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Upon Further Review

Dec 31 2008, 01:00 AM

FantasyFootball.com President Craig Davis blogs about numerous topics on a daily basis.

Wednesday, December 31

Okay, it's time to get ready for the post-season Fantasy Football Freeze Out. "What's that", you ask? Well, it's a fantasy football league where you can pick any players you want, but you only get points as long as they continue to play. So, if you take Kurt Warner as one of your QBs, you better hope they beat Atlanta and keep moving along in the playoffs. The goal of the Freeze Out Contest is to pick the best possible fantasy football team that will accrue the most fantasy points from Wild Card Weekend to the Super Bowl. Can you do that? If so, you need to enter our contest asap, before it's too late.

$15 to enter... enter as many times as you'd like. $1,000 grand prize. 20 total winners.

If I were to enter today, this would be my lineup. Keep in mind, this could change in the next few days so please keep checking back if you're interested in my potential roster (2 QBs, 3 RBs, 4 WRs, 1 TE, 1 PK and 1 DST).

Donovan McNabb (yes, I think the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl)
Ben Roethlisberger
Willie Parker (would like to have Chris Johnson here, but believe the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl)
Brian Westbrook
DeAngelo Williams
DeSean Jackson
Roddy White
Steve Smith
Hines Ward
Heath Miller
David Akers
Steelers DST

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Friday, December 12

- Someone explain to me why ESPN is praising Kyle Orton for leading his team to victory? Were they watching the same game I was? Orton barely completed 50% of his passes (24-40) for 172 yards, 0 TDs and two potentially costly interceptions and yet he's being lauded for his "great comeback ability" and "leadership skills". Orton didn't win this game and it appeared to me he was trying to give it away. This game was won by special teams and first half defense. Orton did everything he could to lose this game, yet they come away with another victory. Go figure.

- Matt Forte limped off the field tonight after his first carry, putting his fantasy owners into a panic. Take a deep breath... he was seen back on the field in the second quarter and actually scored a TD. No, this wasn't his best game but Forte has been the MOST consistent fantasy RB in the NFL, bar none. He's likely worthy of a top 10 fantasy pick next season.

- Speaking of rookies, RB Chris Johnson was seen racing a thoroughbred last week and Johnson won by a nose. Next up, Johnson is going to be racing a cheetah. My money is on Johnson.



Sunday, December 7

It's Week 14 of the NFL season, and that usually means fantasy playoff time. I'll do my best to keep you updated throughout the afternoon with some light-hearted conversation:

- Things I've learned about the Dallas Cowboys today:

1. They are horribly coached. If Wade Phillips isn't fired, Jerry Jones has no spine.
2. Tony Romo is the most overrated QB in the NFL and completely chokes in big situations. He's the A-Rod of the NFL.
3. Jason Garrett has lost his luster as a play-caller. Stall mode doesn't work with a 10-point lead on the road when you don't have your workhorse RB.
4. Jason Witten has been clueless the last month. What the heck Jason?
5. They have no heart. How do you spoil a 13-3 lead with seven minutes to go after you stopped a fourth-and-goal play at the one?
6. They will miss the playoffs as they lose to the Giants next week, the Ravens the week after that and the Eagles in Philly to close out an 8-8 season.

- It doesn't really matter what it looks like... a win is a win. But watching the New England Patriots today leads me to believe that if this team makes the playoffs, they'll be eliminated in the first round.

- Despite the fact it's been the Eddie Royal show in recent weeks for Denver, Brandon Marshall has come alive with 72 yards and two TDs.

- With Peyton Hillis out of the game with an injury, backup Tatum Bell has accounted for nearly 60 yards of offense in just over a quarter of work.

- With two costly fumbles on the afternoon, Rams RB Steven Jackson has been replaced by backup Antonio Pittman. Jackson, however, just got his first carry since being benched and lost two yards on third-and-one.

- Tony Romo to Terrell Owens, touchdown!! 10-3 Cowboys. Romo scrambled for 8.6 seconds before he threw the pass.

