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CONTENTS
2 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
2008-09
PRO
PROSPECTS
PREVIEW
Look for it
on newsstands now
STEPPING UP 13
Trent Edwards is showing signs of becoming the franchise quarterback
the Bills thought he could be when they selected him in the third round
of the 2007 draft.
COVER STORY 14
Thanks to a fearsome fivesome of linebackers, the Steelers are evoking
memories of past defensive glory. We introduce you to the backers
who are revitalizing the Steelers defense.
NEXT NFLPA LEADER 16
We handicap the top candidates to succeed the late Gene Upshaw as
the NFL Players Associations executive director.
THE WAYWE SEE IT..................4
POWER RANKINGS ..................4
THE WAYWE HEAR IT ..............5
OPINION: Editorial, Letters,
Publishers Pen ..........................18
COLUMNISTS:
Jerry Magee, Barry Jackson,
Dan Arkushs A-bombs............19
FANTASY FOOTBALL:
The Buzz, Fantasy Doctor,
Fantasy statistics ..................20
HANDICAPPERS CORNER:
Staff selections,
Stephen Nover column ..........22
WEEK FOUR GAME PREVIEWS....24
WEEK THREE GAME COVERAGE ..29
TEAM STATISTICS..................30
TEAM RANKINGS ..................3 1
INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS....32
2009 NFL DRAFT NOTES ......33
AUDIBLES................................35
NFLIST: Which safeties
have the most range?..............35
ONLYAT PROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.COM
THE WAYWE HEAR IT There are many league observers who believe
the Chiefs should be a lot better than theyve performed, including
some higher-ups in the teams organization who might eventually con-
sider making changes at the top if the team continues to struggle.
MATCHUPS TO EXPLOIT OR AVOID Before setting your fantasy foot-
ball lineup, make sure to get Michael Blundas advice on which players
have the most favorable matchups and which have the most difficult for
the upcoming week. This feature is published every Wednesday.
HANDICAPPING COLUMN Every Thursday afternoon during the sea-
son, Mike Wilkening gives out his top four plays against the spread for
Sundays games and tells you his thought process for each pick.
Cover photos by Getty Images (Steelers) / Robert Watroba (Edwards)
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BLITZ
Andy Reid was hired based on a recommendation, and the undercurrent of trust has made the Eagles consistent winners.
POWER RANKINGS
Monday-night game results not factored in.
RANK THE SKINNY
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Dallas Cowboys Consider this a warn-
ing to those who chose to forget Miles Austin.
New York Giants Eli becoming synony-
mous with game-winning drives.
Philadelphia Eagles Westbrook injury
changed the offense completely.
Tennessee Titans Is this the best de-
fense in the NFL?
Denver Broncos Last two games: 790
passing yards allowed.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return game
really hurting field position.
Buffalo Bills That might not be the last
crazy, fortunate win they get this season.
Green Bay Packers Took their lumps
vs. Cowboys ground game.
San Diego Chargers Which injury
hurts most LT, Cromartie or Gates?
Indianapolis Colts Bright side: Strug-
gled to stop run in Super Bowl season, too.
Carolina Panthers Why did they stop
throwing to Steve Smith in second half?
New England Patriots Forget Matt
Cassel; the defense was miserably bad.
Arizona Cardinals Defense should
have better days.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Grieses 67
attempts Sunday more than many QBs in 08.
Minnesota Vikings Big-money guys
Allen, Berrian stepped up in win.
Washington Redskins Maybe this
West Coast thing can work in D.C. after all.
Jacksonville Jaguars Typical, ugly,
four-quarter win from Jack Del Rios boys.
New Orleans Saints Dont blame
Reggie Bush for this loss.
New York Jets Stuckey, Keller could be
players on the rise.
Baltimore Ravens They win games like
last seasons Bills. Or this seasons Bills, too.
Chicago Bears What to make of Kyle
Ortons career day?
San Francisco 49ers J.T. stands for
Just Touchdowns.
Seattle Seahawks Is Billy McMullen
really their best wideout?
Atlanta Falcons Mike Smith deserves
early Coach of the Year sentiment.
Miami Dolphins Bye week gives them
time to perfect Wing-T offense even more.
Houston Texans Sage Rosenfels told to
stay very loose.
Cleveland Browns Brady Quinn also
staying limber.
Oakland Raiders Al Davis plans to give
Lane Kiffin a timeout tutorial. Or just fire him.
Cincinnati Bengals Cant deny the ef-
fort against the Giants.
Detroit Lions On pace to allow 603
points. Record-worst for a season is 533.
Kansas City Chiefs Tyler Thigpen,
least valuable player.
St. Louis Rams Scott Linehan might
not make it to Columbus Day.
It was 1999, and Eagles owner Jeff Lurie needed a coach. The
man he wanted, close friend Mike Holmgren, already was com-
mitted to Seattle but convinced Lurie to take a leap of faith on his
little-known QB coach in Green Bay named Andy Reid. Lurie did,
never wavered on his commitment during the rough early years,
dismissed suggestions that he mandate Reid take a leave of ab-
sence to deal with his kids legal woes in 2007 and, for his loyal-
ty, has reaped the benefits of having such coaching stability.
When it comes to owner-coach relationships in the NFL today,
theres a serious dearth of pairings that have an unfiltered, mu-
tual trust. All too often, owners get duped into believing a coach-
ing change is the key to escaping the cellar (Dan Snyder), and all
too often, coaches facilitate rash personnel decisions, believing
they need to win immediately in order to save their jobs, regard-
less of the harm they realize they could be doing to the long-term
stability of the organization in the process (Eric Mangini).
Maybe the Rams and Raiders have no choice but to axe their
coaches, but know this: If those franchises ever want to achieve
sustained success, they ll eventually have to make a firm coach-
ing decision and stick with it. Theres a reason teams like the Ea-
gles, Colts, Steelers and Seahawks are so consistent. They oper-
ate on a foundation of trust, not fear. Matt Sohn
Stability-seeking owners need to trust coaches
CONTINUITY COUNTS
Our weekly take on the hottest
topics from around the NFL.
THE WAY WE SEE IT
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4 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
Grieses heroics make
Bears latest loss hurt more
The Bears could easily be a 3-0 team
right now, giddily sharing the Chi-town
spotlight with the playoff-bound Cubs.
Instead, after failing to protect a dou-
ble-digit lead for the second week in a
row, they are a mediocre 1-2 team that
could have a real difficult time bouncing
back from a particularly painful defeat
courtesy of ex-Bear Brian Griese.
Grieses heroic comeback effort (he
threw 67 passes) in Tampa Bays 27-24
overtime victory brought back instant
memories of his stirring come-from-be-
hind performance as the Bears QB in a
19-16 victory over Philadelphia in Week
Seven last season. Griese made the
Bears offense, which blew several TD
chances early on, look disturbingly
tame by comparison. Dan Arkush
BITTER PILL
Broncos cant make deep
run with lack of balance
Dont get too far ahead of yourselves,
Broncos fans. Denver is eyeing a return
to glory after a 3-0 start fueled by an of-
fense that might not just be good, but
historically so. The problem is the Bron-
cos make every offense they play look
almost equally as explosive. Mike
Shanahans crew was helped by two
missed field goals that Saints PK Martin
Gramatica should have made in a 34-32
Denver win on Sunday. The Broncos
have allowed 958 yards and 70 points in
the past two games. Denver might be
able to keep this act up long enough to
squeak out high-scoring wins and make
the playoffs, but when it runs into a de-
fense that doesnt double as a turnstile
a guarantee come playoff time the
show will be over. Dan Parr
DEFENSELESS
Collins quietly passes
35,000-yard mark
Only 15 quarterbacks have thrown
for 35,000 yards or more. Titans QB
Kerry Collins is one of those passers,
and who could have guessed that
Collins would have made it to this
point? His career was supposed to be
over by now. Alittle less than 10 years
ago, Collins was cut by the Panthers,
and his professional career was in
doubt. But through hard work, he saved
his career, and he got his life in order,
too. Now hes leading a Titans club that
has rolled to a 3-0 start and the AFC
South lead, and the starting job is his
as long as he continues to play well.
What a long, eventful and productive
career it has been for Kerry Collins,
who still throws a beautiful spiral after
all these years. Mike Wilkening
SURVIVOR
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC EASTBy Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
Those Dolphins
fans who opposed
the selection of WR
Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007
have been vindicated.
Ginns inability to
perform well on Sun-
days has been reflec-
tive of his uninspiring
work during prac-
tices. Undrafted
rookie Davone Bess
has already sup-
planted Ginn as the
primary kickoff and
punt returner.
We hear that the
Jets offense is hav-
ing a bit of an identity
crisis, as the late ac-
quisition of Brett
Favre put a kink into
their plans of being a
smashmouth running
team. Part of the
problem is that coor-
dinator Brian
Schottenheimer
and assistant head
coach/O-line Bill
Callahan are still
learning to mesh with
each other.
Sources in Miami
tell us Dolphins offen-
sive coordinator Dan
Henning still be-
lieves rookie OLT
Jake Long will be
one of the greats at
his position years
down the line even
though hes been
bested a few times by
quick ends.
Quality contribu-
tors such as DE
Chris Ellis and DT
John McCargo have
already been listed as
inactive for games
this season, but we
hear that it has little
to do with the Bills
confidence in them.
Rather, its a function
of the teams 45-man
active roster each
week being formu-
lated with special
teams in mind, and
those defensive line-
mens contributions
in that area are mini-
mal.
Now that hes con-
fident in his defense
being able to fulfill its
base responsibilities,
we hear conservative
Bills defensive coor-
dinator Perry Fewell
is leaning toward
mixing in more
blitzes and coverage
schemes.
In the Bills gangbusters start, no
player has been as surprisingly ef-
fective as third-year CB Ashton
Youboty. As a player who was in
danger of being cut in the presea-
son due to his perceived lack of
toughness, Youboty hasnt just
been a ballhawk in coverage, he
also has been extremely physical,
such as his stonewalling of Jaguars
QB David Garrard to halt what
looked to be a scamper for a first
down. Even though hes not start-
ing, his nickel role has made it diffi-
cult for promising first-round pick
Leodis McKelvin to get onto the
field. In fact, a source close to the
club tells us that McKelvin has
been seeing more action as a re-
turner largely in an effort to utilize
his skills somehow because hes
finding it difficult to break the DB
rotation. Nonetheless, theres no
second guessing the decision to
draft McKelvin, because, as the
source reminded, you can never
have enough cornerbacks.
Chad Penningtons strong
outing against the Patriots likely
saved his starting job. Before his
17-of-20 performance, we were
hearing that the nine-year vet had
been losing the confidence of the
coaches in favor of promising
rookie Chad Henne. Henne was
drafted in the second round out of
Michigan back in April to be the fu-
ture of the franchise, and he deftly
directed the offense on an 89-yard,
18-play touchdown drive on his
only series in the Week Two loss to
the Cardinals. He made some
throws that Pennington couldnt
dream of completing, one source
said. Furthermore, numerous play-
ers remarked how Henne's confi-
dent demeanor in the huddle
reminds them nothing of a rookie,
as he shows poise beyond his
years. Heading into the bye week,
Pennington can breathe a bit eas-
ier, but make no mistake Henne
could get the nod if Pennington re-
verts to his Week 1-2 form.
The Jets knew they were gam-
bling when they traded for NT Kris
Jenkins and emptied the bank ac-
count to reel in free-agent OLB
Calvin Pace in the offseason.
Thus far, the duo has vindicated
the front office about as well as
could be hoped for. Jenkins is just
hungry, a source close to the club
says. Where (former Jets NT) De-
wayne (Robertson) would get
pushed back, Jenkins isnt just
holding his ground, hes penetrat-
ing. Head coach Eric Mangini
has gone so far as to call Jenkins
the most athletic big man he has
ever coached, as the ex-Panther
has flashed the ability to chase
running backs out of bounds on
the lateral pursuit. Similar acco-
lades could be given for Pace,
whos emerged as more than just
the good edge rusher that some
saw him as. In an emerging LB
corps that features David Harris,
Pace has been the most disruptive
linebacker early on this season.
Ayear ago, Patriots offensive co-
ordinator Josh McDaniels was
among the hot names for organiza-
tions looking for a head coach. The
Ravens and Redskins were the two
clubs who made the most noise,
and the clamoring for his attention
got so great that the Patriots pub-
lic-relations staff drafted a release
stating that McDaniels had no in-
terest in leaving the Patriots in an
effort to quell the discussion. But
now that Tom Brady is done for
the season, the NFL will have a bet-
ter gauge as to McDaniels actual
coordinating ability.
Its clear that the offense under
career backup Matt Cassel will
have a different feel from the one
that Brady operated. Ayear ago,
the Patriots went to three- or four-
receiver sets on approximately 70
percent of the offensive snaps. In
Cassels first start against the Jets
in Week Two, the Pats went to a
three-receiver set only 41 percent
of the time (24-of-59 snaps), ac-
cording to a count by the Boston
Globe. The idea is to minimize the
amount of reads Cassel needs to
make as hes indoctrinated into the
starting lineup, at least for the time
being. However, we hear that even-
tually McDaniels wants to open up
the playbook as much as he did
with Brady.
The Pats roster reflects the
teams offensive identity includ-
ing WR-S Ray Ventrone, New
England carries seven wideouts on
the active roster and reverting to
a traditional, two-wideout look as
its base O wouldnt be maximiz-
ing their personnel. The one caveat
is that McDaniels wont allow Cas-
sel as much freedom to audible as
Brady had.
The Patriots didnt have much
offensive firepower in Week Threes
loss to the Dolphins, managing just
216 total yards and 13 points.
Even if the offense does flounder
with Cassel at the helm, it might be
premature to cast wunderkind Mc-
Daniels as a flash-in-pan coordina-
tor who succeeded so
tremendously in 2007 because of
the players he was working with. Al-
though 08 undoubtedly represents
a make-or-break season for free-
agent-to-be Cassel, the same cant
be said of the guy calling the shots.
You have to remember, (Bill)
Belichick doesnt make just any-
body a coordinator, a source close
to the club said. McDaniels is still
a very young coach wholl have a
lot of time to show what he can
do.
Josh McDaniels was a hot assistant coach last year. Will he live up to the hype now that Tom Brady is out?
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MIAMI
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NEWYORK
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PATRIOTS
5 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC NORTHBy Mike Wilkening
WHISPERS
Ravens QB Troy
Smith may be back
working out with the
club after a tonsil in-
fection ended his bid
for the starting job in
August. However, he
may have an uphill
battle to be anything
but the emergency
quarterback this sea-
son, the way we hear
it, considering the
time hes missed, the
strength he must re-
gain and teams com-
fort with keeping QB
Todd Bouman in the
No. 2 role behind Joe
Flacco.
Look for Browns
rookie OLB Alex Hall
to start getting more
work in the weeks to
come. The season-
ending knee injury
suffered by Antwan
Peek early in Sep-
tember meant the
Browns had to play
36-year-old Willie
McGinest a little
more than they had
planned in the first
two weeks. Hall, a
seventh-round pick,
may be called upon
to have a bigger role
in coming weeks. In
fact, in Week Three,
Hall started at left
outside linebacker
while McGinest was
inactive. The rookie
had a productive out-
ing, notching seven
sacks and one sack.
If Browns RB
Jerome Harrison is
to get more work
spelling starter
Jamal Lewis, it will
be after Lewis has
had a chance to get
into a rhythm, the
way we hear it. Harri-
son had a 23-yard
catch vs. Pittsburgh,
and hes flashed
some ability as a
change-of-pace back.
An injury to Ravens
WR Yamon Figurs
could open the door
for rookie Marcus
Smith to start get-
ting more playing
time in the near fu-
ture, the way we hear
it.
The way we hear it, its more a
matter of when, not if, Willie An-
derson will push Adam Terry for
the starting role at right tackle.
Were he to lose his job, Terry would
likely serve as the top backup at
both right and left tackle. We're told
the Ravens are unlikely to push
young OLT Jared Gaither out of
the starting lineup unless they're
given a compelling reason to do so.
Both Terry and Gaither helped their
cases with solid play in Week One,
not allowing a sack and helping the
Ravens rush for 229 yards vs. the
Bengals. In Week Three, the Ravens
allowed only one sack and the team
rushed for 151 yards. Offensive co-
ordinator Cam Cameron has indi-
cated that all three tackles could be
given playing time. Weve got three
tackles that weve got a lot of confi-
dence in, Cameron said. There
could be some scenarios where
Adam is in there at left and Willie
goes to right. With Jared Gaither, its
kind of a three-man situation.
It is hard to have many qualms
with much of the Steelers play so
far especially in the first two
weeks of the season but one
area where theyre likely looking
for improvement is in the return
game. In his first two games as the
Steelers punt returner, Mewelde
Moore lost two yards on two re-
turns. He didnt do much in Week
Three, contributing one fair catch
as a punt returner. Moore was also
not much of a factor on kickoff re-
turns. Nor was rookie RB Rashard
Mendenhall, who tripped over FB
Carey Davis and misplayed a
kickoff in the Week Two win at
Cleveland. Mendenhall returned a
pair of kickoffs for 48 yards in
Week Three. Moore has been a
productive punt returner in the
past, but he has bulked up slightly
to become a more stout pass
blocker, the way we hear it.
Mendenhall has very good speed
but little experience returning
kicks.
How to fix the Bengals passing
game? Head coach Marvin Lewis
has said that WRs Chad Ocho
Cinco and T.J. Housh-
mandzadeh missing healthy por-
tions of the offseason with injuries
contributed to the slow start. Ocho
Cinco, although he didn't blame the
offensive line for the poor start, told
Cincinnati reporters that the suc-
cess of the passing game begins
with the play of the line. Theres also
the issue of QB Carson Palmer
getting off to the worst start of his
career. Lewis doesnt want him to
take that upon his shoulders. He
has a lot of abilities, he has learned
a lot of lessons in his short tenure in
the NFL, and I think that is one of
them that he has learned, Lewis
said. The Bengals were more pro-
ductive through the air in Week
Three, as Palmer threw for 286
yards, despite getting sacked six
times. Houshmandzadeh was the
leading receiver with a 12-catch,
146-yard, one-TD performance.
If youre looking for silver linings
in the Browns slow start, give a
look to the defense, which picked
up its play after surrendering 487
yards and 28 points to Dallas in
Week One. For much of the game,
the Cowboys appeared as if they
could do pretty much anything
they pleased. But in Week Two, the
Browns buckled down, allowing
only 281 yards to the Steelers po-
tent offense in a 10-6 loss. Last
week, the Browns held the Ravens
to 273 yards in a 28-10 loss.
The first game, we just got out-
played, Browns ILB DQwell
Jackson, who has a team-high 32
tackles in the first three weeks, told
PFW. Specifically on Pittsburgh,
we were right there.
The key, Jackson noted, was
containing Steelers QB Ben
Roethlisberger, who has tor-
mented Cleveland over the years.
He played well down the
stretch,Jackson said of Roethlis-
berger, who threw for 186 yards
and a TD, but it was tough. It had
to be the perfect pass and the per-
fect catch.
The Browns defense hasnt
caught many breaks this season,
especially when it comes to in-
juries. DE Robaire Smith, a vet-
eran 3-4 lineman, suffered a
season-ending Achilles injury in
Week Two.
Weve taken some hits since be-
fore the season,Jackson said, cit-
ing the losses of OLB Antwan
Peek (knee) and CB Daven Holly
(knee). Also, SS Sean Jones is
likely out a couple more weeks with
a knee injury of his own. But, as
Jackson pointed out, good teams
overcome those injuries.
In the meantime, theres reason
to be optimistic that the defense
still has room to improve. First-year
defensive coordinator Mel Tucker
was praised by Jackson for seeking
out the input of players and asking
them what theyre seeing on the
field.
Just as much as were learning
from him, hes learning from us,
Jackson said.
Jackson noted that the Browns
defense unveiled some different
looks vs. Pittsburgh than it did vs.
Dallas.
We want to make offenses ad-
just to us,Jackson said, noting
that he believed the Steelers had
to react to what Cleveland was
doing defensively. That wasnt
enough to secure a victory in what
has been a one-sided series of late,
but it was progress.
ILB DQwell Jackson has been very productive on a Cleveland defense that has taken some hits this year.
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PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
CINCINNATI
BENGALS
CLEVELAND
BROWNS
6 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC SOUTHBy Mike Wilkening and Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
Titans RBs Chris
Johnson and
LenDale White got
about the same num-
ber of carries in the
first three games,
with Johnson carry-
ing 50 times and
White carrying 49
times. However,
Johnson could start
getting a bigger share
of the carries sooner
than later, the way we
hear it.
The Jaguars are
slowly losing hope
that Troy
Williamson can de-
velop into the de-
pendable deep-threat
receiver they hoped
hed be when they
traded for him. How-
ever, theres still hope
that Jerry Porter
can fill an important
WR void whenever he
gets back from his
hamstring injury,
which should be
soon. Both
Williamson and
Porter were inactive
in Week Three.
Despite Anthony
Gonzalezs breakout
game against the
Vikings, we hear that
its premature to say
he has supplanted
Marvin Harrison
who bounced back
nicely in Week Three
as the Colts No. 2
receiver (behind
Reggie Wayne). He
still doesnt have
nearly as strong a
rapport with Peyton
Manning.
The way we hear it,
Titans TE Alge
Crumpler is ex-
pected to be a much
bigger part of the of-
fense than he was in
the first three games
of the season, when
he caught only five
passes for 46 yards.
Were told one of
the early-season sur-
prises in Houston has
been David Ander-
son edging out
Andr Davis to be
the Texans No. 3 re-
ceiver. The Texans re-
signed Davis to a
four-year, $16 million
contract ($8 million
guaranteed) in the
offseason, but Ander-
son has gotten the
nod in three-WR sets.
There has been no shortage of
bright spots for the Titans' defense
in its excellent start to the season.
The key has been the play of DT Al-
bert Haynesworth, who has
picked up right where he left off
last season. Add to the mix the con-
sistent play of veterans like OLB
Keith Bulluck, DE Kyle Vanden
Bosch and SS Chris Hope and
the rapid improvement of emerging
star CB Cortland Finnegan, and
there's little doubt this is one of the
NFL's best defenses at the mo-
ment. The contributions don't stop
there, either. One unheralded mem-
ber of the defense also impressing
early in the season is MLB Ryan
Fowler, who has been a force on
running downs. Hope, the leader of
the secondary, also has been a big
help vs. the run, and he was singled
out by coach Jeff Fisher for his
play in the Week Two win at Cincin-
nati, a game played in extremely
windy conditions that affected the
group's ability to communicate.
When the Texans finally play their
first home game Oct. 5 vs. Indi-
anapolis, they are likely to play at
Reliant Stadium, and they could
play with the roof open, according
to the Houston Chronicle. Five roof
panels were blown out as Hurricane
Ike came ashore, and damage to
the stadium caused the postpone-
ment of Houstons Week Two game
with Baltimore. In the event Reliant
Stadium is unusable, the Texans
likely will play at 58-year-old Rice
Stadium. That stadium, which un-
derwent more than $6 million in
renovations in 2006, currently is
configured to seat 47,000 but could
seat up to 70,000 fans for an NFL
game. The renovations included the
installation of FieldTurf a surface
on which the Texans have never
won a regular-season game. In fact,
the Texans have lost their last 14
games played on artificial turf. The
Week Five game vs. the Colts is one
of four consecutive home games for
the Texans.
Statistics often can be deceiv-
ing, such as in the case of QB
David Garrard. The Jaguars sig-
nalcaller already has tossed four
interceptions, which exceeds his
season total of three from 2007,
and has just a single passing
touchdown. Word out of Jack-
sonville is that his receivers inabil-
ity to create any kind of separation
and his offensive lines futility in
protecting him the Titans
sacked him seven times in Week
One have been the primary cul-
prits in his early-season struggles.
Just as importantly, the lines fail-
ure to create lanes for the running
backs the first two games rendered
defensive fronts fearless in attack-
ing the quarterback. Holes were
opened, though, in Week Three, as
Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-
Drewteed off on a Colts defense
that has been weak against the
rush. Taylor and Jones-Drew com-
bined for 228 yards in a victory
over Indianapolis.
Although they haven't had their
foundation rocked by a singular in-
jury as the Patriots have, a case
could be made that the Colts have
been afflicted with more significant
injuries than any other team in the
league.
Headlining the laundry list of ail-
ments is a high ankle sprain that
should keep S Bob Sanders, the
league's reigning Defensive Player of
the Year, out 4-6 weeks. Although his
circumstances are aggravating, we
hear that the Colts have no regrets
about having inked Sanders to a
long-term deal in the offseason that
made him one of the NFL's highest-
paid defenders. Owner Jim Irsay
identifies certain players as Colts lif-
ers, and he labeled Sanders as such,
even though he knows the safety's
small size and fearless playing style
make him a constant injury liability.
The silver lining in all this is that
Sanders' replacement typically gets
more practice time than the average
backup because Tony Dungy had
made a concerted effort to give the
injury-prone Sanders extensive rest
throughout the week. In fact, the de-
fense actually played better late in
the Vikings game after Melvin Bul-
litt took over for Sanders. Bullitt's
quickness enabled him to leap over
the more thickly built Matt Gior-
dano on the depth chart, and word
we're hearing is that Indy plans on
using Bullitt in exactly the same ca-
pacity in which they deployed
Sanders.
Indianapolis can't say that in-
juries haven't forced it to change
its game plan on the offensive side.
For the first time in a long time,
teams are employing press cover-
age against the Colts' receivers, al-
most daring Indy to throw. The
Vikings routinely stacked the box
and sent blitzers, which had the
double effect of stymieing the run-
ning game and forcing the young
O-line into blown assignments. Ad-
ditionally, the Colts' preferred use
of two tight ends has been shelved
in favor of multiple-WR sets be-
cause of all the TE injuries. How-
ever, Dallas Clark returned in
Week Three, which provides an ad-
ditional trustworthy target for Pey-
ton Manning or alternately will
serve as an extra pass protector.
RB Joseph Addai is also staying
at home more often to protect
Manning, a role in which he thrives.
The Colts suffered additional in-
juries in Week Three when ORG
Dan Federkeil left the game with a
hurt shoulder and CB Marlin Jack-
son went down with a rib injury.
Reliant Stadium suffered damage from Hurricane Ike but should be ready to go for the rest of the season.
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TENNESSEE
TITANS
HOUSTON
TEXANS
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS
7 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC WESTBy Dan Parr and Michael Blunda
WHISPERS
Chiefs head coach
Herm Edwards re-
cently reiterated that
the teams main goal
this season is to de-
velop its young play-
ers, so don't expect
to see many veterans
playing ahead of
rookies going for-
ward. This is espe-
cially true at
quarterback, where
the Chiefs really want
to see what they have
in youngsters Brodie
Croyle and Tyler
Thigpen, even if it
decreases their
chances of winning
now.
Sources in Denver
say that CB Champ
Bailey is still one of
the best corners in
the game, but theyve
noticed a slight drop-
off in his play re-
cently. The Broncos
secondary as a unit
has struggled early in
the season because
theyre consistently
bringing a safety up
to play eight men in
the box. Bailey and
his teammates in the
defensive backfield
might benefit from a
slight tweak in the
defensive scheme so
theres more help be-
hind them.
The rapid develop-
ment of Chargers un-
drafted rookie FB
Mike Tolbert has
been a pleasant sur-
prise to the organiza-
tion, but it has led to
very little playing
time for third-round
pick Jacob Hester.
Although San Diego
likes Hester's dy-
namic potential, Tol-
bert is closer to what
the team needs right
now a true fullback
who can both block
and make something
happen with the ball.
After unloading
heaps of money on
free agents last off-
season, it turns out
one of the Raiders
most productive addi-
tions thus far came as
a bargain. After he
was cut by the 49ers
before the season, the
Raiders picked up WR
Ashley Lelie off the
scrap heap for a one-
year deal that didnt
cost them much.
RB Larry Johnson is no stranger
to throwing fits, and the enigmatic
back threw another one after the
teams Week Two loss to Oakland.
Johnson, who had a meager 12 car-
ries for 22 yards vs. the Raiders, ex-
pressed frustration with his lack of
touches and said that he did not en-
vision himself as part of the teams
future. However, the air was cleared
after Johnson met with coach
Herm Edwards and offensive coor-
dinator Chan Gailey. The coaches
assured him that he remained the
offensive focal point but also told
Johnson that theyd have trouble
getting him 20-25 carries if the
Chiefs continue to fall behind early
and have to go into pass mode. De-
spite trailing big in Week Three,
Johnson had 24 carries for 121
yards. With the club having a better
blocker in RB Kolby Smith and a
more explosive pass catcher in RB
Jamaal Charles, the need for
Johnsons running ability is greatly
diminished if K.C. is trailing big.
Sources in Denver have been
stunned by the display that Bron-
cos QB Jay Cutler has put on in
the early stages of this season, and
they dont see him slipping much
moving forward. In three games,
Cutler has thrown for 913 yards
with eight TDs vs. two interceptions.
Few other passers can match his
arm strength, and he refuses to get
locked in on one receiver, spreading
the ball all over the field. Perhaps
the most impressive attribute of
Cutler's is his ability to ignore the
hype that's building around him.
While observers watch in awe, he
seems to go about his business as if
this tremendous start isn't exceed-
ing expectations. Head coach Mike
Shanahan, who has spent the past
two-plus years developing Cutler,
has had the same reaction and ap-
pears unfazed. The third-year vet-
eran has shown that he has the
ability to do whatever Shanahan
asks, so theres no real need to rein
him in at this point.
With star RB LaDainian Tom-
linson dealing with a lingering toe
injury, youd think the Chargers
would be worried about their run-
ning game suffering if he is forced
to miss time. But after watching
RB Darren Sproles run wild on
the Broncos in Week Two, we hear
that the team is very confident in
its backup if hes needed to take on
a larger role. The diminutive Spro-
les had 317 all-purpose yards at
Denver, including a 66-yard TD
catch and a 103-yard kickoff return
for a score. Tomlinson, meanwhile,
accounted for just 40 yards in the
loss. Sproles, in his fourth year, has
incredible speed and elusiveness
that makes tackling him in the
open field nearly impossible. The
only things he lacks is ideal size
hes just 5-6, 181 pounds thereby
limiting the teams play-calling
when hes in the game. The Charg-
ers obviously dont want to lose
L.T., but at least Sproles gives them
a very capable replacement.
The sideshow in Oakland contin-
ues as Raiders head coach Lane
Kiffin and owner Al Davis go
back and forth in an extremely
public feud that appears to be
headed for a conclusion in the near
future.
Kiffin survived Week Two with a
win over the Chiefs, but sources
say hes hanging on to his job by a
thread and could be let go at any
time following the teams last-sec-
ond loss to the Bills in Week Three.
There are numerous distractions
hovering around the squad as the
battle spreads through all corners
of the organization, including the
public-relations department,
which has begun doing Davis bid-
ding, according to sources. Yet, we
hear the majority of players dont
seem wrapped up in the contro-
versy.
However, a few influential
Raiders, most notably CB Nnamdi
Asomugha, have thrown their
support behind Kiffin. Most
Raiders fans appear to be in his
corner, as well, close observers of
the team tell us.
When Davis does act on his de-
sire to cut Kiffin loose, sources say
there could be a major backlash.
The most likely replacements as
head coach come from a relatively
uninspiring group consisting of de-
fensive coordinator Rob Ryan, WR
coach James Lofton and Paul
Hackett, who has reportedly
worked as a consultant for the
team.
Rumors spread in the winter
that Kiffin had interest in heading
back to the college ranks he had
been the offensive coordinator at
USC before he was hired in Oak-
land and they started what has
morphed into a nasty fight be-
tween him and Davis, who was in-
furiated when he learned of the
reports. That speculation cropped
up again recently, this time linking
Kiffin to the Syracuse job, should
head coach Greg Robinson be let
go.
Davis is well aware of Kiffins
perceived interest in a collegiate
job, and its not unthinkable that
Davis might go out of his way to
block Kiffin from getting such a po-
sition. The Raiders could keep Kif-
fin through November and
December, when college programs
make their staff changes, which
would in effect keep him from
being able to interview until all the
vacancies are filled.
QB Jay Cutler has been on fire to start the 2008 season, leading a highly productive Broncos offense.
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KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS
DENVER
BRONCOS
SAN DIEGO
CHARGERS
OAKLAND
RAIDERS
8 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC EASTBy Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
The Redskins feel
they have to use
Santana Moss
more on punt returns
going forward be-
cause Antwaan
Randle El just hasnt
gotten it done back
there. The problem
with using them on
returns in the first
place is that they are
the starting wide re-
ceivers. In addition,
there is no other
trustworthy option to
return punts besides
James Thrash, who
is a safe returner but
has no home-run
ability whatsoever.
Giants head coach
Tom Coughlin has
really hammered
home the message of
players not talking to
the media about any-
thing that would give
their opponents any
kind of bulletin-board
material. So far, it has
worked. The Giants
have managed to re-
main one of the more
below-the-radar de-
fending champions in
recent memory.
The Eagles feel
Stewart Bradley
might be among the
fastest middle line-
backers in the NFL,
and they are im-
pressed with his bud-
ding leadership skills
and improved tack-
ling. They feel hes a
hidden secret to the
defenses success.
Redskins rookie S
Chris Horton got
the last-minute start
in Week Two against
the Saints when
Reed Doughty
couldnt play, and
Horton played excep-
tionally well, all things
considered. However,
dont pencil Horton in
as the full-time
starter yet despite
two interceptions and
a fumble recovery in
his first career start.
The coaches like him
but also respect the
smarts and instinc-
tive play of Doughty,
who can get people
lined up properly.
Horton is still learn-
ing the defense.
The Giants O-line was praised
as perhaps the best unit maybe
not the five best individual talents,
but the most cohesive group
heading into the season by NFL
people. Through the first three
weeks, that sentiment hasnt
changed much. Eli Manning has
been sacked only four times in 111
pass plays, and the running game
has produced a scalding 5.4 yards
per carry. ORG Chris Snee finally
might be recognized for his ability
this season, and ORT Kareem
McKenzie is off to a great start.
Still, head coach Tom Coughlin
sees room for more cohesion. I
think a team can have a rhythm
and I think the team when all 11
(players) are meshing at the same
time can be productive and can
appear to be in rhythm. I dont
know that we are always that
everybody is in total sync on every
play. I wouldnt say we are there.
But we are making an attempt to
do that.
Arepeated image from Week
Twos 41-37 loss to the Cowboys in
Dallas was FS Brian Dawkins
struggling in pass coverage. Not
only did he fail to get a hand on WR
Terrell Owens second-quarter
touchdown when singled up in man
coverage, but Dawkins also failed to
help properly on some deep plays.
Its something that critics were
concerned about coming into this
season, Dawkins 13th. He turns 35
in October and might not have the
range he once did, but Dawkins told
the media he believes hes better-
prepared to play the pass based on
his years of film study and sharp-
ened instincts. The Eagles were
able to get around any of Dawkins
coverage struggles in Week Three,
routinely moving him closer to the
line of scrimmage, where he made
several big plays. The Eagles might
lack a great coverage safety, but
Dawkins and Quintin Mikell have
tackled well, and the cornerbacks
mostly are doing a very good job.
The Cowboys have loved what
they have seen from Felix Jones
so far, and its no stretch to say, as
sources report, that owner Jerry
Jones has a smile on his face every
time his first-round back touches
the ball. The team has used the
rookie as a runner (18 carries and
two TDs in three games) and re-
turner (35.1-yard kick-return aver-
age with a TD), but not much as a
receiver (one catch). And although
Wade Phillips said last week that
Jones should touch the ball more
as time goes on, its clear that Mar-
ion Barber wont be giving up any
rushing attempts considering the
way hes running. Barber ran for
142 yards and a TD on 28 carries in
Week Three vs. Green Bay. Its not
easy, because weve got such a
great back already back there that
can make a big play for you at any
time, Phillips said. But I think
(Jones) gives you some juice at
times. Were going to try to work
him in more and more.
