Fantasy Football News (10/12/06)

[Hache Man]

LJ and Priest, Together Again?
Coach Herm Edwards said earlier this week that Larry Johnson was merely sore after his seemingly serious neck injury Sunday and was expected to play in Week 6, and sure enough Johnson is officially listed as probable on the injury report. His backup, Michael Bennett, is listed as doubtful with ongoing knee problems, meaning Dee Brown will take over should Johnson's neck act up again.

Brown struggled to simply hold onto the football after replacing Johnson at the goal line late in last week's win over Arizona, so his taking over might be an adventure. Meanwhile, the man Johnson used to back up, Priest Holmes, made a little news of his own. General manager Carl Peterson told reporters Tuesday that he speaks regularly to Holmes and feels a return to the team is still possible.

When asked about a potential Holmes return, Edwards came up with an interesting quote: "I haven't been around Priest a whole lot. They say he's like Casper the Friendly Ghost, hardly ever find him, ever see him. That's just his way." Casper is eligible to come off the PUP list next week, but has yet to practice since his season-ending spinal-cord injury and would have to be cleared medically before that's even possible.

While pondering if there's a less likely comparison than Priest Holmes and Casper the Friendly Ghost, here are some other notes from around football …

* Daunte Culpepper has been ruled out for at least the next two weeks and coach Nick Saban indicated at a press conference Wednesday that Culpepper may not play again this season. However, Saban salvaged some of Culpepper's rapidly declining keeper-league value by telling reporters that he'll regain the starting job once full healthy. Of course, "once fully healthy" could mean "never."

In an unexpected twist, Culpepper publicly thanked Saban for benching him, saying that "in this situation he's really protecting me." Either Culpepper has decided to put on a good public face or his shoulder and knee problems are worse than he let on last week. He reportedly clashed with Saban at practice Friday over being benched in favor of Joey Harrington, so this situation still has the potential to get ugly in a hurry.

* This probably falls under the heading of adding insult to injury at this point, but the St. Petersburg Times reported Wednesday that Chris Simms turned down a five-year contract extension this offseason that included $10 million in guaranteed money. Simms apparently hoped to play well on a one-year deal and then hit the open market with an increased demand following his first full season as a starter.

Simms' splenectomy obviously ruined those plans, but even if healthy he may have a difficult time finding teams interested in him as a starter. Simms played horribly before suffering what may end up being a season-ending injury and the one coach who seemed to believe in him over the long haul, Jon Gruden, now has a new young quarterback project to work with in rookie Bruce Gradkowski.

Gradkowski played well in his first start and will have a multi-week shot at staking claim to the "quarterback of the future" tag. If he can put together a few more good performances in a row, he'll have jumped ahead of Simms on the team's depth chart, both long and short term, and regardless of Simms' health status. The lesson? When someone offers you $10 million for something, taking it is never a bad move.

Two-Minute Drill: Terrell Owens has predictably begun openly complaining about his lack of catches, but the fact is that only Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison have been targeted more often per game … Kurt Warner said Wednesday that he'll give thought to retiring following the season rather than continue as a backup … Chris Brown has fallen completely out of favor in Tennessee, leaving the carries to be split between Travis Henry and Lendale White for the rest of the season … All but 14 of Chester Taylor's 123 yards last week came running behind the left side of the offensive line, which is something Minnesota's opponents will surely adjust for at some point … Coach Romeo Crennel indicated Wednesday that Reuben Droughns' struggles this season may be due to over-compensating for his shoulder injury.

Red Zone: Brian Westbrook practiced fully Wednesday for the first time since Week 2, indicating that his injured knee is finally starting to improve … Despite the Detroit News reporting Wednesday that he was "doubtful" for this week, Roy Williams (neck) is officially listed as probable on the injury report … Curtis Martin (knee) reportedly may return to practice soon, but remains unlikely to play this season … Jeremy Shockey (ankle) practiced Wednesday and is listed as probable to limp through Week 6 … Robert Ferguson (foot) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, making Koren Robinson the Packers' third receiver until his one-year suspension hits … Brandon Stokley (ankle) is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, but at least he had one good game between injuries … Steve McNair missed practice Wednesday because of a sore foot, making him an even worse fantasy play against Carolina this week … According to coach Art Shell, Aaron Brooks (shoulder) remains "a couple weeks away" from returning.

