2009 NFL Week 3 Review


Ravens 34, Browns 3

  • The Ravens did a great job scheduling the Browns for their homecoming game. The 34-3 score doesn’t really tell you how much Baltimore dominated. The team outgained Cleveland 479 to 186, and beat the Browns on first downs, 28-11.

  • Of course, it didn’t help that the Browns gave the Ravens four turnovers. It started early, when Brady Quinn tossed an ugly pick on the first drive. By halftime, Quinn was 6-of-8 for 34 yards and that interception. He was benched in favor of Derek Anderson, who went 11-of-19 for 92 yards and three picks.

    Don’t let that last number fool you though; Anderson is the far superior quarterback, but was just trying to make something happen in a blowout. Plus, Anderson didn’t get any of the reps this week. There’s no question that Anderson gives the Browns a better chance of winning.

  • With Quinn playing half the game, Braylon Edwards caught just three passes for 35 yards. When Quinn was under center, Edwards had just one reception for six yards. The rest of his numbers came with Anderson.

  • The Ravens, meanwhile, continue to click offensively. Joe Flacco was amazing, going 25-of-35 for 342 yards and a touchdown. The score was to Derrick Mason, who grabbed five balls for 118 yards.

  • Willis McGahee once again vultured two touchdowns away from Ray Rice. The good news for Rice owners is that the second-year Rutgers product had more touches than McGahee (15-7). Rice also scored in the third quarter on a 9-yard run.




    Lions 19, Redskins 14

  • It’s over! It’s finally over! The Lions finally win! William Clay Darth Sidious Ford can raise ticket prices!

    The Creamsicle Buccaneers continue to be the only team in NFL history to lose more than 20 games in a row. Detroit’s losing streak ends at 19. Coincidentally, it took 19 points to beat the Redskins.

  • It all starts at the quarterback position, and it seems like Matthew Stafford is getting more confident each week. Stafford went 21-of-36 for 241 yards and a score. He also had a nice deep throw to Bryant Johnson that went incomplete, but drew a pass interference flag.

  • Speaking of Bryant Johnson, he surprisingly led the Lions in receiving yardage with 73. He caught four balls, one of which was a touchdown. Calvin Johnson, meanwhile, garnered five receptions for 49 yards.

  • The catalyst for Detroit’s offense was Kevin Smith, who burnt the Lions for 101 yards on 16 rushes. Smith’s great running helped the Lions win the time-of-possession battle in the first half, 22-8 minutes. Unfortunately, Smith left the game with a shoulder injury. No word yet on its severity.

  • Of course, the Lions couldn’t have won this game without a lot of ineptness from the Redskins. On Washington’s first 16 offensive plays, Jim Zorn called 12 passes and four runs. You read that correctly.

    Zorn once again failed to give the ball to his best player. Clinton Portis ran the ball just 12 times for 42 yards against a pitiful Lions defense that hasn’t been able to stop the rush. What is Zorn thinking? Is he facing Portis every week in his 2-man fantasy league? There is no reasonable explanation for this.

  • Zorn will also get criticized for going for it on 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line in the first quarter. Portis couldn’t get the touchdown, but I didn’t really disagree with the call. I would have gone for it myself. Nevertheless, it gave the Lions the momentum they needed, as they went 99 yards for a touchdown.

  • Jason Campbell went 27-of-41 for 340 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, though it’s worth noting that most of that came in junk time when the Lions were playing prevent defense, trying desperately to hold on.

  • The silver lining for Washington is that Santana Moss finally got going. Moss caught 10 balls for 178 yards and a score.

  • Daniel Snyder nearly had an aneurysm in the second quarter when his $100 million man, Albert Haynesworth, was carted off the field with a hip injury. Fortunately for Snyder’s sanity, Haynesworth came back in the second half.


    Jaguars 31, Texans 24

  • Football is a game of inches, and in the fourth quarter of this game, that fact was pretty prevalent. Down 31-24, the Texans were close to the end zone. Chris Brown got the carry, but fumbled a potential game-tying score in the end zone.

    Hindsight might be 20-20, but I’ve been saying this for months. I don’t get Gary Kubiak’s infatuation with giving the ball to Brown in short-yardage situations. It’s the same mistake the Giants made in the early part of this decade when they fed Ron Dayne instead of Tiki Barber.

    When you have a stud like Steve Slaton, you have to ride him and trust him to make big plays. By giving the ball to Brown, you’re relying on an inferior talent in the most important situations. It’s a recipe for disaster.

