Atlanta: Matt Ryan and company will have their work cut out for them. Most of the focus during their bye week was on the lack of a running game. They need to concentrate on it because they are averaging only 92.3 yards a game (25th in the NFL). RB Michael Turner accounts for 75.3 of those yards, but the rush doesn’t appear to be as feared as it was last year. QB Matt Ryan has a lofty QB rating of 100.4, but the passing game only ranks 20th. Add to it that the Falcons have a TOP of 27:32, and you know the defense is on the field too much. The 49ers have one of the leagues best defenses and Atlanta must find that running game to pull out a road win. So how have the Falcons been winning? That defense. They are maintaining a “bend, but don’t break” strategy. They are 30th in overall defense, but rank 8th in scoring defense. That puts a lot of pressure on the D, but the unit has performed well so far. This week is a major test for Atlanta.
San Francisco: WR Michael Crabtree is finally in the fold, but it will be at least two weeks before he sees any type of playing time. RB Frank Gore is out yet again, but Glen Coffee did manage 74 yards on 24 carries last week. This offense will not blow you away, but QB Shaun Hill has not given games away. He has thrown only 1 INT in the first four games. The downside is that he’s been sacked 13 times. Solidify the O line, and Hill can dink and dunk you until your head spins. But the calling card of the 49ers is the defense. LB Patrick Willis has emerged as a star on the league’s 6th-ranked defense 284 yards a game). Look at these numbers: 2nd in points allowed (13.2), 10th in passing yards allowed (210.2), and 4th in rushing yards allowed (73.8). If there’s a team that has the identity of their head coach, it’s San Francisco.
Jacksonville: Last week, QB David Garrard and WR Mike Sims-Walker torched the Titans defense through the air. Now, he gets the Seahawks. Seattle was battered by Peyton Manning and the Colts, so Garrard has to be antsy to get this one going. One problem the Jags offense will face is the Seahawks infamous 12th man, the crowd. The crowd at Quest Field can turn a game in an instant with its noise. One way to beat that is a potent rush. The Jags are 8th in rushing, and they matchup well against the Seahawks D (21st). What should concern Jaguar fans is that they are dead last against the pass. Also, figure in that Seahawks QB Matthew Hasselbeck may be back this week. If Jacksonville is to win this game, the pass rush must show up (only 3 sacks) or the Seahawks could provide fireworks through the air. Regardless of the outcome, at least Jacksonville fans will get to watch the game on TV.
Seattle: It would be so easy to say that the Seahawks should be at least 2-2. If not for a 4th quarter comeback at the hands of Bears QB Jay Cutler, they would. If QB Matthew Hasselbeck plays (ribs – limited in practice), it couldn’t come at a better time. The Jags defense is dead last in defending the pass. QB Seneca Wallace has performed decently for the injured Hasselbeck, and he will go if the rib of Hasselbeck doesn’t cooperate. If the Seahawks are to win this week, it will be because the defense. The matchup of Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew against the 21st rated run defense will be the key. If Seattle stops the run, the 12th man gets involved and can make it hard on Jags QB David Garrard. Seattle need a win in the worst way. According to the Seahawks website, there’s a major sense of urgency. There should be.
Houston: Look at the defense first. The Texans catch a break since the Cards can’t run the ball and Houston is 29th against the rush. Getting pressure on Cards QB Kurt Warner is paramount. When Warner faces pressure, he’s prone to turnovers. Saying that, the Texans have only 5 sacks. Defensive coordinator Frank Bush, Jr. was with the Cards from ‘04-‘06, so he knows a bit about this offense despite the departure of Todd Haley. RB Steve Slaton appears to be coming out of his early season funk. Over the last two games, he’s gained almost 200 yards of total offense and 2 TD. It’s his 3.3 yards a carry that gets you. That might be tough sledding as the Cards are 6th against the rush. No problem by putting it on the passing of QB Matt Schaub & Co.
Arizona: Last year’s Super Bowl runner-up has stumbled a bit. They drafted RB Beanie Wells to help with the running game and it’s still 30th in the NFL. Too bad because the Texans are inept against the run (32nd, worst). It good be a good week to try bang the Texans with a lot of RBs Tim Hightower and Wells, provided they can hold on to the ball. If that fails, then QB Kurt Warner will shoulder the offense. He’s had to do it since he took over last year. But turnovers can be a problem for the future Hall of Famer, too. He’s thrown 4 INT and the Cards as a team are –2 in turnover ratio. But the defense hasn’t exactly held up its end of the bargain either, at least against the pass. You can’t run on them, but they can be ripped through the air. Whoever stops the stops the pass, wins.
