DL Robert Mathis, IND (6 solos, 2 sacks)
Mathis had his best game of the season in the huge Sunday matchup vs the Patriots.
Although Brady has been one of the toughest QBs to sack this year, Mathis
managed to bring him down twice and he also added 6 solo tackles as the Colts
defense played a very good game before fading a bit at the very end. Mathis
only had 11 solos and 2 sacks in the 7 games leading up to this one so he
nearly doubled his production for the year. There's still enough time
for him to salvage his season for fantasy owners so hopefully this performance
is a sign of more to come.
DL Jarvis Green, NE (4 solos, 1 sack, 1 FF)
Well, it looked like the return of Seymour might hurt Green's value a
week ago but he was the Patriots best lineman in their game against the Colts.
His 4 solo stops included a 9-yard tackle for loss on Joseph Addai, and his
sack and strip of the ball on the Colts final possession couldn't have
been much bigger. Although he'll likely wind up playing fewer snaps now
that Seymour is healthy, Green did manage to put up 7.5 sacks a year ago despite
not starting during most weeks.
DL Corey Smith, DET (2 solos, 2 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF)
Despite limited playing time, Smith has been more impressive than starter
Kalimba Edwards, who missed his second straight game with a knee injury. Smith
has been splitting time with converted DT Jared Devries but should get more
playing time after his strong performance. His sack and forced fumble by Ramsey
in the 3rd quarter was picked up and returned for a TD by fellow DE Dewayne
White.
DL Renaldo Wynn, NO (3 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks)
Wynn has been inactive for most of the season but he finally got a chance
to play this week as starter Charles Grant was limited with a sore ankle.
He certainly made the most of it, recording the only 2 sacks for the Saints
defense. Wynn was a former 1st round draft pick of the Jaguars but he never
finished with more than 5 sacks in a single season over his 10-year career.
Just someone to keep an eye on if Grant winds up missing any time.
DL Shaun Rogers, DET (2 solos, 1 asst, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD)
Rogers had one of the most amazing plays of the weekend, intercepting a pass
and running it back 66 yards for a TD. His 2.5 sacks this week gives him 3.5
over his past 2 games and he's now playing like one of the best fantasy
DTs in the league.
DL Albert Haynesworth, TEN (6 solos, 1 asst, 3 sacks)
Haynesworth had been having a phenomenal season, although it didn't always
show up on the stat sheet like it did this week. He was a one-man wrecking
crew against the Panthers, however, as he finished with a team-high 7 tackles
and also added 3 sacks. Unfortunately, Haynesworth suffered a hamstring injury
late in the game and is considered questionable for next week.
DL Darnell Dockett, ARI (9 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks)
Dockett continues to be one of the biggest IDP surprises of the season. While
he had been getting consistent pressure on QBs this year with 6.5 sacks in
his first 7 games, he only had a couple games with more than 2 solo tackles.
That changed this week as he added an amazing 9 solo tackles along with another
couple sacks to now give him 8.5 and tie him for 3rd most in the league.
LB David Harris, NYJ (20 solos, 4 asst)
The game between the Redskins and Jets this week looked a bit like a game
of one on one, with Clinton Portis rushing 30 times and David Harris finishing
with 24 tackles, including an incredible 20 solo stops. In two starts since
taking over for an injured Jonathan Vilma, Harris has put up 30 solo tackles.
This is really impressive for a rookie linebacker considering how much Vilma
struggled to put up numbers playing basically the same position the past year
and a half. The Jets have a bye this week but return with games against solid
running teams in the Steelers and Cowboys so Harris may be able to keep this
hot streak going a little longer.
LB Angelo Crowell, BUF (11 solos, 3 asst)
The Bills have been playing great defense lately and Crowell is a huge part
of that. He was everywhere on the field against the Bengals this week and
looks like he could have a realistic chance to finish the season with 100
solo tackles. He's easily been the Bills best defensive player.
LB Rocky McIntosh, WAS (11 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack)
One week after leaving the game with an injury, McIntosh showed no signs of
discomfort and had one of his best games of the season. At the midway point
of the season, he's on pace to finish with 110 solo tackles and 6 sacks,
which would likely rank him among the league's top-10 fantasy LBs in
most scoring systems.
