Jeff Garcia- Filling in for the injured McNabb, Garcia once again looked like he was back in his days at San Francisco. He's been one of the hottest QBs in football right now, and despite throwing his first interception of the season, he once again posted good numbers. Garcia finished the day 19 for 28 with 237, 1 TD, and that first interception. What made the day even more impressive was that he was playing the entire game with an injury to his throwing hand. Garcia will face his toughest test so far this season when the Eagles take on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
Brian Westbrook- Since McNabb went down, the Eagles have made a greater effort to run the ball. Westbrook has greatly benefited as he now gets close to 20 carries a game. He finished with his first multi touchdown game since week 3 while running for 97 yards and posting 40 more in receiving. The Eagles didn't have many big plays, and Westbrook was clearly the focal point. The only thing to watch is that Correll Buckhalter is now receiving more carries and could steal some goal line work.
Jason Campbell- While other QBs starting for the first time are making headlines, Jason Campbell is quietly doing a very impressive job in Washington. Although his 13 for 28 was his least accurate performance of the year, he still threw for 204 yards and a TD. Campbell has the skills to be a very good QB in this league. He can throw the deep ball almost as well as anyone in the league now. With all of his weapons on offense, he'd be a nice sleeper pick for next season.
Ladell Betts- The one player making a Larry Johnson like impact down the stretch this season is Redskins RB Ladell Betts. Since Clinton Portis went down with injury, Betts has put together four consecutive 100 yard performances. On Sunday against the Saints, Betts had 22 carries for 119 yards and also had 43 yards in the passing game. The only complaint you could have with Betts is that he doesn't score TDs. While he's clearly capable to score inside the redzone, the problem has been that the Joe Gibbs has almost no idea how to call plays inside the 20. Expect a strong finish to the season against the Rams and Giants.
Rex Grossman- Just when you're about to stick a fork him he lingers around and makes a resurgence. Two weeks ago Grossman was playing for his job, and now he is the first Bears QB to top 300 yards passing in 4 years (which is shockingly easier to do when you play an extra defense against a poor defense). Grossman finished 29 for 44 with 339 yards and 2 TDs. Most likely anyone that had Grossman jumped ship or is out of the playoffs so this game may not have caused fantasy waves across the land. In what most likely be his last start of the regular season, Grossman takes on Detroit next week.Thomas Jones/Cedric Benson- It was supposed to be a huge day for Benson with the Thomas Jones injury, but it turned out to be just a solid game for both backs. Jones, who was bothered by injury all week, had 17 carries for 68 yards and a score before giving way to Benson late. While Benson ran the ball he had 13 carries for 53 yards and a TD. If you started either one, you can't be upset with what they did. I'd expect Benson to get more carries next week considering Jones is a little banged up, and the Bears have now clinched home field.
Brett Favre- Quite an ugly day for our friend Mr. Favre. It was supposed to be a great day for him against the Lions, but it was quite the contrary. Favre finished an awful 20 for 37 with 174 yards and 3 INTs. He most likely killed several fantasy seasons with such a performance. The remarkable aspect of it all was that the Packers still won the game as a result of poor quarterback play on the other sideline. If you somehow survived this matchup with Favre, he will face an enticing matchup with Minnesota coming to Green Bay on Thursday. It could be Favre's last home game, so a bounce back will be in order. The Packers have shown some improvement this season, and with Dan Marino's TD record looking out of reach in these next two weeks, I expect Favre to be back next season.
Tarvarias Jackson- Every time I've seen Jackson play this season I've come away impressed. In relief of Brad Johnson, Jackson was 14 for 23 with 177 yards, 1 TD, and an INT. Jackson is an athletic beast, who could become a very good quarterback in this league. The Vikings would love to give Jackson a look over the last two games, but with the short week because of the Thursday game, I'd have to guess that Johnson will start again this week. Jackson is the best QB on the roster, but like he said earlier in the season, he may not be ready to start, especially with such little time to prepare.
Reggie Bush- The entire Saints offense looked out of synch as the backed their way into the division title with a loss to Washington. The Redskins were able to do what no team had done all season to the explosive players on offense for New Orlenas. Bush had a very subpar game with only 33 total yards. This is a clear reminder of how risky a play Bush truly is. While he will often have big days like the previous two weeks, a game like this will always be unpredictably sprinkled in there.
Chris Weinke- Coming off his monster 61 pass 423 yard performance, Weinke was asked to do a lot less as the Pantheres were absolutely embarrassed at home. He finished the day 18 for 28 with 170 yards passing and an INT. Clearly, the loss of Jake Delhomme has hurt the entire Carolina offense, specifically Steve Smith who only had 56 yards receiving. As long as Delhomme is not the QB, the non stars such as Keyshawn Johnson and DeShaun Foster become shaky fantasy starts.
Tim Rattay- Last week it was Artose Pinner, this week it's Tim Rattay. Who knows who I'll be writing about next week? The Bruce Gradkowski era came to an end in Tampa when he was puled early in the game. In his relief, Rattay led Tampa to an inspired comeback that almost ended with a win in Chicago. Rattay is clearly the better passer than Gradkowski as he had 268 yards, 3 TDs, and an INT. Rattay will start next week against Cleveland, and with him at QB it gives the entire offense a boost.
Steven Jackson- It was another huge day for one of the emerging young stars in the NFL. The Raiders did a very nice job against the Rams passing offense, but the Rams showed they could just rely on Jackson for the win as he had 31 carries for 127 yards and 2 TDs. Oddly enough, it was the first time all year he did not have a catch. Jackson has been on fire virtually all season long, and he should have another huge day next week against Washington.
-David Cassilo
Contact at ashuhouse@aol.com
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