Thursday Game Breakdown - Colts at Jaguars (Colts breakdown)

Peyton Manning – Jacksonville is ranked as the 14th team against the pass allowing only 208 yds per game, but actually have given up the 4th most TDs in the league with 22. Manning has had a pair of great games the last two weeks against Cinci and Detroit, both of which normally hurt QBs because they can be run on so effectively. However, the Colts love to throw the ball and will probably do it often enough to where Manning should be a solid start once again.

Dominic Rhodes - Rumor has once again told us that Addai will certainly, maybe almost for sure could be dressed for the game. Whee - I love certainty! I don’t think this hurts Rhodes all that much but it could hamper the overall numbers a tad. The Jags are ranked a mediocre 17th in the league allowing 110 plus yards in the ground and 11 TDs. Not great not bad. I think Rhodes could get the lions share of the carries – if the Colts might make the playoffs then perhaps a healthy Addai may be worth riding Rhodes for now. I think he could get some decent yards and he’s a better start without Addai than with. I expect TDs through the air, not on the ground though so shoot for yards with a Rhodes start.

Joseph Addai – Even if he can play, do you want to roll with him? Even when he has played, he’s been a streaky. He’s had some good games (week 12 and 11) but far more shaky games. Even if he does go, I don’t know how well he will play. I think you take your championship life in your hands if he is in your lineup.

Reggie Wayne – Wayne hasn’t been as outstanding as we had hoped he might be. He’ll have a few big games in a row and then sort of fade away. Three of the last four weeks have been less than good – he gets targets but until last week vs Detroit had actually been a rather bad play. However the Jags give up yards, as I mentioned with Manning, and a ton of TDs. I think you can expect one of his better games this week, rather than worry about a down week.

Anthony Gonzales – A bump up since Harrison doesn’t play so Gonzalez might be a decent 3 or 4. He’s a shaky 4 most weeks, but could get some work across from Wayne when the coverage shifts that way. Has some nice upside, but I'm not in love with him as a start this week.

Dallas Clark – Does the Pro Bowl snub get a big game from him? Do Manning and Dungy try to prove a point? I think Clark could be an excellent start this Thursday because I think the Colts were as shocked as we were that Gates made it when Clark was outplaying him the whole year. 142 and a touch like last week? Probably not. But a bunch of catches and 50 or so yards – with maybe an accompanying TD? I think it’s very possible.

More NFL Cuts

Some teams are playing catchup - more than likely I will post a final cuts lst tonight rather than update every hour or so when one or two new guys trickle in.

But the Brown hadn't cut anyone, so I thought I would throw a list out now.

Browns: DE Chase Pittman, RB Travis Thomas, and OLs Derrick Morse and Marvin Philip, TEs Brad Cieslak and Kolomana Kapanui, WRs Lance Leggett and Efrem Hill, CBs A.J. Davis and Jereme Perry, S Travis Key and Brandon Mitchell, LBs Chase Ortiz and David McMillan, DE Melila Purcell, OTs James Lee and Jonathan Palmer, LB Shantee Orr and K Jason Reda

They also IRd G Lennie Friedman.

Steelers: WR Willie Reid and KR Eddie Drummond Saturday - they IRd Charlie Batch.


Interesting side note - the Jets were reported to have released RB Jesse Chatman - but according to Profootballtalk.com , his agent is disputing that report.

"The Jets did not release Jesse Chatman, nor will they," agent Brett Tessler said. "And they are not trying to trade him like another paper reported."

We'll see how this works out - Chatman had a pretty big last game so i was shocked they let him go. If he sticks around he could pouch a couple of goal line carries if Jones can't get the work done initially. I don't think he is a huge threat to Jones' value though.

Also some other quick notes:
Ben Obamanu broke his clavicle in the team's exhibition finale Friday night and could miss the season. The Seattle WR core has been decimated here and it's a tad worrying to see how often these gusy are getting hurt. You have to bump the whole offense's value down several notches and figure Hasselback will struggle early on as he tries to find someone other than Nate Burleson open. Courtney Taylor will now lock up the #2 position going into the season and I really like rookie TE John Carlson as a VERY late TE pick with upside. Don't depend on him but he may get a ton of emergency looks when all the defense is covering Burleson.

Peyton Manning says he's ready to go week 1 - owners can breathe a sigh of relief again.

Ricky Williams is still on top of the RB depth chart in Miami. It's not that Ronnie Brown didn't have a good final game - he did, with 12 carries for 47 yds and a TD as well as 2 catches for 10 yds. But as I have said, they will continue to work him into the line-up and at least for now, Williams is the workhorse. But a 70/30 or even 60/40 split in short order wouldn't shock me.

That's all for now - back to watching college football and I will have more cuts tonight!

THE SKY IS FALLING and other Manning News

Hey from overcast and chilly - but beautiful - Alaska! To the left, feel free to gaze at the lovely Alaskan Mountain range off the coast of Homer where I went deep sea fishing for Halibut yesterday - caught two in fact. My nephew caught one bigger than he was - he's about 4ft tall so maybe that isn't as impressive as it sounds. But it outweighed him too. Gorgeous scenery though, huh?

We were out on the boat when I actually heard QB news that wasn't about Brett Favre.

After I picked myself up off the floor from that, I stopped to analyze what is now the biggest off-season story of the moment - Peyton Manning's surgery on his knee to remove an infected bursa sac. I think that's what started Marvin Harrison's knee woes last year, and if that's the case I can see the panic. (Especially for the owner in one auction league of mine who just bought Manning for $120. YIPES)

However, my Fantasy Football thought is this - there is every indication he'll be ready for week one. I wouldn't panic. Further, I would not waste my time drafting Jim Sorgi. Far better to make sure your #2 QB is a safe and secure choice - someone like Garrard or Rivers, who can stand up over the course of a season. It's not that Sorgi is useless - it's more that we can't count on him to put up Manning numbers if Manning goes down. And I would rather grab a solid long shot 3rd QB (take a flier on JaMarcus Russell for example) than reach to get Sorgi because I am feeling worried about Manning.

If you grab Manning, just be sure to grab a solid #2. If you can get Sorgi, great, but I wouldn't pull him early.

The fact is, Manning will probably play. You want to cover yourself, sure, but I'm not torching the town in a panic right now, and neither should you.

If anything, this may drop him in drafts, which could make it the only time he's been a value in a long time.

I may be back with more news this week - assuming Halibut fishing doesn't call again before the wedding I'm here for.