Twelve weeks down - five to go. Hopefully you took the last few days to review your roster for your final weeks of the fantasy season and made the necessary moves to get yourself in position to make a run for the championship. Bye weeks are a thing of the past, so your bench should be filled with players you think can help protect you or allow you to benefit from any major injuries that might occur. This week let's discuss the confusing quarterback situations with the Eagles, Browns, and other teams across the NFL and how they might affect your fantasy league.Wait, Overtime?
It's been a rough few weeks for Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, and the Philadelphia Eagles in a town that isn't too accepting of losing teams. After embarrassingly admitting he didn't know that NFL games could end in a tie two weeks ago, McNabb was pulled in favor of Kevin Kolb, their 2007 second round draft pick, in a week 12 thumping by the Ravens. After enduring a summer of rumors which had McNabb landing in Chicago, Minnesota, and everywhere else in the NFC, it looks as if it's only a matter of time until the Eagles pull the plug on the McNabb-era and give their prospect a solid look.
Andy Reid claims he will go with McNabb on Thanksgiving Day, but I think the damage has already been done. By pulling him at halftime last week and throwing Kolb into the fire which is the Baltimore Ravens defense, Reid undermined the leadership of his star player. It only makes sense that Reid should continue to let Kolb get experience if the Eagles want to hit the ground running next year. Matt Cassel is a perfect example of the four or five week transition period that it takes new quarterbacks to get up to speed with real games on Sunday. The Eagles are stuck at 5-5-1 in the toughest division in football and without Brian Westbrook at 100%, their playoff hopes are dim. Let Kolb have a chance to face the other NFC East division foes so he can get his growing pains out of the way and they know what they have when it comes time to make a decision on McNabb this summer. Donovan can't "win" in Philly unless he wins a Superbowl, so it's probably time for a change. He would be seen as a savior in Chicago or Minnesota, as opposed to being scrutinized and questioned even when he wins games in Philadelphia.
The Other Brady
Browns QB Brady Quinn visited Dr. James Andrews (the worst three words to hear as a fantasy owner) yesterday and learned that his debut season with the Cleveland Browns would be cut short as a result of his broken index finger. Dr. Andrews felt the situation could worsen if Quinn continued to play and aggravate the injury, and felt it was best to stay off the field for the remainder of the season, especially considering Quinn's long-term value to the Browns. Thus, Derek Anderson once again enters the picture.
Is he worth a pickup for fantasy teams in desperate need of a quarterback? I tend to think no. While one bright spot is that Anderson has a chance to perform for potential suitors in the offseason, the Browns challenging schedule (Indy, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh) and Anderson's lack of success early in the year should lead to more losses and will eventually cost head coach Romeo Crennel his job. In recent weeks, TE Kellen Winslow, RB Jamal Lewis and even general manager Phil Savage have been involved in embarassing incidents that will only continue to grow with the lack of any real team leader or coach. Expect Anderson to change addresses in the offseason and Quinn to come out firing next year under a new coach (Bill Cowher?) and surrounded by plenty of new faces.
Extra Points
- Rumblings from various league sources tend to indicate that the steroid suspensions I discussed in this space a few weeks ago will be issued next week. Check out the article to see the players this will affect, but the NFL will want to make sure these likely 4-game suspensions don't affect playoff games. Also expect the decision to be upheld as the NFL has a history of being very tough on appeals.
- I took a look at one of my leagues this morning and noticed Ladell Betts still available on the Free Agent list. There is no way he should still be available, especially with the release of Shaun Alexander yesterday. Clinton Portis is on pace to touch the ball a ridiculous 386 times this season and injuries are beginning to wear him down. While Washington's schedule isn't the most favorable for running backs, in my opinion, Betts has the best chance of any backup to have a starting gig by the time fantasy playoffs roll around.
- Don't get too anxious to add Maurice Morris even after his 103 yard performance on Sunday. Mike Holmgren indicated his intentions are to start Julius Jones against his former squad on Thanksgiving and Morris' 14 carries were likely a result of Jones iffy calf injury that has been hampering him in recent weeks.
- The Packers defense suffered huge loss two weeks ago when MLB Nick Barnett tore his ACL and was placed on Injured Reserve. They were completely exposed Monday night when Drew Brees torched them for 324 yards and 4 TDs. The news doesn't get any better for the Packers this week. Starting S Aaron Rouse suffered an ankle injury and with replacements Atari Bigby and Charlie Peprah dealing with injuries of their own, Green Bay is extremely thin in their secondary. Expect your Carolina offensive players to put up major points this Sunday.
Hail Mary
Last Week: Brett Favre and the New York Jets made my prediction come true with ease as the Jets manhandled the Tennessee Titans in their own barn and ended their undefeated season. Favre relied on a short passing attack and took advantage of Tennessee's lack at depth at cornerback to strike early and often on Sunday. While Tennesee is still one of the stronger teams in the league, I had a feeling this would happen, and you will see a similar scene play out in Week 16 when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This Week: For the defensive issues I mentioned above, I'm going to take the Carolina Panthers to head into Lambeau and upset the Packers. Carolina's defense won't allow Green Bay to put up as many points as the Saints did on Monday and DeAngelo Williams, Jonathon Stewart and Steve Smith should put up well over 35 points.
Eat up tomorrow, enjoy the games, and I'll catch you back here next week for another edition of In Between the Tackles.
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