If you’re reading this blog, chances are need no introduction to Doug Drinen. Doug is many things, among them one of the senior members of the Footballguys.com team. For as much credit as Joe (Bryant) and David (Dodds) deserve for building the best fantasy football site in the world; Doug is one of a small group of people who I’m sure they would agree it couldn’t have been done without.

You see, Doug is a math professor who carried a passion for Sabermetrics into the world of football. He was the first guy that I know of who wrote detailed statistical analysis of football; and overlaid those studies on fantasy football. Without Doug’s musings, I would’ve probably never become a regular on the FBG forums; which ultimately led to my joining the staff many years ago. Not only has Doug been a mentor as a statistician and writer, but he’s become a damn good friend over the years.

Certain truisms that millions of fantasy footballers take for granted today were actually long ago unearthed by Doug. You newbies may not believe it (because statistical analysis is no ubiquitous at even the big sports websites), but as someone who has been surfing fantasy football websites since they were on Usenet; it’s the truth.

In addition to Doug’s tireless work with Footballguys; he also built and runs Pro-Football-Reference.com. If you haven’t been to PFR, you probably don’t have much interest in football stats. But again, if you’re reading this blog, I’m guessing you know PFR well.

Just in case you don’t; today is a great day to learn about PFR. Why? Because Doug is taking the lid off a major sea change for the site. Doug is no longer boot-strapping PFR on his own. Instead, he’s joined with the guys behind baseball-reference.com and basketball-reference.com; they are all part of the sports-reference.com umbrella.

Doug has a great blog post today detailing the history of Pro-Football-Reference, his journey with Footballguys and the Sports Reference guys, and what the merger means for the site.

• The history and future of Pro-Football-Reference.com

HUGE congratulations to Doug. But also big congrats to his new partners, and finally a big congrats to football fans; who will now have an even bigger and better experience when they visit PFR.

• Ronnie Brown…IR
• Jesse Chatman…Banged Up
• Ricky Williams…IR in the blink of an eye

So who is going to carry the load for the woeful Miami Dolphins at RB?

Could it be recently re-signed Samkon Gado?

Your guess is as good as mine. But the fact Gado was re-signed and has practiced with the 1st team this week tells you all you need to know about Patrick Cobbs and Lorenzo Booker.

Tonight we’re treated to a matchup of football titans. 10-1 Dallas hosts 10-1 Green Bay in a battle of the all-time best gunslinger against the young franchise QB most reminiscent of him. The Cowboys came into the season as one of the odds on favorites to win the NFC, but the Packers were considered an over-the-hill franchise that might have been better off letting Favre retire, and focusing on rebuilding.

It’s thinking like that which reminds us of the difference between fans pretending they run NFL franchises and ACTUALLY having to run one.

And while this matchup should be entertaining and full of fantasy football goodness; unfortunately a good chunk of the NFL-watching populous is going to have to wait for the highlights on SportsCenter. You see, tonight’s game will be broadcast on the NFL Network; which isn’t currently carried in a lot of places. This is the 2nd year of the NFL Network’s exclusive contract to carry Thursday night games in November and December; but it’s the first game that should actually ignite fans to complain to their cable providers about the lack of NFL Network access.

Fun times indeed.

But, as a DirecTV owner, I will be comfortably positioned in front of my TV ready to watch the best NFC game of the year.

For those playing at home, here is a tale of the tape:

Category	Dallas	Green Bay	Advantage
Record	10-1	10-1	Push
PPG Scored	32.5	26.9	Cowboys
PPG Allowed	20.1	16.8	Packers
Differential	12.5	19.2	Packers
Pass Yds	3043	3343	Packers
YPA	8.6	7.9	Cowboys
Pass TDs	29	22	Cowboys
INTs	13	8	Packers
Rush Yds	1349	900	Cowboys
YPR	4.4	3.6	Cowboys
Rush TDs	11	7	Cowboys
Pass Yds Allow	2589	2558	Push
Pass TDs Allow	15	15	Push
Pass INTs	16	12	Cowboys
Rush Yds Allow	903	1101	Cowboys
YPR Allow	3.6	4.0	Packers
Rush TD Allow	5	4	Packers
Sacks	30	32	Packers

Enjoy the game (or enjoy hearing about the game after the fact )

I’m not sure if it’s officially the shortest return in NFL history, but it HAS to be right up there. For those of you who missed the Steelers/Dolphins MNF debacle last night, you also missed the entirety of Ricky Williams’ NFL return. Williams was granted reinstatement by the NFL earlier this month and then, thanks in part to an injury to Jesse Chatman, saw his first action last night.

