The funny thing about Washington's loss to Detroit was that everyone saw it coming. Are you telling me the Redskins are so bad they lost even after reading all those predictions during the week? One would have assumed the Lions would have ended their losing streak in a surprise against a team overlooking them…Don't let the victory disguise just how truly awful this Detroit secondary is. Remember, this was a Jason Campbell/Santana Moss combo that was essentially shut down by the Rams the previous week…R.I.P. Clinton Portis…Stay patient Calvin Johnson owners, better days are ahead. I promise…Kevin Smith had racked up 119 yards in basically one half of play, so his injury was especially frustrating, and it looks like it's going to keep him out of further games as well. With lackluster backups, it's bad news for the Lions, but more importantly, there isn't a single player on more of my fantasy teams than Smith.
Houston is a bad defensive team, but even looking past the numbers, Maurice Jones-Drew is simply one of the five best running backs in the NFL. His combination of speed, power and pass-catching ability is rare. A ref (the umpire, specifically) may have cost him another 80-yard TD run Sunday…Coming back from injury, Kevin Walter was a risky play in Week 3, but he certainly looked 100 percent. Remember, when the Texans get into the red zone, Matt Schaub typically looks for Walter first…Mike Sims-Walker remains a big injury risk, but he's officially Jacksonville's No. 1 receiver and is a viable WR3, if not WR2 in fantasy leagues. He saw 10 more targets Sunday and was within a foot from scoring a touchdown…While Steve Slaton didn't have the breakout game his owners were hoping for, he did get 113 yards on just 15 touches. Slaton ran with much more authority, and his numbers would have looked much better had Jacksonville not essentially held the ball the entire second half. Hopefully Chris Brown's game-losing fumble leads to more goal-line opportunities for Slaton as well.
I avoided Michael Turner in drafts this year because he was too matchup-dependent last year and offered nothing as a receiver. However, no one could have predicted a 3.5 YPC mark through three games, and I don't think the "370 curse" is any explanation. The Falcons have just two home games between now and Week 12, which is another pretty big concern considering Turner's massive splits last season. Still, he'll remain a nice source for touchdowns playing in that offense…Of course these recommendations rarely work in practice, but Fred Taylor is a "sell-high" and Roddy White is a "buy-low"…Joey Galloway has looked nothing short of awful. New England had a nice win Sunday, but they need Wes Welker back desperately. This team still has plenty of problems.
It's safe to say Kevin Kolb would be a top-10 fantasy QB if not for Donovan McNabb returning. He's really improved, and the team will have a very interesting decision to make in the future…Brian Westbrook owners who handcuffed LeSean McCoy didn't miss a beat last week, but in a way, McCoy's solid performance was bad news, at least long-term. The bye week came at the right time, but upon his return, Westbrook's touches are going to get cut into…Maybe all those confrontations Todd Haley has gotten into in the past were a sign his personality isn't exactly conducive to being a head coach. What a disaster. This Chiefs team is one of the league's true doormats right now…Like Old Yeller, someone should just take Larry Johnson out back and put him out of his misery…It's safe to say Michael Vick isn't going to make much of an impact anytime soon…DeSean Jackson is fast. And for someone who wasn't going to be able to play because of a groin injury if not for a cortisone shot Sunday, he might not want to celebrate a long TD catch by flipping into the end zone and landing in the splits.
It's hard to have a more productive game while completing just 13 passes than Aaron Rodgers in Week 3. That rushing ability is what really gives him serious fantasy upside…What if Steven Jackson were a featured back on the Giants? How many yards would he total if he somehow stayed healthy? 2,000? 2,500? 3,000?...Can someone please alert Donnie Avery that the season has started…As a clear workhorse in a dangerous offense, Ryan Grant will be solid this year, but he simply looks nothing like the back who broke onto the scene in 2007. Wha happened?
Did Byron Leftwich really get 1.4 YPA on Sunday? How is that even possible? In a home game, to boot. I'm guessing Jon Gruden isn't exactly hating the fact he was fired. Speaking of, what are your thoughts of him as a commenter on MNF? Obviously, anyone is better than Tony Kornheiser, but I'm on the fence about "Chucky" so far…It's a legitimate question, which Steve Smith would you rather have from here on out?...Derrick Ward didn't exactly stick it to his former teammates. Ahmad Bradshaw, however, continues to impress.
The Jets got two very fortunate fumble recoveries Sunday, but it's not like they were unworthy winners, either. Forcing Kerry Collins to end the game with 13 straight incompletions was a pretty impressive feat…Nate Washington only had two catches for 25 yards last week, but he was targeted nine times and should be owned in all deep fantasy leagues…A strong Jets defense limits his upside, but Jerricho Cotchery is still a legit WR2 if not WR1 right now. He's developed a rapport with Mark Sanchez that was simply missing with Brett Favre last season…After starting the year 12-1 last season, the Titans are now 1-6 over their last seven games.
