Empty the Bench

By: Zachariah Blott

The Philadelphia 76ers are next up in our ongoing “The Kids are Alright” series, where we take a look at young teams who won’t compete for playoff supremecy but who are still very much worth watching this season. Don’t miss the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, too… more to come.

Why They’re Worth Watching: They have a lot of the pieces to be a great fastbreak team. In fact, they led the league with 18.1 fastbreak ppg last year. Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young are the very definition of long-armed, athletic wings who create all sorts of trouble in the open court and in the passing lanes. (Watch the first clip from last Friday’s game vs. the Nets; it’s kinda ridiculous what AI does to New Jersey.) They get their gangly mitts all over opponents who try to drive on them, and they collapse into formidable double-teams that lead to turnovers and breakaway dunks for teammates at the other end.

For the record, Iguodala is probably the most underrated player in the league, as he continues to be the type of glue guy who makes his team work while putting up good enough numbers that he’s sorta well known but not good enough to get into the All-Star game, even though he should be there every year. Yes, every year.

PG Louis Williams and C Samuel Dalembert are also terrors in the open court who exhibit speed and shiftiness at levels beyond their positional peers. Williams is finally coming into his own after being handed the starting spot when Andre Miller left at the end of last year. He’s putting up a steady 15 ppg on a team that spreads the scoring around, and his good A/TO numbers have only improved in his expanded role: a magnificent 5.2-1.3 this year. Dalembert is still one of the quickest centers in the league, both up the court and off his feet, where he’s continuing to block 1.8 shots in only 24 minutes. His minutes are limited because Dalembert-of-recent-past-clone Marreese Speights is filling up the hoop in his second season for Philly, going for 13 ppg on 61% shooting (fastbreaks will do that).

With all their length and speed, the Sixers are able to keep opponents off the free throw line (league-best 19 attempts per game) while getting there themselves 28 times a night. Like every decent team with this much athleticism, Philadelphia has a lights-out bomber from deep to can open threes when opponents try to crowd the lane to prevent all that driving. During his seven seasons in the league, Jason Kapono has hit 46% of his 3-pointers—on pace to break Steve Kerr’s NBA career record of 45.4%—and he’s appropriately hitting 45% so far this season. The Sixers play like one of those AAU teams with 6-4 athletes at every position who attack everything (the NY Gauchos come to mind); that’s why they’re worth watching.

A look at the plan and what the future holds for Philly after the break…

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By Brian Spencer

We might need a larger sample size of games before drawing any definitive conclusions on whether or not the Elton Brand of old is gone for good, but we’re worried about him. For sure. At this point we’re starting to think that a change of scenery might be the best (only?) option not only for him to resuscitate his career at 30 years old, but also for the Philadelphia 76ers to cut their losses, get a reasonable return in trade while they still can, and plug in a player that’s better suited to their tempo and philosophy.

If the Sixers drag their heels much longer and keep waiting for the double-double machine they thought they signed in ’08 to return, they’re running a serious risk of flushing $82 million down the toilet with little to nothing to show for it. Unfortunately for both parties, that’s where it’s at right now.

Health and durability were not concerns for the first-overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft during his first 8 years in the league, a span in which, on average, he played in about 76 of 82 regular-season games per year. He was quietly a perennial 20 and 10 threat who shot around 50% from the field and chipped in about 2 blocks, 1 steal, and 2 or 3 assists per. Perhaps more impressive, in ’06 he led the bumbling Los Angeles Clippers franchise to its first playoff series win in 30 years. He was, essentially, one of the NBA’s rocks: reliable, productive, consistent, hard-working.

Things quickly changed: a rupture Achilles tendon limited him to just 8 games in the 07-08 season. Convinced the injury was an abberation and seduced by his impressive resume, the Sixers viewed Brand as the missing piece to their puzzle and signed him to a lucrative 5-year, $82 million deal… and they’re still waiting for that 20-and-10 Elton Brand to show up. He played in just 28 games last season due to injury, with surgery on his separated shoulder eventually shutting him down for good. Before that, his slow-and-steady style of play in the post didn’t mesh with the uptempo offense which Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams thrive in. His per-game averages of 44% FG, 67% FT, 13.8 points, 8.8 boards, 1.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in those 28 games were all career worsts.

