Empty the Bench

By: Zachariah Blott

Oh Stephen Jackson, why must you talk? The public opinion on the talented swingman is absolute trash, with most fans seeing him as a thug with a slew of criminal charges and misdemeanors, including assault and multiple counts of battery. As most people knew before Golden State’s media day on Monday, he was recently trying to strong arm Golden State into trading him one year after signing a three-year extension.

He is the captain of the team and has called the Bay Area his “second home.” At the time of the extension signing last November, Jackson said, “This organization has put me in a position to succeed and, for that, I will be forever grateful.”

Well, he wisely decided not to say anything else about his trade request on Monday. Instead he had such gems as “I respect the game” and “I’m not stupid.” I’d like to point out that Jackson was Exhibit 1b in the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl of 2004 with regards to unbelievably stupid and disrespectful behavior. After Ron Artest ran into the stands to attack a fan for throwing a plastic cup (a fan who still had a plastic cup in his hands – hopefully not Artest’s best detective work), Jackson chased after him.

To stop the insanity? To pull Artest back to the court? No, to throw more punches at more fans in a hostile environment. He watched sheer lunacy break out in front of him and didn’t hesitate for a second to replicate it. I understand that Jackson is beloved by teammates and he now participates in a lot of charitable causes, but the only way he could respect the game would be to join the Grizzlies and convince them to disband from the NBA.

The excitement at the Warriors’ media day didn’t end with Jackson. Teammate Monta Ellis was asked about playing in the backcourt with rookie Stephen Curry, something coach Don Nelson has been mentioning for a few months. Ellis reportedly responded, “Us together? No.” When pushed for details, he added, “Can’t”, “We just can’t”, “Just can’t”, and “I just want to win. Not going to win that way.”

Oh boy.

More on the Warriors, LeBron James, and Lamar Odom after the break….

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The day belonged to the Detroit Lions.

Brett Favre and Greg Lewis were brilliant in their miraculous, game-saving hookup in the back of the endzone that gave the Vikings a dramatic 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers and a 3-0 record to start the season. Maurice Jones-Drew broke out for one of the year’s biggest fantasy days in racking up 147 total yards and 3 TDs against the abominable Houston Texans defense. And the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and, yes, the New York Jets all remained undefeated and further established themselves as serious contenders. (The Saints, especially, are looking scary.)

But we’ve come to expect late-game heroics from Favre. We know that Jones-Drew is an elite fantasy running back. The Giants won a Super Bowl just two years ago, the Saints have boasted one of the league’s most high-powered offenses ever since Drew Brees came to town, and the Jets… well, that one actually is a surprise, but not as significant a shock as a Detroit Lions victory.

Say it with me, Lions fans, and let it fully sink in: a Detroit Lions victory.

Savor it like a bottle glass of fine South American Malbec after a long day at the office. Celebrate it like Kool & The Gang. And live up to your reputation, Detroiters: riot in the streets! Tear down vacant buildings! Burn cars! TERRORIZE! Just kidding.

In the wake of this momentous occasion, I don’t want to hear about how bad the Washington Redskins are (even though they are pretty terrible); I want to hear about how much better this Detroit Lions team is than last year’s version. About how the organization is making strides towards respectability, about how the team is learning from their mistakes and has so far gotten better week over week, about the dedicated, underrated fan base that’s stuck with this team through decades of ineptness and shook Ford Field with thunderous applause when the final score was settled. ETB commenter BRS was at the game:

Even though Ford Field was only 2/3 full, the noise at the end of the game was deafening. You would think we had just won the Super Bowl. I can’t imagine what it would be like if we ever host or actually win a playoff game. As a longtime Lions fan, it was just nice to see them finally win. It’s only one game, but hopefully it’s a step in the right direction. I did see some signs of mediocrity returning. I long for the glory days of 9-7 and 8-8. All kidding aside, GO LIONS!!!