Winning by 20 while on the road and with Drew Brees throwing zero touchdowns, New Orleans is officially no longer a one-dimensional team. This defense is sneaky good. Greg Williams deserves a ton of credit…Trent Edwards obviously needs to take more shots downfield, but Terrell Owens has also clearly lost a step. For someone who's always had spotty hands, it will be tougher for Owens to remain productive when his athleticism starts failing him…In that offense and now apparently healthy, Pierre Thomas' fantasy value is through the roof. If a draft were held right now, I don't see how Thomas isn't an easy first round pick.
I'm beginning to think the Bears are a better team with Jay Cutler at quarterback. Seriously, that was a clinic Sunday…I'll repeat it one final time, although he's a big health risk, Nate Burleson is a better receiver than T.J. Houshmandzadeh…It looks like Julius Jones is here to stay. Feel free to drop Justin Forsett…While Matt Forte's involvement in the passing game (five catches, 44 yards) was encouraging, fantasy owners have the right to be concerned. Even with a big upgrade at QB, Forte simply hasn't been able to find many holes. He got just 3.1 YPC last week against a Seahawks team that had been getting gashed against the run this season. Of course, a home game against the Lions in Week 4 could cure plenty ills.
If not for a coin flip, the Steelers could very well be 0-3 right now. Of course, there's little reason for panic, although their division is much improved. As disappointing as he's been, it's probably too early to call Rashard Mendenhall a bust. However, the same can't be said about Limas Sweed…Cedric Benson is officially an every week starter, regardless of matchup…In retrospect, maybe the Week 1 contest between Denver and Cincinnati featured two good teams. The Bengals are one extremely fluky play away from being 3-0, and they get the Browns this week…But enough praise for the Bengals, as this is a team that made the single dumbest decision of the 2009 season Sunday (and it will be hard to beat over the rest of the year). After completing a pass for a first down, Carson Palmer clocked the ball with 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter. At the Pittsburgh 15-yard-line. With two timeouts remaining. Please try to comprehend this. Absolutely dumbfounding. It's safe to say Marvin Lewis is a questionable decision-maker during end-game situations…Ironically, the Bengals' botched extra point ultimately helped out Cincinnati. If not for the miss, they would have not tried an ensuing two-point conversion (that failed), and the score would have been 20-17 at the end of the fourth quarter, meaning Cincy would have never gone for it on 4th-and-10 with 35 seconds left. And it would have most likely come down to overtime.
There's bad. There's really bad. There's awful. And then there's JaMarcus Russell. The Denver defense is obviously much improved this season, but that performance Sunday was unsightly. Naturally, Tom Cable "never even considered" replacing him…You still got to like Knowshon Moreno far more, but it's hard to deny Correll Buckhalter's production…It would be an understatement to say I missed with Eddie Royal so far. Don't drop him, but he can only be started in dire situations until he shows something. I still believe in the talent, but Josh McDaniels is using him more as a decoy. Hard to argue with the 3-0 record, but McDaniels is one curious dude.
Chad Pennington has already failed in his attempt to turn in back-to-back healthy seasons for the first time in his career, and a third shoulder surgery hardly bodes well for his future. It's unfortunate, but a team like Miami is best served going with the future (Chad Henne) earlier rather than later…In the meantime, the Dolphins' offense obviously takes a hit, if Henne's performance last week was any indication. Expect a weekly gameplan centered heavily on the ground attack…Vincent Jackson is a top-10, if not top-five fantasy WR. He's going to win a bunch of leagues for those who targeted him this year.
Can someone please explain to me why the Cardinals spent a first round pick on Beanie Wells if they aren't going to use him? What a catastrophe. Go ahead and waste carries on Tim Hightower Arizona, you're only hurting your chances to make the playoffs in the process… Throwing so frequently with pass protection problems, Kurt Warner has been taking a beating. He can only stay healthy so much longer…Speaking of injuries, congratulations to Joseph Addai, who has somehow managed to avoid getting sidelined through three games this season.
After losing the home opener to the Giants, the Cowboys couldn't have felt good entering halftime Monday down 7-0 to the Panthers. A strong second half helped ease concerns, and while Tony Romo gets most of the pub, Dallas' rushing attack has been incredible so far this year. It's too bad Felix Jones is so brittle, as he could put up astronomical numbers as a feature back. As is, he's quite injury-prone and should never be asked to carry the ball 20 times in a game. He was well on his way to totaling 200 yards before hurting his knee Monday…It's now clear – Roy Williams is a No. 2 type receiver getting paid like a No. 1. Even in this offense, he's going to go down a disappointment in fantasy leagues…Call me crazy, but Carolina might want to get DeAngelo Williams more carries…Nice win by Dallas, but this team still looks better on paper than on the field.