Again, we’re only five games in and some rust is to be expected since Brand has played in just 37 games the past 2 years. But if his role on this Sixers team was unsettled last year, right now it has to be considered undefined and up in the air. He’s averaging less than 29 minutes per–almost 10 less than his career average–and logged just 18:38 Friday night against the Nets. Perhaps more concerning, he simply looks hesitant and uncomfortable out there. That’s not what the Sixers want to see out of their highest-paid player.

So, what’s going on here? Are we witnessing the premature decline of a once-dominant player? Has this string of injuries gotten in his head? Is it rust that he’ll soon shake off? Is he just a bad fit for this team and this system? And to go back to my original point, can the Sixers afford to wait and see?

Philadelphia heavily invested in Elton Brand, but that shouldn’t stop them from exploring their trade options if they’re not totally confident in Brand’s potential to turn it around. And if they make that determination, they should move quickly. Get a younger, quicker post player who better fits with Iguodala, Young, and Williams–the core of this franchise. Brand’s trade value will continue to recede the longer they wait and the longer that Brand struggles to regain his All-Star form. God forbid he incurs another serious injury.

It’s still early. There’s still time for this to work. But the clock is ticking.

- The Sports Hernia – The best thing going for the Charlotte Bobcats? A cartoon cat.
- Ball Don’t Lie – Spurs win + no bats hurt = free beer!
- Sham Sports – The picks are in for the 2009 D-League Draft. Get psyched!
- TrueHoop – History was made during that draft by Latavious Williams.
- Full-Court Press – Does a Tayshaun Prince for Chris Kaman trade make sense?
- Unathletic – Ten of the best NBA on TNT commercials.
- Hoops Addict – Randy Foye is starting to get comfortable in Washington.
- The Basketball Jones – Oh, the places Tyler Hansbrough will go with Mr. Skeets.
- Sactown Royalty – Kevin Martin is in a no-win situation with his broken wrist.
- The Hoop Doctors – The Nuggets are looking to crash the NBA’s “Big 5″ party.
- We’re Bucked – Bucks fans can in part thank ESPN for Brandon Jennings.
- SLAM – Mid-April can’t come soon enough for some Knickerbockers.
- Bleacher Report – The top-10 players to ever don a Toronto Raptors jersey.
- NBA FanHouse – Could Nancy Lieberman become the NBA’s first female head coach?
- Sporting News – Pete Rose doesn’t eat hair with his yellowtail sushi.

By: Brian Spencer

Over the next few weeks we’re discarding the bad and emphasizing the good on those NBA teams that may not carry much clout this year, but who are building towards a brighter future and deserve your attention over these long winter months. That’s the beauty of the NBA League Pass, kids: you’re not at the mercy of ESPN’s drab Hornets-Spurs matchups or the occasional Thursday night clunker on TNT (don’t get me wrong, we love you Ernie, Charles, and Kenny).

Instead, you get to watch the Warriors tangle with the Timberwolves, the Thunder take on the Grizzlies, the Pistons take on the Knicks. Pay little attention to the wins and losses columns for these teams–focus on the young talent and the promise of a better day instead. Andrew kicked this series off with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this week, and up next is the Detroit Pistons.

Why They’re Worth Watching: After a series of disappointing finishes to promising seasons, Pistons fans began clamoring for change. They got their first dose of it last year when Chauncey Billups was traded for Allen Iverson… and subsequently got their first painful reminder that success is fleeting, that the importance of chemistry can never be overstated, and that all good things must eventually come to an end in the NBA. Let’s be honest: the Pistons were mostly unwatchable last year. But while the team merely dipped its toes in the rebuilding water last season, this time around they’ve thankfully jumped in the pool.

