All hope is lost: David Garrard named Jaguars starter, Byron Leftwich to be traded or released

For the last 5 months all we have been hearing from Jack Del Rio is "Byron is our guy" well so much for that. David Garrard has been named the Jaguars starting quarterback. Lots of people think that Garrard was one of the best backups in the league and that he will make a good starter because he beat the Colts. Well none of those people have ever seen Garrard play. In the Colts game, Garrard completed only 8 passes for 78 yards and an interception. Now wonder why the Jags need to get 350 yards rushing a game to win. Garrard had 10 touchdown passes in 10 starts. But he had 9 interceptions and 4 fumbles. That won't win you games in the NFL. Now for Leftwich, he lost 30 pounds this offseason and one quarterback hungry team is going to get a bargin. He is in the last year of his rookie contract. The Falcons and Ravens should be looking for Leftwich as Joey Harrington isn't the answer in Atlanta. Plus Steve McNair is getting older and Byron grew up around Baltimore.

FBkid's fantasy football cheat sheet: Running Backs

Here is my fantasy football cheat sheet but for running backs.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers 7
2. Steven Jackson Rams 9
3. Larry Johnson Chiefs 8
4. Frank Gore 49ers 6
5. Joseph Addai Colts 6
6. Brian Westbrook Eagles 5
7. Shaun Alexander Seahawks 8
8. Rudi Johnson Bengals 5
9. Willie Parker Steelers 6
10. Laurence Maroney Patriots 4
11. Travis Henry Broncos 6
12. Reggie Bush Saints 4
13. Willis McGahee Ravens 8
14. Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars 4
15. Ronnie Brown Dolphins 9
16. Edgerrin James Cardinals 8
17. Cedric Benson Bears 9
18. Thomas Jones Jets 10
19. Deuce McAllister Saints 4
20. Clinton Portis Redskins 4
21. Marshawn Lynch Bills 6
22. Brandon Jacobs Giants 9
23. Cadillac Williams Bucs 10
24. DeAngelo Williams Panthers 7
25. Adrian Peterson Vikings 5
26. Jerious Norwood Falcons 8
27. Marion Barber Cowboys 8
28. Brandon Jackson Packers 7
29. Ladell Betts Redskins 4
30. Tatum Bell Lions 6


Sleepers: Deangelo Williams Panthers: DeShaun Foster has been a dissapointment so far for the Panthers and Williams when used looked good in his rookie season. He should win the starting battle in camp and possibly get around 1200 total yards along with 8 touchdowns which could make him a very good flex option.

Brandon Jackson Packers: Jackson should be the starting back for the Packers as Vernand Morency has been hurt for most of the preseason. Jackson has looked very impressive at times and should be used as a no.3 back who could help your team in the playoffs down the road.

Is the "Madden Curse" already getting to Vince Young?

Madden 08 only came out last Tuesday but it already looks like it has affected cover boy Vince Young. Since the game has come out, Young has been suspended by the team for the first preseason game and went 5 for 17 for 105 yards against the Patriots Thursday. Could this be another example of the Madden Curse and is it even real? You could just ask Daunte Culpepper,Michael Vick, Ray Lewis or Shaun Alexander who all suffered injuries and other setbacks the year they were on the cover of the game. It doesn't help that the Titans didn't try to get weapons for Vince Young to throw to. As of now the teams starting receivers are Brandon Jones and Roydell Williams. The team did add veteran Eric Moulds and rookies Paul Williams and Chris Davis but that might not be enough. Young could be a good fantasy quarterback but if you draft him, remember to get a reliable backup.

