It seems that every year around this time we consider the futures of two NFL quarterbacks: Brett Favre, who tends to waffle on retirement until at least April or, last year, July; and Donovan McNabb, who is rumored to be traded constantly.

This year the latter rumor is very interesting to consider, partly because McNabb might be destined to replace Favre in Minnesota, or Warner in Arizona.

In Philadelphia, three household names might be elsewhere next season. McNabb tops the list, but he’s followed closely by long-time and oft-injured teammate Brian Westbrook and unorthodox quarterback Michael Vick.

Donovan McNabb has been pressed constantly to give us an update on what he expects to happen. His replies have thus far been vanilla.

Will you be in Philadelphia next season? “Why wouldn’t I be? I mean we’ve been going through this the last two, three years. I don’t want to be anywhere else but Philly. I don’t believe in starting somewhere and going somewhere else to finish your career. I believe in starting somewhere and finishing what you’ve started.”

What do you know about Brian Westbrook’s future? “He looks forward to getting back. All the talk people are saying retirement or whatever it may be, it’s all false.”

Will Vick be back for a second season? “Yes.”

In other words, if you talk to Donovan McNabb, all three players are going to be back and as good as ever.

Talk to a journalist, on the other hand, and you might get a different story. Chris Mortensen asked McNabb point blank whether he actually believed he was going to be back. McNabb didn’t miss a beat and asked Mort why he shouldn’t expect to be back.

McNabb has been through all the ups and downs in the NFL. He knows nothing is certain, but he also knows that we’ve been questioning his return to Philadelphia for the past three years now, ever since the team drafted Kevin Kolb in 2007. Since then, Kolb has started two games and thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Quarterback of the future? Maybe. But the future isn’t now.

That said, the speculation certainly makes for a fascinating offseason storyline. Michael Vick showed fans flashes of being a game-changer in his limited role, spiking his value to Philadelphia‘s front office if the franchise choose to trade him. Brian Westbrook, on the other hand, missed seven games this season after concussions left him in haze. Will he return? It’s hard to say. Perhaps more intriguing, will he return to the Eagles? If he chooses to play again in 2010, the Eagles might request a pay-cut; should he refuse, he might have to take his talent and injuries elsewhere.

Westbrook hasn’t averaged fewer than four yards per carry in a season in his career. He only touched the ball 86 times this past season, but he still netted 455 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns. There are plenty of teams that would pay for that kind of production, history of injuries or not. After all, he only missed a combined four games in the previous three seasons. And concussions, while obviously serious in the long term, are not as much of a deal breaker as, say, a knee injury.

Michael Vick doesn’t have come with injury baggage, though. His baggage is of another kind. But, again, there are teams very willing to look past his history and at his performance on the field. He was used only sparingly in Philadelphia’s offense, but that didn’t stop him from showcasing his talent and passing for 86 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 95 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but when you consider he only handled 13 pass attempts and ran with it 24 times out of what was essentially a “gadget” formation, it’s enough to convince some teams he can still start at quarterback.

Consider the Redskins. Jason Campbell hasn’t proven he can be a starter or a winner in this league. Add to the equation a new head coach and different philosophy, and Campbell’s time may be up. The team can afford to get Vick and put him on the field to shake things up and increase the offense’s volatility. Of course, would the Eagles be willing to trade Vick to a division rival? Probably not.

So how about the Raiders? Vick is fast with a strong arm, the two key indications of an ideal Raiders prospect. Jamarcus Russell certainly seems to be a bust at this stage, so why not give Vick a shot to lead the team somewhere? He complements the rest of the offense - bad O-line, fast receivers, explosive running back - so if Oakland can put together a trade package, don’t be surprised to see Vick in silver and black.

Just don’t expect the Eagles to deal McNabb and keep Vick around. There are plenty of McNabb haters in Philadelphia, but Andy Reid isn’t one of the team. He wants his quarterback around in 2010, and it’s hard to find any fault in his logic: McNabb is coming off a season in which he passed the ball for 3,553 yards and 22 touchdowns. Overall, his numbers the past two seasons have been the best statistically of the past five years.

Whatever happens this season, stay tuned. The Eagles need to consider trading three players at key positions, and where they end up will have big implications for 2010.

