Jay Cutler and Dicey Run Game Have Chicago’s Offense Coming Together in Pieces

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Matt Prater To Be Honored As AFC Special Teams Player Of The Month

On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos announced that kicker Matt Prater will be named the AFC special teams player of the month after his fantastic start to the 2009 season.

Broncos fans remember the Prater from early last season who seemed well on his way to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl only to self-destruct as the season wore on.

Prater has arguably the strongest leg I have ever seen, one that has earned him this special honor after he made seven of his nine field goal attempts, including three from 40 yards or beyond.  He also leads the AFC with seven touchbacks, touchback percentage (46.7 percent), and 13 kickoffs that have reached the end zone. 

He has also helped the Broncos lead the AFC in opponents’ starting field position with an average spot on the 20.6 yard line.

In their 3-0 start, the Broncos’ special teams play has been an area that often goes overlooked, mainly because their defense is overshadowing everything else right now, but the defense might not be what it is today if not for the play of Prater and the Broncos’ special teams unit, coached by Mike Priefer.

Prater was a player many Bronco fans thought to be on the bubble after his finish to last season, but this award is an excellent confidence booster for Prater and Denver’s fan base.

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Week Four NFL Picks: Gambling Nerdly

When you study math at higher levels, you (a) miss a lot of parties, and (b) became imbued with a weird energy. In my post-college slacker years, I knew some high level math people; they were even more bent then the rest of us, and some in that crowd drank blood for kicks. (On the plus side, if the girl will drink that, she’ll do, um, lots more stuff. On the minus side, you’re not the first to take advantage of the opportunity. Twenty years later, and I’m still with the cringing.)

Anyhoo…our monkey minds really can’t work out infinity or pi. The first is impossible to contemplate, and the latter leads you chanting numbers like a mental patient. And yet we use these concepts on a daily basis and make equations work with them. There is no such thing as a perfect circle, and yet we can imagine them quite easily. It’s all quite curious, and makes for a strange cross-section of people who work in the field; bloodless priests with computers and imagination who would not, on the whole, be comfortable with faith, even as they show it.

Gambling, of course, is all about the math, even when it isn’t. So be careful where you cast your Stone of Nerd, because we’re all nerds about something. The fact that we are willing to throw hard-earned cash after our nerding does not make it less nerdly, it might even make it more so. (We’re still better than most, though. So long as you aren’t going in for die-cast figurines of your fantasy league players, which I’m kind of amazed that no one has brought to market yet. I mean, enough with the bobbleheads. But I digress.)

Last week we broke through nicely to erase the Week One tragedy, and we’re over .500 for the year. So I get to keep my thumbs, which is nice, because I use those guys a lot. Hopefully, we can keep up the momentum and buy back our legs.

And with that collection of unseemliness out of the way…on to the picks!

BALTIMORE at New England (-2)

Two weeks ago when New England played the BMore-esque New Jack Jets, they got punched in the mouth and lost. This week, they get a team with probable advantages at QB and RB, and a solid enough offensive line (especially behind solid and large rookie Michael Oher) to make a pass rush problematic. Joe Flacco has gaudy numbers on the year, and Tom Brady does not. In other words, night is day, day is night, and Bill Belichick’s pact with Satan may be up. It’s been a fun month to be a Patriot Hater.

Can the tottering Empire pull it together? Of course; this Ravens team is not as good on defense as their reputation (see how many yards Philip Rivers put up on them two weeks ago), and Flacco really hasn’t faced an opposing coach that can mess with his mind yet. The Empire also gets Wes Welker back, and that might prove doubly useful, since rookie Julian Edelman could theoretically get Joey Galloway off the field and Tom Brady off the roof. Dreamboat is not taking his regression to the mean well here.

It also doesn’t help that Patriots Fan is clearly the most spoiled fan in the NFL, and gives his team little if any boost. Part of this is a league-wide issue, where wealth has trumped passion in all of the seats that are close enough to make a difference. After the near perfection year, a workmanlike offense just doesn’t do it for them. They just aren’t going to be happy for a while, really.

But it’s more than just an offense that’s a little less than expected; it’s also that the past few drafts have been meager at best, and the margin for error is a lot less than it used to be. Truth be told right now, this Patriots team is a paper tiger, with the added worry that Randy Moss is going back to taking plays off. Against a Ravens team that still has some defensive play-makers (paging Ed Reed), that’s a whole lot of trouble. And in this game, unlike last week, Fred Taylor can’t save them.