  • Speaking of Slaton, he rushed for 76 yards on just 12 carries. He also caught three balls for 37 more yards.

  • Houston’s loss spoiled a great performance by Matt Schaub, who went 26-of-35 for 300 yards, three scores and a pick. Schaub went to Kevin Walter seven times for 96 yards and the touchdown. Andre Johnson caught four balls for 86 yards.

  • With these great numbers, how did the Texans lose this game? Well, after surrendering three long touchdowns to Chris Johnson last week, their defense once again allowed a big play, as Maurice Jones-Drew scored on a 61-yard run in the second quarter. Jones-Drew rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries.

  • David Garrard didn’t have a great statistical passing performance (18-of-30, 214 yards), but he did a great job converting third downs (5-of-11). Some of that was done on the ground; Garrard scrambled for 29 yards and a touchdown on five carries.

  • Jacksonville’s most productive receiver was Mike Sims-Walker, who caught six balls for 81 yards. Sims-Walker looks like he’s picking up where Matt Jones left off last year.


    Patriots 26, Falcons 10

  • Never doubt Bill Belichick and Tom Brady after a loss. Everyone seemed down on them after they were physically dominated by the Jets. Bill Simmons even took the Falcons moneyline on his podcast. Yet, New England avoided consecutive losses once again; the last time they lost two in a row was in 2006.

  • Tom Brady was 25-of-42 for 277 yards and a touchdown. He was still a bit shaky and he was errant in the red zone, but he did a great job converting third downs and keeping drives alive. The Patriots were 8-of-18 on third downs and won the time-of-possession battle by 19 minutes.

  • One reason the Patriots really struggled in the red zone was Joey Galloway, who was once again really terrible. A Galloway touchdown was ruled incomplete because he was out of bounds by a mile before even catching the ball. Later, he dropped a perfect pass that would have given the team a 1st-and-goal inside the 5.

  • Believe it or not, New England may have finally found a running game. Fred Taylor rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown. He had a great 19-yard scamper in the second quarter in which he broke numerous tackles. I know Atlanta’s defense sucks, but Taylor has proven himself and should be getting most of the carries going forward.

  • Randy Moss caught 10 balls for 116 yards. With Wes Welker out, Julian Edelman logged three receptions for 20 yards.

  • I’m shocked the Falcons only scored 10 points. Michael Turner was really ineffective, gaining just 56 yards on 15 carries. He scored a touchdown, but also committed a key fumble at the New England 27 in the second quarter.

  • Matt Ryan was a pretty pedestrian 17-of-28 for 199 yards. He could not convert third downs (2-of-9), and New England’s ability to stay on the field pretty much debacled anything Atlanta was trying to do offensively.





    Packers 36, Rams 17

  • This was a weird game in which the Packers seemed to live in the red zone for the entire first quarter. Yet, despite three tips inside St. Louis’ 25 in the opening period, the Packers were up only 9-0.

    Green Bay and St. Louis went on to exchange touchdowns, but Green Bay eventually pulled away.

  • Aaron Rodgers was 13-of-23 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers had problems in the red zone early on because the offensive line gave him no pass protection. The Rams even came away with two sacks in this game. How do you allow the Rams to collect two sacks? The Packers are going to have major problems against the Vikings on Monday night.

  • Greg Jennings wasn’t shut out this week. He caught just two passes, but managed 103 yards. Donald Driver grabbed four balls for 95 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Ryan Grant rushed for 99 yards on 26 attempts.

  • The Rams are now 0-3, but there’s good news: Marc Bulger, who went 3-of-4 for 23 yards, left the game with a bruised shoulder. Yep, that’s it. That’s the good news.

    Bulger’s replacement, Kyle Boller, was a surprising 16-of-31 for 164 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Boller is not this franchise’s future quarterback by any means, but as strange as it may sound, he gives the team a better chance of winning.

  • Of course, the franchise player is Steven Jackson, who rushed for 117 yards on 27 attempts. Jackson also led the team in receptions (5 for 46 yards). It’s amazing that Jackson can still be productive with the crap around him.

  • It was another poor game for Donnie Avery, who caught just three balls for 12 yards. Consider dropping him if he’s on your fantasy roster. Laurent Robinson garnered two receptions for 26 yards; he left the game with an ankle injury, which sounds like it could be pretty serious.


    Giants 24, Buccaneers 0

  • The Buccaneers are a joke. Because 24-0 doesn’t sound too bad, let me give you some stats.

