The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Hard to fault Mark Sanchez for going head first to get that first down, but it’s pretty crazy that the play resulted in him having to leave the game after Joe Girardi was specifically brought in earlier that week to teach him how to slide. Sliding, by the way, often leaves the QB in an extremely vulnerable situation, and defenders often hit them anyway…That Braylon Edwards drop was one for the ages. Wow…If you own both Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch and are playing in your league’s first playoff game this week, good luck. I certainly don’t want any part of that decision. And it’s a very good matchup as well…I’m beginning to think Darrelle Revis is pretty good at covering receivers.

If the Rams ever properly address their quarterback situation (and they better during this year’s draft), Brandon Gibson could eventually become a real fantasy option. He looks like he’s going to be a very good player…Normally the running back position is overrated, but can you imagine this Rams team with Kenneth Darby and Samkon Gado in their backfield instead of Steven Jackson?…Of Jay Cutler’s 20 interceptions, 17 have come on the road.

If Antonio Bryant could ever put his knee issues behind him, he and Josh Freeman could form a deadly combo in the future. Don’t forget about Bryant at your draft table next year…The Bucs totaled 469 yards Sunday. And scored six points…Can you imagine the type of season either Jonathan Stewart or DeAngelo Williams would have if one were to miss significant time with an injury? Stewart owners aren’t exactly rooting for a quick return by Williams.

It seems crazy since he’s only averaged 3.3 YPC this season, but especially with Owen Daniels out, the Texans’ offense really misses Steve Slaton’s presence. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like he’s returning anytime soon either. Fantasy owners are stuck with the Ryan Moats/Chris Brown pu pu platter…Nice to see Matt Schaub fight through the pain and return to the field Sunday, but with just a 6:7 TD:INT ratio over the past five games, he’s been a disappointment. He’s really missed Daniels…If Jacksonville is able to beat the Dolphins at home this week, they’ll be 8-5, yet have been outscored by 48 points on the year. Please don’t make the playoffs Jaguars.

Eddie Royal is on pace to finish the season with 44 catches, 419 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. That’s not very good…Despite seeing 20 carries just once, Knowshon Moreno has rushed for at least 80 yards in each of the past four games, with a 5.2 YPC over that span. He’s starting to separate himself from Correll Buckhalter and is looking like a major fantasy factor down the stretch…Jamaal Charles lost another fumble Sunday, but really, who else are the Chiefs going to turn to?…To call Matt Cassel inaccurate would be an understatement. He missed a sure 60-yard touchdown early in last week’s game and has completed a pathetic 53.9 percent of his passes in 2009. He might be slightly overpaid.

How big of a disappointment has Donald Brown been this season? This year’s rookie class of running backs was just like last year’s. Only the opposite…Despite 91 drop backs, Vince Young has ran for just 24 yards on the ground over the past two games on eight rush attempts. Use those legs Young!…Chris Johnson’s 113 rushing yards Sunday was his lowest total since Week 5…Pierre Garcon has 307 receiving yards over the past three games. Reggie Wayne has 156 yards over that span. Fun fact: Garcon means “servant” or “waiter” in French.

In Michael Vick’s return to Atlanta, he scored two touchdowns on just six touches and finished with a perfect QB rating. You can’t make this stuff up…In a game in which the Eagles put 34 points on the board, LeSean McCoy owners probably weren’t too happy. Actually, the same could be said for those who started Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Brent Celek. Even Donovan McNabb’s numbers were underwhelming…If anything, the switch to Chris Redman has actually been beneficial to Roddy White, who saw a whopping 20 targets Sunday.

