NFL Week 3 Predictions

We're two weeks into the season, and there's a lot to talk about. There's been surprises, disappointments, and everything in between. Unfortunately I am not going to be talking about any of this. The first two weeks are honestly a crap shoot in my opinion. Yes, there are teams we think are elite, and teams we think are absolutely horrible, but anything can happen, especially early on. I attribute this crap shoot to the way the preseason is handled, where the first team offense really doesn't get much playing time. Instead, they are babied in order to avoid injuries, and as a result, many teams come stumbling into Week 1, still searching for that team chemistry. If you're a fantasy owner, please don't overreact to the first couple of weeks. Things are blown out of proportion season after season, and by the midway point everybody forgets about them.

So onto my week 3 predictions, don't laugh.

POG=Player of the Game

Redskins - 20
@ Lions - 17
POG- Chris Cooley

49ers - 24
@ Vikings - 20
POG- Frank Gore

Packers - 34
@ Rams - 16
POG- Aaron Rodgers

Titans - 23
@ Jets - 17
POG- Chris Johnson

Falcons - 27
@ Patriots - 20
POG- Roddy White

Giants - 31
@ Bucs - 17
POG- Steve Smith

Jags - 24
@ Texans - 31
POG- Andre Johnson

Chiefs - 13
@ Eagles - 23
POG-Lesean McCoy

Ravens - 27
@ Browns - 16
POG- Joe Flacco

Saints - 31
@ Bills - 34 (homer pick)
POG- Fred Jackson

Steelers - 24
@ Bengals - 27
POG- Chris Henry

Bears - 34
@ Seahawks - 17
POG- Jay Cutler

Chargers - 38
@ Dolphins - 20
POG- Vincent Jackson

Broncos - 13
@ Raiders - 20
POG- Darren McFadden

Colts - 27
@ Cardinals - 30
POG-Larry Fitzgerald

2009 Fantasy Football Busts

The following players are either on my do not draft list, or they are being drafted much too early in my opinion, in which case I would not end up with them on my team.

Matt Cassel - Prior to the injury, Cassel was already trouble. A poor offensive line, wait no, a poor team. Not even Tony Gonzalez could take it anymore. I'm predicting more INTs than TDs, and another injury midseason. Don't make the same mistake the Chiefs did.

Dwayne Bowe - Bowe certainly has some talent, but the situation in Kansas City is bad and I don't see too many other weapons (see above). I've seen Bowe go way too high in recent drafts. With the extra attention after a breakout season last year, expect Bowe to have a tough time duplicating last year's performance.

Lance Moore - More so in Yahoo leagues, I've seen Lance Moore go very early in drafts. ESPN has him ranked much lower, so he seems to be going later, which is okay with me. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, and he does have Brees, but Colston is back and healthy, and I'm expecting a drop in production for Moore. With that being said, if Moore does drop, I'm still willing to draft him with Brees throwing the ball around.

Joseph Addai - Addai looks like he's ready to go, but I just can't trust this guy to be one of my starting backs. I think Donald Brown will take away a lot of carries, eventually earning an equal role if not primary. Yes he's a rookie, but the Colts drafted him early and really like this kid. Running backs have the shortest learning curve of all the positions. Addai is dropping like a rock in drafts, making him draftable based on value, just don't take him too early.

Brett Favre - Read my blog and you'll know. Favre will be 40 years old. Favre has a bum shoulder. Favre led the league in interceptions last season. Favre faded down the stretch. Favre skipped out on training camp. Should I keep going?

Tony Gonzalez (sort of) - I don't think TG is going to be a complete bust. The guy has mad skills. He is however getting up there in age. You'd think leaving KC would help him, but I just don't think he can come close to last years stats of 10 TDs and over 1,000 yards. See, unlike the Chiefs, the Falcons have talent. There's this guy named Roddy White and another guy named Michael Jenkins who is dependable. Oh wait, who is that other guy? Right, Michael Turner. My point is that, the focus of the offense is NOT going to be Tony Gonzalez. He'll get his share of catches, but his numbers should decrease noticeably across the board. He's going to be doing more blocking this season. I've seen him go as the first TE taken, and that's just not right. Witten is my man, and after that I'm waiting, because there's a hell of a lot of solid TE that you can pick up in the later rounds.

Roy Williams - Something rubs me the wrong way about Roy Williams, and it has nothing to do with the person he is, but the player he is. He's talented, but not in the same class as a lot of the players who are around the same ADP. He's never shown me that he's capable of consistently producing as a number one. I have this weird gut feeling that tells me not to draft him every time I see his name. Just throwing it out there, but I bet he misses at least 4 games this season. The guy already got hurt in training camp about three times. Do yourself a favor and take a Vincent Jackson, Housh or even Desean Jackson who I'm very high on this season. Then come back in the later rounds and snag Patrick Crayton or Miles Austin, both who have good value for where they're being drafted, and like I said, I don't think Roy Williams is going to hold up, and even if he does, I'm not convinced he'll perform like a number one.

