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Chargers 30, Patriots 10: Sleep Tight, Sweet Patriots Dynasty

Will Brinson — 2008-10-13T00:30:00 00:00

It's crazy that 134 yards -- Vincent Jackson's Sunday night total -- is the most receiving yards for a San Diego wideout since 2003. I mean, it's not that crazy I guess, but it does tell you how understaffed the Chargers wide receiver corps has been for the past few years.

Another theme over the past few years for the Chargers has been getting whipped on by the Patriots. The Pats embarrassed the Bolts on national television last year and knocked them out of the playoffs the past two years.

Add in the Chargers inability to be decently consistent and/or consistently decent through most of 2008, and this screamed MUST WIN. (Not really, but I'm on a crusade against this term lately.) Regardless, a victory would not have been bad for San Diego.

And, as it turns out, a win was good. For Philip Rivers -- another three touchdown game, for Vinnie Jackson -- see above, for LaDanian Tomlinson -- only 74 yards but at least he looked explosive, and for Norv Turner -- yay, no hot seat issues. That's right. It was good for all of them.

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Packers 27, Seahawks 17: Quarterback Family Tree Tomfoolery, Kornheiser Style

Will Brinson — 2008-10-12T23:25:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Packers, Seahawks

Did you know that Matt Hasselbeck, once upon a time, backed up Brett Favre? It's true -- he drafted by Green Bay and learned under the Great One and Mike Holmgren for two years before heading to Seattle with his coach.

So there was something oddly bizarre about not seeing the 'Beck sit this one out, while his would-be successor for holding Favre's clipboard -- Aaron Rodgers -- fought through several injuries for the second straight week to attempt and lead the Packers to victory. Which, as you can see from the title, he did.

And it was one of those MUST WIN-wins (a phrase that needs to die, and quickly, unless we're speaking of elimination games), and Rodgers did what he needed to, "rushing" for a touchdown and throwing for two more. Both were Favre-like, in that they were, individually, a long bomb to Greg Jennings and a one yarder to John Kuhn. (Who? Exactly.)

Meanwhile, Charles Lester Frye wasn't much like anyone worthwhile, completing 12 passes for 83 yards, even though it included two touchdowns. Koren Robinson was his leading receiver with 23 yards and Keary Colbert pulled in a five yard catch in the end zone, his only of the day. So, yeah, you could say everything's coming up Seattle these days.

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Larry Johnson Might Be on the Kansas City Chopping Trading Block as Well

Will Brinson — 2008-10-12T16:50:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

It's been widely discussed that the Chiefs are considering trading Tony Gonzalez (the prime report being that he could head to the Giants) although things could get complicated because they've said they want a third rounder for him and some teams are "smart" enough to think that's too much.

Which makes one wonder how much they'd need to get in return for Larry Johnson, who, according to Jay Glazer, they have been shopping around the league.

... the Chiefs have also been offering star running back Larry Johnson as well, informing teams he could also be available for the right offer.

"Right offer" is obviously insanely ambiguous, but that's probably because the perceived value of LJ around the league is entirely different.

For a playoff team that needs to beef up their running game -- awkward that the Colts suddenly have only Dominic Rhodes isn't it? -- he could be a good fit, provided they were willing to deal with his hefty contract. And demands for field-side diaper service.

Oh yeah, and the other problem is that, all of his talent aside, he's been abused by Herm Edwards in terms of carry load over the past few years. So yeah, if the Chiefs could move him it would be great, but I don't see it happening in the next week.

Via PFT

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Marques Colston Is Not Quite Prepared to Make Things Easier for Drew Brees

Will Brinson — 2008-10-12T12:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Saints, NFL Injuries

Drew Brees has a tough life. Not really, but the guy is performing as an elite NFL quarterback, and most of the time, he's throwing the ball to Lance Moore. Not to take away from Moore's ability, but let's just say things would be a lot easier if Marques Colston was able to play.

And he was supposed to be back this week but now suddenly ... he's not.

Despite his status as questionable coming into today's game, Saints receiver Marques Colston will be on the team's inactive list against the Oakland Raiders, meaning his comeback from thumb surgery will have to wait at least one more week.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey, who practiced for the first time this past week after sports hernia surgery, also is on the inactive list.