    – At the half, Byron Sandwich was 5-of-7 for 9 yards and a pick. That’s right – Leftwich averaged 1.8 yards per completion! How is that possible? This Leftwich experiment needs to end now.

    – Also at the half, the Giants were winning the time-of-possession battle, 21:30 to 8:30.

    – With 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay’s offense had just 35 total yards. They also converted only one first down.

    – Tampa Bay’s leading rusher at that time was Cadillac Williams, who had eight yards on two carries. Derrick Ward managed a whopping two yards on five attempts.

  • Let’s talk about a real NFL team. Eli Manning was an economical 14-of-24 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Manning found Steve Smith seven times for 63 yards and a score. Mario Manningham, meanwhile, garnered four receptions for 55 yards.

  • The Giants rushed for 226 yards in this game. Ahmad Bradshaw had 104 yards, while Brandon Jacobs collected 92 yards and a touchdown.


    Jets 24, Titans 17

  • It looked like the Jets were going to run away with this one early on. On the opening drive, Sanchez was 5-of-6 for 50 yards, capping it off with a 14-yard touchdown run. Sanchez threw for a score on the next possession. The fans began chanting, “Sanchez! Sanchez! Sanchez!”

    However, Sanchez struggled after that until late in the third quarter. Sanchez finished 17-of-30 for 171 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, so that means that if you exclude the opening possession, Sanchez was just 12-of-25 for 121 yards.

    That said, this was another brilliant performance by a rookie who is much more mature than he should be. Sanchez did a great job managing the game, and is now the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first three games.

  • Sanchez’s favorite target Sunday was Jerricho Cotchery, who caught eight balls for 108 yards and a touchdown. Chansi Stuckey grabbed just two balls for 11 yards.

  • Thomas Jones and Leon Washington pretty much split touches again. Jones won in that department, 15-13, but Washington predictably outgained Jones, 52-22.

  • Kerry Collins was 15-of-37 for 170 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The key stat you need to hear is that he finished the game with 13 consecutive incompletions. With Albert Haynesworth gone, the defense is worse, and Collins consequently has to win more games by himself. He’s no longer talented enough to do that, so you can see why the wheels are falling off for the Titans.

  • Despite battling a tough Jets defense, Chris Johnson rushed for 97 yards on 27 attempts. Naturally, LenDale White hippopotamused a touchdown away from him.

  • Justin Gage caught four passes and Nate Washington scored a touchdown, but the Titans’ leading receiver was rookie Kenny Britt, who garnered four receptions for 59 yards. If Collins is asked to win more games, he’ll need Britt to continue to mature quickly.

  • The blame for this loss will fall on return specialist Ryan Mouton, who fumbled two balls away, setting up the Jets with two short fields.




    Eagles 34, Chiefs 14

  • The Eagles were embarrassed by the Saints last week, so with a bye looming ahead, you knew they would come out on fire against the horrendous Chiefs in their homecoming game.

    Of course, the Chiefs made it easy with the crap players they assembled on both sides of the ball. Starting on offense, Matt Cassel was 14-of-18 for 90 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a great completion percentage, but only because Cassel threw nothing but short passes (if you couldn’t tell by his 5.0 YPA).

    Dwayne Bowe was out, so Cassel supporters will cite that as an excuse for their $60 million man. Because of all the pressure his offensive line was allowing, Cassel had to resort to throwing short passes to Sean Ryan and Mark Bradley, who led the team with four receptions each.

  • Larry Johnson had 38 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also had a momentum-crushing fumble two plays after the Chiefs converted on a fake punt. Todd Haley has benched everyone else, so why not Johnson? Jamaal Charles is the better player anyway; Charles gained 36 rushing yards on just six attempts, and also caught three balls for 34 more yards. It makes you wonder if the Chiefs would have won last week if he was in the lineup, and not benched for no apparent reason.

  • On the other side of the ball, Kevin Kolb once again eclipsed the 300-yard barrier, going 24-of-34 for 327 yards and two touchdowns. Kolb was as good as advertised; almost all of his passes were on the money and he made all of the NFL throws, including some Cassel could never dream of completing.

  • Kolb continued to show great chemistry with DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek. Jackson logged six receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. Celek managed eight catches for 104 yards and a score.

  • With Brian Westbrook out, LeSean McCoy collected 84 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. McCoy caught just one pass, but that was because Kolb was seldom pressured (zero sacks) and had all of the time in the world to find his receivers downfield.

