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Sports Outlaw's Scott Henkel brings you a weekly look at the fantasy football stock exchange known as Ballin' or Fallin'.
Scott evaluates quarterbacks, runningbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, and defenses from across the NFL and lets you know if the player or team is on the rise or falling. If a player or team is Ballin' their stock is on the rise. If a player or team is Fallin' they are losing stock.
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1st Down or 4th & Forever: Vol. 1
Posted 10-12-2007 at 03:37 PM by The Ram
Alright sports fans here we are! The BEST part of the year; FOOTBALL SEASON! And with that is the ushering in of another great feature Sports Outlaw offers it’s readers,
“1st Down or 4th and Forever."
Since there are so many players to track and so little time for you to track them, we found the guy on our staff with no life at all to do all the dirty work for you. From high atop the Rocky Mountains, Sports Outlaw’s own Scott “The Ram” Henkel brings his biting commentary each and every week letting you know if that player in the news is a diamond in the rough or a fossilized piece of dinosaur poop.
Here’s the way it works:
A “1st Down” rating means this guy is either going nuts or showing signs of busting out of the straight jacket. Either way he’s someone you need to keep your eyes on in your fantasy football league or make a move on and start em’
A “4th and Forever” rating means this guy was getting some love either in the pre-season or is a one week wonder. In this case I'm urging you to treat this guy like every good coach treats the ball on 4th Down and Forever....PUNT!!
So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st Down
Runningbacks:
LaDainian Tomlinson:
I’m getting this over with so I don’t have to repeat the same paragraph each week. So go ahead and enshrine LT2 in the inaugural 1st Down Hall of Fame. Instead of a bronze bust you get a packet of almonds and a Fanta…hey Mike’s got me on a budget here! LaDanian went up against the best defense in the NFL in the Chicago Bears who made it their mission to stop the run. Mission Accomplished: LT2 only had 25 yards on the ground with a nifty td run. But like the lightning on his helmet he followed the path of least resistance and racked up another 50 yards receiving and then threw for another touchdown.
LT2 cannot be stopped. He cannot be reasoned with. He is a fantasy football scoring machine sent from the future to destroy owners with faint enough hopes to oppose him.
LaDainian Tomlinson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Travis Henry:
I hate it when I’m right. Ow wait, no I don’t! If you read Sports Outlaws Fire & Ice and you and believed the good guys you would have known to draft this guy ahead of many other running backs. He answered the critics and the mail by putting up 183 combined yards with some tough running. While he was short this week on tds, don’t expect that to happen again. I’m confident he racks up at least 5 more tds than he has kids by the end of this season.
Travis Henry…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Randy Moss:
I’m a big man when it comes to admitting I was wrong. It’s only happened once so it doesn’t hurt all that bad. So here it is; I was wrong about Randy Moss’ week 1 production. I thought he’d be in on a few big plays but most of the production would be spread throughout the rest of the wr corp. Randy was second in receptions and leads all wr’s in yardage while scoring a td. My traditional comeback would be to say it’s the Jets and he’s going to be blanketed next week. While the Jets are no Oakland or Chicago, they ain’t bad. And unless defenses are going to leave guys like Stallworth and Welker open they will be forced into playing to Moss and Brady’s strength which is read and react. If Randy can hold up physically he looks like he’s going to make it a hell of a year for Moss owners. He won’t put up 183 yards and a td per week, but I shudder to think of this season’s possibilities
Randy Moss…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Andre Johnson:
There are times when you see a performance and think to yourself, wow. This was one of those times. And for another year it appears AJ is the sole shining star for the Texans. I put a ton of credit into the thought process that skill positions depend on the competence of the surrounding cast in order to be solid. AJ has been one of the sole exceptions through pure and overpowering talent. That talent is the reason you could surround him with Pop Warner 3rd stringers and he’ll rack up hundred or near hundred yard games.
Andre Johnson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Tony Romo:
Someone once said to me, “Scott, you can either be the anvil or the hammer. You choose which.” Tony had that same choice to make after his downward spiral last season. All eyes were on him in Big D waiting to see how he’d react. The man chose to be the hammer. He had sick numbers against the Giants. Passer rating of 128.5 with 345 yards and 4 tds with only 1 pick. He’s riding high and should continue to roll as long as the major players stay healthy. And the choir in Dallas all say, “Amen, hallelujah!”
Tony Romo…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Tom Brady:
The only thing better looking than Tom’s baby-mammas was his dissection of the Jets’ defensive secondary. He looked very comfortable with his new cast of receivers and gushed about Moss in the post win interview. There is no doubt the Jets were made examples of as testament to the rest of the league that Brady and the boys are back and ready to kick some serious ass this season. As I mentioned earlier with Moss, the Pats offense will take what is given to them. Meaning if the defense is hell bent on stopping the passing game (and good luck with that) Maroney has the skills to go berserker and carry a game. The flip side is also true, so don’t expect these kind of epic performances weekly. But those will be few and far between.