- It's the Deion Branch show in Seattle today as the veteran receiver has four catches for 88 yards and two scores with SENECA WALLACE as his QB. No, that's NOT a typo.

- I'll tell you this much... I'd be worried if I were a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. The Cowboys have tried to give them the game with four turnovers in the first half and numerous penalties, yet the score is tied at three at the half.

- I'm still wondering if the Patriots realize they have a receiver named Randy Moss on their team? He wears number 81...

- To add insult to injury, Kurt Warner just hit Larry Fitzgerald for a 15-yard completion and they ruled him down at the half-inch line. Tim Hightower scored on the next play. I love this hobby (insert sarcastic remark here).

- QB controversy in Minnesota? After Gus Frerotte left today's game with Detroit because of an injury, the original starter in Week 1 (Tavaris Jackson) completed eight of 10 passes for 105 yards and a TD. Uh oh.

- Although the "road warriors" aren't as prevalent today, two road teams that had no business winning pulled off upsets this afternoon. Philly went into the Meadowlands and took it to the Giants while the Texans just beat the Packers in Lambeau.

- You've likely heard me talk about my big money league several times during our Internet radio show, Two Feet in Bounds... and what's happening to me this week is one of the prime examples that you need to try and avoid playing with idiots who quit midway through the season when they think their season is already over. Those guys fail to set lineups every week and sometimes (and ALWAYS against me) happen to have a backup player in the starting lineup who just happens to "go off" on occasion. Let me explain:

Now, keep something mind... this guy is a huge Packers fan and had always been starting Aaron Rodgers over Peyton Manning. He also had the Packers DST but picked up the Colts simply as a fill in. This is why I HATE fantasy football. I'm going to get clobbered with a much better roster by a team that is 4-9 because:

- Marques Colston sucks
- The Bears have decided they want to become a passing team today for some reason
- Peyton Manning and the Colts DST have decided to have career days, and normally are on this guy's bench.
- Marques Colston sucks
- The Giants forgot how to play defense

Simply put, this is a bad way to lose and with this loss I'm going to miss the playoffs by one game after losing to the second worst team in the league because he gave up five weeks ago. Could have been a very nice payday.


- Another good Eli Manning pass, another drop from one of his receivers. This time it was Steve Smith. Yet the Giants, on the strength of their special teams, have blocked a field goal and returned it for a TD. Giants trail the Eagles at halftime, 10-7.

- Speaking of dropped passes, another #87 just dropped what would have been a big gainer down the left sideline. Reggie Wayne, although admittedly it wasn't as easy as Hixon's, dropped a pass that would have covered over 35 yards.

- I get the feeling Michael Turner is going to be a top five fantasy pick in 2009. He just scored against the Saints and did it with relative ease.

- I was watching two games at once, and both the Colts and Texans had the ball in the red zone. Two completed passes to the TEs (Owen Daniels and Dallas Clark), but both of them fumbled, almost simaltaneously, and now the Packers and Bengals have the ball. It's freezing in Green Bay, so Daniels MIGHT have an excuse. Clark is in the dome... no excuse.

- Could Domenick Hixon be the next Plaxico Burress in New York? Not if he keeps dropping passes. Eli Manning hit Hixon between the numbers on what WOULD have been a 78-yard TD pass... but Hixon let it slip through his hands and it fell incomplete.

- I guess the cold weather of December has really taken its toll on NFL scoring. After over 800 combined points scored a few weeks ago, the numbers are already starting to drop and so far today, the most points on the board for any team is 10... all games currently in the second quarter.



Wednesday, November 19

In case you're either new to the site or you've been hibernating the last few months, I wanted to let you know that the Yardage/Scoring Tool (also known as the fantasy points yielded tool) has been updated and loaded to the website. Folks, if you haven't used this tool yet you really don't know what you're missing. In fact, it's so coveted by some that even our very own Steve Sheiner Instant Messages me on a daily basis asking me, "is it loaded yet?"

