Sizzle:
Brett Favre: The old gunslinger went off to the tune of six touchdown passes against the Cardinals on Sunday. Arizona head coach Ken Wisenhunt kept the Cardinals on the east coast after playing Washington a week earlier. It did not help a Cards secondary that Favre repeatedly abused. Two interesting developments from this game that bode well for Favre owners: apparently, the Jets don't believe in giving Thomas Jones rushing attempts, and the Jets defense has been so porous the last two weeks that Favre either is constantly protecting the lead or in chase mode because the team is trailing. Those scenarios will lead to plentiful days for Favre.
Kurt Warner: Favre’s big day led to another old-time fireballer having a huge stat day of his own. While Warner turned over the ball four times including a hideous interception return for a touchdown by Darrelle Revis, he threw for 472 yards and two touchdowns. After falling behind 34-0, Warner spread the ball around as Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston all hit the 100-yard mark. The Super Bowl XXXIV MVP’s greatest flaw is his propensity to turnover the ball. However, his play thus far makes him one of fantasy football’s best again.
Santana Moss: During Washington’s upset win over Dallas, Moss abused Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman by grabbing eight balls for 145 yards. Jason Campbell's development has made Moss relevant again in fantasy football. At his peak, Moss is one of the game’s greatest deep threats. Next week’s opponent, Philadelphia, struggles in coverage occasionally which may spell more success for Moss.
Chris Johnson: Facing Minnesota’s staunch rush defense, Johnson’s two touchdown runs featured his greatest asset, speed. He didn’t have a blow-away effort (61 yards) because of the opposition, but he has established himself as a potential star back in his rookie season.
Larry Johnson: Well, well, well, look who is back--sort of. The good news is Johnson slashed through Denver’s defense for 198 yards and two scores. For the second straight week, Johnson tallied over 100 yards on the ground and is averaging nearly five yards per carry. The bad news: once again, Herm Edwards is loading up on Johnson’s carries. His 52 carries over the last two games could be problematic as the season wears on. Remember, he is just two seasons removed from his epic 416-carry effort, which was a one-way ticket to injury the following year.
Fizzle:
Aaron Rodgers: A few weeks ago, ESPN’s Mike Golic sent a text message to his radio show co-host Mike Greenberg saying that Rodgers was the best quarterback in the NFL. I wonder if he sent that text after watching Rodgers’ lackluster performance versus Tampa Bay. Probably not. Rodgers completed 14 of 27 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns and also threw a pair of interceptions which led to Green Bay’s demise. After facing the challenging defensive schemes posed by Dallas and Tampa Bay, Rodgers looks far from the player we saw the first two weeks. Now, he has a shoulder injury to deal with that will limit his effectiveness. Trouble is on the horizon for Rodgers owners.
Thomas Jones: The Jets grabbed a 34-0 lead on Sunday without the aid of Jones, who posted another underwhelming effort. NFL analysts surmised that Favre’s arrival would open running lanes for him and make it much easier for the veteran to have big days. His stat line Sunday read 18 carries for 46 yards. Sounds like the same old Jones to me.
Marshawn Lynch: Games against Oakland and St. Louis have not yielded the big statistical paydays that fantasy owners hoped for. While Lynch has three touchdowns, his yards-per-carry is just 3.5 and he doesn’t have a 100 yard rushing performance yet.
Andre Johnson: He started the season with 10 catches for 112 yards against Pittsburgh, but it has been downhill since. Matt Schaub's struggles dragged down Johnson, but against Jacksonville (3-38) he was unable to put together a noteworthy game again. Plenty of preseason hype fell upon him, but he has not lived up to expectations to date.
Terrell Owens: During the postgame press conference after Dallas’ 26-24 loss to Washington, Owens expressed dismay over his lack of touches. In the first half, he did not get into the mix early. While he finished with seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, his impact was not felt on a series-to-series basis. The Cowboys need to put the ball in his hands earlier or he will become a disgruntled camper.