Free-agent signee Ben Gordon has one of the sweetest strokes in the league and can fill it up like few can; Richard Hamilton, by the way, can still score too. Third-year guard Rodney Stuckey is your classic boom-or-bust prospect just waiting to either breakout or fall out of grace. Rookie first-round pick Austin Daye has a ridiculous 7-2 wingspan and though he’s drawing early comparisons to teammate Tayshaun Prince (who was also wafer-thin coming out of college), most accounts say he’s actually ahead of where Prince was at this early stage of his career. Backup PG Will Bynum is an ETB favorite and could be a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year on a better team, rookie Jonas Jerebko seems like the type of scrapper who fits the Pistons mold, and hey, it’s early and there’s no telling how long he can keep this up, but Ben Wallace, back for his second tour of duty in Motown, seems to have discovered the fountain of youth. That’s a beautiful thing.

A look at the plan and what the future holds for Detroit after the break…

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By Brian Spencer

What would happen if a white TV analyst “accidentally” referred to a black athlete as a “ni**er?” Think that would make national headlines? Think that TV analyst would still have a job almost a week after letting that bomb slip? Of course it would, and of course he or she wouldn’t.

So–and apologies for leading with so many questions–why is it, then, that NBA TV analyst Rick Kamla is still gainfully employed by NBA TV and Turner Sports after calling New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian a “Chinaman” during a recap of last week’s Nets-Magic game? That recap, by the way, was available on NBA.com for almost a week before finally getting pulled down this morning. Tom Ziller on NBA FanHouse:

Turner Sports spokesman Jeff Pomeroy relayed to FanHouse an apology to anyone offended by the remark from Kamla and the network, which manages NBA TV and NBA.com. Pomeroy said Kamla was not aware of the connotations of the word, and meant nothing malicious or offensive by it.

Kamla’s ignorant slip is far less troubling than the fact this video was broadcast on NBA TV and had been available on NBA.com for five days. The NBA has made serious strides to reach out to all corners of America and to expand the league’s presence worldwide, with particular emphasis on Asia. Given the league’s emphasis on marketing product to Chinese Americans, for this to go unnoticed within the NBA’s digital arm for so long is disheartening.

So, let me get this straight: Kamla apologized under the guise that he didn’t know this was a racial slur and didn’t think it was offensive? Bullshit. If he’s that ignorant, he has no business being on national television and representing the NBA.

We exclusively deal in sports here at Empty the Bench, so I’ll spare you my soapbox rant about the double standards in this country when it comes to racial awareness. But I will say this: inappropriate, tasteless jokes directed at people of Asian descent are, for whatever reason, not viewed or dealt with with equal gravity. For example, former Detroit News columnist endured waves of criticism for asking then Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli if his daughter should have married a better defensive coordinator. (Joe Barry, the Lions’ former DC, is Marinelli’s son-in-law.) Eventually, Parker resigned. Unprofessional, to be sure, but nowhere near the level of Kamla’s assinine gaffe.

Yet, Kamla remains on the air for NBA TV after calling Jianlian a “Chinaman?” Unbelievable. Everybody makes mistakes, and I’m not out to crucify Kamla for his idiocy. But, sorry, he needs to be held accountable for his actions. It’s shocking that the NBA, a league with global ambitions and one that’s heavily invested in the Asian market particularly, would stand pat and allow this incident to essentially be swept under the rug. Oops, sorry, he didn’t mean it? Seriously?

Kamla should be suspended, and a look back at Shaq’s racist remarks after the break…

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Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

This week’s running back rankings are some of the most challenging of the season. In addition to the usual bye-week woes we’ve got a number of backfields in flux. Most notable is in Houston, where Steve Slaton was benched for the game after fumbling on his first carry a week ago. Ryan Moats stepped in and simply shredded the predictably poor Bills on the ground to the tune of 23 carries for 126 yards (5.5 YPC) and 3 TDs. It was Buffalo, but the impressive effort cannot be denied – especially when you factor in Moats far superior ball security to Slaton.

