, Mike Martz had some less-than-flattering comments about Bears franchise QB Jay Cutler, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Earlier in the summer, Dungy questioned Cutler's "maturity level" and said that he'd be concerned with "some of the things that happened leading to [Cutler] leaving Denver."

"He just doesn't get it," Martz said [on NFL Network's new show The Head Coaches]. "He doesn't understand that he represents a great head coach and the rest of those players on that team ... somebody needs to talk to him."

"When I saw that postgame press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature," Jim Mora Sr. said on The Head Coaches.

In Sunday night's game against the Packers, Cutler threw a career-high four interceptions. Although Cutler chalks up the picks to miscommunication, Smith said that Cutler "knows that some of those passes he can't throw, and he won't.''

Despite his big arm, throwing interceptions isn't a recent problem for Cutler. In 2008, he finished second in most interceptions thrown (18) behind Brett Favre.

As far as Cutler's maturity, leadership and intangibles, he demonstrated his lack of those qualities when he wouldn't return Pat Bowlen's phone calls before being traded out of Denver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 NFC North Prediction

Here are my predictions for the NFC North in 2009:

GREEN BAY PACKERS
Prediction: 10-6 (Packers Schedule | Packers Forum)

While the Vikings have the best rushing game and run defense in the NFC North, I think the Packers are the most balanced team in the division. They also have the division's best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who played remarkably well in what was the equivalent to his rookie season. The Packers also have talented weapons on offense -- RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings and WR Donald Driver. Grant wasn't 100 percent to start last season, but he finished strong rushing for over 1,200 yards. He's healthy heading into 2009. The defense should be aggressive under Dom Capers, but they may struggle a bit early in the year as they transition to a 3-4 scheme.

Strength of Schedule: 2009 opponents had a .428 winning percentage in 2008 (30th)

2008 Playoff Teams on Schedule (5): at Minnesota, vs Minnesota, vs Baltimore, at Pittsburgh, at Arizona

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 27 (9.0 per season)

Continue reading "2009 NFC North Prediction" »

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 1:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Chicago)
3. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
4. John Carney, Saints (vs Detroit)
5. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Oakland)
6. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Cleveland)
7. Kris Brown, Texans (vs NY Jets)
8. David Akers, Eagles (at Carolina)
9. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Nick Folk, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 1:

1. Ravens (vs Kansas City)
2. Vikings (at Cleveland)
3. Patriots (vs Buffalo)
4. Chargers (at Oakland)
5. Giants (vs Washington)
6. Steelers (vs Tennessee)
7. Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)
8. Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
9. Eagles (at Carolina)
10. Titans (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 Fantasy WR Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 1:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
3. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at New Orleans)
4. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs NY Jets)
5. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Detroit)
6. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Chicago)
8. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
9. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 Fantasy RB Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 1:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Cleveland)
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (at Oakland)
3. Matt Forte, Bears (at Green Bay)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Indianapolis)
5. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Seattle)
6. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Arizona)
7. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Philadelphia)
8. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (at Carolina)
9. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs Washington)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 Fantasy QB Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 1:

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Detroit)
3. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
4. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Bears)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Raiders)
7. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (at Carolina)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs NY Jets)
9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
10. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2009 Fantasy TE Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 1:

1. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Oakland)
3. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
4. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Green Bay)
5. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Miami)
6. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs NY Jets)
8. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at NY Giants)
9. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Cleveland)
10. Zach Miller, Raiders (vs San Diego)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Links to all 32 NFL team final roster cuts

At 6 p.m. ET tonight, NFL teams were required to make their final cuts to reduce their roster from 75 players to 53 players.

Here are links to lists of cuts (or to the final 53-man roster) for all 32 NFL teams:

AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
NFC North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

I will add links to the Colts' and Jaguars' cuts and/or 53-man rosters once I find links to them. [Links updated above]

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears to stick with RBs on roster despite losing Jones for season

With the Bears losing running back Kevin Jones for the season with a torn ligament in his ankle, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bears will stick with the running backs currently on their roster instead of pursuing another back.

So, that means that both Garrett Wolfe and Adrian Peterson will need to step up.

Jones was expected to back up starter Matt Forte and to take on an expanded role from what he had last year.

"We were anxious to give him a lot of carries and see where he was,'' offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "I feel bad for him. He's had a good training camp and I know he was looking forward to getting a chance to make some plays and was excited about playing. You hate to see it.''

Last year, Forte participated in 84 percent of the team's offensive snaps, which was the highest percentage for any back in the league.

"It's tough,'' Forte said. "A.P. has been playing, this is his eighth year, he knows what he's doing too. We've got Garrett too. We don't have any issues with that. We're real confident with both of them getting in the game.''

Last year, Jones had 34 carries for 109 yards, Peterson had 20 carries for 100 yards and Wolfe had 15 carries for 69 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 9/4: Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.2, High: 2, Low: 4)
5. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 6.2, High: 5, Low: 10)
6. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.6, High: 5, Low: 9)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.0, High: 6, Low: 11)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 9.2, High: 6, Low: 12)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.6, High: 6, Low: 16)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.0, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 9, Low: 13)
12. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 7, Low: 15)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.6, High: 11, Low: 21)
14. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 15.4, High: 13, Low: 17)
15. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 15.8, High: 14, Low: 19)
16. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 16.2, High: 9, Low: 21)
17. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.6, High: 11, Low: 22)
18. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 17.2, High: 10, Low: 22)
19. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.8, High: 13, Low: 24)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 18.4, High: 15, Low: 23)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated 8/27: Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 6.8, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.6, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 9.0, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.4, High: 4, Low: 16)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.0, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 11.8, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.8, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 15.6, High: 13, Low: 17)
16. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.0, High: 12, Low: 22)
17. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 16.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
18. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
19. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.8, High: 14, Low: 24)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 18.6, High: 15, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Also, you can follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook's Networked Blogs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears Dvoracek now 4-for-4 in season-ending injuries

If it weren't for bad luck, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek wouldn't have any at all.

For the fourth consecutive season, Dvoracek, the team's third-round pick in 2006, has suffered a season-ending injury.

Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times, Dvoracek will miss the 2009 season with a torn ACL.

The loss of Dvoracek increases the chances that Matt Toeaina will make the 53-man roster, according to Biggs. Toeaina, who was drafted in the sixth round by Cincinnati in 2007, played in only one game for the Bears last year.

