After sitting out the past month of action, Steven Jackson returned to the Rams backfield on Sunday. He started out like gangbusters, rushing for 41 yards on eight carries – including a short-TD plunge. However, he experienced some tightness in his back late in the first half and was forced to depart at halftime. He’ll have the Rams bye week to recover and should be healthy going forward. It’s been a long first half for the perennial top-5 fantasy selection. Hopefully the second half will be better for Jackson and the winless Rams.
The Dolphins also remained without a victory after they were edged by the red-hot G-Men in a sloppy game in London, England. Meanwhile, the Patriots and Colts kept on dominating in Week 8. New England racked up 52 points on the lifeless Redskins, while Indy scored the final 31 points to defeat the banged up Panthers.
The two powerhouses will match up in Week 9 in a possible AFC Championship preview. It’s the latest in the season that two unbeaten teams have faced off in NFL history, and is already being billed Super Bowl XLI ½ as we approach the midway point of the season. It’s Payton vs Brady, Randy vs Marvin and Laurence vs Joseph. As each franchise gives their best effort to match the historic unbeaten 1974 Dolphins, we’ll finally find out who is the true top dog in the NFL.
Chutes ‘n’ Ladders will break down some of the top free agents from Week 8 and recap the major injury news, as well.
Quarterbacks
Chad Pennington may have thrown his last pass as a member of the Jets this past weekend. The Jets fell to 1-7 on the season with their loss to Buffalo so coach Eric Mangini finally decided it was time to make the switch. Kellen Clemens will take over quarterback duties for the Green Machine this upcoming week against Washington. He’s definitely got a much stronger arm so the Jets should open up the field a bit more now. Consider Clemens a decent No. 2 QB in fantasy leagues going forward.
Free Agent Possibilities
Jeff Garcia, TB 19-for-41, 267 yards, TD, three INT, 45 yards rushing
J.P. Losman, BUF 3-for-5, 113 yards, TD
Alex Smith, SF 22-for-43, 190 yards, TD, 16 yards rushing
Quinn Gray, JAC 7-for-16, 100 yards, TD
Cleo Lemon, MIA 17-for-30, 149 yards, TD, 18 yards rushing
Kelly Holcomb, MIN 7-for-16, 88 yards, TD
Sage Rosenfels, HOU 17-for-27, 176 yards, TD, two INT
David Carr, CAR 16-for-25, 103 yards, 21 yards rushing
Kellen Clemens, NYJ 5-for-12, 67 yards, two INT
Major Offensive Injuries
Matt Schaub left a Texans loss for the third straight week Sunday against San Diego and was replaced by Sage Rosenfels once again. This time he left with a concussion and is questionable for Week 9 vs Oakland. … Steve McNair (groin, back) was back at Baltimore’s practice on Monday after sitting out the past few weeks. It sounds like he’s going to try to play, barring a setback. Kyle Boller will return to backup duties once Air McNair is healthy again. … Byron Leftwich (ankle) will not return for Week 9 vs San Francisco, but might be back as early as Week 10. Joey Harrington will continue to start in his stead.
There’s a chance the Vikings could go back to Tarvaris Jackson at QB in Week 9. It appears that it will likely be between Brooks Bollinger and Jackson, as Kelly Holcomb is dealing with an injured neck. He apparently bruised a vertebra last week and could miss some time. … 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde left Week 8 with a right Achilles’ tendon injury and was replaced by David Carr. Since Jake Delmomme’s season-ending elbow injury, WR Steve Smith has seen a dramatic drop-off in his stats. … Trent Edwards left Week 7 with a sprained wrist and his return date remains unclear. Losman replaced him and hooked up with speedster WR Lee Evans for an 85-yard TD. Coach Dick Jauron is expected to announce his starter on Wednesday at some time.