The numbers were career highs for Moats across the board, but it wasn’t entirely unprecedented. Recall back in the final six weeks of the 2005-06 season when Moats helped fill in for an injured Brian Westbrook and posted 55 carries for 278 yards (5.1 YPC) and 3 TDs. Meanwhile, Slaton has managed a meager 3.1 YPC on his 110 rushes this season with 7 fumbles. That simply won’t do.

Is Slaton being exposed as the undersized, incomplete back the caused him to slip to the 89th pick in 2008? It seems as if, and you can bet the Texans will go after another RB this offseason. For now, though, he’s still ridiculously dangerous in the passing game and Slaton’s 2008 season earned him the cachet to assume he’ll bounce back at some point. He’s holding off Moats in the rankings. For now. And we’re being cautious with both.

Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell also continued their season-long committee dance on Monday night as Bell was given 17 carries to Thomas’ 14. Thomas continued his trend of proving to be the far superior and more complete back though, putting up 91 yards and a TD with his rushes and adding 2 receptions for 9 yards and another TD while Bell ineffectively churned out just 49 yards on the ground. I know they don’t want to overwork Pierre, but he and this offense are so damn good you have to consider him a RB1 in fantasy right now and Bell, who is still getting a lot of work and scoring chances, just a decent flex play.

Another high-profile tandem to keep an eye on as Sunday draws near is LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia. Everything I’m reading in Philly papers indicates Westbrook is expected to participate but will not be a full go, leaving the starter’s carries to the explosive rookie. McCoy proved he deserved to see more work going forward with 82 yards and a TD on just 11 carries against the Giants last week (albeit 66 of those came on one touch). I think McCoy is the better, if less complete, back right now. We have him aggressively ranked at home against the Cowboys this week and have left Westbrook off for now, but owners of both will want to check in on Westbrook’s status over the weekend.

It’s a good chance to take a test drive on your big waiver-wire pickup of Jamaal Charles this week. The Chiefs are on the road, but the Jaguars rush defense is nothing spectacular ( 128+ YPG, 4.3 YPC) and Kansas City has little option but to feed Charles with Larry Johnson and his putrid 2.7 YPC mercifully out of the picture. The 2008 third-round pick hasn’t seen much opportunity, but he boasts a career 5.3 YPC on 90 rushes. Charles is shiftier, faster and better than Diapers. He’s also more of a team player …

See also:
- Week 9 QB Rankings
- Week 9 WR Rankings
- Week 9 TE Ranks
- Week 9 DEF Rankings

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. KC
2. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers vs. TEN
3. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans @ SF
4. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
5. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
6. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons vs. WAS
7. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphons @ NE
8. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers @ NO
9. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
10. Brandon Jacobs, New york Giants vs. SD
11. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis colts vs. HOU
12. Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers @ TB
13. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. ARZ
14. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys @ PHI
15. Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions @ SEA (Time to produce, friendo)

Running back rankings 16 through 36, after the jump…

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Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

We felt obligated to rank Austin Collie ahead of Pierre Garcon given his larger production the last few weeks, and Collie is an excellent play this week against a questionable Houston defense. He’s the better, safer play. However, this matchup just screams big game for Garcon. We made a call on Vernon Davis against this D a few weeks ago for many of the same reasons we like Garcon here: they’re susceptible deep and up the seams and have trouble with explosive, straight-line speed in the secondary. It worked out pretty well for Davis: 7 receptions, 93 yards and 3 TDs. Now, Pierre Garcon is no Vernon Davis, but he’s worth taking a gamble on this week as your WR3 or flex option.

The Michael Crabtree Debutant Tour continues this week as the Tennessee Titans roll into Candlestick Park (yes, Candlestick Park). The rookie has been ridiculously impressive in his first two games as a pro, and this week he draws the absolute worst pass defense in all of football. The Titans have given up NFL highs in passing yards at 282 per game and receiving touchdowns at 19. 19! Start the kid with confidence.