And in other awesome news, Joey Harrington is on the team! Seriously, he is. And while this (meaning no Marques) is kind of disastrous for fantasy owners and Saints fans alike, it's probably a smart move -- New Orleans is better off making sure he's healthy and good to go before actually putting him out on the field.

Fantasy Spin: Obviously bench Colston this week and bump up Moore on your rosters -- Steve Breaston is a nice replacement option if he's still available. Now is probably your last chance to make a stab at getting Colston in a trade though, so try and take a stab.

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Tony Could Be Gonzo to New York if the Rumors Are True

Will Brinson — 2008-10-11T13:20:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Chiefs, Giants, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

The Giants may have had a little misplaced faith in Kevin Boss this season. It's easy to do, sure, after you win a Super Bowl while Jeremy Shockey hangs out pantsless* in a luxury suite, just watching, and your team dominates one of the greatest offensive juggernauts of this era.

Of course, Tony Gonzalez may have had a little misplaced faith in the abilities of the Chiefs to actually be decent this year. So, really the match of Eli + Gonzo might be made in heaven. Or just in Jay Glazer's brain. Either way, it's picking up steam.

The Giants are the perfect fit as they'd provide Eli Manning with one of the most reliable targets in the league. Between Gonzalez and Plaxico Burress, their red-zone threat would be downright scary. The Giants should take the second- and fifth-round picks they got for Jeremy Shockey's trade and offer them to the Chiefs for Gonzalez. Shockey for Gonzo? Who doesn't do that?

The reason it's picking up steam is that reportedly, via the moving thing on the bottom of my television, Gonzalez asked for a trade. And if Carl Peterson has a heart (he seems like the Phil Collins listening type), then he would go through with getting Gonzalez to a contender.

And as Glazer points out, this is the type of trade that makes way too much sense from both teams perspective not to pull on. It's asking a lot for Peterson to be sensible, sure, but any sort of logical thought goes into this process, something similar will go down over the next week and a half.

*May not have actually happened.

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Road Chalk and Alaskan Pipelines: Week 6

Will Brinson — 2008-10-10T11:30:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Gambling, NFL Media Watch

Well, five weeks in and I finally land my first push. Which is good news (and a little bizarre) I guess, since I still went 5-7-1 for the week. Which brings my astounding season total to 31-41-1. On the bright side, my Tungsten picks are 7-3, so if you've been placing your money ... actually scratch that. If you're wagering on my picks, you're a bigger loser than me.

But, I have been known to occasionally get warm. Streaky business this handicapping. Let's rock.

Oakland Raiders @ New Orleans Saints (-7)
You would think that the Saints could come off Monday night's debacle and piece together a decent game against the frigging Raiders. And I don't want Mantz accusing me of jinxing the Saints this week. Or did I just do that? Crap.

Saints -7

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts (-4)
Peyton Manning is like the Phil Mickelson of football and that should be self explanatory. (Loser turned winner goofball type.) Sage Rosenfels is still working on that transition so maybe Peyton doesn't deserve all the credit. Still, I'm not generally inclined to bet on Joe Flacco over anyone named Manning.

Colts -4

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets (-6)
Doesn't this feel like a trap game? Cincy's horrible but they've at least been close in a few recent games. Jets favored by less than a touchdown, people teasing Brett Favre all over the place (No, not the "Nice painkiller addiction, wuss!!" type of teasing, you jackass.) And then BAM. Ryan Fitzpatrick gets all up in your bidness.

Bengals +6

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Senility May Force Roger Goodell To Get All Ironically Up in Al Davis' Business

Will Brinson — 2008-10-09T01:35:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Raiders, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch

Sweet Lord, Al Davis. We love you. Well, maybe not "we", but I totally back your "control freak in a leisure suit" thing, man. If I was nine billion years old and worth slightly more money than years alive, I would absolutely run a football team. You've got a better deal than Joe Paterno with a few less questions about your sanity because you don't actually call the plays.

However, here's an idea: when a player burns you by not trying hard enough simply because your franchise sucks, well, don't claim he faulted you when he shatters a world record with Tom Brady throwing him the rock the next year. Ah, yes, I see. Just like most of America, you would prefer "rationality" to "I'm going to sue your pants off". No, that's fine. Really.

Davis said the Patriots had tampered with Randy Moss before a deal in April 2007 that brought the wide receiver to New England for a fourth-round choice the weekend of the NFL draft. Patriots coach Bill Belichick denied the claim by Davis that New England had a workout with Moss before obtaining him in the trade.

