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10 – Minnesota at Green Bay – 42
Many were suspicious of why the Vikings kept Christian Ponder on the roster to begin this season and we are more confused than ever after this performance. He is absolutely atrocious.
Jarius Wright was still the Vikings go to guy even with Ponder under center. I really think this guy is startable in PPR formats once Teddy Bridgewater returns.
Julius Peppers 49 yard INT return for a TD made him the first player in NFL history to record 100 sacks and 10 interceptions over his career.
Eddie Lacy ran for 105 yards total on the day but even more impressive is that 91 of those yards came between the tackles. He came into the game averaging just 37 rushing yards between the tackles over the first four games.
Injuries: DE Datone Jones (ankle), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (hip), S Harrison Smith (ankle)
24 – Chicago at Carolina – 31
After a fluky punt return mishap the Bears offense sprinted out to a 21-7 lead with two minutes left in the first half. The Bears offense did absolutely nothing in the second half however. Jay Cutler threw 2 INT, fumbled once and Matt Forte also coughed it up in a complete meltdown by this Bears offense.
Matt Forte continues to be the focal point of the Bears offense and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. This is why he was the #1 overall pick or at least should have been.
A bogus illegal block call on Brandon Marshall took away a 25 yard run by Matt Forte and really killed the Bears momentum on a third quarter drive.
Don’t sweat the numbers of either Brandon Marshall or Martellus Bennett this week. Both are absolutely must starts every week in fantasy football.
The announcers of this game were raving about the Panthers running game in the second half but I wasn’t impressed whatsoever. The Bears defense cannot stop the run to save their lives and the Panthers averaged just 3.3 YPC today.
Kelvin Benjamin had another three drops today. It’s hard to remember that this guy is still a rookie and still learning to play at this level. Despite the let down today though he is still a must start next week.
Injuries: S Chris Conte (concussion), LB Jon Bostic (back), S Josh Norman (shoulder), CB Bene Benwikere (ankle)
29 – Cleveland at Tennessee – 28
The Titans were up 28-3 with just two minutes left in the first half and 28-13 at the end of the third quarter. But the Browns never wavered from what they do best and that is run the football. Brian Hoyer once again showing that he is a QB that is wroth investing in and developing.
Ben Tate was as suspected the only real ball carrier for the Browns today. His knee looked fine as he totaled 22-123 (5.6 YPC) on the day.
The answer is “No.” No, you should not rush out to pick up Travis Benjamin despite his 2 TD performance today.
Jordan Cameron is not an every week starting TE. Remember at the beginning of the season when many were proclaiming that Cameron would catch so many more passes because Josh Gordon wouldn’t be around? This is a reminder that NFL systems don’t work like that.
I was completely wrong on this being Bishop Sankey’s breakout game. Ken Whisenhunt still isn’t giving Sankey a high % of snaps which is absolutely stunning. His 8-27 yards today is enough to warrant putting him back on the bench until the Titans can pull their heads out of their butt.
Charlie Whitehurst replaced Jake Locker after Locker left with a right hand injury. Whitehurst’s ponytail is so repulsive it makes more almost forgive Ryan Fitzpatrick’s hideous beard.
The Titans need to force the ball to Justin Hunter if they want to make anything happen in the passing game. He is their only WR capable of breaking quality coverage.
Injuries: QB Jake Locker (hand), NT Phil Taylor (knee)
28 – St. Louis at Philadelphia – 34
The score of this game is incredibly misleading. The Eagles offense did absolutely nothing today. There are some legitimate concerns going forward with the Eagles ability to put points on the board.
The Eagles were up 34-7 with :03 left in the third quarter.
Nick Foles turned the ball over two more time today (1 INT, 1 Fumble). He isn’t living up to the preseason hype after a surprising 2013 campaign.
Zac Stacy looked real good early but then coughed up the ball in the fourth quarter. Benny Cunningham took over on the next possession and scored on a 14 yard run. There is not a running back by committee situation.
You have to be impressed with the rapid development of Austin Davis. He is a fearless passer, which is a good and a bad thing at times. Still, the Rams are rallying around him and this WR corps is developing around him as well.
Injuries: RB Zac Stacy (calf), RB Chris Polk (hamstring)
20 – Atlanta at N.Y. Giants – 30
The Falcons offensive line is in ruins. Although the Giants only sacked Matt Ryan once today, they did have five tackles for loss. Don’t fool yourself though, this Giants defense isn’t any good.
Can the Falcons just give Antone Smith the starting RB job or at least give him more catches? It’s insane how many long runs this guy makes in both the running game and the passing game. He has no business playing a secondary role to Steven Jackson or Jacquizz Rogers.
Julio Jones had 11 targets in the first half of this game. It was the second time this season that he had double digit targets in one half of football.
Odell Beckham should be picked up in most league formats this week if he hasn’t been already. Don’t expect big numbers out of Beckham rather he is just a bye week replacement type of WR.
Andre Williams isn’t a good RB. He is big and strong but isn’t a starting caliber NFL RB at this point in time. The Giants are in trouble if Rashad Jennings misses any extended amount of time.