Ravens 31, Patriots 17

Tampa Bay at WASHINGTON (-7)

First things first, there is no truth to the rumor that this game will be blacked out regardless of the turnstile count as a matter of preventing a war crime. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time for the worst going to be .500 team in NFL history to take advantage of the only other franchise in the league with a worse coaching situation (and man alive, this year it’s a competition).

Raheem Morris of the Bucs has gone back and forth so much on his QB, he’s in danger of losing the entire team over it, and the once-fearsome Buc defense have become equal opportunity turnstiles. In Week One, Tony Romo threw for his career high in yards, most of them on embarrassingly easy fly routes. Last week, the Giants turned them into pewter gravel while limiting their offense to Pop Warner numbers.

Both of these teams are so loathed by their fan bases right now that you are better off being the road team. Despite that, I like the Skins here, because at least their offense moves the ball a little, and because in a battle of two coaches that won’t be employed in this capacity for very long, go with the slightly more experienced one. I guess.

Redskins 24, Bucs 16

TENNESSEE at Jacksonville (+3)

The latest must win game for the Titans comes in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are coming off a surprising gift win against the giving Texans. The road team could have taken the Jets out had they had any fourth quarter offense, but that was not to be, and now they get a Jaguars team that’s starting to define the term home field disadvantage.

I’m looking for a little bounce-back from Kerry Collins in this game, and the Titan defense making anyone but Maurice Jones-Drew beat them. I’m also not expecting David Garrard to get that done, because his wide-outs are pretty weak, and his offensive line fairly porous. Maybe all of those people staying away from the stadium in Jacksonville have a point.

Titans 27, Jaguars 16

OAKLAND at Houston (-9.5)

The Texans have done nothing this year to make you trust them with a big number, and yet here they are with a big number. That’s the magic of the Raiders, who have done nothing to make you think they can compete, let alone cover, and especially JaMarcus Russell, who is only a bad attitude away from being this generation’s Ryan Leaf. (Like the Highlander, there can be only one.)

Let’s cut to the chase here, since without fantasy football, no one could care about this game. The Texans give away long touchdowns like free dinnerware, they just can’t help themselves. If butterfingered Darren McFadden can’t put up 100 yards and a touchdown here, he never will.

If the Raiders can force turnovers and not make their own, they can cover this number. The Texans play to the level of the opponent and put the ball on the ground. Andre Johnson will also disappear from the Asomugha. Houston will more than make due with Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels, but the nice thing about Russell is that he’s so inaccurate, he’s not even a pick magnet. The Raiders will cover.

Texans 27, Oakland 20

Detroit at CHICAGO (-10)

America’s real team, the impossible to dislike Detroit Lions, got their first win in the iPod Age last week against the hilariously inept Redskins. Meanwhile, the Bears were striking a blow for sartorial sanity on the road in Seattle, where poor karma and the magic that is Seneca Wallace gave Jay Cutler the wiggle room he needed to move to a 2-1 start.

This week, the Bears will give their fans a monster chubby with a squash win. Matthew Stafford has his moments, but this Bears’ defense is too complex for a man in his fourth NFL start, and with Kevin Smith sidelined, he’ll be asked to do way too much to keep things close. As low as people were on Cutler in Week One, that’s how high they’ll be after this game. It’s pinball time.

Bears 41, Lions 23

CINCINNATI at Cleveland (+6.5)

The Battle for Ohio is looking very much like a Bengal Stomp, with the high-flying tabbies near the top of the division following their upset over the defending champions. Meanwhile in the town the NFL forgot, and should forget some more, some are calling new head coach Eric Mangini the very worst hire in NFL history. That may seem far-fetched to you, but then again, you probably haven’t seen the Browns play. Let’s hope that God continues to favor you in that way.

I suspect this game will be closer than many anticipate, because the Bengals really aren’t used to prosperity, and I have my doubts about Marvin Lewis keeping their heads on straight. You could easily see them spending all week in practice working on their touchdown celebrations, then failing to show up for the first 2.5 quarters of this game.

The Browns also do have some run-stopping ability, which would take away the best part of the Bengals game right now (that’d be the astonishing career resurrection of Cedric Benson). But try as I might into talking myself into a Browns cover in this game, I can’t, because this offense is just that awful, and the Bengals defense really isn’t that bad. Actually (shh!), they’re pretty good. Especially at getting after the passer.

Bengals 24, Browns 10

Seattle at INDIANAPOLIS (NL)

Look at the bright side, America: the Colts won’t be on prime time, and the Seabags won’t be wearing those hideous lime jerseys. We’re all good in the hood! Indy had a highly impressive win in Arizona following a short week, while Seattle coughed up a late lead at home against the Bears.

