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Hache Man · 12-19-06, 06:00 PM

The Shell Game
In this space last Wednesday I poked a little fun at the horrible job Art Shell has done in his second stint as Raiders head coach. In addition to earning me an odd-yet-thrilling mention in a Bill Simmons column—the highlight of my week, no doubt—my bashing Shell also led to a few e-mailers suggesting that perhaps I'm "being too hard on him" given the difficult job he has in Oakland.

While it's true that the Raiders' roster isn't pretty and has been wrecked by injuries, it's also true that Shell has been an unmitigated disaster trying to turn it into a respectable team. Not only have media members like me ripped him throughout the season, Shell's own players have consistently called him out for not preparing the team properly. In fact, Shell has been ripped publicly by nearly every important skill-position player on the roster.

Andrew Walter ripped the Raiders' play-calling after struggling in relief of Aaron Brooks, which reportedly led to Shell giving Brooks the starting job back. Then Brooks lashed out at the Raiders' mess of an offense Monday, rhetorically asking "what the f--- have I gotten into?" in a long tirade just hours before Shell named him the Week 16 starter. Randy Moss (who is likely done for the year) has essentially criticized Shell every week since training camp, while Jerry Porter apparently earned his spot in the doghouse by doing the same.

And who can forget the memorable moment when LaMont Jordan revealed that the Raiders' game plan against the Broncos in Week 10 literally included three running plays, leading to everyone who every played Tecmo Bowl as a kid cracking the exact same joke. The funny thing is, I'm sure there are a few dozen other examples of players criticizing, ripping or downright mocking Shell this year, but at some point they start to blend together.

There are plenty of bad teams every year in the NFL, but truly horrible teams whose players consistently go out of their way to criticize the head coach publicly over the exact same issue are relatively rare. Not only are the Raiders a 2-12 team, they're a 2-12 team who've become a joke around the league—and even in their own locker room—because their coach has failed miserably in his misguided attempt to give them a chance to win.

While Raiders fans ponder the fact that every other team in the AFC has scored at least 40 percent more points than Oakland this season, here are some other notes from around football …

* For the second straight week Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were both banged up and for the second straight week it looks like Drew got the better end of the deal. Despite initially claiming that reports of his needing X-rays following Sunday's game weren't true, Drew did indeed have X-rays on what is being called a "jammed knee." They came back negative and it sounds like the Jaguars expect him to play in Week 16.

It's impossible to say whether Drew will be at 100 percent, but his previous calf injury didn't keep him from looking good lugging the ball 25 times against Tennessee. Meanwhile, Taylor aggravated his Week 15 hamstring injury against the Titans Sunday. Like Drew with the X-rays he told reporters that he "did not pull it," but coach Jack Del Rio seemed unsure about Taylor's status heading into this week's must-win matchup against the Patriots.

As of Tuesday morning Drew looks like the much better Week 16 fantasy play, in part because he's seemingly healthier and in part because he's found the end zone in six straight games and has 326 total yards between the past two weeks. Jacksonville will be able to run on New England, which is why this situation is worth watching closely throughout the week.

* In keeping with his apparent plan to become every bit as standoffish to the media as Bill Belichick, except without all that silliness about winning games to keep fans happy, coach Brad Childress refused to name a starter when asked Monday. However, everyone else on the Vikings has made it clear that they expect Tarvaris Jackson to get the call over Brad Johnson Thursday night against Green Bay.

Speaking anonymously so as to avoid the wrath of Generalissimo Childress, several players revealed to local newspapers that they've been told Jackson will start, and Jackson reportedly took first-team reps in the portion of Monday's practice that was blocked off from the media. Incidentally, someone may want to tell Generic Mustachioed Dictator Childress (GMDC for short) that barring the media from practice doesn't do much if your players are willing to spill the beans to reporters anyway.

Under Childress—supposedly an offensive coach—the Vikings have become a punchless offense with zero imagination, and he's spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy attempting to keep relatively innocuous information from the public. When you're Belichick and you have a bunch of gigantic rings on your fingers, you can get away with being prickly to people with microphones and notebooks. When you're Childress and you have a 6-8 record in a horrible conference, you just look silly.

