Fantasy Football Deeper Sleeper Alert for Week 6: Torry Holt

It dawned on me a couple of days ago while going through the Week 6 schedule that we have a very underrated reunion story taking place this week. Unfortunately, it is during one of the least compelling and meaningful games on the schedule from a “real” standpoint.

I am speaking, of course, about Torry Holt, one of the greatest players in Rams history, who will be hosting his former team this weekend as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Even though it is not a game getting much attention, that doesn’t mean the game won’t be very meaningful from a fantasy standpoint.

In fact, quite the contrary. When the Jaguars and Rams meet up this weekend, with their two combined victories and zero percent chances to make the playoffs, I propose that the events could dictate the outcome of many a fantasy matchup this week. Why?

23rd and 30th.

Those are the overall defensive ranks of the Rams and Jags, respectively.

Which brings me to Torry Holt as a sleeper selection for your Week 6 lineups.

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Does Guy Code Dictate Letting Mike Sims-Walker Off the Hook?

As many of you know, especially those of you who have been keeping tabs on the comment section of this week’s start em, sit em post, I have not been happy with Mike Sims-Walker since Sunday.

Last week, I touted him as a great play to everyone who would listen, started him in multiple leagues, and then watched him figuratively kick us all in the groin by being a late scratch Sunday and contributing nothing to any of our Week 5 causes.

So, needless to say, I’ve been pissed along with everyone else who started MS-W.

However, now that we know the reason for his Week 5 absence, the question must be asked: does guy code dictate that we no longer harbor ill will towards him?

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LOTD: Profile of Jaguars QB David Garrard

It’s time to bring back a feature we haven’t done much here on MSF over the past few weeks: the link of the day.

Today, the choice is easy.

Our very own Ron Clements is the newest sports writer for The Telegraph, based in Illinois. Not only do I want to express MSF’s most sincere congratulations and publicly wish him the best of luck, but he’s already written a great piece worthy of LOTD status.

Tuesday night, Ron posted a terrific profile of Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard.

In the article, Ron traces Garrard’s career journey, including: the incredible bowl game he participated in while at East Carolina; his struggle with Crohn’s disease; his battle to climb to the top of Jacksonville’s depth chart; and, how he’s dealing with the franchise’s current struggles.

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Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts Week 1 Preview

Guess what kids? It’s that time again! The NFL season kicked off tonight with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Tennessee Titans.

Finally.

Life seems to have such a void without football, especially considering that all people like me have done for the last six or seven months is talk about football. Now…finally…we can stop just talking and watch.

The Indianapolis Colts kick off their season against division rival Jacksonville Sunday at 1:00pm EST in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Changes have occurred throughout the roster and on the coaching staff, and these changes have been the focus of the Colts off-season. The exit of long time head coach Tony Dungy was the headliner, but the changes were felt all the way down to a change in punters from longtime Colt veteran Hunter Smith to rookie punter Pat McAffe. And there were plenty of other changes in between.

Jacksonville and Indy have what has become quite an intense rivalry, regardless of the year-by-year success of each team. The Colts hold the overall series advantage with a 12-4 head-to-head record, but in recent years they have struggled against Jacksonville’s running game.

Here’s all the info on the game according to MSF’s NFL Week 1 Preview and TV Schedule:

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) at Indianapolis Colts (0-0)

• Jaguars-Colts Date: Sunday, September 13th
• Jaguars-Colts TV & Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET on CBS
• Jaguars-Colts Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• Jaguars-Colts Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
• Jaguars-Colts Point Spread: IND -7
• Jaguars-Colts Over-Under: 44.5
• StubHub: Jaguars-Colts tickets at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
• StubHub: Indianapolis Colts tickets
• StubHub: Jacksonville Jaguars tickets
• StubHub: Get Great Tickets on all NFL tickets

Like I said earlier, the Jags have dominated the Colts on the ground in recent years led by with their two-headed monster of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. The monster was cut in half this past off-season, however, when Taylor left Jacksonville and signed with the New England Patriots.

That being said, MJD is one of the league’s toughest backs, although this past preseason was somewhat unkind to Jones-Drew. The Philadelphia Eagles went Tonya Harding on MJD’s leg in their preseason bout. Luckily for Jones-Drew and the Jags, the injury wasn’t serious and turned out to be only a contusion. There’s a chance that it may still be somewhat tender come Sunday, but I expect MJD to be usual battering ram self.

The Jags also added one of the NFL’s premium route runners during the off-season: Torry Holt. Holt had a sub-par season last year with the Rams, but do not count him out. Look for David Garrard to hit Holt on third down every chance he can get, and Holt will convert.

