Lousy QB play tarnishes an otherwise golden era

I’ve heard several commentators refer to this as the “golden age” of NFL quarterbacking, or some hyperbolic variant of the same theme. I don’t think they’re watching the same games I am.

To be sure, it doesn’t get much better than Drew Brees’ five-touchdown performance on Sunday night. We are obviously witnessing two of the all-time greats in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Michael Vick can be spectacular, Ben Roethlisberger has some serious skins on the wall, and only a neck injury is keeping Peyton Manning from continuing to re-write the record books.

On the other end of the spectrum, though, an unusually large contingent of young, old and downright incompetent quarterbacks has managed to tarnish this so-called gilded age.

On Sunday, Charlie Whitehurst and Colt McCoy combined to put up 273 passing yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions and nine measly points for two teams. Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer teamed up for 177 yards, six interceptions and a goose egg while making Raiders fans yearn for the glory days of the Jason Campbell era.

Philip Rivers, Curtis Painter, A.J. Feeley and four Matts (Moore, Hasselbeck, Cassel and Stafford) looked like amateurs. For all but five minutes, Tim Tebow looked worse.

Holy pick-six, Batman! This can’t be as good as it gets.


FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Christian Ponder, QB, Vikings. The rookie played well enough to beat perhaps any other team not led by Aaron Rodgers. Though his 219-yard, two-touchdown debut was marred by two costly interceptions, Ponder showed enough swagger and accuracy to suggest that much better days lie ahead.

Michael Bush, RB, Raiders. Bush is among the best backups in the game, as he showed with his 111-total-yard effort in a blowout loss after McFadden left with a sprained foot. Though the Raiders are heading into their bye week, Bush is still a wise handcuff for McFadden’s owners.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos. Just when you thought it was safe to give up on Moreno, Willis McGahee goes out and fractures his hand. We don’t yet know how much time McGahee will miss; but Moreno is suddenly relevant again. That said, Lance Ball is also in the picture; and the biggest touchdown poacher of them all, Tebow, will limit Moreno’s upside as well.

Evan Moore, TE, Browns. Need bye-week help at the tight end position? With both Ben Watson and Mohamed Massaquoi suffering concussions in Sunday’s game, Moore could again become a frequent target. That assumes, of course, that McCoy gets his act together.

Don’t be fooled

Kregg Lumpkin, RB, Buccaneers. If his not-exactly-flashy name doesn’t excite you, Lumpkin’s play in relief of the injured Earnest Graham won’t help. With Graham lost for the season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, Tampa Bay is praying that LeGarrette Blount will be ready to return after the team’s Week 8 bye. If he’s not, the team will likely bring in outside help rather than rely on Lumpkin.

Alfonso Smith, RB, Cardinals. He took over after Beanie Wells sprained his knee in the second quarter, but managed just 17 yards, including a short touchdown plunge. We’ve seen this movie before and gave it two thumbs down. With the Ravens up next, Smith is not even a short-term option; especially with LaRod Stephens-Howling also in the mix, primarily as a receiver. Wells could miss up to two weeks.

Tim Hightower, RB, Redskins. We haven’t gotten official word yet, but all signs point to a season-ending knee injury for Hightower. You can safely drop him to make room for free-agent help.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos. I’d like to get excited about Thomas’ potential, since he was clearly Tebow’s favorite target Sunday. But Denver’s 2010 first-round pick is perpetually injured, and he hasn’t yet earned a starting job over Eric Decker and Eddie Royal. Unless Tebow continues to lock onto him, there aren’t enough (accurate) passes to go around in this offense to make Thomas a consistent contributor.

Week 14 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Michael Vick and Greg Jennings, or bench Jimmy Clausen and Ted Ginn? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for real help with your starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 14 of the 2010 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens at Texans. Aside from the obvious elites, no QB merits a start this week more than Flacco. After holding his own against Pittsburgh, he and his wideouts will be treated to the league’s sorriest pass defense on Sunday. 300 yards and three or four TDs are well within reach.


Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos at Cardinals. With their former running backs coach now calling the shots, look for Moreno to be featured against Arizona’s hapless rush defense. Coming off a 175-total-yard effort in Week 13, Moreno should find similar success, and TDs, as the pressure is eased off Kyle Orton.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Buccaneers at Redskins. Washington just coughed up 197 yards and four TDs to the Giants, while Blount ran strong vs. Atlanta. With run-stopper Albert Haynesworth suspended for the season, Blount’s path to the end zone gets even smoother.

Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers vs. Chiefs. His hamstring injury appears to be behind him, but his fellow receivers remain out or hobbling. Philip Rivers is overdue for a huge game, and KC’s pass defense isn’t as solid as they appeared last week.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Raiders at Jaguars. He has emerged as Oakland’s most lethal receiving weapon, and he’s an equally dynamic threat as a kick returner. Jacksonville’s shaky secondary doesn’t stand a chance against Ford’s speed.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Ben Roethlisberger, Jay Cutler, David Garrard; RBs Jamaal Charles, Jonathan Stewart, Matt Forte, Chris Ivory, Tashard Choice; WRs Jeremy Maclin, Anquan Boldin, Wes Welker, Derrick Mason, Donald Driver, Robert Meachem, Mike Wallace, Mike Williams (TB), Santonio Holmes.

Roll ‘em back

Eli Manning, QB, Giants at Vikings. Minnesota’s pass defense has been playing extremely well lately while Manning has been just so-so, due mostly to his depleted WR corps. He may get Steve Smith (pectoral) and/or Hakeem Nicks (leg) back this week, but neither is likely to be at full speed Sunday.

Fred Jackson, RB, Bills vs. Browns. He was gobbled up by the Vikings last week, and lost two blockers in the process. With CJ Spiller back to steal carries, don’t expect Jackson to find much success, or the end zone, against a defense that’s allowed just four rushing scores all season.

Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals at Steelers. He managed to reach paydirt against the Steelers in Week 9, but Benson has been mostly underwhelming this season. He’s unlikely to excel, or score again, against the NFL’s toughest run defense.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs at Chargers. Shortly after being held to a measly 13-yard catch by San Diego in the season opener, Bowe emerged as an elite fantasy wideout. But Champ Bailey shut him out last week, and he’ll face the stingy Chargers secondary without Matt Cassel (appendectomy) Sunday. With Brodie Croyle under center, KC’s best bet is to pound their running backs, as Oakland did so successfully last week.


Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals vs. Broncos. Fitz barely ranks among this year’s Top 20 fantasy wideouts, thanks to the Cardinals’ shabby play at QB. Now he must break in another passer (probably rookie John Skelton) while visiting “Bailey Beach,” where Bowe was marooned in Week 13.

More thumbs down: QBs Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Brett Favre; RBs Mike Goodson, James Starks, Danny Woodhead, Pierre Thomas, Maurice Morris, Felix Jones, Jahvid Best, Shonn Greene, Ryan Mathews, Thomas Jones, Reggie Bush, Redskins RBs, Dolphins RBs; WRs Steve Smith (both), Brandon Marshall, Roy Williams, Braylon Edwards, Percy Harvin, Danario Alexender, Steve Breaston, Earl Bennett.

TAKING A FLIER

Broncos defense/special teams at Cardinals. Two weeks ago, Rusty Smith made the pathetic Texans defense look like the 2000 Ravens. On Sunday, Skelton could do the same for the Broncos. Denver should blitz the rookie silly, when they’re not stacking the line against Arizona’s subpar rushing attack. The Broncos held the Chiefs to 10 points last week, so it’s not a stretch to project single digits from the Cards.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…neglects to check the weather before finalizing your starting lineup. It’s that time of year again, when gusty winds, snow and sleet can wreak havoc on passing and kicking games. Sloppy weather could be in store in Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Jacksonville, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington this weekend.