The Lions have taken, and earned, their fair share of punches while going an imperfect 0-19 over the past 2+ seasons. They’ve become a pop-culture phenomenon, a running joke that even non-football fans understand and laugh at. Well, guess what: the Lions aren’t the worst team in the NFL anymore. Not by a long shot. (See St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Bucaneers…). They have, as owner William Clay Ford so aptly put it on Sunday, “not only got the monkey off [their] back, [they] got King Kong off [their] back.”

Oh, there’s still plenty of room for improvement, not to mention player talent. The secondary is still one of the league’s worst, as Santana Moss proved in catching 10 passes for 178 yards and a long 57-yard touchdown. The pass rush is still sporadic at best (1 sack on Sunday), and the offense still relies far too heavily on kicker Jason Hanson to put points on the board.

We’re seeing some things in Detroit that we haven’t seen in some time, though. Passion. Play-making. Effective blocking on the offensive line, penetration from the defensive line. Sure-handed tackling from the linebackers. Compelling, if not innovative, play-calling from the sideline. A quarterback with balls.

How many more games will this team win this season? Who knows… but for a few days, at least, a more appropriate question is this: who fucking cares? The Lions won a regular-season game for the first time since December 23, 2007, and as pathetic as it might sound, the 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins is an achievement for a long-suffering franchise and fan base that should be relished all week long.

Bringing home the Week 3 fantasy ranks is our top-15 fantasy plays for Team Defense, which sees the rejuvenated Ray Lewis and his Baltimore Ravens running mates topping the charts at #1 despite a so-so start to the season. They are, indeed, currently ranked 24th overall in ETB’s scoring format.

There’s a good reason for the high ranking this week though: the Cleveland Browns, who travel to Maryland sporting one of the most anemic offensive attacks we’ve seen in some time.

They’ve scored just 1 offensive touchdown in approximately 5 years. They’re starting a quarterback in Brady Quinn whose career trajectory is looking more and more like Joey Harrington’s. Their running game is “led” by Jamal Lewis (when he’s healthy, which he’s not), who at this stage in his long career is best described as a plodding mule who makes Cedric Benson look fleet-footed. I won’t bother touching the thin WR and TE corps since Quinn can’t get them the ball anyway.

But, hey, at least they were fortunate to pluck an Eric Mangini from the Bill Belichick Coaching Tree. The future is bright in Cleveland.

See also:
- Week 3 QB Rankings
- Week 3 RB Rankings
- Week 3 WR Rankings
- Week 3 TE Ranks

1. Baltimore Ravens vs. CLE
2. Minnesota Vikings vs. SF
3. New York Giants @ TB
4. Green Bay Packers vs. STL
5. Washington Redskins @ DET
6. New York Jets vs. TEN
7. Philadelphia Eagles vs. KC
8. Oakland Raiders vs. DEN
9. Denver Broncos @ OAK
10. Chicago Bears @ SEA
11. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CIN
12. San Francisco 49ers @ MIN
13. Tennessee Titans @ NYJ
14. Seattle Seahawks vs. CHI
15. San Diego Chargers vs. MIA

Last week’s fantasy darlings Franklin Delano Gore and Chris Johnson should find the row a little tougher to hoe this week as the 49ers head into Minnesota and the Titans travel to the Jets. Those are formidable defenses, no question, but you would be out of your gourd to consider benching these guys regardless of matchup. Ever. They’ve cemented themselves as tier-one studs.

Speaking of tier one, we expect slow-starting first-round picks Matt Forte and DeAngelo Williams to get the ball rolling in a serious way on the road this week. And if Clinton Portis can’t get it done this week at Detroit he’s no longer an every-week starter, plain and simple.

The situation that bears the closest monitoring is Dallas, where Marion Barber has gone from almost certainly out to “good to go” and back in the span of hours. You’ll want to pay particularly close attention as they play on Monday night, forcing you to make a tough decision Sunday morning. If Barber plays he’ll be limited, but if he’s out Felix Jones becomes an exciting RB2 or RB3 option. Also keep an eye on New Orleans, where Pierre Thomas has been gifted a chance to reclaim his starting gig and would love nothing more than to put a stamp on it, but his health remains a potentially severely limiting factor.