In a nutshell, this tool allows you to see how every defense in the NFL is performing against QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs and even PKs. What's more, if you're a Platinum member and have loaded your scoring system(s) into our Draft Planner software, you'll have the capability not only to see how well (or poorly) a defense is doing against those position players, you'll also be able to see the exact number of fantasy points they're allowing according to YOUR league's scoring system. Amazing, huh?

The one thing this tool has enabled me to do over the last few months is find some really good sleeper candidates... and here are a few notes I've gathered during my research:

- The Colts are the only team in the NFL allowing less than 10 fantasy PPG to the QB position. With the Chargers next up on their schedule, don't expect a huge day from Philip Rivers. Rivers just got through with a Pittsburgh defense that is nearly as effective as Indy and you saw Rivers' results at Heinz Field. Bench Rivers this week if you can.

- Conversely, the Chargers rank dead last against fantasy QBs, allowing over 280 yards and nearly two TDs per game. Peyton Manning enters the game having thrown at least two TD passes in each of his last four games while reaching at least 240 yards in his last three. Play Manning this week without hesitation.

- It's no secret the Giants are a darn good football team, but as anyone knows in order to be successful in the NFL you MUST stop the run and run the football well on offense. The Giants, not surprisingly, are good at both. They have been very stingy against opposing fantasy RBs, allowing just 16 PPG to that position in PPR leagues. I realize the trendy pick lately has been to start Cardinals RB Tim Hightower since he's taken over the starting job, but I'm warning you that it might not be the best idea to have this rookie in your lineup this week.

- Speaking of the Cardinals/Giants tilt, you might consider picking up Derrick Ward or Ahmad Bradshaw in your league if they're available because I get the feeling that, despite Jacobs saying he'll be fine for this week's game, Tom Coughlin won't risk injuring his knee further and, thus, sitting him out to save him up for the stretch run and the playoffs. Ward and/or Bradshaw could be nice waiver wire additions this week.

- You think what Marshawn Lynch did against Cleveland was impressive? He gets the Chiefs this week and they allow nearly 36 fantasy PPG to the RB position.

- Rookie RB Matt Forte has been one of the most consistent fantasy RBs so far this season, scoring an average of 19.4 fantasy PPG in PPR leagues. What's more... he hasn't scored less than 13 fantasy points in a single game this year, something that NO OTHER RB in the NFL can claim. The only drawback to Forte is that he hasn't had that huge, breakout game against anyone which, to me, is all the more reason to like him. However, I have a feeling that breakout game could be coming this weekend in St. Louis where the Rams have allowed an average of an amazing 40.9 fantasy points per game to RBs alone over the last three weeks. Big play on Forte this week.

- The Green Bay Packers not only have the best fantasy defense against opposing WRs, allowing 21 fantasy PPG, but they've done even better over the last three weeks, giving up just over 13 PPG. I'm not going to tell you to bench any of your Saints this week, but don't be surprised if the road team comes into the Superdome and locks down Colston, Moore and Henderson. Might be a good week to start Billy Miller and/or Jeremy Shockey.

- If ever there were a two-game stretch for you to consider starting both Terrell Owens and Roy Williams, this would be it. The Niners, who Dallas plays next, have surrendered 61 fantasy points PER GAME to WRs in their last two and currently rank 29th overall on the season. After that, Dallas gets Seattle coming to town and the 'Hawks are dead last in the NFL vs. opposing WRs.


Potential Week 12 Sleepers

Brady Quinn vs. Houston (#29 vs. fantasy QBs) -- The Browns are still fighting for a Wild Card bid after Monday night's crucial win. Quinn will play much better at home.

Sage Rosenfels at Cleveland (#27 vs. fantasy QBs) -- No one has been worse than the Browns vs. QBs the last three weeks. Rosenfels could have a field day.

Darren McFadden at Denver (#31 vs. fantasy RBs) -- Simply put, the Broncos don't stop anyone's running game and McFadden has been screaming to be more involved. Remember what we expecte McFadden to do at the beginning of the year? It could happen this Sunday.