Marques Colston is in beast mode right now. He’s just too big, too strong, too physical and too aggressive for opposing corners to deal with. Unfortunately, he faces the NFL’s toughest secondary this week. You should still start him, of course, but that’s what allowed Chad Ochocinco to edge him out in the ranks below. Ochocinco’s least valuable line of the season? 5 receptions for 54 yards. Over the four weeks since that “stinker”, 85 has dropped 25 receptions for 339 yards and 4 TDs. He and Carson Palmer are in sync and this week Chad should once again be simply too much for the overmatched Ravens corners to handle.

Feels kinda good to start your second-round pick and finally be confident about it, eh Greg Jennings owners?

Houston’s offense is a huge, huge fantasy entity and this has been an eventful week for the Texans. We discussed the Slaton-Moats headache in the RB ranks and the season-ending injury to emerging star Owen Daniels in the TE ranks. The news here is a little more pleasant for owners: Kevin Walter is in line for a big second half. The Texans passing game isn’t going to stop as long as Schaub is upright, and Texans beat writers expect Walter to pick up a lot of the slack from the loss of Daniels. He’s got good hands, goes over the middle well, has decent speed, and runs good routes.

Anquan Boldin wants to play, but we don’t expect him to be effective even if he does so. He’s ranked as low as you’re going to see the guy. If Boldin is out, bump Steve Breaston up a few notches.

See also:
- Week 9 QB Rankings
- Week 9 RB Rankings
- Week 9 TE Rankings
- Week 9 DEF Rankings

1. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts vs. HOU
2. Randy Moss, New England Patriots vs. MIA
3. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers @ NYG
4. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans @ IND
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals @ CHI
6. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
7. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
8. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers @ TB
9. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons vs. WAS
10. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles vs. DAL
11. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys @ PHI
12. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions @ SEA (Check Status)
13. Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers @ TB
14. Wes Welker, New England Patriots vs. MIA
15. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos vs. PIT
16. Dwyane Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs @ JAC

WR rankings 17 through 42, after the jump…

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Ranks Preview by Brian Spencer

Their offensive line is in shambles. Their rushing attack has sputtered. The passing game has only produced in sporadic spurts. They’re coming off a 21-point loss to a mediocore Dallas Cowboys team. Still, if there were ever a week to put your chips on the table and go all in on the Seattle Seahawks offense, this is it. Matt Hasselbeck is a good place to start.

Though the 11th-year QB has been up and down all season (okay, mostly down), Hasselbeck has been relatively solid since sitting out the team’s Week 3 and 4 losses. Yes, he was dreadful in Week 6 against the Cardinals (112 yards passing, 1 INT, 0 TDs, 5 sacks), but as we saw the previous week against the Jaguars (241 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs), if he gets some protection up front Hasselbeck is still quite capable of posting big numbers against weak secondaries. The visiting Detroit Lions, who sport the league’s 31st-ranked defense in allowing 29.3 points per, obviously fall squarely into the “weak” category.

Matt Hasselbeck Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Hasselbeck hasn’t gotten off my fantasy bench all year long, but I’m rolling with him this week in lieu of Donovan McNabb at home against the Cowboys, which is also a solid matchup. I’ll be shocked by anything less than 250 yards and 2-3 TD passes.

See also:
- Week 9 RB Rankings
- Week 9 WR Rankings
- Week 9 TE Rankings
- Week 9 DEF Rankings

1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts vs. HOU
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. MIA
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ TB
5. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans @ IND
6. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers @ NYG
7. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks vs. DET
8. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
9. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. DAL
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers @ DEN
11. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys @ PHI
12. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
13. Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. SD
14. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears vs. ARZ
15. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. WSH
16. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals @ CHI
17. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers vs. TEN
18. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos vs. PIT
19. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. KC
20. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans @ SF

Ranks Preview by Brian Spencer

Owen Daniels picked a great time to bail on me and the rest of his owners.