New England: The Pats are coming off an impressive victory over the Baltimore Ravens who were previously unbeaten. Time for another in the Denver Broncos, but this game has a serious and intriguing backdrop…the coaches. Bill Belichick will “visit” former offensive coordinator and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. Enough of that. The Pats suffered a serious blow to their new found running game with the ankle injury and subsequent surgery to RB Fred Taylor. So, you just activate RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and all should be OK. And what about all those starters that are gone from last year’s defense? New England is doing OK there, too. What’s the difference in this game? Not the names. It will be whoever adjusts to the weather. There’s talk of snow and cold. The Patriots might have the edge even though the game’s in Denver. The Broncos’ roster is vastly different from last year and the Pats have made less changes.
Denver: A win against the Patriots would not only keep the Broncos undefeated, it would be the highest accomplishment in Josh McDaniels’ young career as a head coach. QB Kyle Orton has yet to throw a INT and has been everything McDaniels could ask for from his QB. RB Correll Buckhalter didn’t practice this week due to a bum ankle, and he will not play. Rookie RB Knowshon Moreno will get the bulk of the snaps. But don’t lose sight of RB Peyton Hillis. We’ve heard of the tremendous coaching job by defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Without question, hiring Nolan was the best move made by the Broncos organization during the offseason. The guys are buying into the changes and it shows. They rank in the top 5 in points allowed (1st), total yards allowed (2nd), passing yards allowed (3rd), and rushing yards allowed (5th). New England may be in for a long, cold afternoon in Denver.
Sunday Night
Indianapolis: Peyton Manning is the NFL’s MVP. That’s not a stretch, I know. He’s 1st in passing yards a game, 2nd in completion percentage, and tied with Saints QB Drew Brees for TD passes. Here’s the bad news. The Colts rank 29th in running the ball with less than 100 yards a game (84 to be exact). This week’s game is a tricky proposition for Indy. They have a bye next week and are going to play a winless divisional foe in the Titans. That should be okay as the Titans can’t defend the pass. As far as the defense is concerned, it’s the same story, they’re weak against the run. And look on the other side of the ball and you have the league’s leading rusher in Titans RB Chris Johnson. There’s the matchup to watch. If Indy can slow Johnson down, the Colts win.
Tennessee: Where do you start? RB Chris Johnson leads the NFL in rushing. Unfortunately for Titans fans, that’s about all for the good news. A turnover ratio of –5 spells doom for any team, especially only four games into the season. QB Kerry Collins can account for 6 INT. That’s a stat that head coach Jeff Fisher cannot live with. The rush needs to get on its usual run, and Collins cannot throw a single pick for Tennessee to have a chance. Then, there’s that Manning guy. Sometimes it seems if you pressure him, he just gets better. If you don’t pressure him, he’ll pick you apart. Saturday night will be a restless one for the Titans defensive minds.
Monday Night
Jets: New York suffered its first loss of the season last week at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. QB Mark Sanchez did not look good as he fumbled in the end zone for a Saints TD and had a INT ran back for another Saints score. This roadblock for Sanchez is a little different. Now, he has a divisional foe to worry about. And it’s an away game. By the way, the Jets now have WR Braylon Edwards. This should help the 27th ranked passing offense. Edwards should get more looks as the Jets have a much better O line to protect the QB. But the Jets will set up the pass with the run and RBs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington should carry the offensive burden. Here’s the matchup to watch: The Dolphins RBs against the Jets rushing defense. The Jets allow a little over 100 yards a game and the Dolphins are the best in the league.
Miami: The Dolphins ran all over the Bills last week to the tune of 250 yards. If the Jets D has a weakness, it’s defending the run. But that’s how the Dolphins operate. The loss of QB Chad Pennington has put the offense in Chad Henne’s hands. This game will be a tough contest for Henne. The Jets will bring pressure and Henne was sacked 6 times against Buffalo. If Miami cannot run and are constantly in passing situations, Henne may get a good view of the Miami night sky. From a defensive standpoint, Miami does not let you run. Just like with the Jets and Henne, the Dolphins will look to pressure the opposing QB (Sanchez). It could be a game of whoever can run and get the most sacks that wins this one. Don’t count the Dolphins out of this game.
·Bye: Chicago, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Diego. Check your fantasy rosters for players from these teams and make the necessary adjustments.
All stats for this post were taken from nfl.com.
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