This week, we're going to take a look at a couple of players who did well (and not so well) in Week 12 and see why they did what they did.

Is Shaun Alexander back to form?

Fantasy owners who took Alexander with a first-round pick can rest easy: Your stud runner is back.

Alexander rushed 40 times for 201 yards in the snow against the Packers, and he looked every bit of his MVP-caliber self. Alexander had excellent burst in open space, solid field vision and could especially cut with his feet. That tells me that his foot is truly healed, and the team waiting as long as it did to let him heal was worth it.

However, not all the news is peachy. Of the 40 carries he had, 16 went for less than three yards (three for negative yardage). That's one-third of his reps. Surprising, but not totally a downer as you can't expect him to rumble for big yardage with every touch.

But in case that got you down, there's this: Alexander had five carries for 10-plus yardage, including a 21-yard gainer and 31 yards on back-to-back totes late in the third quarter.

Alexander should be considered a No. 1 Fantasy RB for the rest of the season.

Is Vince Young that good?

If you're an annual die-hard Fantasy Football owner, I want you to remember what you're about to read.

Based on what I saw of Young in college, plus what he did against the Giants, I would venture that he's going to be a really, really solid Fantasy quarterback, and he'll be there sooner than later.

For the first three quarters against the Giants, Young's playing time was limited as the Titans had a pair of fumbles including one charged to Young on a handoff that the running back bobbled. Tennessee also ran the ball a lot in the first half, taking away Young's chances to throw.

On a late first-half drive, Young and the Titans drove to within a few yards of the goal line but didn't score. The Giants played a zone defense against Young, protecting against him running with the ball while covering the receivers in open space (they put eight men back in zone vs. four receivers). Still, Young nearly scored on a bootleg play.

In the second half, Young showed off some smarts when he tossed a shovel pass to his running back on one of the numerous plays where his offensive line broke down. After that play, he was 11-of-15 passing for 119 yards.

Young's leadership and running ability came to light in the fourth quarter, but his passing took a small step back. On their late drive to tie the game, Young misfired on three straight passes, which led to the fourth-and-10 play where Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka "chest bumped" Young instead of sacking him, giving him the chance to run outside, burst past FS Will Demps, and get the game-saving first down. You most likely saw this play on TV 100 times. Young's ability to run will make him very difficult to gameplan for, much like Michael Vick (when he's got receivers with hands).

Of course, Young connected with Brandon Jones (who I also think is a good player) on a perfect pass in the end zone to tie the game. One turnover later, Young put his team in position to win it and upset the Giants.

Naturally, because he's a running quarterback, there are constant comparisons of Young to Vick. But the fact is that in addition to being an intelligent runner, Young has a very good arm. Maybe not the best arm in the NFL, but one that can get the ball into close quarters and also get deep. His release is very smooth, and his accuracy, at least against the Giants, was nearly flawless.

Young also has this coolness in the pocket; the Titans may have one of the five worst offensive lines in the NFL, but whether the pass rush is on or not, Young doesn't get shaky. He does bounce a little bit when he's looking for a receiver, but that's not a major deal.

Let's do some Fantasy math. If Young throws for 125 yards and rushes for 50 yards, that's the Fantasy equivalent of a quarterback who doesn't run throwing for 250 yards (assuming we're playing in a standard scoring system). At this point, those numbers are very reasonable for Young to attain.

But once this guy gets a solid offensive line and some reliable receivers on his team, those kinds of numbers are going to be bad for him. Young is missing proper pocket protection and receivers that can play at a high level on a regular basis (Bobby Wade, for example, doesn't cut it). When he gets those pieces in place around him, he's going to produce ridiculous Fantasy numbers and win some people league championships. So those comparisons to Vick are way off -- Vince Young will not be akin to Michael Vick.

He's going to be a lot better.

7:25 p.m.: I'm calling it a night after an exasperating weekend of football (with two games to go ...).

I defy anyone to figure out the NFC, where every team except Dallas and New Orleans took a step back this weekend (though Seattle and Philly have yet to play). The Bears fought tough against New England, but came up short in a game that had nine giveaways (nine!). The Giants completely choked at Tennessee, as did Carolina at Washington. I can see the Bears losing, but not the Giants or Panthers. The 49ers were the up-and-coming team and they blew a win late to St. Louis (who's back in the hunt).

If the season ended now, here's how the NFC playoffs look (I think ...):

1. Chicago

2. New Orleans

3. Seattle

4. Dallas

5. Carolina

6. N.Y. Giants

7:22 p.m.: Just watch the Giants gift-wrap a win to the Titans, thanks to a ghost sack by Mathias Kiwanuka that allowed Vince Young to not go down and run for a crucial fourth down, then an interception by Pacman Jones from the arm of Eli Manning, and a game-winning field goal by Rob Bironas. I can't figure out the Titans for the life of me other than NFL teams continue to underestimate them.

6:01 p.m.: The Patriots have done a nice job picking apart the Bears, mostly riding the back of Laurence Maroney. The Bears have used Bernard Berrian quite a bit as well, but a couple of turnovers have taken away scoring opportunities. New England remains the best scheming team in the league (and the one you'd least like to play).

Brandon Jacobs sure is getting a lot of touches in the Giants' game at Tennessee ... might it be because Tiki Barber ran his mouth a little too much this week? Regardless, the Giants are up large on the bumbling Titans.

4:06 p.m.: Sean Taylor picked off Jake Delhomme on a completely ridiculous pass by Delhomme, putting a wet blanket on the Panthers' hype and playoff hopes. I'm pretty stunned at how poorly Delhomme played this week, and for the most part, this season.

4:05 p.m.: Two shutouts pitched today by the Ravens and Bengals ... I'd insist on using the Ravens defense but not the Bengals, but it is nice to see them playing to the expectations put on them at the beginning of the season. They're a playoff team, fellas.

4:03 p.m.: Another 300-yard game for Drew Brees ... his fifth straight.

O.J. Atogwe had the easiest interception of his life to preserve the Rams' last-second win over the 49ers, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Regardless, the Niners are one team that will play hard down the stretch whether they rebound next week or not.

3:57 p.m.: Jeremy Shockey was hurt in pregame warmups and may not play at Tennessee today! If you own him, you should consider benching him. We'll know more on this later.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, WR Kevin Curtis scored with 27 seconds to give the Rams a 20-17 lead.

3:53 p.m.: In Buffalo, the Bills upset the Jaguars 27-24 thanks in part to Willis McGahee and Roscoe Parrish, who totaled three touchdowns. Jacksonville's loss just let the Bengals (who will win) back into the playoff hunt.

And in two other games, the Rams and Panthers are trying to come from behind and beat the Niners and Redskins, respectively.

3:50 p.m.: My UNOFFICIAL, off-the-top-of-my-head first-round mock draft for 2007: 1. LaDainian Tomlinson, 2. Larry Johnson, 3. Steven Jackson, 4. Peyton Manning, 5. Willie Parker, 6. Frank Gore, 7. Rudi Johnson, 8. Shaun Alexander, 9. Kevin Jones, 10. Chester Taylor.

3:48 p.m.: Steven Jackson is leading the Rams in rushing and receiving with 176 total yards. Torry Holt? Three catches for 27 yards. The Rams are down by four with 2:30 to play.

3:45 p.m.: Matt Jones won a jump-ball over Terrence McGee to pull the Jaguars into a tie with the Bills.

3:44 p.m.: The Bengals' backups are in with a 30-0 lead over the Browns.

Jacksonville is pushing hard to tie the game in Buffalo with a minute left to play ... David Garrard rushed for a crucial third down.

3:42 p.m.: Interesting play in Minnesota ... Chester Taylor plunged two yards for what seemed to be a touchdown, but the ball came out and Cardinals SS Adrian Wilson returned it for a touchdown. The referees took a look at the play and made it stand, narrowing the Cardinals' deficit.

3:31 p.m.: Steve Smith just made the TD catch of the year. Looking like a 6-foot-7 receiver, Smith was in single-man coverage in the back of the end zone and he lept over Shawn Springs to score. The play was challenged but it stood.

3:22 p.m.: We have the 4 p.m. inactives up on the site if you're needing to know if someone in a late game is going to play.

Some random notes ...

