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Back-up center lost for season

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,Injury Reports by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 11:56 pm

Chukky Okobi ruptured a disk in his neck Tuesday at practice.  The injury could be career-threatening.

Rookie QB Jacobs in jeopardy

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,This Weeks Breaking News by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 4:55 pm

Omar Jacobs is in jeopardy of being cut. He still is throwing side-arm and is having trouble taking the snap under center after operating from a shot-gun formation in college.

Fantasy Kicker Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 3:42 pm

Bye Weeks () 

 1. Adam Vinatieri, Colts  (6)  Vinatieri is Mr.Clutch, and for that he becomes the kicker for the best offense in the NFL.

 2. Jeff Wilkins, Rams (7)  Wilkins is a dominant kicker every so often, and he will be one this season.

 3. Shayne Graham, Bengals (5)  Has increased his points scored 4 straight seasons, and scored 131 pts. last season.

 4. Mike Vanderjagt, Cowboys (3)  Is the most accurate kicker in NFL history.  Should be a weapon for Cowboys.

 5. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (9)  Set NFL record last season making 40 FGs.  Cards offense will score more TDs this season.

 6. Jason Elam, Broncos (4)  Mr. Reliable.  He always puts up points, and gets a few long ones at Mile High.

 7. David Akers, Eagles (9)  Offense will need him more without a big-time receiver.  He’s healthy and ready to rebound.

 8. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (3)  Has a strong leg and might need it with Rivers replacing Brees.

 9. Matt Bryant, Buccaneers (4) He’s a sleeper here, as the Bucs offense should improve this year.  He makes some long ones.

10. Jay Feely, Giants (4)  Led the NFL in kicker points (148) last season, and it wasn’t a fluke.

11. Josh Brown, Seahawks (5)  Brown is a solid kicker, with a solid offense.

12. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (6)  Kicking inside should help him, and he hit alot of long field goals anyway.

13. Steve Gostkowski, Patriots (6)  He’s a rookie, but he’s also on a good offensive team.  Can he handle the pressure?

14. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders (3)  He has superb league strength and the Raiders should be a little better on offense.

15. Lester Tynes, Chiefs (3)  Had a good season last year, but have to wait and see what Edwards’ offense looks like.

16. Olindo Mare, Dolphins (8)  Marlins won’t make the playoffs, so he should be ok.

17. Matt Stover, Ravens (7)  Getting a little long in tooth, but still accurate.

18. Rian Lindell, Bills (8)  One of the best offensive weapons on the Bills, what does that tell you?

19. Jeff Reed, Steelers (4)  Not very accurate, and questions all over the offense.

20. Jason Hanson, Lions (8)  He could be a sleeper with Mike Martz running the offense in Detroit.

21. Mike Nugent, Jets (9)  The Jets offense could be bad, real bad.

22. John Hall, Redskins (8)  Could shoot up the list if he could stay healthy….hasn’t been for two years in a row.

23. John Kasay, Panthers (9)  Getting a little old and has had some injuries recently.

24. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (6)  Can hit the long one, but isn’t an accurate kicker overall.

25. Rob Bironas, Titans (7)  Is a good kicker that will improve as much as the Titans offense improves.

26. John Carney, Saints (7)  Still accurate at 42 years old, but can’t hit the deep ones anymore.

27. Phil Dawson, Browns (6)  A good kicker that would move up this list if the offense improves.

28. Kris Brown, Texans (5)  Brown is not very accurate, and the Texans have not been very good on offense.

29. Joe Nedney, 49ers (7)  Only missed two kicks all of last season…..needs more opportunities.

30. Robbie Gould, Bears (7)  Not very accurate and currently in a battle for his job.

31. Billy Cundiff, Packers (6)  Has been bouncing around for a while.  Not much upside here.

32. Tony Yelk, Falcons (5)  Rookie trying to win a job on an offense that doesn’t light up the scoreboard.

QB Rankings Bye Weeks ()

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 7 August 2006 at 8:38 pm

 1. Peyton Manning, Colts.  (6)   This is a no-brainer.  The greatest fantasy QB of his time.

 2. Tom Brady, Patriots (6)   The greatest QB of his time.  Spreads the ball around, and always puts up numbers.

 3.  Trent Green, Chiefs (3)  Green has put up three straight 4,000 yards passing season together.  Under-rated.

 4. Carson Palmer, Bengals (5)  Knee is a huge question mark.  Has alot of weapons in the passing game.

 5. Eli Manning, Giants (4)  Manning started to emerge from brothers’ shadow.  Has a good supporting cast.

 6. Marc Bulger, Rams (7)  Only needs to stay healthy to lead the greatest show on turf.

 7. Duante Culpepper, Dolphins (8)  Huge risk/reward pick.  Has a huge arm, but can Chambers imitate Moss?

 8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (9)  Probably would have ranked higher if he had at least one good receiver.