[Hache Man]

Week 6 Rankings

Running backs haven't been difference makers this season. This is what happens when Julius Jones and Tatum Bell are leading the league in rushing yards-per-game, with less than 100. Kevan Barlow is still tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (while averaging a Hambrick-like 2.6 yards-per-carry). Three of the yardage leaders (Warrick Dunn, Tiki Barber, and Tatum Bell) haven't scored at all.

The 2006 crop of running backs remind me of last year's quarterbacks. After the top couple, there are 15 players who are roughly the same. Most good fantasy teams have two. The fantasy league x-factors thus far have come at quarterback (Donovan McNabb, The Mannings, and Rex Grossman) and wideouts emerging from the oblivion (Marques Colston, Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings, Jerricho Cotchery, and Reggie Williams).

The close grouping at running back is partly why I think it's a good idea for Larry Johnson owners to test the trade waters heading into a tough part of his schedule. Something isn't right when the Cardinals and 49ers keep the angry man under three yards-per-carry. The Chiefs simply can't run block like they used to and Damon Huard isn't going to scare good defenses.

I don't want to repeat too much of what I said in my NBCSports.com Fantasy Take, but if you can get a quality second tier running back (Willie Parker, Julius Jones) and a top-ten receiver for Johnson, I'd make the move. Just don't hold a fire sale; he's still a top-five running back.

We handed out awards on Thursday's Fantasy Fix, so keep an eye out for an accompanying column that I'll post, along with my top-ten players at each position moving forward. Now on to the Week 6 rankings and game notes. For detailed stat projections for all these players, check out Season Pass.

Week 6 Quarterbacks

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	Donovan McNabb	at NO	-
2	Carson Palmer	at TB	-
3	Eli Manning	at ATL	-
4	Matt Hasselbeck	at STL	-
5	Michael Vick	vs. NYG	-
6	Rex Grossman	at ARZ	-
7	Drew Bledsoe	vs. HOU	-
8	Marc Bulger	vs. SEA	-
Tier 2
9	Jon Kitna	vs. BUF	-
10	Philip Rivers	at SF	-
11	Mark Brunell	vs. TEN	-
12	Chad Pennington	vs. MIA	Probable(calf)
13	David Carr	at DAL	-
14	Joey Harrington	at NYJ	-
15	Drew Brees	vs. PHI	-
16	J.P. Losman	at DET	-
17	Jake Plummer	vs. OAK	-
18	Bruce Gradkowski	vs. CIN	-
Tier 3
19	Ben Roethlisberger	vs. KC	-
20	Jake Delhomme	at BAL	-
21	Damon Huard	at PIT	-
22	Steve McNair	vs. CAR	-
23	Alex Smith	vs. SD	-
24	Matt Leinart	vs. CHI	-
25	Andrew Walter	at DEN	-
26	Vince Young	at WAS	-

QB Notes: Matt Leinart looked very composed against an improved Chiefs defense. After the first quarter, Kansas City's D-line harassed him and made him check down all day. I was worried that Leinart wouldn't go deep nearly as much as Kurt Warner, and that fear was partly realized. But Leinart did stretch the defense out with two long bombs, one that went for a score, and another that was dropped in the end zone. It looks like he'll throw deep enough to keep defenses honest and he's comfortable in the two minute drill. After a baptism this Monday night against Chicago, Leinart has top-15 quarterback upside as a rookie.