Tom Brady…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:
Runningbacks:
Warrick Dunn:
Pop quiz hotshot: How long does it take Falcon’s head coach Bobby Petrino to figure out he goofed starting Dunn week 1? About 21 more carries than even the casual fan. One of the Falcon faithful summed it up with a simple formula that even I didn’t have to get my wife to help me understand….alright that’s a lie: Dunn 22/52 = 2.5 per carry < Norwood 5/33 = 6.6 per carry. I got it! Seriously, Dunn is dun…..I mean done.
Warrick Dunn…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Cedric Benson:
So the Bears send Thomas Jones packing to give this mook a shot at being the feature back and earning the money he’s getting paid. OK for one, if you’re going to draft him in the first round and pay the man that much he should be able to beat out a “journeyman” like Jones. Now, he’s the man and goes against one of the best defenses in the league and he’s still getting outdone by guys relegated to permanent back-up roles. Adrian Peterson was four yards shy of Benson’s total and with 12 fewer carries. You might say give the man a break. How about I give him a break when he gives back all those millions he got paid to put up numbers against solid defenses like he is supposed to do?
Cedric Benson…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Reggie Brown:
I thought he was hurt or something. Nope, he just got shut out. You have to be kidding me!!!! This week might have been an anomaly but it sure has me wondering if he’s more of a #2 and needs to have another threat lining up across the line. All in all the Pack came to play. But that is going to be the case every week for the Eagles. He needs to show something and in a hurry.
Reggie Brown…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Jerry Porter:
Yeah, I drank that Kool-Aid ©. I figured he’s getting at least one quarterback who can throw the ball with a coach willing to use him. And he gets almost no looks in favor for an oft-injured college qb? Where’s the love, Jerry? It is so tempting to keep him in the lineup when looking at his schedule and those two magical years. But a wise man once said, “Jerry Porter was a dumb pick.” I agree with that sage wisdom.
Jerry Porter…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Marc Bulger:
You get paid a metric crapload of money this off-season, get all of our expectations high with speculation, and THIS is the way you play?!?!? Bulger averaged 4 yards per pass attempt. Was there a ton of pressure causing this abominable average? Nope, 1 sack all day. He threw 42 times and couldn’t muster more than 167 and 1 td. And it wasn’t like they were already in the lead and wanted to control the ball ala Ben Rothlisberger in PIT. Steven Jackson got shut down, too. So that leaves me with this, “WTF?”
Marc Bulger…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Every quarterback playing on the Cleveland Browns Roster:
I knew this game was going to be ugly, but wow. This seems like a lost cause. Jamal Lewis is washed up and can’t carry a team anymore. The Browns need SOMEONE to throw the ball to “The Chosen One” and Edwards. I know the plan is to play out at least the first 3 weeks with “The Expendable Heroes” they have rotating at quarterback in the hope you don’t get your franchise’s future killed, but something’s got to give. QBBC doesn’t work in college, and it doesn’t work in the pros. Hey, I hear Byron Leftwich is available!
Cleveland QB’s…..4TH DOWN!!!!
****OFF TOPIC RANT****
The entire Jets fanbase in attendance at the Jets/Pats game:
When the hangover wears off you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Cheering a guy as he limps off the field (even though your media is defending you all saying you cheered when Clemens came in) is about as classy as Courtney Love. And just so you mouthbreathing window lickers know, Pennington had 140 passer rating and 2 tds when he got hurt. It isn’t his fault your team sucked this past Sunday and Pennington is not Tim Couch. You are now on par with the douches that threw beer bottles and batteries in Cleveland years ago. Congrats.
Cheering Jets Fans at the Game…..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Cop-Out:
If you’ve read this far you might be asking yourself, “This list is crap without Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress.” We've got some conflicting stories coming out of the Big Apple. The Giants are claiming separated shoulder and he's out for a month. If that's the case then he gets my respect and is on the 1ST DOWN list.
Eli claimed it was just bruised. If that’s the case this team is screwed if their “leader” pulls himself from a very winnable game due to a bruise. But I’m not going to bash a guy if it turns out he is hurt…I’m not a Jet’s fan. So if he’s injured, he gets the nod. If he’s hurt and the shoulder is just bruised the Giants are hopeless with him behind center. Either way I’m putting the Giants passing game under observation the rest of the season.