LB Matt Wilhelm, SD (11 solos, 3 asst)
There were high expectations for Wilhelm entering the season as he was expected
to take over for Donnie Edwards at one ILB spot. He's been battling through
a few injuries over the year, including a recent ankle injury, but he wound
up with a very productive day thanks to Adrian Peterson's huge rushing
performance. He may not put up double digit tackles each week, but as long
as he stays healthy, his production should become more consistent over the
rest of the season.
LB Danny Clark, HOU (6 solos, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Clark continues to play well as the starting SLB in Houston. Over his last
3 games, he has compiled 15 solo tackles, 5 assists, and an INT, and he's
probably a free agent even in the deepest of IDP leagues.
LB Robert Thomas, OAK (9 solos, 2 asst)
The veteran and former 1st round pick Thomas started his fourth straight game
in place of an injured Sam Williams and finished with his second 8+ solo performance
in the past 4 weeks.
LB Monty Beisel, ARI (9 solos, 3 asst)
Beisel started in place of Karlos Dansby, who was inactive as he continues
to recover from a knee injury. The Buccaneers had a lot of long drives, which
kept the Cardinals defense on the field and that led to some impressive numbers
for quite a few of their players. Beisel has 20 solo tackles and 7 assists
over the last 3 games and looks like a productive option as long as Dansby
remains out of the lineup.
DB Aaron Rouse, GB (3 solos)
The rookie from Virginia Tech did well filling in for an injured Nick Collins
and should get his first start next week against the Vikings. Collins suffered
a knee sprain in the win over the Chiefs and is expected to miss a couple
weeks. This will be a good chance for Rouse to show what he's capable
of as some expected him to win the starting SS job in Green Bay this year
before the emergence of Atari Bigby.
DB Reggie Nelson, JAX (10 solos) and Sammy Knight, JAX (9 solos, 2 asst,
2 PD)
Nelson continues to impress in his rookie season. After putting up an impressive
8 solos last week (along with an interception), he added 10 more solos this
week. The veteran Sammy Knight is pretty much Nelson's opposite considering
he has a lot of experience and has never been known for his speed, but he
also is having a very strong season. Amazingly, despite not beginning the
year as a starter and being dumped by the Chiefs in the offseason, Knight
is on pace to surpass 100 solo tackles.
DB Chris Hope, TEN (5 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Hope put up an identical stat line to the one he had a week ago and looks
like he might still be able to salvage his fantasy season with a strong finish.
Like Bulluck, Hope's tackle numbers have been down this year because
the Titans defense has been doing such a good job of stopping the run and
getting off the field. The Titans pass rush seems to be picking things up
recently, however, so he should continue to get some quality interception
opportunities each week.
DB Abram Elam, NYJ (7 solos, 1 asst)
Elam was inserted into the Jets starting lineup a few weeks ago against the
Bengals and has done pretty well, collecting 17 solos and 6 assists over the
past 3 weeks. He's a big hitter who signed as a free agent with the Jets
on a recommendation from Bill Parcells, who coached him in Dallas. Erik Coleman
had been struggling so it sounds like the starting job is Elam's to lose
for the rest of this season.
DB Tanard Jackson, TB (2 solos, 1 INT, 5 PD)
Jackson primarily played CB in college at Syracuse but the Buccaneers converted
him to safety and he's provided a physical presence in their cover 2 zone
defense. He was very active this week with 5 passes defensed, including his
second interception of the season. Many expected Sabby Piscatelli, another
rookie safety, to make a big impact in Tampa this year, but he's on IR while
Jackson continues to get better each week.
DB Anthony Henry, DAL (3 solos, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Although he wasn't completely healthy, Henry played through an ankle
injury and came up with his 5th interception of the season, which is even
more impressive when you consider that this was only his 5th game. He'll
clearly provide a big boost to the Cowboys defense if he can stay healthy
and keep this up.
Downgrades
DL Jarvis Moss, DEN (IR)
The Broncos 1st round pick suffered a broken ankle in practice last week,
was placed on IR, and will miss the rest of the season. The recovery time
for his injury was reported to be three or four months so he should be ready
in time for training camp next season.
DL Reggie Hayward, JAX (1 solo, 1 asst)
Hayward has been trying to play through injuries most of this season as he
recovers from an Achilles injury, but he's just not nearly as effective
as he was before the injury. He has just 10 solos and 1 sack in 7 games played
so far and IDP owners will probably need to wait until next year before expecting
anything more from him.
DL Chris Kelsay, BUF (1 solo)
Kelsay had played reasonably well during the first half of the season but
his 1 sack on the year has to be considered a pretty big disappointment after
the large contract he signed over the offseason. He also figures to see less
snaps going forward as Anthony Hargrove has been playing well and Ryan Denney
is expected to return from a broken leg very soon.
