| |
 |
Tuesday Morning QB
by Andy Antonik
Posted on
11/23/2004 |
This weekend's
games had a lot of interesting drama to them for
a change. A lot of teams had statement games in
which they had to come through and continue to
improve, or consider themselves done for the
season, even with six games to go.
One of the most highly anticipated games of the
day had to be the game between the Atlanta
falcons and the New York Giants. This was the
beginning of the Eli Manning era in NY, and the
hype was incredible. New Yorkers believed that
if Big Ben could do it in Pittsburgh, of course
Eli could in NY. It didn't turn out that way.
Even with the dropped balls by the wide
receivers and tight ends, Eli did not have that
impressive a game. The good news, and the part
you can build on, is that he only got sacked
once, and clearly became more comfortable and
relaxed as the game wore on. It might take a
few games before he settles in, but he will be a
quality NFL QB by the end of the year, in my
opinion. Whether he can become a great QB is
still up in the air. Manning was 17 of 37 for
162 yards and one TD. T. Barber continued to
run well, though, and he finished with 107 yards
for the day. A very respectable total. Almost
lost in the shuffle was the performance of
Michael Vick for Atlanta. He was 15 of 20 for
115 yards and 2 TD's passing, and also ran 15
times for another 104 yards. An excellent game
by any standards. A good FF game as well.
The St. Louis Rams needed to make a statement at
Buffalo this weekend and they did. They stated
that they don't really care and the team is in
disarray. Since the game the past weekend,
Martz has been making very critical comments
about his team and players, and the fans have
become disgusted. The team seems to have quit
on them, and no one seems to know why. Bulger
is developing the characteristics of the old
Warner, standing in the pocket far too long, and
taking the sack or the interception rather than
throwing the ball away. And Faulk may indeed be
done. He ran the ball 13 times for 6 yards- all
of those on one play. Buffalo, on the other
hand, showed some of the fight that they have
displayed the last few weeks. Given the records
of the other teams in the AFC, it's unlikely
that the Bills can pull out a play-off berth,
but they intend to make a statement for the rest
of the year. Bledsoe had an average day by a
lot of standards, but threw 3 TD's to Mark
Campbell, who has a total of 14 receptions, five
for touchdowns. The Bills are a team to watch
the rest of the year.
The SF/TB game also was interesting. Here are
two teams going nowhere this year, and they
approach each game differently, it seems. TB is
playing very hard, and right now Brian Griese is
playing very well. So well, in fact, I have
begun to wonder what the status of Chris Simms
will be. Griese threw 15 of 21 for 210 yards,
and 2 TD's Sunday, but did have 2 INT's as well.
Helping out on offense was Michael Pittman who
ran for his third 100-yard game in the last four
weeks. They seems to be turning to him more and
more, and has emerged as a key running back.
One to keep an eye on in future FF leagues.
SF, on the other hand, has begun to play like a
defeated team. Tim Rattay looked bad, and is a
mediocre NFL QB at best. He has not impressed
at all this year, and they need to find a
replacement for him next year. SF will draft a
QB, or trade for one before the 2005 season.
The NY Jets bounced back from their terrible
game last week, and beat Cleveland on the road.
While Cleveland is not a top-notch team, they
play well at home and the Jets had to make sure
they did not slide out of the play-off picture.
You would think a 7-3 team would not have too
many worries, but this year that record makes
them a bubble team. What's interesting to note,
and a good thing for Jets fans, is that Martin
and Jordan shared the running duties this past
weekend. Again. The report was that Martin did
not feel 100%, but age might also be a factor as
the season wears on. It makes perfect sense for
the Jets to give Jordan a lot of reps at RB, and
try and keep Martin fresh for the play-off run.
Martin rushed for 88 yards, and Jordan ran for
73. An excellent running combination that will
keep the pressure off Q. Carter until Pennington
can get back on the field.
Can anyone stop the offense of the Colts?
Manning threw for 4 TD's, and James ran for 204
yards and another TD. Indy offense is so good,
its hurting key WR M. Harrison. Harrison only
caught passes for 49 yards, and he has been hurt
by the improvement of R. Wayne, M. Pollard, D.
Clark, and B. Stokely. There is no way all
these players return next year. Manning needs
to take advantage of this group while he has
them, because a couple of them will leave to go
elsewhere and try to become the No.1 guy for
another team. That plan rarely works, however,
and these free agents usually wishing they were
back where they started (except for the money).
A few quick FF notes: A. Brooks threw for 377
yards in a losing cause, but had 3 int.
Plummer, in the same game threw for 224, and 2
TDs while Droughns had 166 yards rushing and 1
TD. Denver is on the move. McNair returned for
the Titans, and they won, but he had bad FF
numbers. He looked rusty. Maybe this week.
That's it for this week. Good luck. |
| |
| Andy Antonik is a Fantasy Football Contest and
Content Manager for Wildcardsports.com. Born in New
York State, he now lives in central Illinois with
his family, and feels like a fish out of water. His
favorite sports teams are all from New York, and
when not with his family, he can be found on the
golf course redefining the term "duffer." |
|