Running Backs
Free Agent Possibilities
Kevin Faulk, NE 32 yards rushing, seven rec, 57 yards
Justin Fargas, OAK 61 yards rushing, three rec, 36 yards
Chris Henry, TEN 48 yards rushing, TD
Adrian Peterson, CHI 11 yards rushing, six rec, 41 yards
Brian Leonard, STL 33 yards rushing, three rec, 31 yards
Adimchinobe Echemandu, HOU 62 yards rushing, two rec, 11 yards
Michael Bennett, TB 23 yards rushing, TD
Ron Dayne, HOU 47 yards rushing
Aaron Stecker, NO 35 yards rushing
Dwyane Wright, BUF 24 yards rushing
Major Offensive Injuries
Reggie Bush left Sunday’s victory with slightly bruised ribs and did not return. On Monday, coach Sean Payton said the injury wasn’t serious and his starting RB isn’t in jeopardy of missing any game action. Keep him plugged into your starting lineups – the Saints appear to be finally clicking. … After rambling for 88 yards on the ground, Kenny Watson suffered a minor concussion on Sunday. Coach Marvin Lewis added that the injury subsided on Monday, but he’ll still likely be on the Bengals injury list for Week 9. With Rudi Johnson also banged up; DeDe Dorsey could be in store for a rare opportunity. Monitor the Bengals’ banged up backfield throughout the week.
Frank Gore aggravated his right ankle in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans and was forced out early. He’s been plagued by the ailment for the past few weeks and could very well sit out some practice sessions this week so he can recover. Michael Robinson appears to be the guy that would get the start if Gore cannot suit up next week. … Ahman Green (knee) missed this past weekend’s game and is likely going to be questionable for Week 9. Dayne and Echemandu would split carries again if he were unable to go.
Wide Receivers
Free Agent Possibilities
Lee Evans, BUF five rec, 138 yards, TD
David Patten, NO five rec, 109 yards
Ted Ginn Jr., MIA rec, 21 yards, TD
Kevin Walter, HOU seven rec, 77 yards
Isaac Bruce, STL six rec, 70 yards
Joe Jurevicius, CLE five rec, 76 yards
Drew Bennett, STL six rec, 63 yards
Shaun McDonald, DET six rec, 64 yards
Jacoby Jones, HOU five rec, 51 yards
Bobby Wade, MIN four rec, 53 yards
Maurice Stovall, TB five rec, 47 yards
Major Offensive Injuries
Laveranues Coles might have sustained a concussion in Week 7 against Buffalo, and his status for next week remains unclear. Monitor his status throughout the week to see if he can play vs Washington. … Bobby Wade sustained a hyperextended knee last week and is questionable for Week 9; Sidney Rice would likely replace him if he’s unable to go. … Eddie Kennison (hamstring) returned to practice on Monday and said there is a chance he could return for Week 9 vs Green Bay. Samie Parker and Dwyane Bowe will likely keep their starting jobs at wideout regardless though. … Rookie WR Calvin Johnson aggravated his lower back on Sunday, but coach Rod Marinelli said the injury isn’t considered serious.
Tight Ends
Free Agent Possibilities
Jeff King, CAR 10 rec, 82 yards, FL
Visanthe Shiancoe, MIN five rec, 50 yards, TD
Justin Peelle, MIA six rec, 42 yards
Joel Dreessen, HOU rec, 28 yards, TD
Major Offensive Injuries
Owen Daniels was forced to leave Week 7 with an injured ankle and did not return. He finished with four receptions for 35 yards and is likely going to be an iffy play next week against San Diego. … Todd Heap (hamstring) returned to practice Monday after the Ravens bye week. He’s sat out the past couple weeks with the injury, but is expected to return for Week 9 vs Pittsburgh. … L.J. Smith (groin) was back in action in Week 8, but the stat sheet definitely didn’t reflect it. He was held without a catch.
Week 9 Schedule
Sunday, November 4, 2007 1:00pm ET
Carolina @ Tennessee
Green Bay @ Kansas City
Cincinnati @ Buffalo
San Diego @ Minnesota
Arizona @ Tampa Bay
Denver @ Detroit
Jacksonville @ New Orleans
San Francisco @ Atlanta
Washington @ New York Jets
4:05pm ET
Seattle @ Cleveland
4:15pm ET
New England @ Indianapolis
Houston @ Oakland
8:15pm ET
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Monday, November 5, 2007 8:30pm ET
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Byes
Bears, Dolphins, Giants, Rams