The Redskins have been encour-
aged by the improvement of QB
Jason Campbell from Week One, as
he led the team to two big wins the
next two games. There are still plen-
ty of adjustments and improvements
that need to be made, but the Red-
skins got at least one thing they
wanted from Campbell.
One of the things that showed up
on tape from the Giants loss was that
Campbell was letting the pass rush
affect his timing and delivery. The
coaches wanted him to be able to
duck away from or sidestep pressure
and still get off his throws especial-
ly downfield without it affecting the
placement of his passes.
In Week Two, the best example of
this improvement came on the 67-
yard touchdown pass to WR Santana
Moss where Campbell took a short
step up in the face of pressure and still
managed to make a gorgeous throw
to Moss downfield.
Campbell also showed more poise
in stressful situations the past two
games. The Redskins trailed 24-15 and
were faced with a 2nd-and-22 at
their own 6-yard line with less than 10
minutes left against the Saints, but
Campbell calmly directed two scor-
ing drives that led to the win. On Sun-
day, he made a nice play fake and hit
TE Chris Cooley for a 26-yard gain
that helped run out the clock. Prior to
that, Campbell made several clutch,
third-down completions and scram-
bles, twice rushing for first downs
against the Cardinals.
Still, there are things that Campbell
needs to improve on. He has missed
a few open receivers and has had a
bad habit of forgetting about Cooley,
especially early in games. Campbell
started slowly and got out of rhythm
early in the first two games, though
that was not a problem against the
Cardinals.
All told, though, the Redskins feel
better about their passing prospects
for the season than they did after the
season-opening loss, and the slow in-
tegration of rookie WRs Devin
Thomas and Malcolm Kelly should
help.
For now, the offensive line appears
to be a better pass-blocking group
than with run blocking. The holes just
arent there for RB Clinton Portis, at
least not the ones he and the coach-
es expected. Hes still running hard
and through would-be tacklers, but
the big-play element isnt there. His
long run has been for 23 yards this
season, and he hasnt had a run
longer than 13 yards in the past two
games.
ORG Chris Snee is developing into a force along the Giants offensive line, which is one of the best in the NFL.
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GIANTS
PHILADELPHIA
EAGLES
DALLAS
COWBOYS
WASHINGTON
REDSKINS
9 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC NORTHBy Dan Arkush and Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
The Vikings have
had to keep things
very simple so far
with rookie FS Tyrell
Johnson, who was
thrust into the start-
ing spot after
Madieu Williams
went down with a
neck injury. Johnson
has struggled so far
and could get
benched if he doesnt
make strides before
Williams returns,
which should be at
least another week
from now. Johnson
contributed three
tackles in Week
Threes win over the
Panthers.
The news that the
Lions were working
out Shaun Alexan-
der, Cedric Benson
and other free-agent
running backs is
being grossly exag-
gerated, as we hear
the Lions are satis-
fied with their stable
of runners after the
addition of Rudi
Johnson.
Our Bears sources
were extremely im-
pressed with the way
second-year TE Greg
Olsen manned up
after making two
costly fumbles in the
Week Two loss to the
Panthers. He stood
in front of his locker
for 20 minutes and
answered every
question that was
thrown his way after
the game, said one
source on the scene.
And then he came
back the next day
and made himself
available again.
After Packers DT
Johnny Jollys Sept.
15 court appearance
in Houston on felony
drug charges had to
be rescheduled due
to Hurricane Ike, we
hear it has become
more likely than ever
that he wont go to
trial until sometime
after the 2008 sea-
son.
Its looking more likely that first-
round pick Gosder Cherilus will
take over full time at right tackle
for George Foster, who started
the first two games there. Cherilus
got the first start of his young ca-
reer in Week Three. In the first half
of the loss against the Packers in
Week Two, Foster struggled against
Packers DE Aaron Kampman and
was replaced by Cherilus in the
second half, who appeared to hold
up fairly well, not allowing any
sacks. The Lions had wanted to
bring Cherilus along slowly after
believing he wasnt ready to start
following the preseason. But Fos-
ters play coupled with the teams
struggles to run the ball apparently
have changed the coaches minds
about their rookie tackle. Cherilus
likely would be the first option at
left tackle, too, so if OLT Jeff
Backus were to get hurt, Cherilus
probably would replace him and
Foster would go back to right
tackle.
It was only one play, but un-
drafted rookie RB Kregg
Lumpkins 19-yard burst over left
guard on the Packers first TD drive
in their Week Two victory over the
Lions provided another promising
glimpse of a young back many team
insiders believe is capable of break-
ing through the woodwork the
same way Ryan Grant did last sea-
son. In my humble opinion, I really
believe the skys the limit for
Kregg, Packers RB coach Edgar
Bennett told PFW. It all starts with
the foundation, his passion. I just
love the way the kid practices. He
goes out every day with a mindset
to get better. Brandon Jackson is
the same way. When you have kids
with that kind of mindset, you cant
go wrong. Bennett marvels at
Lumpkins natural tools. He has
very quick feet for a back with his
size. And hes very aggressive, with
great physicality. In Week Threes
loss to the Cowboys, Lumpkin was
active but didnt have any carries.
Even before he suffered a rib in-
jury in the Week Two loss to the
Panthers, Devin Hester wasnt
looking anything like the No. 1 re-
ceiver the Bears had envisioned
this season. It certainly doesnt
seem like theyve made much of
an effort to get him the ball, a
longtime team source told PFW.
Its been a different story, how-
ever, for newcomer Brandon
Lloyd, who is looking more and
more like the teams best No. 1 WR
option after his solid perform-
ances vs. Carolina (five catches
for 66 yards) and Tampa Bay (six
catches for 124 yards and one
touchdown). Hes been on the
field more than any other receiver,
and hes been the only guy consis-
tently catching passes downfield,
the source said. We also hear
Lloyd, who had a history as a mal-
content in his previous stints with
the 49ers and Redskins, has been
drawing strong reviews off the
field.
The Vikings knew they could not
continue at the pace they were
going with QB Tarvaris Jackson as
their starter and a change had to be
made. They were relying far too
much on RB Adrian Peterson
48 carries and five receptions
through two games, which equates
to a frightening 424 touches for a
16-game season. The coaches
clearly didnt trust Jackson to run
the full complement of plays, limit-
ing him to a series of bootlegs, roll-
outs and short, safe passes.
Thats one reason why coach
Brad Childress will go with 37-
year-old Gus Frerotte for the fore-
seeable future, saying he doesnt
want to play checkers with his
QBs, as he had to last season.
Frerotte led the Vikings to a win in
his first start, completing 16-of-28
passes for 204 yards with one
touchdown and one interception.
Frerotte can make most of the
throws in the playbook, and his ex-
perience should serve him well in
the short term. Expect the coaches
to call more plays on which Frerotte
throws to, or beyond, the sticks, in-
stead of expecting their pass catch-
ers to make first downs. They also
want to get WR Bernard Berrian,
who signed a $42 million contract in
the offseason, more involved.
Berrian was more productive in
Week Three, with three catches for
79 yards, including a 48-yard play.
Jacksons future is in doubt. Chil-
dress said he hasnt given up on
Jackson but that Frerotte would be
his starter barring injury. Ateam
source agreed with that sentiment,
saying he doubted Jackson would
get another chance in 08. NFL
sources are divided as to whether
Jackson has a future as a starter
with the Vikings or anywhere else.
Can Tarvaris play? I dont think
anyone knows, (with all the)
dropped passes, a player personnel
director told PFW. I would lean to-
ward saying he cannot right now,
but the throws he (was) being asked
to make in the situations he (was)
being asked to make them (were)
not fair to anyone. Screens are
being called on 3rd-and-2 and QB
bootlegs on 3rd-and-8.
They (were) running boot wag-
gles where he only has half the field
to work with, and they are asking
him to move around a lot. He can
throw on the move, but he is best
when he has his feet set. I dont
know if he can play or cant, and
thats scary given that hes in his
third year and Ive probably studied
him as much as anyone.
Rookie OT Gosder Cherilus is getting an increase in playing time earlier than the Lions orginally expected.
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LIONS
GREEN BAY
PACKERS
CHICAGO
BEARS
MINNESOTA
VIKINGS
10 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC SOUTHBy Dan Parr
WHISPERS
Following his recent
arrest for DUI and
speeding charges, its
almost guaranteed
that the Falcons and
SS Lawyer Milloy
will go their separate
ways when he be-
comes a free agent
next offseason,
sources say. We hear
the Washington prod-
uct could be inter-
ested in heading back
home to join the Sea-
hawks, where he
would reunite with
former Falcons head
coach Jim Mora,
who will become
Seattles head coach
next season.
Its still very early in
the 08 campaign,
but sources in Car-
olina say that if Pan-
thers head coach
John Fox was ever
on the hot seat, hes
off it now. Theres
plenty of time for that
to change, but the
teams 2-1 start has
given him some room
to breathe.
Unlike C-OG Matt
Lehr and TE Billy
Miller, whom the
Saints have recently
cut but then re-
signed, word is re-
cently released CB
Jason Craft will not
receive the same kind
of treatment. We hear
he is likely gone for
good now that the
teams secondary is
in a little better con-
dition in terms of
health.
Although rumors
swirl that the Bucca-
neers are interested
in trading QB Jeff
Garcia, we hear
theres no substance
to them and that
Tampa is in no hurry
to get rid of Garcia. In
fact, in another week
or two, it wouldnt be
surprising if he re-
gains his spot in the
starting lineup if
Brian Griese were
to falter.
Falcons DE John Abrahamis
playing at an All-Pro level in the
early part of this season, and if he
can overcome the challenge of
staying healthy the ninth-year
veteran has played an entire 16
games only four times he could
be in for a career year. In last
weeks win over the Chiefs, Abra-
ham had two sacks and a forced
fumble. Sources noted a couple
reasons for his strong showing
thus far. He has been helped by the
addition of DL coach Ray Hamil-
ton, who coached Abraham when
he was a rookie with the Jets in
2000, to the Atlanta staff. Abra-
ham had 4
1
2 sacks in just six
games that season in New York,
and hes very comfortable working
under Hamiltons guidance. The
Falcons have been moving Abra-
ham, who now has six sacks
through three games, from side-to-
side on the D-line frequently to
give him better matchups and to
keep offenses off balance.
Sources in Carolina are noticing
some changes in the overall de-
meanor of Panthers DE Julius
Peppers. Peppers is playing well,
but he hasnt been the dominant
force many expected him to be
through the early going. However,
he looks more energetic and phys-
ical on the field than he did in 07
and also seems to be more com-
fortable with talking to the media
than in the past, when he often
shied away from the spotlight. As
a whole, Carolinas defense looks
improved from last season, and
Peppers, a captain of that unit, has
helped spark the group. He cant
be pleased with his struggle to
register sacks he notched his
first one since Week 11 of last sea-
son in last weeks loss to the
Vikings but he doesnt seem
overly concerned about it, and at-
tention on the now-broken sack-
less streak has been somewhat
diminished by the teams solid 2-1
start.
The Saints secondary is in need
of some bolstering and although
CB Mike McKenzie is expected to
provide it now that he has returned
to action, there are some serious
concerns about just what he can
provide at this point. McKenzie tore
his ACL late last season and the
team was very cautious in getting
him back onto the field. At 32, he
doesnt make cuts or pedal like he
used to, and the injury only makes
those crucial movements more dif-
ficult. McKenzie did have an inter-
ception in his 2008 debut, picking
off Jay Cutler in a loss to the Bron-
cos. Sources say talk about how
much New Orleans missed McKen-
zie was a bit overblown, but there is
a sense that his attitude and confi-
dence bring something that it has
lacked. McKenzie doesnt get rat-
tled, even when things arent going
well, and he brings the right men-
tality for the position, which could
be a model for young CBs Randall
Gay and Tracy Porter.
The way we hear it, a foot in-
jury might not be the biggest
concern when it comes to Buc-
caneers WR Joey Galloway.
Close observers of the team are
starting to wonder if he has lost
some of his determination and
intensity.
Galloway missed the teams
Week Three game in Chicago be-
cause of a foot sprain and he sat
out the entire preseason with a
groin injury. In Tampa Bays Week
One loss, he appeared to quit on
a route, but later explained that it
was a matter of confusion and
that he didnt know the ball was
coming to him.
The Bucs dont want to ac-
knowledge it, but these issues
have made some wonder if Gal-
loway is all that interested in
football at the moment. It could
just be that hes dealing with a
string of serious injuries. Per-
haps its fatigue, although its
still very early in the season. The
36-year-old is relatively under-
paid for being a No. 1 wide re-
ceiver, and hes in the second
year of a three-year, $7.5 million
deal. Maybe hes unhappy with
his contract. Whatever it is,
sources say they get the feeling
from watching him that hes not
into playing. Through two
games, Galloway just hasnt
been the explosive target weve
grown accustomed to witness-
ing. He has eight receptions for
74 yards (9.3 yards per catch),
which is a steep drop-off from
his career average of 15.7 yards
per reception.
There are no indications from
the team on how long Galloway
is expected to be out, but hes
not a fast healer, as evidenced
by the long-lingering groin injury
in August, and its quite possible
that he could miss two or three
games before making a return.
Tampa Bay will be lacking its No.
1 deep threat, so head coach
Jon Gruden likely will look to
his next speed options, WRs An-
tonio Bryant and rookie Dex-
ter Jackson, to help pick up the
slack in that area. Bryant caught
10 passes for 138 yards in Week
Three. Gruden could place a
greater emphasis on the short
passing game, which would
mean an increased focus on get-
ting the ball to veteran Ike
Hilliard, who has been a steady
possession receiver. Hilliard
caught six passes for 57 yards
and a TD vs. the Bears.
Falcons DE John Abraham is playing at a very high level, thanks in part to tutoring from his new DL coach.
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CAROLINA
PANTHERS
NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS
TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
11 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC WESTBy Dan Arkush
WHISPERS
We hear the Cardi-
nals are getting in-
creasingly frustrated
with NT Alan
Branch, a 2007 sec-
ond-round pick who
has continued to fall
far short of expecta-
tions. Hes starting
to look maybe like a
colossal bust, said
one team insider.
People in the organi-
zation are really down
on him. Hes just been
a big, nice guy who
hasnt shown much
of anything. And he
looks too heavy.
There are many
close observers of
the Rams who believe
one local columnists
suggestion to bring
back former Rams
head coach Dick
Vermeil to overhaul
the organization and
win back the teams
fans is hardly far-
fetched. Said one
team insider: Its
certainly not as crazy
as it appeared to be
when they brought
him in 11 years ago.
He is one guy who is
capable of taking
control and really
steering the ship.
Niners WR Bryant
Johnson has nothing
but good things to say
about QB J.T. OSulli-
van. J.T. has a strong
leadership quality that
he brings to the hud-
dle,Johnson told
PFW. He handles all
the peaks and valleys
in a game with great
poise. We have a real
trust factor in his abil-
ity to make a big play,
and he has a real
strong arm.
Daily observers re-
main puzzled by Seat-
tles decision to keep
two placekickers
Olindo Mare and
sixth-round rookie
Brandon Coutu
on the roster. Mare
appears to have won
the starting job, and
in a perfect world, we
hear the club would
like to stash Coutu on
the practice squad. In
order to do that, how-
ever, it would have to
release him first,
opening up the possi-
bility that hed be
signed by another
team.
Greatly overshadowed by the
eye-popping production of starting
WRs Larry Fitzgerald and An-
quan Boldin in the early stages of
the 2008 season is the clear-cut
emergence of second-year WR
Steve Breaston as the Cardinals
No. 3 receiver. The team is still
saying that its a close call between
Steve and Jerheme Urban for
that role, but that really doesnt
seem to be the case, one daily
Cardinals observer told PFW.
(Through three games), Steve
hasnt gotten a lot of opportunities,
but he has caught everything that
has been thrown his way, and a few
of them were key grabs. In Week
Three, Breaston had no catches. It
had also been assumed by many
close to the scene that the Cardi-
nals would reduce Breastons role
as the teams primary return spe-
cialist, with J.J. Arrington becom-
ing more involved in that capacity,
but Breaston has carried the kick-
return load up to now.
We hear the 49ers couldnt be
happier with the way former Cardi-
nals No. 3 WR Bryant Johnson is
adjusting to being a full-time
starter. Said one team insider: He
has the highest catch rate on the
team (through two games), hes got
good size and, man, is he physical!
He definitely has the potential to be
the No. 1 guy.Although were sure
Johnson would have no problem if
that happened, hes very happy
right now just being a key factor in
the lively offense choreographed by
new coordinator Mike Martz that
he thought would eventually come
together, even though it looked ter-
rible at times in training camp. It
was all just so new to everybody,
Johnson told PFW. It took a while
to figure it out and get into that at-
tack mode. But its done nothing
but keep building up. It was just a
matter of getting into a rhythm and
minimizing mistakes.Johnson has
caught 10 passes for 151 yards and
a touchdown through Week Three.
Even though he was inactive in
Week Three with a hamstring in-
jury, it still appears newly acquired
Koren Robinson has become the
Seahawks X-factor in the truest
sense of the word. After the latest
WR injuries (to Logan Payne and
backup QB/WR option Seneca
Wallace in Week Two), the coaches
were all saying, We just dont have
an X (receiver), and thats what
Koren is, a longtime team insider
told PFW. With a week off due to a
bye, Robinson is expected to be the
teams best option at split end
moving forward as a replacement
for Nate Burleson, one of three
Seahawks pass catchers to go
down with season-ending injuries
already this season. Both Bobby
Engramand Deion Branch are
also expected to return to action in
Week Five in their customary roles
at flanker and in the slot, respec-
tively, with Robinson also likely to
become involved as a kick returner
in the coming weeks.
Team sources tell us Rams head
coach Scott Linehans job secu-
rity is on increasingly shaky ground
following the strong message that
was delivered in no uncertain
terms by Rams owner Chip
Rosenbloomthe day after the
teams 40-13 Week Two loss to the
Giants in its disappointing home
opener.
The level of play is not accept-
able to me or anybody in the or-
ganization, Rosenbloom told the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Things
will get better, and if they dont,
changes will be made.
If the local media had their
druthers, the changes would come
soon and would be wide-ranging.
Numerous critics are blaming long-
time president/football opera-
tions/GM Jay Zygmunt as much,
if not more so, for the current mess
as Linehan, who, as hard as he has
tried, has been unable to stop the
bleeding that has turned the Rams'
franchise into a leaguewide embar-
rassment, a situation that Rosen-
bloom is having a hard time
tolerating.
Chip is pretty fed up, one long-
time team insider said.
An in-season coaching change
would be a dramatic departure for
the Rams organization; the last
time it happened was in 1962,
when Bob Waterfield resigned
eight games into the season after a
1-7 start.
It has been suggested by more
than a few local critics that Linehan
resign for his own good, as well as
that of the franchise, but there are
no indications that he is seriously
considering abandoning ship.
But the possibility that he might
get fired, perhaps soon, has be-
come a different story altogether,
with the teams fractured fan base
becoming increasingly disillu-
sioned with the sorry product on
the field.
If Rosenbloom were to pull the
plug on Linehan, team sources be-
lieve the most likely interim options
would be either offensive coordina-
tor Al Saunders or defensive co-
ordinator Jim Haslett.
But, as one source close to the
scene put it, Thats a very delicate
situation, when you look at how
poorly both the offensive and de-
fensive units have performed.
Haslett is probably better-
suited, with (assistant head
coach/linebackers) Rick Venturi
capable of taking over the defense,
but neither option seems real at-
tractive right now.
Rams head coach Scott Linehan is on the hot seat after a rough 0-3 start, including a 37-13 loss in Week Three.
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49ERS
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
ST. LOUIS
RAMS
12 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
FEATURE
By Matt Sohn
Associate editor
T
rent Edwards is hesitant to call the comeback drive
he directed vs. the Jaguars in Week Two a seminal mo-
ment. A watershed moment to outsiders, maybe, but
not for the second-year quarterback of the Bills. There
werent any flashbacks to his All-America prep years at Los
Gatos (Calif.) High School, no reflecting on the praise that
Bill Walsh branded him with months before the Hall of
Fame coachs passing, no visions of how everything hed
worked so hard for had led to this moment this moment
that could serve as the catalyst to a career of NFL glory.
No, to the 24-year-old Edwards, this was his opportu-
nity to put a stamp on an early-season game. Nothing more,
nothing less.
The only thing that mattered was letting all the guys
in the huddle know that I had a lot left, Edwards said. Be-
cause if they see the way Im reacting, thats the energy that
theyre going to respond with.
At that moment, the players in Buffalos huddle need-
ed everything they could muster. Such is the case after play-
ing 52 minutes of football in the saturated, 90-degree sauna
of Jacksonville, Fla. With eight minutes left in the fourth
quarter and down by six points, Buffalo needed to march
74 yards against the physical Jaguars defense.
Edwards met the challenge. A 12-yard completion to
Roscoe Parrish got the Bills their initial first down. A loft-
ed 37-yard toss to Lee Evans down the left sideline
brought them inside the red zone. And the deft touch on
a seven-yard connection with James Hardy in the corner
of the endzone sent a drained-yet-inspired Bills team with-
in an extra point of taking a 2-0 record back to Orchard
Park.
As impressive as his performance in Jacksonville was,
Edwards stunning comeback effort last Sunday against
the Raiders might have topped it. Rebounding from a for-
gettable first half in which his accuracy waned under heavy
pressure from a relentless pass rush, Edwards channeled
his inner Frank Reich, orchestrating touchdown and field-
goal drives on Buffalos final two series to pull off a time-
expiring, one-point victory.
Were only in our second year together, but right
away I think there are things you notice about him, Bills
head coach Dick Jauron said. He has a presence about
him. He has a confidence. Its not cocky, but he knows he
can do it. Hes willing to work at it.
With Edwards plying his craft, the dreariness that usu-
ally accompanies the shortening of days in Buffalo is be-
ing staved off by the shimmering showings of the 2008
Bills. In pulling off the improbable vs. the Raiders, the Bills
find themselves 3-0 for the first time since 1992. More im-
portantly, theyre poised to crash the postseason party for
the first time since 1999, which would end the AFCs longest
playoff drought in the process.
The triumph over Oakland was a fitting reminder of the
divergent paths Edwards and fellow second-year passer
JaMarcus Russell have taken in their young careers. No.
1 overall pick Russell was the one anointed as the profes-
sional prototype during the 2007 evaluation period, the
one who had scouts drooling over his once-in-a-decade
physical skills. Edwards, the introspective, cerebral kid from
Stanford, arrived in Buffalo as a third-rounder with far less
fanfare. It was his intangibles that drew the interest of Buf-
falo, which gambled that hed be around in Round Three
despite ranking 30th on its board.
At the time, there was uncertainty in Buffalo as to
whether J.P. Losman, in whom the Bills invested a first-
round selection during the 2004 draft, would emerge as
the answer under center theyd been searching for ever since
favorite son Jim Kelly hung up the pads. In many ways,
Edwards represented the antithesis of Losman. Losman
was the strong-armed, fleet-footed gunslinger whose in-
decisiveness in the pocket frustrated his coaches. Edwards
ability was rooted in his prodigious understanding of the
mental side of the game, as his raw talent didnt induce
awe. Just which member of the QB dichotomy should be
Buffalos quarterback of the future wasnt known.
I didnt have any conversation with the general man-
ager (Marv Levy) or coaches about what my role would
be when I was drafted, Edwards said.
It didnt take him long to earn Jaurons nod of approval.
On his very first professional series, he led Buffalo on an
80-yard touchdown drive in Week Three against New Eng-
land after Losman suffered a first-quarter knee sprain. Nev-
ertheless, Jauron platooned the two throughout the sea-
son, and it wasnt until after the dust had settled on 2007
that Edwards was installed as the permanent starter.
Jaurons decision to forge ahead with the quick-think-
ing Edwards crystallized upon promoting QB coach
Turk Schonert to offensive coordinator after Steve
Fairchild took his deliberate, run-first offense to Colorado
State. Schonert, also of Stanford pedigree, needed the in-
stincts, vision and quick trigger of a player such as Edwards
to operate the calculated chaos of his offense.
We have a lot more shifts, motions and guys coming
out of the backfield than we did last year, Edwards said.
The idea is to switch up the tempo on defenses. Weve im-
plemented more no-huddle, two-minute-drill looks, too,
and we ll be using them more in the coming weeks.
The production has mirrored Schonerts expectations.
Through three games, Edwards has completed 63-of-94
passes (67 percent) for 733 yards with three touchdowns
and just one interception.
He takes experience and he grows from it, Jauron said.
He can process information from Turk through (QB coach)
Alex (Van Pelt) into the helmet and into the huddle. Thats
critical, not getting confused doing it, handling it in the
manner it needs to be handled.
Yet for as seamlessly as Edwards has transitioned into
the starring role for the AFC East leaders, adjusting to life
nearly 3,000 miles away from his West Coast roots pre-
sented a set of challenges far different from mastering the
three-WR spread. It was a challenge none of Schonerts
schematic expertise could account for, requiring Ed-
wards to enlist the aid of someone more intimately wo-
ven in the fabric of his life.
Its been great having my sister live with me, Edwards
said of his 31-year-old sister, Shelby, who helps coordinate
the daily domesticities for the duo when shes not help-
ing wayward teens at a Buffalo-area drug and alcohol re-
habilitation center. Its nice having someone thats there
for you who knows where youre from, knows a lot of the
same people you do and loves you.
Edwards need not worry should big sis move out. Le-
gions of Bills fans have learned to love him, too.
Buffalo can thank quick-study QB Trent Edwards for putting
it in position to grab its first playoff berth in nine seasons
13 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
FITTING
THE BILL
Bills QB Trent Edwards has thrived in new coordinator Turk
Schonerts offense, which takes advantage of Edwards in-
stincts, vision and quick trigger.
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14 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
PITTSBURGH In a town that reveres defense, the Pitts-
burgh Steelers believe theyre developing the next gener-
ation of matinee idols.
In the 1970s, it wasnt so much about Terry Bradshaw and
Franco Harris as it was the Steel Curtain. And in the 1990s,
Blitzburgh wrought not only pressure, but folk songs that
are sung to this day in the hills of northern Ap-
palachia.
Even last season, when Steelers fans and me-
dia had a franchise record for touchdown passes to celebrate,
they gushed over James Harrison, the pass rusher whose
teammates had voted him as their MVP.
Harrison is one of the new breed of Steelers linebackers.
When Mike Tomlin arrived as head coach in 2007, it was
his first order of business.
They seem pretty interested in me, Purdues Anthony
Spencer said of the Steelers at the 07 Indianapolis Scout-
ing Combine. They told me they have an older LB
corps.
The Steelers didnt draft Spencer that April. They instead
selected ILB Lawrence Timmons with the 15th pick of the
first round. And then they drafted OLB LaMarr Woodley
in the second round. Tomlin established a tone with those
first two draft picks, and he released Joey Porter, plugged
in Harrison, and the overhaul was under way. A year-and-
a-half later, the results are starting to emerge.
Youd be hard-pressed to find a better group as a
whole, Steelers FS Ryan Clark said. You may
be able to find better individual linebackers,
but youre not going to find a better unit.
Theyre all great complements to each other. There are the
two guys outside, Woodley and James, who nobody seems
to be able to block. Theres (LILB) James Farrior, who, in
his 12th year, hasnt slowed down, lines everybody up, and
makes all the checks up front. (RILB) Larry Foote, who I
think is highly underrated, has been a star for four or five
years now and still doesnt get the credit he deserves. And
then youve got a young guy like Lawrence Timmons
coming in and knocking people out, blitzing, running all
around the field. I think its a tough group. And its a tough
group to scout.
A tough group to scout?
JUST LIKE
By JIM WEXELL
Aswarming
LB corps
oozing with
potential has
revitalized
the Steelers
defense
James Harrison LaMarr Woodley James Farrior
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Because youve got to prepare for all the things they can
do, Clark continued. When you bring in Lawrence Tim-
mons, hes basically doing what Troy Polamalus been do-
ing for a lot of years. Then you have to figure out when is
James Harrison coming? When is LaMarr Woodley com-
ing? Are they both coming? Is James Farrior going to cov-
er the deep middle? Do you know what I mean? And a big
part of that has to do with Coach (Dick) LeBeau knowing
how to handle each individual person to their strength, know-
ing what downs to bring Lawrence in, knowing when to use
Larry, when to put LaMarr in coverage.
The Steelers, of course, play a 3-4 defense that requires
linemen to absorb blocks so that linebackers can make plays.
So far in this short season, the play on the field has followed
that thinking. Through three games, the Steelers have 10
sacks, with seven coming from the linebackers. Seven of the
sacks have come against two teams Houston and Cleve-
land that ranked in the top six last season in fewest sacks
allowed. Never before had Texans QB Matt Schaub been
sacked more than three times in a game, and the Steelers
got to him five times three times by Harrison, the man
Joey Porter used to call Silverback, but the man whos now
referred to as Deebo.
Its from an old movie called Friday, Farrior said. There
was a guy in the movie, a big bully in the neighborhood, called
Deebo. Silverback was good, but Deebo seems to fit bet-
ter nowadays, because hes like the bully on the block.
Everybodys got their own part, Foote said, but definite-
ly the superstar is James Harrison. No doubt about it. Hes
got the it, that factor where they cant handle him. It gets
to the point where they watch him on film and know they
cant do anything with him. Hes a force.
Harrison on one end has opened the door for Woodley,
the former pass-rushing defensive end from Michigan. A
strong-side bull rusher in the Kevin Greene mold, Wood-
ley had six sacks in limited action (counting the playoff game
vs. Jacksonville) last season. In his first start, against Hous-
ton, he sacked Schaub, intercepted a pass and recovered a
fumble that was forced by Harrison.
I told them at one point to let us make some plays, DE
Brett Keisel said. Woodley even stole a fumble from me.
Im like, Come on, dude, give us a little bit.
Inside are Foote and Farrior, the 33-year-old who was
just signed to a five-year contract extension a rare move
for the cost- (and age-) conscious Steelers. But Farrior is
coming off a career-high 6
1
2-sack season and hasnt lost
a step. The Steelers also realize how difficult his position
buck inside linebacker is to master. They also real-
ize that Farrior, a hard worker who doesnt miss many, if
any, practices, is the perfect mentor for Timmons, the 22-
year-old who was a wrecking ball this preseason with a
team-high 20 tackles. With his speed and suddenness, Tim-
mons is the starter-in-waiting as he replaces Foote on pass-
ing downs.
I really think its going to be a good group, Farrior said.
I think its got an opportunity to be one of the great groups
around here, and we all know the tradition of linebackers
in Pittsburgh.
Jim Wexell is the publisher of Scout.coms SteelCityIn-
sider.com Web site. His new book Steeler Nation: A Pitts-
burgh Team, An American Phenomenon is available at
PittsburghSportsPublishing.com.
15 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
WIZARD OF ZONE BLITZ LEBEAU
IS ENERGIZED BY LB CORPS
James Harrison calls him the wizard of defense.Troy Polamalu cant
understand why hes not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Schematically, Polamalu said, Dick LeBeau changed the game.
LeBeau is the defensive coordinator, the wizard behind the Steel-
ers zone-blitz, 3-4 defense. He concocted the scheme in the mid-1980s
while working for the Cincinnati Bengals, and in Super Bowl XXIII it gave
Joe Montana fits for 59 minutes.
LeBeau became the Steelers defensive coordinator in the mid-1990s
and Blitzburgh was born. He left, and Blitzburgh died, but LeBeau
came back in 2004 and the Steelers
went from 6-10 to 15-1 that season,
and won a Super Bowl championship
the next.
You turn on the Super Bowl and
were playing the Cowboys (1996)
and were running the same thing,
Steelers RILB Larry Foote said.
Every team knows it, but thats
where the talent kicks in.
Last year, the pass-rushing talent
dipped, but the Steelers were still the
NFLs No. 1-ranked defense. The dip
in sacks to 36 became a concern, but
LeBeau believes the infusion of
youth will bring the number back up.
These guys are very good
blitzers, LeBeau said. Some of our young guys are showing a pen-
chant for blitzing effectively. We like to try to give them an opportunity
to do what we do well, and Ive never been averse to putting a little pres-
sure on the quarterback.
This season marks the 50th in the NFLfor LeBeau. He had been hop-
ing to last this long but doesnt agree with those expecting him to re-
tire now that hes accomplished his goal.
I did want to make 50 years,he said. But were going to take it one
snap at a time. Its what weve been doing for several years. If we play
defense like we did last year, its going to be hard to give it up. Well see.
Jim Wexell
OLD TIMES
Steelers defensive
coordinator Dick LeBeau
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Larry Foote Lawrence Timmons
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REPLACING
A LEGEND
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
The National Football League Players Association lost its backbone when
Gene Upshaw suddenly passed away on Aug. 21, leaving the NFLPA without its
strongest voice at a time that could not be any more important for the players,
ownership and the overall health of the NFL.
Upshaw took the job in 1983 when the union was flat broke and could not af-
ford to pay his salary. He had to borrow money at the time to keep the unions
doors open. The average player then was commanding a $90,000 salary.
Fast-forward 25 years, and no professional sports union enjoys a bigger piece
of overall revenues, and no pro sport has en-
joyed more peace in labor negotiations and
overall prosperity in franchise values. Upshaw,
with the strong support of general counsel
Richard Berthelsen and outside counsel Jeffrey
Kessler, negotiated a CBA that was so favorable
to the players that ownership decided to opt out
of the agreement early, leaving March 2010 as
the time the salary cap and NFL draft as they
are known would disappear, potentially creat-
ing a freewheeling, uncontrolled bidding war as
it is in baseball, where the Yankees and Red Sox
continually stock their rosters with the highest-
paid talent while the Marlins and Pirates floun-
der with low payrolls.
Upshaws departure has shifted the upper
hand of power into the hands of NFL owner-
ship, creating a dire need for an authoritative
union boss in Upshaws mold. The NFLPA re-
cently sought permission to hire an executive
search firm to identify a pool of candidates
from which NFL player representatives will
vote. A majority vote, or 17 of 32 player reps,
will be needed for a candidate to win election.
Before the executive search firm begins its
process, PFW surveyed a wide-ranging group of
league sources to determine who was most deserving and most likely to replace
Upshaw. After polling owners, executives and agents, the name that surfaced
most prominently as the top candidate to replace Upshaw was his very own
agent, former NFLPA president and current Creative Artists Agency football di-
vision head Tom Condon the only candidate who might boast even more im-
pressive qualifications than the legend in need of being replaced.
Kessler, Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong were mentioned as distant sec-
ondary candidates, along with other shot-in-the-dark candidates, some of
whom have begun openly campaigning for the job. What follows is a break-
down of the most qualified candidates based on extensive feedback.
TOM CONDON
AGE 56 (turns 57 on Oct. 26)
COMPANY Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
TITLE Co-head of Football Division
NotesWalked on at Boston College, where he played guard, earned
a scholarship and became a team captain. Was drafted in the 10th
round (250th overall) by the Chiefs in the 1974 NFL draft and played
11 years for the Chiefs and one for the New England Patriots, starting
10 seasons as a guard. Earned his juris doctor from the University of
Baltimore in 1981 while still playing and served as president of the NFLPAfrom 1984-86.