Dvoracek has played a total of 13 regular-season games including 12 last year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New consensus top 150 fantasy football cheat sheet (updated 8/16)

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 7.2, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.4, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 8.8, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.6, High: 4, Low: 17)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.2, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.0, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 12.0, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.6, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 15.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
16. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 16.0, High: 15, Low: 17)
17. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.2, High: 12, Low: 23)
18. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 20)
19. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 19.4, High: 16, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Charles Tillman to miss up to 10 weeks

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman will miss the next four-to-ten weeks as he recovers from the back surgery he had two weeks ago, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Bears open training camp on Friday, at which point Tillman will be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. If the Bears don't remove him from the PUP list by September 5th, Tillman will be required to sit out the first six weeks of the season.

The Bears hope to have Tillman back when they open the season against the Packers on September 13th. However, if Tillman needs 10 weeks to recover and is removed from the PUP list, he would miss three regular-season games.

Tillman, who was the Bears' second-round pick in 2003, has been hampered by injuries and has had two off-season shoulder surgeries in the past four off-seasons. He has 20 interceptions in his six seasons.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Urlacher was surprised Bears were interested in Plaxico

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was surprised that the Bears were linked to being interested in the troubled receiver Plaxico Burress, per Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. But he's not surprised that the Bears are no longer interested.

"My first thought with [Burress] was, would he even be able to play this year?" Urlacher said. "You have to wonder how long you're going to have him or when he's going to be available.

"[But] he's a great receiver [and] I would have been open to it."

Burress faces a 3 1/2 year jail term for gun charges after shooting himself in the leg at a NYC nightclub and a possible indefinite suspsension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The receivers currently on the Bears' roster are Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, John Broussard, Rashied Davis, Juaquin Iglesias, Derek Kinder, Johnny Knox, Eric Peterman, Brandon Rideau and Devin Hester.

Out of that group, their top four receivers are Hester, Davis, Bennett and Iglesias.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears players want Plaxico

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times, it's not only new QB Jay Cutler who would like to see free-agent, troubled receiver Plaxico Burress join the Bears' receiving corps.

So would Cutler's teammates.

''I feel pretty comfortable with what we have here right now," Hester said. ''If we added Plaxico Burress, that's only going to build confidence even more. Why wouldn't he help us?''

Oh, I don't know Devin. Maybe he'll shoot you, himself or one of your teammates. He'll certainly be a distraction with his pending legal troubles, which will likely land him in a jail for a period of time. And he wasn't exactly a model teammate before shooting himself in the leg.

''Talent is talent,'' [TE Desmond] Clark said. ''But the one thing you don't want are bad guys. Just from people I talk to, everybody says he is a really, really good guy.''

Who's Clark talking to? Plaxico? His Mom?

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

Bears, Pisa Tinoisamoa agree to terms

The Chicago Bears and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa have agreed to a one-year deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Tinoisamoa, who was released by the Rams this month, has led the Rams in tackles in four of the past six seasons.

Biggs calls Tinoisamoa the "frontrunner" to start on the strong side over Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach.

Tinoisamoa, who was the Rams' second-round pick in 2003, played for Bears coach Lovie Smith and Bears defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Bob Babich in St. Louis.

In 2008, Tinoisamoa led the Rams in tackles with 104 and had two sacks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Four late-round impact rookies?

In his latest Sunday at the Post column for the National Football Post, Michael Lombardi noted four players who were drafted in the fourth round or later of this year's draft who might make immediate impacts for their teams.

The players are Oakland WR Louis Murphy (fourth round, 124th overall), Chicago CB D.J. Moore (fourth round, 119th overall), Indinapolis DT Terrance Taylor (fourth round, 136th overall) and Cincinnati P Kevin Huber (fifth round, 142nd overall).

Murphy expected to be drafted in the first or second round based on conversations with teams. Scout.com ranked him as the tenth best wide receiver, but he was the 18th WR selected in the draft.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears sign Michael Gaines to one-year contract

Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears have signed tight end Michael Gaines to a one-year contract.

"I'll be back in there at Halas Hall tomorrow morning,'' Gaines said on his way back to his home in Detroit. "Honestly, I can't believe it happened. It's just a privilege to be joining an organization with so much history."

Although he signed a four-year contract last year with the Lions, Gaines was released by the Detroit Lions this off-season.

In 2008, Gaines had 23 receptions for 260 yards and one touchdown.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

GM Angelo non-committal about adding veteran WR

Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo was non-committal about adding a veteran receiver when speaking to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune before the Bears Care Gala at Soldier Field.

However, he said that the team has "not talked about" free-agent receiver Amani Toomer.

"A veteran receiver is something we could do. We've looked at just about everybody. But right now we're in a holding pattern. If we go to camp and go into the season with the hand we dealt ourselves, we're very comfortable with that as well."

Before the draft, the Bears offered the Cardinals their second-round pick for Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin according to McClure.

When asked about the possibility of pursuing Boldin, whom his agent Drew Rosenhaus still believes will be dealt prior to training camp, Angelo was non-committal.

"I'm not going to say 'No' to anything," he said. "Things have changed now from when we were exploring that before. But [Rosenhaus] also made the statement that someone was going to give the Cardinals a first-round pick. That's part of the salesmanship for his client.

"I don't know what Arizona is going to do. [Boldin] is under contract. We really can't talk about that. Just leave it at that."

If the Cardinals still insist on a first-round pick as part of the deal, the Bears don't have one until 2011. They traded their first-rounders in 2009 and 2010 to get QB Jay Cutler from Denver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears not interested in Toomer, should target Boldin?

It's a case of he said, nobody said.

Steve Wyche of the NFL Network said that the Bears placed a call to free-agent receiver Amani Toomer while a source tells Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune that isn't so.

Even though McClure's source says that the Bears didn't place a call to Toomer, Toomer's representation has reached out to teams around the league including the Bears.

McClure suggests that the Bears should get into the "Anquan Boldin sweepstakes" as agent Drew Rosenhaus has tweeted (or twittered or whatever verb you use to describe it) that Anquan is still available.