  • I will not be talking about QB Dog Killer. Oops.


    Vikings 27, 49ers 24

  • At least one Viking fan wants me to admit that Brett Favre had a great game. Favre went 24-of-46 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. The final touchdown was obviously the one that mattered, as Favre found Greg Lewis for a 32-yard touchdown with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

    There’s no question about it – the throw was incredible, and it was one that neither Sage Rosenfails nor Tarvaris Jackson could ever make.

    However, did Favre have a great game? As an unbiased viewer, I don’t think so. He played somewhat well, but despite what ESPN may tell you, it wasn’t even close to great.

    Favre once again tossed multiple near-interceptions. He should have thrown at least four in this game, but he was fortunate that the San Francisco defensive backs kept dropping the ball. In fact, when Dre Bly dropped a potential pick-six in the fourth quarter, the crowd booed Favre.

    Ironically, the one pick Favre actually threw wasn’t his fault; the ball simply bounced out of Bernard Berrian’s hands.

  • Favre had multiple long throws in this contest – a radical change from Weeks 1 and 2 – but his favorite target was Chester Taylor out of the backfield. Taylor caught seven balls for 70 yards.

  • As for the receivers, Favre was an equal-opportunity passer, hitting Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin four times each. They had 56, 56 and 51 yards, respectively.

  • Adrian Peterson had the worst game of his career against the 49ers two years ago (a performance that knocked me out of the playoffs in one of my fantasy leagues), but he was solid in this contest, gaining 85 yards on 19 carries. Unfortunately, it looks like Matt Birk can kiss his 3,000-yard prediction goodbye.

  • Favre’s decisive touchdown to Lewis made the difference in the game, but if you’re looking for a key stat, check this out: Favre and the Vikings were 10-of-20 on third downs. The 49ers were 0-of-11 on third downs. Pretty crazy.

  • Mike Singletary’s workhorse, Frank Gore, left the game with an ankle injury. He’ll be out two weeks. Glen Coffee took over and churned out 54 yards on 25 carries. That doesn’t sound impressive, but gaining about a 2.2 YPC against the Williams Wall is not something to be embarrassed about.

  • Shaun Hill was 15-of-25 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. He managed the game well and led an impressive fourth-quarter drive, but as mentioned earlier, he could not convert third downs.

  • Hill’s favorite target was Vernon Davis, who grabbed seven balls for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Davis is now living up to a top-10 NFL Draft prospect, thanks to a swift Singletary kick in the a**.

  • When the Vikings scored the game-winning touchdown, I felt sick for the 49ers. They played such a great game, and this was their opportunity to prove to everyone that they aren’t a fluke. They had the contest won until the very end. I’d hate to think that a loss like this could send them on a downward spiral.


    Saints 27, Bills 7

  • Sean Payton is killing me. All week, I’ve been hearing how Lynell Hamilton was getting all of the reps in practice, and that he would be starting at Buffalo.

    Hamilton did start, and scored the first touchdown of the game, but eventually relinquished most of his carries to Pierre Thomas.

    Frenchie rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. I guess he’s back, huh? That’s at least a silver lining for the fantasy owners who benched him.

  • Drew Brees was 16-of-29 for 172 yards. He had no touchdowns; he needed two to set the NFL record for most touchdowns thrown in the first three weeks of the season (11).

  • Brees’ top targets were Marques Colston (4 catches, 67 yards) and Jeremy Shockey (6 catches, 48 yards). Lance Moore didn’t play. Again, these numbers aren’t anywhere near what we’ve been used to. Give the Bills credit; they pressured Brees enough to force him into short stuff.

  • Speaking of pressure, that’s something that Buffalo’s beleaguered offensive line couldn’t handle. Trent Edwards was sacked four times. Consequently, Edwards just 20-of-35 for 156 yards and a pick.

  • It was just a bad day all around for the Bills’ offense. Lee Evans caught four balls for only 31 yards. The only touchdown came off a fake field goal. Meanwhile, Terrell Owens failed to log a single reception for the first time in 185 games. After the loss, Owens criticized the play-calling at his press conference. Ruh-roh.

  • The only productive Bill was Fred Jackson, who rushed for 71 yards on 18 carries. He also caught four balls for 26 yards. Twenty-two touches for Jackson is clearly not enough; he’s arguably the team’s best offensive player and needs the rock in his hands as much as possible.




