Have You Seen This Man?

[Hache Man]

Have You Seen This Man?

Our Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football Recaps are in Season Pass, along with weekly projections, first-look rankings, top 200 lists going forward, our detailed running back report, and much more.

Rams 23, Packers 20
Game Recap By: Evan Silva

The Big Story

From a fantasy perspective, the big story in this game was the continued emergence of Greg Jennings (5-105-1) into a clear "No. 1 receiver." Brett Favre (22-39-220-1) looked primarily to Jennings, not Donald Driver (3-24), with the game on the line. Even early on, Favre targeted Jennings on third downs and showed enough faith in the rookie to throw him a sideline jump ball in double coverage during the first half. Jennings didn't come down with every intended pass, but he's Favre's top choice to receive them.

Beyond the Box Score

Jennings is a natural playmaker. To open the second quarter, he snared a typical high-risk Favre throw between two defenders, took a big hit, and kept running for a 38-yard gain. His TD came on a 46-yard deep ball to bring Green Bay within three points in the fourth quarter.

Noah Herron (20-106-1, 5-20) took over after starter Vernand Morency (6-15, 2-9) fumbled twice during Green Bay's first three possessions. Herron was solid against a weak St. Louis run defense. Morency may have fallen to third on the depth chart because of his fumbling problems.

Marc Bulger (18-28-220-2) still hasn't thrown an interception all season. He got everyone involved in Week 5, something the St. Louis offense had struggled to do to this point. It appears as though the Rams' aerial attack is now hitting on all cylinders. although they've faced weak opponents.

The Rams still throw it in the red zone with great frequency, which hurts Steven Jackson's (23-98, 3-20) chances to score. It helps Torry Holt's (3-40-1) cause.

Going Forward

While nearly all rookie starting wideouts are inconsistent, Jennings has a chance to overcome that because Favre 1) throws so much and 2) trusts the rookie. Favre knows Jennings is a game breaker. Jennings is closing in on WR2 status.

Despite Herron's solid numbers, he shouldn't be viewed as the clear handcuff for Ahman Green (hamstring). Herron is slow and though his fumbles cost him playing time Sunday, Morency is a much better natural talent. Herron's nice fantasy day is more a statement about St. Louis' run defense than it is about Herron as a football player.

Not only is Driver struggling with an injured hip, he's losing targets weekly to Jennings and continues to drop a fair amount of passes. Driver's fantasy value is falling.


Colts 14, Titans 13
Game Recap by Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

Given little chance to even keep things close as 18.5-point underdogs, the Titans sped out to a 10-0 second-quarter lead and spent the next 30 minutes clinging to it. Peyton Manning found Reggie Wayne in the end zone from two yards out with a little over five minutes left, putting the Colts ahead for a good in a game they trailed for over 40 minutes on the game clock.

Beyond the Box Score

The Titans ran much of their offense from the shotgun, opening things up for Vince Young to lead a University of Texas-like attack with tons of draws and traps along with faked handoffs that saw Young sprint outside. He struggled with accuracy, failing to complete a pass until the second quarter, but ran well and made several key throws in big spots. Don't let the ugly overall numbers (10-of-21, 63 yards) fool you—Young managed the game well against a superior opponent and even his interception came on a trick play just before halftime.

Faced with a Titans defense that played back and dared them to either run the ball or complete short throws underneath, the Colts pounded the ground game consistently. Dominic Rhodes ran 20 times for 84 yards and Joseph Addai added 62 yards on 13 carries. With the running game established, Manning finally opened things up through the air in the second half and led the Colts on three good drives, with two ending in a touchdown and one ending with a poorly-thrown interception at the goal line.

Going Forward

After barely running through the first four weeks, Young was set loose Sunday. He put the Titans on the board with a 19-yard run up the gut in the first quarter, nearly had a second touchdown at the goal line, ran for a total of 43 yards while directing blockers like it was the BCS title game, and generally looked like a power version of Michael Vick. The Vick comparison also included overthrows and short-hops to open receivers, but Young looked like a potential fantasy monster at times.