While the Saints’ comeback last week was incredible and easily made it one of the best games of the season, the win also revealed some flaws with New Orleans when playing outdoors. Of course, that point should be moot until the Super Bowl come playoff time…During the “Meachem Miracle” play, I hope your Saints’ fantasy defense was credited with a touchdown. I know mine was…Speaking of Robert Meachem, he’s quietly scored seven touchdowns over the past five games and has become the second most desirable New Orleans fantasy receiver to own…It’s true the Saints’ secondary is beat up, but Devin Thomas really impressed Sunday. Maybe he’s not a bust after all. Definitely someone to keep your eye on.

Entering Week 13, the Raiders hadn’t scored more than 20 points in a single game all season. They put 21 points on the board in the fourth quarter alone in Pittsburgh against a Steelers team that had lost three straight and was playing for their playoff lives. It’s safe to say I didn’t see that one coming…Rashard Mendenhall has a pretty good spin move for someone his size and has impressed since taking over as Pitt’s workhorse. He’ll be a borderline first round pick in fantasy drafts next year…Wouldn’t it be funny if Ben Roethlisberger called out Hines Ward in the media this week to suck it up and play through his hamstring injury? You know he secretly wants to…The Raiders have no chance of winning last week if Darrius Heyward-Bey doesn’t injure his foot in practice Friday, thus thrusting Louis Murphy into the starting lineup. For as bad as Oakland whiffed on the DHB pick, they may have made up for it with the Murphy selection in round four.

I don’t care if they’re 9-3, it’s officially time to worry Bengals fans. The defense and running game are both legit, but after Carson Palmer posted a 1:2 TD:INT ratio and a 65.3 QB rating at home versus a historically bad Detroit secondary, it’s officially time to panic about the passing attack. After all, Palmer got just 4.6 YPA at home against the Browns the week before, and he’s thrown just three touchdowns over the past five games…Now that was a backdoor cover by Detroit if I’ve ever seen one. Of course, Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson owners aren’t complaining. Somewhat quietly, Johnson has gained 378 receiving yards with three scores over the past four contests, and if he falls to the third round in fantasy drafts next year, he’ll be a huge bargain.

We are in Week 14, and the Patriots have yet to win a game outside of New England (or England) this season. Pretty crazy. And what’s up with the mystery surrounding Tom Brady and his health?…Do you realize Wes Welker leads the NFL with 95 catches (next best is 83) despite missing two games this year? He also easily leads the league with 105.3 yards per game, with the next best falling well short (Randy Moss with 88.2 ypg)…When Ronnie Brown’s season ended, it appears so did the Dolphins’ use of the Wildcat.

Brady Quinn somehow has a 7:0 TD:INT ratio over the last three games. Of course, in one of those contests, he threw zero TDs and finished with a 2.9 YPA, but Sunday was his best game of his career that didn’t involve Detroit’s secondary. Shawne Merriman later said the Browns’ gameplan caught San Diego’s defense completely off guard, as they attacked downfield like never before this year, which makes Quinn a little more interesting moving forward (after all, he still only has 10 career starts). However, last week’s big game came with a 55.6 completion percentage and a 6.0 YPA mark, so odds are Cleveland’s offense (and Quinn) remains one of the worst in the league from here on out…I have no explanation for Vincent Jackson’s last four games (nine catches, 147 yards, zero touchdowns), but I know I’d personally keep him in my fantasy lineup in Week 14…With a 21:6 TD:INT ratio and a ridiculous 8.9 YPA mark, in most other seasons, Philip Rivers would be the clear MVP frontrunner right now. He has posted a 7:0 TD:INT ratio with a 76.0 completion percentage and a 10.7 YPA mark over the past four games, so few players in football have performed at a higher level over the past month…Chris Jennings was getting hyped by the Cleveland coaching staff, but he’s a mediocre RB who wasn’t even drafted and is now dealing with a shoulder injury. After Jerome Harrison totaled 97 yards with two touchdowns on just 17 touches last week against the Chargers (and maybe more importantly, did well in pass protection), he clearly should be the Browns’ lead back moving forward. Harrison has averaged 4.7 YPC throughout his career and is an excellent weapon as a receiver, and after this week’s tough matchup versus the Steelers, the Browns face the Chiefs and Raiders, so he’s a must-own in all fantasy leagues.

