A few short weeks ago Vince Young was the poster child for NFL busts, a first-round draft pick with a permanent spot on the bench after apparently losing all confidence and football ability.
Now that Young has led the Titans to four straight wins, even his fake career is back on track as he’s become a solid option for fantasy football teams needing quarterback help. In fact, he could be a big factor for teams making late pushes for the fantasy postseason.
Sure, he’s only averaging 150 yards or so passing, but Monday night’s win over Houston proved he can get you points rushing as well. It was the first time since his return to starter that he gobbled up all those easy rushing yards on passing plays, leading to 73 yards on the ground. The more he does that, the more he’ll see wide-open receivers downfield – guys he can actually hit with his newfound accuracy.
d defense in Week 17.
As you wonder what sort of language Titans owner Bud Adams used while persuading coach Jeff Fisher to play Young, here’s a look at some players to start and some to sit in Week 12:
QUARTERBACKS
TAKE A SHOT:
-Don’t fear Ben Roethlisberger despite his head injury last week. The Steelers say he’s fine and appear to mean it since they didn’t bother getting a veteran backup after Charlie Batch got hurt. Plus, the Ravens’ once-feared pass defense has turned mediocre.
-Carson “Wheels” Palmer should get back to throwing touchdown passes against the dreadful Browns. Palmer had two rushing TDs last week but hasn’t thrown for a score in 11 quarters.
-San Francisco’s Alex Smith is fresh off his second 3-touchdown game, and he actually is looking a lot like a real QB. He faces the Jacksonville defense that ranks 25th against the pass and was just torched by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
-In that same game, Jacksonville’s David Garrard should end his seven-game streak without multiple TD passes against the 49ers’ 30th-ranked pass defense.
BACK AWAY SLOWLY AND NOBODY GETS HURT:
Please, in the name of Kerry Collins, don’t start these guys:
nsider this one of the flukiest events ever and leave Quinn alone.
-Maybe it’s not fair to suggest benching Chicago’s Jay Cutler every week, but it does turn out to be right most of the time. The biggest questions against the Vikings are whether he can hit four interceptions again and who he’ll blame if he does.
-It is time to officially give up on Baltimore’s Joe Flacco. He hasn’t thrown a TD pass in three weeks and has two games left against the Steelers.
RUNNING BACKS
ALL DAY LONG:
-It’s a great week for AFC East old guys in run-only offenses. Miami’s 32-year-old workhorse Ricky Williams should shred Buffalo’s 31st-ranked defense, and 31-year-old Jet Thomas Jones gets a Carolina defense that keeps losing starters to injury.
-After a stretch of tough losses, the Falcons are ready to take out some frustrations on the Bucs. Jason Snelling’s likely to get another start against the NFL’s worst run defense, one that’s allowing about 170 yards rushing a game and is adjusting after the coordinator was fired.
-The Saints keep frustrating owners of Pierre Thomas by giving Mike Bell goal-line carries. But the Monday night shootout with the Patriots should be so ridiculous that everybody gets a score, so don’t hesitate to start either one.
rybody else is hurt.
RED FLAGS:
-The curse of Mike Shanahan lives on in Houston, as former Shanahan disciple Gary Kubiak can’t get enough of the old Denver game called “I’m so smart you’ll never figure out who my featured back is.” So bench Steve Slaton or Chris Brown or whoever else the Texans may or may not give the ball to.
-Expect fantasy bust of the year Matt Forte’s terribleness to continue at Minnesota, even if he scored on them in both meetings last year.
-Jamaal Charles’ nice little run as decent fantasy player in a horrid offense could come to a halt this week. The Chargers haven’t allowed a rushing TD in three weeks and totally shut down the Chiefs in their first meeting.
WIDE RECEIVERS
THROW HIM THE DARN BALL:
-Interim Buffalo coach Perry Fewell apparently decided to repeal Dick Jauron’s ban on the downfield pass, resulting in nearly 200 yards for Terrell Owens last week. He could have another big day against a Dolphins defense that has had a hard time stopping the long pass.
-San Diego’s Vincent Jackson has vanished the past two weeks but should reappear. The Chiefs have the 28th-ranked pass defense, and Jackson has scored in three of his last four against the Chiefs.
ame, so he’s due. Oh, and also the Rams can’t cover anybody.
-Chad Ochocinco has gone scoreless in five of his last six games but should snap out of it. He scored twice against the Browns earlier this year, and this is a Cleveland defense that just let a whole bunch of Lions score.
SHOW HIM THE DARN BENCH:
-Atlanta’s Roddy White hasn’t scored in three games, a trend that should continue since the Falcons may not ever have to throw against Tampa Bay.
-Donnie Avery has a couple scores and a total of about 130 yards the past two weeks, monster numbers for a Ram, but he should quiet down again this week with Marc Bulger out.
-The Steelers’ fascination with Mike Wallace seems to be waning, with no touchdowns the past two weeks. It’s doubtful Roethlisberger will wait forever for him to get open on those long passes.
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FREE AGENT SHOPPING LIST: Rock Cartwright (only Redskins RB standing, 140 total yards), RB Fred Jackson (more work if Marshawn Lynch is out), QB Vince Young (wins, competence), RB Danny Ware (more playing time in injured Giants backfield), WR Chris Chambers (119 yards), QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (297 yards, TD), RB Chris Jennings (74 total yards), TE Jermichael Finley (back from injury).
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WHAT DO I KNOW?
) and Brandon Jacobs (TD).
Big Misses: Like everyone else in the world, I did not expect much from Matthew Stafford or Brady Quinn (9 combined TDs). I, for the last time, thought Joe Flacco (0 TDs) would break out of his slump. I also didn’t expect much from Chris Chambers (119 yards) or LaDainian Tomlinson (TD).
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