The good news is that the Colts' ground game will thrive if defenses continue to shut down their deep passing game. The bad news is that it's almost impossible to predict how the Colts will divvy up their carries from week to week. Addai carried most of the load in Week 4, yet it was Rhodes who saw the bulk of the carries Sunday, particularly in the first half. There was enough ground work to go around this week, but in the future that won't always be the case and will keep either of them from being a legit RB2 option.

With Chris Brown a surprise inactive, Travis Henry stepped into the lineup and carried 19 times for 123 yards. Lendale White also saw plenty of action, rushing eight times for 48 yards, much of that coming when Henry left briefly in the second half after being shaken up. Healthy or not, Brown's chances of reclaiming a top spot on the depth appear slim. Henry was very impressive and held off what could have easily been White's coming out party under different circumstances.

Patriots 20, Dolphins 10
Game Recap by: Gregg Rosenthal

The Big Story

In a ugly fantasy game for nearly all involved, Joey Harrington started for Daunte Culpepper and looked excellent … except two big interceptions. Tom Brady (16/29-140-2-0) struggled for much of the afternoon and the Maroney/Dillon two-headed monster only totaled 83 rushing yards.

Behind the Box Score

Corey Dillon (10-45-0) didn't get a carry in the fourth quarter. Laurence Maroney (18-38-0), who wasn't playing very well, took most of the snaps in the final 15 minutes during a clock-killing time that would normally call for Dillon. Of course, the Patriots didn't announce an injury and Dillon was on the field at times, he just didn't touch the ball. Maroney just got all the fourth-quarter carries. Something seemed amiss considering how ineffective Maroney was.

Brady rarely plays well against Miami and this game was no exception. Other than Troy Brown (5-58-1), the Patriots wideouts only gained 12 yards combined. Still, much of Brady's struggles were his own fault. He threw a few passes into the dirt, overthrew Doug Gabriel deep, and had many passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. It continues an inconsistent season for Brady.

Gabriel's (2-7-0) fantasy momentum hit a snag, but he was still a factor. He forced a pass interference on a long pass into the end zone. He was also open on a go route down the sideline, but Brady overthrew him.

Harrington (26/41-232-0-2) was more decisive getting rid of the ball than Daunte Culpepper was this season. Two missed field goals, a Ronnie Brown fumble, and Marty Booker's injury made Harrington's day tougher than it had to be. One of his interceptions was telegraphed, and the other was thrown behind his receiver. He was far from perfect, but Harrington played better than Culpepper has to this point.

Marty Booker (2-22-0) injured his shoulder/pectoral muscle in the first quarter. He returned to play one series, but came out after halftime with a sling holding his arm. Wes Welker (9-77-0) took advantage, continuing an excellent year. Welker actually has six more catches than Chris Chambers this season.

Randy McMichael (6-84-0) played through a nagging rib/shoulder injury for his best game of the year. His owners should hope Harrington keeps the starting job.

Ronnie Brown (17-39-1, 1-3-0) had the worst game I've ever seen him play as a pro. He missed a few series with a quadriceps injury, but was struggling before then. He lost a fumble and dropped a key pass and looked frustrated. He has a much better matchup against the Jets next week.

Going Forward

Don't drop Gabriel because of the bye week. He will have value this season in most league formats.

Laurence Maroney is a dicey start against good rush defenses like Miami. He's a situational play as a RB2 unless Corey Dillon gets injured. Brady is also not an every-week start anymore if you have a good backup.

Wes Welker is a good pickup in deep leagues, especially if Marty Booker's injury is serious. Welker is leading the Dolphins in receptions and yards. I've stopped being surprised by his performances: He's a legit NFL receiver.

Nick Saban had some interesting comments about starting Harrington. He said he had to do it, almost as if he wanted to save Culpepper from himself. Miami has a Week 8 bye. It wouldn't shock me if Culpepper sat until then. Wait to see who starts for Miami this week. If it's Harrington, I'd drop Culpepper in 12-by-15 leagues if anyone decent is available. Harrington could be a passable QB2 the next two weeks with dates against the Jets and Packers.