• 6 carries
• 15 yards
• 2.5 yards per carry
• 1.5 fantasy points

Williams hurt his chest after being stepped on by the Steelers L. Timmons; and is now done for the year. This is just the latest in a string of disastrous developments for the Dolphins and, perhaps more importantly, may signal the official end of Ricky Williams mercurial NFL career.

Somber news this morning as Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins talented safety, has passed away as a result of the gunshot wounds suffered at his home yesterday. Taylor was only 24 years old and his assailant remains at large.

Any loss of life is tragic and, while Taylor was an ultra-talented player, it seems somehow disrespectful to make today’s news about the death of a football player. This was about the death of a man, a friend, a father, a son; and unfortunately is just one of innumerable acts of senseless violence that punctuates our society.

Rest in Peace Sean Taylor; and our deepest thoughts and sympathies to his family and friends.

Over the last few weeks, three NFL running backs have joined the 10,000-yards rushing club.

• LaDainian Tomlinson: 10,048 yards rushing (in Week 12)
• Warrick Dunn: 10,044 yards rushing (in Week 12)
• Fred Taylor: 10,221 yards rushing (in Week 10)

Congratulations are in order as they become  just the 20th, 21st and 22nd players in  NFL history to rush for at least 10,000 yards.

LaDainian Tomlinson is having another excellent season in San Diego; but it pales in comparison to his MVP season of a year ago. While it was impossible to expect Tomlinson to match last year’s output, few expected the Chargers offense as a unit to take a big step back; particularly with Norv Turner at the helm. But, amidst the Chargers up-and-down 2007, there is one player who is, yet again, having an astoundingly good year.

Antonio Gates is on pace for one of the best offensive seasons by a tight end in NFL history.

Through 11 games:

• 60 receptions
• 834 yards
• 13.9 yards per catch
• 8 touchdowns
• 131.4 fantasy points

If Gates maintains his current pace, he’ll finish with:

• 87 receptions
• 1,213 yards
• 13.9 yards per catch
• 12 touchdowns
• 191.1 fantasy points

Here is where those numbers would stand among the all-time single season marks:

• Receptions: Tied for 13th all-time
• Yards: 5th place
• TDs: Tied for 2nd place (Gates holds the single season record with 13 TDs in 2004)
• Fantasy Points: 3rd place

 Other Thoughts:

1. Gates is likely to become the 1st TE in NFL history with three (3) seasons of 10+ TD receptions
2. Gates will overtake Kellen Winslow for 10th all-time with 46 or more TDs at his current pace

The Giants 41-17 pounding at the hands of the Vikings this weekend was a tough pill to swallow for a team that had far exceeded expectations for much of the season. Whether this was simply the case of a team falling flat or hearkens back to recent second half swoons remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that Giants fans, coaches, teammates and most importantly, fantasy owners, are all hoping that Eli Manning’s performance bounces back in a hurry.

There was a lot of talk yesterday about Eli Manning’s tendency to regress as the season wears on. Is that really true, or does it just seem that way because the TEAM has floundered late in the season?

Here’s your answer:

Eli Manning’s PER ATTEMPT passing numbers 

Weeks	ATT	Y/A	FD/Att	TDs/Att	INTs/Att	FPTs/Att
1-4	377	7.52	0.36	0.064	0.032	0.601
5-8	340	6.03	0.29	0.047	0.029	0.495
9-12	470	6.11	0.28	0.030	0.047	0.393
13-17	462	5.77	0.28	0.035	0.032	0.418

The numbers are clear as day, throughout Eli Manning’s career he’s been prone to very strong Septembers, followed by downright mediocrity the rest of the way. This year he’s on a similar trajectory. While there are some legitimate reasons for the Giants struggles of late (most notably Plaxico Burress’ ever-worsening ankle pain); the onus is on Manning to rise to the occasion.