See also:
- Week 3 QB Rankings
- Week 3 WR Rankings
- Week 3 TE Ranks
- Week 3 DEF Ranks

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings vs. SF
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars @ HOU
3. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears @ SEA
4. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans @ NYJ
5. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons @ NE
6. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers @ MIN
7. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers @ DAL
8. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills vs. NO
9. Steve Slaton, Houston Texans vs. JAC
10. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins @ SD
11. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins @ DET
12. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams vs. GB
13. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles vs. KC (Check Status)
14. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants @ TB
15. Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers vs. MIA

Running back rankings 16 through 36, after the jump…

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We’re expecting bounce-back weeks for some highly-drafted wideouts in Week 3. After being embarrassed by the Jets (i.e. Revis, Darrelle) last week Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the Patriots offense will come out angry and looking to prove a point. The Packers should also make an effort to re-establish the rapport between Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings against a hapless Rams squad.

The Colts figure to go back to leaning on Reggie Wayne after a quiet game in which they were dominated in time of possession, something that doesn’t figure to be a problem against the Cards. Meanwhile, Terrell Owens and Lee Evans look make the most of a shootout at home against the Saints.

It’s also a week for some mid-round and late-round picks to prove they can still be counted on. Josh Morgan and Lance Moore have been disturbingly quiet, and while the matchups aren’t ideal, they’re good enough that we should still expect some production. Waiver-wire adds like Nate Burleson, Mike Sims-Walker and the Giants dynamic duo of Mario Manningham and Steve Smith look to continue to roll in very do-able situations.

See also:
- Week 3 QB Rankings
- Week 3 RB Rankings
- Week 3 TE Ranks
- Week 3 DEF Ranks

1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans vs. JAC
2. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts @ ARZ
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs. IND
4. Randy Moss, New England Patriots vs. ATL
5. Stevonne Smith, Carolina Panthers @ DAL
6. Marques Colston, New Orlans Saints @ BUF
7. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers @ STL
8. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CIN
9. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. WAS
10. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons @ NE
11. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers vs. MIA
12. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bungles vs. PIT
13. Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills vs. NO
14. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Iggles vs. KC (Check Status)
15. Wes Welker, New England Patriots vs. ATL (Check Status)
16. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs @ PHI

Wide receiver rankings 17 through 42, after the jump…

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This might be the strongest year ever for tight ends in fantasy football with at least 10 players we consider pretty damn sexy. We don’t expect annual injury risks like Kellen Winslow (12 catches, 120 yards, 2 TDs), Jeremy Shockey (8 catches, 80 yards, 2 TDs), and Todd Heap (6 catches, 83 yards, 2 TDs) to keep their respective early-season paces up, but the production across the board for projected fantasy contributors at the position has been impressive.

Finally, the Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and Tony Gonzalezes of the fantasy world aren’t locks to hold down the top three spots in the weekly ranks, as you’ll see below. (Maybe #3 is high for Daniels, but he’s quietly racking up impressive numbers [10 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD], and we think he’ll find the endzone at home this week against the sinking ship that is the Jacksonville Jaguars.)