It's amazing to believe that Chad Johnson is leading the NFL in receiving yards after his horrific start to the season, but he's meeting our expectations of late of being the best Fantasy WR you could ask for. Charlie Frye's interceptions are costing the Browns in that game, by the way.

The Redskins are playing some inspired ball defensively; Brad Hoover is Carolina's leading receiver (23 yards) five minutes into the fourth quarter. Jake Delhomme has missed on 11 passes and has just 92 yards with an interception.

How about this stat line for Edgerrin James: Four carries for 15 yards with a fumble. He also has 10 yards receiving. WHAT A BUST!

Meanwhile, Michael Vick has 159 rush yards ... and is 9-of-21 passing for 84 yards.

3:03 p.m.: Two big plays ...

1. Chad Pennington is hurt and writhing on the ground following a hit from rookie DE Mario Williams, who slammed Pennington down on his right shoulder. Pennington, however, got up and pumped up the crowd as he left.

2. Adalius Thomas rumbled for a long touchdown after a Ben Roethlisberger fumble, giving the Steelers an ever bigger deficit (24-0).

2:45 p.m.: The rout is on in Cleveland as the T.J. Houshmandzadeh hauled in a Cris Carter-esque catch, keeping his feet in bounds, to take a 23-0 lead. The Bengals missed the extra point. "Who'syourmomma" has scored four TDs in his last four games against the Brownies.

2:42 p.m.: How about the 35 rush yards combined between the Jets and Texans in the first half? Steven Jackson had more than that on his touchdown run. At least Wali Lundy is making it count through the air (41 receiving yards).

Anyone have any clue what's going on in Washington between the Panthers and Redskins?! 6-3 at the half?!

2:33 p.m.: We have our first Hail Mary touchdown of the year as Drew Brees threw a deep lob that Terrance Copper came up with. Our video editor Aaron Weisberg said it best when he said, "Everyone on Atlanta's fired."

2:23 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger is back on the field for the Steelers, but all he did was kneel on the football to end the first half. Hopefully he'll be OK and play in the second half.

But as one QB gets back, another gets hurt as Bryant Young pummeled Marc Bulger to the ground. Bulger walked off the field under his own power and should be OK.

2:19 p.m.: It's going to be a game in St. Louis as Frank Gore rumbled for a 12-yard touchdown run late in the first half to put the Niners on the board. I think Gore is going to be a first-round pick in 2007 drafts as he's proven himself to be a versatile runner who can also catch the ball and show off a top-end speed. Those of you who have him in keeper leagues definitely have a winner on your hands.

2:14 p.m.: How about a welcome-to-the-NFL touchdown to rookie TE Marcedes Lewis, who looks more like a receiver than a TE. Garrard had the Bills bite on play-action and Lewis was open in the end zone for a short touchdown catch. Lewis is a sleeper for 2007.

2:11 p.m.: And if Jackson's total wasn't enough, Michael Vick has 127 yards rushing in the first half, leading everybody.

2:09 p.m.: And just like that ... touchdown Steven Jackson. The Rams may be forced to get away from their rep as a passing team. Jackson went over 100 yards on his 36-yard TD run and could have a monster day if the Rams defense keeps bottling up the Niners.

2:05 p.m.: And things go bad to worse for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger was smashed to the ground by LB Bart Scott. Roethlisberger laid on the ground for a minute writhing, but he did get up and walked off the field. Charlie Batch replaced him on a 3rd-and-17 play.

In St. Louis, Steven Jackson has 15 carries already in the first half. Coach Scott Linehan said this week they would try to run more, and on a drive that resulted in a field goal sliced through the 49ers with the run. Marc Bulger on the other hand has looked awful, tossing one interception and feeling a lot of pressure from the Niners. I think the Rams are sunk without Orlando Pace.

1:58 p.m.: Stand up and take notice: Baltimore is for real.

The Ravens just made the Steelers look like the Sisters of the Poor by marching down their throats with mostly running plays en route to a Jamal Lewis touchdown run. It was an eight-play drive with one receiver (Mark Clayton) being involved. I'm not saying the Ravens' offensive line is bad, but they're absolutely manhandling the Steelers at this point -- on both sides of the ball.

In Buffalo, Willis McGahee just scored his second TD of the game to go with 43 rush yards. Jacksonville looks beat.

1:53 p.m.: Another touchdown for Maurice Jones-Drew, who could give Marques Colston a run for his money for rookie of the year. Jones-Drew is up to eight offensive touchdowns this season (six rushing). He's also scored in three straight games. I've been using him as a No. 3 Fantasy RB in one of my deeper leagues, and frankly he's been better than Fred Taylor thanks to his receiving numbers.

1:46 p.m.: Great new commercial out there where Tony Dungy "coaches" a guy through the end of a date in a car. The guy's wearing a helmet and is hearing Dungy feeding him lines. The guy blows it ... it's funny. Dungy's never been so entertaining.

Chris Henry just made it 14-0 on the Browns, who are wearing helmets with a white stripe down the middle and numbers on either side. I like 'em.

So far, it's three carries for Cedric Houston and one carry each for Kevan Barlow and Leon Washington. We've already spoken a lot this season on the Jets' RB situation -- let's just hope it changes for 2007 since their offensive line should be beastly for next year.

1:44 p.m.: Expect a big game from Lee Evans again today as the Bills are attacking rookie CB Dee Webb, who is covering Evans. Why in the world is Jacksonville putting a rookie on Evans? Rashean Mathis is more valuable on Peerless Price?!

1:28 p.m.: I don't like the looks of Pittsburgh's defense so far ... McNair is off to a good start and the Steelers aren't doing a whole bunch. They're even allowing right around 4.0 yards per carry at the onset.

New Orleans is looking sharp on both sides of the ball, thanks in part to two big plays -- a 30-yard run for Deuce McAllister that set up a touchdown for him, and the deep ball to Henderson mentioned earlier. New Orleans has a fast defense that's attacking at the line of scrimmage, but Michael Vick just ran out of the pocket for a monster gain ... we call those "Go Mike Vick!" plays.

1:06 p.m.: Bad week to sleep through the first five minutes of the NFL action: The Cardinals ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Saints scored on a deep touchdown to Devery Henderson and the Browns nearly had a kickoff return for a score before a holding penalty brought it back.

12:56 p.m.: As always, you can hit me up in my inbox by clicking here and filling out the form on the left side. I'll answer some questions throughout the day if you guys have them.

12:36 p.m.: Here are the games I am covering in Week 12:

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

New Orleans at Atlanta

Chicago at New England

10:52 a.m.: Wanted to share some thoughts on Brady Quinn, the Notre Dame quarterback who is expected to be a top pick in the draft next April. I saw him play again yesterday in a loss at USC, and I thought he played pretty well in a very big game. Quinn has the measurables you want from your quarterback, and he has nice-sized arms. But what impressed me about him was his quickness in every facet of his game: From the time he takes the snap to the time he throws his pass, it's like watching in fast forward. He drops back quickly and fires off the ball quickly. THAT will make him valuable in the NFL. Think about a quarterback like Drew Bledsoe -- a guy who can't move and can't get rid of the ball fast enough. How much did Bledsoe cost the Cowboys when he played? Quinn won't have that problem no matter where he lands next April.

Personally, I think Detroit would be a great spot for him since they have a pretty decent O-line when it's healthy, they have a fast runner in Kevin Jones and a playmaker in Roy Williams. Throw in Mike Martz and his wacky offensive system, and you've got to consider Quinn a potential stat monster ... if, of course, he gets drafted in Detroit months from now (you can see why we don't devote a lot of time to the draft until the draft is over.

10:31 a.m.: Good morning. Happy Week 12 -- if you're out of the playoff race, enjoy these last two weeks of football.

Thought I'd start with an update on my Fantasy teams, so you can see proof that even though I write and talk about football for a living, I'm no dominant force or almighty Fantasy deity. Shoot, you might read this and think to yourself, "Why am I trusting this fool?" (Note: Please don't think that.)

