Brian, Boldin and Brandon on the brain
By Jamey Eisenberg | Senior Fantasy Writer Follow JameyFollow CBS Fantasy Football
Sunday was a strange day in the NFL. We had the first game in NFL history end with the score at 11-10 when Pittsburgh beat San Diego. We also had the first tie since Nov. 10, 2002, when Cincinnati and Philadelphia ended with the score at 13.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had no idea the game could end in a tie.
"I've never been part of a tie," said McNabb, who set a career high with 58 attempts and tied a career high with three interceptions. "I never even knew it was in the rule book. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately with the rules, we settled with a tie."
Something else happened Sunday: Brian Westbrook looked like a mediocre running back. He struggled against the Bengals, and he hasn't played well the past three weeks.
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| Brian Westbrook continues to post mediocre numbers for owners. (AP) |
The same goes for the Giants last week, which held Westbrook to 13 carries for 26 yards and three catches for 33 yards. And two weeks ago against Seattle, Westbrook had 20 carries for 61 yards and six catches for 35 yards.
He has no touchdowns over that span. And on Sunday, the Eagles inability to get positive yards in short-yardage situations hurt the team, and Westbrook is partly at fault. Philadelphia tried to pass on all of its 18 third-down plays, including three third-and-1 plays. The Eagles converted only three of their third-down plays as they got away from the running game.
Westbrook is fighting through a myriad of injuries to his ankle, knee and broken ribs. But in his first game back from the rib injury in Week 8 against Atlanta he had 209 total yards and two touchdowns, so it's hard to say health is the main reason for his struggles.
Westbrook shouldn't be slowing down yet due to age (29) or wear-and-tear (seven seasons), but it could be a factor. The Eagles love for throwing the ball also could be a reason, with McNabb's 58 attempts way too much when you have a running back of Westbrook's caliber.
Whatever the reason, Westbrook is suffering, and Fantasy owners have a tough decision to make in Week 12 with the Eagles at Baltimore: Do you bench Westbrook?
The Ravens, prior to getting run over by the Giants for 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns Sunday, came into Week 11 at No. 1 in run defense with only one rushing touchdown allowed. Baltimore still has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 29-straight games.
Will Westbrook run well against the Ravens or even post good total yards with his receiving skills? It's hard to say right now with how he's played the past three weeks.
If you have two better running backs on your team, it might be a good idea to sit Westbrook against the Ravens. Then again, as we saw this week, stranger things have happened, so maybe Westbrook will snap out of his funk.
First down
Was the Ravens run defense exposed Sunday or are the Giants just that good? I'll go with the Giants, behind that offensive line, as being stellar in running the ball.
The Giants have now run for more than 200 yards in three straight games, and their offensive line is pushing people around. It has helped Brandon Jacobs become a Top 5 Fantasy running back this year.
Jacobs had 11 carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, and he did all of his damage in the first half before taking the second half off. He wasn't hurt, but the Giants didn't feel a need to use him late in the game. The official word from the team was he went to the locker room to get re-taped in the second quarter.
Jacobs could have had a career day against the Ravens, and he will run all over Arizona in Week 12. But what about the Fantasy value for Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw?
Ward had 97 total yards against the Ravens and now has at least 50 total yards in every game this season. Bradshaw was 4 yards from snapping Baltimore's streak by finishing with 96 yards on nine carries.
Ward should be used as a No. 3 Fantasy running back or flex option. He has contributed all year long for Fantasy owners who have paid attention.
Bradshaw should remain a reserve running back. He only factors in blowouts, and it's hard to count on him for guaranteed production.
But with how the Giants have run the ball recently, it wouldn't be a surprise if Bradshaw continues to play well. The Giants have the best offensive line in the NFL, and the running game has been outstanding because of that group up front.
Second down
There were some impressive running back performances from some unexpected places. In Carolina, DeAngelo Williams had 14 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit, but rookie Jonathan Stewart had his best day as a pro with 15 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Just when Williams was establishing himself as a stud running back, Stewart re-emerges to give Fantasy owners something to think about. Hopefully both running backs will continue to play like this, but it could be time to start Stewart again as a flex option at Atlanta in Week 12. Keep Williams active as a No. 1 option because he's on a roll.
Also in Carolina, Lions rookie running back Kevin Smith had a career day with 24 carries for 112 yards. Smith has played well recently, but he is at Tampa Bay next week. Don't put Smith in your lineup just yet, but this was encouraging.
The Broncos appear to have solved their running back issues for now with Peyton Hillis getting 10 carries for 44 yards and two touchdowns at Atlanta. Hillis is worth starting in Week 12 against Oakland, and he's only owned in 40 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com, so add him now. Tatum Bell only had seven carries for 34 yards, and P.J. Pope had four carries for 35 yards.
Third down
In my column this week, I touted Anquan Boldin as the NFL's MVP this season. He helped his cause with a season-high 13 catches for 186 yards at Seattle.
Boldin continues to be the No. 1 Fantasy wide receiver, and the Cardinals passing offense is tremendous for Fantasy owners. Larry Fitzgerald had 10 catches for 151 yards against Seattle, and Kurt Warner passed for 395 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Throw in Steve Breaston, who was overshadowed with only two catches for 15 yards against the Seahawks, and the Cardinals are fun to watch. If you own any of the Cardinals wide receivers or Warner, hopefully this magical season continues.
Next week's game will be tough against the Giants, but the Cardinals are playing too good right now to sit any of these players.
Fourth down
Joseph Addai should have put every Fantasy owner at ease with his first 100-yard rushing game of the season against Houston when he gained 105 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Addai, one of the biggest busts this season, has a great schedule with games remaining against San Diego, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and Jacksonville before facing Tennessee in the season-finale. He should turn his season around and get back to being a No. 1 Fantasy option with that schedule.
Some other observations: LaDainian Tomlinson was better than expected with 97 total yards and a touchdown at Pittsburgh. He only averaged 3.2 yards per carry, but his 40 yards receiving made up for his rushing total. ... Matt Ryan had his first interception in three games and failed to throw a touchdown for the first time in six games. He should have played better against Denver, which was No. 28 in pass defense prior to the game. It didn't help that Roddy White dropped a touchdown pass. ... Larry Johnson had 19 carries for 67 yards and one catch for 20 yards against New Orleans in his first game back for the Chiefs since missing the past three. Johnson was the latest running back to run the "Wildcat" offense, so it shows he's back as a focal point in Kansas City's offense. ... Ben Roethlisberger passed for 308 yards against the Chargers, but he hasn't thrown a touchdown in three games. That will change in Week 12 against Cincinnati, so don't worry. ... Kerry Collins now has five touchdowns in his past two games after throwing for three scores at Jacksonville. It could be time to consider him a starting Fantasy option, especially with favorable matchups the next two weeks against the Jets and Detroit.
What are your thoughts from this week? See anything that jumped off the screen? Let us know -- e-mail us at dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Four Downs in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.