The Seattle passing attack has been quietly disappointing. I expect the system to bounce back after their bye. They will integrate Deion Branch and Jerramy Stevens into the offense. Look for a big effort against a Rams secondary that is banged-up. Hasselbeck is a good buy-low candidate. … Brett Favre left a lot of plays on the field against the Rams. He could have rushed for a score once and forced a pass instead. Favre still shows flashes of excellence, but he's inconsistent from drive-to-drive, like Drew Bledsoe.

Any interception-free streak like Marc Bulger's takes a lot of luck. Green Bay dropped two easy interceptions last week, one near the end zone that Bulger threw into Al Harris' chest. I own Bulger and am eager to see him against a better defense. His last four opponents: SF, AZ, DET, and GB. His completion percentage and yards-per-attempt is down sharply from his days of Mike Martz, so I'm not quite convinced he'll stick in the top-five fantasy quarterbacks. One good sign for Bulger: Scott Linehan loves throwing in the red zone. Bulger has attempted six more passes inside the ten than any quarterback in the league. The St. Louis offensive line has also kept Bulger's jersey clean more than in the past.

Bruce Gradkowski's confidence was contagious for the whole Bucs offense last week. They were celebrating like crazy after his first touchdown, a beautiful touch pass to Joey Galloway. I expected great things from Chris Simms, but the rookie was easily an upgrade in Week 5. He can put up workmanlike numbers against weak competition. The Bengals defense isn't playing that well.

Week 6 Running Backs

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	LaDainian Tomlinson	at SF	-
2	Clinton Portis	vs. TEN	-
3	Tiki Barber	at ATL	-
4	Julius Jones	vs. HOU	-
5	Rudi Johnson	at TB	-
6	Larry Johnson	at PIT	Probable(neck)
7	Carnell Williams	vs. CIN	-
8	Warrick Dunn	vs. NYG	-
9	Brian Westbrook	at NO	Questionable(knee)
10	Ronnie Brown	at NYJ	-
11	Tatum Bell	vs. OAK	-
12	Willis McGahee	at DET	-
13	Steven Jackson	vs. SEA	-
14	Willie Parker	vs. KC	-
15	Thomas Jones	at ARZ	-
Tier 2
16	Maurice Morris	at STL	-
17	Frank Gore	vs. SD	-
18	Kevin Jones	vs. BUF	-
19	Reggie Bush	vs. PHI	-
20	Edgerrin James	vs. CHI	-
21	DeShaun Foster	at BAL	-
22	Deuce McAllister	vs. PHI	-
23	LaMont Jordan	at DEN	-
Tier 3
24	Travis Henry	at WAS	-
25	Michael Turner	at SF	-
26	Marion Barber	vs. HOU	-
27	Jerious Norwood	vs. NYG	Questionable(shoulder)
28	Jamal Lewis	vs. CAR	-
29	Leon Washington	vs. MIA	Probable(hip)
30	Michael Pittman	vs. CIN	-
31	Brandon Jacobs	at ATL	-
32	LenDale White	at WAS	Questionable(stomach)
33	Ron Dayne	at DAL	-
34	Ladell Betts	vs. TEN	-
35	Kevan Barlow	vs. MIA	Probable(calf)
36	Musa Smith	vs. CAR	-
37	Cedric Benson	at ARZ	-
38	Samkon Gado	at DAL	-
Tier 4
39	Correll Buckhalter	at NO	-
40	Mike Bell	vs. OAK	-
41	Michael Robinson	vs. SD	-
42	Justin Fargas	at DEN	-
43	Najeh Davenport	vs. KC	-
44	Verron Haynes	vs. KC	-
45	Sammy Morris	at NYJ	-

RB Notes: Scott Linehan has a well-deserved reputation for throwing in the red zone, as I mentioned above. But Steven Jackson has had plenty of chances near the goal line too. Jackson has 11 rushing attempts inside the ten – only Frank Gore has more. The problem is Jackson has only converted one for a score. Other running backs struggling near the stripe: Willis McGahee (1-of-10), Fred Taylor (1-of-9), and Deshaun Foster (0-of-8). If you look at numbers inside the five-yard line, the same players struggle.