In the draft, the Bears selected three receivers in this year's draft - Oklahoma's Juaquin Iglesias in the third round, Abilene Christian's Johnny Knox in the fifth round and Pittsburgh's Derek Kinder in the seventh round.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hester to still return punts for Bears

Per Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, Bears punt returner Devin Hester will continue to be the Bears' punt returner.

Even though the Bears are looking for Hester to continue to develop into the team's top receiving option, coach Lovie Smith doesn't want to lose out on Hester's big-play abilities on special teams.

"No way," he said. "Devin has the chance to score every time. If one of those [rookies] is a better returner than Devin, then we will put them back there. Devin can be a full-time receiver and handle one other return."

Although Hester didn't have any return touchdowns in 2008, he returned seven punts and four kickoffs for touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league.

Last year, Hester led Bears' receivers in 2008 with 51 receptions for 665 yards and three touchdowns.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marcus Freeman to learn from Lance Briggs

Per Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, the comparisons between Marcus Freeman, the Chicago Bears' fifth-round selection in this year's draft, and Lance Briggs, the Bears' Pro Bowl linebacker, began at the Senior Bowl.

Freeman will be an immediate contributor on special teams and learn behind Briggs at weak-side linebacker.

"I remember my first meeting I had with them at the Senior Bowl, the Bears said I reminded them of Lance Briggs," Freeman said. "That's a huge compliment. Hopefully on the field, I can be half the player he is."

"Marcus enjoys life, and he has talent," coach Lovie Smith said. "Good speed and good athletic ability. If you do a little research on him off the field, you like everything you hear from people. Seems like he may be a good addition to our team."

Hopefully, Freeman won't take any shaving lessons from Briggs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Does Lance Briggs shave under the influence?

Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who has been attending the Bears' off-season workouts, did not show up Monday.

Was he hiding something? Apparently so.

Briggs was photographed at an event this weekend where he was signing autographs, but his right arm was heavily bandaged.

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, Briggs cut his hand on a straight-edge razor.

Briggs was scheduled to report to the Bears' facility today to explain what happened and allow the team to examine his hand.

I'm certainly not a finely-tuned, multi-million-dollar professional athlete. But I've managed to make it through my 38 29 years sans shaving accidents. There has to be more to the story (and it's probably pretty interesting).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pace wants Bears to go after Holt

Last week, the Chicago Bears signed tackle Orlando Pace, who had spent his entire career with the St. Louis Rams. Now the new Bear wants his new team to bring in one of his former Ram teammates.

To illustrate the Bears' glaring weakness at receiver, new Bears QB Jay Cutler called Plaxico Burress, the same one facing the possibility of prison and/or league suspension on gun charges, to gauge his level of interest in joining the Bears.

However, Pace would like help to come from Torry Holt.

"I spoke to Torry," Pace said. "It's funny he just probably at my house a few days before I even came here. I think he's just out searching. I'm probably recruiting him in Chicago here. And hopefully it works out."

Bears coach Lovie Smith, who was defensive coordinator for the Rams before joining the Bears, didn't rule out the possibility.

"I do have a relationship with Torry Holt," Smith said. "He's a great player, great guy. He's available right now. Torry's in the (free agency) pool like a lot of other receivers. We evaluate everybody that's available, and Torry's one of them."

Holt would help upgrade the Bears' receiving corps. But with or without Holt, the Bears would still have one of the weakest receiving corps in the league.

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

Broncos give Bears 5th-round pick in addition to Cutler

In the trade that sent QB Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton and three draft picks (two first-rounders and one third-rounder), the Broncos will also send a fifth-round pick in 2009 to Chicago as well.

The Broncos acquired the fifth-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Keary Colbert last year.

In Denver, Cutler, who threw for 4526 yards last year, had Brandon Marshall and Eddie "Casino" Royal as targets. In Chicago, he won't have many weapons in the passing game. However, the Bears have an established running game (a.k.a. a QB's best friend) with rookie Matt Forte, who rushed for 1238 yards (7th in NFL) last year.

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

Jay Cutler to Bears for Orton, picks

Cutler will be playing for his childhood favorite team.

Per Jay Glazer at Fox Sports, the Denver Broncos have traded Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton and first-round draft picks this year and next year. The Broncos will also get a third-round pick in 2010.

The Broncos will now have the 12th overall draft pick and the 18th pick (from Chicago) in this year's draft.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears working to sign Orlando Pace

The Chicago Bears are working to sign seven-time Pro Bowl Orlando Pace, who was released by the Rams this off-season in a cost-cutting move.

Per Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune, the Bears would start Pace at left tackle and move Chris Williams, the Bears' first-round pick last year, to right tackle.

This off-season, the Bears also signed Kevin Shaffer, who started for the Cleveland Browns last year.

Before signing Shaffer, the Bears used Frank Omiyale, who was signed from the Carolina Panthers, at right tackle during team workouts. However, if the Bears sign Pace, Omiyale would move back to guard, which is where he played last year with the Panthers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears visiting with Ken Lucas

Not only are the Chicago Bears visiting with free agent tackle Orlando Pace, but they are visiting with cornerback Ken Lucas.

Lucas was a salary-cap casualty in Carolina and it's believed that the Seattle Seahawks also have interest in the free-agent corner.

If Lucas signs with the Bears, he would compete with Nathan Vasher and Corey Graham for playing time.

Lucas had 60 tackles, two interceptions and one broken nose (ex-teammate Steve Smith punched him out in training camp) in 2008.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Orlando Pace visiting with Chicago Bears

Despite an offer from the Baltimore Ravens, free-agent tackle Orlando Pace is visiting with the Chicago Bears.

Pace, who was released by the Rams, could be reunited with Lovie Smith, who was the Rams defensive coordinator before becoming the head coach for the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have a need at tackle after losing John St. Clair to the Cleveland Browns via free agency and John Tait to retirement. However, they signed Kevin Shaffer as a free agent from the Browns.

Signing Pace, who is a seven-time Pro Bowler, could provide the Bears with more flexibility in this year's draft. However, Pace has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears sign tackle Kevin Shaffer

The Chicago Bears and tackle Kevin Shaffer agreed to a three-year deal worth $8 million. Shaffer was released by the Cleveland Browns earlier this month.

John St. Clair, who was expected to start at right tackle for the Bears, opted to sign with the Browns for three years. The Bears are to believed to offer St. Clair only half of what the Browns offered him, which was $9 million over three years.