 9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (5)  Injury to Darrell Jackson hurts.  Plus Shaun Alexander will get his carries.

10. Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys (3)  If T.O. behaves, this is too low for Bledsoe.  T.O. always makes his QB better.

11. Brett Favre, Packers (6)  Running backs look healthy, which will put less pressure on him to win game himself.

12. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (9)  Warner would be higher on this list if he weren’t so brittle.  Risk/Reward pick.

13. Drew Brees, Saints (7)  Always scared of injured throwing shoulders, but he has a good supporting cast.

14. Aaron Brooks, Raiders (3)  Hard to hold last season against any Saint.  Will thrive throwing ball to Randy Moss.

15. Jake Delhomme, Panthers (9)  Better in real football than fantasy football.

16. Jake Plummer, Broncos (4)  Will he feel the heat with Jay Cutler around?  If not he’ll be ok.

17. David Carr, Texans (5)  Has shown improvement the last two seasons, and now he has Eric Moulds.

18. Billy Volek, Titans (7)  Volek has been a superb back-up, and now he gets the keys to the car for a season.

19. Steve McNair, Ravens (7)  McNair is only this far down the list because he’s brittle.  Reunited with Mason will help.

20. Philip Rivers, Chargers (3)  Risk/Reward pick.  Not much experience, but a very good supporting cast.

21. Mark Brunell, Redskins (8)  Nice supporting group, but injury prone and old.

22. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (4)  Lots of questions.  Will he be ok or gun shy?  Steelers run alot and that hurts him.

23. Jon Kitna, Lions (8)  If he wins the job, he could put up huge numbers with Mike Martz calling the plays.

24. Chris Simms, Buccaneers (4)  For first time since high-school, he’s the best QB on his team.

25. Brad Johnson, Vikings (6)  38 year old QB that likes the short pass.  Will he last a whole season?

26. Michael Vick, Falcons (5)  Vick is the most electrifying QB in the league.  But his 150 yards passing won’t help you.

27. Byron Leftwich, Jaguars (6)  He has never played a complete season, and his receiving corps is downright awful.

28. Chad Pennington, Jets (9)  Pennington is a good QB when he plays….which isn’t very often.

29. Charlie Frye, Browns (6)  Looked ok in his brief trial at the end of the season.  Having Edwards and Winslow will help.

30. Kelly Holcomb, Bills (8)  He should win the job, but if you draft a Bills QB…you need your head examined.

31. Rex Grossman, Bears (7)  Look up the word “brittle” in the dictionary and you’ll see Rex Grossman’s face.

32. Alex Smith, 49ers (7)  He’s got a long way to go to be an average QB.

33. Brian Griese, Bears (7)  Sure to start some games, the only question is when.

34. Matt Leinhart, Cardinals (9)  Leinhart probably will get the keys to the explosive offense at some point.

35. Gus Frerotte, Rams (7)  Follows head-coach Scott Linehan around like a puppy.  Could see some time.

36. Josh McCown, Lions (8)  Back-up to Kitna to start the season.  Lions QB of near future.

37. Matt Schaub, Falcons (5)  Better throwing QB than starter Michael Vick.

38. David Garrard, Jaguars (6)  Plays well every season after Leftwich gets hurt.

39. Jeff Garcia, Eagles (9)  Still has a little left in the tank if McNabb goes down.

40. Patrick Ramsey, Jets (9)  QB in waiting behind Pennington.  Only a matter of time until he plays.

41. Trent Dilfer, 49ers (7)  Coach Nolan won’t let his team’s season go to waste if Smith is over-matched again.

42. Jim Sorgi, Colts (6)  Played well in limited action.  Has a super supporting cast if forced into action.

43. JP Losman, Bills (8)  Good athlete for a QB, but not a good passer.

44. Kyle Boller, Ravens (7)  Behind McNair, so he could get a chance.  Played well last December.

45. Joey Harrington, Dolphins (8)  Could get playing time in Miami, but that was never an issue in Detroit.

46. Anthony Wright, Bengals (5)  Wright is a good athlete and the Bengals have good receivers…but, Wright is not a good passer.