Installing Vince Young in your fantasy football lineup during the most critical part of the season isn’t going to make your team turn into the fantasy equivalent of the ’99 Rams or ’07 Patriots – just look at Young’s fantasy points-per-week on the graph below – but that doesn’t mean he can’t be at least somewhat beneficial.

True, he has thrown for over 175 yards just once in his last four starts, and has not thrown for multiple touchdowns in any of them, but at this point in the season, those fantasy owners who are in need of a quarterback for the fantasy playoffs have probably already made due with a lesser player at that position anyway, and instead have leaned on the strengths of their running backs and wideouts. Essentially, if you need a player like Young, you’re just looking for him not to kill you.

And any fantasy football owner who has used Young before is familiar with the pain he can cause. In 2007, for example, in his second season and with fairly big expectations after his rookie of the year campaign in 2006, he didn’t throw for 200 or more yards until Week 10, threw for multiple touchdowns in only three contests, and had more interceptions than touchdown passes in nine different games.

But the 2009 version of Vince Young is a seemingly different player, and one that needn’t be completely ignored by fantasy enthusiasts. Part of the reason for that is his match-ups the rest of the way. First of all, he has four home games over the next five weeks, including three straight at home from Weeks 14-16, which are dates that make up the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. But starting this week, really only two of his five match-ups that remain in the fantasy season could be deemed unfavorable – Week 13 against the Colts in Indy and Week 16 against the Chargers.

This week, however, he faces the Cardinals, who are just 27th in pass defense, and 18th (tied) in passing scores allowed. He follows that up with the Indianapolis game before facing St. Louis, Miami and San Diego. The Rams are 24th in the league in pass defense and 18th (tied) in passing touchdowns allowed, while the Dolphins are 22nd in pass defense and 12th in passing touchdowns given up. However, Miami and Oakland are the only two NFL teams to have given up four rushing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks, and the Rams are one of just seven teams to have allowed at least two rushing scores to opposing signal-callers. On top of that, St. Louis and Miami are both in the bottom-half of the NFL in interceptions.

So, should you count on Young to single-handedly win you a fantasy championship? Of course not. But will he impede you in accomplishing that goal like he has in the past? Not if you use him wisely he won’t.

Carolina (0-2) at Atlanta (2-0): Atlanta, 28-20

Matt Ryan again showcased his skills as a passer, throwing for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns in a close win over Carolina. Tony Gonzalez remains the lynch pin in this offense and he caught 7 passes for 71 yards and 1 touchdown. His presence has made the offense much more versatile and effective through the air.

Perhaps least surprising was the renewed interest in running the ball this week. Ryan attempted just 27 passes this week, while Michael Turner handled 28 carries and Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood tacked on 7 more. Turner effectively rushed for 105 yards and 1 touchdown to lead the offense, but Snelling took his 6 carries 37 yards, too.

The big stat to take away from this one for Atlanta: Ryan completed much more of his passes to his wide receivers this week. Though Gonzo led the team with 7 receptions, Roddy White caught 6 and Marty Booker and Michael Jenkins combined for 5 more. In all, 12 of Ryan’s 21 completions were to wide receivers versus last week when over half his completions were to Gonzo and the running backs.

Meanwhile, the Panthers slipped to 0-2 in spite of a near comeback. Jake Delhomme was significantly better this week and he finished with 308 passing yards, 1 touchdowns and 1 interception. His favorite target was, not surprisingly, Steve Smith who caught 8 passes for 131 yards in a big performance. The rest of the completions were spread between 7 other players, none of whom had more than 5 receptions. Tight end Dante Rosario caught 3 for 31 yards and 1 touchdown.

But though Carolina was very focused on passing the football, the running game was very effective: in all, the team ran the ball 25 times for 144 yards. DeAngelo Williams led the way with 16 carries for 79 yards and 1 touchdown, while Jonathan Stewart chipped in with 9 carries for 65 yards. Overall, the offense showed much more promise than last week and in a turnover-free game, this will be a tough team to beat.