To beat the Colts, the theory goes that you need to limit Peyton Manning’s chances and wear out their speed defense with a solid running game. That’s really not Seattle’s game in any venue, least of all a road dome. Normally in this situation, the Bags fold early and often, with lots of hurt feelings and heavy pain for the quarterback and anyone foolish enough to bet them.

The Colts could kick out a letdown game. Dwight Freeney should miss this one, Seattle’s really not a traditional rival, and after running the Miami/Arizona road gamut, you could see them sleeping a little on this NFC West team. But, Indy doesn’t strike me as the type to let complacency kick in, and Manning’s good at keeping the hammer down (and his numbers up) in such situations.

This is one of those lines that will change dramatically depending on the injury reports, but the special joy of this column is that I get to go earlier than most, so I’m going to work under the impression that the bruised ribs of Matt Hasselbeck will take another week off. If he does start, this number is closer, simply because Hasselbeck is accurate enough to take advantage of TE John Carlson, who Wallace murders. But not by enough to cover the spread.

Colts 27, Seahawks 17

NY GIANTS at Kansas City (+10)

Can the Chiefs be any worse than they looked last week in Philadelphia? Probably not, and they do tend to pop up twice a year and give teams real trouble at home…but it’s still very difficult to imagine them holding their own against the NFC East bullies. When your best defender is the unspeakably ancient Tedy Bruschi, and your best offensive plays all involve obvious holding calls, and your rookie coach is that special combination of arrogant and stupid…well, it’s just not a terribly conducive atmosphere for a cover.

Having said that, the Chiefs will move the ball a little this week, since they’ll get back Dwayne Bowe and Matt Cassel will have another week of shaking the rust off. Unfortunately for them and me, this Giants team is better right now than the Eagles, much more physical, and very prone to taking all of the air out of a bad team’s home stadium.

Giants 24, Chiefs 13

NY Jets at NEW ORLEANS (-7)

September’s Super Bowl in the Bayou, and a classic Defense vs. Offense match-up that, well, isn’t really that. Or at least, just that.

The Jets came very close to stumbling last week against the not quite desperate enough Titans, only some very weak performances by their wide-outs (we don’t expect them to be good, but it’d be nice if they caught passes that hit them in the hands occasionally) kept the media men in the win column.

The Saints broke out their heretofore unknown ground game to grind the Bills into a fine powder while simultaneously causing Drew Brees’s fantasy owners to all gnash their teeth silently, because you just can’t complain about the guy after the start he’s had.

Historically, my tendency is to overrate offensive teams in these kinds of match-ups, because I just think they’ve got more margin for error. But, this game isn’t really like that. The Saints don’t have a terrible defense anymore, they are opportunistic, get after the passer relatively well, and aren’t hopeless in coverage.

The Jets have a very good offensive line and running game, but they aren’t going to be able to run it 45 times against eight and nine defenders in the box, and while I think their receivers (especially Jericho Cotchery and Dustin Keller) are underrated, that still doesn’t mean they are world beaters.

On the other side of the ball, the Jets will potentially be missing Lito Sheppard, which means you’re going to see a lot of yards for the WR who isn’t being covered by Darelle Revis. I also don’t think that Marques Colston is going to suffer the total shutdown that Revis has given to Mssrs.

Moss and Johnson, because Colston really is more like a tight end than a No.1 WR in many sets, and the Jets aren’t going to let home run threat Devery Henderson run free. In other words, we’re looking at one of those classic Too Many Weapons games. Especially if the Jets have to defend a short field.

And that, finally, is the crux of the biscuit. You’d have to be some kind of QB to win a road game in a loud dome against a pinball machine in your fourth career start. Sanchez has many fine qualities; he’s fearless, OK with the decision making, can go deep and has strong accuracy. He’s also not ready to win this game on his own, and he’ll need to be.

Saints 34, Jets 20

BUFFALO at Miami (+2.5)

Hey, did you hear that Terrell Owens is going to avoid controversy this year? He’s decided that since the media is just trying to goad him into saying negative stuff, he’s not going to give them anything.

Nope, that’s the Old Terrible, the one that had to have attention, the one that would, say, become the whole story in a week after his consecutive games streak is ended, and the world became very aware that he’s really not worth the trouble anymore. No, Terrible would never do that!