In a June 5, 2008, memo distributed by Goodell to NFL clubs entitled "Policy on Integrity of the Game and Enforcement of Competitive Rules," the commissioner informed NFL team officials that competitive rules violations must be made in a timely manner. Davis' accusations against the Patriots came 18 months after the transaction occurred.

(Quick caveat/aside: this report is from Scoop (he really would prefer you call him that) so we have zero idea if it has any reliability, but assuming it is true, well, Al Davis needs to retire. Or stop making insanely ridiculous accusations just because he's teed off.

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Three Jaguars Fans Injured After Falling Glass Panel -- Caused by a Fight -- Lands in Stands

Will Brinson — 2008-10-07T16:25:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Jaguars, NFL Police Blotter, NFL Fans

I have a lot of family from Jacksonville, Florida (and consequently lots of Jaguar fans) and therefore am usually pretty defensive when people start dogging on the city and its residents.

But lately, I have to admit that the Jaguars fans are not doing a whole heck of a lot to make me feel good about defending them. First there was the whole "smash the guard in the head with a folding chair" thing. And now, a random fight caused what sounds like a huge thing made of glass fall on three women at the game.

Downey said that, because of privacy laws, he doesn't have the names of the injured or whether they're still hospitalized.

One woman's injuries were apparently more serious than the other two.

Downey said he didn't think the men who got into the fight and caused the incident were apprehended.

Downey said the glass panels will be checked to see if they can be made more secure with brackets.

The panels are glass, so they don't interfere with the sightlines of the fans in that section.

Downey is the head of SMG, a private company that manages the Stadium, and I have to ask, sir, "what is your crew doing?" Because right now, there are a lot of Jaguar fans getting really drunk -- I would assume -- and doing really stupid things.

The Chargers were battling this earlier in the season, and while I thought it was a little ridiculous at the time, I'm gonna be honest and say that Jacksonville and the Jaguars as an organization needs to do something relatively drastic to make people stop getting hammered and injuring other patrons.

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O.J. Simpson Had an Acquittal Party Planned

Will Brinson — 2008-10-06T11:15:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: NFL Police Blotter, NFL Media Watch

O.J. Simpson has made lots of mistakes in his life ... some allegedly and some actually quantifiable within a court of law. The latest "real" mistake though, is just an example of Juice messing with the karma that has been so kind to him (lost Heisman trophies or no, he still got off on the Brown - Goldman thing).

That's because, while heading towards the conclusion of his Las Vegas armed robbery trial, O.J. planned an acquittal party. I wish I was joking.

Simpson associate Thomas Riccio, after an in-studio interview Friday with radio talk-show host Anthony Crivello and retired Las Vegas police detective Phil Ramos, invited them to join O.J.'s entourage at an undisclosed location.

"That's how certain he was," Crivello said during an interview on Saturday, a day after Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart were found guilty on all counts, including armed robbery and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

"He's been predicting a hung jury," said Ramos, who attended the trial and provided expert commentary on Crivello's show, "The Sicilians" on Fox Sports Radio KBAD-AM, 920.

Maybe that prediction just stemmed from prior experience? Who knows.

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Tony Gonzo Is the All Time Yardage Leader for Tight Ends, at Least He's Got Individual Goals

Will Brinson — 2008-10-05T13:35:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Hall of Fame, NFL Media Watch

Tony Gonzalez, with a first quarter reception against the Carolina Panthers, passed Shannon Sharpe for all time career yardage by a tight end. Sharpe retired with 10,060 yards, and Gonzalez just jumped him with his first catch of the day.

This is important because now Gonzo is the all time leader for yardage, receptions and touchdown receptions by a tight end. He is arguably the greatest tight end of all time, and his success really defined the change in the position that we've seen over the past few years, that has led to guys like Antonio Gates and Jason Witten emerge.

Of course, it also led to the Niners burning a first round draft pick on Vernon Davis, but hey, they can't all be winners. Additionally, it's nice to see a loyal guy like Gonzo find some form of success while being forced to suffer on this 2008 Kansas City team.

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Matt Schaub Lands in the Hospital, Sage Rosenfels Lands in the Starting Lineup

Will Brinson — 2008-10-05T12:25:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Texans, NFL Injuries, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Matt Schaub is sick. Sick and tired of losing. Oh, and he's literally sick -- and it's bad enough that he was sent to the hospital on Saturday night.