KEEPER LEAGUE: I'm 7-4 and playoff bound assuming I can win one more game, though even if I lost I'd make it on tiebreakers (I think). I'm starting Philip Rivers, Steven Jackson, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith, Andre Johnson, Jeremy Shockey, Lawrence Tynes and the Broncos D. I'm enjoying a 19-point lead over my brother-in-law (who beat me twice in '05 -- my ONLY TWO LOSSES LAST YEAR YOU #$!@%@$%). I landed such a good lineup thanks to Jackson being a keeper and dealing off a draft pick and Eli Manning for Smith.

OFFICE LEAGUE: This is 14 teams with deep rosters and receptions counting, and I'm bunched in with six other owners at 6-5. The good news is that there are only two other owners who have better records than 6-5 -- parity is alive in this league! I'm down 24-0 as my opponent had Marion Barber (ouch) and Julius Jones (yay). My lineup: Brett Favre, Frank Gore, Chester Taylor, Wali Lundy (I sat Reggie Bush for Lundy -- so there's your proof I follow our very own rankings), Plaxico Burress, Deion Branch, Jeremy Shockey, John Kasay and the Chargers D. Of these players, only Taylor, Gore, Lundy and Plaxico were drafted by me back in August, and I had to re-acquire Lundy midway through the season.

EXPERTS' IDP LEAGUE: This is a deep league that starts six defensive players as well as a special teams unit. We have experts from competing sites playing on this one. I currently boast a 32-0 lead on a representative from The Talented Mr. Roto thanks in part to Zach Thomas. The bad news is that I a 5-6 in this league and need to win out and catch some breaks. The good news: Not one owner has a better record than 7-4. That should tell you all you need to know about experts who play Fantasy Football. :)

EXPERTS' KEEPER LEAGUE: We got a group of experts from competing sites to play a keeper league. Sadly, I didn't pay much attention to it and got stuck with junky keepers. But I was cool enough to pick up Tony Romo, who has me off to a 65-46 lead over John Hansen of FantasyGuru. My lineup: Romo, Warrick Dunn, Ahman Green, Thomas Jones, Reche Caldwell (I can't believe it either), Mark Clayton, Randy Moss, Randy McMichael, Shayne Graham and the Dolphins DST. Surprisingly, I'm 6-5 in this league, where all but ONE owner is 7-4 or worse.

SPORTSLINE EXPERTS' LEAGUE: This is a standard league made up of CBS SportsLine football folks only. Thanks to my sleuthy starting of Marion Barber over Ahman Green and Anthony Thomas, I am up 24-12 on SportsLine editor/writer Brian De Los Santos, who started Julius Jones. My lineup: Ben Roethlisberger (over Rex Grossman), Shaun Alexander, Barber, Frank Gore, Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, Eddie Kennison, Chris Cooley, Matt Stover, Jaguars DST. Don't ask me how I am 5-6 in this league, but like the IDP and Keeper league, no one is better than 7-4, so I have a shot.

You might be wondering, "Why do I follow these so-called experts if they're no better than 7-4?" Good question. Maybe instead, pick a few that you like (i.e., me and Jamey Eisenberg), and use the analysis they provide as food for thought instead of gospel. Before I started doing this, that's what I did. I went on a tear over four years and won four Fantasy championships.

Oh, and we're all not 7-4 ...

SPORTSLINE EXPERTS' AUCTION LEAGUE: You may recall this is the league where I traded the conglomerate known as MarcFrankMauriceJoeRandy BulgerGoreJones-DrewHornMcMichael for LaDainian Tomlinson. Well, the deal has more than worked out for me as I haven't lost since (thanks, Peter!). I am 8-3 with two teams at 7-4 and the rest in the rearview. A win will clinch me my division and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The lineup: Trent Green, Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Jamal Lewis, Arnaz Battle (over Derrick Mason), Mark Clayton, Randy Moss, Jerramy Stevens, Jeff Wilkins and the Panthers D. I feel bad for poor David Gladow, who plays me this week and is already in a 26-0 hole thanks to LJ and T. Green.

8:02 p.m.: Calling it a night ...

Three big themes from Week 11: Injuries galore, stats galore ... and three very quiet shutouts. The Bears, Panthers and Patriots each posted shutouts of teams that were eyeing a playoff run heading into the week. All three defenses are worth noting since they all belong to teams that should be thick in the Super Bowl mix six weeks from now. The Bears and Patriots are obviously going to be high-ranked seeds, but the Panthers really won big this week as they won, the Saints and Falcons both lost, and the Eagles lost McNabb. If the season ended now, Carolina would win the NFC South and at the very least host a playoff game.

If the Panthers can continue to slam against the run (they crushed Steven Jackson this week), they could be a contender for the Super Bowl despite their hideous start. They do have the talent for it, after all.

6:54 p.m.: A tale of two running backs: Frank Gore rumbled for 212 rush yards, a single-game record for the 49ers, while Shaun Alexander had 37 yards on 17 carries and couldn't pick up a crucial fourth down conversion late in the game.

5:58 p.m.: With 180 rush yards against Seattle early into the second half, Frank Gore has gone over 1,000 rush yards, the second RB to accomplish the feat in Week 11 (Larry Johnson was first). It's all good news until you see that Gore isn't getting goal-line carries again -- Michael Robinson is in the game there for San Fran but isn't scoring.

5:28 p.m.: Nine rush yards for Shaun Alexander in the first half at San Francisco, and with the Seahawks down 20-0, we may not see much more of him. Alexander flashed some quickness but not in his cuts, where he got caught up a lot by the Niners.

5:21 p.m.: LaMont Jordan has a torn MCL in his knee and is expected to miss significant playing time, possibly the whole season. This could end the year of one of the all-time worst first-round picks in Fantasy history as he's been a total bum for all but one game this year. Granted, he played behind an awful offensive line, but he was still totally unproductive and didn't catch many passes compared to his production in 2005.

Justin Fargas takes over; he's at best a No. 3 Fantasy RB in deep, deep league play.

4:59 p.m.: CBS SportsLine.com has confirmed that Eagles QB Donovan McNabb has a right torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2006 season. If you own him, or plan on playing Fantasy Football this time next season, remember the ACL injuries suffered in '05 by Daunte Culpepper and Carson Palmer. McNabb's recovery will be highly publicized and owners who play in 2007 will want to know what he does and who he consults with about rehabbing. He could come back bigtime, or his best days could be behind him.

4:44 p.m.: Lions RB Kevin Jones just got carted off the field in Arizona with an ankle injury. The Lions might be precautionary here, though we're not sure (as well they should be -- their backup runner is Arlen Harris). Remember, it's Emergency Room Sunday!

4:14 p.m.: So let's see ... three shutouts, five major injuries, one 500-yard rusher, two three-TD playmakers and another week of close, hang-on-to-your-hats football.

And the Colts and Cowboys are about to kick off ... love, ya, NFL.

4:06 p.m.: Make it 510 yards for Drew Brees! Devery Henderson had 169 of the yards, while Joe Horn and Terrance Copper totaled 180 yards.

And a touchdown that will stand in the annals of Dave Richard Fantasy Football history, Chester Taylor scored a garbage TD with 0:01 to give him two TDs on the game, giving me a temporary lead in a league I really need a win in.

4:02 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger was about to be sacked with about 30 seconds left in the game when he flipped the ball to Willie Parker, who scored a 4-yard TD to give the Steelers a short lead.

Elsewhere, Drew Brees is close to 500 passing yards. That's not a typo.

3:44 p.m.: Not to be outdone, Jamal Lewis just rumbled for his third touchdown of the game, making his season stats look a little better.

Drew Brees just threw a pick-six that rookie Ethan Kilmer sped to the end zone, and now the Bengals are up 31-10 on N'awlins.

Elsewhere, the Eagles are imploding. A field goal attempt went awry for the Iggles and the Titans are one quarter away from stealing a win. A win where Vince Young threw for 64 yards.

3:40 p.m.: Six catches, 190 yards and three TDs for Chad Johnson in Week 11. His stats are going to look great at the end of the season, but they will be terribly misconstrued as he had a horrid first half to 2006.

Johnson then went to the bench to have his right shoulder looked at. The guy is getting banged up as part of ... Emergency Room Sunday.

3:35 p.m.: Make it four weeks in a row for Drew Brees throwing for over 300 yards. I don't know if the Saints will win or lose in Week 11 (I'll know in an hour ... ha ha), but Brees is going to start getting some MVP consideration if he leads the Saints to a stellar record.