Bears 40, Bills 7
Recap by Scott Morrow

The Big Story

Residents of the Windy City may still be wondering what this whole "scoring points" thing is, but they can surely get used to it. Chicago was given advantageous field position in the first half, using it to build a 27-0 lead before halftime with a few nice passes from Rex Grossman (15-27, 182 yards, 2 TDs) and some elusive runs from Thomas Jones (22-109-0). Backup RB Cedric Benson (14-48-2) got involved in the first half and finished the game with his first two professional touchdowns, while WR Bernard Berrian (4-97-1) stretched the field. Bills quarterback J.P. Losman (14-27, 115 yards, TD, 3 INTs) struggled as Buffalo barely crossed midfield against the Bears' defense.

Beyond the Box Score

Grossman made sure that the Bears capitalized on good field position, but also threw a few dangerous passes that could have been intercepted. His risk-taking demeanor has become a trademark; Grossman's second touchdown pass, one on which he threw into a tight spot while falling off his back foot, was reminiscent of a certain divisional rival that wears the number four.

Berrian is making a routine of fetching the deep ball. His 62-yard reception in the second quarter was his fifth of 40 or more yards for the season, and he would have had a 34-yard touchdown in the third quarter had he been able to get both of his feet in bounds.

Benson stole some of Jones' thunder in the second quarter, entering the game when Chicago took over at the Bills' 32-yard line. He proceeded to gain those 32 yards on four carries and a reception. Benson also played in the subsequent series, but had many of his other carries in garbage time. A lost fumble late in the fourth quarter was all that marred Benson's day.

Losman had thrown just one interception before playing Chicago, but tossed three in Week 5 alone. Receiver Lee Evans (9-94-1) nearly was Losman's only target, and caught his first touchdown of the season with just 1:10 left in the game.

Going Forward

If he wasn't before, Berrian should now be considered an every-week starter. He will have weeks in which he is overshadowed by teammate Muhsin Muhammad (2-10-0), but Grossman has made it a priority to find him deep when he is in single coverage.

A time share between Jones and Benson is becoming increasingly imminent. Both were effective against a sub-par Bills run defense that opted to respect Grossman's arm, but Benson showed a little more decisiveness in finding running lanes. Jones remains a startable fantasy back, but he may not stay that way for long.

Evans has also transformed into an every-week starter. After catching just two passes in each of Buffalo's first two games, the third-year speed demon has hauled in 24 receptions for 291 yards in three weeks. Evans will have an excellent match-up against the Lions in Week 6.

Panthers 20, Browns 12
Game Recap By: Evan Silva

The Big Story

Even against the Browns, whose glaring liability is a banged-up secondary, the Panthers remain a run-first team. Steve Smith (6-62) and Keyshawn Johnson (5-67-1) came out with productive fantasy days, but Carolina didn't make it a point to exploit Cleveland's most obvious weakness. After they got up early, the Panthers stuck to the run. DeShaun Foster (24-106, 3-12) turned in a nice effort and DeAngelo Williams (1-4) likely would have played a bigger role had he not hurt his ankle early on.

Beyond the Box Score

Williams could put no weight on his injured ankle as he departed in the second quarter. A timetable for the first-round pick to return hasn't been provided, but it didn't look or sound like a good situation.

Smith could've had better numbers but he dropped at least three passes, including one in the end zone. Another drop could have been a score. He was also horse-collared down just short of the goal line in the second half. Smith's hamstring didn't appear to be the problem.

Charlie Frye (26-43-173-0-2) continues to force passes and refuses to play within himself. However, he didn't get much help from Dennis Northcutt (1-11), who had a drop that fell into the arms of a Panthers defender and was taken to the house for Carolina's first score.

Reuben Droughns (18-65, 3-3) reverted back to his mediocre self. He's slow and doesn't break many tackles. Droughns tallied a season-long 22-yard run in the second quarter thanks to good blocking. Promising rookie Jerome Harrison's (3-14, 4-10) role needs to increase.