Headed up the football division of International Management Group (IMG) and became
known for representing top quarterbacks, from Peyton Manning to Matt Ryan. Currently
co-heads the football division of CAA, representing more than 120 NFLplayers, includ-
ing Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tony Gonzalez and Steve Hutchinson. Has repre-
sented more first-round draft picks than any other agency and was named the most
powerful sports agent in any sport by The Sports Business Journal in 2008. Has nego-
tiated the richest deal in NFLhistory for Manning, which included a record $34.5 million
signing bonus, and has negotiated 15 contracts
that included at least $20 million in guaranteed
money. Also represented Gene Upshaw and
served as chief negotiator of the NFL Officials
Association, which signed a six-year deal in 2001
that doubled members salaries. Has served as a
trustee of the NFL players unions trust funds
for nearly 25 years.
Positives Thoroughly understands the CBA
and union/NFLissues. Has dealt with NFL own-
ers regularly over his storied career and has es-
tablished personal relationships with many of
them. Is known to be a very effective advocate
for NFL players and always has driven a hard
bargain for his clients. Team executives with
whom he has tangoed say he has brass balls.
Very, very tough, hard-nosed negotiator. Will not
be easily influenced by the billionaire-owner
vote. Consistently has produced record-break-
ing NFLcontracts. Aunion man at heart who al-
ways has looked after the best interests of the
players, having been a player himself. Possesses
intimate working knowledge from having served
as NFLPApresident and having acted as the ad-
viser to former executive director Upshaw. Has
remained very current with the challenges the
game faces. Not a self-promoter. Extremely de-
termined, persistent and loyal. Very savvy,
knowledgeable and battle-tested. Has a very
strong presence, described as a charming
front man and is highly respected despite his tough negotiating style.
Negatives Can be too tough and demanding in negotiations. Has been a part of lock-
outs as an NFLPAplayer rep, NFLPAadviser and NFL officials chief negotiator.
Summary A highly respected power broker with the deep negotiating prowess, in-
side knowledge and wealth of experience from every angle as an accomplished vet-
eran player, former NFLPApresident and player agent to replace Upshaw seamlessly.
Most highly prepared to carry the torch of the players union. Currently runs one of the
most prolific sports representation practices in the country and might not be easily
enticed to leave, but there is not a candidate whose qualifications so closely mirror
Upshaws, if not exceed them, and is considered to be the slam-dunk, Ivy League
candidate most qualified for the job by many around the league.
After NFL owners decided to opt out of
the current Collective Bargaining Agreement,
the onus to find the right replacement for
Gene Upshaw is more critical than ever
EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS
16 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
P
F
W
A
R
C
H
I
V
E
S
Tom Condon shares many of the traits that made Gene Upshaw
thrive, including an accomplished career in the NFLs trenches.
TROY VINCENT
AGE 37
COMPANY Business ventures
TITLE Entrepreneur
NotesWas drafted seventh
overall in the 1992 NFL draft
by the Miami Dolphins after a
standout career at the University of Wiscon-
sin. After four seasons in Miami, signed with
the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was a
mainstay for eight seasons before finishing
his career with the Buffalo Bills and a short
stint with the Washington Redskins. Was a
five-time Pro Bowl selection (1999-2003),
recording 894 tackles, 47 interceptions and
three TDs in his career. Was named the
NFLs Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2002.
Served a four-year term as the president of
the NFLPA, which expired on March 18,
2008. Described by some evaluators as a
first-ballot Hall of Fame talent, Vincent has
become involved in multiple entrepreneurial
business ventures following his departure
from the game.
Positives Very articulate and eloquent and
can win over a room. Good communication
skills. Has experience working with ownership
and the commissioners office as a former
NFLPA president. Well-versed businessman.
Relates well to the player membership.
Negatives Too young and possesses very
little negotiating experience. Not a consen-
sus builder was not on speaking terms
with Upshaw for six months prior to his pass-
ing after attempting to usurp more authority
and undermining Upshaws position. Has
been called too smart for his own good by
numerous NFL executives. Self-promoter
who selfishly acted to build allies within the
NFLPA and advance his own causes to gain
more control. Integrity has been questioned
by some. Too motivated by selfish agendas
and described as not scholarly enough by
one executive.
Summary Not nearly as ready as he might
think he is and is being endorsed favorably
by some team executives who see him as the
least likely to create a lockout. Is the most
likely to cave in to ownership and be per-
suaded by very influential owners. Described
as an owners favorite, Vincent can be ex-
pected to make concessions and put con-
trolling power of the CBAback into the hands
of NFL ownership.
17 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
TRACE ARMSTRONG
AGE 42 (turns 43 on Oct. 5)
COMPANY CAA
TITLE Coaches agent
Notes Drafted 12th overall
in the 1989 NFL draft by the
Chicago Bears before enjoying
an All-Rookie season as a defensive end.
After six productive seasons with the Bears,
was traded to the Miami Dolphins, where his
voice grew stronger in league matters as he
became the youngest player to serve as an
NFLPAplayer representative. Served as pres-
ident of the NFLPA from 1996-2004 (longer
than any other president) under Upshaw and
worked through three Collective Bargaining
Agreements. Was voted to the Pro Bowl once
in 2000 after leading the AFC in sacks (16
1
2)
and spent the next three injury-plagued sea-
sons in Oakland. Recorded 106 career sacks
prior to being released by the Raiders in
March 2004. Founded a successful fitness
equipment manufacturing company called
GoFit with his best friend in college in 1999.
Had an active role in the company until ac-
cepting a position with CAA in 2007, where
he headed up the coaching division and cur-
rently represents Marty Schottenheimer.
Positives Accomplished former player
with extensive knowledge of the inner work-
ings of the NFLPA from having served four
terms as president and having worked along-
side Upshaw. Persistent and hardworking.
Helped quadruple the size of players bene-
fits package during his term as president.
Helped doctor the players medical bill of
rights and pushed the helmet industry to de-
velop the first new helmet in 25 years.
Negatives Does not have extensive negoti-
ating experience. Has been criticized as being
too out of touchwith the current players and
too eager to pass the buck when things do not
go his way. Lacks humility to accept fault. Has
not stayed committed to one field following re-
tirement and has bounced from one job to the
next in search of the next big thing.
Summary Former player with a strong
NFLPA background, Armstrong has been
groomed for more responsibility, but he might
struggle being elected by a membership with
whom he has lost touch. Despite his successes,
his entrepreneurial spirit has detracted from
his commitment to a single endeavor, which
the executive director chair will require.
JEFFREY KESSLER
AGE 54
COMPANY Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP
TITLE Co-chairman of the global
litigation & sports litigation de-
partments
Notes Has served as pri-
mary outside counsel to the
NFLPA since 1989, when he helped devise a
new legal strategy that led to the decertifica-
tion of the union and the filing of the Free-
man McNeil antitrust case, which eventually
led to the free-agency and salary-cap system
that the NFL instituted in 1993. Has exten-
sive experience in all aspects of antitrust law,
sports law and intellectual property and has
advised the National Basketball Players As-
sociation, Arena Football League Players As-
sociation, the National Hockey League
Players Association, Major League Baseball
Players Association, the National Invitational
Tournament and the NFL Coaches Associa-
tion. Also is a lecturer-in-law at Columbia
Law School, where he teaches a course on
complex litigation.
Positives Extremely intelligent and has
been described as always being the
smartest guy in the room.Very experienced,
diverse litigator. Has a rich understanding of
the major issues involved in the Collective
Bargaining Agreement. Has thrived in com-
plex litigation and understands the major is-
sues facing the union. Is the foremost
authority on labor law issues. Very aggres-
sive. Sees the big picture and is very creative
devising winning legal strategies.
Negatives Has never played professional
football and does not have the accomplished
status or playing experience to relate to the
stresses NFL players endure. Is not viewed
as a leader who would thrive in an authorita-
tive role as the voice of the players. Has di-
verse interests and might not be challenged
enough focusing on one issue. Could poten-
tially require a salary larger than Upshaws.
Summary Described as the man most
feared by NFL owners, Kessler possesses the
legal mind and litigation experience to drive
the NFLPA and has played as critical a role in
CBA negotiations as anyone. However, he
lacks the presence and NFL playing experi-
ence to relate easily to the player membership
and is best working in a behind-the-scenes
role as a key adviser and strategist.
UPSHAWS TRAITS
The following traits were
mentioned by those who knew
and regularly interacted with
Gene Upshaw as his most en-
dearing qualities that allowed
him to accomplish so much in
his long tenure as NFLPAs exec-
utive director:
Persistence A dogged com-
petitor who would dig, dig and
dig deeper when the going got
tough, Upshaw had no quit in
him. As one owner said, Once
he got his teeth in you, he was
really hard to shake.
Integrity Described as having
unassailableintegrity, Upshaw
would not accept any gratuitous
gifts or special treatment from
owners seeking to influence his
position. His character was
rock-solid.
Humility NFLPA co-workers
say he treated the lowest em-
ployee like he did NFL owners.
An owner said Upshaw always
understood the game was big-
ger than himself and his cause.
Intelligence Became more
known as a leader representing
players than for his prowess as a
player. Understood all the issues
and knew how to carve up gross
revenues.
Selfless A former offensive
lineman who let his perform-
ance on the field do the talking,
Upshaw was not one to blow his
own horn or self-promote, re-
gardless of how much unwar-
ranted criticism he received.
Savvy Described as having
great awareness of his sur-
roundings, Upshaw understood
how ownership sought to
change his position and when to
push or pull back from his lever-
age points.
Presence Afirst-ballot Hall of
Fame offensive lineman who
was never out of touch with
todays players, Upshaw com-
manded great respect from his
membership. When negotia-
tions were not going smoothly,
colleagues say he did not ap-
pear the least bit concerned and
stuck to his plan.
Toughness Was very strong-
willed as a negotiator, refusing to
be bullied by anyone. Knew when
to put his foot down and did not
blink in difficult situations.
Tireless Incredibly hardwork-
ing and did not fatigue.
Robert Smith Ex-Vikings run-
ner retired from the game early
and recently was appointed to
serve on the executive board by
Upshaw. The 36-year-old is a very
intelligent, worldly scholar who
has studied medicine and astron-
omy and currently serves as an
analyst for ESPN, but he has not
been intimately involved in union
issues, has little negotiating expe-
rience and is said to be out of
touch with todays membership.
David Cornwell A highly visi-
ble, 20-year veteran sports and
entertainment lawyer who has
represented the individual inter-
ests of many players and formerly
worked as the general counsel for
Leigh Steinberg, Cornwell lacks
playing experience and intimate
union knowledge.
Mike Kenn A former Pro Bowl
offensive tackle for the Falcons
(1978-94) and former NFLPA
president (1989-96), the self-pro-
moting Kenn (now a transporta-
tion lobbyist in Georgia) is among
the few candidates who has
openly petitioned for the job.
However, he has been removed
from the NFL landscape for too
long and has diverse interests.
Jamir Miller Openly campaign-
ing for the job, Miller served as a
player rep during his eight-year
career with the Cardinals and
Browns. Forced out of the game
by an Achilles injury, the 34-year-
old lacks the negotiating experi-
ence, union knowledge and
presence the position demands.
Martin Mayhew Currently the
assistant GM of the Detroit
Lions, Mayhew is a dark-horse
candidate recommended by his
executive peers for his intelli-
gence, charisma and NFL expe-
rience.
Fred Nance The managing di-
rector of law firm Squire,
Sanders & Dempsey LLC and
personal attorney of LeBron
James, Nance was one of five fi-
nalists for the NFL commis-
sioner job. However, he lacks
accomplished player status and
the intimate union knowledge
desired.
THE REST
OPINION
PUBLISHERS PEN Hub Arkush, publisher/editor
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S
everal issues ago in this space I ques-
tioned why so many of the NFLs best
wide receivers are so socially chal-
lenged. Reporting on the likes of T.O.,
Ocho Cinco, Javon Walker, Steve Smith,
Chris Henry and others can certainly
teach you the meaning of living and
working a bit too far out over ones skis.
Sitting in the press box at Soldier Field
observing the Week Three meeting be-
tween the Chicago Bears and the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers, I found myself puzzling
over the reality that so many NFL teams
in 2008 are so WR-challenged. While fo-
cusing on the QB issues of the Bucs,
Bears, Vikings, Titans, Dolphins, Jaguars
and Chiefs, ask yourself this: What do the
signalcallers for those teams have to work
with?
Perhaps Joey Galloway is the ageless
one for Tampa, but when he sat out Week
Three, all that was left was Ike Hilliard,
Michael Clayton, Dexter Jackson and
Maurice Stovall. As pathetic as that may
be, its a scarier group than Chicagos
Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis, Marty
Booker and Mark Bradley. And if youre
going to offer me a Devin Hester, I ll
show you an all-world kick and punt re-
turner whos about as much of a threat at
wideout as Alfonso Soriano and Adam
Dunn are to win Gold Gloves.
In Minnesota, it is as clear to me that
Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Robert Fer-
guson, Bobby Wade and Aundrae Allison
scare nobody as it is that Tarvaris Jackson
is still light-years away from being a QB.
Justin Gage, the Titans No. 1 wide re-
ceiver, wasnt good enough to play for the
Bears, and hes joined in Nashville by
Justin McCareins, Brandon Jones, Roy-
dell Williams, Chris Davis and Lavelle
Hawkins. While I believe the now-side-
lined Vince Young probably is his own
worst enemy, a few guys who can get open
and catch the ball certainly couldnt hurt.
The Jaguars committed to fixing the
WR position this offseason, but in Matt
Jones, Dennis Northcutt, Reggie
Williams, Troy Williamson, Mike Walker
and a wounded Jerry Porter, David Gar-
rard still doesnt have a threat to back a
run defense off the line of scrimmage.
Now, Im sure there are at least a few of
you out there who think Im being too
hard on these clubs or perhaps impatient
with some of the younger prospects I just
listed, but before we have that debate, ask
yourself this: If you check the waiver wires
for your fantasy football leagues, is there
one receiver from any of those clubs who
isnt available right now as a free agent?
There are other clubs that are just mar-
ginally better than the first five Ive men-
tioned. While Dwayne Bowe is an ex-
tremely impressive sophomore with the
Chiefs, they have no one even vaguely re-
sembling a No. 2, 3 or 4 on that roster.
The Ravens Derrick Mason is an oldie-
but-goodie, but no threat at all more than
10 yards down the field, and Mark Clay-
ton, Demetrius Williams and Yamon Fig-
urs are little or no threat to anybody. The
49ers are trying to make do with an aging
Isaac Bruce, Arnaz Battle and Bryant
Johnson, who couldnt hold on to the No.
3 spot in Arizona, and the Raiders have a
ton of bucks invested in Javon Walker,
Ronald Curry and Ashley Lelie but are
getting practically no return on their in-
vestment.
What is most telling to me about the
worst of these groups, going back to the
Bucs, Bears, Vikings, Jaguars and Titans,
is that each of those clubs is clear about
its desire to win games by playing defense
and running the ball. While that is a for-
mula that has worked in the past and is
certainly the safest way to go if executed
properly, you have to ask yourself what
are its chances of success in todays NFL?
Certainly the most impressive clubs in the
league over the past few years have been
the Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Steelers,
Cowboys, Giants and Packers. While all
will tell you they strive to run the football
and play defense, the other thing they all
have in common is solid QB play and star
power in their receiving corps.
T
empting as it might be to try, theres
no way to remove human fallibility
from the officiating process. So were
not among those who think a rules
change is in order after referee Ed
Hochulis blown call in the San Diego-
Denver game in Week Two.
The crucial call came with Denver at
the San Diego one-yard line, about a
minute to go in the game and the Charg-
ers leading 38-31. Broncos QB Jay Cutler
dropped back to pass, and the ball slipped
from his hand and bounced into the arms
of Chargers LB Tim Dobbins. Hochuli
ruled the play an incomplete pass.
Instant replay showed the call should
have been a fumble. But under a league
rule the ball could not go to the Chargers
because the whistle had blown. The Bron-
cos kept the ball, which was spotted at the
10, and went on to score a touchdown and
two-point conversion to win 39-38.
To his credit, Hochuli acknowledged
that he blew the call and said he felt terri-
ble about it. In a reply to some of the
hundreds of e-mails hes received from
angry Chargers fans, Hochuli wrote: Of-
ficials strive for perfection I failed mis-
erably. Although it does no good to say it,
I am very, very sorry.
But that may not be the end of the sto-
ry. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said
afterward that he expected the leagues
competition committee during the offsea-
son to review the rule that allowed Denver
to keep the ball. Mike Pereira, the NFLs
supervisor of officials, said the rule need-
ed to be reviewed and cited last years
change in the down-by-contact rule.
Until the 2007 season, down-by-con-
tact plays were not reviewable. That rule
was changed so that even if a fumble oc-
curred after the whistle had blown, the
team recovering the ball got possession if
instant replay showed the runner was not
yet down when he fumbled.
Goodell told The Associated Press that
the competition committee has distin-
guished in the past between down-by-
contact plays and situations like the one
in the Broncos-Chargers game because
there would be too much time between
the whistle and when somebody would be
able to recover the ball.
Thats an important difference, in our
view, and the reason this rule shouldnt be
changed because of Hochulis blown call.
Its one thing to let players play through
the whistle to recover a fumble. But to ex-
tend that to plays that are ruled incomplete
passes could subject players to unnecessary
risk of injury. QBs could be particularly
vulnerable in the post-whistle mayhem.
It was unfortunate that the blown call
had such a direct impact on the outcome
of the game. But to change the rule in re-
sponse would be an overreaction, and we
hope the competition committee avoids
the temptation.
We also hope that his bad call doesnt
wind up defining Hochulis career. We
agree with Goodells assessment that
Hochuli has been a fantastic referee. The
way hes handled himself since the game
has only raised his standing in our eyes.
WR corps is key component in winning
Blown call shouldnt spur change
Bengals fans deserve better
I really sympathize with Cincinnatis
fans. Even though he was a very good de-
fensive coordinator, I think by now even
the last supporters of Marvin Lewis real-
ize he just is not an effective head coach.
But the real problem, I suspect, is that
Mike Brown isnt much of a GM. Year after
year, Cincinnati continues to make the
same mistakes, selecting or acquiring
players who just dont measure up and
develop into good playmaking players.
The people at the top are not leaders who
can build a winning foundation and set
sail in a positive direction. Even now, tal-
ent-wise, theyre not that far away from
being a playoff-caliber team, yet they con-
tinue to stumble and lose, lose, lose. Still
the same old Cincinnati Bungles. And are
there any other people out there that like
those hideous uniforms, as my son does?
Typical decision making of this sorry or-
ganization showed when after FINALLY
doing the right thing and jettisoning Chris
Henry, they turn right around and try to
bring him back because of injuries. What
are they thinking? I can't imagine Cincin-
nati will EVER be more than the sorrowful
losers they are until Lewis and Brown are
no longer there and are replaced by some
people who really know what they are
doing. Sound familiar, Lions fans?
Gordon Craig, Crown Point, Ind.
Developing QBs the key
I think it's becoming obvious by watch-
ing the status of young quarterbacks
around the league that there is a right
and a wrong way to bring along a young
QB. You see young guys like Vince Young
and Tarvaris Jackson struggle while oth-
ers, such as Aaron Rodgers, are doing
well. Rodgers was allowed to sit and
watch for three years while his body and
mind matured. Young and Jackson were
thrown into the mix immediately. Quar-
terback might be the hardest position to
play in professional sports, and it is a rare
young man who can step right in and han-
dle the job. Ben Roethlisberger is one of
those. Young and Jackson might never re-
cover from their situations. Its impossi-
ble to say if it is their lack of talent or
maturity, or the mishandling of them by
their respective organizations that is to
blame. Look around the league and at the
needs of specific teams and you will see
that the QB position usually separates
the good teams from the bad, so teams
that know how to evaluate and develop
quarterbacks seem to always be at or
near the top of the standings.
Russ Hoover
18 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
OPINION
TV/RADIO Barry Jackson
E
ager to improve Monday Night Foot-
ball, ESPN assembled focus groups
in three cities this past offseason and
determined viewers want the announcers
to talk more about football (shocking!)
and arent fond of distracting graphics
(you dont say?).
But even after more tinkering, ESPNs
presentation of MNF still has issues, de-
spite consistently good work from Ron
Jaworski and Mike Tirico. Tony Korn-
heiser remains largely superfluous, at
times irritating, and ESPNs new graphics
seem more intrusive than they need to be.
As wonderfully gifted as Kornheiser is
as a writer and a host on Pardon The In-
terruption, the captivating Week Two
Cowboys-Eagles game reinforced that his
skills do not translate to MNF. Theres a
fine line between offering big-picture per-
spective and stating the obvious, and Ko-
rnheiser too often crosses that line.
In the Cowboys game, he told us re-
peatedly what a great game we were
watching and variations of that.
He emphasizes obvious points, noting
Donovan McNabb produces when
healthy and that Terrell Owens behavior
has overshadowed his accomplishments.
In Week One, Kornheiser drove every-
body nuts when he compared Packers QB
Aaron Rodgers to Brett Favre several
times during Packers-Vikings.
Kornheiser must stop telling us what
we see and what most of us already
know and focus on two areas:
Giving newsy nuggets and anecdotes
gleaned from research and interviews.
One example from Week Two: He said
Zach Thomas migraines were a result of
a deviated septum and hes fine now.
Engaging Jaworski in discussions
about strategy and other NFL issues and
asking him occasional questions of inter-
est to viewers. Kornheiser has done some
of both in two-plus years on MNF, and
this usually produces his best work, espe-
cially when he challenges Jaworskis opin-
ion on coaches decisions.
Occasional whimsical observations are
fine (he wondered in Week One why do
tennis players lay down on the middle of
the court after winning), but Kornheiser
must not overswing for puns. After view-
ers heard ESPN Deportes Spanish-lan-
guage call of Felix Jones kickoff-return
TD for Dallas, Kornheiser said, I took
high school Spanish, and that either
means Nobody is going to touch him or
Could you pick up my dry cleaning in the
morning? Its one of those two.
ESPN said it did not initially receive
any viewer complaints, but Kornheiser
after consulting with the networks pro-
duction team said later, on air, I said
something before I shouldnt have said. I
apologize for it.
As for the new graphics, ESPN wisely
placed the score/time graphic on the bot-
tom of the screen, rather than having it
drop down from the top. But its larger
than it needs to be because ESPN, the
Worldwide Leader in Self-Promotion,
separates it into two lines the bottom
half containing the words ESPN and
Monday Night Football. Unfortunately,
down and distance are left on screen only
part of the time between plays.
Thankfully, ESPN no longer invites
celebrities into the booth. And MNFs su-
perslow-motion replays are terrific.
Barry Jackson covers sports media for
the Miami Herald.
Kornheiser weak link on MNF telecast
CUMULATIVE EFFECT Jerry Magee
T
he last time I saw LaDainian Tomlin-
son, I did not see LT.
Let me explain.
In my town, the man the community
recognizes as LT is a figure of adoration, a
civic treasure, like Tony Gwynn. There is
no need to identify him by his full name,
or even to append periods following his
initials. He is simply LT.
LaDainian Tomlinson would have a dif-
ferent persona, more pedestrian, that of
LT before he was LT, if that makes sense.
What I am getting around to here is
that LT, the darling of fantasy football
leagues everywhere, is a running back
with decisiveness and vision and a keen
instinct for getting into endzones. But he
had none of these qualities when last ob-
served. He appeared to be pushing ahead
when he could gain at all.
In fairness, he was treading on a toe
that has been troublesome for him, yet I
have the feeling that weve seen the best
of LT, for this reason: Athletes who have
been exposed as long as he has to the
trauma that running backs absorb tend to
find that their skills are not eternal.
This is LTs eighth NFL season. Of the
backs whose busts decorate the corridors
of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Doak
Walker played only six seasons, Gale
Sayers only seven, and Sayers was
around for only two games in each of his
final two seasons. Jim Brown, widely re-
garded as the greatest of NFL backs, had
a career made up of just nine seasons.
After his seventh season, LT had car-
ried six more times than Brown did in
his time with the Cleveland Browns,
2,365-2,359. Clearly, the San Diego run-
ner has been hard used. Frank Gifford
had 840 carries, and he is in the Hall of
Fame. So is Marion Motley (828 carries)
and Charlie Trippi (697) and Walker
(309).
When a man is as active as LT has
been, the shots he has taken pile up, one
upon the other, creating a cumulative ef-
fect, slowing a mans step and limiting
his usefulness. To me, the tip-off on
where LT is in his career came when he
could not contribute during the AFC
championship game because of injury.
The last time I looked, the career ex-
pectancy of an NFL running back was
four seasons. LT has doubled that, but it
would be unrealistic to expect that he
can be the player he was in earlier years.
Most running backs, I would argue,
are more skilled when they are playing
in college than when they move on to the
NFL and begin being assaulted by the
giants afoot in professional defenses. For
how running backs erode, I can offer
Earl Campbell.
He would have a Hall of Fame career,
but the Campbell I saw that afternoon
was doing things he could not do in the
closing phase of his eight years as a pro.
On an excursion I made with a Charg-
ers scout during a period when NFL
players were striking, I happened to be
in Starkville, Miss., when Georgia was
there to engage Mississippi State. On
that Georgia team was Herschel Walker.
I can only say, Wow! Walker was a far
more accomplished athlete as a collegian
than he when he was playing for money.
All those shots he had taken finally got
to Walker. They get to them all.
Jerry Magee has covered pro football for
the San Diego Union-Tribune since 1961
and for PFW since its inception in 1967.
Best of Tomlinson is likely behind him
A-BOMBS
Titans D delivers again
Substituting flat-out dominance with
more of a bend-but-dont-break ap-
proach, Tennessees defense continued to
shine in a 31-12 victory over the division-
rival Texans that moved the Titans record
to 3-0 for the first time since 1999. Titans
QB Kerry Collins was workmanlike on
the other side of the ball, which is all he
has to be with the defense spearheading
a string of six straight regular-season
wins dating back to 2007. Houston moved
the ball with a lot more effectiveness than
the Titans first two opponents this sea-
son, but it scored only 12 points despite
getting inside the Tennessee 14 six times.
Texans QB Matt Schaub was sacked
three times, including once by DT Albert
Haynesworth, who is averaging a sack
per game and is a strong early candidate
for Defensive MVP honors. But the real
saving grace was a pass defense that reg-
istered three interceptions, including a
game-clinching, franchise-record 99-yard
pick for a score by Cortland Finnegan.
The Titans have pilfered at least two
passes in every game up to now.
Statement game for Martz
It appears the 49ers faith in Mike
Martz is being rewarded. San Franciscos
new offensive coordinator, whose claim to
fame is The Greatest Show on Turf of-
fense he put together as the former head
coach of the Rams, pulled out all the
stops in the Niners convincing 31-13
home victory against Detroit, the team
that made him the scapegoat for its sec-
ond-half collapse last season. One of the
major beefs with Martz over the years has
been his reluctance to run the ball at the
expense of his freewheeling, gadget-
heavy passing attack. But with Marshall
Faulk clone Frank Gore spearheading a
182-yard ground attack, Martzs offense
served up an equal amount of misery for
the Lions defense both on the ground
and in the air. With Arizona coming down
to earth on the road against the Redskins,
the Niners are right in the thick of things
in the NFC West, with a major shootout
brewing down by the bayou in Week Four
against a Saints team that gained 502
yards but lost in Denver last Sunday.
Calamity in Cleveland
I had a feeling the Browns were a bit
overrated heading into the 2008 season,
but I didnt think they would be this awful.
One of the leagues most potent offenses
in 07 has become a real travesty, scoring
only a pair of touchdowns in three losses.
With no help whatsoever from his offen-
sive line (five sacks allowed), Browns QB
Derek Anderson continued to struggle
in Week Three, throwing for 125 yards
with three interceptions. He has yet to
pass for 200 yards this season after ac-
complishing that feat 11 times last season
and could be very close to being replaced
by 07 No. 1 draft pick Brady Quinn.
Dan Arkush un-
leashes his Week
Three reflections.
19 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
By Michael Blunda
Associate editor
Theres a reason why, about a month
ago, I picked Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown
as the player Id reach most for in fantasy
drafts. By the way, did you happen to catch
what he did on Sunday?
In case you missed it, Brown, facing the
heavily favored Patriots, had 17 carries for
113 yards and FOUR TDs in a 38-13 blowout
victory. And just for kicks, he threw a 19-yard
TD pass as well. Not bad for a guy splitting
carries on a rebuilding team.
Given Browns lackluster first two games,
nobody could have predicted his Week
Three explosion including me, who had
him on the bench in one league but its no
surprise that hes capable of such a monster
outing. After all, the dynamic back was
leading the league in yards from scrimmage
last season before a torn ACL derailed him
in Week Seven. On Sunday, less than a year
after having his knee repaired, he appeared
to pick up right where he had left off.
Congratulations if Browns knee issues
didnt scare you from drafting him, because
you might have another No. 1 fantasy run-
ning back on your hands. Thats right, with
the offensive creativity Miamis new coach-
ing staff is employing, a healthy Brown could
have a few more huge games going forward.
We already knew the 2005 first-rounder
could run it as a tailback, but Sunday he
showed us that he also can make an impact
lining up at QB. Taking direct snaps out of
the shotgun, Brown caught the defense off
guard and found huge running lanes all day.
He even proved to have a nice passing
touch, lofting a scoring toss to TE Anthony
Fasano. Could more of this be to come?
Well, Brown might not throw another TD
in 08, but he should continue to be the pre-
ferred goal-line option, meaning multi-
score games are a very real possibility. And
since QB Chad Pennington never is going
to be mistaken for Dan Marino, Brown will
see a plethora of rushing attempts in the
coming weeks as well.
All you Ricky Williams owners shouldnt
totally give up hope, though Williams still
could be productive as a complementary
back. Just dont expect him to win you any
fantasy matchups on his own.
If Browns knee holds up, he might be the
guy you ride to a fantasy title. And if Sun-
days effort didnt convince you, just look at
his schedule during the fantasy playoffs
vs. San Francisco (Week 15), at Kansas City
(Week 16) and at the Jets (Week 17). Pret-
ty enticing, right?
WEEK FOUR
Matchups to
exploit or avoid
Everyone runs on the Chiefs, and that
could mean a big week for Broncos RBs
Selvin Young and Michael Pittman.
Young is gaining a ridiculous 6.9 yards per
carry, and Pittman already has four TDs.
They each could be very productive in
what likely will be a Denver romp.
If youve been waiting for QB Carson
Palmer and WR Chad Ocho Cinco to
break out, this finally could be the week.
They get a lousy Browns defense on Sun-
day that they absolutely torched in Week
Two of last season. Palmer threw for 401
yards and six TDs in that game, and Ocho
Cinco had 209 yards and two scores of
his own. Start them.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, al-
ready dealing with various injuries, now
has to face the ferocious Ravens defense.
Baltimore already has shut down two pro-
lific QBs, so Big Ben isnt likely to air it out
often against them. With the Steelers
likely making a concerted effort to estab-
lish the run, try to use someone else this
week if you can.
Given Pittsburghs tremendous ability
to stop the run, this might not be the
week to play your Ravens. RBs Willis
McGahee and LeRon McClain looked
good on Sunday, but the Steelers will give
them a much bigger challenge. No rusher
has gained more than 43 yards against
them through three games.
MARKET REPORT
Stock rising
Texans RB STEVE SLATON
Houstons new lead dog; 116 yards, TD.
Eagles RB CORRELL BUCKHALTER
In line for major role if Westbrook is out.
Bengals RB CHRIS PERRY
Getting 20 carries per game.
Buccaneers WR ANTONIO BRYANT
QB Grieses top target; 10 rec., 138 yards.
Bears WR BRANDON LLOYD
Clearly Bears No. 1 WR; 124 yards, TD.
Stock falling
Texans QB MATT SCHAUB
Through two games: 1 TD, 5 INTs. Ouch.
Ravens RB RAY RICE
Took a backseat to McGahee and McClain.
Raiders WR RONALD CURRY
Zero receptions in past two games.
49ers TE VERNON DAVIS
Caught one pass in past two contests.
Eagles TE L.J. SMITH
No catches, injured back in Week Three.
Brown can do a lot for you
Dolphins RB Ronnie Browns huge game against the Patriots last week could mark the be-
ginning of a comeback season for the multi-dimensional star.
What has happened to Browns WR Bray-
lon Edwards? After scoring 16 TDs in his
breakout 2007, Edwards has eight catches
for 73 yards on the season. The awful play
of QB Derek Anderson hasnt helped, but
Edwards constant drops have him looking
like a huge bust. If he cant get on track this
week against the Bengals, look out below.
The injury situation to watch closely this
week is that of Eagles RB Brian
Westbrook. Westbrook hurt his ankle in the
first half Sunday and did not return, putting
his status for this week in question. If the
fantasy stud is sidelined, Correll Buckhal-
ter likely would become the teams work-
horse and would be a valuable addition.
Saints RB Reggie Bush might never be a
great pure runner, but his ability to catch the
ball out of the backfield makes him a
tremendous fantasy weapon. After catching
11 passes Sunday, Bush now has 26 recep-
tions for 250 yards this season, compared to
just 152 yards rushing. If he continues this
pace, hell finish with an eye-popping 139
catches and 2,144 yards from scrimmage.
Panthers WR Steve Smith returned on
Sunday from his two-game fighting suspen-
sion and led the team with four catches for
70 yards at Minnesota. Smith should im-
prove upon these numbers when he takes on
Atlantas poor secondary in Week Four.
Adate with the Colts was all Jaguars RBs
Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew
needed to end their funk. Taylor had 26 car-
ries for 121 yards, and M.J.D. had 19 at-
tempts for 107 yards and a TD, adding 59
yards receiving. The pair should keep it going
this week in a nice matchup with the Texans.
No, your eyes did not deceive you: Bucs
QB Brian Griese really did throw 67 times
for 407 yards and two TDs against the Bears.
Sure, he did toss three picks as well, but
Griese turned in a monster performance for
anyone who gambled on him. Dont expect
the veteran QB to approach these numbers
again, though, as Tampa Bay wont usually
abandon the run like they did Sunday.
The emergence of RB Chris Johnson in
Tennessee has had surprisingly little effect
on the production of backfield mate
LenDale White. White has found the end-
zone in all three games, scoring four times in
total. Unlike most running back committees,
it seems the Titans have developed one that
wont wreak havoc on fantasy football.
Frustration must be setting in for Patriots
WR Randy Moss. In the two games started
by QB Matt Cassel, Moss has just six
catches for 47 yards. Without Tom Brady in
the lineup, Moss is probably feeling like hes
back in Oakland, which is a terrible sign for
his fantasy owners.
THE BUZZ
V
I
S
U
A
L
I
M
A
G
E
,
I
N
C
.
FANTASY FOOTBALL
20 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
FANTASY FOOTBALL
FANTASY DOCTOR Michael Blunda
A
re you ready for a wave of chaos to sweep
through your fantasy roster? You had
better be, because thats whats about to
happen for the next month and a half. No,
it wont be a rash of injuries hopefully
or mass demotions to all your players. But
it will be something youve been dreading.
In case you forgot, its Week Four, which
marks the beginning of fantasy owners
biggest headache: bye weeks.
Now some of you might have prepared for
this in the draft by paying close attention to
your players byes, and others probably
didnt give it an ounce of thought. The bet-
ter strategy varies depending on whom
you ask. Personally, I dont even look at bye
weeks when Im drafting. If I want someone
badly enough, Im going to take him, even
if his bye conflicts with another guy I have
at the same position. My goal is to assem-
ble the best roster possible Ill worry about
bye weeks when they roll around. Regard-
less of your game plan, though, we all have
to deal with byes, starting now.