Minnesota (2-0) at Detroit (0-2): Minnesota, 27-13

The Vikings struggled early on against Detroit and the Lions had a legitimate shot to win the game — and the lead — going into halftime. Unfortunately, Brett Favre’s efficient passing — he was 23-of-27 — and Adrian Peterson’s rushing put the Vikings on top and put the game out of reach. This was the second week in a row that Favre didn’t put up a great yards per attempt average — he only passed for 155 yards — but he’s not making mistakes. This is not the Favre we’re accustomed to seeing and many of his completions are underneath, especially — and this is surprising — to Adrian Peterson, who caught 4 passes for 8 yards.

The emerging star in Minnesota’s offense is Percy Harvin. He accumulated 58 yards and scored 1 touchdown last week, and this week he improved put up similar numbers: 55 yards and 1 touchdown. His speed makes him very dangerous, and his versatility (he has 4 carries for 36 yards this year) will keep defensive coordinators up at night all season.

As for the Lions, Calvin Johnson remains a huge part of the offense. Without him the team would struggle even more than it has to this point. He caught 5 passes for 51 yards and 1 touchdown in this game, fighting for yards and using his physicality to gain a big advantage.

Unfortunately, Matthew Stafford remains an erratic rookie. He only passes for 152 yards, despite 30 attempts, while throwing 2 interceptions to 1 touchdown. Most tellingly, Calvin Johnson was one of just two receivers in this offense to get a catch; the other, Dennis Northcutt, caught just one pass. In other words, about 67 percent of Stafford’s completions are checkdowns. He needs to find his wide receivers if he wants to improve his overall passing numbers.

Cincinnati (1-1) at Green Bay (1-1): Cincinnati, 31-24

In an upset at Lambeau the Bengals managed to contain the Packers offense enough to come out ahead with a win, though Green Bay did have a slim opportunity to win down the stretch. Cincinnati is this close to 2-0 at this stage in the season, and much of the credit must go to the defense. It’s better than most might give credit, and it’s something to keep in mind for the rest of the season.

On offense the passing game was effective, but Carson Palmer’s two interceptions could have cost the Bengals the game. Both were throws he must have wanted back immediately after making them, and in neither case was he under immense pressure. He’s a somewhat erratic quarterback at this point and he probably won’t totally hit his stride for another few weeks. After he does, watch out: Cincinnati has a lot of firepower on offense.

The big key for Cincinnati in this one was Cedric Benson. The underappreciated running back carried 29 times for 141 yards and even though he didn’t find the endzone, he was the key to the Bengals burning down the clock and moving down the field. Palmer passed for just 185 yards, and though he threw all three of Cincinnati’s offensive touchdowns, without Benson’s success the offense would have been lost.

Green Bay wasn’t so lucky. Ryan Grant took his 14 carries just 46 yards, struggling to make an breaks in Cincinnati’s defense. His longest carry moved eight yards and it seemed more often than not he was held at the line of scrimmage or just past.

This issue led to a lot of passes for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was under constant pressure for the second week in a row, and in a crucial loss left tackle Chad Clifton injured his ankle. He might not be ready next week, and that will put the team at a significant disadvantage against pass rushers. Unless the team can find an answer to blitzes and powerful defensive ends, Green Bay is going to struggle all season.

Arizona (1-1) at Jacksonville (0-2): Arizona, 31-17

The Cardinals bounced back in a big way this week. Jacksonville could hardly prevent Kurt Warner from throwing an incompletion, and the 39-year old quarterback  completed a record 92.3 percent of his pass attempts. The Jaguars couldn’t pressure him and the defensive backfield was torn to pieces. When the dust settled, the ultra-efficient Warner had 243 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

In no surprise, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were his two favorite targets. Boldin led the team in receptions with 8 for 69 yards, while Fitz contributed with 4 for 34 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly, only Steve Breaston — who took his 5 receptions 83 yards — averaged at least 10 yards per catch and caught at least 4 passes.

Last note on Arizona: Tim Hightower (who also rushed for a touchdown) had twice as many carries as Chris Wells (15 to 7) and they combined to average 5.3 yards per carry. In other words, Jacksonville couldn’t stop anything.

On offense, the Jaguars scored 3 points through the first 41 minutes of the game. David Garrard was forced to pass 43 times, and though he had 282 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, it was a struggle throughout. He turned the ball over twice and fumbled three times; not good.

Mike Sims-Walker was the big shocker in this one: the 24-year old receiver caught 6 passes for 106 yards and 1 touchdown. Mercedes Lewis caught the other touchdown and finished with 3 receptions for 62 yards.