I don't understand why Jackson is struggling to score. He could play more physical, but he's a big back who is tied for the league lead in rushing. Perhaps his tendency to bounce it outside, which is money in the open field, doesn't work near the goal line. Looking back at the last two seasons, he's 10-for-35 scoring inside the ten. That's not great, but it shows his numbers should bounce back.


I went back to watch the last two Larry Johnson tapes. He is getting hit in the backfield so often that it's causing him to lose some patience when he does have holes. At his best, Johnson has exceptional vision. He doesn't appear to trust his blocks enough and is running like he's frustrated. He's working hard for limited yards. This happens when Willie Roaf, John Welbourne, and their replacements get injured. It's also affecting other parts of Johnson's game. He's fumbled twice in three weeks and dropped a wide open pass against Arizona. His blocking last Sunday almost got Damon Huard killed.

Once again, I'm not saying you should dump the guy. I believe he's the best running back (not best fantasy back) in the NFL and his ability to produce despite his surroundings is proof. I'm just not sure Johnson will separate from the rest of the top five-to-ten running backs. The next three weeks (@ Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks) will show how good he really is.

Travis Henry and LenDale White didn't make people miss against the Colts. They had Corey Simon-sized holes to run through and they ran over a couple tacklers. I think this was more about the Colts than it was Tennessee suddenly finding a running game. … Noah Herron also had big running lanes against the Rams. He didn't look good outside the tackles, but he showed great power while dragging Ryan Pickett a few yards on one tackle. Herron is a logical fit to steal goal-line carries from Ahman Green if Green ever stays healthy. The team will keep Vernand Morency involved, creating a messy situation. The big lanes against the Rams tell me two things: 1. Green Bay's zone blocking scheme is starting to work. 2. Maurice Morris is a good fantasy play this week.

Jamal Lewis is likely to continue losing carries to Rotoworld mascot Musa Smith and Mike Anderson. The Baltimore Sun guessed Lewis may only have one more week as the team's starter if he doesn't play well. … Frank Gore is tied for the league lead in rushing. He asked out near the goal line last week, and Michael Robinson got three cracks at a score. Robinson failed each time, which could mean more goal-line work for Gore in the future. … Carnell Williams' wiggle was back against New Orleans. Expect another huge effort against the soft Cincy rush defense, then look to sell high. Cadillac is great when healthy, but the Bucs have a brutal schedule and a rookie quarterback. … Deuce McAllister is another great sell-high player. His moves against Tampa were impressive, but he's still risky moving forward because of Reggie Bush and New Orleans' schedule, which gets much harder in the second half. He's a top-ten running back right now, so he should have great trade value.

Ronnie Brown may be letting a frustrating season get to him. For the first time all year, he didn't fight through tackles against New England. He lost a fumble and dropped a key pass. Coach Nick Saban called Brown out this week, and he should respond well. He's still a must-start against the Jets.