Week Four is a particularly brutal one for
owners, as four teams that have a slew of rel-
evant fantasy players Detroit, Indianapo-
lis, New England and the New York Giants
have this Sunday off (as do Miami and
Seattle). If youre the type of owner that fo-
cuses on spreading out your byes, then
you likely have replacements ready to go. But
if youre like me and have Eli Manning and
Jon Kitna as your QBs (which I do in one
league), you have some roster fixing to do.
Considering the league in which I have
both Manning and Kitna is of the 14-team
variety, I shouldnt have trouble finding a
scrub on my roster to drop for a QB. Unfor-
tunately, the size of this league means that
the available signalcallers wont knock my
socks off, but I can deal with that for one
week. At least after Week Four, I wont have
to worry about my QBs for the rest of the sea-
son.
One mistake Ive seen fantasy owners
make is dropping a valuable player just be-
cause hes on bye. For example, if your top
running backs are Joseph Addai, Brandon
Jacobs and Kevin Smith, youre definitely in
a bind this week. However, dont go and drop
a high-upside guy like Smith just because you
need a one-week fix. If someone grabs the
Lions rookie off of waivers, you ll miss out
on nearly a seasons worth of production just
so you have an active player for your line-
up this week.
If worse comes to worse and you have a
bunch of too-good-to-drop players with
the same bye, your best option might be to
bite the bullet and take a zero at that posi-
tion. I know its not fun and could wind up
costing you that weeks matchup, but why
chance ruining your entire season in an at-
tempt to win one matchup? Remember, fan-
tasy titles are won in December, not Septem-
ber or October. Dont make an unnecessary
move now that you ll regret then.
Q. Doc: Please provide some advice for a
frustated owner. The first two weeks of the
season, I started Larry Johnson and left
guys like Chris Johnson and Jonathan
Stewart on my bench. I also started either
Chad Ocho Cinco or Marvin Harrison and
left Hines Ward on my bench. Needless to
say, Im not happy with the results. Do I
have any reason to keep playing the higher
picks? Your thoughts please. Thanks.
Pete
A. I can feel your pain, Pete, as theres
nothing more frustrating than picking the
wrong fantasy guys to start. Honestly, from
what Ive seen this season, I think Chris
Johnson has more value going forward
than Larry Johnson does. L.J. has disap-
pointed thus far, and the Chiefs passing
game is so terrible that defenses will go all
out to stop him. Chris Johnson, mean-
while, has been dazzling and only figures to
get more touches as the year goes on. He has
fantasy star potential. At WR, I wouldnt give
up on Ocho Cinco yet, as hes too good to stay
in this rut all season, but Harrison is look-
ing to be on his last legs. Ward has been im-
pressive and should catch a lot of TDs. Id
play him over Marvin for sure. Remember,
the round in which you drafted a guy isnt
important his performance is.
Arrival of bye weeks shouldnt cause you nightmares
To have your questions answered by the Fantasy Doctor,
send your inquiries to Fantasydoctor@pfwmedia.com.
21 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
QUARTERBACKS
Pts./
Player Team Game
Rivers S.D. 24.00
Cutler Den. 24.00
Rodgers G.B. 23.33
Brees N.O. 21.33
Romo Dall. 19.67
McNabb Phil. 19.33
Manning N.Y.G. 18.67
Griese T.B. 18.50
Warner Ariz. 18.33
Kitna Det. 17.00
OSullivan S.F. 16.67
Manning Ind. 16.33
J. Campbell Wash. 15.33
Edwards Buff. 15.00
Schaub Hou. 14.50
Favre N.Y.J. 13.50
Orton Chi. 12.67
T. Jackson Minn. 12.00
Hasselbeck Sea. 12.00
Pennington Mia. 11.67
Russell Oak. 11.67
Garrard Jax. 11.33
Thigpen K.C. 11.00
Roethlisberger Pitt. 11.00
Ryan Atl. 11.00
Flacco Balt. 10.50
Palmer Cin. 10.33
Bulger St.L. 10.33
Delhomme Car. 10.33
Cassel N.E. 10.00
RUNNING BACKS
Pts./
Player Team Game
Turner Atl. 22.33
Barber Dall. 22.00
Gore S.F. 19.33
Bush N.O. 19.33
Brown Mia. 18.00
Forte Chi. 17.33
Lynch Buff. 16.67
Westbrook Phil. 16.67
Portis Wash. 16.67
J. Jones Sea. 15.33
Parker Pitt. 14.67
Peterson Minn. 14.33
Johnson Ten. 12.67
White Ten. 12.67
Jones-Drew Jax. 12.33
Jones N.Y.J. 11.50
Addai Ind. 11.33
Slaton Hou. 11.00
McFadden Oak. 11.00
Stewart Car. 10.67
Jacobs N.Y.G. 10.33
Graham T.B. 10.33
C. Perry Cin. 10.33
P. Thomas N.O. 9.67
L. Johnson K.C. 9.33
Pittman Den. 9.33
Jackson St.L. 9.33
Norwood Atl. 9.33
Sproles S.D. 9.00
Duckett Sea. 8.67
F. Jones Dall. 8.67
Hightower Ariz. 8.33
James Ariz. 8.33
Dunn T.B. 8.00
Morris N.E. 8.00
Young Den. 8.00
Fargas Oak. 7.50
Ward N.Y.G. 7.33
Tomlinson S.D. 7.00
J. Lewis Clev. 7.00
Kev. Smith Det. 7.00
Bush Oak. 6.67
Taylor Jax. 6.67
R. Johnson Det. 6.33
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 6.33
Jackson G.B. 6.00
Williams Mia. 6.00
McKie Chi. 5.33
Grant G.B. 5.33
D. Williams Car. 5.00
Buckhalter Phil. 5.00
Jackson Buff. 5.00
L. McClain Balt. 5.00
Tolbert S.D. 5.00
Rice Balt. 4.50
Taylor Minn. 4.00
Hall Den. 3.67
Charles K.C. 3.67
Faulk N.E. 3.50
Harrison Clev. 3.33
Hall G.B. 3.00
L. Washington N.Y.J. 3.00
Maroney N.E. 3.00
Jordan N.E. 3.00
G. Jones Jax. 3.00
Rhodes Ind. 2.67
Griffith Oak. 2.33
Hunt Phil. 2.33
RECEIVERS
Pts./
Player Team Game
Marshall Den. 22.00
Boldin Ariz. 16.00
Moss Wash. 15.67
Chambers S.D. 15.00
Fitzgerald Ariz. 13.67
C. Johnson Det. 13.00
Jennings G.B. 12.33
Wayne Ind. 12.33
Owens Dall. 12.33
Ward Pitt. 11.33
Royal Den. 11.33
Burress N.Y.G. 10.33
Stuckey N.Y.J. 10.00
Bowe K.C. 10.00
Lloyd Chi. 9.67
White Atl. 9.67
Jackson S.D. 9.00
Austin Dall. 9.00
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 9.00
Hilliard T.B. 8.67
D. Jackson Phil. 8.33
Baskett Phil. 8.33
Meachem N.O. 8.00
Cotchery N.Y.J. 8.00
Evans Buff. 8.00
Bruce S.F. 7.67
Moss N.E. 7.33
Driver G.B. 7.33
Gonzalez Ind. 7.33
Johnson S.F. 7.00
Gage Ten. 7.00
A. Johnson Hou. 7.00
Toomer N.Y.G. 6.67
Clayton Balt. 6.50
Henderson N.O. 6.33
Harrison Ind. 6.33
Holt St.L. 6.00
A. Bryant T.B. 6.00
Welker N.E. 6.00
McMullen Sea. 6.00
R. Williams Det. 5.67
Walter Hou. 5.50
M. Jones Jax. 5.33
Patten N.O. 5.33
Holmes Pitt. 5.00
Higgins Oak. 4.67
Camarillo Mia. 4.67
Muhammad Car. 4.67
Randle El Wash. 4.67
Jenkins Atl. 4.67
Reed Buff. 4.67
G. Lewis Phil. 4.67
Rice Minn. 4.50
Bumpus Sea. 4.50
Nelson G.B. 4.33
Lelie Oak. 4.33
Looker St.L. 4.33
Mason Balt. 4.00
Parrish Buff. 4.00
Jones G.B. 4.00
Berrian Minn. 3.67
Coles N.Y.J. 3.50
Galloway T.B. 3.50
Stokley Den. 3.33
Crayton Dall. 3.33
Hackett Car. 3.33
L. Moore N.O. 3.33
Clayton T.B. 3.00
Battle S.F. 3.00
McCareins Ten. 3.00
Davis Hou. 3.00
Smith N.Y.G. 3.00
Avant Phil. 3.00
Hixon N.Y.G. 2.67
Chatman Cin. 2.67
Ocho Cinco Cin. 2.67
Darling K.C. 2.67
Wade Minn. 2.33
Curry Oak. 2.33
Edwards Clev. 2.33
Breaston Ariz. 2.33
Douglas Atl. 2.33
Ginn Mia. 2.33
Hardy Buff. 2.33
R. Williams Jax. 2.00
McDonald Det. 2.00
TIGHT ENDS
Pts./
Player Team Game
Scheffler Den. 9.33
Fasano Mia. 9.00
Gates S.D. 9.00
Witten Dall. 9.00
Gonzalez K.C. 6.00
Rosario Car. 6.00
Winslow Clev. 5.67
D. Martin Mia. 5.33
Carlson Sea. 5.33
Daniels Hou. 5.00
Shockey N.O. 5.00
Cooley Wash. 5.00
Shiancoe Minn. 4.67
Royal Buff. 4.67
Scaife Ten. 4.33
Miller Pitt. 4.00
Boss N.Y.G. 3.67
McMichael St.L. 3.67
D. Lee G.B. 3.50
L.J. Smith Phil. 3.33
Gilmore T.B. 3.33
Walker S.F. 3.33
FitzSimmons Det. 3.00
Clark Ind. 2.50
N. Jackson Den. 2.33
Smith T.B. 2.33
Clark Chi. 2.33
Yoder Wash. 2.00
Miller N.O. 2.00
Lewis Jax. 2.00
Davis S.F. 2.00
REGARDLESS OF POS.
Pts./
Player Team Pos Game
Rivers S.D. QB 24.00
Cutler Den. QB 24.00
Rodgers G.B. QB 23.33
Turner Atl. RB 22.33
Barber Dall. RB 22.00
Marshall Den. WR 22.00
Brees N.O. QB 21.33
Romo Dall. QB 19.67
McNabb Phil. QB 19.33
Bush N.O. RB 19.33
Gore S.F. RB 19.33
Manning N.Y.G. QB 18.67
Griese T.B. QB 18.50
Warner Ariz. QB 18.33
Brown Mia. RB 18.00
Forte Chi. RB 17.33
Kitna Det. QB 17.00
Portis Wash. RB 16.67
OSullivan S.F. QB 16.67
Westbrook Phil. RB 16.67
Lynch Buff. RB 16.67
Manning Ind. QB 16.33
Boldin Ariz. WR 16.00
Moss Wash. WR 15.67
J. Campbell Wash. QB 15.33
J. Jones Sea. RB 15.33
Chambers S.D. WR 15.00
Edwards Buff. QB 15.00
Parker Pitt. RB 14.67
Schaub Hou. QB 14.50
Peterson Minn. RB 14.33
Fitzgerald Ariz. WR 13.67
Favre N.Y.J. QB 13.50
C. Johnson Det. WR 13.00
White Ten. RB 12.67
Orton Chi. QB 12.67
Johnson Ten. RB 12.67
Jennings G.B. WR 12.33
Jones-Drew Jax. RB 12.33
Carney N.Y.G. PK 12.33
Owens Dall. WR 12.33
Wayne Ind. WR 12.33
Hasselbeck Sea. QB 12.00
T. Jackson Minn. QB 12.00
Russell Oak. QB 11.67
Pennington Mia. QB 11.67
Jones N.Y.J. RB 11.50
Ward Pitt. WR 11.33
Longwell Minn. PK 11.33
Garrard Jax. QB 11.33
Addai Ind. RB 11.33
Royal Den. WR 11.33
Slaton Hou. RB 11.00
Thigpen K.C. QB 11.00
Ryan Atl. QB 11.00
McFadden Oak. RB 11.00
Roethlisberger Pitt. QB 11.00
Mare Sea. PK 10.67
Stewart Car. RB 10.67
Flacco Balt. QB 10.50
Graham T.B. RB 10.33
Delhomme Car. QB 10.33
Burress N.Y.G. WR 10.33
Bulger St.L. QB 10.33
Palmer Cin. QB 10.33
C. Perry Cin. RB 10.33
Jacobs N.Y.G. RB 10.33
Prater Den. PK 10.33
Bowe K.C. WR 10.00
Cassel N.E. QB 10.00
Kasay Car. PK 10.00
Nedney S.F. PK 10.00
Stuckey N.Y.J. WR 10.00
Elam Atl. PK 9.67
Akers Phil. PK 9.67
Lloyd Chi. WR 9.67
White Atl. WR 9.67
Anderson Clev. QB 9.67
Scobee Jax. PK 9.67
P. Thomas N.O. RB 9.67
Crosby G.B. PK 9.67
Scheffler Den. TE 9.33
Norwood Atl. RB 9.33
Jackson St.L. RB 9.33
L. Johnson K.C. RB 9.33
Pittman Den. RB 9.33
Collins Ten. QB 9.33
Hanson Det. PK 9.00
Houshmandzadeh Cin. WR 9.00
Janikowski Oak. PK 9.00
Witten Dall. TE 9.00
Gates S.D. TE 9.00
Jackson S.D. WR 9.00
Sproles S.D. RB 9.00
Gould Chi. PK 9.00
Kaeding S.D. PK 9.00
Austin Dall. WR 9.00
Fasano Mia. TE 9.00
Folk Dall. PK 9.00
Gostkowski N.E. PK 8.67
Duckett Sea. RB 8.67
Hilliard T.B. WR 8.67
F. Jones Dall. RB 8.67
D. Jackson Phil. WR 8.33
Hightower Ariz. RB 8.33
Lindell Buff. PK 8.33
James Ariz. RB 8.33
Baskett Phil. WR 8.33
Meachem N.O. WR 8.00
Cotchery N.Y.J. WR 8.00
Evans Buff. WR 8.00
Morris N.E. RB 8.00
Dunn T.B. RB 8.00
Young Den. RB 8.00
Bruce S.F. WR 7.67
Rackers Ariz. PK 7.67
J. Brown St.L. PK 7.67
M. Bryant T.B. PK 7.67
Fargas Oak. RB 7.50
Reed Pitt. PK 7.33
Driver G.B. WR 7.33
Moss N.E. WR 7.33
Ward N.Y.G. RB 7.33
Gonzalez Ind. WR 7.33
Total fantasy points = TD passes (4 fantasy points each) + passing-yardage points (1 point for every 20 yards) + rushing/receiving TDs (6 points) + rushing- or receiving-yardage points (1 point for every 10 yards) + two-point passes (1 point) + two-point scores (2
points). For kickers, total fantasy points = 18-39-yard field goals (3 fantasy points each) + 40-49-yard field goals (4 points) + 50-plus-yard field goals (5 points) + extra points (1 point). Week Three Monday-night game not included.
FANTASY STATS
HANDICAPPERS CORNER
PFW
consensus
WEEK FOUR Early pointspreads as of Sunday, Sept. 21
Hub
Arkush
Publisher/
editor
Keith
Schleiden
Editor-
in-chief
Mike
Holbrook
Managing
editor
Dan
Arkush
Executive
editor
Eric
Edholm
Senior
editor
Mike
Wilkening
Senior
editor
Matt
Sohn
Associate
editor
Dan
Parr
Associate
editor
Michael
Blunda
Associate
editor
The Cardinals
are staying on
the East Coast
after a letdown
there in Week
Three. The
Jets are due
for their first
big game with
Favre, and
their defense
is getting bet-
ter, too.
TheBroncos
average38
points per
game, whilethe
Chiefs aregood
for 11 per con-
test. Simple
mathsuggests
that theBron-
cos will winby a
double-digit
margin.
Broncos over
Chiefs. Mike
Shanahans of-
fense has its
pedal to the
metal, and
Jay Cutler,
Brandon Mar-
shall and com-
pany should
roll up big
numbers once
again.
The Jaguars
have lost three
of their last
four games
straight-up to
the Texans, the
most recent
being a 42-28
thumping in
Week 17 last
season.
The Texans
have been a
disappoint-
ment, and the
Jaguars might
have gotten
the momen-
tum win they
needed. Their
run game pre-
vails.
Im expecting
the Texans to
hang in there
against the
Jaguars. I
thought Hous-
ton made
strides in Week
Three, espe-
cially in the
running game.
No team out-
side of Dallas
is playing with
the confidence
of Philly. You
get the feeling
it wouldnt
make a differ-
ence if McN-
abb and
Westbrook
werent in the
lineup.
The Chargers
may not be as
good as I
thought, but
theyll have no
trouble win-
ning their 10th
straight over
the woeful
Raiders, who
collapsed late
in Week Three.
The Titans are
playing great
right now, and
their ferocious
defense will
force QB Gus
Frerotte into
numerous
mistakes, re-
sulting in a
comfortable
victory.
LOCK OF THE WEEK
Which of your best bets do you feel
strongest about?
PFW STAFF
SELECTIONS
BEST BETS
Denver -9
1
2 vs. KANSAS CITY
Green Bay +2
1
2 vs. TAMPABAY
Philadelphia -3 vs. CHICAGO
NEWORLEANS vs. San Francisco (48
1
2) OVER
LAST WEEK: 2-1 / SEASON: 8-3
EARLY LAS VEGAS LINE Home team in caps. Asterisk (*) denotes team will cover pointspread but lose game. Boldface selection indicates best bet.
CAROLINA-7 vs. Atlanta (38
1
2) Carolina Carolina Carolina Atlanta* Carolina Carolina Carolina Atlanta Carolina Carolina
CINCINNATI -4 vs. Cleveland (46) Cleveland* Cincinnati Cleveland* Cleveland Cincinnati Cincinnati Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland*
JACKSONVILLE -7 vs. Houston (41) Houston* Jacksonville Houston* Houston* Jacksonville Houston* Houston* Houston* Houston* Houston*
Denver -9
1
2 vs. KANSAS CITY(43
1
2) Denver Denver Denver Denver Denver Kansas City* Denver Denver Denver Denver
NEWORLEANS -6
1
2 vs. San Francisco (48
1
2) New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans San Francisco* San Francisco* New Orleans New Orleans San Francisco* New Orleans New Orleans
N.Y. JETS-3 vs. Arizona (42) N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets Arizona N.Y. Jets Arizona* Arizona Arizona N.Y. Jets Arizona Arizona*
TAMPABAY-2
1
2 vs. GreenBay (41
1
2) Green Bay Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Green Bay Green Bay Tampa Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay
TENNESSEE-3 vs. Minnesota (37) Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Minnesota Tennessee Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Tennessee
San Diego -7 vs. OAKLAND (43) San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego Oakland* San Diego Oakland* San Diego
Buffalo -8
1
2 vs. ST. LOUIS (42) Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo St. Louis* Buffalo St. Louis* St. Louis* St. Louis* St. Louis* St. Louis*
DALLAS-10 vs. Washington (46) Dallas Washington* Washington* Dallas Washington* Dallas Dallas Washington* Dallas Dallas
SUNDAY NIGHT
Philadelphia -3 vs. CHICAGO Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Chicago Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia
MONDAY NIGHT
PITTSBURGH-9 vs. Baltimore Baltimore* Pittsburgh Baltimore* Baltimore* Baltimore* Pittsburgh Baltimore* Pittsburgh Baltimore* Baltimore*
Last week vs. spread 8-8 9-7 9-7 7-9 7-9 5-11 7-9 9-7 5-11 6-10
Season to date vs. spread 20-26 24-22 27-19 25-21 22-24 25-21 25-21 26-20 20-26 25-21
Last week best bets 2-1 1-2 2-1 1-2 0-3 1-2 2-0 1-1 1-1 2-1
Season to date best bets 5-4 4-5 6-3 4-4 5-4 5-3 6-2 4-4 5-3 8-3
Last week straight-up 10-6 12-4 10-6 8-8 11-5 10-6 9-7 10-6 9-7 10-6
Season to date straight-up 25-21 28-18 30-16 26-20 26-20 29-17 27-19 28-18 24-22 29-17
WEEK FOUR OPPONENTS VS. SPREAD H home, A away, N neutral, followed by teams score; number in parentheses is number of points by which that
team was favored to win; E game was rated as even; W beat the pointspread; * team beat the pointspread in both regular-season meetings that year; T neither beat
the pointspread; P playoff game; OT overtime; ^ at San Antonio
10-YEAR SERIES RECORDS
ATLANTAat Carolina 14-6 (7-3) (6-3-1)
Cleveland at CINCINNATI 11-7 (6-3) (5-4)
HOUSTON at Jacksonville 7-5 (3-3) (4-2)
DENVER at Kansas City 11-9 (3-7) (3-6-1)
San Francisco at NEWORLEANS 7-5 (5-2) (4-3)
Arizona at N.Y. JETS 2-0 (1-0) (0-1)
Green Bay at TAMPABAY 6-5 (5-1) (4-2)
MINNESOTAat Tennessee 3-0 (1-0) (1-0)
SAN DIEGO at Oakland 11-9 (5-5) (8-2)
Buffalo at St. Louis 1-1 () ()
Washington at DALLAS 15-5 (9-1) (7-3)
PHILADELPHIA at Chicago 5-1 (4-0) (3-1)
Baltimore at PITTSBURGH 12-9 (7-4) (5-6)
Series leader is listed in CAPS with its record
below. Series leaders record at this weeks game
site is listed in parentheses, followed by series
leaders record vs. pointspread at this weeks site.
This years games not included.
MATCHUP 2007 2006
Atlanta A-20W H-20 H-3(-6) A-20W
at Carolina H-13(-3
1
2) A-27(-4)W A-10W H-6(-4)
Cleveland A-14(-2
1
2) H-51W H-0 A-17
at Cincinnati H-19W A-45(-7) A-30(-3)W* H-34(-9
1
2)W
Houston H-42(-7)W A-17 A-13W* H-27W
at Jacksonville A-28 H-37(-6
1
2)W H-10(-10) A-7(-8)
Denver H-41(-7)W* A-27W A-10 H-9(-10
1
2)OT
at Kansas City A-7 H-11(-3) H-19(-1
1
2)W* A-6W
San Francisco H-10 A-10
at New Orleans A-31(-2)W H-34(-7
1
2)W
Arizona Did not play Did not play
at N.Y. Jets
Green Bay Did not play Did not play
at Tampa Bay
Minnesota Did not play Did not play
at Tennessee
MATCHUP 2007 2006
San Diego A-30(-9)W* H-28(-9
1
2)W H-21(-14) A-27(-3)W
at Oakland H-17 A-14 A-14W H-0
Buffalo Did not play Did not play
at St. Louis
Washington H-27(-9)W* A-23W H-22W A-10
at Dallas A-6 H-28(-11) A-19(-3) H-27(-7)W
Philadelphia H-16(-6)
at Chicago A-19W
Baltimore H-27W A-7 A-31W* H-27(-3)W
at Pittsburgh A-21(-3) H-38(-9
1
2)W H-7(-3
1
2) A-0
WHOS HOT
22 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
LAS VEGAS CALLING Stephen Nover
Sluggish economy not
slowing football bettors
T
imes are bad economically, but one
thing people wont give up is football.
That certainly is the case in Las Vegas.
Gaming revenues had fallen seven consec-
utive months in Nevada through July.
Through this economic downturn, though,
football interest and wagering remains huge.
The market for traditional American foot-
ball remains very strong, said Jay Korne-
gay, race and sports book director at the Las
Vegas Hilton. Our guests are finding ways
to come. If the first week is any indication,
I dont think the economy is going to affect
football betting.
Other Las Vegas sportsbook directors
are saying the same thing.
Our action has been good, said John
Avello, race and sports book director at
Wynn Las Vegas.
Like many parts of the country, Las Ve-
gas residents are dealing with a higher
cost of living, rising unemployment and a
weakened real estate market. Las Vegas is
not recession-proof.
But football wagering hasnt been impact-
ed, at least so far.
The $20-to-$100 bettors are still going
to be able to play, Avello said. People who
bet within their means, or within their lev-
el, I dont think will be affected.
The wise guys (professional gamblers) are
going to play because thats their business
and the real heavy bettors have the funds.
So theyre not going to be affected.
Sports wagering in Nevada was down
about $10 million during the first six months
of this year compared to 2007 when $251.5
million was bet statewide, according to the
Nevada Gaming Control Board.
People want to bet football, so theyve been
saving their bankroll for football and the oth-
er sports have suffered because of it, said Mike
Seba, an oddsmaker and gaming analyst for
Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which sets the
betting numbers for many of Nevadas hotels.
Seba believes a downtrodden economy has
to hurt the sports betting industry, al-
though football bares less of the brunt.
It (betting) will be down, Seba said. I
dont think it significantly will be down, just
because its the NFL. I think it has hurt base-
ball and the fringe sports like soccer more.
Last year, football accounted for 45 per-
cent of the $2.6 billion that was wagered
legally on sports in Nevada sportsbooks. A
record $1.17 billion was bet on football, ac-
cording to figures released by the Nevada
Gaming Control Board. This was slightly
higher than the $1.13 billion wagered on
football during 2006.
Nevada bookmakers won more than $73
million on football last year, which comes out
to 6.25 percent. The house took home
more than $91 million two years ago, hold-
ing eight percent. Nevada bookmakers
make money every year, but the hold per-
centage usually is closer to five percent.
Bettors have beaten the books during the
first two weeks of this NFL season. Thats prob-
ably not going to continue long-term, though,
given recent history and the houses many
edges, including 10 percent vigorish and an
even stronger percent edge in parlay cards.
Thats why Las Vegas hotels have been
prominently marketing football despite
these tough economic times. More and
more hotels are sponsoring football contests,
parties and parlay cards.
They need to be aggressive to get people
in the hotel, Seba said.
There are eight season-long contests go-
ing on in Las Vegas compared to six last year.
Around 90 hotels are involved in some type
of contest when you factor in sister proper-
ties. Leroys, for instance, operates around
60 sportsbooks inside Nevada hotels. They
are sponsoring a college and NFL contest.
The Las Vegas Hiltons SuperContest is
perhaps the most famous football contest in
the country. The Hilton drew 350 entries,
up eight from last year.
Still, this is down from the record 505 en-
trants the Hilton had in 2005 and is 66 few-
er than it had two years ago. The Hilton
probably wouldnt have exceeded last years
total if it hadnt, for the first time in the 20-
year history of the contest, allowed two en-
tries per person.
The Hilton has a $1,500 entry fee. Thats
not the most expensive contest in town, how-
ever. The South Point carries a $2,500 en-
try price. The South Point drew 74 contest-
ants, giving those bettors an advantage sit-
uation since 100 entrants were needed for
the hotel to break even on the prize money
its awarding. The South Point drew 84 en-
trants last year. Both the Hilton and South
Point contests involve pointspreads.
Most of the other Las Vegas football
contests are picking straight-up winners with
no pointspreads. These are in the $25-to-
$250 range. A couple of these no point-
spread contests are free.
People in Las Vegas treat football betting
as a God-given right. Its inconceivable to
them that sports betting technically is ille-
gal in every other state.
Football is a solid product, Avello said.
That hasnt changed.
Writer, analyst and handicapper Stephen
Nover has been covering the Las Vegas
sports betting scene since 1984. He is the au-
thor of three books, Las Vegas Sportsbeat,
Sports Gamingbeat and Winning Fantasy
Football.
23 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
HANDICAPPING HANDICAPPING
Stick with ProFootballWeekly.com
for your daily football fix!
Get all the facts, then follow the HOT HAND
For the third year in a row, ProFootballWeekly.com is offering a premium online service
that provides the best in handicapping information on the upcoming weeks games.
As a member of the Handicapping Inner Circle, youll see the selections of each of the nine
PFW editors for every regular-season and playoff game, along with their best bets, as early
as Monday evening. Youll see the picks of the three experts on the PFW television show
Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, ex-Bear Tom Waddle and
PFW publisher/editor Hub Arkush. Youll have access to
our confidence pool picks, which are a useful tool if you
participate in office pools.
The cost of this premium service is $109.95. For more
details or to join, go to ProFootballWeekly.com and click
on the PFW Inner Circle channel. CHECK OUT
GAME OF THE WEEK
Clinton Portis has 120 rushing
yards in three games at Dallas.
Tony Romo threw four TD
passes vs. Washington in 07.
REDSKINS
AT
COWBOYS
When the Redskins
have the ball
QB Jason Campbell had one of the
biggest games of his career in the Red-
skins loss in Dallas last season, complet-
ing 33-of-54 passes for 348 yards, with
two TDs and one interception. And con-
sidering that he has played well the past
two games, completing several clutch
passes late in the games, expect Camp-
bell to get a chance to throw the ball a lot
on Sunday.
The Cowboys generated a good pass
rush against the Eagles in Week Two and
the Packers last week, but their coverage
hasnt always been great. If the Cowboys
play man defense, expect the Redskins to
look for WR Santana Moss, who has TDs
in five straight games dating back to last
season. They also have been more will-
ing to look at other receiving targets, al-
though Moss remains the top option.
With CB Terence Newman, Dallas
has its best coverage potential now, even
with SS Roy Williams out of the lineup.
The Cowboys are a little short at safety,
so look for them to use a lot of three-CB,
one-safety alignments with their base de-
fense in front.
The Redskins have a straightforward
running game, with Clinton Portis often
doing his most damage in the first and
fourth quarters. The Cowboys havent al-
ways contained Portis, but they did bot-
tle him up in Dallas (12-36-0) last sea-
son. The Cowboys have not been hurt
badly by the run so far, but a lot of that
has to do with the fact that opponents
have chosen to throw far more than run
against them so far.
The Redskins offensive line hasnt
been a dominant group so far. Check the
status of ORT Stephon Heyer, who suf-
fered a left shoulder injury vs. Arizona.
When the Cowboys
have the ball
The Cowboys perhaps have the best
combination of power and finesse in the
NFL. They can barrel over you with RB
Marion Barber, and their offensive line
is a thick, powerful group. But they also
can pass with the best of them, and QB
Tony Romo has great touch.
But its not as if their pass catchers are
softies. WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason
Witten are among the most physical
pass catchers at their respective positions
and pose difficult matchups for the Red-
skins. They chose to play a lot of zone in
the Week 11 matchup in Dallas the first
game after the death of Sean Taylor
and the plan backfired, as Owens caught
all four of Romos TD passes. The next
time around, in Week 17, the Redskins
chose to pressure, often taking their
chances with man-to-man matchups,
and it produced a 27-6 victory.
In this game, look for the Skins to mix
pressure and coverage, hoping to keep
Romo off balance. The Packers did a nice
job of mixing looks and forcing him to
throw an early interception before the
Cowboys wore them down. The Redskins
have good coverage players in CBs Shawn
Springs, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot
and FS LaRon Landry. They get most of
their pressure from DEs Jason Taylor and
Andre Carter, but DT Kedric Golston is
coming on as an interior presence.
To beat Dallas, you have to make it one-
dimensional. And because the Cowboys
have a new weapon in rookie RB Felix
Jones, that has become very difficult. Look
for lots of Jones and Barber, and right
when the Redskins think run, the Cow-
boys are likely to look deep and target SS
Reed Doughty if hes still starting
with their big-play pass catchers.
REDSKINS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to Washington
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 4 At N.Y. Giants (+5) 7-16
Sept. 14 New Orleans (0) 29-24
Sept. 21 Arizona (-3) 24-17
Sept. 28 At Dallas
Oct. 5 At Philadelphia
Oct. 12 St. Louis
Oct. 19 Cleveland
Oct. 26 At Detroit
Nov. 3 Pittsburgh
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Dallas
Nov. 23 At Seattle
Nov. 30 New York Giants
Dec. 7 At Baltimore
Dec. 14 At Cincinnati
Dec. 21 Philadelphia
Dec. 28 At San Francisco
COWBOYS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to Dallas
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Cleveland (-6) 28-10
Sept. 15 Philadelphia (-6.5) 41-37
Sept. 21 At Green Bay (-3) 27-16
Sept. 28 Washington
Oct. 5 Cincinnati
Oct. 12 At Arizona
Oct. 19 At St. Louis
Oct. 26 Tampa Bay
Nov. 2 At New York Giants
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 At Washington
Nov. 23 San Francisco
Nov. 27 Seattle
Dec. 7 At Pittsburgh
Dec. 14 New York Giants
Dec. 20 Baltimore
Dec. 28 At Philadelphia
J
A
M
E
S
D
.
S
M
I
T
H
V
I
S
U
A
L
I
M
A
G
E
I
N
C
.
THE MATCHUPS
Sunday, Sept. 28 4:15 p.m.
LOCATIONTexas Stadium TURF Artificial MEETING OF THE YEAR First

QB
RB
WR/TE
OL
DL
LB
DB
ST
Coach
WEEK FOUR
OVERVIEW
In the final regular-season game played
between these old rivals in Texas Stadium,
the Redskins come in with more confidence
than many thought they would have follow-
ing two straight wins that were decided in
the fourth quarter. But its the Cowboys that
everyone is talking about, and rightfully so.
In a week where they outlasted the Eagles
in a thrilling Monday-nighter and made an
impressive showing in a win over the Pack-
ers in Green Bay, the Cowboys currently hold
the title of the NFLs best team for now.
This game shows the strength of the NFC
East; all four teams are over .500, and both
the Giants and Cowboys are unbeaten. The
Redskins beat the Cowboys in Washington
last season when QB Tony Romo played
about half the game, but they lost in Week
11 in Dallas the week of the death of Sean
Taylor. In that 28-23 Dallas victory, Romo
and WR Terrell Owens hooked up for four
TDs and 173 yards on eight receptions.