Panthers CB Ken Lucas, re-installed into the starting lineup Sunday, did excellent work on Braylon Edwards (3-27), who had his least productive fantasy outing since Week 1.

Kellen Winslow (8-55) is back in the Browns' third-down offense.

Going Forward

Though his receivers are elite, Jake Delhomme (20-29-170-1) can't be considered a top-tier QB1 because John Fox is a notoriously run-first head coach. Delhomme is a fine fantasy backup, but he shouldn't be the only QB on your roster.

Foster's fantasy value will see a nice upswing if Williams is out for an extended period. Neither Nick Goings (1-3) nor Eric Shelton (inactive) is a real threat to steal Foster's carries.

Joe Jurevicius (3-28) has a good chance to supplant Northcutt in the starting lineup. Jurevicius will be worth claiming in fantasy leagues if he gets the nod.


Vikings 26, Lions 17
Game Recap by Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

Trailing 17-3 heading into the final quarter after failing to get anything going offensively, the Vikings scored a pair of defensive touchdowns via Jon Kitna turnovers on the way to 23 unanswered fourth-quarter points. After Minnesota took a 19-17 lead on field goal with three minutes to play, Detroit made it near midfield on their comeback drive before Kitna hurled a desperation throw into the hands of linebacker E.J. Henderson, who ran it back 45 yards to break the game wide open.

Beyond the Box Score

After coming down with a seven-yard catch on a short slant pass early in the first quarter, Roy Williams took a forearm to the back of the neck from Darren Sharper and lay motionless for a few seconds. He eventually made his way off the field under his own power and smiling on the way to the sidelines, but was quickly carted to the locker room and did not return. The injury is officially being called a neck stinger and if that's the full extent it's somewhat surprising that Williams didn't return.

In Williams' absence, Mike Martz turned back the clock and featured Az-Zahir Hakim prominently. Hakim caught eight passes for 92 yards, most of them on short throws and receiver screens. The injury also gave Mike Williams a chance to see his first extended action of the year. Williams, who shockingly saw the field during Detroit's first possession, fittingly dropped the only pass thrown his way in the third quarter.

This has little to do with fantasy football, but it warrants mentioning. After Williams left following the stinger, he took his pads and uniform off on the sidelines so the trainers could work on him. As Williams sat shirtless on the bench, FOX color commentator Tim Ryan told the audience that it resembled play-by-play man Sam Rosen sitting poolside at the hotel. To which Rosen, who is the physical opposite of Williams in nearly every possible way, quickly replied: "It's been a while since I looked like that."

Going Forward

The Lions inexplicably abandoned the running game despite jumping out to an early lead. Kevin Jones couldn't get anything going against the Vikings' defensive line, but had a total of eight carries prior to back-to-back runs in the middle of the fourth quarter. Detroit's odd play-calling can be summed up by Kitna throwing 42 passes despite going into the fourth quarter with a 17-3 lead. Jones caught four passes for 42 yards as he usually does, but much like Steven Jackson last season his fantasy potential appears limited under the pass-happy Martz. He also left late in the fourth quarter with a concussion, putting his status for next week in doubt.

After getting just 10 carries in Week 4, Chester Taylor resumed workhorse duties with 26 carries for 123 yards. He failed to reach the end zone, but the Vikings did go to Taylor on three straight runs at the goal line in the fourth quarter. Taylor ran better than he has all year, catching five passes for 31 yards, and would have come close to 200 total yards if not for being tripped up by his own offensive linemen on a couple plays. He remains perhaps the most underrated fantasy back in the league.


Saints 24, Bucs 21
Recap by: Gregg Rosenthal

The Big Story

Bruce Gradkowski impressed in his first NFL start and Cadillac Williams finally kick-started his season. But Deuce McAllister's rushing and Reggie Bush's receiving and late punt return TD was the difference in another Saints victory.

Beyond The Box Score

Gradkowski (20/31-225-2-0, 6-19-0) looked like a veteran. Sure there was a lost fumble and one near interception, but there were also great touch passes and good decision-making. His deep ball floated a bit, but he still found Joey Galloway (4-110-1) deep for a 52-yard game. Gradkowski's day offers the rest of the Bucs possible fantasy salvation this season.