So, yeah, in a huge divisional matchup and the team's first return to Houston since Ike hit, things are going to be a little thin at quarterback.

Schaub fell ill Saturday night, but is active as the second quarterback for this afternoon's game. Tight end Owen Daniels is the Texans' emergency quarterback.

In five starts with the Texans in 2007, Rosenfels was 4-1. He played in 10 total games and finished with a career-high 1,684 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.

Yeah, so things aren't that bad for the Texans, but we don't really know how bad they are for Schaub just yet. Hopefully he'll be fine, but until we hear more, we just have to assume that he's doing alright under medical watch.

Sage Rosenfels will start in his place and Lord have mercy on the Texans if Daniels has to take snaps.

Fantasy Spin: Obviously bench Schaub immediately, and consider grabbing Rosenfels -- he doesn't seem like a particularly attractive option but if you're facing Kyle Orton or someone of that lower end nature and he's there, well, the Colts defense isn't that stout and he does have Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter.

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Alex Rodriguez and Madonna Were Reportedly Seen Eating Dinner Together

Will Brinson — 2008-10-03T15:30:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch

There's a large, gaping hole of symbolism between a fun-to-report total rumor and a legitimately important celebrity relationship story. And that hole can be filled when two people as famous as Alex Rodriguez and Madonna are seen eating dinner together. (Or when Madonna allegedly "brainwashes" A-Rod, but that's beside the point.)

Which is what the New York Post is reporting, via the always fun "sources."

REPS for Madonna and Alex Rodriguez deny the two dined together at Dos Caminos on Third Avenue the other night. But sources insist the Yankee star broke bread with Madge and two male friends. "Madonna entered through the front door half an hour after A-Rod arrived and had her security guards check the exits before she sat down at a quiet corner table," said one source. Madonna had the men laughing with her stories. When the meal was over, they left by separate exits.

I don't feel "good" about reporting this -- clearly it has nothing to do with the actual playoffs going on. However, A-Rod and Madonna are two enormously famous celebrities in their respective corners of the world, so it's going to be news to lots of people when they come together.

Perhaps neither one is really that great in terms of legitimate non-pop culture likability (I can only imagine the fake-accent-spewing children they would crank out), but they are both immensely talented and popular. So if they start dating, I'm gonna tell you about it. (Oh yeah, it might be important to note that their reps are totally denying all of this.)

Also, how awful would C-Rod feel if Alex took the Yankees to a title the year after they locked up that divorce? I think it would be fairly awkward.

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Cubs Fans, Desperate for Any Semblance of an Excuse, Turn to Potentially Blaming Priest

Will Brinson — 2008-10-03T15:15:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Cubs, Dodgers, MLB Fans, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, MLB Playoffs

There's still a lot of series left. So I'm not gonna do anything stupid and jinx my Dodgers bet by pointing out that the Cubs straits are more dire than a, well, there's no need for Mark Knopfler jokes here. In fact there isn't a need for any jokes -- this is a serious situation for Cubs fans, and gosh darnit, they are going to find someone to blame.

Before it was Bartman and a goat. Now, it's a preacher. So, yeah, this should end well for everyone.

But when a TBS cameraman saw Rev. Father James L. Greanias spreading holy water in the Cubs dugout several hours before Game 1 of the Division Series on Wednesday, the priest from St. Iakovos Greek Orthodox Church in Valparaiso, Ind. knew the cat was out of the bag.

[...]"Now I guess I'm just another Cubbie Occurrence," he said.

The spreading of the holy water took about 10 minutes, as Greanis went up and down the dugout, getting it in every nook and cranny. The remaining holy water was poured out onto the field near the dugout steps where the players run out to their positions.

"It's not unusual," Greanis said. "In Greece, the priest blesses soccer teams, and they did it in the Olympics, too. It was not intended to be a p.r. stunt or anything."

That's fantastic. It's a much better story when it's not a publicity stunt. And the story becomes best (like a black bear) when the Cubs subsequently lose ... like now. Actually, I take that back -- I don't ever like to see anyone injured and I'm a little afraid of what the outcome will if/when the Cubbies lose the series and Father Greanias finds himself in the middle of an angry blue mob.