Week 5 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Peyton Manning and Arian Foster, or bench Max Hall and Maurice Morris? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for real help with your starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 5 of the 2010 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals vs. Buccaneers. He has been up and down thus far this season, with two awful performances book-ended by a pair of 340-plus-yard, two-touchdown outings. You can trust him to deliver again in this matchup against a secondary that most recently allowed Charlie Batch to post a TD hat trick.

Michael Bush, RB, Raiders vs. Chargers. With Darren McFadden expected to sit out with a bad hammy, Bush will be the workhorse in this matchup. San Diego’s run defense has been solid, but Bush is a wrecking ball who should have plenty of success behind a line that has blocked well for McFadden all season.

Ladell Betts, RB, Saints at Cardinals. With Max Hall taking the snaps for Arizona, the Saints could be playing on a short field all day. If Pierre Thomas (ankle) rests again, as expected, Betts will be the preferred play over rookie Chris Ivory, since he’s a better receiver. Betts can’t help but find the end zone this weekend against Arizona’s sieve-like defense.

Mario Manningham, WR, Giants at Texans. Houston’s pathetic secondary is the tonic Eli Manning needs to get his groove back. In addition to Hakeem Nicks, Manningham should be very busy on Sunday. The oft-overlooked wideout has out-performed Steve Smith to date, despite posting a goose egg last week due to a borderline concussion.

Lance Moore, WR, Saints at Cardinals. Marques Colston has caught four more passes than Moore thus far, but the “backup” has done more with his opportunities (209 yards and 3 TDs vs. 190 yards and zero TDs). At this point, though Colston remains a solid option, Moore is a must-start.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Brett Favre, Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, Shaun Hill; RBs Ryan Torain, Joseph Addai, Peyton Hillis, Ryan Mathews, Cedric Benson, Matt Forte; WRs Mark Clayton, Austin Collie, Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens, Mike Sims-Walker, Dwayne Bowe, Malcom Floyd, Brandon Lloyd, Kevin Walter.

Roll ‘em back

Donovan McNabb, QB, Redskins vs. Packers. McNabb has thrown no more than one scoring pass in any game this season, and he’s coming off an emotional victory against his former team. Though Green Bay’s defense has been uneven to date, this is an unlikely week for McNabb to reclaim his fantasy mojo.


Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos at Ravens. He could be a game-time decision on Sunday, but only desperate owners should take the chance that Moreno would fare well anyway. Though the Ravens are not as stout as usual against the run, Denver is now a pass-centric team. Whichever tailback gets the starting nod is a bad bet this week.

Beanie Wells, RB, Cardinals vs. Saints. There’s little going for the Cardinals these days, and that’s unlikely to change soon. New Orleans could easily run up the score early, rendering Arizona’s rushing attack moot for the second consecutive week. Neither tailback is likely to deliver positive fantasy returns.

Johnny Knox, WR, Bears at Panthers. Carolina held Drew Brees to a single TD pass last week, so you know they can handle Todd Collins, who will start in place of the concussed Jay Cutler. That’s bad news for Knox and all of his fellow receivers.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles at 49ers. With Kevin Kolb back under center, the Philly passing attack becomes a major question mark. DeSean Jackson is too explosive to bench, but Maclin is different. Though the 49ers’ secondary has been disappointing, they should rally at home against this struggling offense.

More thumbs down: QBs Kolb, Vince Young, Bruce Gradkowski, Alex Smith; RBs Shonn Greene, Brandon Jackson, Tim Hightower, Laurence Maroney, Jonathan Stewart, Willis McGahee, Marion Barber; WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Nate Washington, Michael Crabtree, Devin Hester.

TAKING A FLIER

Santonio Holmes, WR, Jets vs. Vikings. All the Monday night attention will be focused on Randy Moss, but Holmes will be making his own debut in a new uniform. In a game where both rushing attacks could struggle against stiff run defenses, look for Mark Sanchez to get his new toy involved early and often, especially if Minnesota focuses its attention on Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…fails to track the Sunday morning inactive reports. Several owners were burned last week when they left Pierre Thomas and Andre Johnson in their lineups. Follow my tweets, and you’ll be spared the ignominy of the goose egg.