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Bye Weeks: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis
Grab a Helmet
Mikel
Leshoure v. MIN: The Lions waited 18 regular season games
to take their 2010 second-rounder for a spin and, boy, did they
make up for some lost time. Leshoure got the surprise nod in Nashville
over Kevin Smith last Sunday and then proceeded to rack up a staggering
26 carries (third most in the league), 100 yards, and a score
in the overtime track meet. He was also, somewhat surprisingly,
utilized several times in the passing game, hauling in four receptions
on four targets for a healthy 34 yards. Not bad for a guy who
caught just 37 passes his entire collegiate career. The matchup
isn’t as juicy in Week 4 but Leshoure is clearly the type of back
who can play all three downs, an increasingly rare breed in this
highly specialized league. That means he’s going to get more opportunities
than most, so…get him in there.
McGahee has been a thorn in the side of
the Silver & Black.
Willis
McGahee v. OAK: McGahee is far from a sure thing at press
time (considered day-to-day) since he was bounced from last Sunday’s
slugfest v. Houston in the third quarter with a rib injury. If
he’s green-lighted this Sunday, however, he could benefit from
a favorable matchup. Finally. The Broncos have faced, in order,
the Steelers, Falcons, and Texans to start the season, the 7th,
13th, and 2nd stingiest defenses, respectively. Oakland is nowhere
near as good on that side of the ball. Moreover, McGahee has fared
very well against the Raiders historically. In 10 seasons, he’s
averaged a robust 5.4 yards/carry against the Silver and Black
and scored six rushing touchdowns, tied for the most (with Cleveland)
he’s scored against any opponent. The last time he faced them,
in fact, he delivered 163 yards and two scores, his best performance
of the 2011 campaign. Start him if the Broncos do.
Cedric
Benson v. NO: Overlooked in the uproar surrounding Green Bay’s
shocking defeat was the fact Benson did something no Packers running
back had done since Week 14 of last season: score a touchdown.
The position had become virtually an afterthought in Mike McCarthy’s
offense and was rendered almost completely irrelevant in the first
half of Monday night’s debacle (just three set running plays).
Then, the second half started, Benson carried the ball five of
the first seven plays, and…voila! The Pack regained control, took
the eventual lead (thanks to Benson’s score), and seemed almost
assured of the win. This week, Benson and Co. will try and right
the ship against a New Orleans team that has steered itself dangerously
off course. The reason why is simple: The Saints can’t stop anybody.
Look for the Pack’s head rock-toter to hit the century mark (at
least) and double-down on those rushing TDs against a unit yielding
a horrifying 215 rushing yards/game.
Grab a Gatorade
Chris
Johnson @ HOU: Please forgive me? Johnson rewarded my blind
support heading into Week 3 with an extra helping of ineptitude,
accounting for just 29 of his team’s 437 total yards and failing
to notch his first points of the year despite the Lions seemingly
giving them away. His totals through the first three games of
2012 now look like this: 33 carries, 45 yards, and zero touchdowns.
In other words, look away. It’s ghastly. We’re probably not too
far away from Mike Munchak benching his franchise player and you
should absolutely be thinking the same thing at this point. He
draws a formidable Texans front seven in Week 4 and then the Steelers’
traditionally rough group in a couple weeks. If he’s still getting
the lion’s share of the work come Week 7, I’ll be quite surprised.
Alfred
Morris @ TB: Morris redeemed the ol’ Shot Caller somewhat
last week by living up to expectations and dashing for 78 yards
and a touchdown on 17 carries against the Bengals. This despite
the fact Washington dug a huge hole and would not have been criticized
for abandoning the running game early. Still, there are reasons
to be concerned about Morris’ viability come this Sunday and,
more ominously, moving forward. First, Tampa, his Week 4 opponent,
is yielding just 2.3 yards/carry and 47.3 yards/game, both tops
in the league. Second, Robert Griffin III is clearly the team’s
most dangerous runner and will frequently steal carries, even
of the designed variety. He’s already carried the ball 32 times
through three games, a high for QBs. Third, Morris is a virtual
non-factor in the passing game, garnering just one target and
zero receptions thus far (more damaging in PPR leagues). Finally,
the Redskins just inked former Packer, Ryan Grant, to take the
place of the injured Roy Helu. Grant may be a castoff at this
point but if Coach Shanny gets bored with Morris, he now has someone
on hand who has proven capable of carrying a team’s load in the
past. Be smart with Morris and sell high if the right deal is
offered.
Ryan
Williams, Beanie
Wells (out), LaRod
Stephens-Howling v. MIA: No, you’re not actually considering
any Arizona RB at your running back slots against a stalwart Dolphins
run defense. I understand that. I just thought it’d be fun to
point out how comically bad these three stooges have been so far
in 2012. Here are their collective totals through three contests:
72 carries, 182 yards, one TD, and two fumbles. Now, here’s what
Jamaal Charles did to the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 alone:
33 carries, 233 yards, one TD, and no fumbles. If you can figure
out how the Cardinals are 3-0, please let me know.
Wide Receivers 
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