Welcome
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.
Are your players on his list? Find out each week in Ballin' or Fallin'!
1st Down or 4th and Forever: Vol. 8
Posted 10-31-2007 at 05:14 PM by The Ram
1st Down or 4th and Forever: Vol. 8
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 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 and is now ready for the bench or the waiver wire OR JUST PLAIN PISSED ME OFF. I believe the chant goes a little something like this, “OOOOOVER RAAAATED!! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap!!!”
So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st Down
Runningbacks:
Kevin Jones: Lisfranc injuries have ended more careers than Dancing With The Stars. I thought he was through when the prognosis came in and the Lions traded for Tinker Bell. But he’s come back and is showing some remarkable ability. It seems like he’s stronger than his previous seasons and still maintains some of his mobility. He’s plowing through tacklers more than in the past no doubt due to some lingering affects but he’s producing well and should only get better down the stretch. And with only Duckett behind him he’s got the clear #1 position.
Kevin Jones…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Brandon Jacobs: When healthy this guy is a freak of nature. When he gets close to 20 carries per game he’s easily cresting the 100 yard mark and at defensive end size he’s easily the #1 option at the goal line. His preseason hang-up was and still is the risk of injury. So far he’s dominated some lame run defenses. I’m interested to see what he does against Minnesota. But hell, until then start him as long as he’s not on the injury report
Brandon Jacobs…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Greg Jennings: Here in Denver there is a poster I’d like to cite. It says, “3/4 of the world is covered in water. The other ¼ is covered by Champ Bailey.” Not on Monday night, baby. Jennings burned Champ deeeeeeeeeeeeep for a touchdown and racked up 141 yards to boot. Denver has arguably the best defensive secondary (on paper) in the NFL yet looked like toast after my son tries to help in the kitchen. Burned. This was his first monster performance this season but since it came at the expense of the premier corners in the NFL he gets this weeks…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Joey Galloway: The man is making the most of his opportunities. I have no doubt that his numbers continue to swell along with Britney’s waistline due to the Bucs lack of running game. Garcia is straight delivering and Galloway remains a big play threat into old age. He might not get this kind of production weekly but he’s a solid fantasy football play almost every week with a threat to break a big play at any moment.
Joey Galloway…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Drew Brees: Well hello there Mr. Brees! Glad you could join us this season! He’s been decent for the past few weeks and then just laid a Compton-style beat down to the Niners. Perfection. Damned perfection. Every fantasy football pundit (yours truly included) expected this kind of production from Brees all season. The tools in the big easy are there. And with the now one dimensional running game there is a good chance to see more of this to come.
Drew Brees…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Derek Anderson: Once again The Ram mans up and owns his mistakes. In 1st Down or 4th & Forever: Vol. 1 I said unequivocally that Anderson would be holding a clip board sooner rather than later. In my head I meant by week 6 he’d be holding a clipboard and we’d be watching Quinn running for his life every weekend. But Mr. Anderson did not go quietly into that good night. To fact he’s raging against the dying of the light and is putting up legit #1 fantasy football numbers. If I had written that bastardization of Shakespeare in the pre-season Mike would have banned my account on SportsOutlaw.com for being a tool. My how times have changed…..well maybe not the tool part. But Anderson is tearing it up!
Derek Anderson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:
Runningbacks:
Laurence Maroney:- The Pats scoring music keeps playing but Maroney is still left without a chair when the music stops. Maroney had a strong game between the 20s, but ended multiple plays inside the 10. He got several opportunities to carry inside the 10 but failed to convert any of them and those scores went elsewhere after he was given his chances (e.g., Brady runs, Vrabel catch). His red zone chances have been rare this season, and he did little to earn more of them. He seems to be suffering from Willie Parker syndrome of a few years ago. Racking up some yardage but failing to drive it in.
Laurence Maroney…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Frank Gore: This guy was being argued over in the preseason with a large contingent believing he should be taken in the top three overall picks. The logic was there and there were plenty of people who were believers. So what’s going on with him this season? He’s yet to record a 100 yard game. The only good thing so far about his season is he’s not fumbling (much) and he’s still catching passes. But I hope whoever drafted him above Addai and Larry Johnson have joined a support group.
Frank Gore…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Santana Moss: What the hell is your problem, man? You’ve been able to put together good to great games with a corpse like Brunell behind center and now you get a legit quarterback only to bench yourself? Bench yourself? Who the hell does that? Now not to be a jackass I did a search and no, he’s not injured. He’s just being a poohah. Easiest. 4th Down. Ever.
