(www.mendmyknee.com)

Vikings fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Adrian Peterson was cleared to practice recently.  Steelers fans were confused and surprised when Rashard Mendenhall was removed from the PUP list last week.  Both were recovering from surgery to repair — it’s actually a reconstruction — a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  Also cleared to practice were Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton and LT Max Starks, who sustained similar injuries in the Wild Card round playoff loss to the Broncos last January.

Now the obvious question is: are they coming back too soon?  Professional athletes are trained to push hard and minimize their injury time.  One Hall of Famer thinks Peterson should take more time; 49ers legend Jerry Rice returned 111 days (less than 4 months) after his ACL repair and promptly broke his patella (knee cap)  in the same knee. He has publicly cautioned against Peterson’s seemingly rapid return.

» Continue reading “House Calls: Is Adrian Peterson Rushing Back Too Soon?”

Tebow as superhero. Oy. Image by Scott Koblish, Marvel

A singular man will go up against an entire NFL team all on his own come Sunday.

At least that’s what you would think was happening if you listen to most coverage of the Steelers v Broncos AFC Wild Card game.

It’s not terribly surprising, given the national obsession with all things Tebow. But it’s a little distasteful to disregard the efforts of the entire Broncos team to focus only on how the Tebow Tale of the 2011 season will continue. Or end.

You know it’s bad when the coverage is so obsessive that even Big Ben says it’s a bit much. USA Today reported that the Steelers QB said

“Every time you turn it on, you see something about Tebow. I can only imagine what it’s like for his teammates. Just watching today, it’s the Steelers versus Tim Tebow. No, it’s the Steelers versus the Broncos, so I can only imagine what it’s like for him with all the eyes and the attention on him and the pressure. It can’t be fun. I feel for him a little bit.”

Feel for him, feel annoyed by him…take your pick.

Denver has some advantages heading into their Wildcard matchup. Home field advantage. Significantly fewer injuries than the Steelers. But it will all be with a young quarterback at the helm who struggles with his passing game.

In theory, Pittsburgh should be the hands-down favorite. A team that’s won multiple Super Bowls and finished #2 last year. Though Roethlisberger has proven that he can and will battle through injuries that would sideline every other person on the globe, how long can he keep pushing himself on his sprained left ankle and how much will it affect his play? Safety Ryan Clark won’t play due to his sickle cell anemia and how Denver’s altitude negatively affects his health. Center Maurkice Pouncey is out. RB Rashard Mendenhall is done for the season because of his knee, leaving Pittsburgh’s running game in the hands of  Isaac Redman.

Who will ultimately triumph on Sunday, Tebow or…whoever that less appealing quarterback on that less exciting team his playing? Will the health issues of the Steelers prove to be too much for the team to overcome, despite more recent experience and success in the playoffs?

It’s worth noting that Big Ben is 10-3 in the playoffs and has never lost a road game. And I just can’t imagine him starting now, even if he has to crawl in the final minutes of the game. If there’s one thing we know about Ben Roethlisberger, it’s that he just doesn’t stop. Ahem.

Tune in for what may be your last chance to see Tim Tebow in action in the 2011 season on Sunday at 4:30 EST pm on CBS to find out if this is how the story ends or if it’s just the beginning for the Tebows–err, Broncos in the playoffs.

For expert insight into tomorrow’s game, check out Denver Horse Force’s game preview.

Brandyn Campbell is Senior NFL Editor for Aerys Sports and Philadelphia Eagles reporter for Philly Sports Muse. You can follow her on Twitter at @sports_muse.

By Kristine Reese & Corinna Evans

So you made it to the playoffs in your fantasy football league? I bet you feel accomplished. Now all those late nights of studying free agents, early morning trade requests to your co-workers & unexplained anger due to injured players is finally paying off.

If you made it to the playoffs, congrats! If you didn’t this post isn’t for you… (Don’t worry we still love you & wish you the best of luck next year!)

Let’s get straight to it this week with our Fantasy Football Fix advice to you as you enter the first week of the playoffs. Here are the top players we suggest… And the top players we suggest you bench.

Quarterbacks

Drew Brees – The Saints QB is a must start every week. He has reward fantasy owners this season with 385 completions of 543 attempts for a grand total of 4,368 yards. As the end of the regular season approaches it is important to keep in mind that the teams are preparing for playoffs. In Brees situation, chances are he will continue to see the same amount of playing time. Especially since the last 2 games are crucial wins.

