Week 10's are in.....
At NBC last Sunday, a bunch of the Football Night in America on- and off-air people were watching the early action in the network's viewing room with nine games on one huge wall of TVs. Adrian Peterson was putting on a show for the ages. But here was Buffalo-Cincinnati, a mildly interesting game, getting really good in the second half. And here was Marshawn Lynch running wild in the second half. As Lynch ran for a long touchdown, Jerome Bettis piped up, "Peter, there's your guy!'' Which brings me to the number one point in my fantasy items of the week:
1. If the trading deadline in your league has not passed, I'd recommend dealing for Lee Evans, and either dealing for or claiming J.P. Losman off waivers.
What Bettis was referring to was a conversation before the season when I said Lynch was going to be the offensive rookie of the year. My reasoning: Calvin Johnson was an easy (and, it turns out, unwise) choice. I fretted about Peterson's pre-draft shoulder-injury concerns. I didn't think rookie quarterbacks would get the ball early. And I loved how the Bills had beefed up their offensive line with the addition of Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker.
Well, Lynch is doing well, certainly. His 153-yard day against the Bengals put him on course for a 1,379-yard rookie season and left him fourth in the NFL rushing race. What this means is that teams from here on out, starting this week in Miami, will be loading up to stop him. Losman, who is better than people give him credit for, is going to have throw the ball for Buffalo to score 24 a game. He'll do fine.
**** Jauron refuses to guarantee Losman the job beyond this week, and I don't advise you to deal something significant for him. But if he's on your waiver heap, he'll put up good numbers on Sunday, as will Evans. But I hate Buffalo's schedule immediately after that (New England, at Jacksonville, at Washington), but it gets winnable in December.
2. Speaking of Calvin Johnson, he's obviously been a non-factor for those of you who picked him high, and you're certainly right to be disappointed. But back injuries are funny things. I think he'll still give you some production. This was the first week of practice in about seven weeks where he's felt fully ready to contribute, so if you have a third wideout slot and you want to take a chance, the Lions are at Arizona. This is a trap game for Detroit. I like Arizona, but this could be the week Johnson finally looks like the first pick in the draft.
3. One other piece of pre-trade-deadline advice: deal Steve Smith. Five catches in his last two weeks. A non-factor. Short stuff. With Vinny Testaverde coming back this week, Smith will catch more, but you never can tell how long that will last because Vinny turns 44 in two weeks. If you can get a good player for Smith, pull the trigger.
4. Lance Moore, David Patten. Pick one. And pick one up. With Drew Brees' revival, and Devery Henderson's penchant for dropping one easy catch per week, Moore and Patten will be the trusted targets down the stretch, behind Marques Colston.
5. In the one of the leagues I'm in, I offered Brees and LaMont Jordan for Jason Campbell about a month ago. I'm feeling pretty happy that deal got rejected.
6. Don't give up on Jay Cutler for the year. He's got some good secondaries to throw against down the stretch, and you can be sure that Mike Shanahan, with the season basically down the drain, is going to make sure he gives Cutler 200 to 240 throws in the second half of the schedule. He'll put up some very good, if inconsistent, numbers.
7. Of the Colts' top four receiving weapons -- Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez -- only Wayne practiced on Thursday. I'd anticipate that Harrison will play at San Diego as it's a grass field and he probably could have gone last week against the Patriots, but Tony Dungy wanted to preserve him for the rest of the year. Not saying I'd pick him up, but Chief-for-a-moment Craphonso Thorpe has had a good week in practice.
8. Braylon Edwards will come up big Sunday, so don't be cowed by the Browns going into Pittsburgh. Cleveland will score on Sunday, at least in the 20s. I don't think the Steelers have an answer for all three big, physical Browns receivers.
9. You know Dallas is going to score against the Giants. You might be surprised how it'll be done. I don't see a big day for Terrell Owens, but I do see big things for Jason Witten because Tony Romo will be chased and he doesn't get sacked. Half the time he's in trouble he slips the ball to his hot receiver (most often the running back) or to Witten. I see a nine-catch day for the occasionally helmetless tight end.
10. Remember Kolby Smith? I preached about him earlier this season as a back Herman Edwards loved and said that Smith would eventually get a shot to play a decent role. Eventually might be now. Smith is the insurance policy in the event that Priest Holmes can't carry the mail for four quarters this week against Denver. And we all know he can't. Pick up Smith if you've got a roster spot empty.
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