Two-Minute Drill: Coach Joe Gibbs has said there'll be room in the Redskins' backfield for Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts next season, but the fact is that Betts crippled his long-term fantasy value by re-signing with Washington … Offensive coordinator Greg Olson indicated that Steven Jackson going catchless in Week 15 was due to staying in on pass protection … Larry Johnson ripped into the Chiefs' play-calling Monday, saying "we need to sit down and change something" … Chicago will reportedly keep Tank Johnson on the active roster despite earlier reports suggesting that they might release him … In typical Bill Parcells fashion, the coach said Monday that Marion Barber is successful late in games because Julius Jones has already worn the defense down … As expected, the ever-stubborn Lions won't be benching Jon Kitna despite all kinds of evidence that he's deserving … Coach Jon Gruden confirmed that Tim Rattay, not Bruce Gradkowski, will start in Week 16.

Red Zone: Coach Romeo Crennel indicated Monday that Charlie Frye (wrist) is still the Browns' starter, but Derek Anderson figures to get the Week 16 start because Frye isn't healthy enough to play … Jake Delhomme (thumb) is still "hoping" to play this week, but admitted Monday that "trying to throw would be pretty tough right now" … Coach Jim Mora said Monday that Michael Vick (groin) is likely to play in Week 16, but may miss some practice time … Chester Taylor said Monday that his ribs and wrist are healthy enough for him to suit up Thursday against Green Bay … There are varying reports about the severity of the ankle injury that kept Joseph Addai out for the second half Monday night, but coach Tony Dungy said he doesn't anticipate it being serious … Brandon Jacobs reportedly needed X-rays on the ankle injury he suffered Sunday, which doesn't explain how he came back in for the fourth quarter after sitting out half the game … Ronnie Brown (hand) is expected to practice this week and may return Monday night.