See also:
- Week 3 QB Rankings
- Week 3 RB Rankings
- Week 3 WR Rankings
- Week 3 DEF Ranks

1. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys vs. CAR
2. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts @ ARZ
3. Owen Daniels, Houston Texans vs. JAX
4. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers vs. MIA
5. Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins @ DET
6. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons @ NE
7. Dustin Keller, New York Jets vs. TEN
8. Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles vs. KC
9. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears @ SEA
10. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Bucs vs. NYG
11. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks vs. CHI
12. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints @ BUF
13. Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders vs. DEN
14. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers @ MIN
15. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens vs. CLE
16. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CIN
17. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots vs. ATL
18. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings vs. SF
19. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers @ STL
20. Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos @ OAK

See also:
- Week 3 QB Rankings
- Week 3 RB Rankings
- Week 3 WR Rankings
- Week 3 DEF Ranks

This season’s fantasy pecking order is slowly but surely taking shape, but there’s still plenty of early-season anomalies that’ll take a few more weeks to correct themselves. One of them is Byron Leftwich’s surprisingly strong performance through two weeks despite a middling offensive line and a subpar receiving corps that’s thin even with Antonio Bryant in the lineup (he’s not).

Heading into Week 3, Leftwich has racked up the fourth-most fantasy points for quarterbacks in ETB’s scoring format behind Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and Joe Flacco. Outside of Brees, these three weren’t exactly projected to be upper-echelon fantasy contributors: Ryan’s average Yahoo! draft position was 85th overall (end of the 8th round), Flacco’s 115th (end of the 11th round), and Leftwich, well, ol’ Byron wasn’t drafted in most leagues. He’s still a free agent in our league.

Those overall rankings will probably change this week, though, with Ryan in a less-than-ideal matchup on the road against an angry New England Patriots team and Leftwich facing an aggressive New York Giants defense at home. We do like Flacco at home against the woeful Cleveland Browns, though, as evidenced by his somewhat ambitious Week 3 rank below.

See also:
- Week 3 RB Rankings
- Week 3 WR Rankings
- Week 3 TE Rankings
- Week 3 DEF Ranks

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints @ BUF
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts @ ARZ
3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. ATL
4. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. JAX
5. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers vs. MIA
6. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons @ NE
7. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. CLE
8. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears @ SEA
9. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ STL
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CIN
11. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys vs. CAR
12. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals vs. PIT
13. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals vs. IND
14. Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills vs. NO
15. Eli Manning, New York Giants @ TB
16. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings vs. SF
17. Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins @ DET
18. Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Bucs vs. NYG
19. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos @ OAK
20. Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers @ DAL

By: Zachariah Blott

- The Historical Context Award goes to Ron Artest, who bravely told reporters that if the Lakers don’t repeat as champions, everyone can blame it on him. This may not be wise considering how injured most of the title contenders were last year (no KG, a shell of Jameer Nelson, no Yao or McGrady, no Ginobili and a hobbled Duncan). The true genius of his comments, though, came in this quote: “Everybody in L.A. expects a second ring. And if we don’t then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything.” Is he seriously imploring fans to throw things at him if he doesn’t perform well? How did that turn out before? And for future reference Ron-Ron, the guy still holding a tomato isn’t be the one who threw it at you.

Ron Artest Photo Credit: Icon SMI

- Players and upper management all over the league are in love with Jerry Stackhouse’s workouts as he tries to find a team (in America) for the upcoming year. Whoever signs him will have done a disservice to their club. I’m not sure why, but everyone is a sucker for athletic shooting guards who demand the ball and have poor shooting percentages and assist-to-turnover rates. How can sports fans religiously follow batting averages in baseball, but completely ignore shooting percentages when cooing over high-scoring basketball players?

- I know Michael Beasley is admittedly immature and just came out of rehab, but do fans realize how good he will be this year? As his minutes increased during his rookie campaign last year, his shooting percentages all went up and his turnovers and fouls dropped significantly. He started the last four games of the season for the Heat, during which he put up 24 and 12 per, shooting 56% from the field and 60% from behind the arc. He didn’t start any playoff games against Atlanta, but he had two double-doubles, nearly another two, and averaged 19 and 9 over the last three contests. I’d say he’s ready for a big jump. As a side note, make sure you watch Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot if you haven’t seen it already. It’s a documentary about the 2006 Elite 24 all-star game at Rucker Park. Beasley has the funniest line when he tells Donte Green “You’re ugly as shit” before taking him to the rack for a sweet up-and-under reverse lay-up.