    Bears 25, Seahawks 19

  • You have to give the Seahawks credit for hanging in here. Without Matt Hasselbeck, the team had a tall task trying to knock off the Bears. They actually led 19-17 with 5:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.

  • Jay Cutler was really sharp for the second week in a row and looks like he’s gaining confidence in this new offense. Cutler was 21-of-27 for 247 yards, three touchdowns and a pick.

  • Johnny Knox caught a touchdown, but other than that, he was nowhere to be found despite last week’s performance. Instead, Cutler looked toward his more conventional targets. Earl Bennett (4 catches, 80 yards), Devin Hester (5-76, TD) and Greg Olsen (5-44) all had solid games.

  • Matt Forte caught six passes for 40 yards, but he struggled to run the ball, posting just 66 yards on 21 carries. Seattle’s rush defense isn’t very good and the team was missing Lofa Tatupu, so you have to wonder if Forte will ever get going on the ground.

  • Seneca “The Backdoor Bandit” Wallace actually played pretty well, going 26-of-44 for 261 yards, one touchdown and a very ugly pick. Unfortunately, his limited arm strength cost Seattle at the end of the game when the Bandit simply couldn’t attack Chicago’s defense downfield.

  • Despite those numbers, T.J. Houshmandzadeh had just four grabs for 35 yards. John Carlson (3-28) also struggled. The Bandit’s favorite target was Nate Burleson, who caught nine balls for 109 yards.

  • Julius Jones’ performance was surprising; after gaining 11 yards last week, Jones rushed for 98 yards on 19 attempts. He also caught three balls for 38 more yards and a score.

  • Jim Mora Jr. blamed this loss exclusively on Olindo Mare. Mare was 4-of-6, but missed a chip-shot 34-yard field goal. Mora hinted that changes might be made this week.


    Bengals 23, Steelers 20

  • Going into this game, the Steelers had been undefeated in Cincinnati dating back to 2001. So, when they established a 13-0 lead after scoring on their first three drives, I pretty much gave up on this selection and counted it as a loss on my NFL Picks page.

    Whoops. The Bengals scored touchdowns on their final two drives to come back from a 20-9 deficit in the fourth quarter. Carson Palmer, who was 20-of-37 for 183 yards and a touchdown, was brilliant on those final two drives (10-of-14, 96 yards).

    It’s hard to believe, but the Bengals are now 2-1. Remember, they would be 3-0 if it wasn’t for the Jail City Miracle.

  • The Bengal who caught the game-winning touchdown was also the Bengal who led the team in receptions. Andre Caldwell finished with six for 52 yards. Chad Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles grabbed five balls each for 54 and 34 yards, respectively.

  • I was surprised to see that Cedric Benson ran well against the vaunted Steelers defense. Benson garnered 76 yards on 16 carries, including a 23-yard score. Pittsburgh clearly misses Troy Polamalu.

  • Speaking of running well, the Steelers managed to do so versus the underrated Bengals stop unit. It was reported that Willie Parker would be benched in favor of Rashard Mendenhall, but Parker rushed for 93 yards on 25 attempts. He also chipped in with two receptions for 36 yards. Shockingly, Mendenhall didn’t get a single touch.

  • Going against Cincinnati’s tough secondary, Santonio Holmes collected just one reception for 18 yards. Hines Ward (4 catches, 82 yards) and slot receiver Mike Wallace (7-102) did all of the work.

  • It’s clear that Wallace is the No. 3 receiver now. Limas Sweed had a touchdown pass thrown to him right on the numbers, but he dropped the ball as he was falling down. That score probably would have iced the game for the Steelers.


    Broncos 23, Raiders 3

  • It’s amazing that the Broncos are 3-0. Well, it’s not that amazing because they won on a fluke play, and then parlayed that into two victories over two of the worst teams in the NFL. Still, they won those two games by 20 points, so it’s hard not to be somewhat impressed.

  • For selfish reasons, I was happy to see that Knowshon Moreno had 21 carries to Correll Buckhalter’s 14. Moreno rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Buckhalter gained 108 yards, thanks to a long scamper. Watching the game, it was obvious that Moreno was the better back. He’ll see an increased workload going forward.

  • Kyle Orton was his usual self, throwing short junk against the clueless Raiders. Orton finished 13-of-23 for 157 yards and a score, giving him a YPA of 6.8 (which is spectacular for him).

  • Orton threw only one deep pass in this game – a 23-yard completion to Brandon Marshall. Marshall was actually focused Sunday, catching five balls for 67 yards and a score. I wouldn’t get used to this if I were a Broncos fan.