Santana Moss…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Alex Smith: I’m all for giving a guy a break…ok unless that guy’s name is Jamal Lewis (bum). But he’s had enough time in the system, has a decent offensive line, there are worse receiving corps out there (think Atlanta), and there are worse running games supporting quarterbacks who produce more than Smith. The excuses are growing thinner by the day. Very akin to my hairline. The time to produce was yesterday. I weep for anyone else who drafted this guy as their backup this season. Anyone who drafted him as a starter I have a friend in Nigeria who would like to share an inheritance with you.
Alex Smith …..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Rant:
How the hell does a 1st round draft pick blow his chance at the Big Show? A victem of circumstance in college for sure when he came out early to test the NFL’s regulations. Stupid, sure. But understandable. Now he overcomes this somehow by being a first round draft choice and landing the huge payday. Ahhh, the good ole’ days. I remember it well. “BMW (Big Mike Williams) is going to DOMINATE at the next level!” was the casual collective phrases tossed around the fantasy football community. If you missed it and were paying attention this season, think Calvin Johnson and then take away all the freakish measurables. I think I ran a faster 40 time that year. Now he’s cut by a team that sports a converted quarterback with two bionic knees and a guy who didn’t register a catch not too long ago yet is an 8 year vet. Bum. There’s your sign.
Next on the hitlist is Belicheck. What a brazen twat you had to be to put Brady back in the game with a commanding lead. Finishing a team is the sign of a winner. The Pats did just that and then put in the scrubs only to pull them and put in starters in a game that was out of hand. He wins, that’s for sure. And as a Brady owner on a now decimated team I’m all for Brady getting 5 tds per game the rest of the season. But they should come from a competitive game where the scoring is warranted. The Pats destroyed the Dolphins and it looked like a Division I college team took on a highschool JV squad. Points leading to tiebreakers and homefield advantage? My ass. The Pats have the lead by almost 10 points per game. Just keep winning ass and the Super Bowl will run through Gillette. But you don’t have to kick a team that hasn’t mustered a win yet this season. That’s just classless.
There is more, but I’ll stop there. Brandon Marshall would have been next. Ass.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below! 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!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
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 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 and is now ready for the bench or the waiver wire OR JUST PLAIN PISSED ME OFF. I believe the chant goes a little something like this, “OOOOOVER RAAAATED!! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap!!!”So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st DownRunningbacks:
Kevin Jones: Lisfranc injuries have ended more careers than Dancing With The Stars. I thought he was through when the prognosis came in and the Lions traded for Tinker Bell. But he’s come back and is showing some remarkable ability. It seems like he’s stronger than his previous seasons and still maintains some of his mobility. He’s plowing through tacklers more than in the past no doubt due to some lingering affects but he’s producing well and should only get better down the stretch. And with only Duckett behind him he’s got the clear #1 position.
Kevin Jones…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Brandon Jacobs: When healthy this guy is a freak of nature. When he gets close to 20 carries per game he’s easily cresting the 100 yard mark and at defensive end size he’s easily the #1 option at the goal line. His preseason hang-up was and still is the risk of injury. So far he’s dominated some lame run defenses. I’m interested to see what he does against Minnesota. But hell, until then start him as long as he’s not on the injury report
Brandon Jacobs…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Greg Jennings: Here in Denver there is a poster I’d like to cite. It says, “3/4 of the world is covered in water. The other ¼ is covered by Champ Bailey.” Not on Monday night, baby. Jennings burned Champ deeeeeeeeeeeeep for a touchdown and racked up 141 yards to boot. Denver has arguably the best defensive secondary (on paper) in the NFL yet looked like toast after my son tries to help in the kitchen. Burned. This was his first monster performance this season but since it came at the expense of the premier corners in the NFL he gets this weeks…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Joey Galloway: The man is making the most of his opportunities. I have no doubt that his numbers continue to swell along with Britney’s waistline due to the Bucs lack of running game. Garcia is straight delivering and Galloway remains a big play threat into old age. He might not get this kind of production weekly but he’s a solid fantasy football play almost every week with a threat to break a big play at any moment.
Joey Galloway…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Drew Brees: Well hello there Mr. Brees! Glad you could join us this season! He’s been decent for the past few weeks and then just laid a Compton-style beat down to the Niners. Perfection. Damned perfection. Every fantasy football pundit (yours truly included) expected this kind of production from Brees all season. The tools in the big easy are there. And with the now one dimensional running game there is a good chance to see more of this to come.