Earlier in the off-season, the Bears signed guard Frank Omiyale. But Omiyale, who has been playing tackle at the Bears' mini-camp, prefers to play tackle.

In Shaffer's three seasons with the Browns, he started 16 games at left tackle and 31 games at right tackle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears add safety Glenn Earl

The Chicago Bears have added another safety to their roster this off-season. Per ESPN.com, the Bears have signed Glenn Earl to a one-year contract, which is expected to be worth $620,000 (the veteran league minimum).

He joined the Bears for their recent three-day mini-camp and appears to be healthy again.

Last week, the Bears signed free-agent safety Josh Bullocks to a four-year contract.

Earl, drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Texans, hasn't played in the past two seasons. He suffered a lisfranc injury at the end of the 2007 pre-season.

Before getting injured, Earl had 75 tackles, two sacks and one interception with the Texans in 2006.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earl Bennett struggled learning Bears' plays

The Chicago Bears drafted WR Earl Bennett with their third-round pick in last year's NFL draft. In college (Vanderbilt), Bennett set the SEC career mark for receptions (236).

Bennett wasn't as successful making the transition to the NFL.

"I struggled [learning] the plays last year," Bennett said Wednesday. "I was lethargic because of it. It probably took me until Week 6, Week 7 to pick them up.

"Toward the end, I started grasping the concepts. Once you put things aside and just play, you can play a lot faster."

He may have taken until week 6 or 7 to learn the plays. He may have played "faster" after learning them.

That being said, Bennett and I were tied for NFL receptions with 0 in 2008. However, coach Lovie Smith says that he will give Bennett every opportunity to start opposite Devin Hester.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

John St. Clair signs with Cleveland

The Chicago Bears had very little depth at offensive tackle so it seemed likely that they would re-sign unrestricted free-agent John St. Clair, who started at left tackle for the Bears in 2008.

Instead, St. Clair agreed to a 3-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $9 million with $1.25 million guaranteed. The Bears are believed to have offered a 3-year, $4.5 million deal to St. Clair.

If the Bears signed St. Clair, he was expected to start at right tackle. Chris Williams, the Bears' 2008 first-round pick, is expected to start at left tackle.

Some tackles available as free agents include Orlando Pace, Marvel Smith and Kevin Shaffer. Even if they sign one of these guys, they will likely consider drafting a tackle with their first-round pick (18th overall).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears sign safety Josh Bullocks

The Chicago Bears have signed safety Josh Bullocks to a one-year contract that will pay him a guaranteed salary of $525,000.

Bullocks, who has started 49 games for the New Orleans Saints, is expected to compete with Craig Steltz to start at free safety for the Bears in 2009. Mike Brown, who was a salary-cap casualty, started at FS for the Bears last year.

In 2008, Bullocks had 40 tackles and 1 interception. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Saints.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sharper to visit Saints, draws interest from Bears

Free-agent safety Darren Sharper will be in New Orleans tomorrow to visit with the Saints. Sharper shares an agent (Joel Segal) with some other prominent Saints' players, such as Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and Will Smith.

Sharper has played for 12 seasons and hasn't missed any games over the past 3 years. The Saints are also scheduled to meet with Gerald Sensabaugh today and tomorrow.

Last year, Josh Bullocks started at free safety and Roman Harper at strong safety.

Sharper has also drawn interest from the Chicago Bears.

"There's definitely a lot of interest," Sharper said Saturday via cell phone from the Bahamas. "First, they're in the NFC North, which I've grown accustomed to. They have a great defense. And they're on the cusp of getting back to the Super Bowl. It's a great organization. And it's great to draw some interest from them."

It's unclear whether Sharper, who's currently in the Bahamas, has a visit scheduled with the Bears.

Sharper has 54 career interceptions (8 returned to the house) and 9 forced fumbles.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kevin Jones has Bears' offer + interest from others

RB Kevin Jones, drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Lions, spent the past season with the Chicago Bears.

Per Brad Biggs of the Sun Times, the Bears have made Jones an offer to return, but he has drawn interest from other teams as well. Jones has said that the following teams are interested: Bills, Bengals, Browns, Jets and Bucs. Currently, he isn't scheduled to visit with any of those possible suitors.

Jones, who had only 34 carries with the Bears last year, called the Bears an "example of what an NFL team should be like, the coaching staff, everything..."

''It's a negotiation process, and I am making sure I am in the right situation. The Bears expressed interest and I want to be back, but we've got to hammer out the paperwork. We'll see what happens.''

GM Jerry Angelo says that he wants the Bears to use more of a 2-back approach as most teams do these days. Last year, rookie Matt Forte carried the ball 316 times. Only Michael Turner (Atlanta), Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) and Clinton Portis (Washington) had more carries.

Jones had 1,133 rushing yards on 241 carries in his rookie season, but hasn't had a 200+ carry (or 1000-yard rushing) season since then.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears signs Omiyale to 4-year contract

Yesterday the Chicago Bears took a first step this off-season to re-build their depleted tackle position. The Bears signed free-agent tackle Frank Omiyale, who spent the last 2 seasons with the Panthers, to a 4-year contract.

Heading into the period of NFL free agency, the Bears had one tackle signed - Chris Williams, last year's first-round draft pick.

"We told (Omiyale) that we wanted to look at him at guard first, but we're not going to limit him in terms of his reps (to) guard,'' general manager Jerry Angelo said during a conference call. "We'll expose him to tackle, which is where he's been predominantly trained, but we want to expose him at guard as well. How it ultimately comes to fruition, I can't really sit here and say.''

The Bears are also talking to tackle John St. Clair, who played left tackle for the Bears last season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brad Johnson out, Rex Grossman in?

The Dallas Cowboys have released QB Brad Johnson. Johnson was scheduled to earn a $2 million salary and was due a $500,000 roster bonus.

When starter Tony Romo was hurt, Johnson looked awful as his replacement. The Cowboys were 1-2, but the win against the Bucs had more to do with the Cowboys defense winning the game in spite of Johnson's performance.

The Cowboys had only 172 yards, the franchise's lowest total ever in a win, in that game including 122 yards passing by Johnson.

The Chicago Bears aren't going to re-sign QB Rex Grossman, who has said that the Cowboys would be the ideal place to be a "back up."