  • Another disappointing outing for Eddie Royal, who caught only one pass for four yards. Orton is simply too inept to get the ball to Royal on a consistent basis.

  • Orton may be inept, but JaMarcus Russell is on a whole other level. Russell was 12-of-21 for 61 yards and two picks. One of the interceptions wasn’t really his fault; it was a deep shot in the first quarter. However, his second interception was one of the ugliest passes I’ve seen this year, and he sailed the ball over his receiver’s head by about a mile.

  • But I’m sticking with what I said last week. Russell is bad, but that’s only being magnified because Al Davis is forcing him to take shots downfield to Darrius Heyward-Bey. As evidence, both of Russell’s picks came when he was targeting DHB. DHB predictably finished with no catches, which means that through three games, he has only one reception. But don’t worry – he’s still headed to the Hall of Fame because of his great 40 time.

  • We knew Russell would suck, so the most disappointing Raider in this contest was Darren McFadden. McFadden rushed for 45 yards on 12 carries, but fumbled three times. Meanwhile, Michael Bush, the superior runner, had 20 yards on only six attempts.

    Clearly, the Raiders have absolutely no idea what they are doing. But we already knew that.


    Chargers 23, Dolphins 13

  • The Chargers ended up winning this game pretty easily, but it’s hard to call this a convincing victory.

    In the first half, San Diego really had problems containing Miami’s boring running and short passing game. The Dolphins’ first possession went 18 plays, but culminated in a Chad Pennington fumble that went into the back of the end zone for a touchback. At halftime, the score was tied 3-3.

    Things changed when Chad Pennington left the game with a shoulder injury. Chad Henne came in and led the Dolphins to a field goal in the third quarter, but later tossed a pick-six to Eric Weddle. Henne finished 10-of-19 for 92 yards, while Pennington was his usual self (8-of-12, 54 yards).

  • Ronnie Brown was really effective early, gaining 75 yards on 18 carries. Ricky Williams, meanwhile, chipped in with 55 yards and a score on eight rushes.

  • One week after catching 11 balls and dropping a game-winning touchdown, Ted Ginn Jr. failed to log a single reception. Inconsistency has always plagued him, and it looks like nothing has changed. Davone Bess, on the other hand, caught seven balls for 54 yards. Bess certainly isn’t flashy, but he’s a very reliable possession receiver.

  • Without LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers continued to shine, going 18-of-33 for 303 yards.

  • Rivers found Vincent Jackson five times for 120 yards. As I said a few times last week, Jackson will keep posting monstrous numbers as long as Tomlinson is out of the lineup.

  • Darren Sproles struggled to do anything on the ground versus Miami’s tough front seven, gaining 41 yards on 18 carries. Michael Bennett actually replaced Sproles late in the game and proved to be a tougher, more effective runner. Sproles is a great pass-catching threat out of the backfield, but he garnered only two receptions on Sunday.

  • The Chargers won this game, but Norv Turner has to be concerned about his team’s inability to produce in the red zone. In fact, they were just 1-of-6 in their trips down there. Tomlinson’s return to the lineup should help, but it’s still a big problem that needs to be fixed.



    For thoughts on Colts-Cardinals and Cowboys-Panthers, check out my updated 2009 NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.



    2009 NFL Power Rankings


    NFL Picks - Nov. 1


    2025 NFL Mock Draft - Oct. 30


    NFL Power Rankings - Oct. 28


    Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4








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    2019 NFL Week 16 Recap
    2019 NFL Week 17 Recap


    2018: Live 2018 NFL Draft Blog - April 30
    2018 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 7
    2018 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 14
    2018 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 21
    2018 NFL Week 4 Recap - Sept. 28
    2018 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 5
    2018 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 12
    2018 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 19
    2018 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 26
    2018 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 2
    2018 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 9
    2018 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 16
    2018 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 23
    2018 NFL Week 13 Recap - Nov. 30
    2018 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 7
    2018 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 14
    2018 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 21
    2018 NFL Week 17 Recap - Dec. 31
    2018 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 6


    2017: Live 2017 NFL Draft Blog - April 30
    2017 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 12
    2017 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 19
    2017 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 26
    2017 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 2
    2017 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 9
    2017 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 16
    2017 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 23
    2017 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 30
    2017 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 6
    2017 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 13
    2017 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 20
    2017 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 27
    2017 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 4
    2017 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 11
    2017 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 18
    2017 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 25
    2017 NFL Week 17 Recap - Jan. 1
    2017 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 8
    2017 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 15
    2017 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 22
    Super Bowl LII Recap - Feb. 5