47. Vince Young, Titans (7)  If the Titans throw him to the wolves, he will get chewed up and spit out.

48. Jay Cutler, Broncos (4)  Cutler’s year will be next season.

49. Sage Rosenfels, Texans (5)  Not very productive in limited chances.

50. Charlie Batch, Steelers (4)  Running team, but if Big Ben’s head hurts he might get forced into action.

51.  Chris Weinke, Panthers (9)  Had his chance, and then the Panthers signed Delhomme.

52. Todd Collins, Redskins (8)  Playing behind Brunell with a loaded supporting cast.

53. Damon Huard, Chiefs (3)  Chiefs would probably run alot if he were forced into action.

54. Jamie Martin, Saints (7)  Good completion % usually.  A decent back-up.

55. Jay Fiedler, Buccaneers (4)  Still hasn’t thrown a pass in camp.  Game manager that wouldn’t put up big numbers.

56. Matt Cassel, Patriots (6)  Hasn’t started a real game since high school.

57. A.J. Feeley, Chargers (3)  If you have a penalty for pick-offs, don’t say this name.

58. Andrew Walter, Raiders (3)  Hasn’t played a down, but has good receivers.

59. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (6)  The fact that the Packers drafted a QB speaks volumes.

60. Tim Hasselbeck, Giants (4)  Giants have a good supporting cast, but Hasselbeck hasn’t proved he could take advantage of that.

61. Ken Dorsey, Browns (6)  Trying to hold off Derek Anderson for back-up job.

62. Seneca Wallace, Seahawks (5)  Not a good passer.

63.  Tony Romo, Cowboys (3)  No experience…..scary.

64. Mike McMahon, Vikings (6)  Good runner, but the worst throwing QB in the league.

Offensive Tackle Barrett Brooks arrested

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,This Weeks Breaking News by ravenhater on Sunday 6 August 2006 at 12:51 pm

Barrett Brooks was arrested early Sunday morning after fleeing police on a motorcycle.  He will face several charges including eluding police and reckless driving.  Police said Brooks was sober.

The Steelers and motorcycles don’t mix.  Maybe they should start putting “no motorcycle riding” in future contracts.

Heath Miller looking to build on good rookie season

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Saturday 5 August 2006 at 6:05 pm

Heath Miller does it all.  He’s a willing blocker, has good hands and has the speed to get deep.  The sky is the limit for him as a football player as he is just scratching the surface of his huge potential.  Miller played in 16 games as a rookie (15 starts) and has caught 39 passes for 459 yards (11.8 avg) and 6 TDs.

Jerame Tuman is an average back-up.  Tuman is a good blocker in the run game.  Tuman has played in 99 games (52 starts) and has caught 35 passes for 418 yards (11.9 avg) and 5 TDs.

WR position is wide open after Ward

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Friday 4 August 2006 at 9:23 am

Hines Ward is a true #1 receiver on a team that prefers to run.  Ward also is the best blocking receiver in the league, almost bordering dirty play at times.  Ward is as tough as they come and doesn’t back down from anyone.  He doesn’t have elite speed, but he knows all the tricks to get open.  Ward has went over 1,000 yards receiving 4 times in his career.  Ward has played in 127 games (108 starts) and has caught 574 passes for 7,030 yards (12.2 avg) and 52 TDs.  He also has run the ball 50 times for 385 yards (7.7 ypc) and a TD.

Cedrick Wilson is the other starter at least as Training Camp opens.  He is more of a #3 type of receiver, because he also lacks deep speed and his hands are not the softest.  Wilson has played in 69 games (20 starts) and has caught 123 passes for 1,654 yards (13.4 avg) and 6 TDs.

Quincy Morgan is a speed burner but his hands are of stone.  Morgan could compete to be the #3 guy if he catches the ball more often.  Morgan has played in 79 games (52 starts) and has caught 164 passes for 2,466 yards (15.0 avg) and 17 TDs.  He also has rushed the ball 10 times for 53 yards.

Santonio Holmes and Willie Reid were drafted this season and both could make an impact.  Both have blazing speed and could be the #2 and #3 receivers when the year begins.  They are both profiled in The Draft Report on this site.

Watch the SuperBowl on Your New 50″ Plasma TV

Blogged under Front Page by leoquijano on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 4:58 pm

Register at any blog in the Blog Locker network and post regulary with us (the more often and relevant the posts, the more chance you have to win) before SuperBowl Sunday 2007 and you will be automatically entered to win a new 50″ (or bigger) Plasma TV, courtesy of Bloglockers.com.

Win a SuperBowl Plasma TV

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Steelers own the Chargers

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,If I Were a Betting Man by ravenhater on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 8:16 am

October 8th in San Diego is a good opportunity to make alot of cash on the Steelers.  The Steelers have really dominated this series against the point spread, as they are 10-1-1 ATS the last 12 meetings and have covered the last four in San Diego.  The Steelers defense will really confuse Philip Rivers and he will make a few crucial mistakes that will make the Steelers a good bet.

Reed kicks in tough conditions

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 8:12 am

Heinz Field has been a horrible place to kick, and it has for both teams so some of Reed’s misses must be forgiven.  Reed was a little shaky last year making only 6 of 11 kicks of 40+ yards.  I think his overall FG% will spike a bit upward because he should get more short attempts without the Bus around.

Reed has connected on 81.4% of his field goals for his career and has averaged 7.44 points per game.