2-1-0 Season record 3-0-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 2-1-0
0-1-0 Road/home record 1-0-0
0-1-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
0-1-0 Record on artificial turf 1-0-0
0-1-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 0-1-0
WASHINGTON REDSKINS Advantage DALLAS COWBOYS
COWBOYS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Owens / 17 Hurd / 19 Austin
OLT 76 Adams / 68 Free
OLG 71 Procter / 64 Holland / 63 Kosier
C 65 Gurode / 71 Procter
ORG 70 Davis / 67 Berger
ORT 75 Colombo / 77 McQuistan
TE 82 Witten / 89 Curtis / 80 Bennett*
WR 84 Crayton / 86 Stanback / 85 Jefferson
QB 9 Romo / 14 B. Johnson
RB 24 Barber / 28 F. Jones* / 29 Choice*
FB 34 Anderson
DEFENSE
DLE 96 Spears / 97 Hatcher
NT 90 Ratliff / 66 T. Johnson
DRE 99 Canty / 72 Bowen
LOLB 98 Ellis / 93 Spencer
LILB 56 James / 54 Carpenter / 50 Rogers
RILB 55 Thomas / 57 Burnett
ROLB 94 Ware / 53 Walden*
LCB 41 Newman / 31 Jenkins* / 20 Ball
RCB 42 Henry / 21 A. Jones / 32 Scandrick*
SS 27 Brown / 25 Watkins / 38 Williams
FS 26 Hamlin
SPECIALISTS
P 1 McBriar
PK 6 Folk
H 14 B. Johnson / 1 McBriar
PR 21 A. Jones / 84 Crayton
KR 28 F. Jones* / 26 Scandrick / 19 Austin
LS 91 LaDouceur
* Rookie
REDSKINS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89 Moss / 83 Thrash / 12 Kelly*
OLT 60 Samuels / 75 Rinehart*
OLG 66 Kendall / 76 Jansen
C 61 Rabach / 68 Geisinger
ORG 77 Thomas / 69 Fabini
ORT 74 Heyer / 76 Jansen
TE 47 Cooley / 86 Davis*
WR 82 Randle El / 11 Thomas*
QB 17 J. Campbell / 15 Collins / 5 Brennan*
RB 26 Portis / 46 Betts / 31 Cartwright
FB 45 Sellers
DEFENSE
DLE 55 Taylor / 95 Wilson / 78 James
DLT 96 Griffin / 79 Alexander
DRT 64 Golston / 94 Montgomery
DRE 99 Carter / 92 Evans / 98 Jackson*
SLB 53 Washington / 51 Fincher
MLB 59 Fletcher / 54 Blades
WLB 52 McIntosh / 50 K. Campbell
LCB 24 Springs / 29 Torrence
RCB 22 Rogers / 27 Smoot / 20 Tryon*
SS 37 Doughty / 39 Fox / 41 Moore*
FS 30 Landry / 48 Horton*
SPECIALISTS
P 14 Brooks*
PK 6 Suisham
H 14 Brooks*
PR 82 Randle El / 83 Thrash / 89 Moss
KR 31 Cartwright / 83 Thrash / 46 Betts
LS 67 Albright
* Rookie
24 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK FOUR
FALCONS GAME PROFILE PANTHERS
2-1-0 Season record 2-1-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 1-1-1
0-1-0 Road/home record 1-0-0
0-1-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-0-1
0-1-0 Record on natural turf 2-0-0
0-1-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 1-0-1
FALCONS
AT
PANTHERS
FALCONS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Atlanta
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Detroit (+3) 34-21
Sept. 14 At Tampa Bay (+7) 9-24
Sept. 21 Kansas City (-6) 38-14
Sept. 28 At Carolina
Oct. 5 At Green Bay
Oct. 12 Chicago
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Philadelphia
Nov. 2 At Oakland
Nov. 9 New Orleans
Nov. 16 Denver
Nov. 23 Carolina
Nov. 30 At San Diego
Dec. 7 At New Orleans
Dec. 14 Tampa Bay
Dec. 21 At Minnesota
Dec. 28 St. Louis
FALCONS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 12Jenkins / 19Robinson
OLT 72Baker* / 76Ojinnaka
OLG 63Blalock / 67Wilkerson
C 62McClure / 69Stepanovich/ 67Wilkerson
ORG 73Dahl / 77 Clabo
ORT 77 Clabo / 74Weiner
TE 89Hartsock / 87 Peelle
WR 84White / 83Douglas* / 86Finneran
QB 2Ryan* / 8Redman/ 3Shockley
RB 33Turner / 32Norwood/ 44Snelling
FB 34Mughelli
DEFENSE
DLE 98J. Anderson/ 75Fraser
NT 91 G. Jackson/ 99Jefferson
UT 95Babineaux / 94Moorehead
DRE 55Abraham/ 92Davis
SLB 59Boley / 54Nicholas
MLB 50Lofton* / 51 Gilbert
WLB 56Brooking / 52Wire
LCB 20Grimes / 22C. Jackson*
RCB 23Houston/24Foxworth/ 30Irons
SS 36Milloy / 41 Harris
FS 26Coleman/ 28DeCoud*
SPECIALISTS
P 9Koenen
PK 1 Elam
H 9Koenen
PR 81 Jennings / 83Douglas*
KR 32Norwood/ 81 Jennings
LS 46Schneck
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Falcons are off to a surprising start, but this
week theyll face arguably their toughest opponent of the sea-
son, the Panthers. Both teams rely on a powerful rushing at-
tack to guide their offense, and this one could be decided by
which defense is able to hold out longer in the slugfest. Car-
olina is just 3-6 at home dating back to last season.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Falcons will struggle to remain
competitive if RB Michael Turner is unable to get going on the
ground. He could have a hard time finding holes against a
sturdy Panthers run defense. Carolina held the Vikings one
of the best rushing teams in the league to 3.7 yards per
carry last week. If the Panthers athletic collection of lineback-
ers, led by MLB Jon Beason, can bottle up Turner and backup
Jerious Norwood, the weight of the offense will fall on rookie
QB Matt Ryans shoulders, and he has struggled when the run-
ning game has been unproductive.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Panthers are just 5-of-24 on third-
down conversions in their past two games.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
PANTHERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Carolina
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At San Diego (+9) 26-24
Sept. 14 Chicago (-3) 20-17
Sept. 21 At Minnesota (+3) 10-20
Sept. 28 Atlanta
Oct. 5 Kansas City
Oct. 12 At Tampa Bay
Oct. 19 New Orleans
Oct. 26 Arizona
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Oakland
Nov. 16 Detroit
Nov. 23 At Atlanta
Nov. 30 At Green Bay
Dec. 8 Tampa Bay
Dec. 14 Denver
Dec. 21 At NewYork Giants
Dec. 28 At New Orleans
PANTHERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Smith/ 80Jarrett
OLT 69Gross / 76Omiyale
OLG 70Wharton/ 63Hangartner / 73Bridges
C 67 Kalil / 63Hangartner
ORG 68Vincent / 73Bridges
ORT 79Otah* / 76Omiyale
TE 47 King / 88Rosario / 82Barnidge*
WR 87 Muhammad/ 18Hackett / 10Robinson
QB 17 Delhomme / 12McCown/ 3Moore
RB 34Williams / 28Stewart*
FB 45Hoover / 37 Goings
DEFENSE
DLE 96Brayton/ 95Johnson
DLT 99Kemoeatu/ 91 Gibson
DRT 92Lewis / 93Walker
DRE 90Peppers / 66Taylor*
SLB 53Diggs / 54Johnson/ 55Curry
MLB 52Beason/ 59Seward/ 57 Connor*
WLB 58Davis / 50Anderson
LCB 20Gamble / 31 Marshall
RCB 21 Lucas / 23Wesley / 27Wilson
SS 43Harris / 26Teal
FS 30Godfrey* / 25Salley
SPECIALISTS
P 7 Baker
PK 4Kasay / 5Lloyd
H 7 Baker
PR 84Jones / 28Stewart * / 10Robinson
KR 84Jones / 10Robinson
LS 56Kyle
* Rookie
BROWNS GAME PROFILE BENGALS
0-3-0 Season record 0-3-0
1-2-0 Season record vs. spread 1-2-0
0-1-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
0-1-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
0-1-0 Record on artificial turf 0-3-0
0-1-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 1-2-0
BROWNS
AT
BENGALS
BROWNS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cleveland
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Dallas (+6) 10-28
Sept. 14 Pittsburgh (+7) 6-10
Sept. 21 At Baltimore (+2.5) 10-28
Sept. 28 At Cincinnati
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 13 NewYork Giants
Oct. 19 At Washington
Oct. 26 At Jacksonville
Nov. 2 Baltimore
Nov. 6 Denver
Nov. 17 At Buffalo
Nov. 23 Houston
Nov. 30 Indianapolis
Dec. 7 At Tennessee
Dec. 15 At Philadelphia
Dec. 21 Cincinnati
Dec. 28 At Pittsburgh
BROWNS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18Stallworth/ 16Cribbs
OLT 73Thomas / 77 Shaffer
OLG 65Steinbach/ 79Young
C 66Fraley / 68McKinney
ORG 70Hadnot / 72Tucker
ORT 77 Shaffer / 61 Sowells
TE 80Winslow/ 82Heiden/ 87 Dinkins / 86Rucker*
WR 17 Edwards / 12Steptoe / 83Sanders
QB 3Anderson/ 10Quinn/ 11 Dorsey
RB 31 Lewis / 29Wright / 35Harrison
FB 47Vickers / 41 Ali
DEFENSE
DLE 99C. Williams / 91 S. Smith/ 93Leonard
NT 92Rogers / 91 S. Smith/ 71 Rubin*
DRE 91 S. Smith/ 97 S. Thomas
LOLB 55McGinest / 96Hall*
LILB 55Davis / 94L. Williams / 58Bell*
RILB 52Jackson/ 53Griffin
ROLB 95Wimbley / 96Hall*
LCB 24Wright / 25Cousin
RCB 22McDonald/ 23Daniels / 30Lawson*
SS 20Adams / 27 Sorensen/ 26Jones
FS 21 Pool / 20Adams
SPECIALISTS
P 15Zastudil
PK 4Dawson
H 15Zastudil
PR 16Cribbs / 12Steptoe
KR 16Cribbs / 12Steptoe
LS 64Pontbriand
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Battle of Ohio is for third place in the AFC
North. The Bengals pushed the Giants to overtime in Week
Three but could not pull off the upset, while the Browns were
routed in Baltimore. The Browns offense sputtered again; QB
Derek Anderson threw two third-quarter interceptions, one of
which was returned for a touchdown, and Cleveland could
mount no further response in a 28-10 loss.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Andersons two 2007 starts vs. Cincin-
nati were a reflection of his career to date. He was brilliant in
the start at Cleveland, throwing for 328 yards and five TDs. But
at Cincinnati, he threw four interceptions, two to Bengals SS
Chindeum Ndukwe. Anderson must avoid staring down his pri-
mary receiver, and he must deliver the ball on time. The Ben-
gals secondary adjusted to Anderson in the rematch between
the clubs; now, how will Anderson react?
BYTHE NUMBERS Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw for
more yards in Week Three (286) than he did in Cincinnatis
first two games combined.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
BENGALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cincinnati
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Baltimore (-2) 10-17
Sept. 14 Tennessee (0) 7-24
Sept. 21 At NewYork Giants (+13) 23-26*
Sept. 28 Cleveland
Oct. 5 At Dallas
Oct. 12 At NewYork Jets
Oct. 19 Pittsburgh
Oct. 26 At Houston
Nov. 2 Jacksonville
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Philadelphia
Nov. 20 At Pittsburgh
Nov. 30 Baltimore
Dec. 7 At Indianapolis
Dec. 14 Washington
Dec. 21 At Cleveland
Dec. 28 Kansas City
* Overtime
BENGALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Ocho Cinco / 89Simpson* / 16Holt
OLT 76L. Jones / 73Collins*
OLG 77Whitworth/ 61 Davis
C 53Ghiaciuc / 64Cook
ORG 63Williams / 75Kooistra
ORT 79Andrews / 73Collins*
TE 82Kelly / 81 Utecht / 86Coats
WR 84Houshmandzadeh/ 89Simpson*
QB 9C. Palmer / 11 Fitzpatrick / 5J. Palmer
RB 23Perry / 33Watson/ 27 Dorsey
FB 36Mauia / 86Coats
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Geathers / 68Fanene
DLT 94Peko / 95Harris
DRT 97Thornton/ 90Sims*
DRE 98Odom/ 92Rucker
SLB 93Jeanty / 56Blackstock
MLB 57 Dh. Jones / 51 Mays
WLB 55Rivers* / 59B. Johnson
LCB 22Joseph/ 20Da. Jones / 24Pope
RCB 29Hall / 20Da. Jones / 21 Castille*
SS 41 Ndukwe / 28Jackson/ 44H. Jones
FS 26White / 34Hebert / 47 Lynch*
SPECIALISTS
P 19Larson
PK 17 Graham
H 19Larson
PR 83Chatman/ 84Houshmandzadeh
KR 16Holt / 27 Dorsey / 87 Caldwell*
LS 48St. Louis
* Rookie
TEXANS GAME PROFILE JAGUARS
0-2-0 Season record 1-2-0
0-2-0 Season record vs. spread 1-2-0
0-2-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
0-2-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
0-2-0 Record on natural turf 0-2-0
0-2-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 0-2-0
TEXANS
AT
JAGUARS
TEXANS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Houston
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Pittsburgh (+6.5) 17-38
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 At Tennessee (+5) 12-31
Sept. 28 At Jacksonville
Oct. 5 Indianapolis
Oct. 12 Miami
Oct. 19 Detroit
Oct. 26 Cincinnati
Nov. 2 At Minnesota
Nov. 9 Baltimore
Nov. 16 At Indianapolis
Nov. 23 At Cleveland
Dec. 1 Jacksonville
Dec. 7 At Green Bay
Dec. 14 Tennessee
Dec. 21 At Oakland
Dec. 28 Chicago
TEXANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 80A. Johnson/ 11 Davis
OLT 76D. Brown* / 74Salaam
OLG 69Pitts / 64Studdard
C 55Myers / 63White / 65Brisiel
ORG 65Brisiel / 63White
ORT 73Winston/ 78Butler / 75Frye
TE 81 Daniels / 87 Bruener / 85Dreessen
WR 83Walter / 12Jones / 89Anderson
QB 8Schaub/ 18Rosenfels
RB 20Slaton* / 27Taylor / 30Green/ 37Walker
FB 44Leach/ 27Taylor
DEFENSE
DLE 98Weaver / 94Kalu/ 96Cochran
DLT 91 Okoye / 66De. Robinson
DRT 99T. Johnson/ 92Zgonina / 97 Okam
DRE 90Williams / 93Bulman
SLB 54Diles / 51 Thompson
MLB 59Ryans / 57 Bentley
WLB 56Greenwood/ 52Adibi*
LCB 32Bennett / 28Molden*
RCB 35Reeves / 38Faggins /26Wilson
SS 24C.C. Brown/ 34Barber*
FS 47 Demps / 25Ferguson/ 31 Harrison
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Turk
PK 3K. Brown
H 1 Turk / 18Rosenfels
PR 12Jones / 89Anderson / 20Slaton*
KR 11 Davis / 20Slaton*
LS 48Pittman
* Rookie
OVERVIEWATexans squad that entered the season believing
it finally had the roster to make a playoff run has been slow off
the mat, getting humbled by the Steelers and Titans as the QB
play of Matt Schaub has been dreadful. Division foe Jack-
sonville also has been victimized by early-season hiccups, al-
though it comes back home riding the emotional high that
comes from topping longtime nemesis Indianapolis in dra-
matic fashion on the road. Each teams supposedly formidable
defense has yet to hold up its end of the bargain.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Neither MLB DeMeco Ryans nor RB
Fred Taylor is a positional prototype, as Ryans is considered
small by MLB standards, and Taylor is on the wrong side of 30.
Apparently, neither received the memo, as each personifies
not just toughness, but craftiness at his position. Ryans should
sift through a Jaguars O-line hurting on the interior with rela-
tive ease to meet Taylor for some bone-rattling collisions.
BYTHE NUMBERS Schaub is tied for the NFL lead with five
interceptions, while Garrard is tied for second with four picks.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
JAGUARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Jacksonville
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Tennessee (-3) 10-17
Sept. 14 Buffalo (-4.5) 16-20
Sept. 21 At Indianapolis (+4.5) 23-21
Sept. 28 Houston
Oct. 5 Pittsburgh
Oct. 12 At Denver
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Cleveland
Nov. 2 At Cincinnati
Nov. 9 At Detroit
Nov. 16 Tennessee
Nov. 23 Minnesota
Dec. 1 At Houston
Dec. 7 At Chicago
Dec. 14 Green Bay
Dec. 18 Indianapolis
Dec. 28 At Baltimore
JAGUARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18M. Jones / 80Porter / 86Northcutt
OLT 69Barnes / 72Spencer
OLG 77 Nwaneri / 65Naeole / 64Brown
C 62Norman/ 77 Nwaneri / 63Meester
ORG 78Reyes / 70Wade
ORT 79Pashos / 72Spencer
TE 89Lewis / 83Estandia / 85Angulo
WR 11 R. Williams / 84Williamson/ 81 Walker
QB 9Garrard/ 17 Lemon
RB 28Taylor / 32Jones-Drew/ 34Washington*
FB 33G. Jones / 24Owens
DEFENSE
DLE 95Spicer / 93Groves*
DLT 92Meier / 66Landri
DRT 98Henderson/ 96McDaniel / 73Kennedy
DRE 97 Hayward/ 91 Harvey*
SLB 52Smith/ 59Iwuh
MLB 54Peterson/ 53T. Williams
WLB 56Durant / 51 Ingram
LCB 27 Mathis / 31 Starks / 36Gardner*
RCB 21 Florence / 22James / 38Witherspoon*
SS 29B. Williams / 43Sensabaugh
FS 25Nelson/ 20Prioleau
SPECIALISTS
P 3Podlesh
PK 10Scobee
H 3Podlesh
PR 38Witherspoon*
KR 32Jones-Drew/ 38Witherspoon*
LS 88Zelenka
* Rookie
25 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK FOUR
BRONCOS GAME PROFILE CHIEFS
3-0-0 Season record 0-3-0
1-1-1 Season record vs. spread 1-2-0
1-0-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
1-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
3-0-0 Record on natural turf 0-1-0
1-1-1 Record on natural turf vs. spread 0-1-0
BRONCOS
AT
CHIEFS
BRONCOS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Denver
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 8 At Oakland (-3) 41-14
Sept. 14 San Diego (-1) 39-38
Sept. 21 New Orleans (-5.5) 34-32
Sept. 28 At Kansas City
Oct. 5 Tampa Bay
Oct. 12 Jacksonville
Oct. 20 At New England
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Miami
Nov. 6 At Cleveland
Nov. 16 At Atlanta
Nov. 23 Oakland
Nov. 30 At NewYork Jets
Dec. 7 Kansas City
Dec. 14 At Carolina
Dec. 21 Buffalo
Dec. 28 At San Diego
BRONCOS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 15Marshall / 10Russell
OLT 78Clady* / 76Polumbus*
OLG 50Hamilton/ 67 Lichtensteiger*
C 62Wiegmann/ 66Nalen
ORG 73Kuper / 67 Lichtensteiger*
ORT 74Harris / 64Pears
TE 89Graham/ 88Scheffler / 81 N. Jackson
WR 19Royal* / 82D. Jackson/ 14Stokley
QB 6Cutler / 11 Ramsey
RB 35Young / 23Hall / 28Pittman
FB 48Hillis* / 28Pittman
DEFENSE
DLE 60Engelberger / 96Crowder / 91 Ekuban
DLT 63Robertson/ 90Peterson
DRT 79Thomas / 95Shaw
DRE 92Dumervil / 94Moss
SLB 97 B. Bailey / 52Green
MLB 58Webster / 53Koutouvides
WLB 55D. Williams / 51 Winborn
LCB 24C. Bailey / 26J. Williams*
RCB 32Bly / 41 Paymah
SS 33Manuel / 21 Abdullah
FS 20McCree / 37 Lowry
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Kern*
PK 5Prater
H 1 Kern*
PR 19Royal* / 82D. Jackson
KR 19Royal* / 23Hall
LS 83Leach
* Rookie
OVERVIEWTwo teams headed in opposite directions meet in
an AFC West showdown at Arrowhead Stadium. The 3-0 Bron-
cos sit alone atop the division after edging out the Saints in a
34-32 shootout. Denver has put on an offensive showcase
thus far, scoring 38 points per game, and QB Jay Cutler looks
like an early MVP candidate. The Chiefs, meanwhile, come in at
0-3 following a 38-14 drubbing by the Falcons. QB Tyler Thig-
pen, making his first NFL start, struggled mightily, completing
just 39 percent of his passes and tossing three interceptions.
Denver swept the clubs two contests last season.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Broncos WR Brandon Marshall has
been unstoppable the past two weeks, catching 24 passes for
321 yards and two TDs, so watching K.C.s secondary try to
contain him will be interesting. With the Chiefs possibly start-
ing two rookie corners, Marshall should be licking his chops.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Broncos are averaging 432 yards of
offense, while the Chiefs are gaining just 258 yards per game.
K.C.s last home win came on Oct. 14, 2007, over Cincinnati.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
26 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
CHIEFS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Kansas City
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At New England (+16) 10-17
Sept. 14 Oakland (-3.5) 8-23
Sept. 21 At Atlanta (+6) 14-38
Sept. 28 Denver
Oct. 5 At Carolina
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 Tennessee
Oct. 26 At NewYork Jets
Nov. 2 Tampa Bay
Nov. 9 At San Diego
Nov. 16 New Orleans
Nov. 23 Buffalo
Nov. 30 At Oakland
Dec. 7 At Denver
Dec. 14 San Diego
Dec. 21 Miami
Dec. 28 At Cincinnati
CHIEFS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 82Bowe / 85Franklin* / 10Hagans
OLT 76Albert* / 75Taylor
OLG 54Waters / 74W. Smith/ 60De La Puente*
C 64Niswanger / 74W. Smith
ORG 73Jones / 74W. Smith/ 60De La Puente*
ORT 77 McIntosh/ 67 Richardson*
TE 88Gonzalez / 87 Cottam* / 84Foschi
WR 81 Darling / 80Webb
QB 4Thigpen/ 11 Huard/ 12Croyle
RB 27 L. Johnson/ 25Charles* / 21 K. Smith
FB 42Cox*
DEFENSE
DLE 90McBride / 70Boone
DLT 93Tyler / 95R. Edwards
DRT 72Dorsey* / 99Jackson
DRE 91 Hali / 97Johnston*
SLB 59D. Edwards / 53Williams / 52Walden*
MLB 55Thomas / 50Harris
WLB 56D. Johnson/ 53Williams / 52Walden*
LCB 39Carr* / 23Surtain
RCB 24Flowers* / 22Patterson/ 31 Leggett*
SS 49Pollard/ 38Morgan*
FS 44Page / 47 McGraw
SPECIALISTS
P 2Colquitt
PK 9Novak
H 2Colquitt
PR 30Sams / 29Savage* / 25Charles*
KR 29Savage* / 30Sams / 25Charles*
LS 51 Darche
* Rookie
49ERS GAME PROFILE SAINTS
2-1-0 Season record 1-2-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 2-1-0
1-0-0 Road/home record 1-0-0
1-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 1-0-0
1-0-0 Record on artificial turf 1-0-0
1-0-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 1-0-0
49ERS
AT
SAINTS
49ERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Francisco
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Arizona (+2.5) 13-23
Sept. 14 At Seattle (+6) 33-30*
Sept. 21 Detroit (-5) 31-13
Sept. 28 At New Orleans
Oct. 5 New England
Oct. 12 Philadelphia
Oct. 19 At NewYork Giants
Oct. 26 Seattle
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 10 At Arizona
Nov. 16 St. Louis
Nov. 23 At Dallas
Nov. 30 At Buffalo
Dec. 7 NewYork Jets
Dec. 14 At Miami
Dec. 21 At St. Louis
Dec. 28 Washington
* Overtime
49ERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 82Johnson/ 89J. Hill / 84Morgan*
OLT 74Staley / 65Sims
OLG 68Snyder / 64Baas
C 66Heitmann/ 59Wallace*
ORG 69Wragge / 62Rachal*
ORT 65Sims / 75J. Jennings
TE 85Davis / 46Walker / 47 Bajema
WR 88Bruce / 83Battle
QB 14OSullivan/ 13S. Hill / 10Martin
RB 21 Gore / 29Foster / 24Robinson
FB 45Keasey
DEFENSE
DLE 90Sopoaga / 96Balmer*
NT 92Franklin/ 93Fields
DRE 94J. Smith/ 91 McDonald
OLB 99Lawson/ 95Banta-Cain
ILB 53Ulbrich/ 51 Spikes
ILB 52Willis / 55Brooks
OLB 98Haralson/ 54Green
LCB 22Clements / 30Strickland/ 25Brown
RCB 27 Harris / 36Spencer / 23Hudson
SS 32M. Lewis / 28K. Lewis
FS 26Roman/ 38Goldson
SPECIALISTS
P 4Lee
PK 6Nedney
H 4Lee / 83Battle
PR 20Rossum/ 83Battle / 22Clements
KR 20Rossum/ 46Walker / 24Robinson
LS 86B. Jennings / 47 Bajema
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe 49ers revamped offense under Mike Martz
continued to improve steadily in a convincing 31-13 home vic-
tory over the Lions, displaying impressive balance with 182
yards on the ground to go with 188 yards receiving. New Or-
leans fell to 1-2 despite gaining 502 yards of total offense in a
34-32 defeat at Denver. The Saints easily defeated the Niners
31-10 in Week Eight last season, as Drew Brees completed 31-
of-39 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Niners LB corps, led by Patrick
Willis (team-leading six tackles vs. Lions), will be kept very
busy trying to stop Saints RB Reggie Bush, who had 31
touches in Denver and was equally effective rushing (73 yards)
and receiving (75 yards) but had a costly fumble that was re-
turned for a touchdown.
BYTHE NUMBERS Bush had 113 total yards (64 rushing, 49
receiving) in the Saints win over the Niners last season. San
Franciscos two games with more than 300 total yards this
season are as many as it had the entire 2007 season.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
SAINTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to New Orleans
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-20
Sept. 14 At Washington (0) 24-29
Sept. 21 At Denver (+5.5) 32-34
Sept. 28 San Francisco
Oct. 6 Minnesota
Oct. 12 Oakland
Oct. 19 At Carolina
Oct. 26 San Diego
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Atlanta
Nov. 16 At Kansas City
Nov. 24 Green Bay
Nov. 30 At Tampa Bay
Dec. 7 Atlanta
Dec. 11 At Chicago
Dec. 21 At Detroit
Dec. 28 Carolina
SAINTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Patten/ 16Moore / 12Colston
OLT 70Brown/ 74Bushrod
OLG 67 Nesbit / 77 Nicks*
C 76Goodwin
ORG 73Evans
ORT 78Stinchcomb/ 64Strief
TE 88Shockey / 83Miller / 80Campbell
WR 19Henderson/ 17 Meachem
QB 9Brees / 11 Brunell / 3Harrington
RB 25Bush/ 23Thomas / 26McAllister
FB 44Karney
DEFENSE
DLE 94Grant / 95Savage
NT 71 Clancy / 66B. Young
UT 98Ellis* / 96Lake
DRE 91 Smith/ 93McCray
SLB 55Fujita / 56Dunbar / 54Evans
MLB 51 Vilma / 50Mitchell
WLB 58Shanle / 56Dunbar
LCB 34McKenzie / 42David
RCB 20Gay / 22Porter* / 28U. Young
SS 41 Harper / 39Reis
FS 43Kaesviharn/ 29Bullocks
SPECIALISTS
P 7Weatherford
PK 1 Gramatica
H 7Weatherford
PR 25Bush/ 16Moore
KR 23Thomas / 27 Stecker
LS 47 Houser
* Rookie
CARDINALS GAME PROFILE JETS
2-1-0 Season record 1-1-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 1-1-0
1-1-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
1-1-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
0-0-0 Record on artificial turf 0-1-0
0-0-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 0-1-0
CARDINALS
AT
JETS
CARDINALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Arizona
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At San Francisco (-2.5) 23-13
Sept. 14 Miami (-6.5) 31-10
Sept. 21 At Washington (+3) 17-24
Sept. 28 At NewYork Jets
Oct. 5 Buffalo
Oct. 12 Dallas
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Carolina
Nov. 2 At St. Louis
Nov. 10 San Francisco
Nov. 16 At Seattle
Nov. 23 NewYork Giants
Nov. 27 At Philadelphia
Dec. 7 St. Louis
Dec. 14 Minnesota
Dec. 21 At New England
Dec. 28 Seattle
CARDINALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 11 Fitzgerald/ 85Urban/ 87 Morey
OLT 69Gandy / 72Keith*
OLG 74Wells / 81 E. Brown
C 63Sendlein/ 70Ross
ORG 76Lutui / 61 E. Brown
ORT 75L. Brown/ 68Vallejo
TE 82Pope / 89Patrick / 84Tuman
WR 81 Boldin/ 15Breaston/ 80Doucet*
QB 13Warner / 7 Leinart / 2St. Pierre
RB 32James / 34Hightower* / 28Arrington
FB 45T. Smith/ 46Castille
DEFENSE
DLE 94A. Smith/ 91 Iwebema*
NT 97 B. Robinson/ 98Watson/ 78Branch
DT 90Dockett / 93Campbell*
DRE 55LaBoy / 92Berry
SLB 56Okeafor / 53Haggans
MLB 54Hayes / 52Beisel
WLB 58Dansby / 95Highsmith*
LCB 26Hood/ 29Rodgers-Cromartie*
RCB 25Green/ 20R. Brown
SS 24Wilson/ 47 Francisco / 35Celestin
FS 21 Rolle / 22Ware
SPECIALISTS
P 9D. Johnson
PK 1 Rackers
H 9D. Johnson/ 87 Morey
PR 15Breaston/ 21 Rolle / 26Hood
KR 15Breaston/ 28Arrington/ 87 Morey
LS 48Hodel / 84Tuman
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe previously unbeaten Cardinals found the
sledding tougher against a team with a pulse last week and
were unable to top the Redskins in D.C. Instead of heading
home, theyll remain on the East Coast to ready themselves
for the new-look Jets. The offenses, both led by former multi-
ple-time league MVP quarterbacks, get most of the attention,
but its the teams underrated LB corps that might be the
biggest reason these squads are in the postseason picture.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Cardinals WRs Larry Fitzgerald and
Anquan Boldin are treating the leagues secondaries as chew
toys, muscling their way to 540 yards on 33 receptions six
for TDs through three weeks. Physical and fast CB Darrelle
Revis and ballhawking rookie CB Dwight Lowery wont be in-
timidated. Still, S Kerry Rhodes might be asked to stay deep,
which would take away one of the Jets best run defenders.
BYTHE NUMBERS Although Kurt Warner (37) is just one
year younger than Brett Favre (38), Favre has started 256
games compared to Warners 88.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
JETS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to NewYork
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Miami (-3) 20-14
Sept. 14 New England (+1) 10-19
Sept. 22 At San Diego
Sept. 28 Arizona
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 Cincinnati
Oct. 19 At Oakland
Oct. 26 Kansas City
Nov. 2 At Buffalo
Nov. 9 St. Louis
Nov. 13 At New England
Nov. 23 At Tennessee
Nov. 30 Denver
Dec. 7 At San Francisco
Dec. 14 Buffalo
Dec. 21 At Seattle
Dec. 28 Miami
JETS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Coles / 16B. Smith/ 15Wright
OLT 60Ferguson/ 78Hunter
OLG 66Faneca / 68Montgomery
C 74Mangold/ 75Turner
ORG 65Moore / 75Turner
ORT 67Woody / 78Hunter
TE 86Baker / 88Franks
WR 89Cotchery / 83Stuckey / 14Henry
QB 4Favre / 11 Clemens / 5Ratliff
RB 20Jones / 29Washington
TE 81 Keller* / 88Franks
DEFENSE
DLE 92Ellis / 70DeVito
NT 77Jenkins / 91 Pouha
DRE 93K. Coleman/ 69Mosley
LOLB 99Thomas / 56Gholston*
LILB 50Barton/ 96Bowens
RILB 52Harris / 53Spencer
ROLB 97 Pace / 94Murrell
LCB 24Revis / 31 Poteat / 30D. Coleman
RCB 34Lowery* / 21 Miller / 36Barrett
SS 33E. Smith/ 27 Elam
FS 25Rhodes / 27 Elam
SPECIALISTS
P 6Hodges
PK 3Feely / 1 Nugent
H 6Hodges
PR 29Washington/ 34Lowery*
KR 29Washington/ 21 Miller
LS 85Dearth
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK FOUR
VIKINGS GAME PROFILE TITANS
1-2-0 Season record 3-0-0
1-2-0 Season record vs. spread 3-0-0
0-1-0 Road/home record 2-0-0
0-1-0 Road/home record vs. spread 2-0-0
0-1-0 Record on natural turf 2-0-0
0-1-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 2-0-0
VIKINGS
AT
TITANS
VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Minnesota
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 8 At Green Bay (+2.5) 19-24
Sept. 14 Indianapolis (+1.5) 15-18
Sept. 21 Carolina (-3) 20-10
Sept. 28 At Tennessee
Oct. 6 At New Orleans
Oct. 12 Detroit
Oct. 19 At Chicago
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Houston
Nov. 9 Green Bay
Nov. 16 At Tampa Bay
Nov. 23 At Jacksonville
Nov. 30 Chicago
Dec. 7 At Detroit
Dec. 14 At Arizona
Dec. 21 Atlanta
Dec. 28 NewYork Giants
VIKINGS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Berrian/ 89Ferguson
OLT 79Hicks / 72M. Johnson/ 74McKinnie
OLG 76Hutchinson
C 78Birk / 65Sullivan*
ORG 64Herrera
ORT 62Cook / 60Radovich*
TE 81 Shiancoe / 40Kleinsasser / 45Mills
WR 18Rice / 19Wade / 84Allison
QB 12Frerotte / 7T. Jackson/ 4Booty*
RB 28Peterson/ 29Taylor / 43Hicks
FB 44Tapeh/ 83Dugan/ 38Tahi
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Edwards
NT 94P. Williams / 90Evans
UT 93K. Williams / 97Wyms / 98Guion*
DRE 69Allen/ 73Grigsby / 96Robison
SLB 51 Leber / 58Herron
MLB 56E.J. Henderson/ 54Ciurciu
WLB 52Greenway / 50Er. Henderson
LCB 26Winfield/ 21 McCauley
RCB 23Griffin/ 41 Gordon/ 22Sapp
SS 42Sharper / 39Abdullah
FS 25T. Johnson* / 37 Frampton
SPECIALISTS
P 5Kluwe
PK 8Longwell
H 5Kluwe / 12Frerotte
PR 84Allison
KR 43M. Hicks / 84Allison
LS 46Loeffler
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Vikings won for the first time Sunday with a
comeback effort against the previously unbeaten Panthers.
The Titans ran their record to 3-0 with another division win,
beating the Texans at home. Both teams rely on running the
ball and stopping the run. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson found
the running tough last week but got some key first downs, and
the defense held the Panthers ground game in check. The Ti-
tans once again won with the RB tandem of Chris Johnson and
LenDale White, though the D allowed Texans RB Steve Slaton
(116 rushing yards, TD) to get loose.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Titans QB Kerry Collins has done a
nice job with limited receiving options, but hes sure to be
rushed by the Vikings, who got after Jake Delhomme last
week. Without a scary receiving option to be concerned about,
the Vikings can pressure and play more man defense.
