This week’s bye team: CincinnatiAFC East
Buffalo — RB Antowain Smith (toe) has not practiced this week. He will be a
game-time decision Sunday night. If Smith can’t go, Jonathan Linton will get
the majority of the work on first and second downs. … The Bills are optimistic that
TE Jay Riemersma will be able to return from his groin injury. Head coach Wade
Phillips said Riemersma could be upgraded to probable by Sunday.
Indianapolis — CB Tyrone Poole is questionable because of a concussion, his
second of the year. If he can’t play, it could be a long afternoon for the
Colts’ defensive backfield this week against the Redskins. The secondary has really
struggled when Poole, the unsung MVP of the defense, has been sidelined. Shortly after
Poole went out last week, Patriots WR Shawn Jefferson caught a TD pass, beating
Poole’s replacement, Steve Muhammad. … If you play individual defensive
players, note that Colts DE Chad Bratzke has all nine of his sacks at home this
season.
Miami — With J.J. Johnson still hobbled by a hamstring injury, FB Stanley
Pritchett is expected to start and get the majority of the carries at tailback.
Pritchett has some value in scoring leagues. In terms of yardage, Miami’s running
game simply hasn’t amassed much, gaining just 69 yards in each of the last three
games.
New England — The Patriots’ secondary is really banged up. They probably will
be without top CB Ty Law (hand) for the rest of the season. They may play this week
without FS Chris Carter. The other starting corner, Steve Israel, is
probable with an ankle injury. The Pats should be able to get by this week vs. the Eagles,
who don’t pose a huge threat in the passing game, but the injuries — especially
Law’s — could come back to haunt them vs. the Bills and Ravens.
N.Y. Jets — With TE Eric Green out for the season, youngster Blake
Spence will get every opportunity to show what he can do as a receiver. Still, we
don’t foresee Spence having much fantasy value in the Jets’ offense, as Ray
Lucas has leaned heavily on WRs Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet.
AFC Central
Pittsburgh — Apparently for the rest of this season, Mike Tomczak will
remain the Steelers’ starting quarterback, and Kordell Stewart will be one of
the team’s top three wide receivers. Stewart was very impressive at receiver last
week and appears to be a viable fantasy option at that position if you’re really in a
pinch. Stewart has vowed that he will return to quarterback next season.
Tennessee— The Titans are committed to QB Steve McNair. Though he has
thrown only two TD passes since Halloween, McNair has done plenty of other things, the
team says, to keep him in the starting lineup (e.g., scrambling well and scoring on the
run). The only way McNair would be benched is if he threw an unbelievable number of
interceptions in a game. McNair is no longer wearing the protective boot, which he donned
from last Friday to this Wednesday, to help heal a turf-toe injury and sprained ankle. In
fact, he has looked good in practice this week, throwing well with some tricky winds
blowing around him.
Jacksonville — The Jaguars expect to be without RB James Stewart for the
remainder of the regular season after he sprained his foot last Monday night. That means
that Fred Taylor is back in the lineup. He looked pretty good in relief of Stewart
against the Broncos. Go ahead and play Taylor this week against the woeful Browns’
run defense, but know that if the Jaguars get up big, Taylor may head to the bench because
they will need him during the playoffs, and he has not been able to stay healthy through
much of the season. … No. 3 WR Reggie Barlow is out for the rest of the
regular season with a knee injury. Since Barlow wasn’t a fantasy factor, this will
likely impact very few people.
Baltimore — The Ravens have shown they can finally make the big plays under the
guidance of QB Tony Banks, so it may pay off to put Baltimore’s WRs to work
vs. the Saints. Also, RB Priest Holmes has gotten back into the mix with Errict
Rhett injured and run for at least 100 yards in each of the last two games.
AFC West
Kansas City — RB Donnell Bennett (ankle) probably will not play on Saturday
against the Steelers. Because the Chiefs want a big back to pound away at Pittsburgh, Bam
Morris will probably get the start, even though he has a shoulder problem. Look for
either Morris or Tony Richardson, who has been a much bigger part of the offense in
the last two weeks, to get the call on the goal line. Mike Cloud and Rashaan
Shehee, who should play this week after missing the last two games, will also get some
carries.
Oakland — The Raiders signed PK Joe Nedney this week, and he will handle
kicking duties on Sunday. However, Michael Husted is still around. It would be
wisest to avoid either player the rest of the season.
San Diego — RB Natrone Means returned to action last week and scored a
touchdown even though he did not get that many carries. While Means isn’t a great
option in yardage leagues, he should handle goal-line responsibilities for the rest of the
season, so he’s not a terrible play in scoring leagues. With Means back, none of San
Diego’s other backs is worth starting.