This week Brees travels to Minnesota to take on the Vikings, which should result in significant fantasy points. In week 16 the Saints host the Atlanta Falcons, who are still in the hunt of a playoff spot. To close out the season the Saints will host Cam Newton & the Panthers.

If you have made the playoffs with Drew Brees on your team, you be insane not to start him. Period.

Aaron Rodgers – As the Packers come closer to the end of their perfect season, it’s a safe bet that Rodgers will keep up his productivity. With healthy bodies on the field, Green Bay should have no problem continuing to make it happen on the field. In the 2011 season, Rodgers have completed 305 of 438 passes for 4,125.

The Packers travel to Kansas City this weekend & with the season the Chiefs have been having this is a positive matchup for anyone with Rodgers as their fantasy QB. To end the season the Packers will have to face the Bears & Lions.

As I stated with Brees, if you have Rodgers & don’t start him you are a fool. End of story.

Tom Brady – With a struggling New England defense, Brady is forced to lead his team to victory. Which works out for fantasy owners since he has completed 328 passes of 496 attempts for 4,273 yards. Tom Brady will face the overhyped Tim Tebow in week 15. You should expect Tom Brady to have a high scoring week as usual.

The key to winning in the playoffs is that if it isn’t broken why fix it. Don’t try to get all fancy at the end.

Running Backs

Best

• Shonn Greene (Philadelphia, Giants, Miami)
• Willis McGahee (New England, Buffalo, Kansas City)
• Arian Foster (Carolina, Indianapolis, Tennessee) – You can include Ben Tate as well.
• Felix Jones (Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, New York Giants)
• Rashard Mendenhall (after his SF match-up, St.Louis, Cleveland)

Worst

• Steven Jackson (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, San Francisco)

Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson – The Detroit wide receiver seems like a no brainer to start, but the upcoming schedule makes him look even more promising. This week the Lions will face the struggling Oakland Raiders. If things go according to plan this should be another beneficial week for your fantasy team. Johnson has already recorded 72 receptions for 1,121 yards this season.

Following the trip to Oakland, the Lions will take on the Chargers who have also had a tough year. To finish out the season the Lions will meet the Packers. Even with an undefeated season, the Packers won’t be able to stop Johnson’s productivity completely.

Hakeem Nicks – The Giants are still fighting to claim their spot in the playoffs. That means you can expect Eli Manning & Hakeem Nicks to be connecting as often as possible to snag a few last minute victories. The Giants will take on the Redskins this week, which is a favorable matchup for the Giants.

Before clinching their spot, they will need to face the New York Jets & fellow division rival the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys & Giants are fighting it out for the playoff spot, which will make week 17′s game even more interested. With 65 receptions for 1,023 yards in the 2011 season, Nicks is always a safe start in your fantasy league.

Wes Welker – With Tom Brady on this list, it’s obvious that the other end of the Patriots dynamic duo makes the list. Welker has proven he is the top target in New England week in & week out. Even with other highly productive targets, Welker always finds a way to be a clutch part of their offense. In 2011, Welker has managed to catch 100 passes for 1,339 yards.

Tight Ends

The worst teams against the TE according to football outsiders are Carolina, Minnesota, New England, Washington. Guess who ranks top against opposing tight ends? The St.Louis Rams.

• Rob Gronkowski (He is match-up proof but he faces Denver, Miami, Buffalo)
• Jimmy Graham (Minnesota, -ATL-, Carolina)
• Brent Celek (Jets, Dallas, Washington)
• Owen Daniels (Carolina, Indianapolis, Tennessee)
• Anthony Fasano* (Buffalo, New England, New York Jets) *If Matt Moore is the starter

Worst

• Antonio Gates (Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland)
• Vernon Davis (Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis)

Kickers

Let’s be honest here, your fantasy kicker has never made or broken your team… But those few extra points could be the difference between the next round in the playoffs & an early vacation. The top 3 kickers I suggest going forward are as follows: John Kasay – New Orleans, Mason Crosby – Green Bay & David Akers – SF.

If you have one of these kickers you have an extra advantage. If you don’t, well I think you’ll live. Especially since you already made the playoffs.

Defenses

• You’re obviously starting your Ravens defense.
• Texans
• Broncos (Buff wk 16, KC wk 17)
• Titans
• Atlanta

Bottom Line - You’ve already made it this far… Don’t screw it up by trying to reinvent the wheel.

