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Hi Folks,
Here's how I see the Passing Game Matchups this week. PLEASE NOTE: See the cheatsheets online at www.footballguys.com for exactly where I rank players and to determine who to start. I always receive emails asking me how I can have a guy ranked highly on the cheatsheet but listed under a matchup that favors the Defense. Just because one matchup may be more favorable than another, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd start the player with the best matchup. Peyton Manning may have a horrible matchup one week but unless you're sitting on Kurt Warner or Daunte Culpepper, Manning's your guy no matter who he's lining up against. The matchup info is meant to be just one more tool in your box when it comes to deciding between players. Note: I've used the player stats sorted by performance over the last four weeks extensively in developing these write-ups. Stats are provided by Mike Hall's excellent FLM League Management Software. http://www.fflm.com/ for more info. The points scored by position data is from our Footballguy Clayton Gray. The Target and Redzone Data is from our Footballguy Andy Hicks. Let's get to it. Joe /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Passing Game Matchups to Avoid and Exploit Locks: These games feature Defenses that should be overmatched against the Offense. Arizona Passing Game vs Detroit Defense If you're going to roll the dice on Jake Plummer, this is the week against the Lions who rank # 23 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. The Lions rank # 31 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 25 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. WR David Boston is a bonafide All Pro and is worthy of starting in any league, even with Plummer. Denver Passing Game vs Washington Defense QB Brian Griese gets healthy and now finds himself with no WRs to throw to. Eddie Kennison suffered a brain cramp last week and retired / unretired / was cut. He didn't contribute much anyways but with Rod Smith hobbled with an ankle injury, the Broncos are dangerously thin. Smith says he'll play though. TE Desmond Clark and Dwayne Carswell could see more action. The Redskin defense is awful ranking # 31 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks so you have to like the matchup. Indianapolis Passing Game vs New Orleans Defense Peyton Manning looks like he'll be ready to go, broken jaw and all. They'll need him as Edgerrin James looks to be done for the year. I'd expect you'll see Manning lean heavily on Marvin Harrison to carry the load. Jerome Pathon re-aggravated his foot and may not even play this week. Reggie Wayne and Terrence Wilkins will be the other WRs. New Orleans ranks # 29 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks so they're very beatable. For the year, they rank # 20 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 23 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. New Orleans Passing Game vs Indianapolis Defense QB Aaron Brooks finally played like we all were expecting last week. With 347 yards and 2 TDs (plus another sure TD dropped by Ricky Williams), let's hope this is what Brooks needed to get going. WRs Joe Horn and Willie Jackson looked great and should continue to roll. Indianapolis ranks # 28 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks so they shouldn't present too much of a problem. New York Giants Passing Game vs Minnesota Defense QB Kerry Collins will likely be thinking of last year's NFC Championship game where he toasted the Vikings. It could happen again as the Giants are rolling while Minnesota is struggling. WRs Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Joe Jurevicius will see action. The Giants are a run first team but that opens the pass as teams focus on stopping Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber. The Vikings rank # 21 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. San Francisco Passing Game vs Carolina Defense QB Jeff Garcia and WR Terrell Owens are no brainer starts against the AFC Pro Bowl Team so I think they'll probably warrant starts against the Panther defense that ranks # 26 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. WR Tai Streets is worth a gamble as is our favorite Yale grad, TE Eric Johnson. Greg Clark hasn't been healthy in years it seems. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Prime Matchups: These games feature Defenses that should have trouble stopping the Offense. Baltimore Passing Game vs Cleveland Defense Elvis Grbac looks to be taking a step backwards as he looked uncomfortable in the pocket last week. Look for the Ravens to run the ball to take pressure off the passing game. This is a good matchup for Baltimore as the Browns rank # 25 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Qadry Ismail was the big WR last week with 129 yards and a TD. Brandon Stokely is in the WR mix as well as the up and down Travis Taylor. TE Shannon Sharpe is always a threat. Cincinnati Passing Game vs Tennessee Defense The strength of this team is Corey Dillon and running the ball. Kitna threw 48 passes last week and that won't continue. With T.J. Houshmandzadeh becoming a factor, the Bengals are getting back to the 3 WR sets that were effective before Chad Johnson was injured. That's a big plus. The Titans rank # 30 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks so they're definitely vulnerable. For the year, Tennessee ranks # 27 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 30 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. Detroit Passing Game vs Arizona Defense Charlie Batch is throwing the ball a lot and that's just fine for his owners. The problem is he doesn't have many guys who can catch it. Lamont Warren and Corey Schlesinger caught more passes than WR Johnnie Morton last week. That needs to change. The Cardinals rank # 11 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks but they're not that good. For