3:29 p.m.: Good news: Chad Johnson scored his second TD of the game. Bad news: He hurt his right hamstring and is limping. He has a long history of cramping; he shouldn't miss much time.

3:25 p.m.: Marc Bulger has been sacked six times and has thrown for just 95 yards. Anyone else seeing the importance of a left tackle in the NFL?

Bob Sanders is not playing for the Colts in Week 11 ... expect big games for Julius Jones and Marion Barber.

In Green Bay, Brett Favre left the field again ... his game could be over for Week 11 in an ugly game for the Pack.

3:18 p.m.: Speaking of special teams, the Browns' Josh Cribbs, who is becoming this year's Dante Hall, returned a kick 92 yards for a touchdown, and the Browns have the lead again over Pittsburgh.

3:14 p.m.: Shaun Alexander is active for the Seahawks, but Matt Hasselbeck will serve as the No. 3 QB. So if you're looking to start either or both of those guys, there's your info.

Mark Bradley hauled in a touchdown from the Bears, and they're now up 10-0.

Ravens PR B.J. Sams has had three long returns but has been caught from behind all three times.

3:04 p.m.: Fantasy owners rejoice: Larry Johnson has gone over 1,000 rush yards this season, the first running back to do so. Tiki Barber and LaDainian Tomlinson are expected to follow him later this weekend/Monday night.

Fantasy owners won't be rejoicing when they read that Travis Henry just ran 70 yards for a touchdown, the longest run of his NFL career. He has 133 rush yards and a TD against the Eagles, clearly an improbable turn of events. And he's on the bench in HALF of CBS SportsLine's Fantasy leagues.

2:54 p.m: We have a new injury to announce on what is becoming Emergency Room Sunday: Steve Smith landed hard on his left shoulder and got some medical attention. However, Smith was fortunate enough to walk off on his own, mosey along the sideline, and then hurl chunks into a garbage can. I am not making this up. He should be OK.

2:35 p.m.: Add another couple of injuries to the Week 11 stockpile: Brett Favre (elbow), Corey Dillon (arm) and DeShaun Foster (arm). Aaron Rodgers took snaps for Favre at the end of the first half.

The Bears got off to a great start in the second half with an on-side kick they recovered after the Jets tried it, leading to a field goal. And in Tampa Bay, Jason Campbell hit Chris Cooley in the end zone for his first NFL passing TD. T.J. Duckett did a lot of the running on their drive.

2:09 p.m.: Oakland is making another trip into the red zone, but they're not doing anything when they get there. Aaron Brooks may be a laughing stock as far as NFL QBs go, but he's markedly better than Andrew Walter, which speaks volumes about how bad the Oakland offense is.

1:59 p.m.: So to recap, Marques Colston, LaMont Jordan and Donovan McNabb have all been carted off the field in Week 11. Someone out there has to have all three of those guys on their Fantasy team. Hopefully they have Lee Evans, too.

1:56 p.m.: McNabb tried to get up and couldn't, and he's getting carted off the field. He could have a broken right leg.

Let's talk about Jeff Garcia -- he's a former Fantasy darling who is mobile but very wily with the football. On the plus side, the Eagles have some good receivers, so Garcia shouldn't be a total wipeout. He's worth owning as a backup Fantasy QB at this point, though he has the potential to be a No. 1 option come the Fantasy playoffs.

1:55 p.m.: Donovan McNabb ran against the Titans and got pushed to the ground but went down awkwardly. The Eagles trainers are checking out his right leg.

In the immortal words of Bob Elliott, "Jeff Garcia ... white courtesy phone."

1:52 p.m: Brian Urlacher picked off Chad Pennington in the end zone to give the Bears nice field position in a boring, scoreless game. The Jets have answered the bell.

Back to Cleveland where Hines Ward couldn't hold on to the ball and Willie McGinest recovered a fumble. It's beginning to look like one of those mega-turnover days for the Steelers. If they lose the game, they will be in last place in the AFC North.

1:44 p.m.: With the help of my former managing editor, Ellen Levy, I discovered that Flipper Anderson holds the record for most receiving yards in a game with 336. So Evans is 131 yards away with three quarters to play.

In Cleveland, former Cincinnati Bearcat (and a guy I liked coming out of college) Daven Holly picked off Ben Roethlisberger and scored for the Browns. I love that Browns secondary as they scheme extremely well. Our own Dan Dobish is at that game, and I am sure he loved every minute of that play.

1:36 p.m.: Just got a look at Jason Campbell for a few plays. I like his size -- he's Ben Roethlisberger-ish tall but not with his weight. He also does the basic stuff well -- handoffs, dropbacks, etc. His arm has been OK so far, too. Not great. He's also getting blitzed like crazy and has avoided it for the most part (as I typed that, he got sacked).

Another catch for Lee Evans. He's up to 205 receiving yards in the first quarter -- that is nearly half of the receiving yards Randy Moss has on the season, and it's got to be a record.

1:28 p.m.: Lee Evans has indeed scored his second 83-yard touchdown of the DAY as he got ahead of CB Demarcus Faggins and caught a deep ball, then outran the rest of the Houston defense for a TD. He has three catches for 180 yards and two TDs. Think the Bills saw something in the Houston secondary to exploit?

In Kansas City, Raiders RB LaMont Jordan is down with an injury. So their running game goes from "worst" to "non-existent." Those poor Raiders ... their run game is so bad, they look at Edgerrin James and wish they could have him. Jordan is on the sidelines being examined by team doctors.

1:24 p.m.: Send out the waiver wire alarms for Terrance Copper as it looks like Marques Colston could miss some time.

And as soon as Colston hit the locker room, Brees went up top to connect with Joe Horn on a deep ball. The final score of this game could be 100-98.

And, our own Michael Hurcomb just yelled out "Lee Evans scored another long TD!"

1:20 p.m.: Early on, a lot of teams are exploiting as you'd expect. The Bears are running at will against the Jets. The Dolphins marched downfield using the no-huddle and passing like madmen. The Bengals and Saints ... well ... they're doing what you'd expect. Interestingly enough, when the Bears attempted their second pass, their drive was killed as it fell incomplete, and the Dolphins turned the ball over on a goal-line run. See what happens when you stray from a gameplan?

In New Orleans, Marques Colston got hurt when someone backed into him. He was carted into the locker room, and he looked pretty darn depressed.

1:09 p.m.: And Week 11 is off and running ... Lee Evans and Chad Johnson each have long touchdowns early.

12:33 p.m: Great email to share ...

Jason writes, "You get any oppotunities to kick Mellencamp in his junk? I'm just saying those commercials are driving me friggin' nuts. Seriously though, I'm thinkin' I need to sit Foster and ride the A-Train against the Texans. What do you think? Thanks for the help..."

HI-larious. I like Foster a bit more than Thomas just because he's at home and the Rams defense is exposed more and more each week.

11:38 am.: Here are the games I'll be covering in Week 11:

Chicago at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Washington at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

Specifically, I'll be interested in seeing how Cleveland defends against the Steelers, and how Jason Campbell does.

If you'd like to drop an email with a question for the Blogzilla, you may do so by clicking here and following the form on the left side of the page.

10:40 a.m.: Good morning, Week 11 Fantasy fanatics!

I have seen the future, and his name is Ted Ginn Jr. The Ohio State wide receiver/kick returner went on the biggest stage he'll ever play on (including the National Championship Game he'll undoubtedly play in) and put on a show against a very difficult opponent in Michigan. Ginn has amazine speed, great height, an incredible vertical, and of course great hands. He's got a shot to be more than just a great NFL rookie, but in my mind, the next Randy Moss (before he went to Oakland and left his talent in Minnesota).

Not to take anything away from Troy Smith, Ohio State's QB, or Antonio Pittman, Ohio State's RB (who will also be a fine pro), but Ginn is the real deal. He's the reason why their offense is so potent since he can make a big play almost at will. NFL defensive backs will have a hard time matching up with him in 2007. Keeper leaguers -- you've been warned.

This week, I took a look back at the Saints-Steelers game from Week 10, one that intrigued me greatly since both teams were full of surprises, good and bad. New Orleans was expected to be in one of those rebuilding years that finishes strong but starts off ugly, while Pittsburgh was to defend its championship with a dominant squad. As you know, the opposite of both is the reality.