FBkid's fantasy football cheat sheet: Quarterbacks

Everyday I am going to do my position by position cheat sheet. So today here are my top 30 quarterbacks. The number on the side is each teams bye week so you don't have to go searching the waiver wire because both of your quarterbacks aren't playing in week 6.
1. Peyton Manning Colts 6
2. Carson Palmer Bengals 5
3. Tom Brady Patriots 4
4. Drew Brees Saints 4
5. Marc Bulger Rams 9
6. Donovan McNabb Eagles 5
7. Jon Kitna Lions 6
8. Vince Young Titans 4
9. Philip Rivers Chargers 7
10. Matt Leinart Cardinals 8
11. Matt Hasselbeck Seahawks 8
12. Tony Romo Cowboys 8
13. Jay Cutler Broncos 6
14. Alex Smith 49ers 6
15. Brett Favre Packers 7
16. Eli Manning Giants 9
17. J.P. Losman Bills 6
18. Matt Schaub Texans 10
19. Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 6
20. Steve McNair Ravens 8
21. Jason Campbell Redskins 4
22. Byron Leftwich Jaguars 4
23. Jeff Garcia Buccaneers 10
24. Jake Delhomme Panthers 7
25. Chad Pennington Jets 10
26. Rex Grossman Bears 9
27. Trent Green Dolphins 9
28. Tarvaris Jackson Vikings 5
29. Damon Huard Chiefs 8
30. Joey Harrington Falcons 8

Sleepers: J.P. Losman Bills: Losman showed improvement last year as the Bills passing attack looked good at times. Losman should find Lee Evans often and could get around 3000 yards and 17 touchdowns as a late round pick.

Byron Leftwich Jaguars: The only problem with Leftwich is staying healthy. This offseason Leftwich lost about 20 pounds and the Jags have a new offense with more long pass plays. Leftwich could put up good numbers to be a solid no.2 option.

Observations of the Lions offense from the Bengals Lions game

The Lions offense was moving the chains the whole game as they threw for over 500 yards. Jon Kitna played a few series in the first quarter and went 3 for 5 with 52 yards. J.T. O'Sullivan who the Lions got off waivers a few weeks before the game looked very sharp going 12 for 19 with 225 yards and a touchdown. The weakness of the Lions offense though is definitely the running game. The Lions only ran the ball 19 times and gained 67 yards. That won't win you to many games in the NFL. Tatum Bell started as Kevin Jones was still nursing his broken foot. Bell looked very quick and ran for 19 yards on 6 carries. Bell's only problem was he didn't hit the holes the line opened for him and danced around most of the plays. T.J. Duckett didn't look that impressive either as he 19 yards on 5 carries and fumbled at the Bengals 1 yard line. Duckett was supposed to be the teams goal line back so he could be gone if he does that again. The receivers though looked great as Roy Williams caught one pass for 23 yards. Williams looked unstoppable on his route which was a 20 yard slant and then he does the rest. Considering he should get single coverage due to Calvin Johnson and Mike Furrey's presence, Williams could be in for a great season. Furrey had 1 catch for 24 yards which was on the exact same route as Williams. Calvin Johnson came in late in the second quarter but played well. Johnson had two passes thrown his way and caught them both for a total of 45 yards. Johnson made a spectacular leaping catch over Bengals 1st round corner Leon Hall and showed that he is ready to play. The Bengals defense was also very worried about Johnson getting lose. On one play Johnson was getting double teamed which led to a wide open Shaun McDonald who scored from 83 yards out. So all and all the Lions can really pass the ball but won't win to many time of possession battles. The Lions might not win that much this year, but they should be fun to watch.

Observations of the Bengals offense from the Bengals Lions game

The other day I was at the Bengals Lions preseason game which was also the first time Calvin Johnson takes the field in Detroit. The crowd was very excited for football and saw some good plays. Here is my analysis for the Bengals offense in the game.
Bengals:
Offense: The Bengals 1st team offense looked unstoppable and is already in midseason form. Carson Palmer was accurate as always going 7 for 10 with 93 yards. Rudi Johnson looked pretty quick once he got around on the outside ashe started off the game with a 20 yard carry and finished with 33 yards on 5 carries. Chad Johnson had 2 catches for 40 yards while T.J. Houshmandzadeh also did well with 2 catches for 34 yards. Even though Chris Henry is suspended for the first 8 games this season, he was allowed to play. Henry was the Bengals best receiver with 6 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Even with the loss of Eric Steinbach, the Bengals offensive line held off constant pressure from the Lions. The big problem for the Bengals on offense is the depth at quarterback and running back. Neither Doug Johnson or Jeff Rowe looked like suitable backups for the Bengals if Carson Palmer goes down. After the likely backup running back Kenny Irons tore his ACL, the Bengals tried out 3 players at running back. Irons also showed lots of potential as he has lots of speed and had 17 yards on 4 carries. Chris Perry if healthy should take the backup role as he is a great receiver out of the backfield.