Week 6 Wide Receivers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	Andre Johnson	at DAL	-
2	Santana Moss	vs. TEN	-
3	Torry Holt	vs. SEA	-
4	Chad Johnson	at TB	-
5	Darrell Jackson	at STL	-
6	Terrell Owens	vs. HOU	-
7	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	at TB	-
8	Steve Smith	at BAL	-
9	Plaxico Burress	at ATL	-
10	Roy Williams	vs. BUF	Probable(neck)
11	Laveranues Coles	vs. MIA	Questionable(calf)
Tier 2
12	Terry Glenn	vs. HOU	-
13	Anquan Boldin	vs. CHI	-
14	Chris Chambers	at NYJ	-
15	Reggie Brown	at NO	-
16	Lee Evans	at DET	-
17	Bernard Berrian	at ARZ	-
18	Jerricho Cotchery	vs. MIA	-
19	Marques Colston	vs. PHI	-
20	Muhsin Muhammad	at ARZ	-
21	Amani Toomer	at ATL	-
22	Antonio Bryant	vs. SD	-
23	Javon Walker	vs. OAK	-
24	Joey Galloway	vs. CIN	-
25	Derrick Mason	vs. CAR	-
26	Isaac Bruce	vs. SEA	-
Tier 3
27	Hines Ward	vs. KC	-
28	Wes Welker	at NYJ	-
29	Keyshawn Johnson	at BAL	-
30	Randy Moss	at DEN	-
31	Mike Furrey	vs. BUF	-
32	Deion Branch	at STL	-
33	Joe Horn	vs. PHI	-
34	Eddie Kennison	at PIT	-
35	Eric Moulds	at DAL	-
36	Rod Smith	vs. OAK	-
37	Keenan McCardell	at SF	-
Tier 4
38	Mark Clayton	vs. CAR	-
39	Ronald Curry	at DEN	-
40	Eric Parker	at SF	-
41	Arnaz Battle	vs. SD	-
42	Michael Clayton	vs. CIN	-
43	Drew Bennett	at WAS	Questionable(ankle)
44	Bobby Engram	at STL	Questionable(flu)
45	Samie Parker	at PIT	-
46	Michael Jenkins	vs. NYG	-
47	Brandon Jones	at WAS	-
48	Ashley Lelie	vs. NYG	-
49	Greg Lewis	at NO	-
50	Nate Burleson	at STL	-

WR Notes: Donald Driver owners should be concerned. The Packers used him primarily in the slot with Koren Robinson and Greg Jennings on the outside in an effort to get him untracked. It didn't really work. Driver didn't get separation and Brett Favre threw to his other receivers more. Driver may have had fewer snaps this week, but it's hard to tell. On one telling play, Favre had a free play because of a Rams offsides penalty. Both Driver and Jennings went deep. Favre threw a jump ball to Jennings.


Samie Parker is available in most of my leagues. He has great talent and showed it off with a circus TD catch last week after getting pushed on the play. Parker doesn't make the easy catches, though, and has a tough schedule coming up. He's still someone to stash in deep leagues for later in the season. … Anquan Boldin's value is helped by Larry Fitzgerald's injury. It's a tough matchup, but I'd still play him Boldin Chicago, who likes playing top receivers straight up. Lee Evans had a nice game last week because Buffalo was forced to pass all day.

I forgot to mention Brandon Jones in Waiver Wired. I also lost my hard drive (water damage), my IPod (but found it), and locked myself out of my apartment about eight times recently. These things seem to happen more in football season. Anyhow, I went back to watch each of Jones' plays in his three-catch, 40-yard effort against the Colts. He led the team in both categories. Vince Young looked to him more than the rest of Tennessee's wideouts combined. Jones did a nice job getting open and I think he's worth a look in deep leagues. Young still looks pretty rough in the passing game though.

Reggie Brown doesn't have great hands, but Donovan McNabb would help him out by taking a little bit off his fastball on short routes. … Deion Branch is likely to start for the Seahawks. The reporters following the Seahawks say he is coming on strong in practice. Don't give up on him yet, Branch will improve as the season wears on. With Bobby Engram possibly out, Nate Burleson could play in the slot. … Terrell Owens complaining about not being involved in the offense is a joke. He has 14 more targets this season than Terry Glenn (Glenn has more catches). Owens is third in the NFL in targets-per-game behind Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison. Owens is quite possibly starting the decline phase of his career. He can be a good receiver, but he's not getting separation from defenders. Owens is a player who blames everyone else for his problems. The rest of his career will be ugly if he doesn't adjust to the fact he's no longer as explosive as before. Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe probably wish they had Keyshawn Johnson, who has quietly been a top-five fantasy wideout.