What made New Orleans so good on both sides of the football? Was Reggie Bush worth their first-round pick, and was Marques Colston the steal of all NFL drafts? What does Colston do that makes him such a great wide receiver? For the Steelers, why were they struggling and what could they do to combat it? Is Ben Roethlisberger the same quarterback he's always been? Who is the real No. 2 receiver in Pittsburgh?

When New Orleans had the ball

Two things stood out to me in the early part of this game: How effortlessly Brees played and how impressive the Saints offensive line was. Against a Steelers defense known for racking up sacks, New Orleans' offensive line was a wall. Left tackle Jammal Brown has proven to be a solid first-round pick and the kind of franchise OT that trends with championship-caliber teams, and Jeff Faine has also rebounded from dog days in Cleveland. They're the big reason why Brees looks so relaxed in the pocket and can make very accurate throws.

The New Orleans offense doesn't appear to be that complicated, which would make sense why first- and seventh-round rookies have adapted so quickly. They do have a number of variations of their formations, but they are mostly a one-back unit that will spread three wide receivers. They did go five wide a few times (including on a fourth-and-1 play), and they obviously schemed to pass more than run in this game, though they did run a lot when they weren't inside the 5-yard line, which is surprising considering their opponent.

Let's get to Colston. The rookie from Hofstra appears to have put on a little bit of muscle mass since the preseason, but his key skills are his hands, height and willingness to run over the middle. One thing Fantasy owners don't realize is that not all wide receivers are brave/smart enough to run all the different types of routes available to them. I can think of one current NFL receiver who can only run two routes with precision and another who won't go over the middle. Moreover, it's difficult for the taller wideouts to run routes seamlessly because of their bulk, but Colston pulls it off.

Colston lined up a lot basically in the slot, bunched up near the offensive line, in the first half. That allowed him to draw some favorable matchups against Pittsburgh's third and fourth cornerbacks, and Colston's made a living off that for most of the year -- especially earlier on when Joe Horn would draw coverage. Interestingly enough, Horn didn't play in each of New Orleans' last two games, so I am not sure what defenses are thinking here.

I learned early on this season that Brees really likes Colston, and he showed it in this game, throwing at him 14 times, which is a lot! Even more impressive, Colston caught 11 of the passes (one was wiped out by a penalty), including a clutch fourth-down grab and a diving pluck in the first half. If there's one knock on Colston, it's that he dropped two passes ... rookie mistakes! Fantasy owners may also be concerned about Colston hitting a "rookie wall" within the next month or so as he's probably not used to playing 16 professional football games in a row. That's probably his biggest concern.

Colston worked inside a lot, running a bunch of "in" routes for modest gains. Where Colston equally excels is on the deep routes, where he ran a lot of post and post-corner routes. Interestingly enough, he wasn't double covered until the second half, and that's when the Saints went elsewhere with their offense ...

When Colston was double covered regularly in the second half, the Saints looked to Reggie Bush. I saw Bush have one first-half target, and seven second-half looks from Brees (catching four). As expected, the Saints are using Bush just as much as a receiver as a running back, though he's catching the ball more as a safety valve for Brees or as a way to gain a short first down on a quick toss. When Colston draws two defenders and the other wide receiver has one, it takes one man out of the box and makes Bush more of an option.

Bush is also valuable to the Saints as a decoy -- a guy who teams have to account for on every play but doesn't necessarily get the ball. That's nice for them but it stinks for Fantasy Football. I did continue to see Bush cut in his runs better than just about everybody in the NFL, though his field vision was hit or miss in this game. Everyone's seen the diving touchdown he had on a 20-yard double reverse, and it was very Bush-at-USC-esque. I expect him to keep getting between 12-to-15 touches per week.

So when you have a strong O-line, a productive receiver in Colston, a versatile running back in Bush and a very solid gainer like Deuce McAllister (who we can deem healthy after playing well throughout the season), and then add a veteran receiver like Joe Horn, you can see why Brees is having all the success he's been having.

As far as the Steelers defense goes, they simply are tough against the run, not so tough against the pass. In this game, they get a pass since SS Troy Polamalu and CB Deshea Townsend were hurt, but for the most part this season they've been beaten by the pass, and that's a trend that's likely to continue, even against the Browns in Week 11.

When Pittsburgh had the ball

The Steelers O-line was challenged, but not beaten, by the Saints defensive line in Week 10, and that's where you'll find the key to New Orleans' defensive play. They have a speedy defense that works to attack at the line of scrimmage, but their linebackers and DBs aren't the most trusted tacklers. However, their starting defensive line is very athletic and is definitely the backbone of that defense. In this particular game, though, the Saints had some minor injuries befall Will Smith and Hollis Thomas, so their line wasn't as effective as the game progressed.

But after realizing all of this, it's no surprise that all but two of the Saints' wins came against teams with struggling offensive lines, and two of their three losses were against teams that boast beastly O-lines (Baltimore, Pittsburgh). One encouraging thing I saw from the Steelers offensive line was that they didn't get tired as the game progressed, so they're conditioned well.

This isn't your father's Steelers offense. Running the ball on nearly every down isn't their way anymore, and the proof of that is in the stature and production of Willie Parker. Because he's not a big bruising runner, the Steelers can't just pound the ball. I was surprised to see them still run inside as much as they did with Parker. He couldn't get motoring in the first half, but he tore up the Saints in the second half with two very long runs -- one of which starting when he ran inside the left side of the offensive line. For all intents and purposes, Parker is at his best when he runs to the edge and turns up the speed. Defenses that play in the 4-3 with slow linebackers will continue to get crushed by Parker.

Ben Roethlisberger may be hit-or-miss when it comes to touchdowns, but as far as commanding the Steelers, he's fine. I didn't get a good idea of his mobility in the game, but he's got pretty good accuracy and can throw the ball where it needs to be for his receivers to catch it. He can be erratic but didn't show it in this game.

Roethlisberger should be good for around 250 yards a week, which is stunning when you consider he only has one really polished receiver at his disposal. That would be Hines Ward, who is a heck of an everyman-type receiver who will block, run any route you want and take off into a second gear when he gets the ball. Roethlisberger threw at Ward seven times, and connected six times. One of those passes was an easy shovel pass, and the incomplete pass was ahead of Ward and he couldn't come up with it.

So who is the No. 2 receiver in Pittsburgh? Based on how often Roethlisberger threw to him, I'd say it's Nate Washington, who is a lean, tall target who could take a few lessons from Ward on how to catch the ball. Washington was thrown at five times (not including a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half), dropping two passes including a touchdown. Washington is young and undrafted, but should develop in time to be a receiver able to get around 700 yards in a season. Roethlisberger likes him as a deep threat at this point.

Let's wrap up on Santonio Holmes, the Steelers first-round pick. Holmes doesn't play on running downs and is more of a third or fourth receiver. He was thrown at three times, catching two. His second catch was a really impressive 46-yard catch-and-run that speaks to both Holmes' ability and the Steelers schematic offense. Holmes caught a very short pass wide open over the middle and was able to scoot downfield thanks to Hines Ward clearing out the middle and blocking his defender into the guy covering Holmes, taking them both out of the play. Holmes had another teammate block another defender and would have scored on the play if Saints safety Josh Bullocks didn't take him down inside the 20. Once Holmes understands the whole Pittsburgh offense, he could play like a No. 1 receiver. We're probably looking at 2008 as his breakout season.

Was this helpful to you? Was it a fun read or was it me wasting a couple of hours of my day? Let me know by clicking here and dropping me a line.

7:43 p.m: Calling it a night.

This was a pretty amazing Sunday when you look at the scores. Only two games were decided by more than seven points. And usually when there's a competitive game, there are a lot of Fantasy stat producers.

This is old news to die-hard Fantasy owners, but more and more, teams really cater their gameplans to their opponents' weaknesses. That seems like a no-brainer, but for years you'd see teams run the same offense regardless of who they played and would either win with it or lose with it. Now teams will go with what works against the opponent they're playing, then change it up for their next opponent. It makes starting the right Fantasy lineup harder than ever to figure out.