    2017: Live 2017 NFL Draft Blog - April 30
    2017 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 12
    2017 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 19
    2017 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 26
    2017 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 2
    2017 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 9
    2017 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 16
    2017 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 23
    2017 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 30
    2017 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 6
    2017 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 13
    2017 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 20
    2017 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 27
    2017 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 4
    2017 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 11
    2017 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 18
    2017 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 25
    2017 NFL Week 17 Recap - Jan. 1
    2017 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 8
    2017 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 15
    2017 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 22
    Super Bowl LII Recap - Feb. 5


    2016: Live 2016 NFL Draft Blog - April 30
    2016 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 12
    2016 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 19
    2016 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 26
    2016 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 3
    2016 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 10
    2016 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 17
    2016 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 24
    2016 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 31
    2016 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 7
    2016 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 14
    2016 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 21
    2016 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 28
    2016 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 5
    2016 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 12
    2016 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 19
    2016 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 26
    2016 NFL Week 17 Recap - Jan. 2
    2016 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 9
    2016 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 16
    2016 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 23
    2016 NFL Week 21 Recap - Feb. 6


    2015: Live 2015 NFL Draft Blog - April 30
    2015 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 12
    2015 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 17
    2015 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 24
    2015 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 1
    2015 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 8
    2015 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 15
    2015 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 22
    2015 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 29
    2015 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 5
    2015 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 12
    2015 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 19
    2015 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 26
    2015 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 4
    2015 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 11
    2015 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 18
    2015 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 25
    2015 NFL Week 17 Recap - Jan. 4
    2015 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 11
    2015 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 18
    2015 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 25
    Super Bowl 50 Recap - Feb. 8


    2014: Live 2014 NFL Draft Blog - May 8
    2014 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 5
    2014 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 12
    2014 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 19
    2014 NFL Week 4 Recap - Sept. 26
    2014 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 3
    2014 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 10
    2014 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 17
    2014 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 24
    2014 NFL Week 9 Recap - Oct. 31
    2014 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 6
    2014 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 13
    2014 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 20
    2014 NFL Week 13 Recap - Nov. 27
    2014 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 5
    2014 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 12
    2014 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 19
    2014 NFL Week 17 Recap - Dec. 29
    2014 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 4
    2014 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 11
    2014 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 18
    Super Bowl XLIX Live Blog - Feb. 1
    Super Bowl XLIX Recap - Feb. 2


    2013: Live 2013 NFL Draft Blog - April 26
    2013 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 10
    2013 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 17
    2013 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 24
    2013 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 1
    2013 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 8
    2013 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 15
    2013 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 22
    2013 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 29
    2013 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 4
    2013 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 11
    2013 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 18
    2013 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 25
    2013 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 2
    2013 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 9
    2013 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 16
    2013 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 23
    2013 NFL Week 17 Recap - Dec. 30
    2013 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 6
    2013 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 13
    2013 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 20
    Super Bowl XLVIII Recap - Feb. 3
    Super Bowl XLVIII Live Blog - Feb. 2


    2012: Live 2012 NFL Draft Blog - April 26
    2012 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 10
    2012 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 17
    2012 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 24
    2012 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 1
    2012 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 8
    2012 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 15
    2012 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 22
    2012 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 29
    2012 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 5
    2012 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 12
    2012 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 19
    2012 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 26
    2012 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 3
    2012 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 10
    2012 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 17
    2012 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 24
    2012 NFL Week 17 Recap - Dec. 31
    2012 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 7
    2012 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 14
    2012 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 21
    Super Bowl XLVII Recap - Feb. 4
    Super Bowl XLVII Live Blog - Feb. 4


    2011: Live 2011 NFL Draft Blog - April 28
    2011 NFL Week 1 Recap - Sept. 12
    2011 NFL Week 2 Recap - Sept. 19
    2011 NFL Week 3 Recap - Sept. 26
    2011 NFL Week 4 Recap - Oct. 3
    2011 NFL Week 5 Recap - Oct. 10
    2011 NFL Week 6 Recap - Oct. 17
    2011 NFL Week 7 Recap - Oct. 24
    2011 NFL Week 8 Recap - Oct. 31
    2011 NFL Week 9 Recap - Nov. 7
    2011 NFL Week 10 Recap - Nov. 14
    2011 NFL Week 11 Recap - Nov. 21
    2011 NFL Week 12 Recap - Nov. 28
    2011 NFL Week 13 Recap - Dec. 5
    2011 NFL Week 14 Recap - Dec. 12
    2011 NFL Week 15 Recap - Dec. 19
    2011 NFL Week 16 Recap - Dec. 26
    2011 NFL Week 17 Recap - Jan. 2
    2011 NFL Week 18 Recap - Jan. 9
    2011 NFL Week 19 Recap - Jan. 16
    2011 NFL Week 20 Recap - Jan. 23
    Super Bowl XLVI Live Blog - Feb. 6


