Welcome to NFL.com's fantasy football blog. I'll be checking in on all the games and letting you know about the big performances, injuries and all the important news and notes.
» Well that's it for this week's two-minute drill blog -- be sure to check out the best and worst fantasy performers of the week later tonight and our Monday morning (fantasy) quarterback tomorrow morning.
» Tatum Bell just scored on a 14-yard run and got a shower of beverages from the Oakland crowd for his efforts. He finished with four catches, 93 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. ... Chester Taylor has been diagnosed with a hip contusion and will be re-evaluated on Monday. If Taylor is out for an extended period, Adrian Peterson will be a fantasy monster. ... Another touchdown pass for Jon Kitna, this time to Shaun McDonald, who got behind the Raiders defense in the end zone. Kitna now has three scores and 289 passing yards. McDonald leads the Lions with six receptions for 90 yards. ... Jeff Garcia is back under center for the Buccaneers.
» Matt Hasselbeck just tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Morris, his first scoring pass of the season. ... Deion Branch doesn't have a catch against the Buccaneers. ... Josh McCown just threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Justin Griffth. The Raiders are now ahead of the Lions 21-20. ... Touchdown LaDainian Tomlinson! He now has six catches, 69 all-purpose yards and two scores on the afternoon.
» The Chargers are getting close to the end zone, aka the Tomlinson zone. ... LaMont Jordan just found the end zone on a 12-yard run to cut the Detroit lead to 17-14. He now has six catches, 125 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. He could turn into a solid draft value at this rate. ... It has not been a good day for Cedric Benson. He has 53 all-purpose yards, no touchdowns and one fumble, and the Bears won't run as much now down 7-3 in the fourth quarter.
» Touchdown pass from LaDainian Tomlinson to Antonio Gates! L.T. is having a dreadful game, but he still found the end zone for fantasy owners. He also has one more touchdown pass than Joey Harrington today. ... Jeff Garcia is taking a beating. He was down on one knee after taking a vicious hit and will now come out in favor of Luke McCown. Garcia is headed to the locker room. ... The Bucs' offensive line is still a swiss-cheese unit. Both of the McCown brothers (Josh and Luke) are playing at the same time. Their parents must be proud. ... Touchdown Ronald Curry! He's having a huge game -- seven catches, 102 yards and one touchdown. He'll be a hot name on the waiver wire.
» Cadillac Williams left the game in Seattle with what could be injured ribs. His return is questionable. Michael Pittman will take over in the backfield in his absence. ... LaMont Jordan is putting together a nice game. He has five catches and over 100 all-purpose yards. He looks like he did under Norv Turner. ... I just thought about something -- I'm older than Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin. Time flies. ... The Chargers fumbled at the Chicago 1-yard line and the Bears recovered. That would have almost certainly been a touchdown for LaDainian Tomlinson had it not been for the turnover. He has 13 carries for 13 yards.
» Touchdown Calvin Johnson! The rookie finds the end zone for the first time in his pro career. He has three catches, 58 yards and one score. ... I'm not sure what's stranger -- the fact that the Lions are killing the Oakland pass defense (which was No. 1 in the NFL last season), or that their defense is shutting out the Raiders. It's time for Daunte Culpepper to make an appearance. ... Every time I look up at the Raiders game and see No. 12 under center, I think it's Rich Gannon. Then I see the dead duck that just came from the hand of that No. 12 and remember it's Josh McCown.
» I have to toot the horns of all the people who reconstructed the new NFL.com. The Game Centers are incredible -- they're now the best on the Internet. ... Shaun Alexander is averaging a mere 3.3 yards per carry, but he did score a touchdown against Tampa Bay. ... Cadillac Williams is running hard for the Bucs. He has 56 yards on 11 carries and two catches for 14 yards. Fantasy owners hope this is the start of a rebirth for the former Auburn standout.
» Ronald Curry is lighting up the Detroit defense in the first half. He's on pace for 10 catches and over 100 receiving yards. ... How good is Chicago's run defense? LaDainian Tomlinson has nine carries for minus-1 yards. Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich is fired up on the sidelines. He just did a 360-degree twirl after a Chargers incompletion that would make him a candidate for Dancing With the Stars.
» Rex Grossman just threw an awful interception. He had Bernard Berrian open in the end zone and threw it nowhere near him for the pick. Same old Rex. ... The Lions have already thrown the football 20 times with under two minutes left in the first half. They have six carries. ... Sebastian Janikowski just missed a 46-yard field goal for Oakland. He's still one of the worst first-round selections. .. D.J. Hackett left Sunday's game against the Bucs with an injured ankle. Nate Burleson will see more action in his absence.