Jacksonville’s typical strength — running the ball — had to be abandoned after the team found itself trailing by 14 after a blocked field goal was taken 83 yards by Arizona in the second quarter. When Jacksonville did run, Maurice Jones-Drew was mostly ineffective, carrying 13 times for 66 yards. Though that number looks good at first glance, when adjusting for a 36 yard carry, his yard per carry average is just a tad over two.

The Jaguars must limit turnovers and focus on the run in future games if they hope to have more success on the field.

• Kansas City – Cut WR Amani Toomer; Cut WR Ashley Lelie; Placed WR Devard Darling on IR

Dwayne Bowe is a lock to start despite Coach Haley relegating him to third team during training camp, and Bobby Engram will operate from the slot.  That still leaves another starting wide receiver position available and the moves of the past week indicate that Mark Bradley has won that position.  Darling had started the first three games of preseason before tearing his ACL and veterans Toomer and Lelie just didn’t fit into Haley’s long-term or short-term plans.  Seeing how the Chiefs’ other two options are a sixth-round rookie (Quinten Lawrence) and a player who had zero receptions in seven games last year (Terrance Copper), it appears Bradley has this job locked up.  There’s a good chance that the Chiefs will not be ahead in many games this season so they will be throwing the ball to catch up to opposing teams.  Thus, Bradley makes for a viable late round draft pick or a free-agent pickup.

• Arizona – Cut TE Leonard Pope

Pope wasn’t cut because of lack of ability or skill, but rather because he’s not a Ken Whisenhunt type of player.  He’s a better receiver than blocker and while that kept him in favor for former OC, Todd Haley, Whisenhunt needs more than a one-dimensional tight end.  Pope’s loss is the gain of two players, Dominique Byrd and Ben Patrick, as the Cardinals will run more of the two-tight end sets that Whisenhunt ran as OC of the Steelers.  One of these tight ends will emerge as more of a pass catching threat, likely Byrd, but when that happens he is nothing more than a bye-week replacement.

• Buffalo – Cut RB Dominic Rhodes

Rhodes was expected to serve as the team’s number three running back and also the backup to Fred Jackson while starter Marshawn Lynch serves a three game suspension.  His release means Xavier Omon will serve as the backup to Jackson during those three games.  Omon is not worth a pickup as of right now but if Jackson gets hurt during his time as starter then you definitely want to grab Omon.  No matter how unproven Omon is, he would still be a starting running back and you can never have enough of those.

• Indianapolis – Cut WR Josh Matthews

Matthews was second among Colts receivers in receptions during preseason and had been in a battle with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to be the #3 receiver.  Neither player has done much to separate himself from the other but everyone knows how important the slot receiver is to the Colts offense.  This is a wait-and-see scenario as after the first game we will have a clearer picture as to whom will get the most playing time.  Don’t expect the production of past slot guys like Brandon Stokley or Anthony Gonzalez, but with as much as the Colts throw the ball, this player would be worth a pickup in deeper leagues.

• St. Louis – Cut RB Antonio Pittman; Cut RB Chris Ogbonnaya

The role as Steven Jackson’s backup has officially been won by Samkon Gado.  Pittman had been Jackson’s primary backup last season and Ogbonnaya had received the most carries during preseason.  If you have Jackson on your team then you may want to handcuff Gado as Jackson has missed four games in each of the past two seasons.  Don’t forget what Gado did with the Packers once Ahman Green was injured-he put up over 600 total yards and seven touchdowns in just eight games of play in 2005.

14-0, 24-0, and 38-10.

That’s what the scoreboard has read at halftime in each of the Green Bay Packers’ first three preseason games. The only word to describe it is dominance.

No team has gone as unchallenged this preseason. No team has shut down opponents as effectively or scored at will as easily as the team from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Yes, it’s preseason, but that doesn’t render these scores meaningless. Preseason games don’t tell you what’s going to happen during the season; instead, one needs to look for signs indicating what could happen when the games start to matter.

Minor role players struggling might foreshadow breakdowns if the team loses a few of starters. A wide receiver dropping easy catches might indicate a greater problem. A lot of penalties could be a sign that discipline is lacking.

Looking at the Green Bay Packers, there has been nothing to suggest this team is going to struggle in the season ahead.