Again, how did Brandon Jacobs outrun all Dallas defenders on his 74-yard TD catch? Pretty impressive for someone who weighs nearly 275 pounds…Tony Romo completed 74.5 percent of his passes, threw for 392 yards while posting a 3:0 TD:INT ratio and a 112.1 QB rating, so it’s pretty tough to blame him for yet another December Cowboys loss. And to those who bought Jason Witten low, congratulations…How about Eli Manning completing just 44.0 percent of his passes (and 11 total), yet getting 9.6 YPA?…Felix Jones’ season-high in carries is 10, which he received in just one game this season. Whether its his struggles in pass protection or the knee injury he suffered in Week 3 that clearly continues to affect his explosiveness, he’s been a massive disappointment…Roy Williams has become the Cowboys’ designated goal-line receiver, which has salvaged his fantasy value of late. Still, he’s averaged just 33.4 yards per game over 21 contests since coming to Dallas.

The refs no call on a blatant pass interference during the 49ers’ fourth-and-goal in the first quarter of last week’s game was one of the very worst of the season. Just awful…Anyone claiming for more Frank Gore carries has less of an argument after the running back’s fourth quarter fumble cost San Francisco the game last week, although in fairness, it was his first lost fumble of the season. It’s pretty funny that a Mike Singletary led team has averaged the fewest rushes per game in 2009 (21.1)…Does anyone know if John Carlson is even still alive? Check your milk cartons…His YPA may remain unimpressive, but Alex Smith has a 7:1 TD:INT ratio over the past three games, and SF has clearly gone all in with the shotgun/spread formation. He’s a fantasy option both in Week 14 (against the Cards) and in Week 16 (versus the Lions)…I can understand the argument against the 49ers passing in a tie game at their own 11-yard line with 51 seconds left Sunday, but they had two timeouts left, only needed to get in FG position and had been moving the ball pretty well all game. It’s true the average field position after a kickoff is the 30-yard line, but there’s no guarantee SF wins the coin toss in overtime, and the team had the ball for sure then. I’d personally never criticize a team for being aggressive like that, especially since they have one of the very best punters in the NFL (it was the 21-yard return that was the killer, in this instance).

What a performance by the Cardinals, who are truly a dangerous team, especially if the deep ball is going to be reincorporated into their game. Kurt Warner has gotten 9.0 YPA with a 12:0 TD:INT ratio over his past four games…Did Al Michaels really say “tough break” when talking about E.J. Henderson’s gruesome fractured femur injury? I could think of better times for a pun…Although Cris Collinsworth called it a “risky” selection, how again did Percy Harvin last until the 22nd pick of last year’s draft? Then again, Collinsworth is also under the impression Harvin was a running back in college who is just now learning to play the wide receiver position. It’s safe to say Monday wasn’t Collinsworth’s best effort.

Man is Aaron Rodgers good. His stats on third down and in the red zone are off the charts, and with just four sacks taken over his past three games, his biggest weakness appears to have been properly addressed. And Rodgers’ two interceptions Monday night shouldn’t even go on his stat sheet, as one was purely Donald Driver’s fault, while the other was essentially a 55-yard net punt…Both teams need to correct their big problems with penalties fast. What a bizarre game Monday, as there’s never been a contest with so many pass interference calls. Unreal…Something’s wrong, Ryan Grant, when a 32-year-old Ahman Green makes you look bad…I’m still confident in Joe Flacco long-term, and that’s a good Green Bay defense, but it’s safe to say it wasn’t the sophomore quarterback’s best game Monday night…Jermichael Finley is a beast. Good luck trying to defend this Packers’ offense if they continue to utilize the tight end like that. I for one would absolutely love to see round three of a Vikings/Packers battle in the postseason (which should be much closer than the previous two).