NFL Network's Jeff Darlington confirms that Daniel Thomas' hamstring injury is an aggravation of the ailment that kept him out of Week 1.
Darlington, who covered the Dolphins for the Miami Herald before joining NFL Net, also confirms that Thomas is out for Week 4 despite a "questionable" listing on the injury report. Thomas' recent flare-up is cause for concern, and threatens to cost him multiple games considering the setback-prone nature of hamstring injuries in general. Pick Reggie Bush back up if he was dropped.
Packers safety Nick Collins is facing a lengthy recovery after having cervical fusion surgery on Thursday following a Week Two neck injury.
Collins’s agent, Alan Herman, told Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel that it won’t be until some time next year that Collins has an idea whether he’ll be able to resume his NFL career.
“He felt good about everything,” Herman said. “He felt it went well. The point that was made was the you don’t know until six months down the road. You see how the healing process goes. You can’t gauge what will happen, whether there will be any narrowing with the [spinal] canal or remaining tissue. That will be the determining factor as far as his career. It’s all based on the healing process.”
Collins is not in pain and can perform the normal function of daily life, and he might not have needed the surgery at all if he were just an average joe and not a football player. But Collins wanted the surgery because it gave him his best chance to return to the field. He still has a long way to go before he’ll know whether that’s a realistic possibility.
The Jaguars got an extension to avoid a blackout of Sunday’s game against the Saints and it worked out for them.
The team announced Friday that they have sold enough non-premium tickets to avoid a blackout. The team also avoided a blackout for their Week One home game against the Titans. As in that case, there are tickets remaining for the game and sales will continue through Sunday, but the Jaguars game will be seen on local television. There were 1,805 tickets available as of Thursday afternoon, but it is not known if the team stepped in to buy up the remaining seats in order to ensure the game wasn’t blacked out.
Sunday’s game will be Blaine Gabbert’s home debut as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said that he’s planning onthrowing a little bit of everything at the rookie on Sunday afternoon. If that proves to be a successful strategy, there might be some in the Jacksonville area who wish that the game wasn’t available.
This week Lions quarterback Matthew Staffordscoffed at Carter, and today Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham got into the mix.
Cunningham wasn’t even asked about Carter directly, he was simply asked about how Johnson’s presence on the practice field has helped the Lions’ cornerbacks. But Cunningham decided to take a swipe at Carter anyway.
“Whoever said he said he’s not one of the top four receivers, that has got to be the dumbest statement I’ve ever heard,” Cunningham said. “I believe I know who said it, and I’ve been on the practice field with that young man. Cris Carter is a helluva player, but hey, let’s give credit where credit is due. Calvin Johnson, my gosh.”
Carter’s comments seem to have become something of a rallying point inside the Lions’ locker room, even though Johnson himself shrugged it off, choosing instead to prove Carter wrong with the quality of his play.
If you're looking for some help when deciding who to throw in at quarterback this week, look no further. Keep these guys in mind when you're submitting your lineup so you know who will surely put up big numbers in Week 4, and who will struggle.
Best matchups:
Phillip Rivers- This one is a no brainer. Rivers should probably be in your lineup every week, but he has a particularly nice matchup in Week 4. The Chargers get a home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, a team that ranks 30th in the league in pass defense. They have allowed a league high eight passing touchdowns and have only picked off two passes in three games. If you have Rivers, congratulations, and have fun watching your score skyrocket.
Aaron Rodgers- Another quarterback with an easy home matchup, Rodgers should have a field day at Lambeau this weekend. He'll take on the 13th ranked pass defense for the Denver Broncos, but don't let that surprisingly high ranking fool you. This is the same defense that made Andy Dalton and Matt Hasselbeck looks like gods. And if they made those two look like gods, then Rodgers will be Zeus himself this weekend, hopefully you know your mythology. The Broncos have also not intercepted any passes this season, another fact that bodes well for Rodgers.