Finally, I think we're starting to see which teams are in the playoff hunt and which teams are going to fizzle.

The Bengals strike me as a fizzler after they lost a heartbreaker in which they were up by three TDs early. On the other hand, San Diego will fight hard now that they won that game, and it could be a real momentum builder as they head into Denver for their first battle this season with the Broncos in a game for first place in the AFC West.

Baltimore is a playoff contender; St. Louis is not. The Eagles are contenders; the Falcons are not. This was a pivotal week in the NFL, and teams that didn't get the win they thought they would will reel.

The only exception is New England; even though they lost back-to-back games for the first time in forever, they're still resilient enough to bounce back next week at Green Bay -- a tough game for them.

5:29 p.m: An amazing Week 10 gets weirder ...

The Steelers, in their home fortress, are losing to the Saints thanks to Reggie Bush scoring on a short double reverse run which saw him dive a la Priest Holmes into the end zone. Bush has finally scored his first TD on offense.

It's halftime in Oakland, and the Raiders are beating the Broncos 13-7. Tatum Bell, who was expected to dominate, has 19 rush yards on eight carries. Jake Plummer has thrown two interceptions. The Raiders are using running backs by committee, but they're not doing much (LaMont Jordan has a TD). Believe it or not, Andrew Walter is carrying the Raiders with adequate management of the offense (135 passing yards, zero TDs).

Seneca Wallace: Two passing TDs, 136 yards. Marc Bulger: 92 yards, zero pass TDs. That's pretty much all you need to know from the St. Louis-Seattle game.

4:27 p.m: Philip Rivers just gave the world a glimpse of why the Chargers kept him over Drew Brees, throwing a heady shovel pass to Brandon Manumaleuna to give the Chargers a late eight-point lead against the Bengals. This is the kind of game where you'd want anybody from this game on your Fantasy team.

Palmer just went over 400 yards.

3:58 p.m: What a week it's been -- several high-scoring games, nearly every game close, and the Colts won -- by one -- at home against Buffalo.

3:52 p.m: And now it's four touchdowns for LaDainian Tomlinson. The Bengals were winning 21-0, and now it's 42-38, San Diego. Holy moly.

Carson Palmer has nearly gone over 400 yards.

3:46 p.m: Don't look now, but ...

• Anthony Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards.

• Mark Clayton has his second 100-yard game of the season. Malcom Floyd has 97 yards and a touchdown.

• Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai have each gone over 70 yards.

• The Jets are on the cusp of beating the Patriots in a foggy rainstorm. Kevan Barlow has twice as many touches as Leon Washington. You can't trust those Jets RBs.

3:42 p.m: Make it three touchdowns for LaDainian Tomlinson at Cincinnati in what is quickly becoming the game of the day.

3:35 p.m: David Garrard has tossed four interceptions against Houston -- I wonder if Jack Del Rio will stick by him or go back to Byron Leftwich.

3:30 p.m: Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson came to play in Week 10.

Johnson caught a bomb from Palmer, shook off rookie CB Antonio Cromartie, and hit the end zone on a 74-yard play. Johnson has nine catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Does this make up for his awful start? Johnson's 226 yards is a team record, and it's only the third quarter.

In even more exciting news, the 4 p.m. inactives are up on the site.

2:51 p.m: Bad news: Donovan McNabb is 4-of-16 passing in the first half. Good news: He's completed those four passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. That's an average of 34.75 yards per completion. Nice.

2:48 p.m: Clinton Portis broke his hand at Philadelphia in the first half and could miss at least a couple of weeks. Ladell Betts will take over for Portis over the long haul, and expect T.J. Duckett to also get some carries. Makes my trade with Darst described at the start of the blog seem more interesting.

2:46 p.m: Halftime headlines:

• Carson Palmer and the Bengals are playing like we expected them to all season. They've gone deep often and have bullied the Chargers in the first half. Palmer has 282 yards and two TDs; Chad Johnson has 117 yards and a TD.

• Without Ray Lewis, the Titans are running well against the Ravens. More on that below, but McNair has two passing TDs in the first half.

• Miami's defense and Joey Harrington's efficient arm have paced the Dolphins to what could be their second-straight upset. Larry Johnson has been bottled up, and Damon Huard only completed four first-half passes.

• Three receivers already have 100-yard games: Johnson, Donald Driver and Drew Bennett.

2:17 p.m: I can't believe Travis Henry is having a solid game vs. the Ravens. True, Ray Lewis is out for Baltimore, but their defense still should be serviceable. Instead, it's been abysmal. Henry, Vince Young and TE Bo Scaife each have rushing touchdowns!

2:07 p.m: Here's a glimpse at Buffalo's gameplan for Week 10 at Indy: J.P. Losman has attempted three passes through the first 28 minutes of the game. Anthony Thomas, meanwhile, rushed the ball 16 times for 51 yards.

Not only was this smart since Indy's run defense is suspect, but it's also the best way to keep Peyton Manning off the field. So even the Bills are copying the "defense by offense" gameplan for slowing Manning down.

1:58 p.m: Carson Palmer is unconscious, as is the Cincy offense. Palmer has completed 10-of-11 passes and has hooked up with Chad Johnson for a score in the game. Marvin Lewis reportedly ripped into his team this week, and they're stepping up.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, Frank Gore is already over 100 yards rushing. The Lions defense is sloppy.

1:38 p.m: Rudi Johnson scored on a nice 7-yard rumble against the Chargers to extend Cincy's lead. It could be a huge game for him if the Chargers can't get on the board.

Browns RB Reuben Droughns ran in for a score on Atlanta, set up by a 40-yard reception by Kellen Winslow. It's the first TD by the Browns in the first quarter in 12 games and their second TD in their last nine red zone possessions. Big props to Dan Dobish for that nugget.

1:33 p.m: Corey Dillon just had a run of over 50 yards, his first since late December, 1998. CBS flashed that Dillon has rushed the ball 3,420 times since his last run of 50 yards or more.

New England is running wild now with Maroney as Dillon rests after that long gain. The Jets' run defense is still a mess.

1:31 p.m: Rudi Johnson is in the ball game for Cincy.

1:29 p.m: After a nice drive ends just short of the goal line, the Vikings' first play after the Packers field goal was a sack of Brad Johnson where he fumbled and it was recovered easily by the Packers.

It looks like the Jets are passing even with the rain in New England. The Chargers also took to the air early against the Bengals.

1:17 p.m: Frank Gore just made an outstanding touchdown run against the Lions, plowing through several defenders and busting loose 61 yards for an early score.

Weather is playing a big role this week. In New England, both the Pats and Jets have had dropped passes thanks to the rain.

With Rudi Johnson benched for the first series, fullback Jeremi Johnson got the goal-line touchdown for Cincy.

1:05 p.m: Some trade emails from you guys ...

Nate Todd: Here's my trade deadline deal. I have a mediocre team with Ronnie Brown and Tatum Bell as my top RB's, and Laurence Maroney as a 3rd RB. I was feeling good about Bell up until he got injured, then I saw my fantasy future slipping away into the dreaded RBBC. My WRs are Donte Stallworth, Roy Williams and Joe Horn. We only start 2 WRs and 2 RBs, so I dealt Horn for Lamont Jordan. This deal leaves me thin at WR, so I picked up Matt Jones off waivers. I figure Jordan may emerge, and if he does he has a strong playoff schedule. The Saints schedule is not good, and Horn can't seem to stay healthy. I just hope Stallworth is still the WR he was in the first couple weeks of the season!

Derrell, San Francisco: Three hours prior to our Trade Deadline I pulled the trigger on trade giving up M. Harrison and S. Alexander for W. Dunn and D. Jackson. My other WR's are J. Walker. S. Moss, Furry and B. Edwards. My other RB's are J. Jones, L. Washinton and Maroney. I felt I needed help with my RB's and Dunn isn't involved with a RB question mark. By the way the guy I made the trade with is 7th and I'm currently in 1st.

12:58 p.m: A busy morning is highlighted by Rudi Johnson getting benched for disciplinary reasons. Chris Perry will start, but expect to see Rudi by the second quarter.

