Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001

Need a QB? Try one of these four

Chandler, McNair, Miller and Stewart have made strides toward a starting fantasy spot

By Jeff Agrest, Senior editor

With that in mind, here’s a look at a few quarterbacks on the come.

Chris Chandler, Falcons

For a 36-year-old quarterback, Chandler looked pretty darn good leading the Falcons to victory last week. He passed for 352 yards and two touchdowns and could do more damage this week against the Panthers. He threw for two scores against them in Week Two. Chandler also has a nice schedule ahead of him. After the Rams in Week 12, he faces the Saints, Colts and Bills, all of whom have susceptible pass defenses. Chandler isn’t going to run for scores, but he could give you a 6-10-point game, including some yardage bonuses. Chandler is tied for the league lead with four TD passes of 40-plus yards (Peyton Manning is the other). That’s two bonus points for a big play in the PFW system. And with a full complement of wideouts available, Chandler could come up with some big plays.

Steve McNair, Titans

With Eddie George still sputtering, the Titans have shifted their focus offensively to McNair. He’s been running more than he did last season, and in the last three games, he’s gained 161 yards on 21 carries. McNair also finally has his top two wideouts, Derrick Mason and Kevin Dyson, on the field together. The extra practice time together has helped improve the trio’s rhythm, and it’s showed. In fact, Dyson already has tied a career with four TD catches. He’s scored once in each of the last three games. Like Chandler, McNair is good for a nine-point game, but he also can explode like he did in Week Eight, when he passed for two scores and ran for two more. McNair’s three rushing touchdowns this season are … well … three more than he had last season.

Jim Miller, Bears

He’s back. After a week of conservative play, Miller aired it out vs. the Buccaneers last week, throwing TD passes of 28, 44 and 66 yards, all to WR Marty Booker. And all the passes were perfectly thrown, so perhaps Miller was a bit rusty vs. the Packers the previous week. Like Chandler, Miller isn’t going to run for scores, but he’s good for a multiple-TD game, and he could garner some yardage bonuses for the big plays. Three of Miller’s eight TD passes have gone for 40-plus yards. His next two opponents look inviting as well: Minnesota and Detroit. In fact, in his last two games vs. the Vikings, spanning six quarters, Miller has thrown for 626 yards with five TDs and two interceptions.

Kordell Stewart, Steelers

He’s not lighting up the scoreboard like he did in 1997 (21 TD passes, 11 TD runs), but Stewart is capable of a nine-point week (one TD pass/run). He’s done that twice in the last four weeks, and considering the number of times he’s running, he could do it a few more times. Stewart has run the ball 56 times this season, scoring three touchdowns. And last season, you’ll recall, he finished strong, rushing for six scores and throwing for eight in the final six games. Stewart has been aided by the emergence of WR Hines Ward, who has caught 26 passes for 264 yards in the last three games. After going the first five games of the season without a 200-yard passing day, Stewart was eclipsed the mark in three out of four outings.

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