Jay Cutler- If Cutler had an offensive line that was capable of fulfilling the purpose they were intended for, he might have some impressive stats each week. Fortunately for Cutler, and you if he's on your team, Week 4 should be solid. The Bears take on the Carolina Panthers, whose defense ranks 23rd in sacks and 19th in pass yards allowed per game. Cutler shouldn't have any moving the ball at home.
Worst matchups:
Colt McCoy- McCoy faces the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and he probably isn't looking forward to it. The Titans have the No. 2 pass defense in 2011, and they have made more interceptions than touchdowns allowed. Please, for your sake, sit McCoy for Week 4.
Joe Flacco- Even though he's coming off a spectacular game against St. Louis, don't expect Flacco to perform as well this week. He and the Baltimore Ravens will face off against the sixth ranked pass defense in the New York Jets. Think back to Week 2 when Flacco had an abysmal showing against the Titans, we might see more of that against the Jets. New York has allowed just two passing touchdowns so far. You can do better than Flacco this week.
Mark Sanchez- Here's Flacco's counterpart this week. Sanchez will face a defense that has five interceptions and nine sacks in the first three weeks. The Ravens have only allowed three passing touchdowns. They faltered in Week 2 against Matt Hasselbeck, but looked terrific in their other two games. Baltimore is allowing just 84 rushing yards to opponents, and the Jets ranks 25th in the run game. The Ravens know Sanchez will have to throw the ball, and I wouldn't be too excited about that if he was on my roster.
New York Giants - Eli Manning and Mario Manningham - Eli never get's much good press, but he is playing great right now with a 104.3 passer rating after 3 games. Now he should have both Nicks and Manningham this weekend as he gets to face off against one of the NFL's weakest pass defenses. Nicks will play but he is still not 100%, so expect Manningham to get more targets over the course of the game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - LeGarrette Blount -I haven't been overly impressed with Blount or the Bucs this year, but I think against a struggling Colts team, they can afford to ride the running game, even if it struggles early on. Now the Colts are no where near as bad as we all thought they were against the run, they actually are only allowing 3.3 yards per carry which is good enough for 8th, but because they have no offense teams just continue to pound the rock anyways. They are the only team that has faced over 100 rushing attempts thus far.I fully expect the Bucs to do the same.
Washington Redkins - Tim Hightower & Roy Helu - The Redskins have shown an excellent commitment to the run this year and that will continue as they face the NFL's worst run defense in St. Louis. The Rams are allowing an average of 174.3 yards per game on 32 carries. Both backs could see big time success this week, and if you have a RB3 or Flex slot open, Helu could still be a viable option.
San Francisco 49ers - Frank Gore - I know I dogged Gore earlier this week, but I think he has a legit chance to get something going this week. As long as the defense keeps this game close, the Niners should be able to stay committed to the run as they face an Eagles team that has a revolving door at lineback. The Eagles inability to stop the run has resulted in the 3rd worst rushing defense, allowing 4.9 yards per carry and 131.3 yards per game.
Minnesota Vikings - Percy Harvin - Percy gave us a brief reminder of how dangerous he is in limited time last week against the Lions. He only played roughly half the game, but this week it wasn't the coaching staff's fault. He got sick in the second half and couldn't finish the game. But on the 5 touches he got in the game, he produced 88 yards and was always a threat for the big play. This week I think they continue to find ways to get him involved early, and often as he is such an explosive player.Harvin is a good play as a WR3 or Flex option, and maybe WR2 if you are short or in a deep league.
Sit em
Houston Texans - Arian Foster & Ben Tate - I might get some heat for this pick, especially after I predicted the Texans to win. But here is the deal, the Texans are one of the few true run first teams. They use their zone running game to setup their passing game. I think they will have a good day, but I think their running backs are going to share the load against the Steelers. No matter how good or bad the Black and Gold are playing, they are physical, and the Texans will not want to beat up one guy too much. I think you could easily see the Texans run for over a hundred yards, but it will be split up. Of course you may not be able to afford to sit either of these guys, but don't expect RB1 production. I would be surprised if either gets more than 10-12 points.