Warrick Dunn at Detroit (#27 vs. fantasy RBs) -- Dunn has been the forgotten man in Tampa, but without Earnest Graham the rest of the year and the fact Caddy Williams just isn't ready, Dunn could really feast on the Lions run defense.

Santana Moss vs. Seattle (#32 vs. fantasy QBs) -- I don't like calling Santana Moss a sleeper because he's talented enough to be a WR1, but based on what he's done recently I think he qualifies. If ever Moss was going to dominate, this might be the week.


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Monday, November 17

What's the world coming to? I was doing my normal Monday morning routine where I look back at Sunday's best and worst statistical performances and I was amazed at how inconsistent the QB position has become. I looked at the final numbers from Sunday and I compared them with our Week 11 Staff Rankings. It wasn't even close and we should be ashamed.

Week 11s Top QB Performances

(comp-att-yds-td-int)
1. Matt Cassel --- 30-51-400-3-0///8 rushes for 62 yards
2. Shaun Hill --- 15-20-213-2-0///3 rushes for 5 yards, TD
3. Tyler Thigpen --- 19-38-235-2-1///3 rushes for 45 yards
4. Kerry Collins --- 13-23-230-3-1
5. Peyton Manning --- 30-46-320-2-0
6. Daunte Culpepper --- 20-35-207-1-2///5 rushes for 13 yards, TD
7. Kurt Warner --- 32-44-395-1-1
8. Brett Favre --- 26-33-258-2-0
9. Donovan McNabb --- 28-58-339-1-3
10. Aaron Rodgers --- 23-30-227-2-1


Okay, so where was Drew Brees, Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo and Eli Manning? Fantasy football is becoming harder and harder to predict and that means we must step up our research or just hope and pray to get luckier than the next guy.

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Sunday, November 16

- The two biggest differences between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are

1. Penalties --- Washington doesn't commit any and Dallas commits a ton
2. Turnovers --- Washington doesn't turn the ball over and Dallas does

- I say this with as much love as I possibly can... the Dallas Cowboys are seriously "the dumbest team in America" (quote taken from Bill Callahan). I have never seen a team of supposed superstars commit more penalties than this team. What an absolute joke. The over/under for Dallas penalties tonight is 9.5 and I'm taking the OVER.

- Kurt Warner has completed 18 of his first 20 passes, yet he doesn't have a TD.

- I realize the Lions are the lone remaining winless team in the NFL, but I can guarantee you they aren't the worst. I'm watching the St. Louis Rams completely self-destruct right before my eyes. This isn't football, it's a circus. The offensive line is a joke, Marc Bulger sucks, and Steven Jackson has become the most injury-plagued RB in the NFL. Oh, and don't even get me started on the defense. This is pitiful.

- Shayne Graham, wide right. Folks, we have our first TIE in the NFL in quite some time. I'm sure glad I didn't pick the Eagles as my lead pipe lock in the survivor picks during this morning's edition of the Platinum Pre-Game Show.

- For the first time in 93 carries, Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson has scored a TD. And against Pittsburgh of all teams. Sometimes the NFL is impossible to figure out.

- Note to self: NEVER bench any RB going against Indy... NEVER!!!

- Roddy White just dropped the go-ahead TD with 1:06 to go against Denver. Thanks Roddy.

- I said this two hours but let's revisit it again... are the Eagles stupid? You've got Brian Westbrook on YOUR team and you don't get him the ball? It doesn't make sense. I hope they lose.

- I think the Carolina Panthers need to go back to training camp and do more tackling drills. I've seen more yardage after the catch by Lions receivers because of missed tackles by Panthers defenders that I can remember in a long time. 

- (Pretend Jim Mora is saying this as if he were asked about Ahman Green instead of the playoffs). "Ahman Green, are you kidding me, Ahman Green? Ahman Green?

- Okay, so TE Billy Miller has five or more catches in his last three games, but for some reason today, upon my recommendation to start him, the Saints decide he doesn't exist and throw eight times to Jeremy Shockey so far. This team is impossible to figure out. Now they're handing off to Pierre Thomas and he just scored. Does the name Deuce McAllister ring a bell?

