Week 6 (2009) Sunday Happenings

First Matchups of Sunday:

Houston vs. Cincinnati

Detroit vs. Green Bay

St. Louis vs. Jacksonville

Minnesota vs. Baltimore

New York Giants vs. New Orleans

Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay
Kansas City vs. Washington

Second Matchups of Sunday:

Philadelphia vs. Oakland
Arizona vs. Seattle
Tennessee vs. New England
Buffalo vs. New York Jets

Sunday Night Game:
Chicago vs. Atlanta

Pregame Notes

• Troy Polamalu will be back in the lineup for the Steelers.  Just put away bench drop all of your Browns players.  NOW.  Also, in Pittsburgh news, Rashard Mendenhall will be getting the start over Willie Parker.
• Chris Cooley is a pottery fanatic.  Not really applicable news, but he says it explains his soft hands.  For detail-oriented owners, monitor Cooley's pottery-making.  If it ceases, should his value drop?
• Calvin Johnson is listed as doubtful.  Bank on either A) him not playing or B) him not posting substantial numbers.  Adjust your roster accordingly.  Update: He will be active for the game.
• Matthew Stafford is the third-stringer today.
• Weather can always be factor, but don't buy too much into the rain bringing the game to the ground.  Some top QBs are going to play amazing in rain or shine.  Wet fields can hurt corners.

First Matchups:

• Adrian Peterson's first carry goes for 26 yards.  You just can't bench this beast.
• Portis fumbles and turns it over on the Redskins' first possesion.  That's what you get for not practicing enough.  Vrabel doing his thing.
• Vikings' first drive was about as perfect as it gets.  Favre 3-for-3, 36 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe.
• Aaron Rodgers and James Jones hook up for a 47-yard touchdown.  Greg Jennings and Donald Driver owners wish it had gone their way.
• Scoring is coming on fast this week.  Marc Bulger is perfect on the opening drive, going 5-for-5, 70 yards, capped with a 17-yard touchdown to Donnie Avery.
• The trend of scoring continues with Cadillac Williams hauling tail for a 20-yard run and score.
• Giants stop Saints in the red zone, staving off a touchdown.  Saints go for it on 4th and 1 and get the touchdown from Mike Bell.  Pierre Thomas owners are unhappy.
• Andre Johnson apparently is recession proof, taking a reception from Schaub for 59 yards.  The touchdown bid is prevented by Cincinnati, however, forcing Schaub to throw it away.  They then block the field goal.  Their playing with fire under their feet.
• Another Rodgers touchdown, but to John Kuhn.  That doesn't really help anyone outside of Rodgers owners.  However, that's two TDs in under ten minutes.  We know where this game is going.
• Torry Holt could break it big today.  His first catch goes for 41 yards, setting up Maurice Jones-Drew's TD run.
• If you happened to choose Bernard Berrian to start this week, you chose right.  His 4-yard touchdown pass from Favre is making this game look rather one-sided.
• Giants are up for "Best Challenge of the Day," bringing back a Drew Brees to Marques Colston touchdown to the 1-yard line.  Next play, Brees throws the TD to Jeremy Shockey.
• Bengal's Antwan Odom injured during the Matt Schaub touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels.  This isn't good for Cincinnati's morale.
• Annnnnnd that's why Troy Polamalu's presence matters.  He intercepts the pass by Joshua Cribbs intended for Chansi Stuckey in the red zone.  He can read any play.
• DeAngelo Williams is looking more like last season's DeAngelo Williams.  He has a 20-yard touchdown run.
• Cedric Benson is proving that he deserved to be a first-round draft pick.
• Heath Miller has a touchdown on the day.  The Steelers look good against a pathetic Browns team.
• Brees has a second TD already.  It's a beautiful 26-yarder to Robert Meachem.  The Giants do get to celebrate a blocked extra point attempt, but that's all they get to celebrate.
• Steve Slaton looks, well, good.  He turns a short pass from Schaub into a 38-yard touchdown.
• Ahmad Bradshaw further increases his value as a RB2 and flex play with a 10-yard touchdown run against the Saints.  At what point does he eclipse Jacobs on the position ranks?
• Cribbs deserves an extension from the Browns.  He just picked up his third kickoff return for a touchdown against the Steelers.  This comes after a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown for Hines Ward.
• Brees is putting on a clinic called "How to Disect the Top-Ranked Defense."  It's pretty nasty.  The Giants are going to need to regain their confidence if they intend on overcoming a 17-point deficit.
• At halftime, the Chiefs are up 3-0.  The Redskins can't even compete against one of the league's worst defenses.  Jim Zorn should be sweating buckets puddles baby pools lakes.  The fans won't stand for it much longer.  St. Louis is up in their game against Jacksonville 10-6.  It's a weird day.
• Reggie Bush has a touchdown after an Eli Manning fumble.  Pierre Thomas has yet to see a goal line carry.  That doesn't bode well for those of us who started Thomas.