NFC East
Arizona — If you have a Cardinals tight end, it might be wise to give up on him.
Last year, through 13 games, Arizona tight ends had 21 catches of 10 yards or more and
five touchdowns. This year, Arizona tight ends have just five catches of 10 yards or more
and one touchdown. The addition of WR David Boston has spurred more three-wideout
sets, which has had a negative impact on the TE position.
Dallas — The Cowboys have had to practice this week without RB Emmitt Smith,
who has been sidelined with a groin injury. Whether he will play this week will likely be
a gametime decision.
N.Y. Giants — The introduction of QB Kerry Collins into the starting lineup
has helped spark the Giants’ offense a bit. The game plan now emphasizes putting the
ball into the hands of the team’s offensive playmakers — WRs Amani Toomer
and Ike Hilliard, TE Pete Mitchell, and RBs Tiki Barber and Joe
Montgomery. Seeing the ball much less frequently are RB Sean Bennett and WR Joe
Jurevicius.
NFC Central
Chicago — If you’re thinking about keeping one of this year’s rookie
quarterbacks for next season, you might want to consider Cade McNown. Here’s
what Bears director of pro personnel Rick Spielman said of McNown’s progress
in preparation for his first start Sunday since leaving the Nov. 7 Packers game with a
knee injury: "You see his decisions are a little more precise. He’s
understanding where to go with the ball. Practice is different than when bullets are
flying in the game, but I think even in that first series in the Green Bay game before he
got hurt, I thought that was going to be the breakout game because he made a couple of
nice throws early, and it seemed like that’s when it was going to click for him. And
then the knee set him back a little bit. But he was able to see what Jim Miller
came in and did, and that helps a lot, when you sit down with him and Shane (Matthews),
because those guys have had some success with this as well." The Bears’ offense
can be an explosive one, and McNown has shown he can be an explosive quarterback.
Detroit — Here’s news on two fronts: First, QB Gus Frerotte will make
his sixth straight start Sunday in place of the injured Charlie Batch. X-rays of
Batch’s injured thumb revealed a small fracture, which could result in Frerotte being
named the team’s permanent starter soon. But head coach Bobby Ross remains
committed to Batch, so nothing is definite. Batch has thrown well in practice this week,
but he’s still a bit erratic, and taking snaps tends to irritate his thumb.
Elsewhere, the Lions should get RB Sedrick Irvin back this week, which will take
some carries away from starter Greg Hill, especially on third-down and in goal-line
situations. Ron Rivers, who has been out since late October with a broken ankle,
had a good day of practice Thursday and could return next Saturday vs. Denver.
Green Bay — It looks as though both RB Dorsey Levens (ribs) and WR Corey
Bradford (knee, ankle) will play Monday night. Both were listed as probable on the
Packers’ injury report. Bradford’s situation is the worse of the two. His knee
injury is just a bruise, but his ankle is sprained, which could hurt his speed. Levens is
expected to make his first appearance since leaving Green Bay’s last Monday-night
game with what was eventually diagnosed as a cracked rib. Be wary, though. The Vikings
will probably give Levens some serious shots to his midsection.
Minnesota — Though he had the cast removed and reported some improvement, WR Cris
Carter (high-ankle sprain) remained doubtful for Monday night’s game. In fact, it
is very unlikely that he will play, and that means Jake Reed would start alongside Randy
Moss.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — RBs Warrick Dunn (sprained ankle) and Mike
Alstott (neck strain) missed their second consecutive practice Thursday, though they
are probable for Sunday’s game. Head coach Tony Dungy was optimistic that the
tandem would be able to practice Friday. Said Dungy: "Mike is closer. I think
(Friday) will tell the story."
NFC West
Atlanta — QB Chris Chandler will probably not go this weekend, and WR Chris
Calloway pulled a groin muscle in practice Thursday. … WR Tim Dwight is
out.
New Orleans — RB Ricky Williams may miss the remainder of the season with
his lingering turf-toe problems, but head coach Mike Ditka has left the running
back’s playing status in his own hands.
St. Louis — RB Marshall Faulk has been one of the league’s hottest
producers since the midway point of the season. Faulk has had less than 43 receiving yards
just once since Week Seven and has averaged more than 122 yards rushing the past four
weeks. He also has four TDs in his past four games. … Rams WRs could have a field day
vs. the Giants’ banged up secondary.
Carolina — It’s probably wise not to start RB Tshimanga Biakabutuka
because he probably won’t go this week with a bad ankle. … Don’t keep QB Steve
Beuerlein on the bench any longer. He has had at least 262 yards and three TDs in each
of his past three games. |