"They've got all the talent at running back, tight end, wide receiver, offensive line, coordinator. They've got everything in place that you'd want. Good weather, new stadium. I'm sure they are going to cover it if it is windy or cold. So that would be the ideal situation to back up. There may be a few others, I'm not sure, but that would be intriguing if I'm in a situation where I have to back up."

Brooks Bollinger, who was moved to 2nd on the depth chart last season, is scheduled to become a free agent.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lovie Smith on the hot seat?

The Chicago Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. Since then, they are 16-16: 7-9 in 2007 and 9-7 in 2008.

As David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune points out, the Bears have plenty of holes to fill including wide receiver, offensive tackle, safety and a pass rusher. But GM Jerry Angelo doesn't plan on making any big moves in free agency to address those needs.

Instead, Angelo expects a change in attitude and thinks the team is constituted in a manner that the team only needs to be tweaked.

Per Haugh, "it essentially tells a head coach such as Smith that the GM believes he has acquired enough talent—now go win. In the case of the Bears, it says Angelo believes the players are good enough to win the NFC North if the coaching staff just can find the best ways to use them."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For Bears and St. Clair, the feelings are mutual

Heading into the off-season, offensive tackle was a position of a need. With John Tait expected to retire, that is even more the case.

Without Tait, the Bears have only Chris Williams under contract and John St. Clair, who just finished the last year of his contract.

The Chicago Bears have made an offer to John St. Clair, who played left tackle last year. Per the Chicago Tribune, the deal is believed to be a 3-year deal, which is what St. Clair is looking for.

"It's great to have dialogue. I don't want to get into whether [the offer] was good or not good. I'll let my agent (Ben Dogra) handle the contract negotiations. He knows what I'm looking for. And he knows I want to be back."

If St. Clair and the Bears don't officially agree to terms of the deal before Friday at 12:01 a.m. ET, St. Clari will become a free agent.

"John St. Clair was big for us even before John Tait retires," Smith said. "He was consistent each week [last season]. Of course we'd like for him to remain a member of our team."

Last year, the Bears drafted tackle Chris Williams from Vanderbilt in the 1st round, but Williams missed the first 7 games of the season with a herniated disk.

This year, the Bears are expected to start Williams as left tackle and move St. Clair to right side. And they will likely add depth through the draft.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears' John Tait contemplating retirement

Bears starting RT John Tait is expected to retire even though he has one year remaining on his contract.

If Tait does not retire, he will earn a base salary of $4.8 million and count $5.35 million towards the salary cap in 2009.

''You notice little things that didn't happen when you were younger,'' he said. ''It just takes a little bit longer to recover from games. I think you have to do a lot more maintenance, just the upkeep. That's the biggest thing.''

With John St. Clair set to become an unrestricted free agent on February 27th, LT Chris Williams, who was selected by the Bears in the first-round last year, will be the only tackle on the roster if Tait retires. Williams missed the entire 2008 season after having back surgery in August.

"I definitely want to play tackle," St. Clair told the Tribune. "I've played tackle most of my career. I'm all for playing right tackle. Playing there again wouldn't be a problem at all. And Chicago is a good fit for me."

Tait's status will affect St. Clair's leverage with the team in negotiations. In either case, the Bears are likely to use an early draft choice on a tackle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears cut ties with Booker, Brown among others

The Chicago Bears cut WR Marty Booker, who had 1 year left on his 2-year contract, and LBs Gilbert Gardner and Marcus Riley.

The Bears won't re-sign WR Brandon Lloyd or S Mike Brown, who played 15 games last year after playing 21 games in the previous 4 seasons.

Out of the WRs that will be on the 2009 Bears roster, only Devin Hester (665 yards receiving) and Rashied Davis (445 yards receiving) will return with at least 100+ yards receiving last season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bears add QB Brett Basanez

The Chicago Bears have signed QB Brett Basanez, who played at Northwestern, to a 2-year contract. Basanez was on the Carolina Panthers practice squad last season.

''Everywhere you go, there is going to be competition,'' Basanez said. ''The fact that I get to come home and play for the hometown team, there is nothing more you could want than that..Kyle is the guy, and [general manager] Jerry [Angelo] goes out and says we need to solve the quarterback [issue]...The people are going to be hard on their players, and I want a chance to compete to try to be that guy.''

Basanez will compete with Caleb Hanie for the back-up QB position until/unless the Bears add additional QBs through free agency, which begins at the end of the month, or the NFL draft in April.

Rex Grossman, who was the team's back-up last season, signed a one-year contract heading into last season and won't be back this year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Simeon Rice is coming back. To the Bears?

Simeon Rice, who turns 35 in a few weeks, has announced on Sirius' NFL Radio that he will attempt to make a comeback to the NFL. He hasn't played since 2007 due to shoulder problems.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if that return will be to a Rod Marinelli-coached defensive line.

Marinelli, who coached the TB Buccaneers DL when Rice was there, is now the Bears D-Line coach.

The Bears are looking to improve their pass rush (28 sacks in 2008) and Rice has 122 career sacks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2010 Super Bowl odds

The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII last night. Enjoy it. Ok...stop. Vegas is already looking ahead to 2009-2010.

Sportsbook.com has odds for Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on February 7, 2010 on its website.

Who's the favorite?

The Patriots have 8-1 odds.

Here are the rest:

10-1: Steelers, Cowboys, Giants, Colts
12-1: Ravens, Titans, Panthers, Eagles, Chargers
25-1: Packers, Saints, Vikings
30-1: Jaguars, Jets, Cardinals, Bucs, Falcons, Broncos
40-1: Bears, Texans, Bills, Redskins, Dolphins
50-1: Seahawks
60-1: Browns, Bengals, 49ers
100-1: Chiefs, Raiders, Rams, Lions

See past Super Bowl winners.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rod Marinelli to coach Bears' D-Line

Rod Marinelli was fired by the Detroit Lions after leading the Lions to the NFL's first-ever 0-16 season.

While I attribute much of the Lions' lack of success to the poor decisions made by Matt Millen, Marinelli deserves blame as well. The winless Lions kept many games close in the 3rd and 4th quarters, but couldn't find a way to win.

Now Marinelli will stay in the NFC North and join the Chicago Bears' coaching staff as D-Line coach.