* * *

This week’s Fantasy Football Fix is brought to you by Kristine Reese & Corinna Evans. Kristine Reese is the lead New York Jets writer and Corinna Evans is the lead Jacksonville Jaguars writer for Aerys Sports. They are also regular contributors of Fantasy content for Aerys Offsides. You can follow them on Twitter @kristinereese or @RoarBlackNTeal.

By Kristine Reese & Corinna Evans

Welcome to Week 11 of the Fantasy Football Season. With only four short weeks left in the regular season, it’s crunch time if you plan to make a run for the playoffs. Even if you’ve had a rough season, there’s still time to turn things around. Let’s just hope you’ve been playing the waiver wire & are ready to replace all the injured players on your roster. Here are the top injuries that are killing fantasy teams around the nation.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

Just when you thought the WR from Houston was going to have the best season of his career, he suffered a hamstring injury. The Texans have been dominating the AFC South but they have one thing working against them. That would be the amount of significant injuries their star players have incurred this season.

Johnson managed to accumulate 21 catches for 316 yards with 2 touchdowns in the first three games. Then in Week 4 versus the Steelers, Johnson suffered a hamstring injury that required surgery.

Since his injury, the Texans have been relying heavily on their rushing offense. With Arian Foster healthy & Ben Tate dominating the field; the Texans have managed without their star WR. However, fantasy owners may have not been so lucky. Kevin Walter is filling in for Johnson in the mean time, however there’s a chance he wasn’t available when you went to pick him up. If that is the case also consider Owen Daniels & Joel Dreessen, as they have played a more significant role in the Texans offense.

“I feel like I’m ready. Right now, I don’t have any doubt that I’ll be back on the field next Sunday,” Johnson said.

Johnson is expected to return in week 12, after the Texans bye week, versus the Jaguars. » Continue reading “Fantasy Football Fix – Top Injuries Of The 2011 Season”

After the first quarter of the season out the window, I thought it would be interesting to see who the highest scoring players in Fantasy Football have been so far this season. After looking at the list I just had to compare it with the top 10 draft picks at the beginning of the season. Just as I expected, a lot can change in just four short weeks. Take a look for yourself.

Now this is interesting for a whole bunch of different reasons.

First off, any rookie to Fantasy Football was probably told by their “more experienced” friend that it is smart to always pick a running back first. Hence the reason that of the top 10 draft picks, 8 of them are RBs. The idea that picking a RB first is the best chance for you to win the league is way out dated. Running backs are no longer the highest scoring players in fantasy football. Sure there are running backs that put up significant points each week, but they are no longer the only players dominating the Fantasy game. One of the main reasons is that teams are splitting up the work among multiple RBs; most NFL teams have at least 2 RBs that they can count on each game.

Second, let’s look at the only two players to make both lists: Aaron Rodgers & Michael Vick. And would you look at that, neither are a RB but both are QBs!  Speaking of QBs, did you notice that 9 of the top 10 scoring players this season are quarterbacks? The only player that isn’t a QB is in fact a wide receiver, Wes Welker. Not a single RB made the top 10 player list; the closest was RB Matt Forte coming in 12^th.

Last but not least I’d like to point out the players on the Top 10 draft picks list that have not fared so well during the regular season. Let’s start off with the biggest disappointment, Chris Johnson. After holding out during the preseason before signing a new contract, the star Tennessee Titans running back has only managed to record 199 yards in the first four games of the season. Another player underperforming as a FF player this season is Arian Foster. He has played two games so far with a total of 206 yards, as he has been battling a hamstring injury. Anyone who drafted Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles experienced an early loss in the season after he went down in Week 2 with a torn ACL. He unfortunately won’t be back this season.

It is only the end of the first quarter. There is still plenty of time for players like CJ & Arian to turn things around. Just like there is time for players on the Top 10 lists to hit a rough patch. With the first quarter of the season is over, does your Fantasy Football team still have a fighting chance? Are you dealing with your team’s injuries & bye weeks properly? Hopefully you planned ahead, but if not now is probably a good time to start searching for free agents or proposing some trades.

Corinna is the lead reporter for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aerys Sports, as well as a contributor to Aerys Offsides. Follow her on Twitter @RoarBlackNTeal or on Facebook. Make sure to check back here every Friday for Fantasy Football news.