One could describe Aaron Rodgers’ passing as brilliant or, in reference to Friday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, flawless. He’s looked comfortable in the pocket, flowing as pressure broke down the offensive line and escaping sacks. Presence in the pocket is one of those “intangibles” — unless a quarterback is completely confident in his ability and the ability of his offensive line, no amount of coaching can keep him from getting shaky after he takes his drop and begins checking down.

Rodgers has looked almost serene while looking for the open target. He stays in the pocket as long as necessary before sensing that it’s time to move; then without a hitch he is able to make a necessary move, be it a subtle step forward or a full blown scramble. His competency as a quarterback has developed so well under Brett Favre and throughout last season that the impression this preseason is he’s ready to take another step forward, wittling down the mistakes he made last season while retaining a flair for throwing the ball downfield.

It would all be squandered talent if he didn’t have a great supporting cast, so it’s fortunate he is surrounded by tremendous teammates. Everyone recognizes Greg Jennings and Donald Driver as dynamic duo at wide receiver, but it’s been other players stepping forward this preseason that creates the perception that this offense is poised to be one of the NFL’s best when the meaningful games roll around.

Jermichael Finley has leaped from nowhere and is demanding attention. Aaron Rodgers loves him as a red zone target, and in Friday night’s game he caught two touchdowns. He has sure hands and is a great route-runner, making a strong argument he’s ready to play a big role in the team’s offense this season.

Jordy Nelson also stepped up to the plate Friday night, hitting a home run in the second quarter as the receiver of a 76-yard touchdown pass. At the time of this writing he has 3 receptions for 88 yards, one more reception than he had contributed in the previous two games this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers forced six fumbles in the first three quarters of play. Charles Woodson forced three on his own, one of which was recovered by Aaron Kampman who sprinted to the house.

And just before halftime, shortly after a blown hold blew Mason Crosby’s field goal attempt, former 49ers safety Anthony Smith intercepted a pass and set up the offense with outstanding field position at the 11-yard line with 0:07 showing on the clock.

Rodgers only need five, floating a perfect touch pass to Finley in the endzone. It was the tight end’s second of the game and Rodgers’ third. Come to think of it, the only Packer who didn’t get to show his stuff in the first half was punter Jeremy Kapinos.

While watching the game, I got the feeling everyone on the Packers’ roster had been saving their best for week three, after having already played outstanding football the first two weeks of preseason.

Then again, maybe more is to come. Stay tuned, NFL fans.

Kurt Warner was one of the NFL’s most prolific quarterbacks throughout the 2008 season, leading the Arizona Cardinals to the postseason and eventually the Super Bowl. Warner’s season wasn’t enough to convince most fantasy owners to draft him higher than the fifth round this year, however, due mostly to questions concerning his health, especially when combined with his age.

Here are the ten facts and factors you should consider when thinking about Kurt Warner this year.

(1) Let’s start with the health: Warner has played three complete seasons in his career – 1999, 2001, and last season. That makes fantasy players a little bit skittish, especially when combined with a hip surgery he underwent in March. Reports suggest it will be 12 months before he’s fully recovered from the injury, making him a fantasy gamble of sorts. He said August 6th that he was at 85 percent, so be sure to keep his injury status in mind when considering him.

(2) Warner hasn’t missed a game since filling in for Matt Leinart week 3 of the 2007 season. He hasn’t started all those games and he missed significant playing time in a couple, but it remains that he’s played 34 consecutive games.

(3) Statistically speaking, last season was the third best season of Warner’s career. He finished with 598 attempts (1st - personal high), a 67.1 percent completion rate (3rd best) 4,583 yards (2nd best), and 30 touchdowns (3rd best).

(4) Though he passed for more touchdowns in 2008 than the season before, Warner posted a significantly lower touchdown percentage: 6.0 in 2007 vs. 5.0 in 2008. For what it’s worth, Ken Whisenhunt was calling the plays in 2007, a role he will resume this season.

(5) Warner’s completion percentage last season — 67.1 — was second in the NFL to Chad Pennington. Warner also finished 3rd in passing attempts, 2nd in passing yards, and 3rd in passing touchdowns.