Look, it’s real simple. Owens isn’t very good anymore. His hands are very suspect, he doesn’t get separation, his wheels are now ordinary, he’s no longer a threat to break a tackle and take one deep. He takes plays off if he doesn’t get the ball early and often, and there’s a reason why he hasn’t been an active player on the winning side in a playoff game since he was a pup.

He’s also, of course, the last thing that this Buffalo team needs, where over-matched game manager dink and dunker Trent Edwards is being asked to be Jim Kelly II, when the best thing the team does is hand off to Fred Jackson. I’d usually like the Dolphins here, but I’m just not seeing Chad Henne being able to do that.

Bills 24, Dolphins 18

DALLAS at Denver (+3)

How many weeks do I have to pick against this Broncos team? Last week in Oakland, they continued to drain my bank account and sanity with a ball control win over a Raiders team that would be better off if someone poisoned JaMarcus Russel’s feed bag. And yet the Raiders would have still been in the damn game if Darren McFreaking Fadden could, um, hold on to the damn ball. Maddening.

To damn the Broncos with the faintest of praise, they do seem to have a less sieve-like defense than expected. A healthy Champ Bailey and an angry Brian Dawkins will get you that, and Elvis Dumeril has risen from the dead to give them one more speed rusher than I was counting on. But against a Cowboys team that’s good at rushing the ball before the weather grows cold, and with a QB-TE combo that will exploit Dawkins et al, that ends. Dammit.

Dallas is fighting off the short week, altitude, and Tony Romo’s first episode of Early Season Suck. But there’s a reason why the man has good numbers and the mistaken belief that he’s a star, and that’s because he pads his numbers against crud teams. Despite the 3-0 start, that’s Denver. Finally.

Cowboys 27, Broncos 13

St. Louis at SAN FRANCISCO (-10)

The Niners were just one play, one very long odds play, from a 3-0 start and their division by the throat. Now, they are just a game ahead of the old guard Cards and Hawks on the sub .500 suck line, and hopefully, nice and pissed off about it.

But they are young, and might be looking past the Rams. You could hardly blame them, really. St. Louis hasn’t been a threat to anyone but the people who draft Stephen Jackson in their fantasy league for years now. If there is a division rivalry here, it’s escaped the notice of the rest of the league.

St. Louis comes into this game with a QB with a pulse, since Marc Bulger has quite predictably hit the med tent. Kyle Boller might do OK here, the Niners did show secondary weakness last week. But the Ram WRs are not as good as the Minnesota Vikings. Or, possibly, the Northeast Vikings, who are my high school team.

Shaun Hill will have to do more this week, as Frank Gore is down and Glen Coffee is weak tea at best; there’s nothing here, beyond having the role against a bad team at home, that makes me think he’s worth of attention. Instead, count on a nice little Vengeance Game for Isaac Bruce, and the continued career rehabilitation of Vernon Davis, who is the tight end on the Cedric Benson All Salvage Fantasy Team.

Niners 27, Rams 16

SAN DIEGO at Pittsburgh (-6.5)

One of those classic Need Games between two teams that haven’t looked as good as they should. The Chargers partied hearty as soon as Chad Pennington was hurt, racking up a win that didn’t look anything like the final score. The Steelers lost in their home away from home to the Bengals, in a game with multiple fourth down conversions.

The defending champs have other worries. There are conflicting reports that youngsters Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall are either coach killers or just performance impaired. The offensive line gets exposed by their uncompromising QB, and the defense can’t be special with Troy Polamalu in civvies. But sorry, Steelers Fan… I still like your team this week.

Unless LaDanian Tomlinson’s menses clears up to 100 percent power, the Chargers won’t have a credible internal running game, or a RB that can pick up a blitzer. (That is the reason, fantasy honk, why Darren Sproles will never fulfill your Tiki Barberish dreams.)

Pitt lost last week to a balanced Cincy attack with Cedric Benson doing real damage. If Philip Rivers has to throw it 40-plus times—and he will—the Steelers will have a half dozen strongly negative plays, despite potentially scary match-ups against the emerging Vincent Jackson and the strangely underused Antonio Gates.

They’ll also have a win. But not a cover.

(Oh, and if you are still on the fence about this pick, just chant the following mantra. Norv… Norv… Norv… He makes the bad feelings go away. Provided, of course, you are not a Charger Fan.)