BYTHE NUMBERS Vikings QB Gus Frerotte completed 16-of-
28 passes for 204 yards with a TD and an interception in his
first start replacing Tarvaris Jackson.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
TITANS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Tennessee
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Jacksonville (+3) 17-10
Sept. 14 At Cincinnati (0) 24-7
Sept. 21 Houston (-5) 31-12
Sept. 28 Minnesota
Oct. 5 At Baltimore
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Kansas City
Oct. 27 Indianapolis
Nov. 2 Green Bay
Nov. 9 At Chicago
Nov. 16 At Jacksonville
Nov. 23 NewYork Jets
Nov. 27 At Detroit
Dec. 7 Cleveland
Dec. 14 At Houston
Dec. 21 Pittsburgh
Dec. 28 At Indianapolis
TITANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 19McCareins / 87 Hawkins* / 17 C. Davis
OLT 71 Roos / 70Loper / 66Otto
OLG 54Amano / 64Harris
C 68Mawae / 64Harris
ORG 73Scott / 70Loper
ORT 76Stewart / 70Loper
TE 83Crumpler / 80Scaife / 88Stevens*
WR 12Gage / 81 B. Jones / 11 P. Williams
QB 5Collins / 8Simms / 10Young
RB 25White / 28C. Johnson* / 42Henry / 35Ganther
FB 45Hall
DEFENSE
DLE 90Kearse / 78Ford/ 95Hayes*
DLT 97 Brown/ 91 J. Jones* / 96Vickerson
DRT 92Haynesworth/ 96Vickerson
DRE 93VandenBosch/ 98Ball / 91 J. Jones*
SLB 53Bulluck / 59Keglar*
MLB 52Fowler / 55Tulloch/ 56Allred
WLB 50Thornton/ 51 Cordova / 59Keglar*
LCB 20Harper / 21 Hill / 29Carr
RCB 31 Finnegan/ 30King
SS 24Hope / 23Nickey / 29Carr
FS 33Griffin/ 22Fuller
SPECIALISTS
P 15Hentrich
PK 2Bironas
H 15Hentrich
PR 29Carr / 17 Davis / 81 Jones
KR 29Carr / 28C. Johnson* / 87 Hawkins*
LS 58Amato
* Rookie
CHARGERS GAME PROFILE RAIDERS
0-2-0 Season record 1-2-0
0-1-1 Season record vs. spread 2-1-0
0-1-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
0-0-1 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
0-2-0 Record on natural turf 1-1-0
0-1-1 Record on natural turf vs. spread 1-1-0
CHARGERS
AT
RAIDERS
CHARGERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Diego
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Carolina (-9) 24-26
Sept. 14 At Denver (+1) 38-39
Sept. 22 NewYork Jets
Sept. 28 At Oakland
Oct. 5 At Miami
Oct. 12 New England
Oct. 19 At Buffalo
Oct. 26 At New Orleans
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 Kansas City
Nov. 16 At Pittsburgh
Nov. 23 Indianapolis
Nov. 30 Atlanta
Dec. 4 Oakland
Dec. 14 At Kansas City
Dec. 21 At Tampa Bay
Dec. 28 Denver
CHARGERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Chambers / 84Davis / 80Floyd
OLT 73McNeill / 70Shelton
OLG 68Dielman/ 67 Forney
C 62Newberry / 63Mruczkowski / 61 Hardwick
ORG 79Goff / 63Mruczkowski
ORT 66Clary / 70Shelton/ 75Clark*
TE 85Gates / 86Manumaleuna / 88Wilson
WR 83Jackson/ 11 Naanee / 81 Osgood
QB 17 Rivers / 7Volek / 6Whitehurst
RB 21 Tomlinson/ 43Sproles / 22Hester*
FB 35Tolbert* / 22Hester*
DEFENSE
DLE 99Olshansky / 97 Bingham
NT 76Williams / 97 Bingham/ 91 McKinney
DRE 93Castillo / 74Cesaire
OLB 95Phillips / 92Harris
ILB 58Smith/ 53Waters
ILB 57Wilhelm/ 51 Dobbins / 59Siler
OLB 94Tucker / 90Applewhite
LCB 23Jammer / 24Gordon
RCB 31 Cromartie / 20Cason* / 29Tribble*
SS 42Hart / 28Gregory
FS 32Weddle / 27 Oliver
SPECIALISTS
P 5Scifres
PK 10Kaeding
H 5Scifres
PR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie / 84Davis
KR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie / 84Davis
LS 50Binn
* Rookie
OVERVIEWFresh off a last-second loss to the Bills, the dys-
functional Raiders return home to face San Diego, which has
won the last nine meetings between the teams. If the Raiders
want a different result, itll take a major effort from their play-
maker, RB Darren McFadden, and a more complete showing
from the defense, which fell apart in the second half last week.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Chargers QB Philip Rivers has looked
like a much-improved passer in the early going, and he has a
great opportunity to continue his move upward this week. The
Raiders cornerback tandem of Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAn-
gelo Hall, although highly talented, isnt living up to the expec-
tations for it heading into the season. Rivers likely will test Hall,
who has been inconsistent at best, and could come up with
some big, game-changing plays if he focuses on throwing to-
ward Halls side often.
BYTHE NUMBERS Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell threw just
three passes in the second half last week vs. Buffalo and has
attempted fewer than 20 passes each of the past two games.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
RAIDERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Oakland
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 8 Denver (+3) 14-41
Sept. 14 At Kansas City (+3.5) 23-8
Sept. 21 At Buffalo (+10) 23-24
Sept. 28 San Diego
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At New Orleans
Oct. 19 NewYork Jets
Oct. 26 At Baltimore
Nov. 2 Atlanta
Nov. 9 Carolina
Nov. 16 At Miami
Nov. 23 At Denver
Nov. 30 Kansas City
Dec. 4 At San Diego
Dec. 14 New England
Dec. 21 Houston
Dec. 28 At Tampa Bay
RAIDERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 17Walker / 15Higgins
OLT 77 Harris / 75Henderson
OLG 76Gallery
C 64Grove / 71 Wade / 51 Morris
ORG 66Carlisle / 78Wakefield
ORT 74Green / 72Wand
TE 80Miller / 86Stewart / 88Troupe
WR 89Curry / 87 Lelie / 19Watkins
QB 2Russell / 16Walter / 8Tuiasosopo
RB 20McFadden* / 25Fargas / 29Bush
FB 36Griffith / 44Lawton
DEFENSE
DLE 56Burgess / 91 Scott*
DLT 93Kelly / 90Sands
DRT 61 Warren/ 90Sands
DRE 98Richardson/ 58Edwards
SLB 57 Brown/ 54Williams
MLB 52Morrison
WLB 53Howard/ 55Alston
LCB 21 Asomugha / 37Johnson
RCB 23Hall / 26Routt
SS 28Wilson/ 33Branch*
FS 24Huff / 31 Eugene
SPECIALISTS
P 9Lechler
PK 11 Janikowski
H 9Lechler
PR 15Higgins
KR 15Higgins / 37Johnson
LS 59Condo
* Rookie
BILLS GAME PROFILE RAMS
3-0-0 Season record 0-3-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 0-3-0
1-0-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
1-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
2-0-0 Record on artificial turf 0-2-0
1-1-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 0-2-0
BILLS
AT
RAMS
BILLS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Buffalo
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Seattle (-1.5) 34-10
Sept. 14 At Jacksonville (+4.5) 20-16
Sept. 21 Oakland (-10) 24-23
Sept. 28 At St. Louis
Oct. 5 At Arizona
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 San Diego
Oct. 26 At Miami
Nov. 2 NewYork Jets
Nov. 9 At New England
Nov. 17 Cleveland
Nov. 23 At Kansas City
Nov. 30 San Francisco
Dec. 7 Miami
Dec. 14 At NewYork Jets
Dec. 21 At Denver
Dec. 28 New England
BILLS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 83Evans / 11 Parrish/ 13St. Johnson*
OLT 71 Peters / 77 Bell*
OLG 66Dockery / 65Whittle
C 67 Fowler / 75Preston
ORG 60Butler / 75Preston
ORT 68Walker / 73Chambers
TE 84Royal / 80Schouman/ 86Fine*
WR 81 Hardy* / 82Reed
QB 5Edwards / 7 Losman/ 10Hamdan
RB 23Lynch/ 22Jackson/ 25Omon*
FB 36Barnes
DEFENSE
DLE 90Kelsay / 92Denney
DLT 99Stroud/ 97 McCargo
DRT 95Williams / 91 Sp. Johnson
DRE 94Schobel / 96Bryan/ 93Ellis*
SLB 56Ellison/ 54Costanzo
MLB 51 Posluszny / 52DiGiorgio
WLB 59Mitchell / 57 Corto
LCB 33Greer / 28McKelvin*
RCB 24McGee / 26Youboty / 27 Corner*
SS 20Whitner / 43Scott / 29Wendling
FS 30Simpson/ 37Wilson
SPECIALISTS
P 8Moorman
PK 9Lindell
H 8Moorman
PR 11 Parrish/ 28McKelvin*
KR 24McGee / 28McKelvin*
LS 72Neill
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Bills and Rams couldnt be heading in more
divergent directions. On the heels of yet another stirring,
fourth-quarter comeback, the Trent Edwards-led Bills find
themselves 3-0 for the first time since 1992. St. Louis, mean-
while, has epitomized ineptitude on both sides of the ball. The
Rams offensive line has been particularly feeble and must
provide QB Marc Bulger more time to get set in the pocket
against a defensive front thats starting to realize its potential.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Itll be a matchup of minds as Edwards
tries to counter the multiple looks that Rams defensive coordi-
nator Jim Haslett is sure to throw at him. Haslett prides him-
self on his complicated defensive schemes and will be even
more inclined to mix things up against a second-year quarter-
back. Problem is, Haslett has been burned by his secondarys
shoddy play, and Edwards has shown poise under pressure.
BYTHE NUMBERS St. Louis has scored 29 points this sea-
son. Buffalo has scored 27 fourth-quarter points in mounting
scintillating rallies the past two weeks.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
RAMS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to St. Louis
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Philadelphia (+8.5) 3-38
Sept. 14 NewYork Giants (+8.5) 13-41
Sept. 21 At Seattle (+8.5) 13-37
Sept. 28 Buffalo
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At Washington
Oct. 19 Dallas
Oct. 26 At New England
Nov. 2 Arizona
Nov. 9 At NewYork Jets
Nov. 16 At San Francisco
Nov. 23 Chicago
Nov. 30 Miami
Dec. 7 At Arizona
Dec. 14 Seattle
Dec. 21 San Francisco
Dec. 28 At Atlanta
RAMS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Holt / 82D. Hall / 17Avery* / 14Burton*
OLT 76Pace / 73Goldberg
OLG 63Bell / 67 Schuening*
C 60Leckey / 65Romberg
ORG 68Incognito / 79Greco*
ORT 70Barron/ 79Greco*
TE 84McMichael / 87 Becht / 88Klopfenstein
WR 89Looker / 86Kennison/ 83Bennett
QB 10Bulger / 12Green/ 13Berlin
RB 39Jackson/ 30Pittman/ 22Minor
FB 36Kreider / 23Leonard
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Little / 94Adeyanju
UT 97 Glover / 94Adeyanju
NT 90Carriker / 95Ryan
DRE 72Long* / 96J. Hall / 92Moore
SLB 53Culberson/ 52Draft
MLB 51 Witherspoon/ 52Draft / 55Stills
WLB 50Tinoisamoa / 57 Chamberlain*
LCB 24Bartell / 26Hill / 27 Manning
RCB 34F. Brown/ 20Wade
SS 25Chavous / 25Johnson
FS 21 Atogwe / 42Condren
SPECIALISTS
P 5Jones
PK 2J. Brown
H 5Jones / 89Looker
PR 82D. Hall / 17Avery*
KR 82D. Hall / 17Avery*
LS 45Massey
* Rookie
27 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK FOUR
PACKERS GAME PROFILE BUCCANEERS
2-1-0 Season record 2-1-0
2-1-0 Season record vs. spread 2-1-0
1-0-0 Road/home record 1-0-0
1-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 1-0-0
1-1-0 Record on natural turf 2-0-0
1-1-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 2-0-0
PACKERS
AT
BUCCANEERS
PACKERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Green Bay
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 8 Minnesota (-2.5) 24-19
Sept. 14 At Detroit (-3) 48-25
Sept. 21 Dallas (+3) 16-27
Sept. 28 At Tampa Bay
Oct. 5 Atlanta
Oct. 12 At Seattle
Oct. 19 Indianapolis
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 At Tennessee
Nov. 9 At Minnesota
Nov. 16 Chicago
Nov. 24 At New Orleans
Nov. 30 Carolina
Dec. 7 Houston
Dec. 14 At Jacksonville
Dec. 22 At Chicago
Dec. 28 Detroit
PACKERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Jennings / 82Martin
OLT 76Clifton/ 73Colledge
OLG 73Colledge / 78Barbre
C 63Wells / 72Spitz
ORG 72Spitz / 71 Sitton* / 75Moll
ORT 65Tauscher / 75Moll / 68Giacomini*
TE 86D. Lee / 84Humphrey / 88Finley*
WR 80Driver / 89Jones / 87 Nelson*
QB 12Rodgers / 10Flynn* / 11 Brohm
RB 25Grant / 32Jackson/ 28Lumpkin*
FB 35Hall / 30Kuhn
DEFENSE
DLE 74Kampman/ 96Montgomery
DLT 79Pickett / 90Cole
DRT 97Jolly / 77Jenkins
DRE 77Jenkins / 94Gbaja-Biamila / 57 Hunter
SLB 51 Poppinga / 54Chillar
MLB 56Barnett / 55Bishop
WLB 50Hawk / 59T. White
LCB 21 Woodson/ 27 Blackmon/ 22P. Lee*
RCB 31 Harris / 38Williams / 24Bush
SS 20Bigby / 37 Rouse
FS 36Collins / 26Peprah
SPECIALISTS
P 6Frost
PK 2Crosby
H 6Frost / 10Flynn* / 82Martin
PR 27 Blackmon/ 38Williams / 87 Nelson*
KR 27 Blackmon/ 87 Nelson* / 38Williams
LS 61 Goode* / 75Moll / 97Jolly
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Packers fell to 2-1 in a prime-time affair at
Lambeau Field as the Cowboys pulled away in the second half
for a 27-16 victory. Tampa Bay upped its record to 2-1 behind a
tremendous comeback effort by QB Brian Griese, who com-
pensated for a subpar ground game with an eye-popping 407-
yard passing performance in a 27-24 overtime victory against
the Bears in Chicago. Tampa Bay will try to take some pressure
off Griese and resurrect its ground game against a Green Bay
defense that surrendered 217 yards on the ground and allowed
6.2 yards per carry to the Cowboys.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Buccaneers CB corps figures to
have its hands full trying to contain Packers WRs Greg Jen-
nings and Donald Driver, who had a combined 12 catches for
191 yards against the Cowboys.
BYTHE NUMBERS Entering their Week Three game with a
league-high 6.5 yards per carry, the Bucs gained only 2.8
yards per carry vs. the Bears. Jennings is averaging 124
yards receiving per game and 19.6 yards per catch.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 1 p.m. ET
28 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
BUCCANEERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Tampa Bay
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At New Orleans (+3) 20-24
Sept. 14 Atlanta (-7) 24-9
Sept. 21 At Chicago (+3) 27-24*
Sept. 28 Green Bay
Oct. 5 At Denver
Oct. 12 Carolina
Oct. 19 Seattle
Oct. 26 At Dallas
Nov. 2 At Kansas City
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Minnesota
Nov. 23 At Detroit
Nov. 30 New Orleans
Dec. 8 At Carolina
Dec. 14 At Atlanta
Dec. 21 San Diego
Dec. 28 Oakland
* Overtime
BUCCANEERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84Galloway / 85Stovall / 10D. Jackson*
OLT 70Penn/ 69A. Davis
OLG 78Sears
C 52Faine / 79Mahan
ORG 76Zuttah* / 75Joseph
ORT 65Trueblood/ 79Lee
TE 81 Smith/ 88Gilmore / 86Stevens
WR 89A. Bryant / 19Hilliard/ 80Clayton
QB 8Griese / 7 Garcia / 12McCown
RB 34Graham/ 28Dunn/ 29Bennett
FB 35Askew/ 44Storer
DEFENSE
DLE 93Carter / 91 White
DLT 95Hovan/ 96Peterson
DRT 71 Haye / 98Sims
DRE 90Adams / 97Wilkerson
SLB 59June / 58Black
MLB 51 Ruud/ 57 Hayward/ 41 McCoy
WLB 55Brooks / 54Hayes*
LCB 31 Buchanon/ 25Talib*
RCB 20Barber / 43Mack*
SS 23Phillips / 21 Piscitelli
FS 36T. Jackson/ 26Allen
SPECIALISTS
P 9Bidwell
PK 3M. Bryant
H 9Bidwell
PR 10D. Jackson* / 19Hilliard
KR 10D. Jackson*
LS 48Economos
* Rookie
EAGLES GAME PROFILE BEARS
2-1-0 Season record 1-2-0
3-0-0 Season record vs. spread 1-1-1
0-1-0 Road/home record 0-1-0
1-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 0-1-0
2-0-0 Record on natural turf 0-2-0
2-0-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 0-1-1
EAGLES
AT
BEARS
EAGLES SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Philadelphia
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 St. Louis (-8.5) 38-3
Sept. 15 At Dallas (+6.5) 37-41
Sept. 21 Pittsburgh (-3.5) 15-6
Sept. 28 At Chicago
Oct. 5 Washington
Oct. 12 At San Francisco
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Atlanta
Nov. 2 At Seattle
Nov. 9 NewYork Giants
Nov. 16 At Cincinnati
Nov. 23 At Baltimore
Nov. 27 Arizona
Dec. 7 At NewYork Giants
Dec. 15 Cleveland
Dec. 21 At Washington
Dec. 28 Dallas
EAGLES DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84Baskett / 81 Avant / 80Curtis
OLT 72T. Thomas / 74Justice
OLG 79Herremans / 68McGlynn*
C 67J. Jackson/ 59N. Cole
ORG 73Andrews / 62Jean-Gilles
ORT 69Runyan/ 74Justice
TE 82L.J. Smith/ 87 Celek / 89Schobel
WR 10D. Jackson* / 86R. Brown/ 83G. Lewis
QB 5McNabb/ 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
RB 36Westbrook / 28Buckhalter / 25Booker
FB 29Hunt
DEFENSE
DLE 75Parker / 91 Clemons / 78Abiamiri
DLT 98Patterson/ 93Laws
DRT 97 Bunkley / 68Klecko
DRE 58Cole / 90Howard/ 63B. Smith*
SLB 57 Gocong / 50Daniels
MLB 55Bradley / 51 Mays*
WLB 96Gaither / 56Jordan
LCB 22Samuel / 21 Hanson
RCB 24S. Brown/ 26Sheppard
SS 27 Mikell / 37 Considine
FS 20Dawkins / 30Reed/ 39Demps*
SPECIALISTS
P 6Rocca
PK 2Akers
H 6Rocca / 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
PR 10D. Jackson* / 39Demps* / 30Reed
KR 39Demps* / 25Booker / 30Reed
LS 46Dorenbos
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Bears have lost consecutive games in which
they led in the fourth quarter, the most recent one coming
against the Buccaneers at home in overtime. The Eagles beat
the Steelers in a big intrastate matchup, but it might have
come at a cost RB Brian Westbrook injured his right ankle
early in the game and did not return.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Eagles have been at their best
when the offensive line gives QB Donovan McNabb time to set
his feet and throw, as well as opening holes on the ground. OLT
Tra Thomas will face off against Bears DE Alex Brown, and it
appears Thomas who is off to a very good start will have
the edge in terms of power. If Westbrook is out, it changes the
motives of the Bears defensive line, which can be more ag-
gressive and focus more on hitting McNabb, who suffered a
chest injury vs. Pittsburgh. Without that safety net and versa-
tility, the Eagles passing game becomes more streamlined.
BYTHE NUMBERS Bears QB Kyle Orton threw for a career-
high 268 yards in Week Three, but he also had two costly INTs.
Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 8:15 p.m. ET
BEARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Chicago
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Indianapolis (+10.5) 29-13
Sept. 14 At Carolina (+3) 17-20
Sept. 21 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-27*
Sept. 28 Philadelphia
Oct. 5 At Detroit
Oct. 12 At Atlanta
Oct. 19 Minnesota
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Detroit
Nov. 9 Tennessee
Nov. 16 At Green Bay
Nov. 23 At St. Louis
Nov. 30 At Minnesota
Dec. 7 Jacksonville
Dec. 11 New Orleans
Dec. 22 Green Bay
Dec. 28 At Houston
* Overtime
BEARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 R. Davis / 23Hester / 85Bennett*
OLT 78St. Clair / 74C. Williams*
OLG 67 Beekman/ 60Metcalf
C 57 Kreutz / 67 Beekman
ORG 63Garza / 72Buenning
ORT 76Tait / 69Miller
TE 88Clark / 82Olsen/ 87 K. Davis*
WR 80Lloyd/ 86Booker / 16Bradley
QB 18Orton/ 8Grossman/ 12Hanie*
RB 22Fort*/ 27Jones / 29Peterson/ 25Wolfe
FB 37 McKie
DEFENSE
DLE 93Ogunleye / 71 Idonije
DT 91 Harris / 94Harrison*
NT 98Dvoracek / 95A. Adams / 75Toeaina
DRE 96A. Brown/ 97Anderson
WLB 55Briggs / 52J. Williams
MLB 54Urlacher / 53Roach/ 90LaRocque*
SLB 92Hillenmeyer / 58McClover
LCB 33Tillman/ 21 Graham
RCB 31 Vasher / 26McBride
SS 44Payne
FS 30M. Brown/ 38D. Manning / 20Steltz*
SPECIALISTS
P 4Maynard
PK 9Gould
H 4Maynard
PR 23Hester / 31 Vasher / 85Bennett*
KR 23Hester / 38D. Manning / 81 R. Davis
LS 65Mannelly / 82Olsen/ 88Clark
* Rookie
RAVENS GAME PROFILE STEELERS
2-0-0 Season record 2-1-0
2-0-0 Season record vs. spread 1-2-0
0-0-0 Road/home record 1-0-0
0-0-0 Road/home record vs. spread 1-0-0
0-0-0 Record on natural turf 2-1-0
0-0-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 1-2-0
RAVENS
AT
STEELERS
RAVENS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Baltimore
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Cincinnati (+2) 17-10
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 Cleveland (-2.5) 28-10
Sept. 29 At Pittsburgh
Oct. 5 Tennessee
Oct. 12 At Indianapolis
Oct. 19 At Miami
Oct. 26 Oakland
Nov. 2 At Cleveland
Nov. 9 At Houston
Nov. 16 At NewYork Giants
Nov. 23 Philadelphia
Nov. 30 At Cincinnati
Dec. 7 Washington
Dec. 14 Pittsburgh
Dec. 20 At Dallas
Dec. 28 Jacksonville
RAVENS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Clayton/ 87 D. Williams
OLT 71 Gaither / 78Terry / 64Cousins*
OLG 66Grubbs / 65Chester / 76Hale*
C 60Brown/ 65Chester
ORG 73Yanda / 65Chester
ORT 78Terry / 79Anderson
TE 86Heap/ 83Wilcox
WR 85Mason/ 16Figurs / 81 Ma. Smith*
QB 5Flacco* / 2Bouman/ 10T. Smith
RB 23McGahee / 27 Rice* / 33L. McClain
FB 33L. McClain/ 42Neal
DEFENSE
DLE 90Pryce / 91 Douglas
NT 94Bannan/ 96Divens* / 97 Gregg
DRE 92Ngata / 94Bannan
LOLB 95Johnson/ 53J. McClain*
LILB 52Lewis / 59Greisen
RILB 57 Scott / 56Gooden* / 51 Ayanbadejo
ROLB 55Suggs / 50Barnes
LCB 21 McAlister / 41 Walker / 35Ivy / 25Oglesby
RCB 22Rolle / 31 Washington/ 29Martin
SS 26Landry / 28Zbikowski* / 43Nakamura*
FS 20Reed/ 36Leonhard
SPECIALISTS
P 4Koch
PK 3Stover
H 4Koch
PR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 28Zbikowski*
KR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 27 Rice*
LS 70Katula
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Ravens find themselves atop the AFC North
after overpowering Cleveland on both sides of the ball. The
Steelers are trying to get their bearings after the Eagles
sacked QB Ben Roethlisberger eight times and shut down the
run en route to a 15-6 win. Roethlisberger left the game late
with what appeared to be a right hand injury. Although the in-
jury is not regarded as serious, he already is playing with
shoulder and knee ailments.
MATCHUP TO WATCH How will the Steelers cope with the
Ravens pass rush? In Roethlisbergers only start vs. Baltimore
a season ago, he threw five TD passes and was sacked three
times. However, two seasons ago, the Ravens defense sacked
Roethlisberger 14 times. The Steelers have the unenviable task
of trying to contain OLB Terrell Suggs (two sacks in Week
Three) and DL Trevor Pryce tough enough matchups as is
while trying to pick up the blitz.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Ravens have rushed 90 times in two
games.
Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 8:30 p.m. ET
STEELERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Pittsburgh
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 Houston (-6.5) 38-17
Sept. 14 At Cleveland (-7) 10-6
Sept. 21 At Philadelphia (+3.5) 6-15
Sept. 29 Baltimore
Oct. 5 At Jacksonville
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Cincinnati
Oct. 26 NewYork Giants
Nov. 3 At Washington
Nov. 9 Indianapolis
Nov. 16 San Diego
Nov. 20 Cincinnati
Nov. 30 At New England
Dec. 7 Dallas
Dec. 14 At Baltimore
Dec. 21 At Tennessee
Dec. 28 Cleveland
STEELERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
SE 86Ward/ 85Washington
OLT 77 M. Smith/ 79Essex / 66Hills*
OLG 68Kemoeatu/ 72Stapleton
C 62Hartwig / 72Stapleton
ORG 73Simmons / 72Stapleton
ORT 74Colon/ 78Starks
TE 83Miller / 89Spaeth/ 49McHugh
FL 10Holmes / 14Sweed*/ 81 Baker
QB 7 Roethlisberger / 4Leftwich/ 2Dixon*
RB 39Parker / 34Mendenhall* / 21 Moore
FB 38Davis
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Aa. Smith/ 90Kirschke / 96Roye
NT 98Hampton/ 76Hoke
DRE 99Keisel / 93Eason
LOLB 56Woodley / 53Davis* / 46Bailey
LILB 51 Farrior / 57 Fox
RILB 50Foote / 94Timmons
ROLB 92Harrison/ 54Frazier / 95Woods*
LCB 24Taylor / 22Gay / 37 Madison
RCB 26Townsend/ 20McFadden
SS 43Polamalu/ 23Carter
FS 25Clark / 27An. Smith
SPECIALISTS
P 17 Berger
PK 3Reed
H 17 Berger
PR 21 Moore / 10Holmes
KR 34Mendenhall* / 21 Moore
LS 60Warren
* Rookie
NFL STANDINGS
WEEK THREE
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Buffalo 3 0 0 1.000 78 49 0 0 0 2 0 0
New England 2 1 0 .667 49 58 1 1 0 2 1 0
New York Jets* 1 1 0 .500 30 33 1 1 0 1 1 0
Miami 1 2 0 .333 62 64 1 1 0 1 1 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Baltimore 2 0 0 1.000 45 20 2 0 0 2 0 0
Pittsburgh 2 1 0 .667 54 38 1 0 0 2 0 0
Cleveland 0 3 0 .000 26 66 0 2 0 0 2 0
Cincinnati 0 3 0 .000 40 67 0 1 0 0 2 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Tennessee 3 0 0 1.000 72 29 2 0 0 3 0 0
Jacksonville 1 2 0 .333 49 58 1 1 0 1 2 0
Indianapolis 1 2 0 .333 52 67 0 1 0 0 1 0
Houston 0 2 0 .000 29 69 0 1 0 0 2 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Denver 3 0 0 1.000 114 84 2 0 0 2 0 0
Oakland 1 2 0 .333 60 73 1 1 0 1 2 0
San Diego* 0 2 0 .000 62 65 0 1 0 0 1 0
Kansas City 0 3 0 .000 32 78 0 1 0 0 2 0
* Monday-night game not included
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Dallas 3 0 0 1.000 96 63 1 0 0 2 0 0
New York Giants 3 0 0 1.000 83 43 1 0 0 2 0 0
Washington 2 1 0 .667 60 57 0 1 0 2 1 0
Philadelphia 2 1 0 .667 90 50 0 1 0 1 1 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Green Bay 2 1 0 .667 88 71 2 0 0 2 1 0
Minnesota 1 2 0 .333 54 52 0 1 0 1 1 0
Chicago 1 2 0 .333 70 60 0 0 0 0 2 0
Detroit 0 3 0 .000 59 113 0 1 0 0 3 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Tampa Bay 2 1 0 .667 71 57 1 1 0 2 1 0
Carolina 2 1 0 .667 56 61 0 0 0 1 1 0
Atlanta 2 1 0 .667 81 59 0 1 0 1 1 0
New Orleans 1 2 0 .333 80 83 1 0 0 1 1 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
San Francisco 2 1 0 .667 77 66 1 1 0 2 1 0
Arizona 2 1 0 .667 71 47 1 0 0 1 1 0
Seattle 1 2 0 .333 77 80 1 1 0 1 1 0
St. Louis 0 3 0 .000 29 116 0 1 0 0 3 0
NFC AFC
LINE OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK TEAM ON THE DECLINE
Ronnie Brown RB Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins drew up a new offensive package, and it involved Brown handling the
ball as a runner, receiver and quarterback. Brown actually ran several option plays
that he either kept himself, handed off to Ricky Williams or passed to TE Anthony
Fasano for a touchdown. No matter what looks the Dolphins threw at the Patriots
defense, they had no way of stopping Brown, who rushed 17 times for 113 yards and
a whopping four touchdowns. He scored two first-half touchdowns that would put
the Dolphins ahead 14-3 a lead they would not relinquish. In the third, he threw a
perfect, lefthanded throw on a rope for a TD and took a straight handoff 62 yards for
his final score he accounted for all five TDs in the upset in Foxborough.
Joey Porter OLB Miami Dolphins
Typically, coaches cringe when players mouth off against opponents before a
game. Especially when theyre playing the Patriots. And especially when the coach
Tony Sparano had yet to win a game. But Porter backed up his bark, doing al-
most exactly what he said the Dolphins would do to defend Patriots QB Matt Cassel,
whom Porter said was no (Tom) Brady and that the team planned to throw the
kitchen sink at Cassel. Porter made sure no one let him down. He had three sacks,
repeatedly beating the Patriots tight ends, who were attempting to block him by
themselves in many cases. Porter also added a forced fumble and had six tackles in
the Dolphins thrashing of the Patriots.
Josh Scobee PK Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars will take whatever offensive weapons they can these days. They have
scored only 49 points 25 of them coming from Scobee in three games, but they
got a badly needed win over division rival Indianapolis. And Scobee drilled the game-
winner. The Jaguars moved the ball consistently on the ground all game and held a
20-14 lead with under two minutes left. But the Colts drove 77 yards and scored a
touchdown to go ahead, 21-20. Jaguars QB David Garrard got some breaks but
drove the ball 47 yards and got it to the Colts 34-yard line well within Scobees
range. The Colts tried to freeze him with a pre-kick timeout, but he nailed it one of
his three field goals and the Jags avoided an 0-3 start.
Brian Griese
Griese unloaded a Bucs-record 67 passes, which tied for
the fifth-most in league history for a single game and came
only three shy of the league record, in Tampas 27-24 over-
time win. The Bucs made 22 of their 28 first downs through
the air, and Griese had little help from the ground game,
which gained just 47 yards on 17 rushes. Griese led a fourth-
quarter comeback against his former team, and Tampa
scored 10 points in the final 3:11 to force OT.
OPPONENT CMP. ATT. YDS. TD INT
Bears 38 67 407 2 3
Houston still is not ready to take that next step many have
been anticipating. The Texans, who received an unexpected
bye in Week Two after their game was postponed due to Hur-
ricane Ike, have dug themselves quite a hole to open the year,
starting 0-2. Matt Schaub has been a disappointment, throw-
ing five interceptions and just one TD, and Houston has yet to
crack the 20-point barrier. Despite good efforts from their
two young stars on defense, DE Mario Williams and MLB De-
Meco Ryans, theres no indication that the Texans are going
to make great strides on that side of the ball, either.
Houston Texans
TEAM ON THE RISE
They utilize a simple formula, but thus far, the Titans have
been too complex for their opponents. Three weeks into the
season, Tennessee sits atop the AFC South with a 3-0 record
and a two-game cushion over the preseason division fa-
vorites, the Colts and Jaguars. The Titans front four on de-
fense is as strong as any in the league, and DTAlbert
Haynesworth has picked up where he left off last season,
when he made the Pro Bowl for the first time. Looking ahead,
the club has three winnable games (vs. Minnesota, at Balti-
more, at Kansas City), plus a bye week to refuel.
Tennessee Titans
29 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
WEEK THREE RESULTS
Atlanta 38, Kansas City 14
Buffalo 24, Oakland 23
Tampa Bay 27, Chicago 24 (OT)
Minnesota 20, Carolina 10
Miami 38, New England 13
New York Giants 26, Cincinnati 23 (OT)
Tennessee 31, Houston 12
Washington 24, Arizona 17
Denver 34, New Orleans 32
San Francisco 31, Detroit 13
Seattle 37, St. Louis 13
Baltimore 28, Cleveland 10
Jacksonville 23, Indianapolis 21
Philadelphia 15, Pittsburgh 6
Dallas 27, Green Bay 16
New York Jets at San Diego (Mon.)
WEEK FOUR MATCHUPS
ALLTIMES EASTERN
Arizona at New York Jets, 1:00 p.m.
Atlanta at Carolina, 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Cincinnati, 1:00 p.m.
Denver at Kansas City, 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay, 1:00 p.m.
Houston at Jacksonville, 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Tennessee, 1:00 p.m.
San Francisco at New Orleans, 1:00 p.m.
Buffalo at St. Louis, 4:05 p.m.
San Diego at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.
Washington at Dallas, 4:15 p.m.
Philadelphia at Chicago, 8:15 p.m.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 8:30 p.m. (Mon.)
Bye: Detroit, Indianapolis, Miami,
New England, New York Giants, Seattle
NFL TEAM STATISTICS
WEEK THREE Monday-night game not included.