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Road Chalk and Alaskan Pipelines: Week 5

Will Brinson — 2008-10-03T11:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: NFL Gambling, NFL Media Watch

Road Chalk and Alaskan Pipelines is Will Brinson's weekly NFL gambling column at FanHouse. Because everyone loves a loser.

You know the drill by now, right? I make jokes about my current season's record (26-34 UGH) and then I make the picks. The good news is that my Tungsten locks (as denoted by **Team name**) are 6-2 on the season. Making me like a real life Brandon Lang or something.

Indianapolis Colts (-3) @ Houston Texans
This is exactly the type of game where I would, in the normal course of stupidity, always take the Colts. How-EVA, it seems like a trap. The Texans can't be this bad, right? And the Colts are without Bob Sanders. I expect lots of points, a Steve Slaton blowup and Andre Johnson to correct his miserable 2008 by scoring four touchdowns. Of course, I also expect to leave work at 4 p.m. today. And somehow, I don't think that's happening.

Texans +3

Tennessee Titans (-3) @ Baltimore Ravens
I get that people think this team is really good (some people, like Bill Simmons, are talking Super Bowl), and they are. But I have a few rules in life (very few, in fact) and one of them is that when you get Kerry Collins going against a rejuvenated Ray Lewis on the road and handing out three points, you take those points. No, this rule does not come into play frequently, thank you for asking. Also: the under, please.

Ravens +3

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Marshawn Lynch, Poet, Emerges From His Cabin to Bless Us With Undefeated Brilliance

Will Brinson — 2008-10-03T00:45:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Bills, AFC East, NFL Media Watch

George Herbert. Thomas Hobbes. John Donne. Marshawn Lynch. They are our great poets and we are willing to accept whatever they write as gospel. How can we not? After all, when you read the brilliance that they profess, you understand why whatever they're saying is relevant.

whats good yb i no u aint heard from ya boi n a min but im still alive just been chillin tryin get rite for da season....if u dont no we 4-0 rite now and tryin to get 5-0...i need all da buffalo fans to keep it lit for us while we doin our thang and the non buffalo fans to jump on da ban wagon and ride dat thang FASTER...to all da beast mode (Marshawn Lynch) fans to keep dat thang lit too and check ma web page out at www.marshawn23.com....until next time hold ya chin up.....nuh nuh nuh gone

Exactly. That's why 289 passed it along. Because Marshawn is brilliant. Some might argue, in fact, that he's the Julius Hodge of the NFL -- totally unadulterated, completely uncensored emotionally, and more than willing to tell us what he thinks.

And that last part is brilliant, frankly, and it's what makes Beast Mode the best -- yes Gil -- athlete blogger on the internet; his feelings come across dead straight center and in this case, they're accurate. The Bills are one of the best teams in the AFC and they deserve the credit. So, yeah, holler.

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In Jacksonville, If You Hit a Guard on the Head With a Chair, They Will Take Your Tickets

Will Brinson — 2008-10-02T18:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Police Blotter, NFL Fans

The Jacksonville Jaguars don't seem like the type of team that would be uber police-y with their fans. After all, they didn't get that upset when one fan made, um, certain gestures with thundersticks all up on national television.

But I suppose I could be wrong, as proved by the Jaguars recent decision to start revoking season tickets for fans that misbehaved.

The Jaguars announced on Wednesday the team has rescinded the tickets of Antonio Martinez, James Cotton and Shaun Perkins. All three men were arrested after police said they attacked a security guard.

According to police, the fight started after one of the men was told he wouldn't be sold any more beer.
According to the police report, Martinez tried to hit the security guard and missed, and then "the guard pushed the suspect away in self-defense but was then grabbed by Mr. Martinez and taken to the ground."

On the other hand, this is the sort of fan behavior -- starting fights because the team won't let you get drunker -- that should be abolished, so I totally back the Jags reaction.

Oh, and also, Perkins, who may or may not have a problem with drinking, decided to go all Legion of Doom on the security guard and bash him over the head with a wooden folding chair while he was laying on the ground. It's pretty safe to say that anytime you hit a security type person over the head with a chair, trouble is going to follow you. Stay classy, J-ville.

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Panic in the Streets: Cubs Lose Game 1 Handily Behind a Couple Dodger Taters

Will Brinson — 2008-10-01T22:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Cubs, Dodgers, NL Central, NL West, MLB Fans, MLB Playoffs

Stop that, Cubs fans. You know what I mean -- the repeated mumblings of "That's why they call it a series" followed by the "Something-something ... don't mind if I do!" Homer Simpson-like behavior. Seriously, stop. It's totally okay to freak out.