» LaDainian Tomlinson has eight carries for 3 yards, but he also has three catches for 15 yards. Looks like Norv Turner wants to use him as a receiver out of the backfield more often. ... Jon Kitna to Roy Williams for 13 yards -- touchdown! Kitna has 128 passing yards to this point. ... Matt Bryant has kicked two field goals for Tampa Bay. ... Jon Kitna looked good on the Lions' opening drive, but he tossed an intercpetion in the end zone. That's the problem fantasy owners will have with Kitna all season -- his proneness to turnovers. ... Joey Galloway has three catches for 59 yards for the Buccaneers. I'm sure he'd love to stick it to his old team.
» Three game-winning field goals in a row -- one from Jason Elam, one from Mason Crosby and one from Shaun Suisham. ... Almost a sick play from the Dolphins-Redskins game -- Jason Campbell throws a Hail Mary, a Dolphins defender bats it to Antwaan Randle El, who catches it and is tackled at the 1-yard line. Randle El has 162 receiving yards. ... Chris Brown finished with 175 yards on 19 carries against Jacksonville, and I guarantee almost no one out there started him. Sometimes the matchups work -- sometimes they don't.
» Larry Johnson finished with 10 carries for 43 yards. He needs to see a lot more work if the Chiefs have any chance to win this season. ... Looks like Chad Pennington is done for the afternoon. He finished with 167 yards, two touchdowns and one sore ankle. ... Adrian Peterson finished with 163 all-purpose yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. He'll be a beast if Chester Taylor is out for an extended period. Joey Harrington had the same number of touchdowns as I did (0) -- it's going to be a long season for the Falcons.
» The Patriots got down to the Jets' 1-yard line and took out Laurence Maroney for Heath Evans. That isn't a good sign. ... Jake Delhomme has three touchdown passes -- two of them to Drew Carter. He'll be a hot wideout off waivers next week. ... Marc Bulger has been a serious disapointment. He has just 103 yards and one touchdown with nine minutes left against Carolina. The O-line isn't helping him, either.
» Joey Harrington just completed a pass, but it was to Minnesota DB Antoine Winfield. The veteran cornerback ran it back for the Vikes' second defensive touchdown. ... Lee Evans has two receptions for five yards. No Buffalo wideout has more than 37 yards against Denver -- and Buffalo is winning! ... Chris Brown now has 144 rushing yards against Jacksonville. Unreal. ... Ben Roethlisberger has 144 passing yards -- and four touchdowns! He just tossed a 22-yard score to Heath Miller.
» Adrian Peterson just caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Tarvaris Jackson. The rookie now has 146 all-purpose yards and a score. What's that odor coming from out of the Metrodome you ask? That's the Falcons. ... The Browns have scored a touchdown! Derek Anderson on a 1-yard pass to Lawrence Vickers. That could be the most useless touchdown of the fantasy season. ... Chris Brown has 120 rushing yards for Tennessee, while LenDale White has 38 yards on 13 carries. That's a situation for fantasy owners to watch. It's a shock that Jacksonville's defense is so bad vs. the run.
» Vince Young scored his first touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run. ... Laveranues Coles now has two touchdowns against the Pats -- he just caught a 1-yard score from Chad Pennington. ... Marshawn Lynch just broke off a 23-yard touchdown run against Denver. This kid is the real deal. He's closing in a 100 all-purpose yards. ... Ben Roethlisberger has three touchdown passes, and the Steelers are killing Cleveland 24-0. Talk around the office has the Browns demoted to an Arena League team.
» Reggie Brown doesn't have a catch for the Eagles. ... Steven Jackson has 57 all-purpose yards and two fumbles. ... Chad Pennington is back in the game for the Jets. His injury looked really bad, but it seems like he rubbed some dirt on it. ... Steve Smith caught a 68-yard touchdown from Jake Delhomme to make it 14-13 Carolina. He now has five catches for 92 yards. Delhomme has tossed two scores and has 143 yards through the air.
» The Patriots are killing the Jets -- Randy Moss just scored on a 51-yard pass from Tom Brady to make it 28-7. Moss now has six catches for 157 yards and a score. So much for that injured hamstring. ... DeAngelo Williams has seven yards on three carries, and he just fumbled against St. Louis. ... Bills TE Kevin Everett was taken off the field in an ambulance. Let's hope he's OK. ... Looking at the scores around the league, Gil Brandt was 100 percent right. The defenses have the advantage in Week 1.
» The Kellen Clemens era might have just begun in New York -- Chad Pennington hobbled off the field with what could be a really bad ankle injury. ... Clinton Portis just scored a touchdown on a 19-yard run -- he has 48 yards on 10 carries and has seen more work than Ladell Betts. ... Mario Williams returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Texans defense was a great sleeper this week. The Chiefs look terrible. ... Ellis Hobbs just took a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. Great news for fantasy owners who have the Patriots defense. It's the longest kickoff return in NFL history.