Marinelli, who coached the D-Line, was on Tony Dungy's staff in Tampa with Lovie Smith, who coached the LBs.

In 2008, the Bears were solid against the run (93.5 ypg - 5th in NFL), but weak against the pass (241.2 ypg - 30th in NFL). The Bears defense recorded 13 fewer sacks this year (28) than they did last season (41).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rod Marinelli soon to join Lovie Smith's staff?

Frank Bauer, who represents both Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli, says it's not a "done deal" that Marinelli join the Chicago Bears' coaching staff.

"He's just visiting,'' Frank Bauer told the Sun-Times. ``Rod has a number of opportunities and he is seeing Lovie and they're sitting down and talking. It's a visit.''

``I just think Rod wanted to go up and take a look and see what they're doing," Bauer said. "He came off a tough situation in Detroit and we're going to take our time. He and Lovie are very good friends, they're best friends.''

Not only does Bauer represent Smith and Marinelli, but he represents Ron Turner and Bob Babich (offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively). So when asked about whether Marinelli was looking to be DC, Bauer said that he'd "...rather not say."

Marinelli and Smith worked together under Tony Dungy in Tampa. At the time, Marinelli coached the D-Line and the Smith coached the LBs.

``I think the world of Rod Marinelli,'' [Bears GM Jerry] Angelo said. ``I would love to have Rod Marinelli on our staff and I think Lovie would say the same thing. He's a great football coach. Anytime you get a chance to get a great coach or great player, you're not going to sit here and say that you wouldn't consider him or you wouldn't work a way to do that.'

Rod Marinelli was fired by the Detroit Lions after the Lions became the first franchise to finish with an 0-16 record. But if I were Brick Haley (current D-Line coach), I'd be updating my resume.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

GM says QB is Bears' #1 off-season priority

Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo said that the top priority for the team will be QB this off-season.

"I know that there's going to be a lot of talk about our No. 1 receiver [but] guys, it starts with the quarterback," Angelo said. "We have to get the quarterback position stabilized. And we're fixated on that."

Kyle Orton, who led the Bears to a 9-7 record, played much better in the first half of the season before getting hurt in week 9.

In his first 8 games, Orton had a 90.8 QB rating, completed 61.9% of his passes, averaged 222 ypg and threw 10 TDs/4 INTs.

In his final 7 games, Orton had a 67.2 QB rating, completed 54.8% of his passes, averaged 171 ypg and threw 8 TDs and 8 INTs.

As the Chicago Tribune's Haugh points out, Angelo's statement doesn't bode well for Bears' offensive coordinator Ron Turner. Turner called Orton the "unchallenged starter" heading into training camp.

It's just not clear whether the Bears will attempt to bring in a big name like Donovan McNabb or Matt Cassel or a mid-level QB like Chris Simms.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Week 17 playoff scenarios

I can't recall an NFL season in recent memory with so many important matchups to decide entry into the post-season party like we have had last week and this week. Then again, I can't remember what I did 2 hours ago.

In any event, let's take a look at the current playoff picture. For simplicity sake, we ignore the possibility of a second tie this season.

Teams fall into 4 categories - playoff bound/seed locked, playoff bound/seed TBD, on playoff bubble and eliminated.

AFC Teams:

Playoff bound/seed locked:
Tennessee Titans (1), Pittsburgh Steelers (2), Indianapolis Colts (5)

Playoff bound/seed TBD:
none

On playoff bubble:
Miami Dolphins: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Jets. A Dolphins' loss eliminates them from the playoffs.

New England Patriots: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Bills and Jets win over Dolphins. Bill Belichick stopped short of saying he'd root for the Jets, but that's what he will be doing. If the Dolphins and Pats win, the Pats will get the 6 seed with a Ravens' loss.

New York Jets: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Dolphins and Pats' loss to Buffalo. Loss to Dolphins eliminates Jets' hopes. If the Jets and Pats win, the Jets will get the 6 seed if the Ravens lose.

Baltimore Ravens: Clinch 6 seed with a win over Jaguars or a Patriots loss to Buffalo and a Jets loss to Dolphins.

Denver Broncos: Win AFC West and clinch 4 seed with win over Chargers. Loss eliminates Broncos.

San Diego Chargers: same as Denver Broncos.

Eliminated:
Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

Continue reading "Week 17 playoff scenarios" »

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle Orton's future with Bears?

Bears QB Kyle Orton has one more year left on his contract. David Haugh of the Chicago Tribue argues that the Bears' remaining 2 games (vs Packers and at Texans) will determine the long-term fate of the Bears' QB.

Kyle Orton gave the cookie-cutter repsonse you would expect by commenting only on the remaining games this season and saying the rest will take care of itself.

"I think 10-6 is a good record whether we make the playoffs or not," Orton said. "It'd be a great way to end the season. What happens out of that is left up in the air, I guess."

"Personally I just feel it's another chance to come out and play two more solid games, hopefully play well," Orton said. "Whatever it means in the future we'll see in the off-season."

Haugh goes on to argue that the possible Orton alternatives to be available in the off-season aren't necessarily "automatic upgrades over Orton." With the style of Bears' play (defense and running the ball), they don't need to overpay for a new QB. Orton is playing well enough although he has 6 of his 10 INTs in the last 3 weeks.

Orton has completed 58.9% of his passes for 2,586 yards. He has thrown 15 TDs and 10 INTs in 13 games.

ESPN's Ron Jaworski says that his struggles of late are largely due to "eye discipline," i.e., focusing to hard on primary receivers and not looking off defenders.

Orton can fix his "eye discipline," but it would be much more difficult for the Bears to fix wasting money on an over-priced free agent QB.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NFC Playoff Picture

Earlier in the week, we took a look at the AFC playoff picture. Since then, the Colts have beaten the Jaguars to clinch the 5 seed in the AFC. That means that the Ravens and the non-division winners out of the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins will battle it out for the 6th seed in the AFC.

Let's shift our focus to the NFC. With 2 weeks to play, here are the current seedings in the NFC:

1. New York Giants (11-3)
2. Carolina Panthers (11-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (9-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (8-6)
5. Dallas Cowboys (9-5)
6. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)

NFC East:

New York Giants (11-3): With a win tomorrow night against the Panthers, the Giants lock up home-field advantage. If the Giants lose and the Vikings lose to the Falcons, the Giants will clinch the #2 seed and first-round bye. If the Giants lose and the Vikings win, the teams face off in Minnesota next week for the #2 seed.