DL Julius Peppers, CAR (2 solos, 1 asst)
Peppers continues to have a very disappointing season with just 1.5 sacks
in 8 games. He had a rough outing this week as he was flagged for two unsportsmanlike
conduct penalties and also reportedly suffered a toe injury. The severity
of the injury was still unknown so Peppers owners will need to check the injury
reports later this week.
DL Tommy Kelly, OAK (IR)
Kelly suffered a torn ACL in last week's game and was placed on IR. He
was arguably the Raiders best lineman this season and was headed for free
agency so this is a big blow to his team and his future banking account.
DL Cory Redding, DET (1 asst, 1 PD)
Although the Lions have been one of the better surprises of this season, Redding
has been a disappointment for fantasy owners. The Lions slapped the franchise
tag on him and signed him to a rich extension, but he has yet to record a
single sack and has just 12 solo tackles in 8 games after finishing with 38
solos and 8 sacks a year ago.
LB D'Qwell Jackson, CLE (DNP)
Jackson did not play this week and he's expected to miss a few more while
he recovers from an ankle injury. The Browns will rely on Leon Williams and
Andra Davis in the meantime.
LB Takeo Spikes, PHI (1 solo, 2 asst)
Spikes had a good start to the season and looked like he was recovered from
the injuries that helped ruin most of the past two seasons for him, but he
was nearly invisible this week in a blowout loss to the Cowboys. He has just
3 solo tackles over his last 2 games and has yet to make a single big play
this season, which is what he was known for before the injury.
LB Barrett Ruud, TB (1 asst)
This was a very disappointing game for Ruud owners, who have undoubtedly been
enjoying his breakout season up until this point. While Ruud remains a very
valuable player and should continue to put up good tackle numbers, he has
certainly cooled off a bit after a great start. He had 41 solo tackles and
4 forced fumbles in his first five games, but has just 17 solos and 0 forced
fumbles in the four games since then. None of the Bucs linebackers were very
productive this week, however, as the Buccaneers offense dominated time of
possession. Perhaps the bye week coming up will allow Ruud to rest up and
finish the season strong.
LB Keith Bulluck, TEN (2 solos, 1 asst)
Bulluck's tackle numbers this year are well off the pace he has set the
past five seasons, when he averaged over 100 solos per year. Halfway through
the season, he has just 30 solo stops and he's had fewer than 5 in all
but 2 games. Part of the problem is that the Titans run defense has been so
good, ranking #1 in the league with just 19 rushes and 66 yards allowed per
game. Bulluck is 30 years old, however, so there's also some reason to
be concerned that he might be slowing down a little.
DB Nick Collins, GB (2 solos)
Collins left the game with a knee sprain. It looked bad as he was carted off
the field and couldn't bend his knee after the game, but the MRI showed
no damage and initial reports indicate that surgery will not be needed and
he should be able to return after a few weeks. He'll be replaced in the
starting lineup by rookie Aaron Rouse.
DB Dunta Robinson, HOU (1 asst)
Robinson suffered a very serious injury this week as his hamstring muscle
ripped completely off the bone and he may have also torn a ligament in his
knee. He'll be placed on IR and will have a difficult rehabilitation
ahead of him.
DB Adrian Wilson, ARI (1 solo, 1 asst)
It has been a strange season for Wilson thus far. He looked pretty much like
his old self early on with a 10 solo game and a couple of interceptions over
a 3-week span, but he's been almost invisible with just 3 solos and 1
assist over the last 2 games. His numbers this week were particularly disappointing
considering how productive much of the front seven was as the Buccaneers offense
dominated time of possession with a lot of clock-killing drives.
DB Kenoy Kennedy, DET (0 tackles)
Kennedy had been showing signs of turning his disappointing season around
with 7 solos and an interception over the past couple weeks, but he disappeared
from the stat sheet this week in a blowout win over the Broncos. The Lions
front seven kept the Broncos in check, which left very few opportunities for
players in the secondary. He should get more chances to make some plays next
week when the Lions travel to Arizona.
DB Antoine Winfield, MIN (DNP)
Winfield missed only his third game over the past three seasons with a hamstring
injury. There's a chance he could return to the lineup next week but
a hamstring injury for a CB could linger for a bit and wind up limiting his
effectiveness a bit.