The NFL is an injury-riddled league and the QB position is no stranger to bumps and bruises. This year has been no exception, with more than half of the league starting at least 2 QBs this year. In fact, four teams have started THREE QBs this season:

Team	QB1	QB2	QB3
Arizona	Matt Leinart	Kurt Warner	Tim Rattay
Carolina	Jake Delhomme	David Carr	Vinny Testaverde
Miami	Trent Green	Cleo Lemon	John Beck
Minnesota	Tarvaris Jackson	Brooks Bollinger	Kelly Holcomb

It’s no surprise that none of these teams have a winning record. A few other points to consider:

• 53 QBs have started at least one game this year
• 17 teams have used at least 2 starters
• After this weekend (Donovan McNabb = Doubtful), 18 teams (56% of the NFL) will have started 2+ QBs

So is there any truth to the adage “if you have two QBs you have none?”

Let’s look at the team winning percentages broken down by the # of starting QBs:

# of Starting QBs	Wins	Losses	Win%
1Starter	98	56	63.6%
2Starters	52	80	39.4%
3Starters	13	27	32.5%

I would’ve expected this data to show that teams with one, healthy and productive QB would have the better winning percentage. But I was stunned to see the differential. The 15 teams that have used just one starter have a combined 63.6% winning percentage. The rest of the league (17 teams) have a combined 65-107 record having won just 37.8% of their games.

Sigmund and Cecil hit us up with more vidcast goodness

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Nov 21 2007
2007 Volume#19 - The Five Minute Drill - Week 12: Giving Thanks (#19)
Thanks to the Jets for remembering why they traded for Thomas Jones, and thanks to the schedule-makers for making Tampa Bay’s schedule oh-so-enticing down the stretch. We could go on, but you get the idea - during this, the week of giving thanks, The Drill takes stock of the plays and situations for which we’re thankful… and a few others to which fantasy owners should say “no thanks.”

Yesterday we talked about Priest Holmes’ neck injury and how the door opens for Kolby Smith. Today, the story continues as Priest Holmes officially ends his career:

“I have truly been blessed with the opportunity to play in the National Football League,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to the Hunt family and the Chiefs organization for the opportunity to come to Kansas City, where the community embraced me from Day 1.”

Fantasy owners know that Priest Holmes was an absolute beast for a few seasons; and he should be remembered as one of the better runners of his era. Unfortunately his late start (he was relegated to backup duties in Baltimore for awhile) and the injuries likely will keep Holmes from getting serious Hall of Fame consideration. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t HIGHLY productive:

• 3 Pro Bowls (2001, 2002, 2003)
• Four 1,000-yard seasons
• His 27 rushing TDs in 2003 set a single season record, and currently stand 3rd all-time
• Three consecutive seasons with at least 2,000 yards from scrimmage
• Three consecutive seasons as a dominant fantasy player
  • #2 ranked RB in 2001
  • #1 ranked RB in 2002
  • #1 ranked RB in 2003

Congratulations to Priest Holmes on a fantastic career; and best of luck for a healthy and fulfilling retirement.

It’s pretty stunning to think that an entire generation of young football fans have grown up without thinking of the 49ers as a championship caliber franchise. The team that has not one, but two Hall of Fame QBs through the 80s and much of the 90s, has struggled mightily in recent years; and now finds itself 2-8, having lost 8 straight games.

Today, 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York promised sweeping changes in order to right the ship:

“I would consider anything,” DeBartolo York told the Chronicle. “I think that we have to get the minds together, the powers that be. I don’t think I can start to delve into the entire football operation right now. I would need the whole panel of people there.”

DeBartolo York told the Chronicle that the panel would include her husband and co-owner, John York; son Jed York; vice president of player personnel Scot McCloughan; vice president of football operations Lal Heneghan; and Nolan. DeBartolo York told the Chronicle that the head coach would no longer be the final authority on draft or player personnel decisions.

The last bolded statement is the doozy. A lot of people scratched their heads when the 49ers essentially gave control of the franchise to Mike Nolan; a guy that had never been an NFL head coach before. Now, it seems, the 49ers are FINALLY going to bring in a tried and true NFL mind to run football operations.

What that means is no one’s jobs are safe beyond 2008 at the latest. It would be stunning to think that a veteran GM would come aboard without assurances that he could hire his own head coach after a year of evaluating Nolan (if not immediately). And by the same token, QB Alex Smith will be in a make-or-break situation next season as the team will be in the financial position to consider a new direction.