- The NBA is locking out their refs and … no one cares. Frankly, numerous studies have come out recently backing up even passing spectators’ claims that the referees are biased, so I say sack them all and pick a new 57 (although they’re only training a new 44). They couldn’t be any worse than the college football officials this year. The league might even bring back a once-fired ref—Michael Henderson—who, get this, once flubbed up a call at the end of a game to give the Lakers a bogus victory. Hard to believe.

Zachariah Blott is a teacher in Portland, not an Amish Charles Dickens character.

- Shutdown Corner – Jerry Jones is proud to introduce “America’s Cage Dancers.”
- Providence Journal – Randy Moss isn’t impressed by Darrelle Revis, but we are.
- Rumors and Rants – Brady Quinn’s job might be in jeopardy (as well it should be).
- Bleacher Report – Behind Matt Forte’s early-season struggles in Chicago.
- The Pigskin Doctors – The top 10 non-kicking special teamers of all time.
- Undrafteds – We agree: it’s time to officially change his nickname to “Mangidiot.”
- Deadspin – She’s not drunk, just mad that she bought that Roy Williams jersey.
- It’s Just Sports – Mario Manningham has the talent to be an elite wide receiver.
- SignOnSanDiego.com – Why Chargers HC Norv Turner isn’t necessarily a knucklehead.
- azcentral.com – Larry Fitzgerald’s brother knows how to use Twitter.
- D.C. Sports Bog – And, unfortunately, so does Redskins linebacker Robert Henson.
- Buc ‘Em – Blame the Bucs’ loss in Buffalo on an incomplete effort, from top to bottom.
- The Big Lead– The Tennessee Titans are 0-2; is it time to panic?
- The 700 Level – Two Eagles fans, one Eagles quarterback, and a white man’s butt.
- The Fifth Down – The view from New England following the Pats’ loss to the Jets.

- Frank Gore finally appears poised to post a profit for his owners after a pair of down, injury-plagued seasons. The guy has always had the talent to be an MVP candidate, but his situation and health (chicken or the egg?) have been significant limiting factors. The stars are aligned in 2009 though. The 49ers are not going to be an easy out and their defense will not be a doormat this season, keeping San Fran in games and allowing them to stay committed to the run. And stay committed they will with rough-and-tumble new head coach Mike Singletary and rushing-friendly offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye calling the shots. We also know QB Shaun Hill will lean on Gore heavily in the short passing game.

So as the unquestioned lynch pin of this offense we know the touches will be there, and on Sunday Gore showed why he deserves them. He posted an otherworldly 207 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries and caught 5 more balls for 39 yards. Perhaps most important was how he scored. Gore took balls between the tackles, ran hard, picked his spots and then simply outran the Seahawks secondary for 79-yard and 80-yard scampers, flashing speed we haven’t seen out of him since 2006.

I have three fantasy leagues I take seriously. In the first two I was more than than happy to land Chris Johnson with the 9th picks (he was 2nd on my board). I had another chance to grab Johnson at 8th in the third draft, but decided to diversify my portfolio and snatch up Gore. So far, I’m feeling good about it – and I have no intention of selling high until something changes. The guy has a legit shot at leading the NFL in rushing. Honest.

Frank Gore photo credit: Icon SMI

- I’m very worried about the Green Bay Packers offense. Specifically, the offensive line, which has a chance to really hurt all of this team’s skill players. Last week I mentioned RT Allen “Barbie” Barbre’s week-one struggles against the Bears, saying, “Barbie is going to have to improve or be replaced for this offense to live up to its vast potential.” This week things got worse as Packers left tackle Chad Clifton rolled his ankle and had to be carted off in the third. Bungles DE Antwan Odom promptly notched 4 sacks, finishing with 5 on the day. Aaron Rodgers was battered and off balance all day, unable to stand and deliver downfield, and it showed as favorite wideout Greg Jennings was held without a catch. Against the Bengals. Now I know Cincinatti’s defense is much improved this season, but that’s simply unacceptable. Something’s got to change. The Rams, Browns, and Lions are on tap in the next month, so this problem may be forgotten temporarily, but it isn’t going away – not with Minnesota’s mauling defensive line on tap for Week Four and Week Eight.