» Josh Scobee is back for Jacksonville. He kicked a 22-yard field goal against Tennessee. The Jaguars can't run the ball -- Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor have a combined 7 rushing yards on seven carries. ... Derek Anderson is under center for the Browns, as Romeo Crennell pulled Charlie Frye. Like I said before, where's Brady Quinn? ... Orlando Pace was injured in the second quarter -- that's not good news for the Rams' O-line.
» Donovan McNabb to Jason Avant for a 9-yard touchdown. Eagles and Packers now tied at 10-10. ... Touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Ben Watson -- five Patriots now have at least one reception. Randy Moss leads the team with 87 yards. ... The Redskins' run defense was awful at home last season, but we're not in 2006 anymore. Ronnie Brown has six carries for 9 yards, and he's losing work to Jesse Chatman of all people. More important, Miami is inside the 5-yard line and Brown is on the sidelines. ... Trent Green to Justin Peelle for a touchdown -- Miami takes the lead.
» Matt Schaub just hit Andre Johnson for a 77-yard touchdown. Where was Champ Bailey or Dre' Bly? Schaub is 8 of 12 for 152 yards in the first half. ... Big catch from Randy Moss -- he looks weird in that Patriots uniform. .. Al Harris returned to the sidelines for the Packers. ... DeAngelo Williams has one carry for minus-1 yards. Yuck. DeShaun Foster has five carries for 45 yards and one catch for 7 yards. .. Jon Janson has a dislocated ankle -- that sounds painful.
» OK, the Geico ads with the dolls is creepy, man. I think I'm watching too much Ghost Hunters on SciFi! ... Five carries, 21 yards for Larry Johnson. The Chiefs-Texans game is at 3-0. ... J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! Chad Pennington to Laveranues Coles on a 7-yard touchdown pass. Eric Mangini is doing another masterful job -- Jets and Pats tied at 7-7.
» Chester Taylor has an injured hip -- his return is questionable. Adrian Peterson could have huge numbers if Taylor missed the remainder of the contest. ... Jesse Chatman was looking good for Miami -- until he lost a fumble. ... Travis Henry has 50 yards on nine carries, but the Broncos are down 7-3.
» Al Harris just got taken to the locker room on a cart. That could be good news for the production of Dononvan McNabb and the Eagles receivers. So far McNabb is 3 of 6 with an interception. ... Ben Roethlisberger now has two touchdown passes -- his second went to Santonio Holmes. The Browns look awful. Where's Brady Quinn? ... Jon Jansen is coming off the field on a cart -- not good news for the Redskins' offensive line. ... Hail to Shaun Suisham! He just connected on a 31-yard field goal.
» Three carries, 6 yards for Jamal Lewis -- and the Browns are down 10-0. So much for his debut with Cleveland. ... Chester Taylor is down for the Vikes. We'll see what happens -- hopefully it's not serious. ... David Garrard to John Broussard -- incredible catch for a touchdown. .. Ladell Betts just broke off a nice run for the Skins. He and Portis are sharing the load.
» Chiefs rookie Justin Medlock just missed a chip-shot field goal by a mile. Nick Lowery, anyone? I have to give it to Jim Nantz and Adam Schefter -- both of them told me Wes Welker was going to be a fantasy sleeper. He just scored for the Patriots. ... Touchdown Torry Holt! What knee injury? Marc Bulger is going to throw for 250-plus yards and two touchdowns in this one. Could be a shootout in St. Louis.
» Laurence Maroney looks awesome against the Jets. I love this kid -- he'll rush for 1,400 yards if he avoids injuries. ... Travis Henry has 30 yards on three carries. Think he's a little motivated to bash the Bills? ... Clinton Portis looks good -- he just made a hard cut into the line of scrimmage without issues. ... Joey Harrington throws an interception that's returned for a touchdown -- shocker!
» Leon Washington started ahead of Thomas Jones in a five-receiver set, but Jones was in on the second snap. ... Hines Ward scores the first touchdown of the afternoon. He continues to kill the Browns. Drew Carter just scored for the Panthers -- the Rams pass defense looks terrible.
» If you have Josh Scobee, you might want to pick up an alternate kicker now. Reports indicate he hurt himself in pregame warmups. Punter Adam Podlesh would kick if Scobee is out.
» The top inactives on the day are Drew Bennett, Greg Jennings and Vernand Morency. Clinton Portis will start, but reports out of Washington indicate he could see fewer carries than Ladell Betts. Start Portis with caution. Also, it looks like Larry Johnson will see somewhere around 20 carries against Houston, so make sure he's active. Thomas Jones will start for the Jets, but he's not 100 percent and has a tough matchup against New England.
