My Vibes For This Week

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:40 am

You know what I love about playing fantasy football most of all? The incredible rush on Sundays. There's really nothing else like it in the fantasy sports industry. No other sport has that one day each week when so much is on the line, when so many moves need to be made just right and when so much is riding on every single play of the game.

It's intense.

You know what I hate most about playing fantasy football? The agony of seeing a player just miss out on a touchdown. There's nothing more catastrophic and more agonizing than coming oh-so-close to a large number of points only to miss out by just a yard or two. As an example, I pull this from my Main League in Week 4 - and yes this is the part of my Vibes for this week where I get to vent:

Kellen Winslow has a 48-yard catch and is brought down at the 2. Two more yards and that would have been 12 points in my league since we reward double points for TDs of 50 yards or more. In the Houston-Atlanta game, Ron Dayne is stopped at the 1 and fails to get in. Later in the same game, Matt Schaub scrambles from the 20 and seemingly has a touchdown only to have it overturned by replay and he's stopped at the 1. The kicker to that? If Schaub had gotten the TD he would've had 20 yards rushing which would have been one more bonus point in my league. So if three players had just gained four more yards I would've added another 25 points to my total.

Ain't this sport fun?

Now let's take a look back at Week 4 and a look ahead to Week 5. Among the things I noticed this week:

If Denver wants to be a legitimate playoff threat the Broncos need a healthy Javon Walker. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are not ready to carry an offense and without Walker, the team lacks its top playmaker. It's no coincidence, in my opinion, the Broncos are 2-0 in the games where Walker was heavily involved and 0-2 in the games he either missed or was taken out of the game plan.

Steve Smith misses Jake Delhomme BAD.

Speaking of which, check out this quote about Smith from Ronde Barber after the Carolina-Tampa Bay game: "He just wasn't getting his opportunities," Barber said. "They weren't giving him opportunities. I don't know the reasons for that. We had some things in to deal with Steve Smith today and to our benefit, we didn't have to use them." There's a good reason for that, Ronde: David Carr was the starting quarterback.

I'm gonna keep on the Smith thing because I have him in my two most important leagues and I'm a bit grumpy over his lack of production the past two weeks. Check out this comparison between Andre Johnson's production with and without David Carr to Smith's production with and without David Carr:

Andre Johnson's Ranking W/David Carr At QB
2003 - 23rd
2004 - 22nd
2005 - 47th
2006 - 16th

Andre Johnson's Ranking Without David Carr
2007 - 4th

Steve Smith's Ranking W/David Carr At QB
2007 - 52nd

Steve Smith's Ranking Without David Carr
2007 - 4th (though part of Week 3 involved Carr)

Notice a pattern there? I sure do and as a Smith owner, it isn't pretty.

Watching Brad Childress keep Adrian Peterson on the sidelines so much in Sunday's loss to the Packers had me wondering if he is trying to get himself fired. This has become one of those cases where a head coach's ego is getting in the way of giving his team its best chance to win. Is there really anyone who honestly believes the Vikings are better served by giving the ball to Peterson a total of three times in one half? He gift-wrapped that victory for Green Bay and as a Packer fan all I can say is THANKS.

The Packers are 4-0 without any semblance of a running game. As much as I'm thrilled to see the unbeaten start as a Packers fan I keep wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.

Philip Rivers is regressing.

Ricky Williams applied for reinstatement to the NFL on Monday. I think I have a better shot at bagging Jessica Biel than Ricky does of getting back on an NFL field in uniform this season.

Dwayne Bowe is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award. Peterson clearly deserves strong consideration but unlike All Day, Bowe isn't being held back by his head coach and unlike AD, Bowe's strong performance is helping to revitalize a football team that not too long ago looked dead in the water.

Speaking of the Chiefs, welcome back Larry Johnson. Oh, and thanks for making me and Greg feel stupid for benching you in WCOFF. Good thing your buddy Bowe more than made up for it.

Did anybody catch how upset John Madden was at Sinorice Moss' false start penalty Sunday night against the Eagles? It really brought out the head coach in him and he spent several seconds muttering under his breath while Al Michaels started calling the next play. I swear he wanted to cut Moss on the spot. It was great stuff.

Think the Eagles missed Brian Westbrook a little?

How many more weeks of WR2 production will Shaun McDonald need to put up before people start realizing he's not a fluke?