After all, you are down 1-0 in the National League Division Series to the Dodgers, and as TBS was kind enough to squeeze in between "I Love This Town" soundbites, the team that wins the first game of such a series has gone on to win said series 24 of 28 times.

Of course, it didn't have to be this way. There were a lot of things going in your favor. On paper (in theory) you had the better team. You also had a hefty wind (17 mph at last check) blowing into Wrigley. And Joe Torre made the mistake of using ground ball pitcher Derek Lowe tonight instead of saving him for a change in weather.

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Did Travis Henry Resort to Trafficking Cocaine to Battle the Economy?

Will Brinson — 2008-10-01T15:08:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Police Blotter, NFL Rumors

There's no real way to know if Travis Henry decided that trafficking cocaine was the best way to battle the recent economic woes our country has been facing. However, he does have a large family to feed, so it's reasonable to think that, without the steady income stream of professional athletics, he needed a little handy cash.

Regardless of how he ended up slinging the ya-o (isn't that what the kids call it?), he got busted. Of course. Via MDS at PFT:

Henry and another man were arrested yesterday, the Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement. Both men are being held pending the filing of federal drug charges later today.

Henry ran afoul of NFL drug policies multiple times during his career. In 2007 he successfully challenged a failed drug test for marijuana. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan went to bat for Henry at the time, saying he had passed a lie-detector test.

To say that Henry has bad luck would be a tremendous understatement if the guy wasn't constantly begging to get in trouble.

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From the Windup: An Idiot's Guide to Gambling on the MLB Playoffs

Will Brinson — 2008-10-01T09:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, MLB Biz, MLB Gambling, MLB Playoffs

From the Windup is FanHouse's daily, extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime. Will Brinson may check in from time to time to mock his own gambling "prowess". He will tag these posts "Gamble On". He is doing that because he's bitter he didn't think of the Zeppelin play on words when he named his NFL picks column.

This is our last chance to gamble on baseball until *shudder* April 2009. So what follows is me pretending that I have $10,000.00 and how I'm going to ~~waste~~ invest it all on MLB playoff bets. (Please be advised that this is by no means intelligent wagering advice like you might find elsewhere; this is the somewhat belligerent advice of an addicted lunatic flailing to get to .500 on the NFL season.)

For starters -- all lines courtesy of BoDog by the way -- we need to pick our World Series winner. Personally, I don't like the Cubs. Something or another about not winning for a few hundred years just scares me off, and that's creepy, because I love a good loser.

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Aaron Rodgers May Play Sunday Regardless of His Shoulder Injury

Will Brinson — 2008-09-29T23:55:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Packers, NFL Injuries, NFL Rumors

The shoulder injury that Aaron Rodgers suffered on Sunday had many Green Bay Packer fans freaking out. And some pundits declaring the Bears early favorites to storm out to a lead in the NFC North. But it appears that such discussion may be a touch premature, at least in part because Aaron Rodgers seems intent on playing this week, shoulder injury or not.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy and his assistants will spend this week monitoring Rodgers' progress and preparing rookie backup Matt Flynn to start, just in case.

"Speaking with Aaron this morning, he has every intention on playing," McCarthy said Monday in Green Bay. "But I think Wednesday's practice will be a pretty good indicator for us. It's just something we'll have to continue to rehab and see where we are on Wednesday."

So maybe I shouldn't be speaking in such absolutes; still, it sure does seem like Rodgers wants to get back out on the field Sunday. And the Packers need him too, what with, well, Matt Flynn calling the signals should Rodgers not make it back.

Of course, if it were the Lions they were squaring off against this week, I would demand that Rodgers rest, since Flynn could handle them without whatever arm he uses to throw the ball. Instead, they've got the Falcons and, well, to be honest ... they'd probably be better resting Rodgers here too. No offense to Matt Ryan.

Fantasy Spin: This is good news, and actually makes Rodgers a decent trade target -- his owner is probably looking to get something at this point. I've got a Rodgers - Derek Anderson combo going in a few leagues, and I'm debating a waiver move, but I'm also not going to do anything crazy until I find out what Rodgers plan of attack is.

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