Drew Brees…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Derek Anderson: Once again The Ram mans up and owns his mistakes. In 1st Down or 4th & Forever: Vol. 1 I said unequivocally that Anderson would be holding a clip board sooner rather than later. In my head I meant by week 6 he’d be holding a clipboard and we’d be watching Quinn running for his life every weekend. But Mr. Anderson did not go quietly into that good night. To fact he’s raging against the dying of the light and is putting up legit #1 fantasy football numbers. If I had written that bastardization of Shakespeare in the pre-season Mike would have banned my account on SportsOutlaw.com for being a tool. My how times have changed…..well maybe not the tool part. But Anderson is tearing it up!
Derek Anderson…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:Runningbacks:
Laurence Maroney:- The Pats scoring music keeps playing but Maroney is still left without a chair when the music stops. Maroney had a strong game between the 20s, but ended multiple plays inside the 10. He got several opportunities to carry inside the 10 but failed to convert any of them and those scores went elsewhere after he was given his chances (e.g., Brady runs, Vrabel catch). His red zone chances have been rare this season, and he did little to earn more of them. He seems to be suffering from Willie Parker syndrome of a few years ago. Racking up some yardage but failing to drive it in.
Laurence Maroney…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Frank Gore: This guy was being argued over in the preseason with a large contingent believing he should be taken in the top three overall picks. The logic was there and there were plenty of people who were believers. So what’s going on with him this season? He’s yet to record a 100 yard game. The only good thing so far about his season is he’s not fumbling (much) and he’s still catching passes. But I hope whoever drafted him above Addai and Larry Johnson have joined a support group.
Frank Gore…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Santana Moss: What the hell is your problem, man? You’ve been able to put together good to great games with a corpse like Brunell behind center and now you get a legit quarterback only to bench yourself? Bench yourself? Who the hell does that? Now not to be a jackass I did a search and no, he’s not injured. He’s just being a poohah. Easiest. 4th Down. Ever.
Santana Moss…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Alex Smith: I’m all for giving a guy a break…ok unless that guy’s name is Jamal Lewis (bum). But he’s had enough time in the system, has a decent offensive line, there are worse receiving corps out there (think Atlanta), and there are worse running games supporting quarterbacks who produce more than Smith. The excuses are growing thinner by the day. Very akin to my hairline. The time to produce was yesterday. I weep for anyone else who drafted this guy as their backup this season. Anyone who drafted him as a starter I have a friend in Nigeria who would like to share an inheritance with you.
Alex Smith …..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Rant:
How the hell does a 1st round draft pick blow his chance at the Big Show? A victem of circumstance in college for sure when he came out early to test the NFL’s regulations. Stupid, sure. But understandable. Now he overcomes this somehow by being a first round draft choice and landing the huge payday. Ahhh, the good ole’ days. I remember it well. “BMW (Big Mike Williams) is going to DOMINATE at the next level!” was the casual collective phrases tossed around the fantasy football community. If you missed it and were paying attention this season, think Calvin Johnson and then take away all the freakish measurables. I think I ran a faster 40 time that year. Now he’s cut by a team that sports a converted quarterback with two bionic knees and a guy who didn’t register a catch not too long ago yet is an 8 year vet. Bum. There’s your sign.
Next on the hitlist is Belicheck. What a brazen twat you had to be to put Brady back in the game with a commanding lead. Finishing a team is the sign of a winner. The Pats did just that and then put in the scrubs only to pull them and put in starters in a game that was out of hand. He wins, that’s for sure. And as a Brady owner on a now decimated team I’m all for Brady getting 5 tds per game the rest of the season. But they should come from a competitive game where the scoring is warranted. The Pats destroyed the Dolphins and it looked like a Division I college team took on a highschool JV squad. Points leading to tiebreakers and homefield advantage? My ass. The Pats have the lead by almost 10 points per game. Just keep winning ass and the Super Bowl will run through Gillette. But you don’t have to kick a team that hasn’t mustered a win yet this season. That’s just classless.
There is more, but I’ll stop there. Brandon Marshall would have been next. Ass.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below! 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!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
Total Comments 2
Comments
-
I think Mike Williams would have been a very nice NFL receiver, had he not made the mistake that caused him to miss a year of football.
Missing a year of football normally isn't the end of the world, but when you miss it in your transition from College to the NFL, combined with being drafted by a team that was absolutely lost at the time, the odds were just stacked against him.
Good read as always!Posted 11-01-2007 at 10:28 PM by Mike
-
hey ram, excellent insights as always! there's still hope that anderson will soon be benched.
Posted 11-04-2007 at 04:23 PM by eaglechick