11:07 a.m: Here are the games I am covering in Week 10:

49ers at Lions

Jets at Patriots

Chargers at Bengals

Saints at Steelers (really looking forward to this one)

10:41 a.m: Good morning. Welcome to double-digit weeks in the NFL ... and crunch time in Fantasy Football.

Wanted to give you some trade notes from some of my Fantasy squads ...

In my keeper league, I traded a 6th-round pick, Eli Manning (who can be kept for an 8th-round pick next year) and Bernard Berrian (who can be kept for a 13th-round pick next season) for Steve Smith and the Broncos DST. The move was made to give me a push for the playoffs while the guy I traded with has no shot at the postseason and is building for 2007. Denver's defense is a potential keeper as a 13th-round pick).

In a private league with SportsLine employees past and present, I traded Jason Witten and Isaac Bruce for Jeremy Shockey. I don't love this trade other than it simplifies my lineup for the rest of the year. I had four receivers that were all scoring like 10 points per week and needed to consolidate. Shockey was good enough for the deal.

In the CBS SportsLine expert auction league -- the one I have LJ and LT in -- I swapped Chris Henry and Ladell Betts to our own J. Darin Darst for Jamal Lewis. I'm not Lewis' biggest fan, especially after dissecting the Bengals-Ravens game last week (you can read it below), but I'll use him as a No. 3 RB any time. Darst made the deal because he was deep at running back and could afford to give up on Lewis in exchange for a receiver and Clinton Portis' backup. But if you don't like the deal, feel free to email Darsty here.

While I'm at it, email me here and tell me about the trade deadline deals you've made. Most leagues will cut off trading by next week, so if you haven't made a big swap yet, let this be a reminder for you to do so if need be.

I just got done watching the Bengals-Ravens game from Week 9. Much has been made of Cincinnati's banged-up offensive line -- were they a reason why the Bengals lost? Is Chad Johnson still Cincinnati's No. 1 receiver? And for the Ravens, what have they done differently to make their offense more potent?

Cincinnati's offense

The first thing I can tell you is that the Bengals' offensive line is fine. Seriously. Palmer was hurried quite a bit (seven times on my count, six in the second half), but the fact remains he was only sacked twice and hit three times. That's solid pass protection. Moreover, Rudi Johnson averaged 4.2 yards per carry against the stingy Ravens run defense. I counted 10 breakdowns by the Bengals O-line in the game, six in the first half -- that includes Palmer's two sacks (one in each half). If an offensive line can take on the Ravens and do well, they're fine. That said, it took them a while to jell, which may explain some on Cincinnati's mishaps in the past. I expect the offense to get better when OT Levi Jones and C Rich Braham get healthy.

Against the Ravens it was T.J. Houshmandzadeh who garnered Palmer's attention the most, getting thrown at nine times in the game. Normally "Housh" is a consistent go-getter, but perhaps one problem for the Bengals was that he caught only three passes, dropping two, having two more tipped before he could get them and another pass not caught but resulting in a pass interference call. Houshmandzadeh did make the most of his catches, catching two for 26 yards and the other for 14.

Now the catch that Houshmandzadeh didn't make that got the most scrutiny was at the end of the game when he was interfered with on a fourth-down play. The referees did not call that one, and that's what led him to spike his helmet and get two penalties called on him for his unsportsmanlike conduct. If the flag is thrown, the ballgame turns out differently. I thought it was interesting that Palmer looked for Houshmandzadeh on that crucial play and not Chad Johnson.

Johnson was thrown at six times, catching three. Palmer was throwing high for a lot of the game, and Johnson had to stretch out just to catch one of the passes. Johnson had two passes thrown his way in the second half -- how strange is that considering his rep of being their best receiver? Fantasy owners may want to re-think that one.

As for Chris Henry, it seems like his number doesn't get called for a deep route until late in the game. For the second week in a row, Henry was practically invisible until Palmer hit him on a deep route that was good for 71 yards. You would think Palmer would throw at him more, but after he stopped short on a hail mary pass at the end of the game, Palmer may not think so highly of his wayward receiver. I would be interested in seeing how many looks Henry gets in a game the Bengals get an early lead in -- I suspect he's not an option they think about unless they are behind late.

For an offense as potent (or believed to be potent) as the Bengals, here's the troubling stat: Their longest yard gainer until the fourth quarter was a pass interference penalty called on Ravens safety Ed Reed covering Chad Johnson for 34 yards, and that turned out to be their second-longest (Henry's 71-yard haul was the biggie). Housh had the two 26-yard plays, but they did not succeed at even medium-length routes for the most part. What role could play calling be in the Bengals' slide?

Overall, the Bengals had to settle in a little bit offensively before they put points on the board. Once they got patient and ran the ball a little more and ditched the no-huddle, I thought they did better.

Baltimore's offense

What stood out to me was the use of the I-formation by the Ravens offense, something they did 38 times in the game! The I-form should be familiar to those who have played football video games, but it's a basic formation with a fullback and a running back behind the quarterback with a tight end on the line. It typically dictates a running play, but of course can be changed up to run a pass play. It's conservative, but so long as Steve McNair is comfortable in it, it's a keeper.

The basic gist of the Ravens offense in Week 9 (and Week 8) was that they were going to play safe, power football. It's actually very boring. They did not throw the ball up deep, they did not pull out any trick plays and they did not do anything to make an opponent guess. If the Ravens were to beat the Bengals, it would have meant forcing them to bottle up the run and halt McNair's passes.

The other key to that equation is the Ravens offensive line, which kept McNair mostly untouched. They're a solid unit with most of them playing together for a long time. The Bengals defensive line isn't the best in the league, but they're well-schemed. For the Ravens O-line to play as well as they did and give McNair lots of time to throw, they have to be credited for Baltimore's success this year.

Jamal Lewis was not impressive in this game. He had 18 carries for less than five yards and five of five or more yards with a long of 10 yards. Speed is not Lewis' strength; strength is Lewis' strength. Brian Billick knows that Lewis is a pounder and is lucky if he can break off a run for 20 yards or more. But, Lewis can "take a licking and keep on ticking," so the plan is to ram him early and often. His yards-per-carry average isn't going to be pretty, but if he runs the ball 30-plus times a game, he should put up adequate numbers for a No. 3 Fantasy RB (not including touchdowns -- you know he'll be in at the goal line).

One to watch: Musa Smith, who didn't see much time but made the most of it. His two long runs came very late in the first half deep in Baltimore territory with the Bengals playing prevent defense, but he is definitely the speedy back of the bunch in Baltimore.

With the offense going back to basics and keeping routes short, the Ravens receiving corps should benefit, and they did against Cincinnati. Mark Clayton was thrown at 13 times, catching eight passes. The yardage total was modest (73 yards), but he's a quick receiver with great hands and should be a factor so long as he's somewhat open. Of course, he had one 17-yard catch last week (on two looks).

So if Clayton was thrown at 13 times, how many times did Derrick Mason see the ball come his way? The answer: Four, catching two. Of course, Mason was thrown at eight times last week, so what's the difference? It might have been coverage-related; Mason saw a lot of Tory James while Clayton was covered mostly by Deltha O'Neal. Clayton did have a touchdown pass called off because he didn't have two feet in bounds in the third quarter.

Not that you didn't already know this, but Todd Heap is a big part of the Ravens offense. He was targeted five times, catching four passes with three going for 15 or more yards on the same route, a post. And he wasn't in this game, but Heap is their primary red-zone target, too. Is any of this anything you didn't know already?

As for McNair, he's not going to deliver any 300-yard games as long as the offensive play calling stays with what they're doing. However, he will lead this team to a lot of wins unless a defense can break his rhythm. What's being asked of McNair -- throw the ball short, manage the game -- is a piece of cake for him. Through the whole game, the Ravens were calculated with everything they did -- except once. With time clicking down in the first half, McNair was forced to go no-huddle and make a pass play to get the Ravens in position for a long field goal. It was his only bad throw in the first half. A defense will have to force the Ravens to play out of their normal playbook in order to get them to turn the ball over and lose games. The Broncos did exactly that in their Monday night game in Week 5.

Was this helpful to you? Was it a fun read or was it me wasting a couple of hours of my day? Let me know by clicking here and dropping me a line.

8:06 p.m: Finishing up Week 9 ...