3-0-0 0-3-0 2-1-0 1-2-0 1-2-0 3-0-0 2-1-0 2-1-0 0-3-0 0-3-0 0-2-0 1-2-0 2-1-0 1-1-0 2-1-0 2-1-0
78 46 58 59 54 49 53 46 39 43 38 56 59 27 51 61
26 18 17 15 22 25 28 18 10 11 12 23 18 9 18 13
41 25 33 42 26 23 20 25 23 28 21 30 34 16 31 46
11 3 8 2 6 1 5 3 6 4 5 3 7 2 2 2
1296 775 1026 1190 959 947 1086 808 582 716 551 835 1043 549 1098 1117
432.0 258.3 342.0 396.7 319.7 315.7 362.0 269.3 194.0 238.7 275.5 278.3 347.7 274.5 366.0 372.3
391 341 383 244 486 468 609 303 217 260 221 367 306 216 346 357
130.3 113.7 127.7 81.3 162.0 156.0 203.0 101.0 72.3 86.7 110.5 122.3 102.0 108.0 115.3 119.0
905 434 643 946 473 479 477 505 365 456 330 468 737 333 752 760
301.7 144.7 214.3 315.3 157.7 159.7 159.0 168.3 121.7 152.0 165.0 156.0 245.7 166.5 250.7 253.3
82 79 82 71 100 109 106 80 58 79 48 92 93 52 78 65
4.8 4.3 4.7 3.4 4.9 4.3 5.7 3.8 3.7 3.3 4.6 4.0 3.3 4.2 4.4 5.5
109 105 75 113 87 71 64 91 93 90 70 85 87 48 99 139
73 50 50 84 46 42 34 52 43 52 42 56 56 33 64 80
67.0 47.6 66.7 74.3 52.9 59.2 53.1 57.1 46.2 57.8 60.0 65.9 64.4 68.8 64.6 57.6
1 11 13 4 7 2 5 9 8 9 8 9 7 5 6 4
9 73 62 34 39 13 34 61 40 58 60 79 46 42 44 28
2 6 1 3 2 3 2 1 5 3 5 4 1 1 0 4
24 90 28 36 26 56 24 26 58 31 105 29 42 6 0 17
0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
7 20 10 14 16 19 14 16 17 19 8 11 10 10 14 19
49.4 48.2 42.0 46.2 46.3 45.1 39.6 42.6 45.2 40.3 42.9 44.0 42.4 43.4 47.4 44.9
1 1 1 2 1 3 0 0 3 0 1 2 2 0 2 1
39.7 42.9 32.9 37.3 35.1 34.9 38.6 39.9 39.9 34.5 38.9 35.5 37.8 34.3 40.6 39.8
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 7 3 5 10 6 14 11 9 8 6 6 5 5 7 11
11.8 8.3 12.7 19.0 5.5 6.0 6.8 9.1 10.1 10.5 8.3 11.5 7.6 12.8 13.4 3.7
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
8 12 13 12 9 7 10 12 11 13 10 11 9 2 14 12
21.6 20.8 23.0 18.3 23.2 23.9 20.3 23.4 16.8 24.9 19.4 27.7 18.8 17.0 20.6 21.2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 10 15 16 20 18 19 28 28 18 7 16 18 13 28 24
102 64 110 157 147 136 150 161 185 132 53 129 127 100 248 221
4 4 7 4 3 4 3 4 3 6 3 3 2 3 7 2
1 0 5 2 1 2 1 3 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 2
6 7 5 2 5 6 4 4 2 4 4 2 6 3 4 3
2 5 1 2 2 1 1 3 0 3 2 1 4 0 1 0
30 49 35 37 41 39 41 39 37 43 25 39 40 25 40 42
15 20 13 16 13 12 16 10 13 15 6 15 17 11 17 14
50.0 40.8 37.1 43.2 31.7 30.8 39.0 25.6 35.1 34.9 24.0 38.5 42.5 44.0 42.5 33.3
1 3 1 1 3 4 1 3 0 4 7 4 3 1 3 2
1 1 1 0 2 1 0 1 0 2 2 3 2 1 1 0
100.0 33.3 100.0 0 66.7 25.0 0 33.3 0 50.0 28.6 75.0 66.7 100.0 33.3 0
30:20 29:10 30:16 30:02 32:57 30:11 29:38 29:49 25:00 27:05 29:35 33:53 31:58 29:43 30:25 28:29
14 5 8 10 4 9 9 5 2 4 3 4 8 4 10 8
5 1 4 4 1 4 6 3 0 2 2 2 2 1 3 2
8 3 3 5 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 6 3 4 4
1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2
13/13 3/3 8/8 9/9 3/3 9/9 9/9 5/5 2/2 4/4 2/2 4/4 7/7 3/3 10/10 8/8
1/1 1/1 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/0
5/5 1/2 7/9 3/5 9/10 3/3 6/6 7/7 4/4 4/5 3/3 7/8 5/6 1/3 6/7 5/5
114 32 77 80 54 72 81 56 26 40 29 49 71 30 88 71
84 78 66 83 52 29 59 61 66 67 69 58 47 33 71 57
61 52 54 63 46 42 53 46 65 61 40 51 51 36 58 51
14 31 26 19 13 11 19 17 29 29 19 22 20 8 27 14
44 18 27 40 30 26 31 27 31 27 19 24 28 25 26 33
3 3 1 4 3 5 3 2 5 5 2 5 3 3 5 4
1265 1071 876 1176 842 721 920 877 1041 1059 648 919 850 537 1119 1077
421.7 357.0 292.0 392.0 280.7 240.3 306.7 292.3 347.0 353.0 324.0 306.3 283.3 268.5 373.0 359.0
318 612 394 400 211 267 410 339 435 523 337 326 316 153 453 364
106.0 204.0 131.3 133.3 70.3 89.0 136.7 113.0 145.0 174.3 168.5 108.7 105.3 76.5 151.0 121.3
947 459 482 776 631 454 510 538 606 536 311 593 534 384 666 713
315.7 153.0 160.7 258.7 210.3 151.3 170.0 179.3 202.0 178.7 155.5 197.7 178.0 192.0 222.0 237.7
73 111 93 75 66 73 82 88 106 112 75 77 75 50 80 92
4.4 5.5 4.2 5.3 3.2 3.7 5.0 3.9 4.1 4.7 4.5 4.2 4.2 3.1 5.7 4.0
107 64 97 111 93 99 100 87 70 93 44 78 83 66 111 99
77 38 52 69 61 56 56 52 49 55 27 49 54 42 56 58
72.0 59.4 53.6 62.2 65.6 56.6 56.0 59.8 70.0 59.1 61.4 62.8 65.1 63.6 50.5 58.6
5 2 8 4 7 11 7 5 4 1 2 5 8 7 9 8
31 16 50 30 49 83 40 32 29 10 15 37 44 32 54 56
1 0 4 2 2 7 4 1 3 0 1 4 1 1 5 5
0 0 88 16 1 115 89 19 36 0 33 111 28 0 151 95
0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 2
8 14 13 12 17 17 17 17 11 15 9 13 11 10 14 18
52.6 45.7 41.2 43.7 43.1 35.8 46.9 46.0 46.9 46.9 44.1 44.5 41.1 42.8 40.5 42.6
3 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2
39.3 37.3 36.8 34.1 39.9 32.5 41.3 38.9 38.6 38.7 38.6 36.1 37.6 32.4 33.8 38.1
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 14 5 11 10 8 5 8 4 11 3 6 1 7 10 8
8.0 6.1 14.2 7.7 15.8 16.5 2.8 5.3 7.5 10.0 4.0 8.8 6.0 13.0 5.4 9.8
15 8 14 11 13 11 16 8 8 7 8 9 11 6 13 13
28.4 23.6 21.4 23.4 24.8 28.4 19.6 25.8 17.3 24.7 22.1 18.1 18.1 20.3 20.6 19.9
22 16 23 14 29 13 19 23 23 20 12 15 16 6 21 23
207 113 176 112 230 95 137 198 182 129 116 113 129 69 136 175
36 40 42 33 36 42 41 39 34 42 23 33 31 27 42 47
16 19 15 11 13 11 16 14 14 18 11 14 11 9 16 16
44.4 47.5 35.7 33.3 36.1 26.2 39.0 35.9 41.2 42.9 47.8 42.4 35.5 33.3 38.1 34.0
5 1 4 2 1 9 3 3 6 3 1 2 2 3 4 2
3 1 3 1 0 5 1 1 4 0 1 1 2 2 2 1
60.0 100.0 75.0 50.0 0 55.6 33.3 33.3 66.7 0 100.0 50.0 100.0 66.7 50.0 50.0
10 9 6 9 6 3 9 7 9 7 9 7 6 3 7 5
3 6 3 3 3 2 4 1 6 4 5 4 4 1 3 0
6 2 2 4 2 1 4 4 2 2 3 3 2 2 4 5
1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
8/8 9/9 6/6 8/8 5/5 2/2 8/8 7/7 9/9 7/7 9/9 7/7 5/5 3/3 6/6 4/4
1/2 0/0 0/0 0/1 1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/1
4/6 5/5 8/9 7/9 3/5 3/5 1/2 4/4 1/2 6/7 2/2 3/3 4/5 4/4 7/7 7/8
0-2-0 1-2-0 3-0-0 0-3-0 2-1-0 3-0-0 2-1-0 1-2-0 2-0-0 2-1-0 0-3-0 1-2-0 1-2-0 2-1-0 3-0-0 1-2-0
36 43 56 35 57 72 67 50 42 49 50 59 58 50 70 62 52.3
8 25 17 10 22 30 19 22 25 16 16 16 19 19 28 28 18.8
24 16 36 21 30 37 41 27 15 27 30 37 36 26 36 31 29.2
4 2 3 4 5 5 7 1 2 6 4 6 3 5 6 3 4.3
772 909 1001 607 987 1320 1119 980 631 766 859 939 974 814 1201 1010 920.8
386.0 303.0 333.7 202.3 329.0 440.0 373.0 326.7 315.5 255.3 286.3 313.0 324.7 271.3 400.3 336.7 320.3
185 548 297 169 369 452 251 456 380 333 227 192 337 309 471 499 343.4
92.5 182.7 99.0 56.3 123.0 150.7 83.7 152.0 190.0 111.0 75.7 64.0 112.3 103.0 157.0 166.3 119.5
587 361 704 438 618 868 868 524 251 433 632 747 637 505 730 511 577.4
293.5 120.3 234.7 146.0 206.0 289.3 289.3 174.7 125.5 144.3 210.7 249.0 212.3 168.3 243.3 170.3 200.8
45 107 85 55 86 90 78 105 90 89 53 53 77 81 88 101 79.9
4.1 5.1 3.5 3.1 4.3 5.0 3.2 4.3 4.2 3.7 4.3 3.6 4.4 3.8 5.4 4.9 4.3
60 62 95 89 94 93 114 87 48 69 109 120 96 87 107 97 89.2
38 32 64 52 62 62 77 54 28 42 62 71 61 58 65 47 54.1
63.3 51.6 67.4 58.4 66.0 66.7 67.5 62.1 58.3 60.9 56.9 59.2 63.5 66.7 60.7 48.5 60.7
2 4 7 11 5 3 7 6 1 14 12 5 6 9 4 7 6.6
7 30 48 81 40 24 41 43 7 81 58 37 38 44 35 40 43.0
1 0 1 2 0 3 2 2 2 1 6 4 1 1 1 3 2.3
0 0 0 72 0 95 0 45 16 0 122 89 0 8 0 87 35.4
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0.3
6 15 17 20 13 8 12 18 8 14 17 12 16 10 11 18 13.7
48.3 49.3 47.1 51.9 38.6 47.4 46.9 40.8 48.4 43.5 41.3 45.1 41.3 47.3 41.9 38.5 44.5
1 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 1.1
41.3 39.6 39.2 42.2 32.5 41.5 44.1 37.3 44.0 39.2 37.9 39.4 34.1 37.6 36.8 29.2 37.9
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.1
3 11 11 4 6 8 13 9 5 3 4 4 5 7 13 11 7.3
9.0 7.7 15.2 8.3 4.5 4.0 9.2 8.9 15.4 1.0 9.0 9.5 9.6 12.7 11.2 10.9 9.3
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1
8 11 11 19 11 12 12 13 5 10 19 12 11 12 10 13 11.1
34.1 29.7 23.2 18.8 25.0 29.1 20.8 23.0 20.6 17.2 21.7 19.8 17.9 30.9 22.4 24.5 22.5
1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1
10 23 9 21 18 28 16 27 14 18 19 17 15 7 20 20 17.9
72 182 79 157 128 244 147 210 104 136 131 122 136 50 179 160 139.3
2 7 4 3 1 6 5 3 3 5 5 1 5 5 2 5 3.9
1 4 3 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 0 1 0 3 0 3 1.7
3 6 5 3 3 7 5 2 2 2 3 3 6 1 2 4 3.9
1 2 3 1 2 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 2 1.7
22 38 39 36 35 35 40 46 28 35 34 35 34 42 35 41 36.8
10 10 15 8 11 21 19 20 12 11 9 16 10 17 16 14 13.8
45.5 26.3 38.5 22.2 31.4 60.0 47.5 43.5 42.9 31.4 26.5 45.7 29.4 40.5 45.7 34.1 37.6
1 5 2 2 3 2 1 2 4 3 2 3 4 4 0 2 2.5
1 4 2 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 3 3 0 1 1.3
100.0 80.0 100.0 50.0 66.7 50.0 0 50.0 50.0 33.3 50.0 33.3 75.0 75.0 0 50.0 51.9
26:59 29:24 32:20 26:03 30:32 32:54 32:54 31:07 37:01 29:33 26:30 24:42 29:52 29:37 32:27 30:33 30:00
7 6 9 2 8 12 10 7 6 6 6 6 8 4 8 8 6.9
0 3 4 0 4 6 4 3 5 3 1 3 5 2 3 5 2.9
6 3 4 2 4 5 5 2 0 3 5 3 3 2 4 2 3.2
1 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.8
6/6 6/6 9/9 2/2 6/6 12/12 10/10 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 5/5 8/8 4/4 8/8 8/8 6.5/6.5
1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/0 1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0.2/0.3
4/4 6/6 5/7 5/5 4/7 4/4 6/6 6/7 1/3 4/4 5/5 3/4 2/2 7/7 9/9 7/7 4.8/5.5
62 60 78 29 60 96 90 70 45 54 59 52 62 49 83 77 62.4
65 73 49 116 57 63 50 60 20 38 113 67 64 58 43 80 62.4
54 64 44 77 56 51 42 63 19 53 67 58 51 49 48 47 52.3
16 21 19 31 19 14 8 17 4 13 34 29 16 19 15 10 18.8
32 35 23 40 32 30 28 41 12 35 29 26 27 30 27 31 29.2
6 8 2 6 5 7 6 5 3 5 4 3 8 0 6 6 4.3
874 1009 742 1370 917 876 726 963 323 702 1291 1021 954 1001 757 943 920.8
437.0 336.3 247.3 456.7 305.7 292.0 242.0 321.0 161.5 234.0 430.3 340.3 318.0 333.7 252.3 314.3 320.3
287 312 281 553 325 253 137 214 143 193 623 599 272 422 254 264 343.4
143.5 104.0 93.7 184.3 108.3 84.3 45.7 71.3 71.5 64.3 207.7 199.7 90.7 140.7 84.7 88.0 119.5
587 697 461 817 592 623 589 749 180 509 668 422 682 579 503 679 577.4
293.5 232.3 153.7 272.3 197.3 207.7 196.3 249.7 90.0 169.7 222.7 140.7 227.3 193.0 167.7 226.3 200.8
53 83 78 109 74 62 58 63 39 68 111 122 82 84 67 76 79.9
5.4 3.8 3.6 5.1 4.4 4.1 2.4 3.4 3.7 2.8 5.6 4.9 3.3 5.0 3.8 3.5 4.3
91 102 88 88 99 100 88 137 61 103 74 67 83 78 98 94 89.2
59 57 43 58 58 58 52 80 23 69 49 43 57 55 62 58 54.1
64.8 55.9 48.9 65.9 58.6 58.0 59.1 58.4 37.7 67.0 66.2 64.2 68.7 70.5 63.3 61.7 60.7
2 8 8 3 6 10 13 5 7 10 3 5 9 6 13 10 6.6
10 55 50 29 50 62 72 43 39 73 10 25 44 53 93 60 43.0
1 3 2 0 4 0 2 4 4 6 0 1 1 2 1 1 2.3
10 36 0 0 52 0 14 41 62 18 0 28 8 9 41 31 35.4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.3
6 15 21 10 13 13 18 16 14 14 11 12 11 14 18 17 13.7
50.8 47.5 45.6 45.3 41.2 46.4 46.2 44.0 44.1 47.1 41.4 41.5 42.7 43.6 46.2 48.4 44.5
1 1 2 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1.1
43.0 40.5 35.7 40.0 36.0 40.8 39.6 39.0 35.7 45.5 36.3 36.7 38.4 35.8 38.2 40.1 37.9
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1
4 7 9 17 7 6 5 7 6 9 10 7 9 2 4 8 7.3
5.5 9.3 12.6 11.4 11.3 7.8 2.8 6.1 5.8 6.7 5.7 9.7 12.9 8.5 9.0 18.5 9.3
7 9 11 9 11 18 15 12 9 11 11 12 9 8 19 12 11.1
21.0 22.1 27.2 22.3 19.5 19.2 27.6 20.5 21.2 19.1 24.8 22.3 31.7 21.1 20.6 24.8 22.5
13 12 14 16 18 22 26 22 14 22 18 14 17 13 20 17 17.9
96 76 90 165 167 167 209 166 105 170 160 109 95 110 132 125 139.3
25 37 39 35 35 35 34 40 26 39 38 43 41 37 43 42 36.8
9 14 7 18 15 12 8 13 5 16 17 20 16 18 16 14 13.8
36.0 37.8 17.9 51.4 42.9 34.3 23.5 32.5 19.2 41.0 44.7 46.5 39.0 48.6 37.2 33.3 37.6
3 1 3 1 0 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 4 1 3 2 2.5
2 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 1 1.3
66.7 100.0 66.7 100.0 0 33.3 0 0 0 0 50.0 0 75.0 0 66.7 50.0 51.9
7 9 4 14 6 6 5 6 2 3 14 5 8 7 4 8 6.9
1 5 2 6 2 3 1 2 0 1 6 3 2 4 1 2 2.9
5 4 2 7 3 2 3 3 1 2 6 0 6 3 3 4 3.2
1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 0.8
6/6 8/8 4/4 14/14 6/6 6/6 5/5 6/6 2/2 3/3 14/14 5/5 6/6 7/7 4/4 8/8 6.5/6.5
1/1 1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0.2/0.3
5/5 3/4 7/7 6/6 5/5 7/7 5/5 6/6 2/2 5/5 5/6 10/11 3/4 3/4 5/5 8/10 4.8/5.5
SD OAK BUF STL WAS DAL PHI CHI BAL PIT DET IND MIA NE NYG SEA NFL
AVG
GAMES (W-L-T)
FIRST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
TOTALYARDS GAINED
Average Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Average Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Average Per Game
RUSHES
Average Yards
PASSES ATTEMPTED
Completed
Percent Completed
Sacked
Yards Lost
Had Intercepted
Yards Opp. Ret.
Opp. TDs On Int.
PUNTS
Gross Average
Touchbacks
Net Average
Blocked
PUNT RETURNS
Average Return
Return For TD
KICKOFF RETURNS
Average Return
Returns For TD
PENALTIES
Yards
FUMBLES
Fumbles Lost
Opponent Fumbles
Opponent Fumbles Rec.
3RD-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
4TH-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
Time of Possession
TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
FG/FGA
Total Points
OPP. POINTS
OPP. 1ST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
OPP. YDS. GAINED
Avg. Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
OPP. RUSHES
Avg. Yards
OPP. PASSES
Completed
Pct. Comp.
Sacked
Yards Lost
Intercepted By
Yards Ret.
Ret. for TD
OPP. PUNTS
Gross Avg.
Touchbacks
Net Avg.
Blocked
OPP. PUNT RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. KICKOFF RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. PENALTIES
Yards
OPP. 3RD-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
OPP. 4TH-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
OPP. TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
OPP. FG/FGA
DEN KC SF NO MIN TEN ATL CAR CLE CIN HOU JAX AZ NYJ GB TB OFFENSE
SD OAK BUF STL WAS DAL PHI CHI BAL PIT DET IND MIA NE NYG SEA NFL
AVG
DEN KC SF NO MIN TEN ATL CAR CLE CIN HOU JAX AZ NYJ GB TB DEFENSE
30 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
NFL TEAM RANKINGS
WEEK THREE Monday-night game not included.
Total Yards/Game
Rushing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Passing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Had Intercepted
Pct. QB Sacks Allowed
First Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Off. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Punt Return Avg.
Kickoff Return Avg.
Gross Punting Avg.
Net Punting Avg.
Points/Game
Extra Point Pct.
Field Goal Pct.
Opp. Yards/Game
Opp. Rush Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Opp. Pass Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Intercepted By
QB Sack Pct.
Opp. 1st Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Def. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Opp. Punt Return Avg.
Opp. Kickoff Ret. Avg.
Opp. Gross Punt Avg.
Opp. Net Punt Avg.
Opp. Points/Game
Opp. Field Goal Pct.
Point Differential
Turnover Edge
Penalty Yards Edge
Punt Ret. Differential
KO Return Differential
Time of Possession
19 13 30 32 2 24 20 23 28 16 26 25 21 29 5 18
2 24 26 30 10 19 31 13 16 17 21 20 3 18 25 7
18 27 29 25 8 10 26 21 14 12 22 19 4 24 20 15
30 11 26 31 2 21 8 25 28 13 18t 20 32 29 3 22
23 10 28 32 3 30 16 26 31 14 20 13 18 22 1 12
26 6 24t 29 14 32 24t 28 31 5 8t 15 1t 11 12 27
2 17 23 21 1 29 9 27 26 13 24 25 14 32 6 3
5 15t 28t 31 1 13t 8t 15t 26t 11t 21t 30 28t 24t 17t 24t
24 13 29 32 3 28 15 25 30 11 23 17 16 27 1 18
10 16t 20 19 2 31 4t 16t 13 27 14 7 29 24t 6 26
13t 1t 13t 27t 1t 25 20t 7t 20t 7t 7t 1t 6 20t 1t 26
2 3 12 13 8 21 15 9 22 14 6 5 24 32 18t 27
21 12 7 32 17 25 24 5 20 29 2 31 3 30 1 9
4 10 29 14 2 21 15 18 6 26 9 20 3 19 5 16
2 13 30 8 10 15 12 24 3 28 19 27 11 14 6 26
16 9 29 32 1 28 24 25t 30 17 25t 27 18t 22t 3 12
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t
31t 27 24 1t 1t 1t 26 20 30 1t 1t 31t 1t 1t 1t 1t
1 5 24 23 29 19 22 14 25 17 20 7 21 2 31 3
5 12 28 25 15 27 30 17 31 11 23 6 13 2 24 10
10 8 23 16 20 22 24 18 30 5 26 3 11 2 29 9
1 5 12 19 32 6 2 18 4 25 15 14 26 9 31 3
1 7 13 29 30 24 16 27 26 28 25 8 20 3 19 2
2 14t 28t 7 27 14t 20 4 28t 21t 13 19 11 3 24 1
3 11 32 23 24 25 18 20 30 5 16 7 15 9 31 4
1 4 24t 29 24t 23 21t 10t 15 10t 9 18t 28 16t 32 2t
1 5 16 25 30 20 19 24 28 22 26 6 17 2 27 3
2 1 24t 22 26 30 28 23 29 19t 31 6t 17 21 14 4
1t 21t 1t 21t 20 28t 1t 13t 28t 26t 1t 21t 28t 1t 21t 19
8 26 23 13 16 3 21 18 10 27 17 28 20 12 6 31
15 28 23 1 31 18 19 3 22 32 14 9 17 4 13 30
15 19 27 26 32 16 7 17 20 9 12 10 29 28 31 1
6t 6t 21 20 23 19 12 10 14 18 8 2 28 32 31 1
2 6 21t 19t 28 30 21t 12t 25 18 12t 7 24 3 29 1
17t 17t 13 1t 5 17t 16 17t 17t 6t 6t 17t 6t 17t 17t 3t
4 7 27 28 6 31 26 23t 29 17 23t 20t 25 11 20t 1
9t 9t 18t 25t 14t 28t 28t 18t 18t 6t 25t 18t 9t 2t 14t 4t
16 13 17t 17t 1 4 19t 21 7 24t 6 22 31 10 12 24t
2 14 19 15 9 5 21 13 16 25 6 20 23 27 10 32
17 27 13 16 31 22 21 4 23 32 3 25 5 19 1 28
1 7 27 31 13 22 32 2 25 17 21 19 24 23 28 15
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN OFFENSE
10 9 27 15 1 22 8 17 4 3 6 11 12 31 7 14
22 1 23 8 9 29 15 5 28 6 27 11 4 32 14 12
30 1 23 13 5 17 11 7 28 3 31 9 6 32 2 16
9 23 18t 16 4t 14 7 24 1 10 4t 12 17 27 6 15
5 9 24 17 2 21 8 25 4 11 7 6 27 29 19 15
8t 22 7 17t 23 30 1t 17t 19 4 13 10 21 16 20 1t
19t 18 22 15 5 28 11 19t 7 8 12 31 16 30 4 10
8t 19 26t 21t 2 21t 20 17t 8t 3 4 11t 6 32 7 13t
10 5 26 19 2 21 8 20 4 7 9 6 22 31 12 14
11t 15 30 8 1 28 11t 23 9 4t 3 18 21 32 22 24t
10t 27t 20t 13t 13t 13t 20t 10t 27t 27t 27t 1t 13t 13t 27t 10t
25 26 17 20 30 18t 4 28 1 10 16 7 11 23 31 29
27 23 10 13t 4 16 22 11 28 15 19 13t 8 26 18 6
23 30 22 28 7 27 8 12 13 25 11 24 32 1 17 31
18 16 20 22 5 17 7 25 21 23 1 29 32 4 9 31
13t 7 21 15 2 20 5 22t 8 6 4 10t 10t 31 13t 18t
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t
23 1t 1t 21t 1t 1t 21t 19 28 1t 1t 25 1t 1t 1t 29
9 15 12 18 10t 30 27 8 28 6 4 10t 16 32 26 13
14 22 18 4 7 32 26 3 21 8 1 20 9 29 19 16
17 25 13 6 15 31 32 4 28 12 1 19 7 27 14 21
11 10 13 28 20 23 22 21 29 8 16 7 24 30 27 17
17 6 15 9 12 31 10 18 23 4 14 5 21 32 22 11
21t 10 23 12 28t 28t 6 17 18 26 14t 8 25 28t 5 9
10 19 22 27 8 26 13 17 28 2 1 12 6 29 14 21
10t 16t 5t 26t 10t 30 21t 5t 26t 8 2t 18t 7 31 10t 20
14 10 11 9 13 32 23 12 29 4 8 7 18 31 21 15
11 19t 13 5 10 27 18 15 6t 16 3 12 6t 32 9 24t
28t 10t 10t 1t 10t 13t 13t 1t 13t 21t 1t 26t 13t 28t 13t 1t
9 1t 4 11 15 7 5 30 14 19 1t 29 32 25 22 24
2 7 27 10 5 25 11 24 21 12 29 16 26 20 8 6
3 25 21 14 24 6 2 11 13 22t 22t 5 30 18 8 4
15 30 22 13 29 11 3 25 4 17 24 5 27 26 16 9
5 14 16 15 17 31 23 9 27 4 8 19t 26 32 10t 10t
10t 1t 17t 17t 17t 12 17t 3t 9 17t 17t 15 10t 17t 14 17t
8 9 22 14 5 30 10 16 18t 2 3 13 18t 32 12 15
4t 6t 14t 6t 28t 32 2t 9t 18t 14t 9t 18t 28t 25t 18t 1
15 19t 9 26 30 11 32 2 27 29 5 3 23 14 28 8
18 7 8 12 26 11 3 31 1 17 4 22 30 24 28 29
11 12 20 7 2 24 14 18 29 8 30 9 15 26 10 6
8 20 18 9 4 29 12 3 16 6 5 14 10 30 26 11
AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN DEFENSE AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN MISCELLANEOUS AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
AFC NFC
WASH. 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 4 6 +5
G.B. 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 1 2 1 5 6 +4
PITT. 2 1 3 3 1 4 1 2 3 2 6 8 +4
ARIZ. 1 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 4 1 5 +3
TEN. 1 1 2 2 3 5 0 3 3 1 7 8 +3
ATL. 1 0 1 1 2 3 0 3 3 1 4 5 +2
CHI. 0 2 2 2 2 4 1 3 4 2 4 6 +2
MIA. 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 +2
BALT. 0 2 2 2 2 4 0 3 3 1 4 5 +1
BUFF. 2 1 3 3 1 4 1 0 1 3 2 5 +1
MINN. 0 1 1 1 2 3 2 0 2 2 2 4 +1
OAK. 1 0 1 4 0 4 2 1 3 2 3 5 +1
PHIL. 1 2 3 2 2 4 2 1 3 3 2 5 +1
CAR. 2 0 2 3 1 4 0 1 1 3 1 4 +0
DEN. 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 0 1 2 1 3 +0
N.Y.G. 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 +0
S.D. 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 +0
CIN. 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 0 0 3 0 3 -1
JAX. 0 1 1 2 4 6 0 2 2 1 4 5 -1
K.C. 0 3 3 0 6 6 1 0 1 5 0 5 -1
N.O. 1 0 1 2 3 5 1 1 2 2 2 4 -1
N.Y.J. 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 -1
S.F. 0 0 0 5 1 6 0 2 2 1 4 5 -1
T.B. 1 3 4 2 4 6 0 2 2 0 5 5 -1
CLEV. 0 3 3 0 5 5 0 2 2 0 3 3 -2
N.E. 1 1 2 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 -2
ST.L. 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 -2
DALL. 1 1 2 2 3 5 1 0 1 2 0 2 -3
HOU. 0 3 3 1 5 6 1 1 2 2 1 3 -3
IND. 0 2 2 1 4 5 0 1 1 1 1 2 -3
SEA. 1 0 1 3 3 6 1 1 2 2 1 3 -3
DET. 0 2 2 0 6 6 0 0 0 1 0 1 -5
GAME SEASON GAME SEASON DIF
Fum Int Tot Fum Int Tot Fum Int Tot Fum Int Tot
1. S.D. 107 4.11 9.47 7.22
2. Dall. 186 5.02 9.04 7.10
3. Den. 192 4.77 8.23 6.75
4. N.O. 188 3.44 8.09 6.33
5. Atl. 175 5.75 6.91 6.21
6. S.F. 170 4.67 7.31 6.04
7. N.Y.G. 199 5.35 6.58 6.04
8. G.B. 183 4.44 7.16 6.00
9. Phil. 199 3.22 7.17 5.62
10. Ariz. 187 3.29 7.84 5.58
11. Mia. 179 4.38 6.25 5.44
12. T.B. 208 5.49 5.31 5.37
13. Buff. 187 3.49 6.90 5.35
14. Wash. 185 4.29 6.24 5.34
15. Ind. 178 3.62 5.98 5.28
16. Oak. 173 5.12 5.47 5.25
17. N.Y.J. 105 4.15 6.28 5.23
18. Ten. 182 4.29 6.56 5.20
19. Chi. 198 4.34 5.63 4.95
20. Minn. 194 4.86 5.03 4.94
21. Det. 174 4.28 5.22 4.94
22. Sea. 205 4.94 4.91 4.93
23. N.E. 177 3.81 5.26 4.60
24. Balt. 139 4.22 5.12 4.54
25. Jax. 186 3.99 4.98 4.49
26. Car. 180 3.79 5.05 4.49
27. Pitt. 172 3.74 5.22 4.45
28. Hou. 126 4.60 4.23 4.37
29. Cin. 178 3.29 4.61 4.02
30. K.C. 195 4.32 3.74 3.97
31. St.L. 155 3.07 4.38 3.92
32. Clev. 159 3.74 3.61 3.66
1. Balt. 107 3.67 2.65 3.02
2. Pitt. 181 2.84 4.50 3.88
3. Ten. 183 3.66 4.13 3.94
4. N.Y.G. 178 3.79 4.53 4.25
5. Buff. 174 3.60 4.80 4.26
6. N.Y.J. 123 3.06 5.26 4.37
7. S.F. 198 4.24 4.59 4.42
8. Phil. 159 2.36 5.83 4.57
9. Chi. 205 3.40 5.27 4.70
10. Atl. 189 5.00 4.77 4.87
11. Car. 180 3.85 5.85 4.87
12. Minn. 166 3.20 6.31 5.07
13. Dall. 172 4.08 5.66 5.09
14. Ariz. 166 4.21 5.87 5.12
15. Wash. 179 4.39 5.64 5.12
16. Cin. 206 4.67 5.70 5.14
17. Oak. 193 3.76 6.34 5.23
18. Sea. 180 3.47 6.53 5.24
19. Ind. 194 4.91 5.86 5.26
20. Hou. 121 4.49 6.76 5.36
21. T.B. 199 3.96 6.66 5.41
22. Mia. 174 3.32 7.41 5.48
23. G.B. 200 5.66 5.55 5.60
24. Jax. 160 4.23 7.14 5.74
25. Clev. 180 4.10 8.19 5.78
26. N.E. 168 5.02 6.89 5.96
27. S.D. 146 5.42 6.31 5.99
28. K.C. 177 5.51 6.95 6.05
29. N.O. 190 5.33 6.75 6.19
30. Den. 185 4.36 8.46 6.84
31. St.L. 200 5.07 8.98 6.85
32. Det. 188 5.61 8.68 6.87
OFF RUSH PASS OFF
OFFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
DEF RUSH PASS DEF
DEFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
OFFENSE POSS TD FG % %
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
DEFENSE POSS TD FG % %
1. Ten. 8 7 1 1.000 .875
2. Pitt. 8 6 1 .875 .750
3. N.O. 7 5 1 .857 .714
4. Mia. 10 7 1 .800 .700
5. Det. 3 2 1 1.000 .667
6. Den. 15 10 3 .867 .667
7. Dall. 12 8 1 .750 .667
8. Ind. 8 5 2 .875 .625
9. Buff. 10 6 4 1.000 .600
10. Wash. 10 6 3 .900 .600
11. G.B. 10 6 3 .900 .600
12. K.C. 7 4 0 .571 .571
13. Phil. 13 7 5 .923 .538
14. St.L. 2 1 1 1.000 .500
15. S.F. 10 5 5 1.000 .500
16. Chi. 8 4 4 1.000 .500
17. Car. 8 4 3 .875 .500
18. N.Y.J. 6 3 1 .667 .500
19. Ariz. 13 6 4 .769 .462
20. N.Y.G. 11 5 6 1.000 .455
21. Atl. 11 5 5 .909 .455
22. Oak. 9 4 4 .889 .444
23. Balt. 7 3 1 .571 .429
24. T.B. 12 5 5 .833 .417
25. Sea. 10 4 4 .800 .400
26. N.E. 11 4 6 .909 .364
27. S.D. 6 2 4 1.000 .333
28. Clev. 6 2 3 .833 .333
29. Hou. 9 3 3 .667 .333
30. Cin. 7 2 3 .714 .286
31. Jax. 11 3 4 .636 .273
32. Minn. 8 1 6 .875 .125
1. Ten. 12 3 3 .500 .250
2. Buff. 8 2 4 .750 .250
3. Ind. 8 2 5 .875 .250
4. T.B. 8 2 6 1.000 .250
5. S.F. 11 3 5 .727 .273
6. Car. 7 2 4 .857 .286
7. Pitt. 7 2 4 .857 .286
8. Balt. 3 1 1 .667 .333
9. N.Y.J. 9 3 4 .778 .333
10. N.O. 14 5 7 .857 .357
11. G.B. 8 3 4 .875 .375
12. Cin. 10 4 5 .900 .400
13. N.Y.G. 5 2 3 1.000 .400
14. Sea. 9 4 5 1.000 .444
15. Chi. 10 5 5 1.000 .500
16. Dall. 10 5 5 1.000 .500
17. Atl. 11 6 1 .636 .545
18. Den. 11 6 3 .818 .545
19. Wash. 7 4 3 1.000 .571
20. Mia. 10 6 1 .700 .600
21. S.D. 10 6 2 .800 .600
22. Phil. 5 3 1 .800 .600
23. Clev. 11 7 0 .636 .636
24. St.L. 14 9 4 .929 .643
25. Minn. 6 4 0 .667 .667
26. N.E. 9 6 1 .778 .667
27. Det. 12 8 3 .917 .667
28. K.C. 9 6 3 1.000 .667
29. Ariz. 6 4 2 1.000 .667
30. Jax. 9 7 2 1.000 .778
31. Oak. 9 7 2 1.000 .778
32. Hou. 8 8 0 1.000 1.000
TURNOVERS TAKEAWAYS TEAM EFFICIENCY INSIDE THE RED ZONE
31 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
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RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Johnson Ten. 50 276 5.5 51 0
Parker Pitt. 66 263 4.0 32 3
McFadden Oak. 44 252 5.7 50 1
Lynch Buff. 60 218 3.6 21 4
L. Johnson K.C. 58 217 3.7 48 1
Taylor Jax. 49 188 3.8 34 0
C. Perry Cin. 60 180 3.0 25 2
Young Den. 26 179 6.9 49 1
Jones N.Y.J. 39 171 4.4 16 1
Brown Mia. 34 161 4.7 62 5
Slaton Hou. 31 159 5.1 50 1
J. Lewis Clev. 44 156 3.5 24 0
Williams Mia. 37 150 4.1 28 0
White Ten. 49 148 3.0 17 4
Bush Oak. 30 145 4.8 32 1
Addai Ind. 43 142 3.3 13 3
Fargas Oak. 27 140 5.2 42 0
Jones-Drew Jax. 31 137 4.4 18 2
Tomlinson S.D. 31 123 4.0 14 0
Hall Den. 23 117 5.1 16 0
Jordan N.E. 19 90 4.7 11 0
L. McClain Balt. 19 86 4.5 12 0
Rice Balt. 27 85 3.1 11 0
Morris N.E. 27 80 3.0 22 2
Charles K.C. 15 73 4.9 13 0
Jackson Buff. 21 72 3.4 10 0
Maroney N.E. 18 67 3.7 17 0
J. McClain Balt. 17 66 3.9 17 2
McGahee Balt. 15 64 4.3 10 1
RECEIVING
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
Marshall Den. 24 321 13.4 35 2
Welker N.E. 19 178 9.4 26 0
Wayne Ind. 18 253 14.1 40 2
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 18 216 12.0 26 1
Royal Den. 18 194 10.8 29 2
Gonzalez Ind. 16 222 13.9 58 0
Bowe K.C. 15 182 12.1 30 2
Ward Pitt. 15 169 11.3 31 3
M. Jones Jax. 15 162 10.8 33 0
Gonzalez K.C. 15 129 8.6 20 1
Winslow Clev. 14 116 8.3 19 1
Reed Buff. 13 145 11.2 24 0
Harrison Ind. 13 132 10.2 27 1
Evans Buff. 12 244 20.3 41 0
Moss N.E. 12 163 13.6 51 1
A. Johnson Hou. 12 141 11.8 24 0
Scheffler Den. 11 168 15.3 72 2
Fasano Mia. 11 150 13.6 24 2
Camarillo Mia. 11 146 13.3 33 0
Jones-Drew Jax. 11 121 11.0 26 0
Holmes Pitt. 10 145 14.5 48 0
Scaife Ten. 10 137 13.7 44 0
Royal Buff. 10 86 8.6 30 1
Miller Pitt. 9 122 13.6 21 0
Jackson S.D. 9 120 13.3 25 1
Gates S.D. 8 122 15.3 25 1
D. Martin Mia. 8 106 13.3 24 1
Stokley Den. 8 101 12.6 20 0
Ocho Cinco Cin. 8 88 11.0 16 0
Mason Balt. 8 86 10.8 19 0
Chatman Cin. 8 86 10.8 25 0
Jackson Buff. 8 84 10.5 33 0
Ginn Mia. 8 75 9.4 18 0
Edwards Clev. 8 73 9.1 17 0
Lynch Buff. 8 57 7.1 17 0
Kelly Cin. 8 51 6.4 15 0
Morris N.E. 8 41 5.1 11 0
Daniels Hou. 7 104 14.9 32 0
Gage Ten. 7 84 12.0 21 1
R. Williams Jax. 7 64 9.1 14 0
J. Lewis Clev. 7 63 9.0 14 0
Parrish Buff. 7 60 8.6 16 1
Walter Hou. 7 56 8.0 16 1
Johnson Ten. 7 51 7.3 20 1
Williams Mia. 7 37 5.3 15 0
Slaton Hou. 7 14 2.0 7 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Brown Mia. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Prater Den. 0 13/13 5/5 0 28
Gostkowski N.E. 0 4/4 7/7 0 25
Scobee Jax. 0 4/4 7/8 0 25
Janikowski Oak. 0 6/6 6/6 0 24
Lindell Buff. 0 9/9 5/7 0 24
Lynch Buff. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Pittman Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
White Ten. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Addai Ind. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Bironas Ten. 0 9/9 3/3 0 18
Chambers S.D. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Kaeding S.D. 0 6/6 4/4 0 18
Parker Pitt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Reed Pitt. 0 6/6 4/4 0 18
Ward Pitt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Graham Cin. 0 4/4 4/5 0 16
Carpenter Mia. 0 8/8 2/2 0 14
Dawson Clev. 0 2/2 4/4 0 14
Royal Den. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
Vinatieri Ind. 0 5/5 3/4 0 14
Bowe K.C. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Fasano Mia. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Jones-Drew Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Marshall Den. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
J. McClain Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Morris N.E. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Parrish Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
C. Perry Cin. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Scheffler Den. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Sproles S.D. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Stuckey N.Y.J. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Wayne Ind. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
K. Brown Hou. 0 2/2 3/3 0 11
Stover Balt. 0 6/6 1/3 0 9
AFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WEEK THREE Monday-night game not included.
