He may not have set any rushing records yet, but Marshawn Lynch is having a pretty good year.
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It looks like the Rookie of the
Year award is signed, sealed and delivered after last week. At least for the offense as Patrick Willis
may have some competition between now and the end of the season. We continue to see that rookie wide
receivers cannot be trusted, and look at a trio of rookie quarterbacks – that
we won’t see play this week. On to the
report…
Quarterbacks
Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills
Season Stats: 80-121, 790 yds., 1
TD, 5 INT, 69.9 PR
Last Week: N/A
Leave it to J.P. Losman to look like Jim Kelly against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Things do not get better for Edwards as the Bills will play the Dolphins this week, again with Losman at the helm as the rookie remains hindered by a swollen right hand. He’ll be the number two quarterback this week, but that won’t be enough to produce without
an injury to Losman himself.
John Beck, Miami Dolphins
Season Stats: N/A
Last Week: N/A
Cam Cameron is obviously bothered
by what happened to Heath Shuler during his rookie season when
Cam was quarterbacks coach. He’s sticking
with Cleo
Lemon this week despite Beck being the quarterback of the
future. While it is not a question of
“when” opposed to “if,” the answer is “not quite yet.”
JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders
Season Stats: N/A
Last Week: N/A
Though the Raiders are equally as awful as the Dolphins, Lane Kiffin will keep his rookie quarterback out of the disaster that is the Oakland offense. We may not see the first overall pick at all this season, and it may not necessarily be a bad thing. He may not have been first, but at least Brady Quinn’s team is winning, right? Right?
Hello?
Running Backs
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Season Stats: 158 car., 1036 yds., 8 TD; 12 rec., 206 yds., 1 TD
Last Week: 30 car., 296 yds., 3 TD; 1 rec., 19 yds., 0 TD
Well, after last week, there is no doubting who will be this season’s Rookie of the Year. Peterson will likely go down as the steal of most drafts, and one of the best keepers in the league going into next year. 30 carries is a lot of chances,
but to break an NFL record with said opportunities is another level. Nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns
against a defense that many thought would give the back fits is quite an
accomplishment. Those that drafted
Peterson were hoping for a decent RB2 for the year. Looks like they have a top notch RB1.
Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills
Season Stats: 177 car., 690 yds.,
5 TD; 12 rec., 96 yds., 0 TD (1 Passing TD)
Last Week: 29 car., 153 yds., 1
TD; 1 rec., 7 yds., 0 TD (1 Passing TD)
If it wasn’t for Peterson, Lynch
would be the front-runner for the Rookie trophy. He finally broke the 100-yard mark against the Bengals, putting
up his best week of the season. What
makes things a bit sweeter was the passing TD that he threw on the drive before breaking a long touchdown run. This
week brings a Swiss cheese-like Miami Dolphins defense, making Lynch one of the better starts of the week. He’s a long shot to catch Peterson for the season, but I wouldn’t be too depressed to have this rookie as my RB2 for the season.
Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers
Season Stats: 47 car., 186 yds., 0
TD; 12 rec., 70 yds., 0 TD
Last Week: 19 car., 55 yds., 0 TD; 4 rec., 37 yds., 0 TD
It’s looking like “Green Bay
running back” is turning out to be one of the more dangerous jobs these
days. Brandon Jackson goes down with a
shin issue, DeShawn Wynn is done for the season with a shoulder injury and
now Grant may have a concussion. He put
up a quietly solid week against the Chiefs, but may miss week 10. Monitor his situation as his long-term
appeal still remains attractive. Four
receptions in a game are very nice for PPR owners.
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Kolby Smith, Kansas City ChiefsSeason Stats: 0 car., 0 yds., 0
TD; 2 rec., 21 yds., 0 TD
Last Week: N/A
Larry Johnson’s foot injury has opened the door for not only Priest Holmes, but rookie Kolby Smith. While he is likely to split carries at best, a match-up against the Denver Broncos provides a nice opportunity for a breakout game. He’s not worth starting at this point in the season, but his value can only go up from here. If you have the room, Smith is worth an addition if only for the upside potential.
Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers
Season Stats: 43 car., 115 yds., 1
TD; 11 rec., 81 yds., 0 TD
Last Week: 5 car., 18 yds., 0 TD; 0 rec., 0 yds., 0 TD
With the abovementioned Grant possibly limited in week 10, it opens the door for Brandon Jackson to do what he was supposed to do before he injured himself over a month ago: provide a run game for the Packers. Many feel that even if Grant can go, that Jackson will take away some of the carries. His sub-three yards per carry mark does not make long-term prospects look fruitful. An upcoming match-up against the stout Vikings run defense does not help matters much. Jackson’s likely on the
free agent list at this point, so monitor carry totals and proceed from there.
Wide Receivers
Season Stats: 29 rec., 499 yds., 3
TD
Last Week: 0 rec., 0 yds., 0 TD
Ouch. Zip. Zero. Nada.
Against the Packers nonetheless.
Word on the street was that Bowe had a strained hamstring in the game,
but that is no excuse for zero production from a guy that was likely used as a
WR2 in last week’s match-up. With the
run game iffy at best, even Herm Edwards will look to throw the ball a bit more
this week as the Chiefs take on the Broncos.
Of course, Bowe will have Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly waiting for him on
the other side of the ball so do not be surprised if the rookie puts up another
rough outing.
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Season Stats: 18 rec., 320 yds., 2
TD
Last Week: 3 rec., 47 yds., 0 TD
The dangers of having a talented guy on a passing offense is the fact that the passing offense also features plenty of other options. The Lions were drilling the Broncos last week, mostly due to their stellar defense. And while Johnson did haul in three passes, the 4.7 points that he likely put up for most owners does not warrant a WR3
start. He has another tough match-up
this week against the improving Arizona secondary and should only be started in
dire situations.
span>James Jones, Green Bay Packers
Season Stats: 29 rec., 432 yds., 2
TD
Last Week: 3 rec., 32 yds., 0 TD
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Quite a difference from his
100-yard game two weeks ago. Jones is
playing third fiddle behind Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Even Donald Lee is racking up targets. There’s no doubting that the rookie will
have another blow-up game before it’s all said and done, but it may not be
worth the start with just a glimpse of hope that you time it right. Of course, the Minnesota pass defense isn’t
the best, so this may just be the week.
Or will it?Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts
Season Stats: 15 rec., 207 yds., 0
TD
Last Week: 1 rec., 13 yds., 0 TD
Many thought that Gonzo would step
up in the absence of Marvin Harrison against the Patriots last
week, but it wasn’t the case. One catch
for 13 yards on one of the more prolific pass offenses in the league is
inexcusable. If he’s owned in your league,
be happy that another owner is wasting a roster spot. If you’re that owner, waste no time in dropping the rookie as
there has to be a better option out there.
Heck, if you have to own a Colt, even Aaron Moorehead is a better
bet to succeed at this point.
Tight End
Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
Season Stats: 21 rec., 255 yds., 2
TD
Last Week: Bye
The former Hurricane
is consistently getting about five receptions per game, with several looks
being within the red zone. The Raiders
have a strong pass defense, but will likely focus more on the receivers –
leaving some opportunity for Olsen.