- Jeff Garcia and Antonio Bryant owners have a reason to throw the remote through the TV screen. A TD pass from Garcia to Bryant was called back because of a holding penalty.

- Jonathan Stewart, my sleeper RB of the week, and DeAngelo Williams have combined for 139 rushing yards and two TDs at the half vs. Detroit.

- It still absolutely baffles me that Drew Brees refuses to throw to Marques Colston. Yes, I realize he hit him seven times for 140 yards last week, but that's literally all he's done all season. Pitiful.

- Ryan Grant's first half: 13 carries, 105 yards, TD. Guess he's back.

- Steve Sheiner just IM'd me and said "the Giants are the only good team in the NFL." I think he might be right.

- I'm just wondering if the Philadelphia Eagles have forgotten who Brian Westbrook is? What happened to using this guy in the passing game? I know it's early, but c'mon!

- The Denver Broncos scored on their opening drive, but have just 22 yards of offense after that. They even blew a 60-yard kickoff return from Eddie Royal.

- Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez limped off the field in the first quarter, but just caught a pass from Tyler Thigpen and was brought down at the half-yard line. Great, just great. Now Larry Johnson is going to get a cheap TD.

- I hate the Indianapolis Colts. I repeat, I hate the Colts. How in the world do you go into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers and then come home and look like crap against Houston?

- Brandon Jacobs has eight rushes for 70 yards and two TDs in the first half vs. the vaunted Ravens run defense. Amazing.

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Thursday, November 13

1:55 am
Wow, it's been a rough couple of days in the Davis household. Keep in mind, I love my kids more than anything else in the world, but a three-hour car ride with four children on a Friday night isn't all that it's cracked up to be (pun intended). And if that's not enough, one of your children decides to get the stomach flu in the back of the car with about 30 minutes remaining till you reach your destination... let's just say we ALL would have rather been ANYWHERE but in that vehicle. Upon arriving Sunday night, we all tried to crash early to get a "jumpstart" on the work week.

Long story short... I didn't sleep all night Sunday and the "virus" hit around 4 am. I think I finally fell asleep around 7 am and literally slept through the day and into the night. Well, here it is Wednesday and I think I'm on the road to recovery... I guess maybe I'll reconsider that flu shot next year --- UGH!!

Now, down to business.

The NFL is approaching Week 11 and that usually means most trading deadlines have passed as the fantasy playoffs are right around the corner. However, in case your league doesn't pose a trade deadline or it hasn't passed yet, here are a few signal callers that you might want to consider trading for (or trading away) in order to "bolster" your roster for the playoff stretch run (Weeks 14, 15, and 16).

QBs to Potentially Trade FOR
Gus Frerotte... @DET, @ARZ, vs. ATL
Matt Cassel... @SEA, @OAK, vs. ARZ
Peyton Manning... vs. CIN, vs. DET, @JAX
Brett Favre... @SFO, vs. BUF, @SEA

QBs to Potentially Trade AWAY
Jake Delhomme... vs. TBB, vs. DEN, @NYG
Joe Flacco... vs. WAS, vs. PIT, @DAL
Philip Rivers... vs. OAK, @KCC, @TBB
Jay Cutler... vs. KCC, @CAR, vs. BUF


- Looking forward to this weekend's Dallas/Washington rematch from a fantasy perspective? Me too. Clinton Portis is "50/50" according to his head coach. WR Santana Moss always performs well against the Cowboys. Same with QB Jason Campbell and TE Chris Cooley. On the other side, with Tony Romo back it will seemingly improve the fantasy production from Terrell Owens, Jason Witten (ribs) and maybe even newcomer Roy Williams. But what about RB Marion Barber? How will Marion The Barbarian perform in this must-win game? History says... not good.