Dallas Cowboys (9-5): The Cowboys are in as the 5 seed if they win out against the Ravens and Eagles. The Falcons and Bucs have identical records to the Cowboys and the Eagles trail by a half-game. The Bears trail the Cowboys by one game.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-5-1): The Eagles trail the Cowboys, Falcons and Bucs by a half-game. They face the Cowboys next week. If they win out, they are in provided that the Falcons and/or Bucs lose (or tie) at least one of their remaining 2 games.

Washington Redskins (7-7): While the Redskins are not mathematically-eliminated, they need much help with 2 weeks remaining. They need the Eagles, Bucs and Falcons to all lose their remaining games and the Bears to lose at least 1 game and win their 2 remaining games.

Continue reading "NFC Playoff Picture" »

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A look at the NFC playoff picture

As I did with every AFC team, we will take a look at all teams playoff aspirations for the NFC.

Here are the current NFC standings:

1. New York Giants (11-1)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
5. Carolina Panthers (9-3)
6. Atlanta Falcons (8-4)

NFC East:

New York Giants (11-1): The Super Bowl champs are clearly (and unfortunately as a Cowboys fan) the team to beat in the NFC/NFL even without Plax. The Giants schedule is tough (PHI, at DAL, CAR, at MIN), but I can't see the Bucs/Panthers making up a 2-game deficit.

Dallas Cowboys (8-4): Entering the season, the Cowboys were the consensus pick in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl. Now with a month to go and perhaps the league's most challenging schedule (at PIT, NYG, BAL, at PHI), they would be on the outside looking in as the 7th team even though they share the same record with the Falcons.

Washington Redskins (7-5): The Redskins have stumbled lately losing 4 of their last 5. With the NFC South likely to have (at least) 1 team make playoffs, the 'Skins are fighting an uphill battle. If the 'Skins can beat the Ravens this week, they finish with a relatively easy final 3 games (at CIN, PHI, at SF).

Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1): After bouncing back against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving, the Eagles need to bounce back against division rivals. They are 0-3 vs NFC East on season, but get 3 more shots in remaining 4 weeks.

Continue reading "A look at the NFC playoff picture" »

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dusty Dvoracek out rest of season

After playing only 1 game in 2007 and missing all of the 2006 season, Dusty Dvoracek will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his right biceps.

"It's very hard for a guy like Dusty," coach Lovie Smith said Monday. "No one works harder than him. He's a tough guy. It's just unfortunate. If you look at how he injured his arm, it's a typical play that he's made plenty of times. It happens."

Dvoracek, the Bears 3rd-round draft pick in 2006, has 29 tackles - 7 of them for a loss.

Season-ending injuries in three straight seasons. If things happen in 3's, Dusty's luck should improve in 2009.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nathan Vasher to miss (at least) Vikings game

Chicago Bears DB Nathan Vasher, who fractured his hand last week, will not play in Sunday night's division battle against the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are 6-5 and tied for first in the NFC North.

Bears coach Lovie Smith has indicated that Vasher may miss more than Sunday's game while being non-committal at the same time.

"Whenever you have a fracture, you reinjure the same hand you had trouble with, you can go from there. Right now, I just know he's out this week."

Corey Graham will likely start in Vasher's place. Vasher has missed 3 games earlier this season and has 21 tackles and 1 interception in 8 games. Graham has 59 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception on the season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle Orton doesn't rule out Sunday vs Titans

It was expected that Kyle Orton would miss up to one month after injuring his ankle in the Detroit Lions game. Now, Orton says he won't rule out playing Sunday (yet).

"I'm certainly not ruling out anything," Orton said Wednesday. "I don't know exactly what the timetable's going to be, but I just feel if I keep on making improvement, I certainly can't rule out this week."

Many expected the Bears (and Kyle Orton) to be bad in 2008. Instead, they are tied for first place in the NFC North. Their next four games are home vs the undefeated Tennessee Titans and then 3 games on the road vs Green Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota. Having Orton back for the key matchups against the Packers and Vikings would be huge for the Bears.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle Orton to miss one month?

In yesterday's game vs the Lions, Kyle Orton was carted off the field with an injury to his ankle. The extent of his loss is unconfirmed although reports have circulated that he will miss roughly 1 month.

"I'm not playing doctor; you shouldn't either," coach Lovie Smith said Monday. "You should let us come and tell you once we know for sure exactly what the injury is. We're hopeful, I'll just say that."

On the topic of bringing in another QB, Lovie Smith has no plans to do so now.

"To do that, you would say that Kyle will be out for a long period of time," Smith said. "We're not there. We're evaluating an ankle injury. That's about all we're doing right now."

In the past 4 games, Kyle Orton has completed 64.2% of his passes (79-123). In that span, Orton has thrown 5 TDs and 0 INTs.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kyle Orton carted off against Lions

Chicago Bears QB Kyle Orton left today's game against the Lions with an ankle injury. Orton didn't return to the game after the injury and there is no word on his status for next week's game vs the Titans.

The good news for the Bears is they were playing the Detroit Lions, who blew a game they should have won. The bad news for the Bears is their back-up QB is Rex Grossman.

Grossman finished the game 9-19 passing for 58 yards. He threw for 1 TD, rushed for another and was also picked off on once.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NFC North Preview

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Prediction: 10-6 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: The Minnesota Vikings was Brett Favre's preferred destination in the off-season. If he had landed there, the Vikings would be a serious Super Bowl contender. And they still will be if Tarvaris Jackson provides consistent QB play. The Vikings have one of the best offensive lines, running back duos and defensive lines in football. With the off-season acquisition of Jared Allen and Madieu Williams, the Vikings pass rush and coverage should be better in 2008. They remain one of the toughest teams to run the ball on with Kevin and Pat Williams at DT. If Bernard Berrian can stay healthy, the Vikings will have a solid set of WRs with Sidney Rice.