Conversely, I think Isaac Bruce is done. I had high hopes for him as a sleeper going into the season but that offense is in shambles. The only Ram I'd even consider starting right now would be Torry Holt and I'd only start him as a WR2. And I'd look long and hard at my other options first.

Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are pretty darn good. And Derek Anderson just might be better than a lot of people, myself included, thought.

Why do teams kick to Devin Hester? Seriously, why is this done? If I was a head coach, I'd be telling my special teams coach that if the ball is kicked anywhere near Hester you can start looking for another job on Monday. I'd rather see the Bears start on the 40 then give Hester a shot at a return.

Looks like the Cowboys have a new goal-line running back. OK, I'm kidding but as a Julius Jones fan it was nice to see him cash in from the 2 against the Rams.

Dallas Clark is a Top 5 TE and if you're not starting him, you're making a big mistake.

I'm not sure why it took them four games but the Jets finally got the ball to Leon Washington more. This needs to be a consistent trend. He's arguably their most explosive offensive player and going two straight games without him getting a single reception was absurd.

And finally, thanks in large part to the two plays I talked about earlier the Texans missed out on cashing in my Stone Cold Lock Pick of the Week. So at 2-2 I need to bounce back and get back on the winning ways. What game is going to help me do that? How about the Ravens only getting three points at San Francisco? The 49ers’ offense is pathetic and while Baltimore’s offense isn’t great it has enough talent to keep the lead at six points or more when it’s all said and done. So I’m taking the Ravens with the belief they’ll push me back over .500 for the year.

KOTRAX · Post by **KOTRAX** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:48 am

Philip Rivers is regressing.

THIS IS ONLY THING I DISAGREE WITH. PHILIP RIVERS IS AWFUL. HE WAS NEVER GREAT TO REGRESS FROM. HE WAS MASKED WITH THE GREAT SEASON OF L.T. AND GOT MORE RESPESCT THAN HE DESERVED. I HAD HIM IN A FEW LEAGUES LAST YEAR AND HE STUNK UP THE PLACE ESPECIALLY WHEN HE PLAYED IN HOME GAMES. ON THE ROAD HE WAS SERVICABLE BUT NOT GREAT. NOW THAT L.T IS HAVING A SUBPAR SEASON HE FLAWS ARE BEING EXPOSED. GREAT COLUMN T.K.

[ October 03, 2007, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: KOTRAX ]

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:25 am

I think Rivers is a good QB. I was very impressed with him last season. I also had him and liked what I saw nearly every week. I expected him to take another step forward but that hasn't happened. A big - and VERY under-rated - reason why in my opinion is the absence of Eric Parker. He isn't a great WR but he's a good one and he runs good routes and was very dependable to help move the chains. I always said he was an under-rated WR and it's clear to me the Chargers miss him badly. But Rivers still needs to make better decisions. He has the talent to do so in my opinion but I'm seeing him step back and not forward so far this season.

Raiders · Post by **Raiders** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:06 am

Steve Smith misses Jake Delhomme BAD.

Yep, know it well. IF, yes IF Delhomme does get hurt at the end of last year. I would have finished 6th or better in WCOFF last year.

S.Smith does nothing week 16 and with Delhomme puts up 30 points week 17. Oh well.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:08 am

I don't think there was a worse starting QB on the field last week than David Carr. Even Kelly Holcomb made better throws and he's awful.

Raiders · Post by **Raiders** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:09 am

Sorry Tom I missed this first time:

'Ricky Williams applied for reinstatement to the NFL on Monday. I think I have a better shot at bagging Jessica Biel than Ricky does of getting back on an NFL field in uniform this season.'

I thought you were more of a Brad Pitt fan.

Not that theres anything wrong with that.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:13 am

Originally posted by Raiders:

I thought you were more of a Brad Pitt fan.

Not that theres anything wrong with that.

Good actor, not my thing otherwise. Sorry.

TamuScarecrow · Post by **TamuScarecrow** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:57 am

Needed this column last week, Tom. Sat Dallas Clark for fear of neck injury and no practice all week and lose, sat JJ this week because Marion Barber won't get a season-ending knee injury and he scores. But I have to disagree with you on the one-day rush as it is a 2-day rush and come Thanksgiving becomes a 3-day rush.

RedRyder · Post by **RedRyder** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:26 am

You and Greg benched LJ?

In favor of who?