• LaDainian Tomlinson was held in check for most of the Browns-Chargers game, but erupted late in the third quarter and finished with three touchdowns and 192 total yards. Amazing for a guy who had 43 yards at the end of the first half.

Interesting note: I own Tomlinson in one league and am playing against him in another. In the league I own LT, I was down big; but in the league I was playing LT, I was up big. Take a guess how I'm doing in each of those leagues now.

• Javon Walker torched the Steelers, the second three-touchdown opponent the Steelers have allowed in two weeks. Looks like they have a problem defending the pass, just in time for the high-powered Saints to come marching into Pittsburgh in Week 10.

4:32 p.m: Jake Plummer has hit Rod Smith and Javon Walker for first-quarter touchdowns, equaling his touchdown total over his last three games in less than 10 minutes of play. Wow.

4:03 p.m: Marc Bulger's team may have lost, but he's thrown for over 300 yards for the fifth time in six games. If he was throwing more touchdowns, he'd be the Fantasy MVP so far.

3:55 p.m: Quinn Gray is in the game for the Jaguars. Jacksonville is winning 37-7 and there's 2:00 to play.

But in other, more serious news, the Bears' undefeated season is about to go up in smoke by their own accord after turning the ball over SIX times and allowing the Dolphins to score 28 points. Just an unbelieveably good game by the Miami defense, and an awful game by the Chicago offense.

Get the "Should I bench Rex Grossman?" emails ready.

Carson Palmer was just picked off to end the Bengals-Ravens game.

3:43 p.m: Bills WR Lee Evans had a 43-yard TD catch to put Buffalo on top of Green Bay with less than eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

3:36 p.m: In case you're reading this and you own Tatum Bell, he is inactive for Week 9. Mike Bell will start for Denver ... not that he has a good matchup or anything at Pittsburgh.

3:30 p.m: Chris Cooley hauled in a touchdown for Washington to pull the Skins into a tie with the Cowboys. That's turning into a solid game for several players on both sides.

Elsewhere, Green Bay has tied Buffalo at 10 in an ugly game.

3:00 p.m: Owners who are leaning on Travis Henry have to be agravated at this point. When he's benched in Fantasy play, the guy runs like a champ. When he's discovered and starting, he's a stiff.

Except this week, anybody on Tennessee is a stiff. Vince Young has three interceptions, the latest of which was returned for a touchdown by the Jaguars, who are rolling them 34-0 in the third quarter. Jack Del Rio, you officially have a QB controversy on your hands.

2:54 p.m: Terrell Owens has a touchdown on a short route, and he celebrated with a celebration "nap" in the end zone. That cost the 'Boys 15 yards on the kickoff. Owens has a TD in three of his last four and is playing big consistently. It's time to think of him as a solid No. 1 WR again.

2:52 p.m: Justin Gage's fumble on the Bears' first play of the second half led to a Miami touchdown catch (Harrington to Wes Welker). Miami is back up by 11.

2:44 p.m: The Ravens defense has been outstanding since literally the opening gun. Take away one drive, and the Ravens have held the Bengals to 62 yards. That is ridiculously impressive.

2:40 p.m: Why I love football: The Bills had 70 total yards in the first half to Green Bay's nearly 200 yards, and they're winning 10-0.

2:28 p.m: I'm eatin' some crow.

As soon as I say that the Bears can't move the ball without Berrian, Grossman hits Justin Gage on a deep route and Muhsin Muhammad on a deep jump ball in the end zone to draw Chicago closer to Miami.

And in Tampa Bay, the Bucs have roared back thanks to two Joey Galloway touchdowns. I can't think of a more inconsistent receiver in the NFL this season.

2:10 p.m: Garrard indeed is making his case: The Jaguars have scored on four of their first five possessions. Two touchdowns, two field goals.

2:05 p.m: The Bucs have had six straight three-and-outs against the Saints. There are a bunch of shutouts being pitched so far, and that's one of them.

Here's what's going on with the Bears: WR Bernard Berrian left with an injury, and it's taking away their deep threat (Grossman has tried deep lobs to Justin Gage and Muhsin Muhammad). The Dolphins don't have to defend so much against the deep ball, and it's impacting the Bears' gameplan.

1:56 p.m: An interesting development in Chicago: Bears PR Devin Hester bobbled a punt which gave Miami beautiful field position (first-and-goal at the 6). On third down, Joey Harrington hit Marty Booker in the back of the end zone to give Miami a 7-3 lead. I think it's the first time this season a team has a lead on the Bears in Chicago.

And AGAIN, before I can publish, Rex Grossman threw an interception to Jason Taylor, who ran it back to the house. 14-3 Dolphins!

1:44 p.m: After fumbling the ball away earlier, Michael Vick threw a textbook touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler to put the Falcons on the board. Vick is being pressured in the pocket but still making plays.

Also, if you want to email me to complain about your Fantasy team (or ask a question about Sunday's action), click here. I'll try to get to some emails here in the blog.

1:34 p.m: Rashean Mathis had a solid interception of Vince Young. Young threw a pass and it got tipped, and Mathis dove and picked it off right before it hit the ground. He's one of, if not the, best cornerbacks in the NFL. Five INTs on the year.

And before I can even publish this, Garrard has two TDs in the first quarter. He's making his case to be Jacksonville's starter today.

1:31 p.m: Early rushing TDs for Kevin Jones and Larry Johnson, both of whom have a big run in the game (LJ had a 45-yard run before the score; Jones rushed for a 35-yard TD strike).

David Garrard hit Ernest Wilford for a score against Tennessee. Garrard either puts up a great game or is quiet; we'll see which way he goes.

1:18 p.m: McGahee has been carted to the locker room with the infamous towel draped over his head. Uh-oh.

1:14 p.m: Willis McGahee is down for the Bills with an apparent knee injury. He is on the sidelines getting looked at -- we'll see how that shakes out.

1:12 p.m: Our first score of the day is a TD plunge from Jamal Lewis coming off a Chris Perry fumble on the opening kickoff. Our second score of the day was by Samari Rolle, who picked off a Carson Palmer pass and lateraled it off a couple of times before Ed Reed took it back to the house. 14-0 Baltimore.

1:08 p.m: Here's an idea about what my morning is like around here ...

I get in at 10 a.m. to check overnight news wires and to get last-minute tidbits from around the league. I also set up the very blog you're reading now. By 11, we have a full house of Fantasy writers. Around then, I'll start preparing for a spot Jamey Eisenberg and I do on The NFL Today on Westwood One. From there, we start calling teams for inactive players and lineup changes, and I'll post them to the site both on the player pages and to our inactives list (we do one each week). I'll then get back on the radio to report any late-breaking news, then set recorders for the week's games.

By the time I catch my breath, games are underway. Believe it or not, this is the most relaxing time of my work week. Until 4 p.m.

11:03 a.m: My Week 9 games:

Green Bay at Buffalo
Tennessee at Jacksonville

10:31 a.m: Good morning, y'all. Happy Week 9.

It's getting to be put-up-or-shut-up time in Fantasy Football. Either you win and keep playoff hopes alive, or lose and call it a season.

So for those of you who are on the cusp of losing, I am talking to you. Many people out there (nobody on this end, though) is 2-6, 1-7 ... or even 0-8. Their season is done. (Cue my Jim Mora impression) Playoffs? PLAYOFFS?! I just hope we win another game.

So what do you do with a team that has no future?

You play it out anyway.

More than once I have been in a league where an owner gets sour grapes because he lost a few heartbreakers and entered Week 9 with a horrible record, and just decided to drop all of his players. Nice, right?

Well, owners who do that are awful for Fantasy Football, and frankly shouldn't be playing in any competitive activities ever. In one league, we kicked the guy out and he was banned from ever playing again.

I have been there. Last year in the Gridiron Guru League (of all frakin' leagues), I went 4-9 -- and I believe I started 3-0!

Know what I did? I played like I was undefeated. I hit the waiver wire, tried to make trades, and kept a competitive team going. Why should I lay down like a dog when I can ruin someone else's season?

To me, that's the most fun. If you can't make the playoffs, might as well try to stop others from getting there, too.

Must be something to that ... NFL players think the exact same way. So if it's good enough for them, it should be good enough for everyone else in Fantasy.