Fantasy News: Week 10 Edition Nov 14, 2009 | More

With Chris Johnson, more means more. 
The Tennessee Titans are quickly discovering that allowing Chris Johnson to run wild more often may be best for not only the team, but for Johnson himself. According to the Nashville City Paper, Johnson carried the ball an average of 16 times per game during the Titans’ 0-6 start. In the team’s last two wins though Johnson has carried the ball 24 and 25 times but has still maintained his league high 6.7 yards per carry; the highest average through the first nine weeks since the 1970 merger.

The best part is that Johnson prepared for an increased role during the offseason and almost expected to carry the ball 20+ times per game.

“I talked to [running backs] coach [Earnest] Byner in the offseason and that was the whole thing of me not being in Nashville and working out and stuff,” Johnson said. “I told them that some of the goals I wanted to accomplish and how many times I wanted the ball, and I let them know I was down there in Florida working hard, and they saw by the way I worked in the offseason, that made me able to carry the ball 25 times.”

With the exception of his two touchdowns this past Sunday, the other times Johnson has found the endzone have been from 52 or more yards out; an exciting part of his Johnson’s game that his teammates are starting to respect. 

“Chris is a special talent we know that if he touch the ball and gets on the outside he can go all the way every time,” center Kevin Mawae said.

Johnson currently leads the NFL in rushing yards with 959, and has a shot at reaching the 2,000-yard plateau by season’s end. This week the Titans host a Bills defense that is allowing 173.6 rushing yards per game, so expect another big game from the current top fantasy runner. And if he can stay healthy it would not be surprising to see him reach that 2,000-yard milestone, especially with a weak slate of defenses on tap for the Titans in the second half of the season.

How do you stop Mr. Austin? 
With 27 receptions, 612 yards and seven touchdowns, Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin has made a star-like statement thus far this season; a statement that is starting to garner attention from opposing defenses. And, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys’ Week 10 opponent, the Green Bay Packers, know all about Austin and will pay close attention to the breakout star, literally.  

“I think anybody who makes big plays, you have to pay attention to him,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said on a conference call Wednesday. “Obviously, he’s a hot player with ability. We started it for him last year, and he’s definitely someone that we’ll pay attention to.”

But with so many weapons what will the Packers choose to do to try and slow one of the hottest offenses in the NFL? 

“We have so many weapons,” Cowboys receiver Roy Williams said. “What do you do? Do you try to take away Miles? Do you try to take away Roy? Do you try to take away [Jason] Witten? Do you stack the box and try and take away the run game?”

The Packers defense is allowing 282.9 total yards per game, but the Cowboys offense is averaging 404.5 total yards per game. Most notably, though, is that the Packers defense is allowing just 97.1 rushing yards per game, and the Cowboys runners are averaging under four yards per carry in the past four games. And with the Packers’ weak blitz attacks the Cowboys may choose to air it out quite a bit if the weather conditions are fit for passing. 

Quinn to start again.
Just how bad of shape are the Cleveland Browns in? How about terrible, detestable, and abominable? 

Most of all, they’ve been allowing a quarterback, who clearly lost every last ounce of his quarterback skills in his first start back, to run the offense in to the ground, because of the $10.9 million in future escalators built in to Brady Quinn’s contract.  Now that Quinn is in the clear to most likely not take 70 percent of his team’s snaps, he’ll be back behind center once again. This time, though, according to Cleveland.com, he won’t be concerned with keeping the head job, but with rallying this awful Browns team in the second half of the season. 
 
“Why should there be a concern?” Quinn said. “I’ve been through it before. I understand the adversity that comes with that. I think we’re all accountable as a team. Then again, the season is only halfway over. We have to do our best to get things moving.”

It’s not going to be an easy first game back for the Ohio boy. Not only will the Browns be hosting the ever intense Ravens defense, but Quinn and his mates will be in the spotlight on Monday night. The good news is that the Ravens are dealing with a few injuries on defense and are allowing 225.8 passing yards per game this season. The bad news is that the Browns offense is averaging just 121.5 passing yards per game, has scored just three touchdowns via air, and scored just three points in their last meeting against the Ravens in Week 3. 

Stay away from Quinn until he proves he can produce on a consistent basis. The only player in the Browns passing attack that fantasy owners should be concerned with at this point is wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who should be closely monitored this Monday night with Quinn back in the starting role.

Portis doubtful, Betts to start?
Almost every fantasy publication this week has Ladell Betts as a hot waiver wire pickup, and for good reason. According to the Washington Post, Redskins starting running back Clinton Portis’ head condition is more serious than expected, and quarterback Jason Campbell believes that sitting out could be the best choice for his usually steady back.

“You’re talking about a serious injury. It’s something dealing with the head,” Campbell said. “Any time there’s an injury that way, you’re just not talking about short-term, you’re talking about long-term. It’s very important that they [take precautions] and he takes precautions because this is something that deals further than just football.”