Carnell Williams owners have to be encouraged with his 125 total yard performance. His cut-back ability and explosiveness were present from snap one. His wiggle was back. He's a natural on artificial turf and his back problems looked absent for now. Mike Alstott vultured a touchdown, but Williams had a chance on the goal-line that he couldn't cash in. TE Alex Smith (4-16-1) got the score.

Reggie Bush (9-23-0, 11-63-0) is on pace for 115 catches! His bizarre season continues to be effective enough for points-per-reception leaguers. Perhaps his punt return score will help him play looser. The broadcast crew, which included Bush's cousin JC Pearson, said Bush has been struggling with an Achilles injury this season that is starting to fade.

No matter how well Bush plays, the Saints will keep Deuce McAllister (15-123-1) involved. He abused a porous Bucs rush defense with jukes on a pair of long first half runs. I still don't trust Deuce every week and he lacks his old long speed, but he's clearly still effective post-ACL surgery.

Marques Colston (3-38-0) dropped a pass, and wasn't seen much against the Tampa two. The Saints were more effective running the football.

Joey Galloway's yardage totals this season: 0, 161, 8, 110. Perhaps Gradkowski can help make his season steadier.

There was a Maurice Stovall sighting! The third-round pick dropped a pass, then had a touchdown nullified by penalty.

Going Forward

I am a Michael Clayton (34 total yards) apologist, but there has been no sign of his 2004 form. I still wouldn't drop him. Gradkowski offers life for the Tampa offense. Just don't play Clayton anymore in most leagues.

Gradkowski is an intriguing QB2 if you own Damon Huard, Steve McNair, J.P. Losman, etc. Jon Gruden's history with quarterbacks speaks for itself and the Toledo rookie made a good a Saints defense look ordinary.

Joe Horn's steady but unspectacular play makes him a situational option until further notice.

Tampa's rush defense is no longer a tough matchup. They can't tackle.

Giants 19, Redskins 3
Game Recap By: Evan Silva

The Big Story

The Giants manhandled Washington in what was mostly a battle of field goals and time of possession. Tiki Barber (23-123, 3-16) and Brandon Jacobs (9-26, 2-15) were successfully used to control the clock in both halves. Eli Manning (23-33-256-1) found Plaxico Burress (7-69-1) on the right side of the end zone to put the game out of reach for a struggling Redskins offense in the third quarter.

Beyond the Box Score

Faced with constant pressure, Mark Brunell (12-22-109) failed to exploit a weak Giants secondary. Washington was unable to sustain long drives. The 'Skins still can't throw it deep. Only five Redskins caught passes and three had two grabs or less.

Manning avoided turnovers and drove the Giants into Redskins territory on each of New York's first six possessions. He didn't torch a Washington secondary that currently starts slow corner Kenny Wright with monster numbers, but Manning connected on big plays that took the life out of the Redskins' defense.

Though he no longer appears on the weekly injury report, Clinton Portis (19-76) is still having trouble with his shoulder. He was on the sidelines being tended to by trainers during the third quarter. Portis was pretty much a non-factor in the game.

Jeremy Shockey (1-13) is also dealing with foot and ankle injuries. He had a Week 4 bye to recuperate but, according to the AP, left late in Sunday's game with an undisclosed foot injury.

The Redskins have added specific plays to get Chris Cooley (4-41) more involved. He was on the line blocking quite a bit but still had a decent fantasy day. But it's clear Washington wants Cooley to play a big role in the passing game and his numbers are improving each week.

Going Forward

Shockey and Portis' injuries are things to constantly monitor if you own them in fantasy leagues. Burress' back appears to be fine.

Jason Campbell is unlikely to supplant him in the near future, but Brunell is a poor fantasy quarterback because he's inconsistent and he doesn't go deep.

Brandon Lloyd (0-0) is not worth owning in fantasy leagues. Antwaan Randle El (2-10) is a better option but he's a slot receiver with limited upside.