    2010: Live 2010 NFL Draft Blog - April 22
    2010 Hall of Fame Game Live Blog - Aug. 8
    2010 NFL Kickoff Live Blog - Sept. 9
    2010 NFL Week 1 Review - Sept. 13
    2010 NFL Week 2 Review - Sept. 20
    2010 NFL Week 3 Review - Sept. 27
    2010 NFL Week 4 Review - Oct. 4
    2010 NFL Week 5 Review - Oct. 11
    2010 NFL Week 6 Review - Oct. 18
    2010 NFL Week 7 Review - Oct. 25
    2010 NFL Week 8 Review - Nov. 1
    2010 NFL Week 9 Review - Nov. 8
    2010 NFL Week 10 Review - Nov. 15
    2010 NFL Week 11 Review - Nov. 22
    2010 NFL Week 12 Review - Nov. 29
    2010 NFL Week 13 Review - Dec. 6
    2010 NFL Week 14 Review - Dec. 13
    2010 NFL Week 15 Review - Dec. 20
    2010 NFL Week 16 Review - Dec. 27
    2010 NFL Week 17 Review - Jan. 3
    2010 NFL Week 18 Review - Jan. 10
    2010 NFL Week 19 Review - Jan. 17
    2010 NFL Week 19 Review - Jan. 24
    Super Bowl XLV Live Blog - Feb. 6


    2009: Live 2009 NFL Draft Blog - April 25
    2009 Hall of Fame Game Live Blog - Aug. 10
    2009 NFL Kickoff Live Blog - Sept. 10
    2009 NFL Week 1 Review - Sept. 14
    2009 NFL Week 2 Review - Sept. 21
    2009 NFL Week 3 Review - Sept. 28
    2009 NFL Week 4 Review - Oct. 5
    2009 NFL Week 5 Review - Oct. 12
    2009 NFL Week 6 Review - Oct. 19
    2009 NFL Week 7 Review - Oct. 26
    2009 NFL Week 8 Review - Nov. 2
    2009 NFL Week 9 Review - Nov. 9
    2009 NFL Week 10 Review - Nov. 16
    2009 NFL Week 11 Review - Nov. 23
    2009 NFL Week 12 Review - Nov. 30
    2009 NFL Week 13 Review - Dec. 6
    2009 NFL Week 14 Review - Dec. 13
    2009 NFL Week 15 Review - Dec. 20
    2009 NFL Week 16 Review - Dec. 27
    2009 NFL Week 17 Review - Jan. 4
    2009 NFL Week 18 Review - Jan. 11
    2009 NFL Week 19 Review - Jan. 18
    2009 NFL Week 20 Review - Jan. 25
    Super Bowl XLIV Live Blog - Feb. 7


    2008: Live 2008 NFL Draft Blog - April 26
    2008 NFL Kickoff Blog - Sept. 4
    NFL Week 1 Review - Sept. 8
    NFL Week 2 Review - Sept. 15
    NFL Week 3 Review - Sept. 22
    NFL Week 4 Review - Sept. 29
    NFL Week 5 Review - Oct. 6
    NFL Week 6 Review - Oct. 13
    NFL Week 7 Review - Oct. 20
    NFL Week 8 Review - Oct. 27
    NFL Week 9 Review - Nov. 3
    NFL Week 10 Review - Nov. 10
    NFL Week 11 Review - Nov. 17
    NFL Week 12 Review - Nov. 24
    NFL Week 13 Review - Dec. 1
    NFL Week 14 Review - Dec. 8
    NFL Week 15 Review - Dec. 15
    NFL Week 16 Review - Dec. 22
    NFL Week 17 Review - Dec. 29
    NFL Wild Card Playoffs Review - Jan. 4
    NFL Divisional Playoffs Review - Jan. 11
    NFL Championship Sunday Review - Jan. 19
    Super Bowl XLIII Live Blog