- Fuck you, Jeff Reed. You are dead to me.

- The Ravens backfield is turning into a headache. It’s not necessarily actionable news, unless Willis McGahee is a free agent (in which case you need to add him ASAP), but it’s a situation that bears significant attention as the new Ravens offense could turn the position into a fantasy goldmine. Ray Rice is clearly the most talented, consistent and versatile of Baltimore’s tailback options and he’s tallied 202 total yards whilst sporting a 5.3 YPC. That’s the good news, the bad news is that he’s yet to cross the stripe and he’s not getting much of a chance to do so. I’m not a fan of the man, but I have to say McGahee has been more that capable so far this season and he currently owns the goal line. Rice is still an excellent flex play in most leagues, but if things continue like this he may not be that sneaky RB2 you drafted him to be.

Four more earth-shattering revelations, after the jump…

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It takes a tough man to deliver a tender field goal, Jeff.

Pittsburgh Steelers K Jeff Reed nailed just one kick during his team’s last-second 17-14 loss in Chicago: one squarely to the balls of Steelers fans, teammates, and, ahem, those rooting for the Steelers to cover the (mothe%#$*!) 2 1/2 spread. (If he’d made his kicks, it would have given your dear friends at ETB a Week 2 win in their weekly pick-em pool.)

But instead of a hard-fought win to make the Steelers 2-0 and ETB a little bit richer, we all left with nothing but blue balls.

Football games should not come down to the fancy feet of kickers. The Steelers had plenty of opportunities to take control of this game, but they didn’t capitalize. They dropped easy interceptions on defense and easy catches on offense, including one in the endzone by the normally sure-handed Santonio Holmes.

They let the Bears hang around.

Jay Cutler found his footing after a rough Chicago debut in Week 1, pouting his way to a strong game against a Steelers secondary that’s not nearly as intimidating (or effective) as it is with Troy Polamalu roaming around and hitting everything in sight.

The Bears defense was just good enough to keep Ben Roethlisberger from breaking off any huge plays to Santonio Holmes or Hines Ward, and the slow-footed tandem of Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall only produced in small, inconsistent bursts. Maybe it’s time to give Mewelde Moore more touches.

But in the end, this one essentially boiled down to this: Robbie Gould made the kick that counted. Jeff Reed did not–twice. Ugh. And the sideline shots of Reed looking like a sad, droopy-eyed dog didn’t help the severe case of blue balls being felt in Steelers Nation today.

Keep fucking that chicken, Jeff. (© WNYW FOX 5 News)

- Speaking of spreads, it was Atlanta Falcons -6 1/2 at home against the Carolina Panthers. (Interest in Regular-Season NFL Games: Fantasy performances > My picks in the weekly pool > Final scores) Up 28-20 with just a few ticks left on the clock, the Falcons moved into prevent & protect mode for Jake Delhomme’s Hail Mary into the endzone from about midfield… and Panthers WR Dwayne Jarrett almost did what Brendan Stokley did to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the tipped ball fell just outside Jarrett’s reach and tumbled tantalizingly, harmlessly, through his arms and onto the turf. The Falcons are 2-0, the Panthers are 0-2, and Delhomme looks donezo. Head coach John Fox stubbornly says he’s sticking with his beleguered quarterback, but John Fox might not be the head coach much longer if this continues. Remember when he was the toast of the league and being billed as one of the best of his profession? Things change quickly.