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Finnegan Ten. 4 100 99 1
Griffin Ten. 3 15 15 0
Polamalu Pitt. 3 12 12 0
McAlister Balt. 2 28 16 0
McGee Buff. 2 0 0 0
McFadden Pitt. 2 0 0 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Rivers S.D. 60 38 63.3 594 6 10.0 67 1 1.7 9.90 122.5
Cutler Den. 108 73 67.6 914 8 7.4 72 2 1.9 8.46 110.6
Favre N.Y.J. 48 33 68.8 375 3 6.3 56 1 2.1 7.81 104.1
Roethlisberger Pitt. 58 38 65.5 454 3 5.2 48 1 1.7 7.83 99.4
Edwards Buff. 94 63 67.0 733 3 3.2 41 1 1.1 7.80 96.6
Collins Ten. 49 30 61.2 382 2 4.1 44 1 2.0 7.80 90.7
Pennington Mia. 83 53 63.9 589 2 2.4 33 1 1.2 7.10 87.9
Russell Oak. 62 32 51.6 391 3 4.8 84 0 0.0 6.31 87.5
Cassel N.E. 72 48 66.7 448 2 2.8 51 1 1.4 6.22 87.0
Manning Ind. 120 71 59.2 784 3 2.5 75 4 3.3 6.53 73.1
Garrard Jax. 85 56 65.9 547 1 1.2 33 4 4.7 6.44 68.1
Palmer Cin. 90 52 57.8 514 1 1.1 36 3 3.3 5.71 63.8
Flacco Balt. 48 28 58.3 258 0 0.0 19 2 4.2 5.38 55.7
Schaub Hou. 70 42 60.0 390 1 1.4 49 5 7.1 5.57 50.3
Anderson Clev. 93 43 46.2 405 2 2.2 23 5 5.4 4.35 43.5
Thigpen K.C. 69 28 40.6 279 2 2.9 30 4 5.8 4.04 38.3
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Koch Balt. 8 387 59 48.4 0 1 0 6 35 44.0
Colquitt K.C. 20 963 73 48.2 1 10 0 14 85 42.9
Scifres S.D. 6 290 63 48.3 1 2 0 4 22 41.3
Lechler Oak. 15 739 67 49.3 4 6 0 5 46 40.9
Zastudil Clev. 17 769 59 45.2 3 5 0 4 30 39.9
H. Smith Ind. 12 541 60 45.1 0 5 0 7 68 39.4
Moorman Buff. 17 800 62 47.1 1 5 0 9 113 39.2
Berger Pitt. 14 609 55 43.5 0 7 0 9 60 39.2
Turk Hou. 8 343 57 42.9 1 3 0 3 12 38.9
Hanson N.E. 10 473 70 47.3 4 2 0 2 17 37.6
Podlesh Jax. 11 484 60 44.0 2 5 0 6 53 35.5
Hentrich Ten. 19 856 70 45.1 3 5 0 8 132 34.9
Larson Cin. 18 765 56 42.5 0 4 1 11 110 34.5
Graham N.Y.J. 10 434 56 43.4 0 0 0 7 91 34.3
Fields Mia. 16 661 60 41.3 0 6 0 9 116 34.1
Player Tm Sks
Porter Mia. 4.0
J. Harrison Pitt. 3.0
Haynesworth Ten. 3.0
Thomas N.Y.J. 3.0
Vanden Bosch Ten. 2.5
T. Brown Ten. 2.0
K. Edwards Oak. 2.0
Freeney Ind. 2.0
Langford Mia. 2.0
Aa. Smith Pitt. 2.0
Stroud Buff. 2.0
Suggs Balt. 2.0
A. Thomas N.E. 2.0
Vrabel N.E. 2.0
Warren Oak. 2.0
M. Williams Hou. 2.0
Woodley Pitt. 2.0
Burgess Oak. 1.5
Foote Pitt. 1.5
Kearse Ten. 1.5
Pace N.Y.J. 1.5
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Turner Atl. 59 366 6.2 66 5
Peterson Minn. 65 340 5.2 34 1
J. Jones Sea. 61 312 5.1 32 2
Forte Chi. 73 304 4.2 50 1
Gore S.F. 60 287 4.8 41 3
Barber Dall. 62 285 4.6 25 4
James Ariz. 62 248 4.0 16 0
Portis Wash. 65 248 3.8 23 4
Jacobs N.Y.G. 50 244 4.9 30 1
Graham T.B. 37 223 6.0 68 1
Norwood Atl. 31 186 6.0 44 1
Ward N.Y.G. 26 177 6.8 22 0
Grant G.B. 40 166 4.2 57 0
Westbrook Phil. 42 161 3.8 18 3
Jackson St.L. 50 159 3.2 15 0
Bush N.O. 42 152 3.6 26 1
F. Jones Dall. 18 148 8.2 60 2
Stewart Car. 31 145 4.7 24 3
D. Williams Car. 39 144 3.7 11 0
Dunn T.B. 26 134 5.2 18 1
Kev. Smith Det. 29 102 3.5 14 1
RECEIVING
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
Bush N.O. 26 250 9.6 42 2
Witten Dall. 20 273 13.7 42 0
Jennings G.B. 19 373 19.6 62 0
Moss Wash. 19 276 14.5 67 3
Burress N.Y.G. 18 259 14.4 33 1
C. Johnson Det. 17 276 16.2 47 2
D. Jackson Phil. 17 256 15.1 60 0
Boldin Ariz. 17 247 14.5 79 4
Fitzgerald Ariz. 16 293 18.3 75 2
Shockey N.O. 16 151 9.4 26 0
Hilliard T.B. 16 143 8.9 18 2
Driver G.B. 15 166 11.1 50 1
Jackson St.L. 15 133 8.9 50 0
Randle El Wash. 14 149 10.6 26 0
Muhammad Car. 14 140 10.0 33 0
Lloyd Chi. 13 216 16.6 32 1
A. Bryant T.B. 13 181 13.9 38 0
Cooley Wash. 13 151 11.6 27 0
Toomer N.Y.G. 13 143 11.0 31 1
Gore S.F. 13 125 9.6 22 0
Forte Chi. 13 105 8.1 19 1
Baskett Phil. 12 197 16.4 90 1
Carlson Sea. 12 168 14.0 22 0
White Atl. 11 232 21.1 70 1
Holt St.L. 11 122 11.1 45 1
Smith N.Y.G. 11 94 8.5 15 0
Owens Dall. 10 193 19.3 72 3
Johnson S.F. 10 151 15.1 31 1
Rosario Car. 10 120 12.0 24 1
L. Moore N.O. 10 102 10.2 18 0
Barber Dall. 10 87 8.7 25 1
D. Lee G.B. 10 78 7.8 26 0
McDonald Det. 10 69 6.9 11 0
G. Lewis Phil. 9 144 16.0 52 0
McMichael St.L. 9 113 12.6 31 0
R. Williams Det. 8 113 14.1 23 1
Hackett Car. 8 107 13.4 37 0
Patten N.O. 8 106 13.3 39 1
Crayton Dall. 8 105 13.1 25 0
Battle S.F. 8 82 10.3 16 0
Galloway T.B. 8 74 9.3 13 0
Dunn T.B. 8 59 7.4 12 0
Buckhalter Phil. 8 59 7.4 20 1
R. Davis Chi. 8 58 7.3 18 0
Kev. Smith Det. 8 53 6.6 12 0
Westbrook Phil. 8 46 5.8 18 2
Askew T.B. 8 39 4.9 18 0
McMullen Sea. 7 124 17.7 34 0
Avant Phil. 7 97 13.9 31 0
Hightower Ariz. 7 79 11.3 20 0
Smith T.B. 7 72 10.3 20 0
P. Thomas N.O. 7 48 6.9 18 0
Taylor Minn. 7 41 5.9 14 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Carney N.Y.G. 0 8/8 9/9 0 35
Barber Dall. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Longwell Minn. 0 3/3 9/10 0 30
Turner Atl. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Westbrook Phil. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Mare Sea. 0 8/8 7/7 0 29
Nedney S.F. 0 8/8 7/9 0 29
Akers Phil. 0 10/10 6/6 0 28
Crosby G.B. 0 10/10 6/7 0 28
Elam Atl. 0 9/9 6/6 0 27
Kasay Car. 0 5/5 7/7 0 26
Boldin Ariz. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Bush N.O. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Folk Dall. 0 12/12 4/4 0 24
Gould Chi. 0 6/6 6/7 0 24
Portis Wash. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
M. Bryant T.B. 0 8/8 5/5 0 23
Rackers Ariz. 0 7/7 5/6 0 22
Hanson Det. 0 6/6 5/5 0 21
Duckett Sea. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Gore S.F. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Gramatica N.O. 0 9/9 3/5 0 18
F. Jones Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Moss Wash. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Owens Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Stewart Car. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Suisham Wash. 0 6/6 4/7 0 18
P. Thomas N.O. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
J. Brown St.L. 0 2/2 5/5 0 17
Lloyd Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Fitzgerald Ariz. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Forte Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Hightower Ariz. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Hilliard T.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
C. Johnson Det. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
J. Jones Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
McKie Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Rodgers G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
NFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Bush N.O. 4 0 85 21.3 55 1
Hixon N.Y.G. 9 1 124 13.8 50 0
Blackmon G.B. 7 1 94 13.4 76 1
D. Jackson Phil. 12 3 120 10.0 60 0
Jones Car. 10 4 100 10.0 31 0
Bumpus Sea. 7 0 66 9.4 30 0
Furrey Det. 4 4 36 9.0 20 0
Vasher Chi. 6 1 46 7.7 18 0
Breaston Ariz. 5 4 38 7.6 17 0
Jennings Atl. 14 2 95 6.8 37 0
Allison Minn. 6 3 40 6.7 27 0
Randle El Wash. 6 1 27 4.5 10 0
P. Jones Dall. 8 0 32 4.0 8 0
C. Gordon Minn. 4 1 15 3.8 9 0
D. Jackson T.B. 10 0 30 3.0 14 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
F. Jones Dall. 9 316 35.1 98 1
D. Manning Chi. 6 162 27.0 46 0
Rossum S.F. 10 265 26.5 44 0
Taylor Minn. 6 158 26.3 37 0
Cartwright Wash. 10 258 25.8 50 0
Demps Phil. 9 226 25.1 47 0
Stewart Car. 10 248 24.8 38 0
Wilson Sea. 13 319 24.5 54 0
Norwood Atl. 8 193 24.1 36 0
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 8 190 23.8 33 0
Middleton Det. 12 283 23.6 42 0
Thomas Det. 4 93 23.3 27 0
D. Jackson T.B. 8 185 23.1 33 0
Blackmon G.B. 12 247 20.6 29 0
Hester Chi. 6 120 20.0 28 0
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Collins G.B. 2 103 42 1
Woodson G.B. 2 41 41 1
Samuel Phil. 2 14 14 0
Horton Wash. 2 10 10 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Warner Ariz. 84 54 64.3 750 6 7.1 79 1 1.2 8.93 111.7
OSullivan S.F. 75 50 66.7 705 3 4.0 63 1 1.3 9.40 104.6
Brees N.O. 113 84 74.3 980 5 4.4 84 3 2.7 8.67 103.9
Romo Dall. 92 62 67.4 892 5 5.4 72 3 3.3 9.70 103.2
Rodgers G.B. 99 64 64.6 796 4 4.0 62 0 0.0 8.04 102.9
McNabb Phil. 105 70 66.7 838 5 4.8 90 1 1.0 7.98 102.8
J. Campbell Wash. 93 61 65.6 647 4 4.3 67 0 0.0 6.96 100.1
Manning N.Y.G. 107 65 60.7 765 4 3.7 33 1 0.9 7.15 91.1
Orton Chi. 87 54 62.1 567 2 2.3 32 2 2.3 6.52 79.0
Ryan Atl. 64 34 53.1 511 2 3.1 70 2 3.1 7.98 77.0
Delhomme Car. 91 52 57.1 566 1 1.1 37 1 1.1 6.22 74.7
Kitna Det. 104 60 57.7 684 5 4.8 47 5 4.8 6.58 73.6
Bulger St.L. 89 52 58.4 519 2 2.2 50 2 2.2 5.83 73.2
Griese T.B. 98 56 57.1 567 3 3.1 38 3 3.1 5.79 71.3
T. Jackson Minn. 59 30 50.8 308 1 1.7 24 1 1.7 5.22 64.8
Hasselbeck Sea. 97 47 48.5 551 2 2.1 34 3 3.1 5.68 60.1
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Rocca Phil. 12 563 64 46.9 1 6 0 5 14 44.1
Jones St.L. 20 1,037 63 51.9 0 5 0 17 193 42.2
Frost G.B. 14 663 65 47.4 2 1 0 6 41 41.6
McBriar Dall. 8 379 65 47.4 0 2 0 6 47 41.5
Kluwe Minn. 16 740 56 46.3 1 6 0 7 80 40.0
Baker Car. 15 681 59 45.4 0 9 1 8 42 39.9
Bidwell T.B. 19 854 61 44.9 1 7 0 8 78 39.8
Koenen Atl. 14 555 55 39.6 0 5 0 5 14 38.6
N. Harris Det. 17 702 57 41.3 0 7 0 10 57 37.9
Weatherford N.O. 14 647 61 46.2 2 2 0 11 85 37.3
Maynard Chi. 18 734 55 40.8 1 7 0 7 43 37.3
Feagles N.Y.G. 11 461 54 41.9 1 5 0 4 36 36.8
Lee S.F. 10 420 59 42.0 1 3 0 5 71 32.9
Brooks Wash. 13 502 56 38.6 0 4 0 7 79 32.5
Plackemeier Sea. 11 450 56 40.9 0 2 0 6 120 30.0
Player Tm Sks
Abraham Atl. 6.0
Kampman G.B. 4.0
Robbins N.Y.G. 4.0
White T.B. 3.5
Berry Ariz. 3.0
Haralson S.F. 3.0
Kerney Sea. 3.0
Tuck N.Y.G. 3.0
Ware Dall. 3.0
Jenkins G.B. 2.5
Parker Phil. 2.5
Adams T.B. 2.0
Allen Minn. 2.0
A. Brown Chi. 2.0
Ellis Dall. 2.0
R. Green S.F. 2.0
Hawk G.B. 2.0
Henry Dall. 2.0
Howard Phil. 2.0
Jackson Sea. 2.0
LaBoy Ariz. 2.0
Peterson Sea. 2.0
Ratliff Dall. 2.0
J. Smith S.F. 2.0
White Det. 2.0
K. Williams Minn. 2.0
Carter T.B. 1.5
Gaither Phil. 1.5
Klecko Phil. 1.5
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
32 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Faulk N.E. 5 2 87 17.4 24 0
Parrish Buff. 11 2 167 15.2 63 1
Figurs Balt. 4 1 56 14.0 35 0
Witherspoon Jax. 4 1 52 13.0 29 0
L. Washington N.Y.J. 5 1 64 12.8 20 0
Royal Den. 4 1 47 11.8 22 0
Chatman Cin. 8 1 84 10.5 34 0
Cribbs Clev. 7 0 68 9.7 12 0
Jones Hou. 6 2 50 8.3 33 0
Sams K.C. 7 3 58 8.3 16 0
Higgins Oak. 11 0 85 7.7 20 0
Carr Ten. 4 3 30 7.5 10 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
Sproles S.D. 7 253 36.1 103 1
Hobbs N.E. 10 360 36.0 81 0
Witherspoon Jax. 8 256 32.0 51 0
Higgins Oak. 11 327 29.7 69 0
McKelvin Buff. 7 180 25.7 56 0
Holt Cin. 13 324 24.9 44 0
Carr Ten. 7 167 23.9 36 0
Hall Den. 5 115 23.0 28 0
Leonhard Balt. 4 92 23.0 30 0
Forsett Ind. 6 133 22.2 27 0
Bess Mia. 7 149 21.3 28 0
Davis Hou. 9 184 20.4 32 0
Roby Ind. 5 101 20.2 25 0
Sams K.C. 9 180 20.0 36 0
NFL DRAFT 2009
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
Michigan State senior RB Javon Ringer
came into the season with questions about
his toughness, his ability to run between the
tackles and whether he could carry a full
workload.
Through four games, he has begun
changing the attitude of some evaluators.
With 143 carries, he is getting more than 35
per contest and is showing he can pick up
some tough yardage, take a licking and keep
on ticking. He has been very strong near the
goal line and has keyed the Spartans 3-1
start, accounting for more than half of the
offense.
He stood out most impressively in his
press conference following the Spartans 23-
7 victory over Notre Dame when he appeared
at the podium after the game with his
starting offensive line standing behind him
and gave all the credit to his blockers.
What he lacks in size, Ringer is showing
he possesses in heart and determination and
he is emerging as the top senior back in the
country, eclipsing Clemsons James Davis.
Five quarterbacks who stand shorter
than 6-foot-1 have been drafted in the first
two rounds in the past 10 years Michael
Vick, Cade McNown, Rex Grossman,
Drew Brees and Shaun King. McNown,
Grossman and King failed in large part be-
cause they lacked the foot quickness neces-
sary for passers whose field vision is very
limited if they cannot move outside the
pocket. Vick was a much better athlete than
quarterback. Brees is the only passer of the
group who has panned out, and he took four
years to grow comfortable sliding in the
pocket and finding open throwing lanes and
had a high release point that helped avoid
too many balls from being batted down.
If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that
investing heavily in a short passer in the first
two rounds is not prudent. Nonetheless, it
has not stopped some college evaluators
from bestowing high praise upon Missouri
QB Chase Daniel, who has been described
as a winner possessing uncanny accu-
racy and having the ability to keep plays
alive with his feet.
Daniel carved up an improved Buffalo de-
fense last week, passing for a career-high
439 yards and setting a Big 12 record with
20 consecutive completions in a 42-21 vic-
tory and has generally impressed scouts
passing through. To place high expectations
and draft him any higher than the fourth
round, however, could be costly.
North Carolina senior WR Brandon Tate,
who leads the country in all-purpose yards,
has elevated his stock as much as any senior
in the country and continues to impress with
his quickness and elusiveness after the
catch, finding the endzone again last week in
a 20-17 loss to Virginia Tech after juking an
oncoming tackler in perfect position to bring
him down.
LSU junior WR Brandon LaFell, whos
tied for second in the SEC in receptions (15),
made his biggest catch of the season in the
final minutes against Auburn last week when
he caught the game-winning TD to give the
Tigers a 26-21 victory. Asharp route runner
with consistent hands, LaFell stood out even
more throughout the contest for his aggres-
sive blocking, continually springing runners
with his stickiness as a downfield blocker. At
this stage in his career, LaFell is more pol-
ished than Chiefs 2007 first-round pick
Dwayne Bowe.
For the second consecutive week, Auburn
senior RB Brad Lester was forced out of
the game with injury. He ran hard against
LSU a week after spraining his neck after
landing awkwardly but suffered a right knee
injury against LSU and is not proving to be a
symbol of durability.
North Carolina State senior RB Andre
Brown keyed the Wolfpacks 30-24 overtime
victory against East Carolina, bulling his way
through tacklers on two runs that produced
the victory. He lacks great speed, but he is
strong, runs hard with good balance and can
pick up tough yardage.
Ball State senior WR Dante Love, who
ranks among the nations top-five all-pur-
pose leaders with 198 yards per game, left
the game on a board and was carted off the
field after feeling numbness and tingling fol-
lowing a big helmet-to-helmet collision that
jarred the ball loose midway through the first
half against Indiana. He underwent five
hours of surgery Sunday morning to stabilize
a back fracture and reportedly is in stable
condition. Love will bring the most value as a
returner and slot receiver in the NFL if he can
make a full recovery.
Auburn OG Tyronne Green fared well
against an imposing LSU defensive line, get-
ting out in space, sealing Tyson Jackson
and regularly holding his ground inside.
Ohio State senior WLB Marcus Freeman
missed a key tackle against Troy that would
have prevented a long touchdown. He takes
too many bad angles, trying to track down
ballcarriers using the back door instead of
getting his head across the bow and playing
physically.
Syracuse and head coach Greg Robin-
son edged Northeastern for their first win of
the season, but not before being given a run
for their money. The talent level has re-
gressed significantly since Robinson took
over the program, with not a single player
being drafted a year ago. The Orange were
competitive under Paul Pasqualoni, finish-
ing 6-6 each of his final two seasons before
he was fired and moved to the NFL, where he
helped Jason Witten develop into a Pro
Bowl player and helped coordinate the Dol-
phins defense that shut down the Patriots
last Sunday. Since Pasqualoni left, the pro-
gram has gone straight downhill and has
shown no signs of recovery.
In Georgia junior RB Knowshon Moreno
and true freshman WR A.J. Green, the Bull-
dogs have two of the most talented skill-po-
sition players in the country and rode their
talents to an easy 27-10 victory over Arizona
State last week. Moreno, who possesses out-
standing run instincts and strength, showed
his lower-body explosion a week after hur-
dling a defender by elevating from the 4-
yard-line, diving over a tackler and landing
gracefully in the endzone. Green still is learn-
ing how to run routes and shake defenders
but he is so big, fast, athletic and sure-
handed that he makes it look easy. He
caught seven passes for 150 yards in the first
half, producing one big play after another
and is emerging as Matthew Staffords go-
to guy on a roster deep at receiver.
Aweek after losing to USC, Ohio State sen-
ior QB Todd Boeckman took one snap
against Troy as the reins have been handed
over to true freshman Terrelle Pryor prior
to entering the Big Ten schedule. For the
third consecutive week, standout junior RB
Chris Wells sat out to rest a big toe injury
suffered against Youngstown State.
Wisconsin junior RB P.J. Hill has been
very productive since he entered the pro-
gram and is on track to produce his third
consecutive season of 1,200-plus rushing
yards. However, the soft-bellied runner has
had difficulty holding on to the ball, is not a
sudden starter and will struggle to hit holes
Javon Ringer is showing hes capable of carrying a full load despite being undersized.
RB Ringer bullying his way up draft charts
COLLEGE NOTES
33 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
Continued on Page 34
at the NFL level before they close. He would
be wise to return for his senior season.
Florida junior RS Brandon James might
be the quickest player in college football. He
put on a dazzling display of moves against
Tennessee, when he sidestepped and juked
the first five tacklers approaching and darted
up the field past another five who could not
catch him for a 78-yard TD. The return was
more impressive than his spectacular return
in the season opener against Hawaii. He
might be only 5-7, 185 pounds, but he has
outstanding feet, vision and short-area burst
to elude defenders and is as electric as any
returner on the collegiate level.
Florida junior TE Cornelius Ingram, after
suffering a season-ending knee injury in fall
camp, is expected to declare for the draft
rather than accepting a medical redshirt sea-
son and risking the chance of getting injured
again. Three other Gators juniors LB
Brandon Spikes, DE Jermaine Cunning-
hamand WR-RB Percy Harvin are also
likely to depart.
Oklahoma senior OG Duke Robinson did
not start in the season opener as a result of
what has been deemed a coachs decision,
and questions about his maturity and work
ethic could affect his draft status.
LSU junior RB Charles Scott continued
to fare well against the best competition he
has faced this season, rolling for another
100-plus rushing yards against Auburn.
Scott runs a bit tall, but he is decisive,
charges hard and can withstand contact. He
earned his 132 yards against Auburn.
Pittsburgh third-year sophomore RB
LeSean McCoy rushed for the Panthers
game-winning TD over Iowa, but failed to
reach the 100-yard mark in a contest again
this season. He had much bigger lanes to
pass through a year ago when running be-
hind first-round pick Jeff Otah and has failed
to create much on his own. He is a fair-sized
back who does not run over many tacklers or
make many miss and has no special quali-
ties. His talent does not match the hype cre-
ated a year ago when he set the Big East
freshman rushing record and broke some of
Tony Dorsetts records at Pitt.
DRAFT AUDIBLES
(Wisconsin) does not ask (TE Travis
Beckum) to block. He is a rep guy, but he
can get it. They ask him to play all over
the field. He can run. Hes a phenomenal
athlete. He will drop some balls, but he
can extend and snatch. Most of the time
he is lined up wide.
(Purdue QB Curtis) Painter does not
read coverages. Hes got no arm. Hes not
quick footed. He telegraphs all his throws.
All his reads are pre-determined. He
works out of the gun all the time the
only time he is under center is when they
run. If Im a defensive coordinator, every-
time he is under center, Im crashing the
box. He is the least talented of all the re-
cent quarterbacks they have had there.
Hes a seventh-rounder.
(Texas A&M senior QB Stephen)
McGee has mobility to buy time with his
feet and a short, compact, quick release,
but he does not look natural under center.
Hes a shotgun quarterback. I question
his field awareness and ability to go
through progressions. He locks on too
much and gets happy feet. He will have
trouble handling pressure at (the NFL)
level.
Physically, (Nevada LB) Josh Mauga
looks like you want (a linebacker to look)
and has ability. He just does not play the
game with any tempo mentally or physi-
cally and every play looks the same. Just
once you want him to take a guy on, knock
the (crap) out of him and go make a play. I
could barely stay awake watching him.
(Florida senior WR Louis Murphy)
does not have natural hands. He looks
every bit the part and will run in the 4.3s
all day long, but like so many of those re-
ceivers that come out of that (spread op-
tion) offense, you wonder if he will able to
read coverages and handle the nuances
to make it.
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
With NFL ownership opting out of the
current Collective Bargaining Agreement
that expires in March 2010, the 2009 NFL
draft could be the last draft as it is known
featuring a rookie pool that highly re-
wards incoming talent.
Adraft still could be held in April 2010,
but the rookie wage scale could be abol-
ished and eliminate the mega-contracts
normally reserved for college footballs
most talented underclassmen.
The way we hear it, talk is growing
about a record number of underclassmen
declaring following the season, with
scouting directors estimating the number
being as high as 100.
Agents are the ones advising players
and if we are headed toward an uncapped
year, one personnel executive said, (un-
derclassmen) are going to try making as
much money as they can. It will be a big
mistake for most of them. There is plenty
of money to go around.
But with the uncertainty about the fu-
ture, the speculation already has begun.
34 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
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with Pro Football Weeklys
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PREVIEW
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Continued from Page 33
Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson has been red-
flagged as having questionable character.
AUDIBLES NFList
S
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Ed Reed of the Ravens and Troy Polamalu are a pair of safeties who can cover a lot of ground
35 Pro Football Weekly September 28, 2008
The Packers offense makes it very easy for the quarterback. You watch what they do
its dump it, dump it, dump it, dump it, hit em deep. Dump it, dump it, dump it, dump it, hit
em deep. Aaron Rodgers has a lot of options. Hes got a running game, a tight end, two
receivers and a slot guy thats what (Brett) Favre was so good at. He used all his
weapons. Thats what Rodgers has been able to do he has not been a one-dimensional
passer.
The 49ers have not had a winning sea-
son since the new regime came into the
building four years ago. You look at what
happened in New Orleans and New York
(Jets). They overhauled those rosters and
were able to win right away. There was no
disconnect between the coaches and the
front office, and the coaches knew what
they were looking for. Thats never been the
case in San Francisco.
Sometimes I just have to laugh when
you look at what is happening around the
league. These teams (that are struggling)
are what they are for a reason. Minnesota
spent all that money to build a champi-
onship team, yet they are going to entrust
the franchise with a small-school quarter-
back who has never done it before, without
any backup plan. Thats Rick Spielmans
job. He was out of football how many
years? (Owner/chairman Zygi Wilf) had
plenty of time to look at Spielmans track
record. How many of the picks he made in
Miami are still on the team, and if they are
not on the team, how many are even still in
the league? How could you hire the bread
and butter of your organization the guy
responsible for putting together the per-
sonnel when he has proven he does not
understand the value of a player?
Lane Kiffin is not ready to be a head
coach. Youve seen how he has acted with
the media, how he calls out his own play-
ers. There are two cardinal sins in coach-
ing. One is to call out your own players
publicly, which he has done with Javon
Walker and JaMarcus Russell and some
others. You dont use the media to inspire.
No. 2, never criticize your own coaches
publicly, and certainly not an owner that
has three Super Bowl rings on his fingers
and has been at it for over 50 years. I dont
care what kind of advice he may be getting
from his agent, and if he is being told to be
abrasive to get fired at some point he
needs to be his own man and think for him-
self.
I saw (Colts OLT) Tony Ugoh is hurt
again. I saw him in the preseason and
Julius Peppers was abusing him. (Ugoh) is
not long for this league. He has no tough-
ness.
(The Vikings) gave away too much for
Jared Allen, in my opinion. Fine, you have a
defense for the ages. They built the front
seven the way they did because the sec-
ondary is not very good. If they get pres-
sure on the quarterback, it will help the
secondary Im fine with all that. But you
have a great running back (Adrian Peter-
son) who, if defenses had to worry about a
passing game, would be special. Now (op-
posing defenses) can sit on him and force
the quarterback to beat em and he cant.
You look at the bench and there is no one
there.
If I were the Vikings, I would go out and
get Jeff Garcia. Tampa Bay may not want
to give a quarterback to a NFC contender
who is a quarterback away from winning.
All (the Vikings) need is a quarterback who
can manage the game. You cant run the
ball on that defense and you definitely
dont want to play that group if they have a
quarterback who can keep the defense
rested. Not only can they not score on of-
fense, they are losing the field-position bat-
tle because they are not picking up any
first downs.
By Mike Wilkening
Senior editor
This weeks edition of the NFList focuses
on safeties capable of quickly covering a lot
of ground. We asked a panel of assistant
coaches, all of whom spoke on the condition
of anonymity, for their take on the NFLs
rangiest safeties. Heres how they voted:
1. FS Ed Reed / Ravens Reed, who
knocked away a career-high 13 passes and
intercepted seven passes in 2007, was men-
tioned early and often by all respondents.
With Reed, it is knowledge of the game, one
NFC assistant coach said about what sepa-
rates Reed from his peers in this category.
He is the most instinctive player we have
seen in a while. Said another panelist:
Sometimes hell guess, but thats part of
being a great player.
2. SS Troy Polamalu / Steelers (Po-
lamalus) asked to do more than any other
(safety) in league, said one respondent. Po-
lamalu plays closer to the line than Reed,
who is more of a center-fielder type. But Po-
lamalu is significantly quicker and faster
than your typical box safety, and he ap-
pears to be healthy after being nagged by
abdomen, knee and rib injuries last season
and a hamstring injury in the preseason. Po-
lamalu, said one coach, is more of an ath-
letic guy who can make up ground. But he is
also known for his instincts, which are a key
component of range.
3. FS Reggie Nelson / Jaguars Boy,
hes got range, one AFC assistant coach re-
marked of Nelson, who turned 25 on the day
of Jacksonvilles Week Three game vs. Indi-
anapolis. As a rookie, the 5-11, 202-pound
Nelson made an instant impact, knocking
away 12 passes and intercepting five passes.
Nelson, observed one assistant, has a great
feel for a quarterbacks vision over the top.
However, one panelist noted he can be a little
hesitant at times, perhaps because of his
lack of experience.
4. FS LaRon Landry / Redskins He
began his career as the Redskins strong
safety, then moved to free safety as the long-
term replacement for the late Sean Taylor.
Wherever Landry has played in his brief ca-
reer, he has made an impression, and he al-
ready ranks among the fastest and most
imposing players at his position.
5. SS Bob Sanders / Colts The De-
fensive MVP in 2007, Sanders boasts an
unbelievable combination of range and hit-
ting ability, according to one panelist. His
style of play is somewhat similar to Pola-
malus; both are on the short side for the po-
sition, but both arrive quickly on the scene
and strike with great force. He is the best
closing downhill (safety) in (the) league, said
one panelist. Few defensive players mean
more to their teams than Sanders, who is
likely to miss the next 3-5 weeks with an
ankle sprain suffered in the Colts Week Two
win at Minnesota.
Honorable mention Rams FS O.J.
Atogwe, Eagles FS Brian Dawkins, Seahawks
SS Deon Grant, Panthers SS Chris Harris,
Raiders FS Michael Huff, Jets FS Kerry
Rhodes, Vikings SS Darren Sharper, Charg-
ers FS Eric Weddle, Bills SS Donte Whitner,
Cardinals SS Adrian Wilson.
S
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The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking
on the condition of anonymity.
When it comes to range,
Reed, Polamalu stand out
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