I’ve been warning everybody about Larry Donnell all week long. That three TD performance was destined to make people overreact as to what Donnell’s true fantasy value was. He is still a low level starter going forward but just don’t expect the sort of massive numbers he put up in his first four weeks.
Injuries: RB Rashad Jennings (knee)
31 – Tampa Bay at New Orleans – 37
Even at home the Saints offense just isn’t as dynamic as it used to be. Sean Payton was legitimately upset with a few of Drew Brees’ decisions this afternoon.
The Saints ran 86 plays today while the Bucs had only 54.
Pierre Thomas was hardly used in the first half of this game. Though you may like his overall touches (12), this has to be concerning for when Mark Ingram returns from injury.
The Saints came back from a 31-20 deficit almost exclusively by use of screen passes. Brees was 12-15, 104 yards ad 2 TD’s on screen passes today.
Doug Martin looked much better than the numbers will show today especially on screen passes. Martin tallies 3-29 yards on screens today but also had two catches totaling 40 yards called back for penalties.
If Mike Glennon didn’t cement himself as the Buccaneers starting QB going forward then something is wrong with civilization.
Injuries: TE Jimmy Graham (shoulder)
17 – Houston at Dallas – 20
did something that no other Cowboys RB had ever done before. He ran for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game to start the season. He came within a yard of joining only Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson as the RB’s to begin the season with at least 100 yards rushing and one TD in their first five games.
DeMarco Murray lost a fumble for the fourth time in five games early in this contest. As good as he’s been running the football, if he continues to put the ball on the ground we may end up seeing him benched at some point.
The Cowboys WR’s dropped five passes total in this game.
Dan Bailey’s miss on a 53 yard FG try ended his franchise record streak at 30 consecutive FG’s without a miss.
Andre Johnson has become just a possession WR these days. His 5-58 this week was solid but again unspectacular. This output was enough for Johnson to become the second fastest WR in NFL history to get 950 receptions in his career.
Arian Foster’s 23 carries really concerns me heading into next week. Foster’s hamstrings have a tendency to cramp up after heavy usage. I will predict Foster as being questionable for week six already.
There were far more Texans fans in Cowboys Stadium today than Cowboys fans. It was very odd watching this game and hearing all of the cheering when the Cowboys turned the ball over.
Injuries: LB Rolondo McClain (groin)
17 – Buffalo at Detroit – 14
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The Lions will be after a new kicker on Monday after Alex Henery missed all three of his field goal tries on the day. Lions kickers are an astonishing 4-12 on FG attempts this season.
I wouldn’t go heavy on George Winn on waivers this week. Joique Bell should be back next week and Theo Riddick may also return which would leave Winn with minimal appeal if not inactive.
The Lions offensive line is imploding lately. The Bills sacked Matt Stafford six times today. Over the last four games Stafford has been sacked 16 times.
Eric Ebron caught a nine yard TD in the first quarter that was reversed after replay showed Ebron did not make the catch in bounds.
The Bills carried defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz off of the field after the game. The image really enforces just what a complete turd Schwartz really is.
Kyle Orton isn’t special but he is exactly what this Bills team needed this afternoon. The come from behind victory was the eighth of Orton’s career spanning four different teams.
C.J. Spiller was benched after clearly missing a blocking assignment that got Kyle Orton blown up early in the third quarter. He returned late in the fourth after Fred Jackson went down but it is clear that Spiller’s fantasy value is minimal.
Injuries: RB Reggie Bush (ankle), Calvin Johnson (ankle), Fred Jackson (ankle), CB Ron Brooks
13 – Baltimore at Indianapolis – 20
The Colts absolutely dominated this game and should have won by a lot more. But two lost fumbles and two interceptions gave life to an otherwise inept Baltimore Ravens team. The Colts ran 80 offensive plays to the Ravens 57.
With the outcome of the game hanging in the balance, Andrew Luck rose to the occasion yet again. Luck was 8-9, 129 yards with a 13 yard TD run in the fourth quarter alone.
T.Y. Hilton had a TD called back for an offensive pass interference penalty.
The Ravens really butchered their RB situation today. They seemed to try and wedge Bernard Pierce back in there, which threw off the entire dynamic they had established a week ago. Justin Forsett is the new Shane Vereen or Darren Sproles of 2014.
Lorenzo Taliaferro received a goal line carry from the three yard line but failed to reach the endzone.
Torrey Smith dropped the pass that would have kept the game going for the Ravens. He is struggling mightily right now and has absolutely zero fantasy appeal at this time.
Injuries: LG Kelechi Osemele (knee)
17 – Pittsburgh at Jacksonville – 9
I completely misread this game. I had it penciled in for 45+ points for sure as both of these defenses are absolutely terrible. Today, it was the Jaguars and Steelers offenses that proved to be just as bad.
Early in the game the Steelers had first-and-goal from the four yard line in which they decided to throw the ball three times in a row. Not one touch for Le’Veon Bell from the four yard line was an early indication of the bad decisions to come for the Steelers this afternoon.
Allen Hurns had a terrible game. He dropped passes on three consecutive series for the Jaguars and also had a bad holding penalty that negated a big gain by Storm Johnson.
