The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Another fantastic Thursday night game, hopefully all of you have NFL Network. The Jets still don’t have an extremely impressive win on their resume, but this team has improved as the season has progressed, which makes sense with all the new additions. Brett Favre is playing better, but this team is interesting thanks to their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball…Sammy Morris didn’t do much in his first game back, but he’s the favorite for carries in New England’s backfield from here on out. He can’t be unowned in any fantasy league…Jerricho Cotchery has fantastic hands and is one of the more underrated receivers in the league. He needs to get the ball more…What a game from Matt Cassel. He’s making himself an awful lot of money.

I have no clue where that defensive performance came from by the Broncos and on the road no less. All those injuries might be a blessing in disguise. They are a solid start at home against the Raiders this week…Imagine what Jay Cutler’s numbers would look like if his receivers didn’t lead the NFL in drops this season…I still don’t view Peyton Hillis as a worthy fantasy commodity…Matt Ryan didn’t play too poorly Sunday, but that one interception showed he’s still a rookie.

Maybe the most underrated stat in the NFL this year is the Colts allowing just two touchdown passes all season. They have recorded 10 interceptions…As much as it pains me, it sounds like it’s safe to go ahead and drop my boy Matt Schaub. I’ll still recommend him next year, but since he can’t be trusted to stay healthy, he’s definitely a QB2 and nothing more…Joseph Addai made a couple horrible drops Sunday, and yet he still produced a big game. With that upcoming schedule and the offense clicking, Addai may go from biggest bust over the first half of the season to one of the most valuable commodities over the second half of the year.

At times, JaMarcus Russell can look competent. I’d like to see him play with some receivers around him….It’s official, Ted Ginn is not going to be a bust…The Raiders have no offensive touchdowns in 13 quarters. 13! If the rumors are true about Al Davis using more resources to make sure Lane Kiffin doesn’t get the Tennessee job than he is on his own Raiders franchise, the state of affairs is even sadder than I thought in Oaktown.

The Giants currently have the best rushing offense in the history of the NFL. Period. Baltimore’s 29-game streak without allowing a 100-yard rusher has now become a fraud…Derrick Mason is one of those aging vets I wrote off a couple of years ago yet continues to remain relevant…Brandon Jacobs is an absolute beast, but this knee injury seems a little more serious than the Giants are letting on. Remember, he was extremely prone to injury last year. Run, don’t walk to pick up Ahmad Bradshaw if available. He’s easily the No. 1 waiver priority this week.

If Calvin Johnson ever gets even an average quarterback on his side, he’ll immediately become a top-three fantasy receiver. Daunte Culpepper does not qualify…I wouldn’t go overboard praising Julius Peppers. It’s nice he’s back producing, but his numbers need to be placed in context, as he’s padded his stats with five sacks over the last two weeks against Kwame Harris and Detroit…Luckily the Panthers’ running game is playing at an elite level, because Jake Delhomme has been brutal recently…Kevin Smith lacks big play ability, but he looks like a serviceable fantasy back from here on out.

This headline killed me. Anyone who has this Eagles team in the top-5 in their power rankings simply hasn’t watched them play this year. I know I’m beating a dead horse, but Donovan McNabb not knowing that ties existed in the NFL is hilarious. Forget the statement itself, what I found more interesting was his delivery and demeanor, or what about his questioning of what happens in the playoffs? Let’s just say McNabb and Andy Reid were absolutely made for each other. And if I hear the term “kissing your sister” one more time, I’m gonna puke (Puke! That’s a funny word).

Where has that been all season, Ryan Grant? From completely shutting down Tennessee’s running game to allowing 200 rushing yards versus a Green Bay squad that hasn’t been able to run all year – the Bears are a little inconsistent…Once again, this Packers team is dangerous. I’d actually rank them ahead of the Panthers and as the NFC’s second best team right now.

Despite the outcome, I still say taking 4.5 points and KC last week was one of the best bets of the season. Two stops at the goal line were just killer, one of which came on a horrible call by the refs. Call me crazy, but when three feet away from the end zone, why throw the ball 30 yards through the air? Then again, it’s my own fault for not taking the Herm Edwards factor into greater consideration…Whatever, I’m a glutton for continued punishment. Why in the world is Buffalo, who is traveling during a short week, 3-point favorites in Arrowhead this week?…Pierre Thomas is another must-own in fantasy leagues. Deuce McAllister is done, and Reggie Bush is no guarantee to be healthy anytime soon.