Just how bad has it gotten in San Francisco? Consider:

• The offense is on pace for just 3,915 yards of total offense (32nd in the league); this would actually be the 2nd worst offensive performance of the decade
• The ONLY team to have a worse offensive season was…the 2005 49ers which put up a meager 3,879 yards
• The passing attack is averaging an anemic 4.9 yards per attempt; by far the worst of the decade
• The team is on pace for only 8 TD passes, which would only be “topped” by the 2006 Oakland Raiders (7 TD passes)
• The team is on pace for only 16 offensive TDs (passing and rushing), which again is only better than the 2006 Raiders over the last decade

OK, long-time Footballguys subscribers know I’m an Eagles fan and season ticket holder. While I’m disappointed with the way this season has unfolded, and respect the Patriots as much as the next guy, I was floored to see today’s point spread:

• 23.5 POINTS

Granted, the Eagles are likely without Donovan McNabb (there’s a surprise) and are on the road against arguably the most dominant team of the modern era. But according to ESPN, this is the LARGEST point spread in league history (ex-expansion teams). The Eagles are 5-5 and rank in the top 10 both offensively (6th) and defensively (7th) in the league.

Oh the humanity. While I highly doubt the Eagles can win the game; I surely hope they “shock the world” and reset expectations for just how dominant the Patriots are.

If the name Kolby Smith doesn’t mean much to you, don’t beat yourself up too much. Until today, Smith was a little used rookie backup running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. But, as of today, Smith is now the STARTING TAILBACK for the Chiefs; following Priest Holmes’ Week 11 injury:

Jay Glazer: Fox Sports

Running back Priest Holmes re-injured his neck in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and his career is in doubt, FOXSports.com has learned. Holmes returned from a nearly two-year hiatus earlier this season, an absence that was also a result of a neck injury.According to sources, Holmes was dinged two or three times on Sunday. The last time came in the fourth quarter, which saw him leave the field in a wobbly state after his 20th touch of the game.

As a result, Holmes saw a specialist early this week and will see a series of specialists who can help him better determine his future. In light of the fact Holmes is already returning from a neck injury, this latest scare certainly has to raise questions, not only about this year, but about the future of his career.

Enter Kolby Smith. College fans and draft aficionados may remember Smith as the guy who took over for the injured Michael Bush as Louisville’s main runner last season. Smith was effective in Bush’s stead, but graded out as a backup prospect. He was selected in the 5th round by the Chiefs, and was thought to be a special teamer this year with Larry Johnson and Michael Bennett on the active roster. But with LJ’s injury, Priest’s injury (who was a surprise contributor) and Michael Bennett’s trade to Tampa Bay; Smith has a chance to prove his skeptics wrong.

Our Sigmund Bloom ranked Smith as the 13th best RB prospect last season, and had this to say:

Michael Bush’s injury was Kolby Smith’s opportunity, and Smith made the most of it. He’s another back whose main asset is his versatility, especially if he can add the weight and adopt the attitude to play some fullback. He’ll make for a competent backup RB even if he doesn’t.

The bad news for Smith is that the Chiefs have really struggled offensively even when Larry Johnson has been in the game. The offensive line is a shell of the unit that mauled people for much of the last decade. The good news is he faces an Oakland Raiders run defense that has allowed the most fantasy points in the league.  

If Smith can surprise this week with a strong game, he could be in line for a string of them. According to Clayton Gray’s ultimate strength of schedule, the Chiefs have the 2nd easiest fantasy schedule remaining against the run.

While looking at some stats on Footballguys.com, there is a feature that has the matchup data for the last four weeks. This is a great tool for gauging which offenses or defenses are getting hot at the right time. One thing I noticed was that the Seahawks are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL pass defenses.

For the last three games (four weeks), the Seattle Seahawks pass defense has yielded the following stats per game:

• 22 of 38 for 248 yards and NO touchdown passes, along with .3 interceptions a game. For this span, the defense also is averaging a fumble recovery and 2.7 sacks per game.

On the season, the Seahawks defense is only giving up an average of a scoring reception once every two games. That is impressive. The remaining schedule includes great fantasy opportunities against the Rams, Panthers, Ravens, and Falcons. The last three listed are great matchups against average quarterbacks.

