The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

If the Browns and Bengals can’t get their offenses going against each other, it’s officially going to be a long season for both. Brady Quinn must really not impress during practice, or he would’ve been in that football game Sunday…Chris Perry is about to fumble his way out of a job. Cedric Benson is horrible, but since all other backs are hurt, and Perry is injury-prone, I guess he’s worth a look in fantasy leagues. And bravo Cincy, at least the franchise no longer even hides the fact character means little to them. When is Rae Carruth due for parole?…The next time I hear someone make a joke using the name Houshmandzadeh, I’m going to defenestrate him…If you own Jamal Lewis and can get Steve Slaton for him, consider yourself lucky.

So that’s why I drafted Matt Schaub in so many leagues. Not a great sign for Houston that he got 7.7 YPA with zero sacks and turnovers yet still lost, but still, this offense should get on a roll with four upcoming home games against soft defenses. Especially once someone tells Andre Johnson the season has started…Maybe age and all that mileage has finally caught up to Fred Taylor, who has averaged just 3.6 YPC this season…I’m fully onboard the Steve Slaton hype machine.

Muhsin Muhammad has a lot more left in the tank than I expected, and his familiarity with Jake Delhomme and the Carolina offense has paid off. He’s also an exceptional blocker…Rookie quarterback and all, Roddy White is going to have another good season…Michael Turner has been about as boom-or-bust as you can get so far, with opponent the clear reason why. Part of the problem is that he offers nothing in the passing game, so tough run defenses are going to remain a problem. Still, he’s going to be just fine long-term.

This Denver defense isn’t just bad, it’s awful. The line couldn’t generate any pressure even after LT Branden Albert left an already suspect Chiefs O-line. That said, I’ll eat some crow regarding Larry Johnson, as that’s two straight big games…He may be a horrible blocker, but Tony Scheffler simply has to be targeted more than two times…Jay Cutler is on pace to throw for 5,100 yards, which would top Dan Marino’s all-time record (5,084 yards).

Of the 49ers’ NFL-high 19 sacks allowed, only three have come on third down. Mike Martz deserves plenty of the blame, but J.T. O’Sullivan often holds onto the ball far, far too long…When you consider his teammates, Drew Brees has a pretty good case as the league’s MVP right now. For someone who supposedly lacks arm strength, he sure does throw a pretty deep ball…Not sure Vernon Davis can even be treated like a top-15 fantasy tight end at this point…I for one wrote Deuce McAllister off for dead, but since Reggie Bush can’t run between the tackles and Pierre Thomas was only decent and struggled in short-yardage situations, it looks like McAllister is going to be given every opportunity to be fantasy relevant again. Don’t expect any explosiveness, but there figures to be plenty of scoring chances.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Jets and Cardinals combined for 91 points Sunday…I’m glad I avoided Thomas Jones like the plague in fantasy drafts, because if that’s all he can muster playing at home against Arizona and with the benefit of a big lead, there’s not much room for optimism…Brett Favre sure does know how to run a playaction…The Anquan Boldin hit was just brutal.

Part of the problem with choosing Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre wasn’t just comparing the two of them, it was the real downgrade in depth. If Rodgers can’t return from this shoulder sprain, the team is in big trouble, especially with all those injuries on the defensive side…Jon Gruden, please get Earnest Graham more touches…Not sure what to make of Ryan Grant, as he wasn’t even on the injury report last week, so the hamstring issue can’t be blamed. The problem with him is that he doesn’t counter a poor YPC mark with any receptions. Still, he’s more of a buy-low than someone to panic about.

Will someone, anyone please try to explain to me why Brad Childress punted down 13 points with 2 minutes left, which just led to three straight kneel downs by Kerry Collins? He didn’t want to hurt the fragile psyche of Tarvaris Jackson? He didn’t want to win? He is an idiot?…One gets the feeling we’ll be seeing more Chris Johnson and less LenDale White as the season progresses…Adrian Peterson owners still need to have Chester Taylor for insurance, but it sure is nice to see how irrelevant he’s become.

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Darren McFadden. Painkilling shots before the game only delay the recovery from turf toe injuries, and he was clearly hobbled while trying to fight through it. Tough break he suffered the injury while the opportunity was there with Justin Fargas sidelined…Chris Chambers’ 33 percent catch rate is embarrassing…The Al Davis news conference was absolutely fascinating. Must-see TV to be sure. Things we learned about Davis: he’s lucid, emotional, paranoid and quite possibly the scariest human being alive, especially in HD. I fear for Chris Mortensen’s life.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Marshawn Lynch, but Fred Jackson needs to see 10 touches a game…I can fully understand the new regime going back to Marc Bulger, and the INT returned for a TD (“pick-six” needs to stop) was egregious, but Trent Green’s 7.4 YPA and two sacks taken were an improvement. I’m just saying.

I’m shocked by how well this Redskins team has been playing. The secondary has been nothing short of fantastic…If anyone should be complaining Terrell Owens, it’s Marion Barber…Jason Campbell has been one of the most pleasant surprises of 2008…Another week, another upgrade. Only health stands in the way of Santana Moss finishing as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver this season.

Kyle Orton has been a popular add this week, but I don’t buy it…No matter what he makes, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is underpaid…Forget the mistakes, Philadelphia hit a home run with the DeSean Jackson pick…Because he racks up tackles to go along with the sacks, Trent Cole is an IDP beast…David Akers remains accurate inside 40 yards, but he’s not beyond that. This is clear. If the ball is anywhere on the opponents’ 24-35 yard-line, the team should consider it four down territory.

What a sloppy, ugly game that was Monday night, although both defenses deserve credit. Especially Baltimore’s unit, which looks like the best in football. Those linebackers are out of control…Did everyone enjoy the Rashard Mendenhall era as much as I did?…Joe Flacco (pronounced multiple different ways by the crack MNF team) sure does look like a future star. I’m really surprised how good he looks so soon. This Ravens team is no joke…What was up with that overtime coin toss? The coin never flipped once!…And now, because the Steelers were my survivor pick this week, I’m off to go have a heart attack.