Posts tagged TomBrady at FanHouse

Not to be outdone by Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his C-list singer/"actress" girlfriend Jessica Simpson, word on the street is that Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are gettin' hitched! What a time to be a celebrity gossip whore!


According to the Chicago Sun-Times' Bill Zwecker, who knows people: "...a close friend of the supermodel tells me, 'I don't think they will even bother getting engaged -- and will just slip off and marry quietly. But I think that's sooner rather than later.'"

With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. Click here to go back in time.

The 1s

Tennessee (4-0) at Baltimore (2-1): Okay, fine, I'll agree, the Titans are a good football team. They're giving up just 11.5 points per game, best in the NFL, they have a competent quarterback that doesn't do anything flashy but also doesn't make a lot of mistakes (only one interception in four games) and a rookie running back in Chris Johnson that made every fantasy owner that didn't snag him do a collective head slap. Interesting little comparison here, last week Johnson had just 19 less yards than Adrian Peterson with one less carry and as many touchdowns. Also worth noting, the 4-0 Titans have just one nationally televised game the rest of the season, October 27 against the Colts, while the Browns still have four. Does Al Davis also dabble in national television scheduling? Cool.

Pick -- Tennessee

Earlier in the week, Brett Favre, Hall of Fame quarterback, chronic flip-flopper, and NFL iron man, showed up on the Jets injury report. After suffering a twisted ankle in the Monday night loss to the Chargers, Favre was listed as questionable heading into today's matchup against the Cardinals.

Great news for suddenly skeptical fans, however: Favre will play! The NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that Peter King's BFF will start his 257th consecutive regular-season game, despite some concerns about his ankle.

As Favre himself once said, the only way he will not play is if they carry him off the field. To this day, Favre remembers how he got his starting job –- when former Packers quarterback Don Majkowski got hurt –- and he is determined he will not allow anyone take his job the same way.

So Jets backup quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff can prepare for their usual roles. Not that there ever was any doubt, but Favre will be starting. Again.

A few days ago, Schefter pointed out that good things happen when Favre's name shows up on the injury report. In fact, in the six previous times he's been listed as questionable, the Packers were 5-1 (and he's 3-0 when the injury in, um, question was an ankle!) He's also completed almost 70 percent of his passes, averaged 274 yards in the air, and 14 touchdowns against just five interceptions.

Which makes you wonder why the Packers/Jets don't just do what Bill Belichick did with Tom Brady for two straight years: stick him on the injury report with "a shoulder." That worked out pretty well -- until Week 1, anyway.

As Tom Brady will be happy to explain, 2008 might not be some people's year.

Willis McGahee can second that, as the eye injury he suffered in the Sunday win against the Cleveland Browns could keep him out of the Monday night game against the Steelers, his second major injury of the early '08 season.

"It still looks pretty bad to me," coach John Harbaugh said. "As long as he can see, he'll play. But if he can't, he's not going to be able to play. So, we'll have to try to get that swelling down."

We actually have a rule in our yearly family football game that no player is allowed to participate if they can't see. We Bacons have always felt that to be fair.

The crazy thing about the laceration to McGahee's right eyelid is that Harbaugh and company think the injury might have been intentional, which would be the first successful thing the Browns have done this season. The Ravens have submitted the tape of the injury to the NFL for review.

"We asked them for their opinion on what happened," Harbaugh said. "We're waiting to hear back on it."

Just over six months ago, Randy Moss was a free agent. There was speculation that the Patriots would slap him with the franchise tag after a record-setting 2007 season that saw him haul in 98 Tom Brady balls for 1,493 yards, including 23 touchdowns. Instead, they let him test the market and Moss was apparently very close to signing with the Eagles.

In fact, according to the Boston Herald, he took less money to stay in New England to rejoin forces with Brady and Belichick, take care of some unfinished business, and any other clichés that seem appropriate here.

At the time, I applauded Moss for keeping his word, taking less money, and returning to the Patriots. It wasn't necessarily a tough decision -- playing with Tom Brady has to be the highlight of his up-and-down NFL career -- but a few million bucks can go a long way in changing someone's mind.

Now, though, with the benefit of the ol' time machine, I have to wonder if Moss regrets his decision. Again, I'm not blaming him -- just wondering if he's played the "what if" game since Brady went down in a heap eight minutes into the season. Hardly original, I know, but just something that crossed my mind as I watched Asante Samuel -- along with his 10 teammates -- shutdown the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday afternoon.