2008 --- Game 1 --- Eight carries for 26 yards
2007 --- Game 2 --- Six carries for (-6) yards
2007 --- Game 1 --- 15 carries for 43 yards
2006 --- Game 2 --- Seven carries for 45 yards
2006 --- Game 1 --- Eight carries for 39 yards

In six career games vs. the Redskins, Barber has 54 carries for 177 yards (3.3 YPC) and one meaningless TD. In fact, it goes one step further within his division...

Did you know --- In 19 games vs. Division foes, Barber has carried the ball 194 times for 658 yards and eight TDs. In his other 34 non-divisional matchups, Barber has 455 carries for 2174 yards and 26 TDs. Talk about division rivalries...

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Thursday, November 6

4:15 pm
- It's just a few hours before game time and I'm getting pumped. I love Thursday night football... makes the transition to the weekend THAT much easier. Being a former offensive player (many, many moons ago), I tend to like high-scoring games where the defense is an afterthought. I know, I know, defense wins championships, but someone has to score, right? I'm excited to see:

1. What Brady Quinn can do in his debut.
2. What the Denver defense will look like without Champ Bailey, DJ Williams, Boss Bailey, etc.
3. If Ryan Torain is the real deal.
4. If the Broncos can limit their turnovers.
5. If Braylon Edwards can catch every ball that touches his hands.
6. If Donte' Stallworth really is going to miss ANOTHER game.
7. What Peyton Hillis has in store for his encore performance.

- Any Willie Parker owners out there? Yeah, me too. However, I was lucky enough to grab Mewelde Moore in a few leagues and I simply love his matchup this weekend vs. Indy. Moore blocks well, runs between the tackles well, and catches the ball out of the backfield extremely well. To be honest, I'm actually glad Willie Parker is doubtul this weekend. Makes some of my decisions easier.

- Don't forget about our Friday edition of Two Feet In Bounds... a one-hour radio show/podcast that will help you get ready for Week 10 NFL and fantasy action. We'll be on the air from 1 - 2 pm ET... don't miss it!

12:12 pm
- My apologies for taking so long to update the blog. Believe it or not, I've had to spend time getting our fantasy baseball site in order for the upcoming season. Shameless plug: Our fantasy baseball experts have already been working hard getting their projections in order for 2009. They should be ready for sale on November 24th... in case you're interested.

- It's no secret --- you know how I've felt about Ryan Grant all season... I hate him. His production has been more like that of an 8th round pick instead of a 2nd round pick. His lack of 100-yd. games and TDs has cost fantasy owners several losses over the course of the first nine weeks. However, if there was ever a match-up that FAVORED him, it might be this weekend in Minnesota. DISCLAIMER: I don't like Grant this weekend and would not suggest starting him unless you have no other options.

Ryan Grant, though, has posted two of the best four performances against the Vikings stout run defense over the past two-and-a-half seasons. Don't believe me? Take a look.


2006 --- Steven Jackson --- 142 yards rushing
2007 --- Ryan Grant --- 119 yards rushing
2007 --- Marion Barber --- 96 yards rushing
2008 --- Ryan Grant --- 92 yards rushing
2007 --- Selvin Young --- 87 yards rushing
2006 --- Willis McGahee --- 78 yards rushing
2007 --- Clinton Portis --- 76 yards rushing
2006 --- DeAngelo Williams --- 74 yards rushing
2007 --- Frank Gore --- 68 yards rushing
2007 --- Cedric Benson --- 67 yards rushing


The list goes on and on... and it gets worse. For some reason, Grant loves playing against Minnesota and seems to find success. Again, I'm not suggesting he'll torch this defense again in Week 10, but the numbers don't lie.

- The Cleveland Browns host the Denver Broncos in a key, Thursday night affair as both teams are still trying to make a playoff push. Denver is trying to stay ahead of San Diego in the dismal AFC West while Cleveland is simply trying to keep its head above water and somehow find themselves as a Wild Card team. Denver has lost four of its last five, and the key to success for the Broncos has been limiting turnovers. In their first three wins, the Broncos scored 114 points and gave the ball away just three times. In their last five games, they've scored just 76 points and turned it over 16 times. It's quite simple, honestly. If the Broncos limit their turnover tonight, they win. If they lose the turnover battle, they fall to 4-5 and a potential tie atop the AFC West.