First Matchups - Second Half

• The Redskins have brought out Todd Collins.  He chucks the ball downfield to Santana Moss for 42 yards on his first pass.  Ladell Betts also appears to be taking over for Portis.  Apparently he is off with an ankle injury.  His return is questionable.  Update: Portis comes back in and runs the ball 78 yards.  Guess that injury isn't really bothering him anymore.
• Sometime gave a heck of a pep talk to Derek Anderson.  He finally gets a touchdown.  It's a 1-yard pass to the fullback Lawerence Vickers.
• Mendenhall finally gets a touchdown against the weak Detroit defense.  However, it is Hines Ward who is the real belle of the ball still.
• The duo of Williams and Jonathan Stewart is marching all over Tampa Bay and each has a touchdown.
• Matt Schaub is killing the Bengals secondary.  It's a surprise to me just as much as it is to the Bengals.  Steve Slaton is along for the ride.  Same goes for Owen Daniels.
• Mason Crosby owners are quickly racking up the field goal points.
• Marques Colston is have a HUGE day with 147 yards and a touchdown in three quarters of play.  Brees can do no wrong.
• Two touchdowns for tight end Shiancoe.  The Vikings look like the real deal with Favre at the helm.
• The Jaguars offense is a tight knit group.  MJD, Holt and Sims-Walker are taking care of business in the second half.  Garrard has 256 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.  He'll probably add a touchdown before the game ends.  Both touchdowns for the Jags right now belong to MJD.
• Jake Delhomme is a danger to his own team.  He just threw a pick six.
• DeAngelo Williams has 30 carries for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns.  It's an impressive day for the back averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
• MJD has three TDs in a tight game with St. Louis.  His goal line work has been impressive.
• Congratulations Redskins.  You gave another winless team their first victory.  You're sort of the like the really depressing Santa Claus for other teams.
• Brett Favre does it better than...well...most anyone.  A huge pass to Sidney Rice sets them up to win the game.
• Overtime for Jags and Rams.  Update: Jacksonville takes it in overtime.
• Baltimore and Minnesota are easily playing the most exciting football today.  It's on the final drive with the Ravens in possession and down two points.

Second Matchups:

•  Arizona gets the kickoff back after scoring against the Seahawks.  Seattle has yet to take the field.
• Stephen Gostowski misses the 39-yard field goal on the Patriots' opening drive.
• There's no hope of figuring out New England's running back situation.  Laurance Maroney just broke a 45-yard run for a touchdown.
• The Raiders...are...winning...against the Eagles?  JaMarcus Russel throws one to Zach Miller who runs it for an extra 70 yards and a touchdown.
• Trent Edwards is injured after being sacked by the Jets defense.  Update: Concussion.  Out for the game.
• Tom Brady and Randy Moss hook up for a 40-yard touchdown.  Update: They connect a second time, this time a 28-yard touchdown.  Brady is simply having an incredible first half.  Some quarterbacks will never manage his current stats over an entire game.
• Thomas Jones is killing the Bills front seven and has broken two runs for 60+ yards.
• Wow.  The Patriots have scored 45 unanswered points.  In the first half.  It's time for the Titans to throw in Vince Young.  This game is lost.  Tom Brady is unstoppable.  Welker and Moss both have two touchdowns.  Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk each have one of their own.  It's starting to just be painful to watch.
• Hasselbeck can't compete with the pass defense of the Cardinals.  Wait, that doesn't sound right.  Arizona is making mince-meat of the Seahawks' passing game, which no one really expected.
• Lee Evans finally looks productive and T.O. is having trouble with the rubber pellets in the turf.