12-19-06, 06:00 PM	#2
Hache Man Moderator "Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak" Join Date: Aug 19, 2005 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 61,716	Re: Fantasy Football News 12/19/06 The Shell Game In this space last Wednesday I poked a little fun at the horrible job Art Shell has done in his second stint as Raiders head coach. In addition to earning me an odd-yet-thrilling mention in a Bill Simmons column—the highlight of my week, no doubt—my bashing Shell also led to a few e-mailers suggesting that perhaps I'm "being too hard on him" given the difficult job he has in Oakland. While it's true that the Raiders' roster isn't pretty and has been wrecked by injuries, it's also true that Shell has been an unmitigated disaster trying to turn it into a respectable team. Not only have media members like me ripped him throughout the season, Shell's own players have consistently called him out for not preparing the team properly. In fact, Shell has been ripped publicly by nearly every important skill-position player on the roster. Andrew Walter ripped the Raiders' play-calling after struggling in relief of Aaron Brooks, which reportedly led to Shell giving Brooks the starting job back. Then Brooks lashed out at the Raiders' mess of an offense Monday, rhetorically asking "what the f--- have I gotten into?" in a long tirade just hours before Shell named him the Week 16 starter. Randy Moss (who is likely done for the year) has essentially criticized Shell every week since training camp, while Jerry Porter apparently earned his spot in the doghouse by doing the same. And who can forget the memorable moment when LaMont Jordan revealed that the Raiders' game plan against the Broncos in Week 10 literally included three running plays, leading to everyone who every played Tecmo Bowl as a kid cracking the exact same joke. The funny thing is, I'm sure there are a few dozen other examples of players criticizing, ripping or downright mocking Shell this year, but at some point they start to blend together. There are plenty of bad teams every year in the NFL, but truly horrible teams whose players consistently go out of their way to criticize the head coach publicly over the exact same issue are relatively rare. Not only are the Raiders a 2-12 team, they're a 2-12 team who've become a joke around the league—and even in their own locker room—because their coach has failed miserably in his misguided attempt to give them a chance to win. While Raiders fans ponder the fact that every other team in the AFC has scored at least 40 percent more points than Oakland this season, here are some other notes from around football … * For the second straight week Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were both banged up and for the second straight week it looks like Drew got the better end of the deal. Despite initially claiming that reports of his needing X-rays following Sunday's game weren't true, Drew did indeed have X-rays on what is being called a "jammed knee." They came back negative and it sounds like the Jaguars expect him to play in Week 16. It's impossible to say whether Drew will be at 100 percent, but his previous calf injury didn't keep him from looking good lugging the ball 25 times against Tennessee. Meanwhile, Taylor aggravated his Week 15 hamstring injury against the Titans Sunday. Like Drew with the X-rays he told reporters that he "did not pull it," but coach Jack Del Rio seemed unsure about Taylor's status heading into this week's must-win matchup against the Patriots. As of Tuesday morning Drew looks like the much better Week 16 fantasy play, in part because he's seemingly healthier and in part because he's found the end zone in six straight games and has 326 total yards between the past two weeks. Jacksonville will be able to run on New England, which is why this situation is worth watching closely throughout the week. * In keeping with his apparent plan to become every bit as standoffish to the media as Bill Belichick, except without all that silliness about winning games to keep fans happy, coach Brad Childress refused to name a starter when asked Monday. However, everyone else on the Vikings has made it clear that they expect Tarvaris Jackson to get the call over Brad Johnson Thursday night against Green Bay. Speaking anonymously so as to avoid the wrath of Generalissimo Childress, several players revealed to local newspapers that they've been told Jackson will start, and Jackson reportedly took first-team reps in the portion of Monday's practice that was blocked off from the media. Incidentally, someone may want to tell Generic Mustachioed Dictator Childress (GMDC for short) that barring the media from practice doesn't do much if your players are willing to spill the beans to reporters anyway. Under Childress—supposedly an offensive coach—the Vikings have become a punchless offense with zero imagination, and he's spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy attempting to keep relatively innocuous information from the public. When you're Belichick and you have a bunch of gigantic rings on your fingers, you can get away with being prickly to people with microphones and notebooks. When you're Childress and you have a 6-8 record in a horrible conference, you just look silly. Two-Minute Drill: Coach Joe Gibbs has said there'll be room in the Redskins' backfield for Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts next season, but the fact is that Betts crippled his long-term fantasy value by re-signing with Washington … Offensive coordinator Greg Olson indicated that Steven Jackson going catchless in Week 15 was due to staying in on pass protection … Larry Johnson ripped into the Chiefs' play-calling Monday, saying "we need to sit down and change something" … Chicago will reportedly keep Tank Johnson on the active roster despite earlier reports suggesting that they might release him … In typical Bill Parcells fashion, the coach said Monday that Marion Barber is successful late in games because Julius Jones has already worn the defense down … As expected, the ever-stubborn Lions won't be benching Jon Kitna despite all kinds of evidence that he's deserving … Coach Jon Gruden confirmed that Tim Rattay, not Bruce Gradkowski, will start in Week 16. Red Zone: Coach Romeo Crennel indicated Monday that Charlie Frye (wrist) is still the Browns' starter, but Derek Anderson figures to get the Week 16 start because Frye isn't healthy enough to play … Jake Delhomme (thumb) is still "hoping" to play this week, but admitted Monday that "trying to throw would be pretty tough right now" … Coach Jim Mora said Monday that Michael Vick (groin) is likely to play in Week 16, but may miss some practice time … Chester Taylor said Monday that his ribs and wrist are healthy enough for him to suit up Thursday against Green Bay … There are varying reports about the severity of the ankle injury that kept Joseph Addai out for the second half Monday night, but coach Tony Dungy said he doesn't anticipate it being serious … Brandon Jacobs reportedly needed X-rays on the ankle injury he suffered Sunday, which doesn't explain how he came back in for the fourth quarter after sitting out half the game … Ronnie Brown (hand) is expected to practice this week and may return Monday night.