Eli Manning - Superbowl ring or not, Eli is going to take a dip in fantasy numbers. Last time I checked, footballs don't fit through jail cell bars. Anyway, the Giants have a few nice looking receivers such as Smith and Hixon, but these guys aren't number one receivers. I expect the Giants to pound the ball more with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Eli will throw when they need too, similar to Big Ben. He's going to be more of a manager of the game, which can be successful in real life, but in fantasy... not so much! Let's face it, Eli's wasn't a top QB even with Plax.

I'm sure I've missed a few, but hey I'm sick of typing, and the couch is calling me.

"Rack me, I'm done."

Brat Favre

It wasn't too long ago that Brett Favre was slinging the ball around for the Green Bay Packers in that green number four jersey. It's truly amazing how quickly things can change. I think we all believed that Favre would retire as a Packer, we all believed we knew him. As it turns out, we were all dead wrong.

After holding the Packers hostage last off season, Favre had an uneventful year as a member of the New York Jets. Just when we thought it was all over, the cycle started again, this time landing Favre on the Vikings, a long time divisional rival of the Packers. Much like steroids in baseball, we've become immune to the off season shenanigans of Favre. When news broke that Favre changed his mind once again, and would be joining the Vikings, it wasn't much of a surprise to anyone.

I've never been a Packers fan, or even a Brett Favre fan. I'll leave that up to John Madden. I did however respect the man for his contributions to the game, along with his dedication, toughness, and will to win. Sadly, I've lost a lot of respect for Favre over the past two seasons. My problem with Favre is not that he went on to play for other teams, but the way in which he did it. He put himself above the organization, above his teammates, and above the game of football. He held the Packers organization hostage, and not just once. While other players were battling for starting jobs, Favre stole the spotlight from his couch, contemplating whether or not to return. Many say that the Packers mistreated Favre, and should not have let him go. I believe it was the complete opposite. The Packers extended an open hand to Favre at the end of every season, and at some point, the offer is no longer there. When there's a weekly sale at your favorite store, you don't go in a month later demanding the sale price that ended weeks ago. You don't cut in front of other customers just because you're a regular at the store.

It is true that the Packers refused to release Favre, mainly because he was planning on joining the Vikings. When looking at the larger picture, the NFL is a business, as is each individual organization. Favre's indecisiveness was ultimately a strain on the organization as well as the developing players. I cannot deny that Favre played like a true professional, with as much heart as anybody who ever played the game. However off the field he was and still is as unprofessional as you can get. If the man could just make up his mind in a reasonable amount of time without going back on his word, the situation of whether or not to release Favre would not have been an issue.

After all the Favre drama, I've given him a new nickname, "Brat Favre". That's right, a brat, which is precisely what he is. He reminds me of a little kid that kicks and screams until he gets what he wants. Let's face it, at the end of the day, Brett Favre only cares about one thing, and one thing only, himself.

The Vikings are now the new Favre doormat. It's clear that they've bowed to the power of Favre, and enjoy letting him walk all over them. While Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels showed up to camp to battle it out for the starting job, Brett Favre sat at home planning his last minute return. Favre believes he's too good for training camp, or perhaps too old. Honestly, if you lead the league in interceptions the previous season and are joining a new team, perhaps you should show up for camp and learn the system, or at least get to know your teammates. It shouldn't matter how similar the offense in Minnesota is to that of Green Bay, and it certainly shouldn't matter what name is on the back of the jersey. As the Vikings training camp came to an end, Favre suddenly change his mind. At least that's what he'd like us to think. He was coming back all along, and anyone who begs to differ is fooling themselves. I guess I can add "liar" to the list of words that describe Favre.

I am highly critical of the Vikings organization, for they too lied. They lied to their players, the ones who showed up day in and day out, fighting for a roster spot. Signing a man who is nearly 40 years old, along with a bum shoulder isn't the answer. It appears that the Vikings are trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but there's only one problem, there isn't a cloud in the sky. Even if Favre's shoulder holds up and he plays the entire season, I'm not at all convinced that the Vikings become a contender. At the end of the season, the Vikings will have more Favre drama as the cycle starts all over again. They'll have a roster full of players who don't trust the organization, and a recipe for disaster. There's already reports of a split locker room, and lack of team support for Favre. One, I'm not surprised, and two, I don't feel bad for Favre. It doesn't matter how much talent you have, or had. It doesn't matter how popular you are, or were. You can only walk all over people for so long, and as human beings there comes a point where we won't put up with it anymore. There's a point where we draw the line, and Favre has not only crossed that line, but has completely wore it out.