Tennessee Titans - Nate Washington - I like the buzz surrounding Nate Washington lately, but I think that his matchup this week against Joe Haden is one you are going to want to skip. Hayden has been making significant strides already in just his second year, and is proving to be worth a first round pick. Nate will have better weeks in the future.
Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton -I like what the young stud has been doing, even in last weeks ugly game against the Jags. But this week is a whole new ball game against the Bears. This is a defense full of veterans and most of them are still playing at a very high level. I expect Lance Briggs, Urlacher and Peppers to cause this team fits. The Panthers have not been able to run the ball and this will allow Henry Melton and Peppers to pin their ears back and hunt Newton. Cam will turn the ball over at least 2 times against this savy defense.
“Without having (offseason practices), we’ve got to somewhat expect a slow start. Now we’re just putting the pieces together, and that’s going to help us win this game. We’re just waiting for Sunday to come,” Bowe said via the Kansas City Star.
Um Dwayne? No team had offseason practices. But only one team is last in points scored and “first” in points allowed.
“I’m not saying it’s a big factor, but timing is key. Not having that, you can kind of expect a slow start,” Bowe said.
We don’t think Bowe is referring to coach Todd Haley’s early low-key approach to training camp. This seems more like a case of futilely trying to explain the unexplainable: How did the Chiefs get so bad, so fast?
The group of fans that were trying to put up a Tim Tebow billboard in Denver earlier this month never got their act together.
The employees for Multiline International Imports have decided to pick up the slack. They put up a couple of images on their electronic billboard Thursday asking for Broncos coach John Fox to replace Kyle Orton with Tim Tebow.
One of the billboard images has Tebow pointing toward the sky in uniform. The company clearly didn’t get NFL permission to use the image, so we’re guessing they will kill that portion of the billboard before long.
“Broncos Fans to John Fox: Play Tebow!” the Billboard said.
“We have the best fans in the NFL,” said team spokesman Patrick Smyth. “This is another example of their unrivaled passion and enthusiasm for the Broncos.”
We will be accepting and answering any fantasy football questions this weekend before the start of the games, so feel free to get your questions in to us and we will respond in time for you to set your lineups on gameday!
When the Colts signed Kerry Collins roughly two weeks before Week One, veteran wideout Reggie Waynedidn’t react well. At least one Indianapolis-based columnist gave Wayne cover, claiming that Reggie was simply trying to give Peyton Manning extra motivation to will that pesky nerve to regenerate.
On Thursday, Wayne made his feelings clear. Appearing on Michael Irvin’s radio show on WQAM in Miami, Wayne explained that he believed the team should have relied on the guy who already was on the roster.
“It took me two years to learn this offense,” Wayne said. “Now, you mean to tell me you’re gonna bring in somebody and he’s gonna learn it in 18 days? That just didn’t sit right. That just didn’t sit right with me. And I know we had Curtis Painter who’d been here for three years. You just gotta give him a shot. We gotta give him a chance.”
Wayne said that the move conjured memories of his second year with the Colts, when the team brought in Qadry Ismail without giving Wayne a chance to show what he had learned and how hard he had worked to show that he can play.
“I may get a lot of flak about this, but that’s all the way different from what our whole motto is. Our whole motto’s always been ‘the next man up.’ And then we went and got somebody else. I’m like, ‘Well, that’s not how we roll, really.’”
Wayne’s comments come at a time when it appears likely that “the next man up” approach will give Wayne exactly what he wants for Painter. Though the team won’t use the “c” word, Collins apparently has a concussion. And Painter apparently will play on Monday night at Tampa.
Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry, the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, recently hinted that he’s on the trading block.
Per a league source, Curry is right.
The source says that the Seahawks are talking to at least three teams regarding a possible trade. The names of the teams to whom the Seahawks are talking are not yet known.
One impediment to a deal will be Curry’s contract. Though he recently gave up $5 million in guaranteed money next year in exchange for the ability to become a free agent after 2012, his $5 million base salary in 2011 could be viewed as too much to inherit.
For 2011, the trading period ends on Tuesday, October 18.