Week 6 Tight Ends

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	Antonio Gates	at SF	-
2	L.J. Smith	at NO	-
3	Chris Cooley	vs. TEN	-
4	Jason Witten	vs. HOU	-
5	Todd Heap	vs. CAR	Questionable(ankle)
6	Alge Crumpler	vs. NYG	-
7	Tony Gonzalez	at PIT	-
8	Heath Miller	vs. KC	-
9	Randy McMichael	at NYJ	Probable(ribs)
10	Jeremy Shockey	at ATL	Probable(ankle)
Tier 2
11	Alex Smith	vs. CIN	-
12	Desmond Clark	at ARZ	Probable(ankle)
13	Jerramy Stevens	at STL	-
14	Ben Troupe	at WAS	-
15	Eric Johnson	vs. SD	-
16	Bo Scaife	at WAS	-
17	Chris Baker	vs. MIA	-
18	Tony Scheffler	vs. OAK	-
19	Joe Klopfenstein	vs. SEA	-
20	Ernie Conwell	vs. PHI	-
21	Matt Schobel	at NO	-

Week 6 Kickers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	Jeff Wilkins	vs. SEA	-
2	Nate Kaeding	at SF	-
3	David Akers	at NO	-
4	Robbie Gould	at ARZ	-
5	Mike Vanderjagt	vs. HOU	-
6	John Carney	vs. PHI	-
7	Shayne Graham	at TB	-
8	Josh Brown	at STL	-
9	John Kasay	at BAL	-
10	Matt Stover	vs. CAR	-
11	Jason Elam	vs. OAK	-
12	Neil Rackers	vs. CHI	-
13	Sebastian Janikowski	at DEN	-
14	Olindo Mare	at NYJ	-
15	Jay Feely	at ATL	-
16	Jason Hanson	vs. BUF	-
17	Lawrence Tynes	at PIT	-
18	Jeff Reed	vs. KC	-
19	Joe Nedney	vs. SD	-
20	Morten Andersen	vs. NYG	-
21	Rian Lindell	at DET	-
22	Mike Nugent	vs. MIA	-
23	Rob Bironas	at WAS	-
24	Kris Brown	at DAL	-
25	Matt Bryant	vs. CIN	-
26	Michael Koenen	vs. NYG	-

Week 6 Team Defense

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Injury List
1	Bears Def/Spec Team	at ARZ	-
2	Chargers Def/Spec Team	at SF	-
3	Panthers Def/Spec Team	at BAL	-
4	Broncos Def/Spec Team	vs. OAK	-
5	Bengals Def/Spec Team	at TB	-
6	Ravens Def/Spec Team	vs. CAR	-
7	Cowboys Def/Spec Team	vs. HOU	-
8	Eagles Def/Spec Team	at NO	-
9	Steelers Def/Spec Team	vs. KC	-
10	Seahawks Def/Spec Team	at STL	-
11	Saints Def/Spec Team	vs. PHI	-
12	Bills Def/Spec Team	at DET	-
13	Chiefs Def/Spec Team	at PIT	-
14	Falcons Def/Spec Team	vs. NYG	-
15	Lions Def/Spec Team	vs. BUF	-
16	Redskins Def/Spec Team	vs. TEN	-
17	Dolphins Def/Spec Team	at NYJ	-
18	Giants Def/Spec Team	at ATL	-
19	Raiders Def/Spec Team	at DEN	-
20	Rams Def/Spec Team	vs. SEA	-
21	Jets Def/Spec Team	vs. MIA	-
22	Buccaneers Def/Spec Team	vs. CIN	-
23	Titans Def/Spec Team	at WAS	-
24	Cardinals Def/Spec Team	vs. CHI	-
25	Texans Def/Spec Team	at DAL	-
26	Fortyniners Def/Spec Team	vs. SD	-

[Hache Man]

Fitzgerald may miss four weeks
Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI)

The MRI done on his right hamstring revealed a grade 2 strain. In sports medicine circles, a grades two strain usually falls in the range of being out 2-6 weeks. Earlier in the week, the Cardinals placed a range between 2-5 weeks on his injury. One source in the Phoenix area believes it will be around four weeks. This means we aren't likely to see him back in the Arizona lineup before week nine. As this column is being prepared, the official NFL report has him listed as doubtful. This could mean two things.