Arizona Cardinals season preview

Last years record: 5-11 (Last in division)
Coach:Ken Whisenhunt
Key Addition: This off-season the Cardinals acquired veteran players who should bring some leadership to an inexperienced team like tackle Mike Gandy. The new coach Ken Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers last year and should look to improve the Cardinals 30th ranked running game. Whisenhunt should also bring lots of his successful trick plays along with him. Receiver Anquan Boldin could be a big part of that as he played quarterback in high school like another Whisenhunt product Antwan Randle El.
Key Loss: None of the Cardinals losses were that big as the team had no interest in bringing back aging veterans Robert Griffith or Orlando Huff. Offensive tackle Leonard Davis is a good talent but they replaced him with first round pick Levi Brown.
Draft: The Cardinals only had five draft picks but all of them could end up being solid contributors in a couple years. 1st round offensive tackle Levi Brown of Penn State should protect lefty Matt Leinart's blind side for the next decade. 2nd Round Defensive Tackle Alan Branch of Michigan was projected as a top 10 pick but has a questionable work ethic. If Branch tries,he could be a dominant force on the defensive line. 3rd round Linebacker Buster Davis of Florida State is a bit undersized at 5'9 but could be a starter in a few years. Davis should have an immediate impact on special teams this year. 5th round receiver Steve Breaston of Michigan will most likely be used on kick returns but could become a good number 4 receiver. The sleeper of the draft class is 7th round Delaware tight end Ben Patrick. Patrick is big with soft hands and could get some red zone opportunities this year and could end up starting.
Offense: With lots of young firepower, the Cardinals could be one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Quarterback Matt Leinart now has a year of experience and a paternity suit under his belt and could throw around 25 touchdowns this year. Edgerrin James was brought in last year to improve the running game but with a poor offensive line only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. James could be getting towards the end of his career but backup J.J. Arrington hasn't lived up to his draft position a couple years ago as a second rounder. If the Cardinals improve their 30th ranked running game it will help the all-pro receiving tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Boldin had a pro bowl type year having over 1,200 yards but only had 4 touchdowns. Fitzgerald had some nagging injuries but when healthy was dominant getting 950 catches and 6 touchdowns. Bryant Johnson is another big target who should make a big impact as a no.3 receiver. The offensive line is young and how well they play should be the difference of a win or loss for the Cardinals.
Defense: The defense wasn't as bad as the numbers indicate as the Cardinals force lots of turnovers. Chike Okeafor is getting up in age but really turned it on late in the season getting 6.5 sacks in the last month. The defensive tackle position is very young and could have a hard time considering they play both Frank Gore and Steven Jackson twice a year. Bertrand Berry could still have an impact at linebacker and could get pressure on the quarterback. Karlos Dansby is turning into a pro bowl linebacker as he is becoming one of the leaders of the defense. Antrel Rolle and Eric Green are both young at corner but could end up becoming solid starters down the road. The star of the defense is safety Adrian Wilson who is the leader of the defense and is an up and coming star in the league.
Fantasy Studs: Edgerrin James RB: James didn't play his best last season but Whisenhunt runs a very run oriented attack and James should get back to form. He should be a solid no.2 back heading into this season for your fantasy team.
Anquan Boldin WR: Boldin is a lock for loads of yards when healthy and expect nothing less this year. Now that Matt Leinart is more experienced Boldin should be used as a low no.1 receiver or a high no.2 for your fantasy team.
Larry Fitzgerald WR: Fitzgerald could be an even better fantasy receiver than Boldin as he gets yards and is a great red zone target. If he is healthy you should expect around 1,200 yards and double digit touchdowns. Fitzgerald should definitely be used as a no.1 receiver for your fantasy team.
Prediction: The Cardinals have the talent to be a good team but they are a few years away. Once the team gets used to Ken Whisenhunt's scheme and the running game improves, the Cardinals could be a serious contender in the NFC. My prediction is 6-10 and 4th place in the division.