I would like to see Blake Bortles take off and run some more. He is very athletic and would be wise to pick up some of these first downs on his own instead of relying on subpar receivers.
The Jaguars lost three RB’s due to ankle injuries today. Jacksonville was running empty backfield formations at the end of this contest.
Injuries: RB Toby Gerhart (ankle), RB Jordan Todman (ankle), RB Storm Johnson, S Shamarko Thomas (hamstring)
20 – Arizona at Denver – 41
This was a very historic game for the Broncos.
Peyton Manning’s first TD of the game was his 500th of his career. Only Brett Favre (508) has thrown for more than 500 TD passes in NFL history.
Peyton Manning’s 479 yards was the most he has ever throw for in his already storied career. His 86 yard TD to DeMaryius Thomas was tied for the longest of Manning’s career as well.
DeMaryius Thomas went off for 8-226-2 on the day. The 226 receiving yards were the most in Thomas’ career, the most ever by a Broncos receiver and the most yards by any player so far this season.
Wes Welker’s seven receptions moved him past former Broncos WR Rod Smith for the most receptions ever by an undrafted player.
Both Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson looked good in the place of the injured Montee Ball. If Ball misses time as is expected, the Broncos will likely use a committee approach at the RB position. Considering both C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson have traded off in the RB2 role this season, Hillman is the one that will probably have the most fantasy upside.
Rookie QB Logan Thomas completed just one pass in eight attempts after coming in for the injured Drew Stanton. But that pass was a needle threaded sideline pass to Andre Ellington who took it to the house for an 81yard TD.
Cardinals DE Calais Campbell was chop blocked by Broncos TE Julius Thomas on a play that will likely draw a fine and possible even a suspension from the NFL. After the game head coach Bruce Arians called the play the “dirtiest play he’d ever seen” in his 37 years of professional football.
Injuries: QB Drew Stanton (concussion), CB Patrick Peterson (ankle), DE Calais Campbell, RB Montee Ball (groin)
17 – Kansas City at San Francisco – 22
When the 49ers commit to the run, they win football games. They ran the ball 40 times for 171 yards on the day.
Colin Kaepernick was excellent against pressure today. Kaepernick went 6-10 for 129 yards against five or more pass rushers today with all of the completions going for first downs.
Phil Dawson’s five FG’s today were the second most in his career. He once kicked six FG’s in a game for the Cleveland Browns back in 2004.
As good as Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson look for the ‘Niners neither are worthwhile fantasy pickups anytime soon. There just isn’t enough passing volume for either one of these guys to warrant a roster spot on your team.
Travis Kelce has scored a TD in three consecutive games. Those three TD’s have traveled a combined three yards in the air between all of them. Kelce is catching noting but screen passes this season.
This is the regular amount of snaps you can expect for Knile Davis now that Jamaal Charles is healthy. Hopefully you traded high on Davis and didn’t hold him like a knucklehead.
Injuries: No injuries reported
0 – N.Y. Jets at San Diego – 31
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The Jets are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have talent but this is a classic case of veteran players who are not buying in and thus not performing up to their capabilities.
I hate to say this but Geno Smith really didn’t play that bad. He got absolutely no help from his offensive line today. Proof of that was Michael Vick scrambling all over the place after he relieved Smith in the second half.
So much for the Jets valiant run defense. The Chargers behind a banged up offensive line rushed 40 times for 162 yards on the day.
Philip Rivers now has four straight games of having a passer rating of over 100.
Branden Oliver is definitely a guy to grab on the waiver wire this week if he is still available. This kid looks exactly like Darren Sproles and is going to have an increased opportunity in the Chargers offense going forward.
Ladarius Green had a 9 yard TD reception called back for offensive holding. Antonio Gates grabbed his first TD just three plays later.
This was a catastrophic game for Keenan Allen. Coming off a 10 catch performance last week he was in prime position for another big game here against the Jets. I will stand by him as a mid level WR2 but this one really stings.
Injuries: RB Donald Brown (concussion), WR Malcom Floyd (calf), C Doug Legursky (knee), RT D.J. Fluker (ankle), LB David Harris (shoulder)
17 – Cincinnati at New England – 43
I guess the Patriots aren’t dead after all. The Bengals came into Foxboro tonight and thought they are just going to be handed the reins of the AFC. Kudos to the Patriots players and coaches for rising up on a short week to beat the snot out of a very good team.
The Patriots offensive line was the reason for this dramatic improvement in production tonight. The Patriots ran 46 times for 220 yards on the night but 156 of those yards came before contact.
An inspired Tom Brady is a very good thing for fantasy football. Brady spread the ball around this evening establishing players like Julian Edelman, Tim Wright, Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen and Brandon LaFell early on which opened up the offense considerably.
Andy Dalton always seems to fail in big games. Dalton is 2-4 career in prime time games with a passer rating of 68.4.
The Bengals lost three fumbles in this game, which really crushed them. This lead to a massive difference in time of possession in favor of the Patriots.
Injuries: Darrelle Revis (hamstring), WR Danny Amendola (concussion), S Devin McCourty (rib)