the year, they rank # 23 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 21 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. Green Bay Passing Game vs Atlanta Defense Favre's playing as well as ever. Start him. I'd start both Antonio Freeman and Billy Schroeder as well. Having Schroeder back clearly is a big plus for Favre. TE Bubba Franks is always worth a shot as well. The Falcons rank # 10 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks so they're no pushover. Although that's an improvement from where the Falcons have been. For the year, they still rank # 30 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 31 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. I'd feel good about all the Packers here. Oakland Passing Game vs San Diego Defense Rich Gannon put together another solid game throwing for 257 yards and 2 TDs. With guys like Tim Brown and Jerry Rice to throw to, that doesn't hurt your chances. He'll be facing a Charger Defense that's struggled a bit and now ranks # 20 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Safety Rodney Harrison will likely miss this week and that hurts. Pittsburgh Passing Game vs Jacksonville Defense This team is about Jerome Bettis and running the football but part of Bettis' success has to be attributed to the revival of the passing game. Stewart offers enough of a threat that defenses must honor the pass. Hines Ward is productive but he's about the only player from the passing game I can see starting in your league. It is enticing this week though as the Jaguars rank just # 24 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. St. Louis Passing Game vs New England Defense QB Kurt Warner's thumb responded well to treatment this week and looks good to go. That's bad news for Patriot fans. The New England Defense ranks # 19 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are must starts every week even against a giant killer team like New England. Marshall Faulk is back in full swing and he'll be a major part of the passing game again. Tampa Bay Passing Game vs Chicago Defense QB Brad Johnson is starting to feel the comfort zone it seems although he's still dinking and dunking the ball (5.22 yards per attempt last week) It's basically Johnson (Brad) throwing to Johnson (Keyshawn) The Bears are not nearly as tough defending the pass as they are the run. They rank # 27 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Could be a good matchup. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Even Matchups: These games feature no real advantage either way Buffalo Passing Game vs Seattle Defense Alex Van Pelt takes over and that could be a spark the Bills need. WRs Peerless Price and Eric Moulds should be more involved. Or on the other hand, maybe we'll find Rob Johnson wasn't as bad as his OL made him look. We'll see. Van Pelt probably isn't a starting QB anywhere (his last start was in 1997) but he might be worth a shot if you're desperate. Seattle is an average defense ranked # 12 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. But for the year, they rank # 29 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 24 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. Cleveland Passing Game vs Baltimore Defense QB Tim Couch spread the offense out to beat Baltimore earlier this year and I'd look for them to employ a similar tactic this week. He's steady. WR Kevin Johnson is clearly still his primary target. The Ravens are tough on the run defense but rank # 22 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. For the year, they rank # 12 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 10 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. Tough matchup but don't count out Couch. Dallas Passing Game vs Philadelphia Defense Leaf started his Dallas career with an unremarkable 14 of 22 for 114 yard day. 1 TD and 1 Int. I guess it could have been worse. He'll have another week of practice under the belt. The Eagles are pretty average lately on defense ranking # 13 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. For the year, they're tough though ranking # 3 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 4 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. This doesn't look promising for Leaf or WRs Joey Galloway / Raghib Ismail although both are big play guys and it only takes a few seconds for them to make your weekend. They will have a speed advantage over the more physical Eagle Corners. New York Jets Passing Game vs Miami Defense Vinnie Testeverde looks to have his exciting rookie WR, Santana Moss available for his debut game this week. Could be interesting as Dolphin Cornerback Sam Madison is injured and Moss could make things interesting if the Jets turn him loose. Wayne Chrebet may be limited with a bad shoulder. Laveranues Coles has been up and down. The Dolphins rank # 14 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks but clearly, will miss Madison. Philadelphia Passing Game vs Dallas Defense Donovan McNabb continues his outstanding play. WR James Thrash has clearly identified himself as the prime WR over Todd Pinkston. Young Freddie Mitchell is coming on strong too. The Cowboys are pretty tough on defense ranking # 7 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Although for the year, they rank # 19 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 19 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. This team may decide to keep it on the ground though given the huge success they had running the ball last week with Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter. Tennessee Passing Game vs Cincinnati Defense Steve McNair sat out of Thursday's practice nursing his bad hand. His status for Sunday isn't clear yet. Although he's normally a question mark each week. His # 1 target, TE Frank Wycheck is hobbling too with an ankle but hopes to be ready by Sunday. WRs Kevin Dyson and Derrick Mason are playing well lately. The Bengals are average ranking # 15 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. For the year, they rank # 24 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 22 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. K eep an eye on McNair's hand here. Washington Passing Game vs Denver Defense I'll admit to being surprised at the success Tony Banks has had but you have to give the guy his due. He's stretching the defenses and making good reads. And WRs Michael Westbrook and Rod Gardner seem to play hard for him. They'll face a Denver Defense ranked # 16 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Denver held Doug Flutie in check last week so that's some worry. TE Stephen is still looking very iffy for Sunday. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Downside Matchups: These games feature a Defense that could pose trouble for the Offense. Atlanta Passing Game vs Green Bay Defense QB Chris Chandler was able to practice Thursday and that's great news. The Falcons struggled without him. WR Shawn Jefferson led all receivers last week - with 2 catches. Ouch. Hopefully, with Chandler back, Jefferson, Terence Mathis and Tony Martin will do better. On the flip side, Chandler is his usual one shot away from the bench. It won't be easy though against a tough Packer defense that ranks # 8 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Carolina Passing Game vs San Francisco Defense Ugliness all around here. George Seifert has to look across at those 49er uniforms and wonder how it came to this. QB Chris Weinke is reportedly looking pretty good in practice but coach Seifert was reluctant to name him the starter. If he can't go, Matt Lytle will start. WR Muhsin Muhammad and TE Wesley Walls are maybe worth the gamble but their stock is certainly slipping with the QB play. San Francisco is ranked # 18 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Chicago Passing Game vs Tampa Bay Defense Look for QB Jim Miller to keep it pretty conservative in the passing scheme. Tampa ranks # 5 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. The Bears want to run Anthony Thomas and throw enough to keep the Bucs off balance. When they do throw, look for multiple WR sets as they work rookie David Terrell into the mix with Marty Booker and Dez White. Minnesota Passing Game vs New York Giants Defense With the Vikings running game in disarray, look for them to air it out against a tough New York Defense. QB Daunte Culpepper will have his work cut out for him against the Giant defense ranked # 6 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. Like Kerry Collins, you can bet he'll be thinking of the NFC Championship game from a year ago where his team fell apart. Randy Moss and Cris Carter are starters in most leagues just on potential alone. TE Byron Chamberlain could be a factor as well. New England Passing Game vs St. Louis Defense QB Drew Bledsoe proclaimed himself ready to start but Tom Brady gets the nod again this week. No promises for next week but it'll be hard to keep Bledsoe's salary on the bench. We'll see. Brady's been solid. WRs Troy Brown and David Patten need to re-engage and become a bigger part of the offense. The Rams are tough ranking # 4 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. San Diego Passing Game vs Oakland Defense Is the "Flutie Magic" wearing off? He certainly looked mortal last week. This week, he'll be without TE Freddie Jones. Even though Jones wasn't being utilized much, he was still a nice outlet. Tim Dwight is still out with a collapsed lung so that leaves WRs Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham to carry the load. Both are capable. Oakland's Charles Woodson may be limited with a bad foot and that'll help. The Raiders rank # # 9 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. They rank # 21in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs and # 12 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. Seattle Passing Game vs Buffalo Defense Matt Hasselbeck offered a glimmer of hope last week and hopes to build on that success. As long as Shaun Alexander is running wild, Hasselbeck certainly has a chance with the play action pass. Darrell Jackson in particular is looking better and Koren Robinson will work against a tough set of Cornerbacks. The Bills rank # 2 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks and have 16 sacks over the last 4 games so this will be no cakewalk. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Defensive Slam Dunks: These games feature a very tough Defense posing major problems for the Offense. Jacksonville Passing Game vs Pittsburgh Defense Mark Brunell and crew will have their work cut out for them as they face a much better Steeler team than they saw in week 1. The Steelers rank # 3 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks. WRs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell both scored last week and continue to put up quality numbers. The Steelers will throw Cornerbacks Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott who are very solid. Plus, the defense has recorded 23 sacks over the last 4 weeks. Tough matchup. Miami Passing Game vs New York Jets Defense QB Jay Fiedler quietly put a very nice game together last week with 259 yards and 2 TDs. His WRs are solid and our guy Chris Chambers had a breakout game with 2 TDs. Oronde Gadsden is quietly putting together a nice season. The Jets rank # 1 in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game over the last four weeks though so it'll likely be tough. They rank # 4 in Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs for the year and # 8 in Fantasy Points Allowed to WRs. I'd look for the Dolphins to try and exploit their much softer run defense. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Bryant Analytics, Inc. All Rights Reserved 1999-2001 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: cheatsheets-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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