How does Adrian Peterson have zero touches on offense in the fourth quarter? Even for the incompetent Brad Childress, that seemed unconscionable…It’s nice that it appears Carnell Williams’ career will continue, but I wouldn’t bother rostering him this season, even with Earnest Graham out for the year.

The Rams have trailed by a combined score of 75-3 at halftime over their last two games…Marc Bulger is officially one of the five worst quarterbacks in the NFL…Mike Singletary has no clue when dealing with the media, but if nothing else, he has San Francisco playing hard…Make sure Antonio Pittman is not available in your league. Little should be expected of Steven Jackson over the rest of the season…Shaun Hill can definitely be used in the right matchup, and he has a few of those coming up during crunch time.

I apologize for my Tim Hightower hype. The Cardinals really don’t run block all that well, and his 3.1 YPC mark can no longer be ignored or blamed on short-yardage usage. I’m not jumping ship, and there’s still plenty of TD potential, but J.J. Arrington’s emergence is worrisome. He’s definitely a bigger threat than Edgerrin James, that’s for sure…Matt Hasselbeck is clearly not right. Avoid at all costs. His post-game interview with the press was really bizarre…Words can’t truly explain just how well Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are playing. I honestly can’t think of a better tandem. Ever.

I still can’t wrap my mind around why Vegas had the Titans as only 3-point favorites against a bad Jacksonville team last week. This Tennessee defense is simply unstoppable in the second half of games…As much as I like him, any Kerry Collins MVP talk is ridiculous to the point of offensive.

What an interception by Troy Polamalu. Unreal…Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed the fewest YPC and YPA this season, which is almost unfathomable. This D deserves far more hype…Sunday’s game went from being the most gut wrenching loss ATS ever for those who backed SD (me), to later being the most gut wrenching loss ATS ever for those who backed Pitt. What an insane turn of events that had nothing to do with the game’s outcome. Just craziness. I left the bar thinking I had lost 17-10 when I saw the ref decline the penalty and throw his hands up and didn’t find out the true final score until later that night. My favorite part of all is ESPN being forced to acknowledge the situation yet only with a wink and nudge. High comedy.

Have you stopped taking Washington seriously yet? I know I have. The Lions have scored more touchdowns (19) this season than the Redskins (18)…Clinton Portis is one tough S.O.B…I know he’s been learning a new system and has played with Tony Romo just one game, but come on, where’s Roy Williams? Detroit ripped off Jerry Jones in that deal…I just love watching Marion Barber run. Dude is a punisher.

I’m no longer upset Cleveland has been scheduled in so many primetime games, because they always bring their A game in the spotlight, leading to entertaining contests like Monday night. Nice to see Brady Quinn acknowledge Braylon Edwards’ existence…Lee Evans owners: Gulp!…Suddenly, my Bills last place prediction looks spot on, which was insane one month ago…It’s safe to say Trent Edwards didn’t have a great first quarter Monday. What’s going on there?…I’m a big Fred Jackson fan, but Marshawn Lynch (finally) impressed against the Browns. He made defenders miss and was hard to bring down. I’ve never seen him play better, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.

Excellent Albert Pujols MVP pick voters. The rest of the order wasn’t any good, but I won’t nitpick. Then again, that one was a no-brainer…As for Cliff Lee for Cy Young, I would have voted Roy Halladay, but Lee is plenty deserving and a fine selection. Francisco Rodriguez finishing third is a joke but not worth getting up in arms over. As for Halladay, he allowed fewer base runners, had the superior K:BB ratio and threw 22.2 more innings than Lee. While he had the superior defense behind him, Halladay also faced the second highest opposing batters OPS in major league baseball, whereas Lee ranked 50th, so his schedule was significantly harder.

As for AL MVP, there really wasn’t a good choice this year, but I know there were a few better than Dustin Pedroia. Sure his defense at second base needs to be taken into account, but he finished 18th in OPS in the AL! Kevin Youkilis, Joe Mauer and Grady Sizemore would have all been better picks. Even Halladay or Lee would have been superior. Finally, I know this has been passed all around the Internet, but in case one of you hasn’t seen the world’s greatest MVP ballot, here it is. If this guy is able to keep his voting privileges next season, the system is even more broke than I thought it was.