Steelers 24, Chargers 20

GREEN BAY at Minnesota (-3.5)

Farvageddon I in the Twin Cities, with the sky-high Vikings coming off their double reverse theft game (yes, they got lucky with the last second touchdown, but the Niners can’t expect to score on a field goal block very often, either) in a battle for the top spot in the NFC North. The Pack comes in with a wear-out win over the terrible Rams, and have real issues on the offensive line, where they have been doing so little as to start bringing in new bodies off the street.

The Vikings look to be the class of the division so far, with a growing stable of weapons (Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Schiancoe and, oh yeah, Adrian Peterson) making everything look purple.

And yet, I have unease about this team beyond His Favreness. The running defense might not be as good as advertised; Frank Gore looked Ok against them before he got hurt. Brad Childress hasn’t gotten any better at this whole coaching thing. They might be scary in special teams with Harvin, but they won’t get a home run from that every week, and they are also prone to lapses.

Finally, there’s this. Karma dictates that Favre suffer for the massive heel turn he’s taking here. I’m thinking we’re going to see a few very lucky plays go the way of the road team, along with some ref calls.

Packers 31, Vikings 21

Last week: 11-5

Year to date: 24-23-1

http://fivetooltool.blogspot.com—The Sports Blog That Loves You Back!

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Cincinnati Bengals: Is Andre Caldwell The Reason For Chris Henry’s Slow Start?

After being suspended 14 games the previous three seasons, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry appeared to be a changed player during the team’s offseason workouts.

Instead of being labeled as a player who struggles to stay out of trouble with the law, Henry seemed to have learned his lessons from his previous arrests and suspensions. He understood how privileged he was to receive the opportunity to be part of the NFL and seemed to be more focused on changing his career around as a player.

In fact, his offseason work ethic was so impressive; many analysts were predicting a breakout season for Henry this season.

The Bengals are well aware of the type of potential Henry has in 2009 and the type of numbers he is capable of recording—and his past supports it. In his second season with the team, he hauled in 36 receptions for 605 yards and nine touchdowns as the team’s third option at wide receiver.

Henry’s hard work during the offseason seemed to pay off during preseason as he led all Bengals receivers with 14 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. With these type of numbers, he appeared to be on track to that breakout season everyone expected him to have.

Unfortunately, Henry has yet to live up to the hype surrounding him in the offseason. In three games against the Broncos, Packers, and Steelers, Henry has just three catches for 42 yards and one touchdown.

When trying to make sense of the reasoning behind Henry’s slow start, the only explanation that comes to mind is the number of weapons Palmer has at the wide receiver position. 

One of the reasons why the Bengals were considered a potential sleeper team in 2009 was because of their depth at wide receiver.

Between five-time Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco, former Pro Bowler Laveranues Coles, and a potential breakout season from Henry, the Bengals had every reason to believe they would have one of the top offenses in the NFL and make a push for the playoffs this season. 

By playing alongside Ochocinco and Coles, Henry knew he would be considered the third option for Palmer to throw to. However, there was another player that Henry and the Bengals may not have expected to perform as well as he has thus far.

What they didn’t expect is the quick emergence of second-year wide receiver Andre Caldwell, which may be part of the reason why Henry’s numbers are down. However, this may not be the worst thing in the world for the Bengals. If anything, they should be excited for the potential of another threat for Palmer to throw to on offense.

Through the first three games, Caldwell has already surpassed most statistics from his rookie season.

He’s tied with Ochocinco for most receptions (14) and caught the game-winning four-yard touchdown from Palmer with 14 seconds left to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. He is also second behind Ochocinco with seven receptions for a first down.

One of the reasons behind Caldwell’s early success is the approach he took in the offseason to improve as a wide receiver. Last February, Caldwell flew out to California with Jerome Simpson to perform workouts with Palmer in hopes of filling the void left by T.J. Houshmandzadeh at the slot position.

So far, Caldwell’s offseason workouts with Palmer appear to be paying off for the Bengals, who look to improve their 2-1 record against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Caldwell’s impressive performance through three games may be part of the reason why Henry’s numbers are down. However, it’s still early enough in the season for Henry to improve his game and find a way out of this three-game slump—even if Caldwell continues to put up impressive numbers.

Think about it; if Caldwell continues to perform well throughout the season, opposing defenders may focus more on stopping him, Ochocinco, and Coles—which could work to Henry’s advantage.

If opposing defenders spend more time covering other Bengals receivers, Henry may find himself open down the field more often—which could result in more receptions his way.

Henry’s numbers may be disappointing so far, but the Bengals and their fans need to be patient and give him more time. The most important fact of the situation is the team is still finding ways to win games and is off to an impressive start with big wins against the Steelers and Packers.