The gray-haired passer from Southern Miss is playing great. There are a few reasons for the improved play over last season. His receivers are upgraded and playing well. The Packers have four strong pass catchers: Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Koren Robinson, and James Jones. This receiving corps has made the big plays, and had fewer drops than in 2006. Plus, tight end Donald Lee has been a big surprise. Let’s examine what the aging superstar has done so far this season:

9 Games

Completed 238 of 354 for a completion percentage of 67%

2757 passing yards for 7.8 average yards per pass attempt

16 scoring throws as opposed to only 8 picks
To put these numbers into perspective, the 38 year old has only been under 70% completion percentage three games this season, which is incredible. He has only passed for less than 300 yards three times in 2007, and is averaging over 300 passing yards a game. Now, let’s look at his career averages (over a 250 game career) to see if the “old man” has lost a step after throwing his first pass in 1991:

Completion percentage: 61%

Average yards per attempt: 7.0

Passing yards per game: 241

Touchdown/Interception ratio: 1.5

Even though Brett Favre has had some great seasons as a Packer, his stats this season are much better than his career average in most every category. He is on pace to finish as the fifth best quarterback in standard scoring fantasy leagues. He has not finished the season with a better rank than fifth since the 1998 season where he finished second behind a 37 year old Steve Young.

Even at the age of 38, Brett Favre is on pace to break his career highs in the following categories:

Passing yards: on pace for 4,901 yards

Completion percentage: 67%

Average yards per pass attempt: 7.8

Brett Favre is giving Green Bay Packer fans, and the fans of the NFL, a season to remember. If number four does retire this offseason, he will go out with a bang. His Packers are 8-1 and in the thick of the chase for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

On a play that surprised no one that follows the Bears, quarterback Brian Griese was injured. His shoulder no less. How did it happen?

Well ……

The RB that is averaging a whopping 3.0 yards per carry, and who is telling anyone who will listen how it is not his fault, missed the block. Yes, you guessed it. Cedric Benson. The running back that is making another former Texas ball carrier look somewhat normal. Here is the story and what Offensive Coordinator, Ron Turner had to say:

Look out block: Brian Griese’s shoulder injury occurred when blitzing Raiders middle linebacker Kirk Morrison came unblocked to the quarterback.

“We didn’t block who we were supposed to block, and the Mike (middle) linebacker came right up the middle, and we let him go,” said Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “So we had a missed assignment there and turned the guy loose.”

The responsibility for picking up Morrison belonged to running back Cedric Benson.

“I don’t want to start pointing fingers at who’s supposed to do it,” Turner said. “We just didn’t pick him up. He should have been blocked, and we didn’t block him.”

Anyone else notice how quiet the former Longhorn has been since Sunday?

Adam Schefter reported yesterday that the Cleveland Browns are considering the franchise designation on starting QB Derek Anderson.

There is obviously a lot that can happen between now and free agency, so speculation on the future of Derek Anderson remains very much in flux. BUT, this news is noteworthy for a number of reasons:

1. Derek Anderson is a RESTRICTED free agent — The franchise designation is almost always used by teams on UNrestricted free agents as a way to keep them from leaving. In this case, Anderson is a restricted free agent, meaning the Browns have the rights to keep him regardless.  But slapping the franchise tag on Anderson would provide the Browns protection; any team signing him to an offer sheet would have to give the Browns TWO first round picks if the Browns opt not to match the deal.
2. Derek Anderson was considered an afterthought just a few months ago — Can you talk about rags to riches? Here’s a guy who, at the start of this season, looked like the odd man out. Charlie Frye was the present. Brady Quinn was the future. And now? Anderson would be looking at TOP FIVE QB money if he got franchised. TOP FIVE money as in, Peyton Manning/Carson Palmer/Tom Brady/Donovan McNabb/Marc Bulger money.
3. Brady Quinn’s future suddenly becomes much cloudier — I’m sure Brady Quinn is a good teammate and is happy that Anderson is helping the Browns win games, but a part of him has to lament the way things are turning out. His dream of being the hometown savior appears very much in jeopardy, and those lofty incentives built into his contract are getting harder and  harder to realize, to boot.

One of the great things about the NFL is the passion of the fans. We ALL think we’re, at times, smarter than the coaches and personnel executives who manager our teams. We all like to 2nd guess specific draft choices, certain plays on game day. While intellectually we may know that we’re NOT as good as the people who run our teams, the emotional drain of an NFL season deludes us into thinking otherwise.