The top-scoring tight end in fantasy football left the game very early in the Texans’ 31-10 win over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. He’d caught 1 pass for 22 yards and was probably on his way to the kind of big afternoon we’ve grown accustomed to this year. Unfortunately, hopes for a minor injury proved hopeless as Daniels was later diagnosed with a torn ACL that requires surgery and ends his season. He finishes with 40 catches for 519 yards and 5 TDs; meanwhile, steady production from the TE spot on one of my fantasy teams looks finished too.

My replacement options? Green Bay’s Jermichael Finley would normally be an agreeable solution, but he’s battling a knee sprain and seems unlikely to play this week. New York’s Dustin Keller is on bye. That leaves me digging deep into the scrap pile like a desperate vulture picking at a bone-dry carcass. Dante Rosario, Daniel Graham, Sean Ryan, Brandon Pettigrew… yeah. It’s looking pretty bleak.

Dallas Clark Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Meanwhile, expect Dallas Clark to take over the top overall spot at the TE position this week. As we’ve noted before, the Houston Texans secondary would rather not take away the seams down the middle of the field, and that just happens to be where Clark does a lot of his damage. Don’t forget this is the defense that allowed Vernon Davis to catch 7 passes for 93 yards and 3 TDs.

See also:
- Week 9 QB Rankings
- Week 9 RB Rankings
- Week 9 WR Rankings
- Week 9 DEF Rankings

1. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts vs. HOU
2. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers vs. TEN
3. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers @ NYG
4. Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles vs. DAL
5. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
6. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons vs. WSH
7. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys @ PHI
8. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers @ DEN
9. John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks vs. DET
10. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Bucs vs. GB
11. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears vs. ARZ
12. Fred Davis, Washington Redskins @ ATL
13. Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
14. Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos vs. PIT
15. Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots vs. MIA
16. Kevin Boss, New York Giants vs. SD (Check Status)
17. Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions @ SEA
18. Daniel Graham, Denver Broncos vs. PIT

Ranks Preview by Brian Spencer

I can’t remember the last time a New Orleans Saints defense was this fantasy relevant. Most of us have probably used them as a bye week plug-in over the years, but this year is different, so far. This year, the Saints DEF has been one to own and start every week. This year, the Saints DEF is your top-ranked fantasy defense at the season’s halfway point. Crazy.

It’s not that this unit is shutting down their opponents in the traditional sense of a Steelers or Ravens DEF at its best. Hardly: the Saints are squarely in the middle of the NFL pack in points allowed at 22 per. It’s the turnovers and sacks that are making all the difference in the world here. Through 7 games, the Saints have registered 17 sacks (tied for 11th most) and a league-leading 16 interceptions and 6 (!) defensive TDs. To put that last number in perspective, 20 teams have gotten 1 TD or less from their defense; their next closest competitor in that department is the San Franciso 49ers with three. Hell, the Oakland Raiders offense has put up less TDs (5) than the Saints defense.

It feels wrong ranking this unit as our top play this week, but they’ve earned it… especially with turnover-prone QB Jake Delhomme coming to town.

See also:
- Week 9 QB Rankings
- Week 9 RB Rankings
- Week 9 WR Rankings
- Week 9 TE Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
2. Green Bay Packers @ TB
3. San Francisco 49ers vs. TEN
4. Pittsburgh Steelers @ DEN
5. Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
6. New England Patriots vs. MIA
7. Atlanta Falcons vs. WSH
8. Philadelphia Eagles vs. DAL
9. Denver Broncos vs. PIT
10. Seattle Seahawks vs. DET
11. Indianapolis Colts vs. HOU
12. Arizona Cardinals @ CHI
13. New York Giants vs. SD
14. Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
15. Chicago Bears vs. ARZ