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Bye Weeks: N/A
Grab a Helmet
James Starks will have the backfield all
to himself in Week Three.
Joique
Bell @ WAS, Bernard
Pierce v. HOU, or James
Starks @ CIN: In that order. We’re only two weeks deep
and we’ve already lost four starting running backs, not including
two guys – Reggie Bush and Maurice Jones-Drew – who are missing
practices but haven’t, at press time, been officially ruled out
for Week 3. Bell, of course, sits behind Bush on the depth chart
so he’s no guarantee to start. He’s pretty valuable even when he
doesn’t and is currently the 8th best RB to date (just three slots
below Bush). Pierce - a riskier play with plenty of upside - may
only get the Ravens’ load to himself for a single week (if that)
but is definitely worth a look if he does. Starks, the most productive
of the trio in Week 2 (20 carries, 132 yards, and a score), should
bounce back to earth some this week since the Pack won’t be facing
Washington’s 32nd-ranked D, but will still be a factor and isn’t
a terrible receiver if the Pack gets pass-heavy again. Bottom line:
Start any of these handcuffs if you’re already short available bodies.
Ben
Tate @ BAL or Danny
Woodhead @ TEN: There’s nothing physically wrong with
the guys in front of Tate and Woodhead (yet), but both seem to have
carved out fairly regular opportunities, making them worth consideration
on a week-by-week basis. Tate has received slightly fewer than half
as many carries as starter Arian Foster (18 v. 37), but has actually
tallied more rushing yards to date (148 v. 136). Velly, velly interesting.
Woodhead, on the other hand, garnered a healthy 17 touches last
Sunday against the Eagles (nine carries, eight receptions). Though
he’s unlikely to ever supplant Ryan Mathews as the starter (too
small), he will certainly be used quite regularly since Mathews
is made out of glass and has a bit of a fumbling problem, to boot.
If you own any of the wounded soldiers mentioned previously, don’t
hesitate to plug in either of these super-subs this coming Sunday.
Knowshon
Moreno v. OAK: Way back in 2009 (so, like, a century ago in
NFL time), Moreno was selected 12th overall and expected to be the
Denver meal ticket for years to come. It didn’t work out quite that
way, of course, but two coaches, two quarterbacks, and at least
three potential Moreno replacements later, he’s finally fulfilling
that promise. Willis McGahee, who originally took Moreno’s job in
2011, was let go this past off-season to make way for 2nd-round
draft pick Montee Ball, who was supposed to take Moreno’s job in
2013 but lost out to former 3rd-round pick, Ronnie Hillman, who
was named the starter on opening night before he slid down the depth
chart and was ultimately replaced by the guy this whole round-robin
started with in the first place, Knowshon Moreno. Anyone have an
Advil? And we thought Mike Shanahan couldn’t be trusted with running
backs! Trust Moreno for now.
Grab a Gatorade
Bobby
Rainey or Chris
Ogbonnaya @ MIN: Make that any Cleveland PLAYER, apparently.
Did that just happen? Did the Browns just throw in the towel after
a mere two games by trading away the 3rd overall pick in the 2012
draft and franchise cornerstone, Trent Richardson, a day or so
after announcing they were going to start their 3rd-string QB
(instead of backup Jason Campbell) this weekend in Minneapolis?
I mean, if they want to guarantee they end up with 2014’s #1 pick,
why not just go for the trifecta and hire Rod Marinelli to run
the show for the final 14 games? In all seriousness, I don’t see
the logic in any of these moves unless the Cleveland brass have
become smitten with a particular college QB who is guaranteed
to make himself available in next April’s draft. Best of luck
to them, though, if the object of their affection is Johnny Manziel
(dangerously overrated) and not Marcus Mariota or Brett Hundley
(the opposite of that).
Maurice
Jones-Drew @ SEA: MJD is “confident” he’ll play this weekend
in the Emerald City, and though that would have been music to
his owners’ ears in years past, it earns nothing more than a shrug
of the shoulders in 2013. For starters, Jones-Drew has been very
underwhelming (just 73 total yards through two weeks and a single
reception). Additionally, he plays for what could easily have
been called the league’s worst squad up until yesterday when Cleveland
set fire to their 2013 season. Finally, even if he and the Jags
did have a pulse and could conceivably put up a fight, they’re
running into the NFL’s version of a buzz saw in the Seahawks defense
this weekend. Seattle’s yielding a mere 230 yards and five points
per game through two weeks and has already felled one of the NFL’s
most prolific offenses (San Francisco). There’s simply nothing
to like about Jones-Drew in Week 3.
David
Wilson or Brandon
Jacobs @ CAR: You thought Tom Coughlin was bluffing,
didn’t you? You thought maybe he was attempting to light
a fire under the phenomenally gifted but tragically flawed David
Wilson and never really intended to use Brandon Jacobs much in
a game the Giants desperately needed. Apparently, you don’t
know Tom Coughlin very well. Jacobs received the same number of
carries as Wilson (seven) in the game against Denver and only
gained 13 fewer yards than the younger, more explosive back, despite
it being his first significant action in almost a year and a half.
Thirteen fewer than Wilson’s total, by the way, was just
FOUR if you’re scoring at home. Jacobs gained FOUR yards
and still got the same number of carries as Wilson. It’s
time to cut bait on every New York running back until Andre Brown
(or Ahmad Bradshaw?) returns. That includes all your Jets, by
the way.
Wide Receivers 
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