One of the CLASSIC debates revolves around whether it’s worth spending huge $$$$ on a rookie quarterback. Judging from NFL draft history, the majority of NFL executives think it’s a worthwhile strategy. On the other hand, it seems a majority of fans would rather “find value” at the QB position and not commit so much money to an unproven signal caller who could set their team back for years if he busts.

This is a debate that’s not likely to resolve itself anytime soon. But 10 weeks into this season, it’s looking like 2007 will go down as a year when the FANS perspective gained some ground empirically.

Consider:

In the last 10 years, a quarterback was drafted 1st overall EIGHT (80%!) times:

• 1998 — Peyton Manning, IND
• 1999 — Tim Couch, CLE
• 2001 — Michael Vick, ATL
• 2002 — David Carr, HOU
• 2003 — Carson Palmer, CIN
• 2004 — Eli Manning, NYG
• 2005 — Alex Smith, SF
• 2007 — JaMarcus Russell, OAK

Certainly no one is going to argue that Peyton Manning wasn’t worth the selection. He’s potentially going to finish his career as the league’s most productive passer; has multiple league MVPs and has one SB title with years left to add another. But what of the rest of this motley crew? Certainly there are a few players in this group who have been productive: Carson Palmer has been consistently productive despite his teams travails; Eli Manning is erratic but is better than 2/3rds of the league’s passers; and Mike Vick won a ton of games before legal troubles ended his reign in Atlanta. But when you consider the respective places of these franchises and their lack of success; it does make you wonder.

And THEN come the “bargains”; eight of the top 12 passers through Week 12 were NOT first rounders:

• Tom Brady (6th rounder)
• Tony Romo (Undrafted)
• Derek Anderson (6th rounder)
• Brett Favre (2nd rounder)
• Matt Hasselbeck (6th rounder)
• Drew Brees (2nd rounder)
• Jon Kitna (Undrafted)
• Jeff Garcia (Undrafted)

Is anyone going to argue that Eli Manning and Alex Smith are better than Tony Romo? Will anyone trade Tim Couch’s career (and his impact on the team) for Matt Hasselbeck’s?

And we haven’t even mentioned other “bargain bin” QBs that have proven capable of putting up big numbers:

• Marc Bulger (6th rounder)
• Jake Delhomme (Undrafted)
• Kurt Warner (Undrafted)

Let’s look at the draft pedigree of the last 10 Super Bowl winners (and runners-up)

Year	Winner	QB	Draft	Loser	QB	Draft
2006	Colts	P.Manning	1.01	Bears	R.Grossman	1.22
2005	Steelers	B.Roethlisberger	1.11	Seahawks	M.Hasselbeck	6.34
2004	Patriots	T.Brady	6.33	Eagles	D.McNabb	1.02
2003	Patriots	T.Brady	6.33	Panthers	J.Delhomme	Undrafted
2002	Buccaneers	B.Johnson	9.03	Raiders	R.Gannon	4.14
2001	Patriots	T.Brady	6.33	Rams	K.Warner	Undrafted
2000	Ravens	T.Dilfer	1.06	Giants	K.Collins	1.05
1999	Rams	K.Warner	Undrafted	Titans	S.McNair	1.03
1998	Broncos	J.Elway	1.01	Falcons	C.Chandler	3.21
1997	Broncos	J.Elway	1.01	Packers	B.Favre	2.06

What’s striking is the “feast or famine” nature of the results. Five of the 10 winners have fielded high 1st round selections, which five instances were late round/undrafted QBs. The differential is similar in the runners up side of the ledger.

What does it all mean? Is it worth drafting a QB 1st overall? Is there a reason the “great” QBs seem to either be high picks OR very late round picks versus the myriad mid round QBs that we draftniks seem to get so excited about each year?

Thought just occurred to me today as I was looking over this weekend’s games and the resulting fantasy rankings:

Three of the four AFC North teams have elite fantasy QBs at the helm right now:

• Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) — 2,020 yards/22 TDs/7 INTs = 3rd ranked QB
• Derek Anderson (CLE) — 2,231 yards/20 TDs/9 INTs = 4th ranked QB
• Carson Palmer (CIN) — 2,464 yards/16 TDs/10 INTs = 7th ranked QB

What’s more surprising, that a division with its history steeped in ball-control, hard-nosed football would have three big-time passers OR that Carson Palmer is the 3rd most productive passer in his own division?