First, after getting treatment for a couple of days, Fitzgerald has more mobility and flexibility in his hamstring and it's not as severe as first thought. On the other hand, the Cardinals maybe playing NFL injury report games and he's gone for a while no matter what the 'official' report says. Here's my opinion. When a player says he felt and heard a pop, combined with an MRI that shows a grade two strain, he'll miss at least two weeks, most likely, even more time than that. Here is the dilemma for Fitzgerald owners. Let's say he does miss three-four weeks. He won't be close to 100% healthy when he returns and that includes the remainder of the season, thus reducing his production when he does come back.

Daunte Culpepper (QB, MIA)

The Dolphins have elected to bench Culpepper and replace him with Joey Harrington for the time being. The reason? He lacks "explosive mobility" or simply put, he has lost some of his quickness that he uses to avoid the rush. Underneath this 'coachspeak' is a solid lesson for all of us. No matter what the reports say about player recovering from injuries; in this case a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), we all heal at different rates.

It's commendable he returned by the start of training camp but it gave us all a false sense of security. Clearly, his physical stamina has declined and that's why we've seen him struggle as the season has worn on. One veteran Dolphin observer indicates he looks slower now than he did six weeks ago and that makes sense if you subscribe to the declining leg strength and stamina theory. In the next few weeks, he's likely to focus on building up his leg strength and agility. Once he shows improved quickness, he'll be back in the starting lineup.

Marty Booker (WR, MIA)

Booker left Sunday's game against the Patriots with an injured left shoulder. Reportedly, he fell on the shoulder in the first half and didn't return. Speculation out of south Florida points to either a stinger (brachial plexus) similar to the one Bret Farve suffered recently (but more severe) or some sort of partial shoulder dislocation. He left the stadium on Sunday night with his left arm in a sling and in pain and this has led to speculation he wouldn't be back for a few weeks.

Brian Westbrook (RB, PHI)

In the unpredictable world of NFL injury information, we may be able to assume Westbrook's ailing right knee (articular cartilage damage) is improving after a report on Sunday evening. According to his head coach, Westbrook finished the game with very little swelling. If this fact holds true on Monday and Tuesday, then Westbrook owners can breathe a sigh of relief for this week. It indicates the extra rest he received before last week's game helped the knee heal a bit quicker. It doesn't mean he's out of the woods by any means but it is a positive development.

DeAngelo Williams (RB, CAR)

Williams has a sprained right ankle, how severe of a sprain is still up in the air. As with most sprains, it takes 48-72 hours after the initial injury before the medical staff can get a good handle on the injury. Head Coach John Fox hinted Williams would need some time to recovery based on the early examinations. Look for more details later in the week as the medical staff has more time to evaluate the injury. If it's a high ankle sprain, which is a notorious slow healer, it could linger the rest of the season.

Brandon Stokley (WR, IND)

It looks like Stokley will miss at least next week's game (Indy is on a bye this week) with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee. The good news is the PCL is of the least important of the four major ligaments in the knee. Players can rebound from this ailment quickly if the damage isn't extensive. Stokley added earlier in the week he had a similar injury a few years back and didn't miss any games, so there is hope he could play in week seven though the medical staff doubts it. The side benefit from this injury is it allows his high ankle sprain to heal a little more with the extra rest.

Jeremy Shockey (TE, NYG)

It seems like Shockey is always banged up and this week is no different. Shockey suffered an injured right foot/ankle in last Sunday's game. So far, X-rays were negative and the MRI didn't reveal any structural damage. This one has the medical staff stumped and they don't even know of its related to the foot injury he battled earlier in the season. He's questionable this week with the uncertainty regarding his foot at the moment.

Shaun Alexander (RB, SEA)

Alexander is making progress in recovering from a slight fracture in his left foot. The Seahawks believe he'll be ready to play in week seven, though how much remains in doubt. The next question will be how quickly can he return to form? We'll know more in a little more than a week.