Plaxico’s 1st Down status hangs in the balance. While I like Lorenzen as he gives hope to all fat guys in the world thinking they are still athletes, he won’t be the same kind of qb Manning will when healthy. That affects Plaxico heavily regardless of the testicular fortitude of his quarterback.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below and don’t bring the weak sauce! If you like it, praise me for the bear trap tight logical thinker that I am. Thanks for your opinions either way. Until next week,
SEE YOU ON THE FORUMS!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
“1st Down or 4th and Forever."
Since there are so many players to track and so little time for you to track them, we found the guy on our staff with no life at all to do all the dirty work for you. From high atop the Rocky Mountains, Sports Outlaw’s own Scott “The Ram” Henkel brings his biting commentary each and every week letting you know if that player in the news is a diamond in the rough or a fossilized piece of dinosaur poop.
Here’s the way it works:
A “1st Down” rating means this guy is either going nuts or showing signs of busting out of the straight jacket. Either way he’s someone you need to keep your eyes on in your fantasy football league or make a move on and start em’A “4th and Forever” rating means this guy was getting some love either in the pre-season or is a one week wonder. In this case I'm urging you to treat this guy like every good coach treats the ball on 4th Down and Forever....PUNT!!So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st Down
Runningbacks:
LaDainian Tomlinson:
I’m getting this over with so I don’t have to repeat the same paragraph each week. So go ahead and enshrine LT2 in the inaugural 1st Down Hall of Fame. Instead of a bronze bust you get a packet of almonds and a Fanta…hey Mike’s got me on a budget here! LaDanian went up against the best defense in the NFL in the Chicago Bears who made it their mission to stop the run. Mission Accomplished: LT2 only had 25 yards on the ground with a nifty td run. But like the lightning on his helmet he followed the path of least resistance and racked up another 50 yards receiving and then threw for another touchdown.
LT2 cannot be stopped. He cannot be reasoned with. He is a fantasy football scoring machine sent from the future to destroy owners with faint enough hopes to oppose him.
LaDainian Tomlinson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Travis Henry:
I hate it when I’m right. Ow wait, no I don’t! If you read Sports Outlaws Fire & Ice and you and believed the good guys you would have known to draft this guy ahead of many other running backs. He answered the critics and the mail by putting up 183 combined yards with some tough running. While he was short this week on tds, don’t expect that to happen again. I’m confident he racks up at least 5 more tds than he has kids by the end of this season.
Travis Henry…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Randy Moss:
I’m a big man when it comes to admitting I was wrong. It’s only happened once so it doesn’t hurt all that bad. So here it is; I was wrong about Randy Moss’ week 1 production. I thought he’d be in on a few big plays but most of the production would be spread throughout the rest of the wr corp. Randy was second in receptions and leads all wr’s in yardage while scoring a td. My traditional comeback would be to say it’s the Jets and he’s going to be blanketed next week. While the Jets are no Oakland or Chicago, they ain’t bad. And unless defenses are going to leave guys like Stallworth and Welker open they will be forced into playing to Moss and Brady’s strength which is read and react. If Randy can hold up physically he looks like he’s going to make it a hell of a year for Moss owners. He won’t put up 183 yards and a td per week, but I shudder to think of this season’s possibilities
Randy Moss…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Andre Johnson:
There are times when you see a performance and think to yourself, wow. This was one of those times. And for another year it appears AJ is the sole shining star for the Texans. I put a ton of credit into the thought process that skill positions depend on the competence of the surrounding cast in order to be solid. AJ has been one of the sole exceptions through pure and overpowering talent. That talent is the reason you could surround him with Pop Warner 3rd stringers and he’ll rack up hundred or near hundred yard games.
Andre Johnson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Tony Romo:
Someone once said to me, “Scott, you can either be the anvil or the hammer. You choose which.” Tony had that same choice to make after his downward spiral last season. All eyes were on him in Big D waiting to see how he’d react. The man chose to be the hammer. He had sick numbers against the Giants. Passer rating of 128.5 with 345 yards and 4 tds with only 1 pick. He’s riding high and should continue to roll as long as the major players stay healthy. And the choir in Dallas all say, “Amen, hallelujah!”
Tony Romo…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Tom Brady:
The only thing better looking than Tom’s baby-mammas was his dissection of the Jets’ defensive secondary. He looked very comfortable with his new cast of receivers and gushed about Moss in the post win interview. There is no doubt the Jets were made examples of as testament to the rest of the league that Brady and the boys are back and ready to kick some serious ass this season. As I mentioned earlier with Moss, the Pats offense will take what is given to them. Meaning if the defense is hell bent on stopping the passing game (and good luck with that) Maroney has the skills to go berserker and carry a game. The flip side is also true, so don’t expect these kind of epic performances weekly. But those will be few and far between.
