In Between the Tackles: Injuries and Shakeups

Welcome to another edition of "In Between the Tackles" where every Wednesday morning I'll break down some of the hot items in the NFL and how they might impact your fantasy season. Let's get right to it.

Fire Away

Monday night brought news of the abrupt end to the Mike Nolan era in San Francisco. Nolan was fired and replaced by assistant coach Mike Singletary after word leaked that Nolan's reign might be coming to an end following San Francisco's game against Seattle next week. Hoping to avoid the media circus and questions that surrounded Lane Kiffin's job security in Oakland a few weeks ago, the 49ers decided to move on without Nolan sooner rather than later. Where does this leave San Fran going forward?

Any time a new coach takes over the reigns, changes can be unpredictable. Singletary was one of the first hires Nolan made back in 2005 in an attempt to inspire and excite his new troops. SportsJudge's John O'Malley touched on Jim Haslett's success in reviving the Rams in his article yesterday (link), and it's not too far-fetched to wonder if Singletary could have a similar effect. On the other hand, Haslett came to the Rams with six years of NFL head coaching experience on his resume. Singletary had no coaching experience prior to being hired as Baltimore's linebackers coach in 2003. This could be too much too soon.

From a fantasy perspective, Singletary's lack of experience, especially on the offensive side of the ball, should mean that offensive coordinator Mike Martz and his system remain intact. Frank Gore will continue to put up solid and relatively consistent numbers. Martz has been known to get his RBs involved in the passing game and this has been one bright spot for Gore owners in leagues that reward extra points for receptions. Isaac Bruce continues to be the #1 receiver, but Josh Morgan needs to be put onto your fantasy radar. He has passed Bryant Johnson (hamstring) on the depth chart and possesses the raw talent to be a game-changing receiver in an offense that relies heavily on the passing game. It's probably best to see what role he carves out in the coming weeks, but there's a chance by this time next week he'll be one of the hottest waiver wire pickups out there.

***Update: I wrote this section before Yahoo! chose to hijack my brain and post it first (link). You might not have a chance to play wait-and-see with Morgan.

Patriot Games

Another piece of surprising news early this week was Patriots RB Laurence Maroney being placed on Injured Reserve and ending his season. One of the most frustrating games fantasy owners have had to play is trying to decipher Bill Belichek's running-back-roulette each week for the past few seasons. I was prepared to highly recommend Sammy Morris in this week's column, but I will temper my enthusiasm a bit after Morris suffered a knee injury Monday night and missed the 2nd half. He was seen walking with a limp after the game and was likely held out for precautionary reasons, so this could provide you an opportunity to sneak in and trade for Morris on the cheap if you're willing to take a gamble. Prior to the injury, Morris was impressive while racking up 138 yards and a TD in the first half against the Broncos and looked to be the prime ballcarrier. Kevin Faulk will remain the third down back, but Morris will receive the early down and goal line work and will be a nice 2nd RB for your fantasy team. I also have a hard time believing any hype you may hear surrounding Benjarvus Green-Ellis. His carries came in the 2nd half with the Patriots up big and Morris already hurt and as a rookie there is no way Coach Belichek would make him the primary back. If you refuse to believe in Morris and you already know Faulk has nothing to offer, then at least go for the running back you have heard of, LaMont Jordan. Jordan also becomes my recommendation if Morris' injury proves to be serious.

Bush-Whacked

Reggie Bush's breakout season was put on hold this week after suffering a torn meniscus on Sunday in Carolina. Bush had been hampered by knee swelling the entire season, so this might just be a further aggravation of a previous injury. Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas must be owned in all leagues until the situation gets sorted out. With McAllister's age and history of injuries a concern, I doubt he will see as much of an increase in production as you might think. Thomas will likely become relevant again until Bush returns. The best case scenario would be Bush only missing two games but some speculation has him being held out up to six weeks in order to allow him to fully heal. Keep an eye on this situation.

Extra Points

- Recycled from last week: "Jay Cutler's impressive season has overshadowed the fact that Denver's defense is one of the weakest in the league, especially against the run." Add a Champ Bailey (torn groin 4-6 weeks) injury to the mix and a league-worst 195 points allowed, and Denver will continue to make the Matt Cassel's of the league look like Pro Bowlers.
- Speaking of Denver, this may be your one and only chance to pull a trade for Brandon Marshall. His 77 yards Monday night were hampered by Cutler's injured finger (x-rays negative) and Denver should get most of their injured receiving options back after the bye week. This will take the attention off Marshall and he will dominate a soft schedule. He might be the top receiver in the league the rest of the way.
- Pittsburgh CB Bryant McFadden broke his forearm Sunday and underwent surgery - he will likely miss at least 6 weeks. While this injury alone is not devastating for the Steelers defense, S Troy Polamalu also suffered a concussion on the same play. Missing both players will hurt, and with at least six concussions in Polamalu's past, I will predict his career is unfortunately nearing an end. Maybe not this year, or even next - but much sooner than people think.
- It looks as if the torch has been passed as Antonio Bryant will be Tampa's #1 receiver going forward. Joey Galloway (foot) will not replace Bryant as starting split end when he fully recovers and will either move to flanker or become a backup receiver. I have a feeling it will be the latter and his fantasy value will be minimal for the foreseeable future.
- Marques Colston (thumb) struggled to find a rhythm in his return on Sunday against Carolina. He finished with zero catches and was eventually pulled. Don't panic. He has hardly practiced and with a Week 9 bye he should return to form for your stretch run.

Hail Mary

Just gonna throw this up and see what happens...

Last Week: I underestimated the futility of the Cincinnati Bengals and only predicted they would lose by three TDs. They lost by four.

This Week: Philadelphia returns from the bye week to win by 21 at home over Atlanta. Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis healthy. Head Coach Andy Reid is 9-0 following a bye week. Atlanta has shown promise and improvement but this one could get ugly. Watch out for Philly in the second half of the season.

Check back next Wednesday for another edition of "In Between the Tackles" as always feel free to post any comments or questions below.

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