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Monday, November 3

11:01 am
I'm not a Raiders fan so I can't really be 100% certain in my following statement, but Sunday's performance might have been the worst offensive showing in franchise history. I can't ever remember an offense looking so poor over an entire 60-minute period. The Raiders had no first downs at halftime and had amassed negative two total yards while Atlanta had 20 first downs and over 300 yards of offense. When the smoke had cleared, the Raiders realized they were able to muster just three total first downs while holding the ball just under 15 minutes TOTAL. It wasn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either, as the Raiders allowed 57 rushes for 252 yards and allowed Atlanta to hold the ball for over 45 minutes (that's over 3 quarters and 82 total plays). Head Coach Tom Cable's assessment of the game? "I thought our entire football team was not very good in terms of competing and executing. No rhythm really, no balance in any way on either side of the football." Gee, ya think?

10:29 am
- As if it's not bad enough that we had to deal with the cheating Patriots and "Spygate" last season, now the team is complaining that the refs assisted the Colts in the team's 18-15 loss last night. Among the team’s complaints: TE Dave Thomas’s play was a block, not a penalty; RB Kevin Faulk got into the end zone on his two-point conversion attempt; and that Ben Watson was interfered with on Bob Sanders’ interception at the end of the game. “He was mauled,” CB Ellis Hobbs said. Give me a break. I guess that's what comes with getting ALL the calls a year ago. Every call went their way last season and I guess they've come to expect the same "gifts" in 2008.

Speaking of officiating, if any team has a legitimate gripe it might be the Denver Broncos. Did anyone see that phantom P-I call on Brandon Marshall late in the third quarter? Marshall beat the secondary down the sidelines, hauled in a Jay Cutler pass and took it to the house. The officials flagged Marshall for pass interference and to this minute I still don't see it. If that's pass interference, you could call it on every single play. The Broncos got "jobbed" in their own backyard and that call changed the tide of the game. Nothing against Miami as they played one heck of a ball game, but that was quite possibly the worst call I've ever seen.

6:35 am
Week 9 of the NFL season is almost complete. All we're waiting for now is to find out if the Pittsburgh Steelers can find a way to beat an NFC East foe. After losing an ugly game last month in Philly, the Steelers found themselves on the wrong side of a 21-14 game at home vs. the Giants in Week 8. Next up: a road trip to the nation's capital and a battle with the Washington Redskins. The Skins and Steelers have a combined 11-4 record and while the Steel-men are trying to stay ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North, the Redskins are trying to keep pace with the Giants in the NFC East after New York's 35-14 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys.

- Redskins OT Chris Samuels is still suffering from a sore knee and is currently questionable to play tonight. "Pretty much, I'm questionable" to play against the Steelers, Samuels said. "I'll go out, warm up and see how I feel, but I don't know. It's kind of an aggravating pain in there. I'm just trying to play in this next game." Second-year tackle Stepon Heyer, who struggled in place of Samuels against the Lions, would start again if Samuels misses his second straight game. The Steelers have the NFL's top-ranked defense and are second in the league with 25 sacks.

- Redskins WR Santana Moss hasn't practiced all week and will be a game-time decision as he continues to struggle through a sore hamstring. Moss did some light running on Saturday but couldn't give a definite answer as to whether or not he'll be able to play tonight. "If Santana can't go, I know that James Thrash will step up," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "But you know, it would be good to have Santana out there."

- Colts 18 Patriots 15: It wasn't a pretty offensive game, but Colts QB Peyton Manning was very efficient, hitting on 21 of 29 passes for over 250 yards and two scores. Pats WR Wes Welker tied the NFL record for most games with six or more receptions to begin a season. Welker has had six or more receptions in each of the Patriots’ eight games this season and ties the NFL record established by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001. This guy is "priceless" in PPR leagues.