Unlucky Seven

Week 7 was not a lucky week in many ways, for owners, coaches, players and fans. The sport lost Bud Adams and Bum Phillips. Both were key members of the sport back when it was a true contest of skills and didn't suffer from the human growth and resulting wave of changes to prevent these behemoths from injuries themselves that consume the game nowadays. Sadly, the rule changes have not slowed down the injuries but have definitely dulled and changed the game. I cannot understand the unsportsman-like penalty on New England for pushing a lineman during the Jets' field goal attempt when you see players constantly pushing a scrum of players forward when a WR or RB is stood up at the end of a play. 

Fans in Philly definitely lost out if they watched that debacle against the Cowboys. I was, fortunately, in a position to turn away and watch all of the other games...happily staring blankly at the Chargers-Jags game instead of turning to check in on how Philly was doing. For the non-Eagles fan, it had to be entertaining to see Matt Barkley toss 3 INTs in the 4th qtr after Nick Foles was concussed. I wasn't sure that was possible until I read about it later. Two years ago, he could have been the first QB taken. If that wasn't bad enough, how about that Monday night game?! The only entertaining part of it was Mike Tirico. After watching about 2/3rds of that "showcase" event, he couldn't hold back and delivered multiple hysterical observations about the talent on the field. Good stuff, Mike! I don't think anyone was shocked by the performance after watching Josh Freeman play at Tampa and these two teams play all year. It was as predictable as Kim Kardashian dying her hair blonde. Based on her history, I am shocked that this didn't happen long ago.

Players and coaches took it the worst though. Players due to their injuries and coaches due to the early end to some of their seasons. Last week's games saw the end of the season for Sam Bradford and any long-shot odds that the Rams had at the playoffs. Jermichael Finley felt a bit of paralyses, which not only will most likely end his season, but have him contemplating retirement. Reggie Wayne is lost for the season with a freak knee injury when he was wide open. It isn't fair when a well-liked player with such a long history of injury-free years is lost like that. In Washington, not only did the Bears take their annual shot to their QB (Cutler is out with 3-4 weeks with a groin injury) but also lost their defensive leader with Lance Briggs out for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. These injuries definitely put the Bears' season on the brink.

With all these injuries, the waiver wire is a busy place this week.

QB: Jake Locker (TENN) - Locker is off this week but returns to a favorable matchup versus St Louis. He had a monster game in his return and will put up very nice numbers the rest of the season as long as he stays healthy.

RB: Mike James (TB) - the injury to Doug Martin was not listed above since he has single-handedly wrecked my running game in many, many leagues. I don't expect James to have any more success than Martin so this is not a strong recommendation. I would grab Chris Ivory (NYJ) if he is available, but I would grab James over Peyton Hillis. Hillis looked like he was still pulling a plow through his soybean fields as he lumbered downfield Monday night.

WR: Jarrett Boykin (GB) - Boykin looked good last week for The Pack and should stayed involved for the rest of the season with injuries to Finley, Randall Cobb and James Jones...even after Jones comes back.

WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey (IND) - with no running game, Andrew Luck will continue to throw a lot. T.Y. Hilton is the WR1 but Bey is now the definite WR2. Let's see if he shakes his case of the dropsies.

TE: Jordan Reed (WASH) - I was late to this party as I wasn't sure if a healthy Fred David would share TE targets. Forget that, Reed is a beast and was unstoppable against Chicago last weekend. It looks like he is Next in the ever-burgeoning list of big pass-catching athletes at the TE position.