This week the Redskins are matched up against a Broncos defense that is allowing 97 yards per game on the ground, but allowed Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall to gallop for 150+ yards in their Monday night loss in Week 9. But more importantly is the fact that Portis’ head injury is indeed serious, so picking up Betts is a must, especially for those who own No. 26. 

Owens’ hip a bother?
Former star receiver Terrell Owens has had a forgettable slumping start to his 2009 season; his first as a Buffalo Bill. Well, that slumping start may continue as the Bills begin their second half run against in Nashville this week. According to the Buffalo News, Owens did not practice on Thursday because of a strained hip, as he was deemed by coach Dick Jauron as too sore to participate. 

“He’s still struggling,’’ Jauron said. “He didn’t come out to watch practice. Bud [Carpenter, the Bills’ head trainer] is working hard with him. They’ve got him doing different things. I believe that it’s better, but it’s not good enough to be on the field.’’

Surprisingly Owens (23 receptions, 281 yards, 1 touchdown) has been outplayed by teammate Lee Evans (23 receptions, 331 yards, 3 touchdowns), and he couldn’t have picked a worse week to have a injury like this with a Titans pass defense that is allowing 278.3 yards per game on tap this Sunday. Keep a close eye on the aging receiver’s status and consider starting him if he can go.

On the injury front….
LB Curtis Lofton - Probable
WR Roddy White - Questionable
RB DeAngelo Williams - Questionable
RB Jonathan Stewart - Questionable
WR Muhsin Muhammad - Questionable
WR Antonio Bryant - Doubtful
DE Stylez G White - Doubtful
LB Ernie Sims - Out
LB Larry Foote - Questionable
CB Antoine Winfield - Out
WR Lance Moore - Out
S Darren Sharper - Questionable
LB Keith Ellison - Out
WR Terrell Owens - Questionable
WR Justin Gage - Out
DE Jevon Kearse - Questionable
LB Gerald Hayes - Doubtful
WR Anquan Boldin - Probable
LB Aaron Kampman - Out
LB Brady Poppinga - Out
TE Jermichael Finley - Out
WR Kevin Curtis - Out
LB Shawne Merriman - Questionable
RB Fred Taylor - Out
WR Julian Edelman - Questionable
RB Sammy Morris - Questionable
K Adam Vinatieri - Out
CB Kelvin Hayden - Out
WR Anthony Gonzalez - Out

Speaking Out: Truly the no fun, green league?
While some fans everywhere last week found themselves upside down falling off recliners and folding chairs in deep laughter as they watched Chad Ochocinco try to bribe an official during a review with a George Washington bill, NFL officials could be found shaking their heads in their luxury wine-filled suites, while aging white-haired diehards were simultaneously shooting their dentures at their 19” tin foiled bunny-eared television sets.

And then what would happen next is almost just as funny, appalling, and disgusting, but at the same time, like watching No. 85’s antics, not surprising. 

According to NFL.com, the Bengals starlet was fined $20,000, and was issued a letter from NFL’s executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson that read:
 
“The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming an NFL player.”

What did coach think? 

“You don’t fool with the integrity of the game in the NFL,” Marvin Lewis said, according to the team’s Web site. “You don’t cross that line, and he crossed that line. I told him that, and obviously the league felt that.

“We’re not the WWE. It’s a serious game for serious people. You can’t do that, and he realizes he made a very big error in judgment. He’s sorry for it. Hopefully some good will come out of it. I’m sure the league at some point can’t have a copycat deal. So I think they made a pretty firm statement there will be no copycats.”

The first 11 words of that second paragraph hit me hard. I mean, I know what coach Lewis meant by what he said, but at the same time I was under the impression that like the WWE, the NFL is a form of entertainment. 

Clearly that mustn’t be true. What does seem to be true though, is that like the WWE, the NFL’s leader undoubtedly has every player, coach and executive’s nuts (cheerleaders, reporters and woman suits not included) so twisted that every action, every flinch, and every word that is said that they don’t like is chastised, wrong and fineable. 

On the flipside, referees never get punished like they should, integrity-killing rules are added at a more rapid pace than the Browns reach the endzone, and most of all, the NFL always make the public feel as though they’re doing the right thing, even though in the end the players and their foolish antics are the prime reason why they’re business is so much like the WWE; rich and hungry for more green. 

I leave you with this; a summary of this apparent Ocho “stinko” saga seen in the lyrics of Shinedown’s hit The Sound of Madness. 

Another lose cannon gone bi-polar, (No. 85)
Slipped down, couldn’t get much lower.
Quicksand’s got no sense of humor, (The NFL)
I’m still laughing like hell. (Me)

And I’ll continue to laugh, even when I find myself with dentures, a rickety old rocking chair, and a low-class sense of humor.

Thanks for reading!

Eric Huber is a staff writer for Fantasysharks.com.  E-mail him at e.huber12@yahoo.com.