- While consensus top-three fantasy pick Maurice Jones-Drew struggled his way to another underwhelming line (13 carries for 66 yards, 4 catches for 17 yards, 0 TDs), a few other projected studs went absolutely apeshit. For all the strong games, though, the Week 2 fantasy discussion should start and end with that of Tennessee Titans’ RB Chris Johnson, who on his way to what should stand as this season’s top fantasy performance racked up a 57-yard TD run and 69-hard TD catch in the first quarter alone.

His final tally was likely enough to lead 90% of his owners to a head-to-head fantasy win this week: 16 carries for 197 yards (12.3 average!), 9 catches for 87 yards, and 3 TDs… good for 41.08 points in the one league I own him. Too bad his effort was wasted as the Houston Texans once again proved they have the Titans’ number with a 37-34 upset win that pushed the Titans to 0-2 and their own record to 1-1.

And for the record, we didn’t want anything to do with Jones-Drew in our fantasy leagues this year, or at least not at the price that was being paid on draft day. Wonder how those who took him first overall over Adrian Peterson are feeling today.

- How does Drew Brees (25-34, 311 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) spread the ball around to nine different receivers but not complete one pass to Lance Moore, who’s usually one of his trusted targets? Moore left the game early (hamstring), but even without the injury second-year WR Robert Meachem is pushing hard for more looks at the expense of Moore.

- It used to be that you thought twice about starting a Team DEF against the Dallas Cowboys because you were worried about that offense lighting it up, regardless of the opponent. I think, now, it might be time to instead think of a Team DEF vs. Dallas offense matchup in terms of the potential for sack and turnover points. Yeah, it’s good to have a DEF that keeps their opponent to under 10 points, but as the opportunistic New York Giants defense showed Sunday night, Tony Romo & Co. are sloppy and prone to making big mistakes. Sometimes the promise of greater rewards make it worth the risk of having 20+ points hung on your starting DEF.

- With Marshawn Lynch serving a four-game suspension, Fred Jackson has taken over the starting RB duties in Buffalo… and is making a strong case to keep it that way after piling up 188 total yards on Sunday. He did lose a fumble, but he looks like the better back right now.

Somewhat similar situation in San Diego, where Darren Sproles got the starting nod in the Bolts backfield with LaDainian Tomlinson missing just the second game of his nine-year career (toe). Tough matchup for Sproles against the Baltimore Ravens, but he performed marvelously, all things considered, by making up for the lack of rushing yards (10 carries for 26) by hauling in 7 passes for 124 yards and a long 81-yard touchdown catch.

Size is going to be an issue in certain situations with Sproles: he’s listed as 5′6 and 185 pounds, and in an ideal world has a bruising runner to compliment his speed, agility, and vision in the open field. But again, right now he’s more explosive than LT and has the greater home-run potential. Sproles and the Chargers look to regroup in Week 3 at home against the Miami Dolphins.

- Though veteran quarterbacks on their last legs like Delhomme and Marc Bulger continued to induce frustrated groans from their respective fan bases, Arizona’s Kurt Warner proved, for at least one week, that it’s not yet time to stick a fork in him. Old Man Warner rebounded from a terrible outing in Week 1 against the 49ers by completing his first 15 pass attempts and setting a new NFL single-game record for completion percentage (92.3%) in finishing 24-26 for 243 yards and 2 TDs. “Kurt’s found the fountain of youth somewhere,” teammate Larry Fitzgerald said. “I don’t know where it is, but we’re blessed to have his services. He played error-free football to put our offense in a great position. When he’s back there in that kind of rhythm, it’s hard to deal with him.”

- The New England Patriots should be 0-2. The Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, and Buffalo Bills should be 2-0.

- Through two weeks, the following teams have distinguished themselves as nearly unwatchable: Denver, Cleveland, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and Seattle.

Overheard at the Local Watering Hole: “It’s fucking crazy man. I’m telling you. I’ve been stabbed, shot, kicked, punched, and beaten, and to think that after surviving all of that I could die from something called the swine flu is fucking crazy.”

Jeff Reed Photo Credit: Icon SMI