Tom Brady…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:
Runningbacks:
Warrick Dunn:
Pop quiz hotshot: How long does it take Falcon’s head coach Bobby Petrino to figure out he goofed starting Dunn week 1? About 21 more carries than even the casual fan. One of the Falcon faithful summed it up with a simple formula that even I didn’t have to get my wife to help me understand….alright that’s a lie: Dunn 22/52 = 2.5 per carry < Norwood 5/33 = 6.6 per carry. I got it! Seriously, Dunn is dun…..I mean done.
Warrick Dunn…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Cedric Benson:
So the Bears send Thomas Jones packing to give this mook a shot at being the feature back and earning the money he’s getting paid. OK for one, if you’re going to draft him in the first round and pay the man that much he should be able to beat out a “journeyman” like Jones. Now, he’s the man and goes against one of the best defenses in the league and he’s still getting outdone by guys relegated to permanent back-up roles. Adrian Peterson was four yards shy of Benson’s total and with 12 fewer carries. You might say give the man a break. How about I give him a break when he gives back all those millions he got paid to put up numbers against solid defenses like he is supposed to do?
Cedric Benson…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Reggie Brown:
I thought he was hurt or something. Nope, he just got shut out. You have to be kidding me!!!! This week might have been an anomaly but it sure has me wondering if he’s more of a #2 and needs to have another threat lining up across the line. All in all the Pack came to play. But that is going to be the case every week for the Eagles. He needs to show something and in a hurry.
Reggie Brown…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Jerry Porter:
Yeah, I drank that Kool-Aid ©. I figured he’s getting at least one quarterback who can throw the ball with a coach willing to use him. And he gets almost no looks in favor for an oft-injured college qb? Where’s the love, Jerry? It is so tempting to keep him in the lineup when looking at his schedule and those two magical years. But a wise man once said, “Jerry Porter was a dumb pick.” I agree with that sage wisdom.
Jerry Porter…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Marc Bulger:
You get paid a metric crapload of money this off-season, get all of our expectations high with speculation, and THIS is the way you play?!?!? Bulger averaged 4 yards per pass attempt. Was there a ton of pressure causing this abominable average? Nope, 1 sack all day. He threw 42 times and couldn’t muster more than 167 and 1 td. And it wasn’t like they were already in the lead and wanted to control the ball ala Ben Rothlisberger in PIT. Steven Jackson got shut down, too. So that leaves me with this, “WTF?”
Marc Bulger…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Every quarterback playing on the Cleveland Browns Roster:
I knew this game was going to be ugly, but wow. This seems like a lost cause. Jamal Lewis is washed up and can’t carry a team anymore. The Browns need SOMEONE to throw the ball to “The Chosen One” and Edwards. I know the plan is to play out at least the first 3 weeks with “The Expendable Heroes” they have rotating at quarterback in the hope you don’t get your franchise’s future killed, but something’s got to give. QBBC doesn’t work in college, and it doesn’t work in the pros. Hey, I hear Byron Leftwich is available!
Cleveland QB’s…..4TH DOWN!!!!
****OFF TOPIC RANT****
The entire Jets fanbase in attendance at the Jets/Pats game:
When the hangover wears off you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Cheering a guy as he limps off the field (even though your media is defending you all saying you cheered when Clemens came in) is about as classy as Courtney Love. And just so you mouthbreathing window lickers know, Pennington had 140 passer rating and 2 tds when he got hurt. It isn’t his fault your team sucked this past Sunday and Pennington is not Tim Couch. You are now on par with the douches that threw beer bottles and batteries in Cleveland years ago. Congrats.
Cheering Jets Fans at the Game…..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Cop-Out:
If you’ve read this far you might be asking yourself, “This list is crap without Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress.” We've got some conflicting stories coming out of the Big Apple. The Giants are claiming separated shoulder and he's out for a month. If that's the case then he gets my respect and is on the 1ST DOWN list.
Eli claimed it was just bruised. If that’s the case this team is screwed if their “leader” pulls himself from a very winnable game due to a bruise. But I’m not going to bash a guy if it turns out he is hurt…I’m not a Jet’s fan. So if he’s injured, he gets the nod. If he’s hurt and the shoulder is just bruised the Giants are hopeless with him behind center. Either way I’m putting the Giants passing game under observation the rest of the season.
Plaxico’s 1st Down status hangs in the balance. While I like Lorenzen as he gives hope to all fat guys in the world thinking they are still athletes, he won’t be the same kind of qb Manning will when healthy. That affects Plaxico heavily regardless of the testicular fortitude of his quarterback.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below and don’t bring the weak sauce! If you like it, praise me for the bear trap tight logical thinker that I am. Thanks for your opinions either way. Until next week,
SEE YOU ON THE FORUMS!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
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