Give it time before making a decision on whether or not Henry’s offseason hype was for nothing. If his numbers are still down after a few more games, then it might be time for the Bengals and the city of Cincinnati to hit the panic button.

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NFL Week Four: Washington Redskins Need Change, But No Hope?

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Mike Wallace is The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Best No. 3 Option at WR

After a slow 1-2 start and an even slower start for the Steelers’ offense, many are beginning to question Pittsburgh’s ability to make an actual run at defending their title in 2009.

Some blame Big Ben. Others want to blame the defense. And yet, others want to blame the coaches. In my opinion, there is really only one reason that the Steelers are 1-2 right now instead of 2-1.

Limas Sweed.

Now I know it seems a bit harsh to put all of the blame on one player for a loss, but I feel that his drop in the end zone last week at Cincinnati kept us from winning the game.

The pass from Ben was absolutely perfect and the defenders were a good three to four yards away from Sweed, giving him plenty of room to catch the ball.

But as he hit the ground, or rather fell to the ground, the ball flew out of Sweed’s grasp and out of the back of the end zone. That score would have given us the win, a record of 2-1 going into Week Four, and much less panic in the Pittsburgh fan base.

How many chances are we going to give Limas?

It’s generally not a good thing when people remember your drops more than you actually catching the football. He’s only recorded 7 catches for 69 yards and 0 scores in 13 career games.

Hell, Mike Wallace bested that last week at Cincinnati.

In that game he caught 7 passes for 102 yards. And despite Wallace having not yet scored his first career TD, he has made a rather large impact on the team so far.

He has 12 catches on the season for 147 yards, but there are two big plays in particular that have really stood out for me.

Of course there is the one just last week for a 51 yard completion from Big Ben where he flat out blew by the guy covering him and caught it down the sideline. A little bit more awareness from him could have lead to a touchdown on that play.

The other one was in Week One. In overtime he caught the big pass from Roethlisberger that gave the Steelers good enough field position for Jeff Reed to kick (and make) a relatively easy field goal.

Coming up when it matters most is key and Limas Sweed has not done that at all.

He’s also the fastest guy on the team. An obvious deep threat that will most likely be used more with Ben’s increasing pass attempts per game.

If the Steelers are going to turn things around, they are going to have to get Mike Wallace involved as much as they can, and use Limas Sweed, preferably, as little as they can.

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Will Pennington Return To The NFL After Another Shoulder Surgery?

When Chad Pennington dislocated his shoulder in Miami’s loss to San Diego this past Sunday, many were thinking, “Will Pennington be able to come back and play in the NFL?” Let’s examine Pennington’s injury history, what he currently is suffering from, and whether it is feasible to expect another comeback from this tough NFL quarterback.

Pennington has twice suffered tears in his rotator cuff — a group of four shoulder muscles that are responsible for shoulder stability and strength. Each time he had the rotator cuff repaired, he was able to return after a period of rehabilitation. In fact, his inspirational play during the 2006 season, earned the Jets a playoff appearance, and Pennington the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Pennington’s injury this time is somewhat different. The shoulder is a ball (humerus) and socket (glenoid) joint. A shoulder dislocation is when the upper arm bone (humerus) comes out of the shoulder joint (glenoid) and needs to be returned to the joint (reduced).

This entity is frequently confused by the lay press with a shoulder separation. This occurs when the clavicle is “separated” from the acromio-clavicular joint — a less serious injury. In a shoulder separation, the athlete rests for a few weeks and the area scars down, allowing return within a few weeks of the injury.

Shoulder dislocations are more serious. In order for the humerus to be dislocated from the glenoid, the soft tissue that holds the shoulder together must be damaged or torn. This soft tissue is composed of the inner labrum and the surrounding capsule. Both of these are usually damaged in a dislocation. In fact there may be boney deformities as well, affecting the humerus and the glenoid. These boney changes occur when the bones impact each other during the dislocation and reduction. This often causes boney changes which make the chances of a recurrent dislocation greater.

News reports indicate that Pennington damaged his capsule, and undoubtedly Dr. Andrews will fix this during the surgery. He may also repair any lesser damage done to the rotator cuff or the labrum — both a distinct possibility given his previous injuries.

Provided the surgery goes smoothly, Pennington will then undergo an arduous rehabilitation period beginning with early passive mobilization, and then gradual strengthening of the shoulder. In the first 6 weeks post-op, he will regain some shoulder strength, and at about the two month mark he may slowly begin a structured “throwing” schedule. This gradual increase in shoulder strength will take four to six months, at the end of which time he could begin throwing in simulated game situations.

