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Keyboard Quarterback: Week 2 Was Full Of Surprises
Authored by Andrew Perna - 19th September, 2006 - 11:02 am
The QB situation in the 49ers locker room, Shawne Merriman's shameless attention grab, why the Panthers could runaway with the NFC South and BCS predictions.
If Favre comes back, he better stick it out for a full season whether he starts, is a back-up, or gets benched several games into the season.
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Week two in the NFL was full of surprises. The Giants came from behind to stun the Eagles at home in a thrilling overtime battle. The Bears coasted to a 2-0 record with help from Rex Grossman and his career day, and the Jets nearly pulled off the second incredible upset of the day but fell short to the mighty Patriots. In addition to my weekly high and low analysis of the NFL, I’ll fill you in on my latest fantasy football exploits. I’ll prepare you for the disappointment, week two wasn’t much better than week one.
Highs Eli and the Giants After losing a tough game to his brother Peyton and the Colts last week, Eli and the Giants needed a huge fourth quarter comeback to force overtime and beat division-rival Philadelphia. New York, who won the game on a Plaxico Burress touchdown grab, avoided digging themselves into a huge 0-2 heading into Seattle next week.
Rex and Da Bears The 2005 Bears were good. Relying mainly on their stifling defense to carry them to victory each week, but this season their dormant offense has emerged as one of the league’s most potent. Grossman threw a career-high four touchdowns in the Bears rout of the Detroit Lions.
The Saints are Hot I realize that they haven’t faced the stiffest competition in their first two games (Green Bay and Cleveland), but new Saints Reggie Bush and Drew Brees have been outstanding to open the season. New Orleans needs something to help bring their damaged community together, and if the Saints can keep winning they’ll help do just that.
Peyton Breaks More Records During the first half of Indianapolis’s dismantling of the Houston Texans, quarterback Peyton Manning broke Johnny Unitas’s franchise record for completions on a 21-yard pass to rookie running back Joseph Addai. It’s one of many milestones in the career of Manning, and it’s unlikely that it’ll be his last.
Jaguars Shutout Champs On the league’s weekly grand stage, Monday Night Football, Jacksonville blanked the Steelers 9-0 in the lowest scoring game in MNF history. In addition to shutting out Pittsburgh, the Jaguars collected two sacks and a pair of interceptions in the statement victory.
Lows Tampa Bay, Where Art Thou? The Buccaneers made a playoff appearance last season and it looked as though they would compete in the NFC South again in 2006, but they have started their season 0-2 and their offense has looked horrible. A forced to be reckoned with on a ground last season, second-year man Cadillac Williams has been almost non-existent as has the rest of the Tampa Bay offense.
You too Carolina! After being tabbed by many around the NFL as their pick to win this year’s Super Bowl, the Panthers have fallen into the same 0-2 hole as their division rival Buccaneers. Without electric wide receiver Steve Smith, Carolina’s once powerful offense has been average at best. While both Tampa Bay and Carolina have fallen to the basement of the NFC South, the Falcons and Saints have taken advantage and share a piece of the division lead with 2-0 records.
Roy Williams’ Mouth The Detroit wide receiver performed the Cardinal Sin of guaranteeing a victory against the Chicago Bears this Sunday. These sorts of claims only work for lucky guys like Joe Namath and the NBA’s Rasheed Wallace. Williams was forced to eat his words as the Bears put an old fashioned whipping on the Lions, and Roy was held to seventy-one yards on six catches.
The Houston Texans’ Brain trust The reason the Texans gave for passing on Reggie Bush was that they wanted an elite passing rusher to bother pocket-dwelling quarterbacks like the Colts’ Peyton Manning. Sunday was Mario Williams’s first opportunity to prove his critics wrong by getting his hands on the elder Manning. Instead, the first overall draft pick managed just two tackles all game.
T.O.’s Finger New Dallas receiver Terrell Owens will miss two to four weeks after suffering a broken finger in the Cowboys’ win over Washington on Sunday. The injury may cost him the ever-important October 8th against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Owens, who pulled off an incredible recovery following a broken leg weeks before the Super Bowl, is likely to do all he can to heal before the Cowboys head to Philadelphia.
My Fantasy Diary Week two wasn’t a whole lot better for my fantasy troops. My nine teams complied a 4-5 record this weekend, which is a step up from my 3-6 showing in week one. However, I failed to improve in the most important league of them all, The East Coast Pigskin League hosted by CBSSportsline.com. For the second week in a row I got my overanalyzing, obsessive little behind handed to me.
This week I took on Rugrats II, who featured Peyton Manning as their quarterback. Manning was nearly enough to defeat my entire team, as my players were only able to put up 55 measly points. My running backs, Ahman Green and Cadillac Williams, decided not to show up for their teams’ respective games, and the usually reliable Larry Fitzgerald failed to reach the end zone.
My quarterback situation is in even greater disarray as I am currently carrying four on my team’s fourteen man roster. My opening day starter was Trent Green, and we all know what happened to him. Leading up to week two’s games I picked up San Diego’s Philip Rivers and a rebounding Chad Pennington to go along with Minnesota’s Brad Johnson, who I acquired in a pre-season trade to back up Green.
Up until Saturday night I was debating whether I should start Pennington or Rivers, eventually making the decision to start Pennington. However, I still felt as though I couldn’t drop either Rivers or Johnson. Something in the back of my warped mind is telling me that I can get good value for them in a trade, when my senses should be telling me otherwise. The only thing that matters about week two in the NFL to me is that I got lapped (meaning my score was doubled by my opponent in embarrassing fashion).
Immediately following the afternoon games, with my loss carved in stone, I posted a message on the league page claiming that my team was going to undergo major changes. With a public announcement that my team, The Drew Crew, was going into fire sale mode I immediately received a call from the league commissioner, and owner of the Vipers, Paul. He was wanted to make an offer for Cadillac Williams and was willing to offer me a package of my choice.
Needing to shake up my roster I came back with a five-player deal. I would send me Cadillac and Kevin Jones to the Vipors for Rod Smith, Joseph Addai, and Fred Taylor. In addition he agreed to send me his fourth round draft pick next season for my sixth, if Cadillac and Jones outperformed Smith, Addai, and Taylor over the length of the season.
The trade is against anything I’d normally agree to. Cadillac was my second round draft pick, while none of the players I’m getting from him where even fourth round picks. Taylor is another story – I have sworn myself off the injured-riddled running back for three years in a row. The deal is a huge gamble on my part, Cadillac could very well turn it on next week and return to elite fantasy status for the remainder of the season, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.
If you’re a member of The East Coast Pigskin League and you’re reading this, send a trade offer my way. I’m ready and willing to unload my entire roster…
If you have any fantasy advice, please let me know – Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com