Every week when the dinner bell rings on Friday evening, we'll be here to provide you a comprehensive injury report for the NFL weekend to follow. For those injuries that go right down to the wire, drop by our live Fantasy Fanhouse experts live chat from 10 am to 1 pm every Sunday and we'll take care of you on those bloody game-time decisions. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Arizona Cardinals

Steve Breaston - Breaston practiced lightly this week with a knee injury, but is expected to play on Sunday.

The Atlanta Falcons

Michael Turner - Turner was seen with his ankle in a bucket of ice (owww)after Sunday's game, but he says it is not serious and will be ready.

The Chicago Bears

Devin Hester - Hester has some torn cartilage in his ribs and has not practiced this week. I doubt if anybody starts Hester, but if so look elsewhere as he probably will not play.

Every week when the dinner bell rings on Friday evening, we'll be here to provide you a comprehensive injury report for the NFL weekend to follow. For those injuries that go right down to the wire, drop by our live Fantasy Fanhouse experts live chat from 10 am to 1 pm every Sunday and we'll take care of you on those bloody game-time decisions. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Arizona Cardinals

Steve Breaston - Breaston practiced lightly this week with a knee injury, but is expected to play on Sunday.

The Atlanta Falcons

Michael Turner - Turner was seen with his ankle in a bucket of ice (owww)after Sunday's game, but he says it is not serious and will be ready.

The Chicago Bears

Devin Hester - Hester has some torn cartilage in his ribs and has not practiced this week. I doubt if anybody starts Hester, but if so look elsewhere as he probably will not play.

With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. Click here to go back in time

The 1's

Kansas City at Atlanta: It's a game featuring a team with a rookie quarterback taking on a team with no quarterback. Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan had a dreadful week two, missing on his first nine passes, while the Chiefs are still playing musical chairs with Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen. Larry Johnson isn't impressed by any of it.

Oakland at Buffalo: The Buffalo Bills haven't started a season 3-0 since 1992, and that's exactly what they'll do if they can defeat an Oakland team that has spent this week worrying about who its coach will be, as opposed to the task at hand in Buffalo. If the Bills get that 3-0 start, there's a strong chance Raiders' head coach Lane Kiffin will be searching for a new job on Monday morning. Seeing as how they're likely without Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden is fighting some turf toe and Javon Walker can't make it through practice, there's a good chance that happens.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been tough on player's off-field activities and is now extending his get tough ways with on-field behavior. According to Adam Schefter, Goodell sent an emailed memo today to all the teams telling them that illegal or dangerous hits may be subject to discipline, even on the first offense:

Player safety on the field is important to all of us in the NFL. Football is a tough game and we need to do everything possible to protect all players - offense, defense, and special teams - from unnecessary injury caused by illegal and dangerous hits. From this point forward, you should be clear on the following point: Any conduct that unnecessarily risks the safety of other players has no role in the game of football and will be disciplined at increased levels, including on a first offense. Playing by the rules shows respect for your fellow players. No one wants to see unnecessary injuries. Let's have a safe and exciting 2008 season.

Hmmm, sounds like a good idea in theory, but seems to be something harder to put in practice. Often what gets attention as an illegal hit is a hit that actually hurts someone. There are tons of tough hits, some maybe border line dirty, that don't get attention at all.

It will be interesting to see what sort of discipline is given, whether it is given out equally no matter the star power of the players or team involved, and whether punishment is harsher if actually injuries happen.

All-Pro Wide Receiver Randy Moss was fairly quiet in New Englands 19-10 win over the New York Favres Jets -- he caught two passes for 22 yards -- but man, did he make a statement after the game. Moss didn't spend much time at the podium to discuss his teams win, but he sent a message to everyone in the NFL that thinks the Patriots' season ended with Tom Brady's knee injury.

"I don't think there's one person in my face with his microphone that picked us to win today," Moss said as he peered out at the media. "I'm going to end (my comments) today. The New England Patriots are 2-0. We got one in the division. So all you haters keep hating. We're coming!"

And so it was. Clearly, Mr. Moss has been spending some quality time with teammate Rodney Harrison to start playing the disrespect card so early in the season. But, hey, whatever motivates you.