A reasonable goal for Pennington would be a return to near full shoulder strength by the beginning of NFL training camp in 2010. Some of the things that could thwart this goal are as follows: He may not want to go through another grueling rehabilitation program or may not be able to successfully gain all his strength back as a result of the damaged tissue, and the inability of the surgery to satisfactorily repair the shoulder. His age may also play a factor in that as an athlete gets over 30 years of age, his capacity to rehab and return to his previous level of functioning are not as good as if he were in his twenties.

Ironically, many of the same things that Pennington is fighting against — age and multiple surgeries — may ultimately give him the best chance for recovery. 

When an athlete dislocates his throwing shoulder, we as physicians are concerned about the very real threat of recurrent dislocation. Younger athletes are actually more prone to recurrent dislocation, as the tissue holding the shoulder joint together is more flexible in the late teens and twenties. As an athlete approaches 40 years old, much of this connective tissue becomes stiffer and less pliable, making the chances of recurrent dislocation less common.

Finally, Pennington has gone through 2 previous rehabilitation programs, where he has successfully come back to play at a high level. He knows what awaits him, and realizes what he must do in order to regain his previous form. If he is willing to repeat the long hours of rehabilitation and strength training, he will certainly have an excellent chance of return to the NFL.

The fact that Pennington is the NFL’s all time leader in completion percentage will also help get him back on the field. Because his game is predicated on short, accurate throws, rather than deeper passes, Pennington has the added advantage of being able to return to competition without having as much arm strength as other quarterbacks. 

At the very least, Pennington will be able to become a serviceable backup in the league next year. Furthermore, if he lands in the right system, he may yet again become a starting NFL quarterback.

David Webner, MD

Co-Director, Sports Medicine Fellowship

Crozer-Keystone Health System

Suburban Philadelphia

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Raiders (1-2) vs. Texans (1-2): My Prediction

The Raiders are coming off their worst performance thus far this season. They were defeated by the Denver Broncos 23-7.

The Raiders looked like a high school football team instead of a legitimate NFL team.

JaMarcus Russell had one incredibly horrible game. He was 12-of-21 for 61 yards, 2 interceptions and no touchdowns. He was very inaccurate and really never seemed to get comfortable the whole game.

Darren McFadden had a pretty rough game as well. He had 12 carries for 45 yards and also no touchdowns. He also had three fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Broncos.

Louis Murphy didn’t have a great game either. He had 2 receptions for 25 yards and no touchdowns. Murphy did have a 12.5 yards per-catch average though.

The Raiders are ranked almost dead last in every category on offense.

-12 points per game (30th)

-223 total yards per game (31st)

-119.7 passing yards per game (32nd)

-103.3 rushing yards per game (20th) being the one decent stat.

The last time the Raiders met the Texans, they shocked everyone by beating them 27-16. JaMarcus had a great game, throwing 18-of-25 for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Johnnie Lee Higgins returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

This week I think the Raiders need to go back to what they were doing in week one, Go with what works.

The Texans can’t stop the run, they are ranked 32nd in the league. Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and Justin Fargas should have an outstanding day and put up some big numbers.

Although the Raiders passing game has been pretty awful so far, Russell should have no problem throwing the ball this week and getting it to Zach Miller and Louis Murphy.

The Texans are giving up 436.7 total Yards per game, With those numbers, even a bad offense should have a great day.

The Raiders haven’t been preforming very well as a whole unit. In fact they have just been getting worse with every game. Tom Cable insists that the team is almost there and he believes it is best to stay the course and things will happen as they should.

As much as I don’t want to, I have to go with Tom on this one. It’s true the Raiders have been showing small signs of greatness on top of their horrible performances.

I have said before that they need to bench JaMarcus and give someone else a chance. I guess it’d easier for someone on the outside to say it when Tom sees what goes on in practices and knows where his team is at.

So I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt this week. I see JaMarcus bouncing back and having a career day. I look for him to throw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns.

I also look for McFadden and Bush to have big days also, both getting at least 80 yards on the ground and one touchdown for Bush. I see Louis Murphy having a great day as well. He’ll see his first 100-yard game this year and have one touchdown.

Also the Raiders re-signed Justin Miller this week. so look for him and Johnnie Lee Higgins to have big games as well.

These may be bold predictions, but I see the Raiders being hungry and wanting to show they aren’t as bad as they look. Get all these monkeys off their backs. Show Raider Nation that they have something to cheer for and a team to be proud of.