Interesting Stat/Fact: The Vikings allowed the fewest rushing yards (74.1 ypg) and the most passing yards (264.1 ypg) in 2007.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 141-115 (.551)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (7): at Green Bay, vs Indianapolis, at Tennessee, vs Green Bay, at Tampa Bay, at Jacksonville, vs NY Giants

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 23 wins (7.7 per season)

GREEN BAY PACKERS
Prediction: 9-7 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: The Aaron Rodgers era begins in Green Bay. Rodgers replaces a beloved legend and faces immense pressure as his successor. His "get on board or shut up" quote didn't do much to endear him to fans. However, the Packers are one of the younger teams in the NFL with lots of the same talented pieces to surround Rodgers. The Packers over-achieved in 2007 with a 13-win campaign so I would have expected a dropoff in 2008 even with Brett Favre. But the circus environment and pressure that has surrounded this team will make it difficult to fight off the Vikings.

Interesting Stat/Fact: 0 - That's the number of games started by Aaron Rodgers.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 136-120 (.531)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): vs Dallas, at Tampa Bay, at Seattle, vs Indianapolis, at Tennessee, at Jacksonville

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 25 wins (8.3 per season)

CHICAGO BEARS
Prediction: 5-11 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: The Bears made it to the Super Bowl in 2006 with the best defense in football that year. With an offense that has Kyle Orton starting at QB, rookie Matt Forte at RB and Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd at WRs, the Bears need their defense to stay healthy and play like they did in 2006. Their defense will likely fall somewhere in between their 2006 and 2007 performance. The Bears drafted Tackle Chris Williams to help a bad OL, but he will miss most of the season due to a back injury. Will the Bears' special teams and defense win them more games than their offense loses?

Interesting Stat/Fact: Devin Hester, entering his 3rd season, already has 11 return TDs placing him 3rd all-time.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 136-120 (.531)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at Indianpolis, vs Tampa Bay, vs Tennessee, at Green Bay, vs Jacksonville, vs Green Bay

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 31 wins (10.3 per season)

DETROIT LIONS
Prediction: 4-12 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: Only one team (Oakland Raiders) in the NFL has won fewer games than the Lions over the past 3 years. The Lions have one of the best WR corps in the NFL, but they have many holes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Jon Kitna has made it his business to predict double-digit win seasons for the Lions and they started on track in 2007 with a 6-2 record. However, they fell apart down the stretch finishing 1-7 in their last 8. This team has too many weaknesses to challenge either the Vikings or Packers in 2008. On the bright side, I think Calvin Johnson will be a Top 5 WR in the league heading into 2009.

Interesting Stat/Fact: No team gave up more points (27.8 ppg) and more yards (377.6 ypg) than the Lions defense last season.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 139-117 (.543)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): vs Green Bay, vs Washington, vs Jacksonville, vs Tampa Bay, at Indianapolis, at Green Bay

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 15 wins (5 per season)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Devin Hester: New number needed?

Devin Hester is one of the most exciting players in the NFL. Drafted as a DB by the Bears in 2006, Hester has worn #23 for his whole career.

With the WRs on the Chicago Bears roster, it's easy to imagine Devin Hester being the Bears go-to WR in 2008. Now as Brad Biggs points out in his blog, Devin Hester may need to change #s based on the amount of playing time he receives as a WR.

All players must wear numerals on their jerseys in accordance with Rule 5, Section 4, Article 3(c).

Such numerals must be by playing position, as follows:

(a) quarterbacks, punters, and placekickers: 1-19;
(b) running backs and defensive backs: 20-49;
(c) centers: 50-59 (60-79 if 50-59 are unavailable);
(d) offensive guards and tackles: 60-79;
(e) wide receivers: 10-19 and 80-89;
(f) tight ends: 80-89;
(g) defensive linemen: 60-79 (90-99 if 60-79 are unavailable); and
(h) linebackers: 50-59 (90-99 if 50-59 are unavailable).

If a player changes his position during his playing career in the NFL, and such change moves him out of a category specified above, he must be issued an appropriate new jersey numeral.

I really don't care about Devin Hester wearing 23, 32 or 82. However, it makes no sense to me why this rule exists in the first place. As an example, why can Calvin Johnson wear #21 as a WR at Georgia Tech but not as a WR with the Detroit Lions?

#23 is a special number in Chicago sports. Shouldn't the city's most exciting athlete be allowed to continue wearing the number? I think so. The NFL should abolish this pointless rule.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chris Williams vs Jerry Angelo

Chris Williams, the 14th overall 2008 draft pick, was supposed to play LT for the Bears and help bolster their offensive line. And then it was reported that he might miss the 2008 season after suffering (reaggravating) a back injury.

Now, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Chris Williams is ahead of schedule and will likely return in the second half of 2008. The bad news is Chris Williams has said that the Bears knew about his herniated disc at draft time.

"I had a herniated disc before I got here," Williams said after watching practice Sunday afternoon at Halas Hall. "We knew that. Everyone knew that. It just was a thing where most people it doesn't affect. It wasn't affecting me so if nothing is broke, you don't fix it. Then something happened in practice that second day, the disc started moving and that caused some problems."

Most GMs would respond to this with a prepared statement and then try to move past this. Instead, Bears GM Jerry Angelo called an impromptu press conference with Bears beat writers.

"Nobody was trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes," Angelo said testily. "Nobody is covering their ass."

"Nobody is twisting the truth or embellishing it," Angelo said. "I could give a [bleep]. I could give a [bleep]. If we screwed up, I would tell you, 'We screwed up.' Hey, if we said this was 50-50 and we just rolled the dice, I would tell you that."

"We're just giving you the minutiae now of everything, which we normally don't do. We don't get into that, the nitty-gritty of everything we do, for reasons like this. We don't want to get into these witch hunts. OK? But let's clear the air."

It looks like Angelo has been hanging around with Lou Piniella and Ozzie Guillen too much. Just let it go Jerry.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Coin Flip in Chicago?

On one side of the coin, you have ~~heads~~ Rex Grossman. On the other side, you have ~~tails~~ Kyle Orton.

Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman will gather in a meeting room at 8 this morning to determine their fate -- at least for one day -- with a flip of a coin to decide who runs with the first team during the opening practice of training camp this afternoon.

It's an unusual manner to determine who take reps with the first-team. But when the choice is Grossman vs Orton, does it really matter if you're flipping a coin or playing rock, paper, scissors...?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Daily Blitz discusses NFL rumors and news, NCAA football, Fantasy Football and the NFL draft and is the blog for Eat, Drink and Sleep Football.

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