Rookie QB Trent Edwards remain the starter, despite the return of J.P. Losman this week.

Priest Holmes is back!  Holmes, a fantasy god that scored 27 touchdowns in 2003, has been signed by the Chiefs. Holmes, 34, last played in 2005. He probably won’t see much action for at least a couple of weeks. If all goes according to coach Herm Edwards’ plan, Holmes will eventually take some carries away from Larry Johnson. To clear room for Holmes, Kansas City traded RB Michael Bennett to the Buccaneers.  Bennett will back up Earnest Graham in the injury ravaged Tampa Bay backfield.   Graham better improve quickly, or Bennett will steal his job.

Snap

If you listened to me, you picked up Kurt Warner last week. Please forgive me and go ahead and drop him. Warner left Sunday’s game early with a torn elbow ligament. The injury to his left (non-throwing) elbow will sideline him for at least this Sunday’s game and perhaps longer.  Tim Rattay gets the start against Washington. Rattay relieved Warner last week and was very generous to the Panthers, tossing three interceptions. It will help Rattay a lot if Anquan Boldin is well enough to play. The star wide-out was once again inactive last Sunday, for the third consecutive week, due to a hip injury.

Ravens coach Brian Billick has already scratched Steve McNair from Sunday’s game in Buffalo.   Billick thinks he can beat the 1-4 Bills with Kyle Boller at quarterback and would rather give McNair extra rest to heal his injured back.   The Ravens have a bye next week and that would give McNair four weeks between starts. Boller could be without TE Todd Heap.  Heap left last week’s game in the first quarter after he tweaked his injured hamstring.  Aches and pains are nothing new for Heap. His nickname should be “Game-Time-Decision.”

J.P. Losman missed the Bills’ last two games with a sprained knee. Dick Jauron has indicated that, for this week at least, it's Edwards who will be under center.   Whether it’s Losman or Edwards for the rest of the season... well, the coach is being coy about that situation.  The Ravens don't care either way;  they are poised to make life miserable for  either of the Buffalo QBs.

New England’s Sammy Morris was superb filling in for Laurence Maroney, running for over 100 yards in his first two starts at running back.  Morris, however, left the Dallas game with a chest injury after only ten carries for 14 yards.  He could be out for a while. TE Benjamin Watson also left the Dallas game early.  He hurt his ankle after his one and only reception. In his absence wide receivers Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker both had huge days.  Expect Morris to be out, but check on Watson’s status through the week.

The Rams finally have some good news on the injury front. It looks like Marc Bulger will start at quarterback this Sunday, against Seattle.   It’s not a moment too soon, since backup Gus Frerotte has thrown eight interceptions in his two starts.  Isaac Bruce and Drew Bennett may play, but would be slowed by hamstring and thigh injuries. Bulger will have only one healthy receiver, Torry Holt, to throw to.  Holt’s fantasy value has taken a beating ever since RB Steven Jackson went down. Jackson is still a couple of weeks away.

Titans QB Vince Young left Sunday’s game with a painful quadriceps injury.  Young was ineffective prior to the injury and Kerry Collins fared no better in relief in the Titans 13-10 loss.  Young probably could have returned to the game, but Tennessee played it safe with their young quarterback.  Check on the Young-Collins situation later in the week.

Pittsburgh’s talented wide receivers, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, are nursing knee and hamstring injuries, respectively.  The Steelers are coming off a bye and hope to have at least one of them available against the Broncos.  The Steelers have not had their wide receiver corps intact for a full game since Week 2 of the season.  

Crackle

The Steelers-Broncos game figures to be trench warfare. Both teams run very well and both teams have excellent pass defenses.  The Broncos have the top-rated pass defense, and the Steelers are second.   This is not a good week to have either quarterback, Jay Cutler or Ben Roethlisberger, in your lineup.   Roethlisberger is especially worrisome given the question marks around both Ward and Holmes.

Last Sunday New Orleans RB Aaron Stecker got ten touches to Reggie Bush’s 25 touches. So much for the theory that Stecker would share the work load with Bush. 

Ron Dayne’s stock drops. The return of Ahman Green not only knocked Dayne out of the lineup, but also off the active roster.  Dayne watched in civvies as Samkon Gado backed up Green last Sunday. Green has a terrible match up against the Titans top ranked run defense. 

Miami’s Cleo Lemon was inconsistent last week against a weak Browns defense. This week he has to face the Patriots without his best receiver, Chambers.

Quick hits: Young Marshawn Lynch is a bad play against the Ravens third ranked run defense.  Old Edgerrin James is a bad play against a very good Redskins defense.

Pop

Jets coach Eric Mangini squelched the rumors about QB Chad Pennington getting benched or traded.  Pennington will get the start against Cincinnati. While Jets fans clamor for Kellen Clemens, Mangini probably will not consider a switch until the Jets bye, which is in Week 11.  So that means three more chances for Pennington, against the Bengals, Bills and Redskins.  Two of the three are bad defenses.  Scary as it sounds, Pennington is a good play against Cincinnati.   Jets receivers Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles are very strong plays against the Bengals as is RB Thomas Jones.  Jones rumbled for 130 rushing yards against the Eagles last week.

We were all wondering how the Oakland running back situation would sort out. Based on last week’s game, the job is still squarely in LaMont Jordan’s hands.  Jordan did not perform particularly well against San Diego.  But he did get 24 touches, compared to three for Justin Fargas and zero for newly returned Dominic Rhodes.   For now there is no running back by committee in Oakland. Jordan is a strong play against Kansas City, especially in point-per-reception leagues.

Check the running back situation in New England as it evolves.  Whoever starts will be productive against the porous Miami defense.   If Maroney isn’t ready to return, then Kevin Faulk is a great sleeper pick.  All the wide receivers are fantasy-startable, not just Randy Moss, but also Stallworth and Welker.

The Ravens figure to play a very conservative game plan with McNair out.  RB Willis McGahee will pile up the rushing yards against Buffalo’s bottom-ranked defense. Backup Quinn Sypniewski will play again for Heap at tight end.   Sypniewski is an adequate bye-week filler. He has twelve receptions in his last three games for Baltimore.

More quick hits: The Steelers’ Willie Parker has a huge mismatch against the worst run defense in the NFL, Denver’s. Tampa Bay QB Jeff Garcia and WR Joey Galloway have a great match up against Detroit’s 30th ranked pass defense.  Even Ike Hilliard is playable in a point-per-reception league.