Indy’s defense has also changed significantly. Safety standout Bob Sanders will most likely not play, and will be replaced by Melvin Bullitt, who subbed very well for Sanders most of last season. The biggest place the Colts have tried to bolster is in the middle as they drafted two defensive tackles and brought back the troubled Ed Johnson. Jacksonville will provide a great test to see if the Colts’ defense has truly moved past the “bend but don’t break” mantra they have held for so long.

New head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t get a lot of looks at his new defense as Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, as well as many of the other defensive starters did not play much in the preseason due to nagging injuries. Thus, there is a possibility that continuity — or, more specifically, a lack thereof — may perhaps be a bigger issue than any Colts fan or coach would like to admit.

I could sit and talk about Peyton Manning and the Colts offense for hours upon hours, but in order to be brief we’ll talk about the changes and the question marks.

Joseph Addai looks like he is back at 100%, and the addition of 2008 NCAA leading rusher Donald Brown will hopefully improve on what was quite a dismal 2008 rushing season. 

The departure of future Hall-of-Famer Marvin Harrison leaves a lot of question marks in the WR corps, with 3rd-year player Anthony Gonzalez expected to step into Marvin’s shoes. Rookie Austin Collie locked up the 3rd WR spot on the roster, and no doubt TE Dallas Clark will find himself in the slot.

The biggest advantage the Colts have on Sunday is that they are playing at home in the very impressive Lucas Oil Stadium. They will be in front of a sold-out crowd and one that has been deemed as one of the loudest crowds in the NFL.

The key to the game is for the Colts is either to handcuff MJD or establish an early lead and make David Garrard have to beat them through the air. If this is the case, Pro Bowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis can “pin their ears back” and put pressure on the Jags QB.

The Jags must establish the run to be successful, as well as get pressure on the three-time MVP Peyton Manning. Zone coverages and blitz schemes will force Peyton into quick decisions and, if the Jags are  lucky, flush him out of the pocket. The Jags will likely take their chances letting the Colts beat them on the ground rather than giving way to Peyton and the Colts always dangerous aerial assault.

My Colts-Jaguars prediction is to take the Colts minus the points, with the final score of this game being somewhere in the realm of 27-13.

Jacksonville is not the team they used to be and with the emergence of the upstart Texans, the Jags may very well find themselves in the cellar of the AFC’s toughest division in 2009.

I do, however, anticipate this game to “feel” closer than the score shows. I expect a tough, hard-fought game throughout, with the Colts dominating the 4^th quarter to pull away and seal the victory late, led by one of the NFL’s best pass rushing tandems.

As usual Colts v Jaguars will be a great watch.

Thank God football has returned to us! Gone are the Sunday Honey-Do lists. Gone are the awkward Lifetime movies and Family Guy repeats.

The NFL is back boys and girls! Viva la Sunday!

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

Maurice Jones-Drew Injury Update: Bruised Right Leg in 4th Preseason Game

There is a reason why the fourth preseason game typically is a battle of the backups.  

Most teams have had enough time to decide on their starters and a) don’t want any of said starters getting injured in a game that means nothing except $$$ in the organizations’ bank accounts; and b) want to use it as an opportunity to make final decisions on the back end of the roster.

Case in point: Jacksonville.

Fantasy football owners across the nation held their breath Thursday night when consensus (well, almost consensus) top-5 pick Maurice Jones-Drew went down with a leg injury. According to the AP, via ESPN.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew injury update article (via PFT’s Maurice Jones-Drew injury update), the team is calling the injury a “bruised right leg.”

Jones-Drew injured his leg on the opening series when cornerback Fred Smoot tackled him following a short reception. Jones-Drew headed to the locker room, and team officials said his return was questionable.

The official party line for the Jags right now is that the injury does not appear to be serious. Whether it is or not, I would expect them to say that for as long as possible. With the team struggling to sell tickets, it would be devastating for their one offensive star (apologies to David Garrard and Torry Holt) to be out.

Sounds like we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for a more concrete MJD injury update.

Update: The good folks at PFT have the latest on MJD’s injury. It’s being called a “shin contusion” and he should be fine. Exhale fantasy owners and Jags fans. That’s good, because the Jags had record-low attendance last night, an ominous sign for the upcoming season and perhaps the city’s ability to keep the team long-term.

I don’t believe I have MJD in any fantasy leagues this year. He’s always been a favorite of mine, but I think he’s being overvalued that high in the draft.  He still needs to prove he can handle the rushing load of a full-time back (although he does have 1st round value to me in a PPR league). Marion Barber buckled under the pressure a year ago, and I have similar fears about Jones-Drew.

