Start 'Em:
Quarterbacks Who Will Outperform Relative
To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype
Tyler Thigpen vs. SD
Thigpen has cooled off lately but remains in line for good totals
at home this week against a Chargers squad that has yielded 21
TD passes and nearly 250 passing YPG through the air. HC Herm
Edwards and the Chiefs are undoubtedly behind every week chucking
the ball downfield. Let’s not forget TT’s Week 10
game @ SD where he tossed 3 TDs and 266 passing yards.
Donovan McNabb vs. CLE
In Weeks 11 & 12, McNabb had 2 of his more forgettable performances,
throwing 1 TD and 5 INTs to go along with 2 lost fumbles on the
road against the Bengals and Ravens of the AFC North. He’s
gotten back on track, throwing 5 TDs and 0 INTs in his last 2
games. There is no reason to believe that he won’t have
his way with the Browns at home on Monday Night.
Tony Romo vs. NYG
Romo does not have a favorable matchup this week against the Giants
but I still like his chances to bounce back from last week’s
3-INT game at Pittsburgh. His previous 2 games before last week
saw him throw 6 TDs and only 1 INT and he has passed for 300+
yards in 6 of his 10 starts. It’s hard to forget Romo’s
592 passing yards, 8 TDs and 2 INTs in 2 games versus the G-Men
last year.
Chad Pennington vs. SF
Mr. Efficient, James Chadwick completed 23 of 29 (79%) of his
passes with a TD, picking apart the Bills last week on the road
in Toronto. His 93.7 QB-rating ranks 6th in the NFL. With Davone
Bess doing a better Greg Camarillo impression than Greg Camarillo,
and serviceable targets Anthony Fasano and Tedd Ginn, Jr. finding
holes, Pennington has good shot for multiple TDs against the 49ers
in Miami.
Philip Rivers @ KC
SCR Trivia Time! Name the last QB to toss 300+ yards against the
Chiefs? Surprisingly, it wasn’t Jay Cuter last week - or Drew
Brees in Week 11. The Chiefs actually haven’t allowed a 300-yard
passer since Philip Rivers had 316 yards on November 9. Rivers
threw 3 TDs against tough Oakland pass D last week and he will
keep it rolling in KC. Currently he is the only NFL signal caller
to boast a QB-rating over the century mark (102.0).
Bench 'Em:
Quarterbacks Who Will Under Perform
Relative To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype
Joe Flacco vs. PIT
Flacco has now thrown at least 1 TD pass in 8 straight games,
but don’t be surprised if it comes to a crashing halt this
week against the Steelers. The rookie QB has kept his miscues
to a minimum with 12 TDs and only 3 INTs during the streak. He
looks to be a solid fantasy contributor for years to come, but
he simply cannot be considered for a start here against the NFLs
#1 defense.
Ben Roethlisberger @ BAL
Sticking with the AFC North showdown in Baltimore, the same sentiment
goes for Big Ben. In 13 games, the nasty D of the Ravens has produced
22 INTs and allowed 13 passing TDs. They are holding opposing
signal callers to a 58.6 QB-rating, tops in the NFL. Ben may throw
a score but he is also likely to stay under 200 yards and turn
the ball over.
Matt Cassel @ OAK
Back-to-back west coast games for Cassel and the Pats could spell
trouble for the young QB. While he was able to bounce back with
268 yards and TD against Seattle last week after a rough performance
vs. Pit the week prior, the Raiders pass D is much better than
the Seahawks. Oakland ranks 10th in the NFL with 13 INTs and only
2 QBs (Cutler - Week 1; Brees - Week 6) have thrown for 300 yards
against them this season.
Matt Schaub vs. TEN
Despite playing in just 8 games this season, Schauby has set a
career high with 12 TD passes. Last week’s 414-yard performance
was the first 400-yard passing game in Texans history. Now for
the bad news: this week he lines up against a Titans squad that
has surrendered just 8 aerial TDs in 13 games while picking off
18 passes. Tennessee has allowed opposing QBs an average rating
of just 62.9, good for 2nd best in the NFL.
Matt Ryan vs. TB
If the past is any indication of the future, the rookie with 2
first names may belong on your bench this week. Ryan had his worst
game as a professional Week 2 @ Tampa, completing just 39.4% of
his passes and tossing 2 INTs. He has certainly come a long way
since then, but I still think he will find it tough against an
angry Bucs defense coming off their worst defeat since a 33-14
beating by the Colts in early October 2007. The Bucs are tied
for 2nd in the NFL with 19 INTs this season.
Running Backs
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