Raiders 30, Texans 17.

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Kerry Collins, Glen Coffee, and More: Week Four Sleepers

It was a good week of redemption for me when it comes to selecting sleepers, with two of the three picks having solid days (click here to read the column):

• Jason Campbell – 27-41, 340 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
• Chansi Stuckey – 2 receptions for 11 yards
• Ricky Williams – 55 rushing yards and 1 TD; 4 receptions for 29 yards

This week sleepers become a little bit more critical, with bye weeks playing a role for the first time in the season and injuries beginning to mount.  Let’s take a look at a few gambles that may be worth taking depending on your format:

Kerry Collins – Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville

Collins had actually been playing fairly well over the first two weeks of the season, throwing for 460 yards and 3 TD, while being intercepted twice.  That was before he ran into the New York Jets’ defense, which stymied him down the stretch to the tune of 13 consecutive incomplete passes. 

He was held to 170 yards and picked off twice, but with the way that defense has been playing it really is nothing to be ashamed of.

This week he has a chance to get healthy, taking on the defense that has allowed the most passing yards per game in the early going (281.7).  Yes, they have faced three potent QBs in Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Matt Schaub, but they still have clearly been porous.

It’s unlikely to be a shootout, which could hurt his numbers slightly with Chris Johnson getting a chance to do some damage, but if you are in a two-quarterback league and are in need of a fill-in he seems poised for a solid game.

Owned in 23 percent of Yahoo Leagues and 10.7 percent of ESPN Leagues

Nate Burleson – Seattle Seahawks vs. Indianapolis

You have to figure that the Seahawks are going to have to take to the air a bit more in order to keep up with the Colts’ offense.  Last week with Seneca Wallace at the helm, Burleson exploded for 9 catches and 109 yards, bringing him to 20 catches on the young season.

It doesn’t seem to matter whom the quarterback is (Wallace or Matt Hasselbeck), he has stepped up his game and is leading the way for Seattle receivers despite the presence of T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  There is no reason to think that is going to change and another solid game could easily be in store for him again.

Owned in 55 percent of Yahoo Leagues and 36.6 percent of ESPN Leagues

Glen Coffee – San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis

This one is a no-brainer, isn’t it?  Frank Gore is out of action and they are playing one of the worst rushing defenses in the league (255.3 yards per game on the ground).  Is it really worth saying anything else?

Owned in 28 percent of Yahoo Leagues and 29.5 percent of ESPN Leagues

How do you think these players are going to perform?  Are there any other sleepers you are eyeing?

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

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Michael Vick Isn’t Every Man’s Best Friend

Michael Vick killed dogs. Michael Vick tortured and killed dogs. Michael Vick endorsed the torture and killing of dogs. Michael Vick is a despicable human being for having done all of the above…Period.

Today, Nike showed that character means nothing where the business model is concerned by resigning him to an endorsement deal. It is for this reason that there is new uproar over the Eagles quarterback and his right to prosper post-incarceration.

Here’s the issue that most who support Vick’s right to return to the NFL don’t seem to understand: Not everyone embraces or believes that Vick is worthy of a second chance. Some actually feel that he should have been banned from the NFL for life.

They don’t care that he “served his time”. It doesn’t matter that he “apologized”. It makes no difference that he “is just trying to make a living”. All they see is a man who used his money to support the torture, maiming, and killing of innocent animals.

In my opinion, it is their right to believe that and no one should have any cause to berate them for doing so.

Furthermore, the reason so many people are able to expatiate the idea of “he deserves a second chance” is because most of them don’t hold animals in very high regard in the first place. They don’t see dogs as having anything close to human value and therefore don’t understand why Vick’s crime was such a big deal in the first place.

Honestly, though, the majority of the public’s inability to empathize with the animal lover’s point of view on this is not really the animal lover’s problem. That’s a Y-O-U, the public’s, problem and Y-O-U, the public, don’t have to get it because T-H-E-Y, the animal lover, don’t get Y-O-U either.

People have a right to their opinion and there exists a large contingency of people who don’t buy into the apology tour that Vick gave prior to signing on with the Eagles. They don’t wish him well in all his endeavors and they don’t feel he deserved a second chance.

He’s scum as far as they are concerned and he always will be. They have a right to that opinion. Just like you have the right to yours.

Michael Vick killed dogs. For some people that’s the beginning and the end of the story and it’s enough to condemn him and anyone who supports him for the rest of their life.

Y-O-U don’t have to get it; sometimes it just is what it is.

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