Either way, I hope he’s healthy. It’s never fun to see a great player go down in the preseason.

Fantasy owners will want to take note that Greg Jones is slated to be Maurice Jones-Drew’s backup this season. Should MJD be forced to miss any time, Jones is the guy you want. And if you own MJD and don’t own Greg Jones…well, I question everything about you as a fantasy owner.

In other NFL preseason news, courtesy of Pro Football Talk:

• Poor Kevin Jones, injured again
• Saints TE Billy Miller carted off the field
• Matthew Stafford injures pride with two turnovers

Colts-Jags Preview and Injury Updates on Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai

The Indianapolis Colts take on the Jacksonville Jaguars tonight on the NFL Network. The game will begin at 8:15 ET, with the usual NFLN duo of Bob Papa and Chris Collinsworth announcing.

At the beginning of the season, this appeared to be a great late season game for the NFL Network, but that was before the Jacksonville Jaguars pissed all over themselves and completely fell apart. It all started with Matt Jones getting busted with his nose in a pile of cocaine, then continued with a rash of injuries to the offensive line, and ultimately has culminated in Jack del Rio laughing and pointing elsewhere to divert attention when someone accuses him of dropping ass (picture, right). It’s okay coach, you’re on a football field. Drop ass all you want. Just don’t mess around with axes anymore.

Anyway, enough about the insignificant and pathetic Jaguars.

Tonight’s game does have huge ramifications for the Indianapolis Colts, and for fantasy football players across the country who are participating in their league’s championship round this week. With fantasy studs like Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Williams…wait, never mind on that one, Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai on the field, this game will either get people off to great starts in Week 16 or leave them in a huge hole. And as you look to set your rosters (or if you are just an interested Colts fan), you need to know the latest injury updates regarding Harrison, Addai, Clark, and Sanders.

That’s why we’re here.

Injury Update – WR Marvin Harrison

This one is the easiest to definitively reports. Marvin Harrison will not play for the Indianapolis Colts tonight, as he did not even make the trip to Jacksonville, as reported by ESPN. No one knows exactly what the injury is to Harrison; Tony Dungy says it’s a hamstring, while others claim Harrison hurt his knee against Detroit, while some bozos are still trying to make a story out of comparing Marvin Harrison’s shooting to Plaxico Burress’s shooting. So who knows exactly why Marvin Harrison is out. Everyone rips the Patriots for not being forthcoming about injuries, but most people give Tony Dungy a free pass (although PFT does not, and good for them). I say who the hell cares. I don’t like the Colts, I don’t have Marvin Harrison in fantasy, and I don’t gamble on the NFL. He’s out. Bench him. That’s it.

Injury Update – RB Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai has a shoulder injury as continues to be listed as questionable. According to IndyStar.com, Tony Dungy is optimistic that Addai will be able to suit up, but he will be a game-time decision. If you own Joseph Addai, you’ll just have to monitor this up to kick off. The guy I am playing in the championship round of one league has Addai, so I’m hoping he does not get to feast on Jacksonville’s struggling defense. But even if Addai does play, he has not carried more than 16 times or gone over 70 yards since week 11. That was also the last time he scored a touchdown.

Injury Update – SS Bob Sanders

The perpetually questionable game-time decision Bob Sanders is…listed as questionable and a game-time decision, according to Tony Dungy. As with Joseph Addai, Tony Dungy is optimistic that Sanders will play. Jack Del Rio, Maurice Jones-Drew, Maurice Jones-Drew fantasy owners, and the rest of the Jaguars are hopeful that Bob Sanders will sit this one out. We’ll have to wait and see, as usual.

Injury Update – Indianapolis Colts Roster

Based on the official injury report, listed on NFL.com, it appears as if the Colts team is questionable and a game-time decision to even be on the field tonight against Jacksonville. 12 players are listed as questionable, many of whom are starters and for whom there is no indication that they will not play. Additionally, three other players are listed on the injury report with “Not Injury Related” next to their name.

So…let’s get this straight. They are on the injury report, but it’s not injury related. Yep, makes perfect sense.

This is one reason, other than their silly fans, that I stay away from owning Indianapolis Colts players in fantasy football. Trying to assess their injury situation is like trying to see your reflection in the Wabash River. Impossible.

As far as a prediction for tonight’s game goes, I just don’t see Jacksonville winning it. They will most likely cover whatever the spread is and play the Colts tough, but Peyton Manning is not losing to David Garrard this late in the season with so much on the line. Obviously, having Addai and Sanders would be a boon to the Colts chances, but either way I see them winning a tight game thanks to Peyton’s excellence.

Colts 27 | Jaguars 24

Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars Preview and Prediction

What can I say about the Packers’ upcoming visit to Jacksonville? Neither team is doing so hot this season, so it’s not really going to be that big of a nail-biter. Personally, I’m hoping that we can come out of this game with bits and pieces of our pride still intact. The Pack are sitting (not so) pretty at 5-8, third in the NFC North and Jacksonville is 4-9 and dead last in the AFC South.

So what’s a girl to write about when her beloved team is playing a game that matters very little in the race toward the playoffs? Last season this game probably would have been stellar, considering both the Pack and the Jags were in playoff contention. Then again, last season both teams were good. But now, not so much.

I’m always rooting for my Packers to win, but I think we have a decent shot at victory on Sunday. Then again, I thought we had a decent shot at victory for a number of the games this season that we lost, so we’ll see how things pan out.

The Jags lost 30-17 in a Monday night game against the Texans two weeks ago, who walked all over our defense last week. However, we only lost that game by a field goal and stuck with things reasonably well. Jacksonville, on the other hand, lost by 13 points. If we’re looking only at the numbers in this trio of teams, Green Bay is more likely to come out on top in this game.

I’ll be watching the game with bated breath, as always. My fingers will be crossed that our defensive line can get some penetration and put pressure on David Garrard, the Jags quarterback. I will be hoping for some beautiful passes from Aaron Rodgers and some spectacular receptions from Donald Driver and Greg Jennings (and maybe an interception from Charles Woodson?). Most of all I will be hoping that the moment of collapse that has happened in nearly every game this season doesn’t happen Sunday.

My prediction is a Green Bay victory. But just remember, if you are a gambling man (or gambling woman—we don’t discriminate here at Midwest Sports Fans), that I am merely a college student and not a professional psychic, much as I would like to be sometimes.

Cleveland Browns Beat Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17 | 2-0 Without Kellen Winslow

In a must-win road game against a trendy preseason Super Bowl pick, with one of their most talented players back home in San Diego, after a week of controversy, the Cleveland Browns stepped up and breathed new life into their 2008 season.

As predicted earlier this week on Midwest Sports Fans, Joshua Cribbs and the Cleveland Browns pulled out a hard-fought win over the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17. Browns fans are still waiting for Joshua Cribbs to bust out a long kick return for a touchdown, but he came up with several key special teams plays today; the most crucial being a fumble recovery after a Beau Bell strip on a kickoff after the Browns had gone up 20-17. The offense stalled and only could muster another field goal, but the six point difference forced the Jaguars to go for a touchdown on their final drive — which they just missed off the finger tips of Cocaine Jones.

This was not a “pretty” victory for the Browns, as the offense stalled pretty much the entire final 45 minutes. But it was beautiful in the sense that it pulled the team to one game within .500 with a very winnable home game against Baltimore on the horizon next week.

And let’s not ignore the 800-pound elephant in the room: the team moved to 2-0 without previously suspended tight end Kellen Winslow.

But we can deal with the Kellen Winslow stuff a little later. First, some game balls:

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Cleveland Browns-Jacksonville Jaguars Preview and Prediction | NFL Week 8

(Sunday morning update: The Browns have lifted the suspension of Kellen Winslow after text messages surfaced from a Browns PR employee that pressured Winslow to keep quiet about his staph infection.  Winslow will still not play against the Jaguars.)

It has been suggested in the comments sections here at Midwest Sports Fans that those of us who cover the Cleveland Browns consistently exhibit too much optimism about this year’s team. The irony, of course, is that “optimism” and “Cleveland Browns fans” are very seldom found in the same sentence. I am not a lifelong Browns fan, but have grown into a zealous one over the past five years; once thing I have learned about the Browns and their fans that even in the best of times, there is a resounding and perpetual fear of the proverbial “other shoe dropping.”

I am prefacing my preview of the upcoming Browns-Jaguars game in this way because for the first time this season, my gut instinct is telling me that the Browns will lose to the Jaguars. In every game so far this season, had I been forced to bet my savings based on my gut feeling, I would have placed it on the Browns. This week, my gut is telling me the Jaguars.

My hope, however, is that after analyzing the game I can come up with a rational and reasoned prediction that gives my gut feeling the middle finger and still allows me to pick the Browns anyway.

Let’s move on now, to the keys for the Browns-Jaguars game in Jacksonville this Sunday at 4:30 on CBS:

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