(6) Only Drew Brees, Tony Romo, and Peyton Manning have thrown more passing touchdowns than Warner the past two seasons. Both Brees and Manning have also played more games the past two seasons.

(7) Warner is third in the NFL in passing yards per game the past two seasons, behind only Drew Brees and Tom Brady. He’s averaged 266.7 yards per game during that span.

(8) The Cardinals’ gunslinger hasn’t been perfect, though. He’s thrown 31 interceptions the past two seasons, placing him fifth in the NFL behind Brett Favre (who knew?), Drew Brees, Tony Romo, and Jay Cutler.

(9) In seasons he played at least 16 games, two things have held true: Warner has never thrown for fewer than 4,353 yards or 30 touchdowns. In other words, when he’s healthy and starting he’s one of the best options in fantasy football.

(10) Warner has a career 8-2 record in the postseason with a Super Bowl win and two Super Bowl losses. But how has he been in the fantasy postseason lately? Assuming your championship is week 16, these numbers are probably relevant:

• in week 16 of 2006, Warner was 9-of-13 for 105 yards
• he threw 3 touchdowns each game between weeks 14-16 of 2007
• he also threw 5 interceptions week 14 and 1 more week 15
• he averaged 313 yards per game during the three week span
• during weeks 14-15 of 2008 he averaged 275 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception
• week 16 of 2006: 369 passing yards and 3 touchdowns
• week 16 average the past two seasons: 68 passing yards
• week 16 of 2008: was 6-of-18 for 30 yards

Week 1 of the NFL’s preseason has come, and while every football fan probably watched their team with at least some level of interest, fantasy owners in particular were likely examining what information they could glean out of the contests. To aid in that pursuit, let’s take a look at the games played so far (there are two Monday night games – Jacksonville at Miami and Carolina at NY Giants) and the fantasy consequences of each.

New England 27, Philadelphia 25: One Mr. Bundchen, Tom Brady, was back to his old tricks, going 10-of-15 for 100 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception while staying healthy, which was just fine. It was interesting that Patriots tight end Chris Baker was on the receiving end of both of Brady’s scoring passes. As for Philly, rookie running back LeSean McCoy’s 10 carries for 55 yards made all those that will handcuff him to Brian Westbrook feel good.

Baltimore 23, Washington 0: At least Baltimore’s defense was in mid-season form. Washington did very little, and had just 48 offensive plays all night. In contrast, the Ravens had 54 passing plays, 15 of which came from Joe Flacco, who did a solid job by completing nine of them. On the running back front, Ray Rice (whose fantasy points from last year you can see on the right) carried the ball five times for 22 yards and Willis McGahee toted the rock four times for 26 yards, but Rice’s three catches for 38 yards trumped McGahee’s one catch for seven yards, and is a further indication why Rice is the favorite to be the starting running back.

Pittsburgh 20, Arizona 10: It was ho-hum for Arizona, but worth noting was that Matt Leinart was a bit better than Brian St. Pierre in the battle for that team’s backup job. For the Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall didn’t do himself any favors by running for only 2.7 yards per carry on nine attempts, but wideouts Shaun McDonald and Limas Sweed were productive. Sweed has big-time potential, but he was useless last season, and needs to step up this year. Still, he’s someone fantasy owners may want to keep in the back of their minds.

Oakland 31, Dallas 10: Dallas wideout Sam Hurd made the most noise by far in the team’s wide receiver battle, as he caught five passes for 79 yards, while no other wideout caught more than one pass. Darren McFadden used a 45-yard rumble to amass 63 yards on just four carries, showing the type of explosiveness that makes fantasy owners believe he can have a breakout campaign.

St. Louis 23, NY Jets 20: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez played just one series, but that was enough for him to complete three of his four throws for 88 yards and be named the starter in the team’s next preseason game. For the Rams, the early battle for the team’s No. 2 running back job is being led by Samkon Gado, who ran for 93 yards, including one 77-yard touchdown gallop.

Minnesota 13, Indianapolis 3: Sage Rosenfels looked pretty good by completing 10 of his 13 passes for the Vikings, while the man he is battling for the starting QB job, Tarvaris Jackson, completed only seven of his 15 throws. Rookie runner Donald Brown started off nicely for the Colts, running the ball five times for and excellent 58 yards, including a 38-yard tote.

New Orleans 17, Cincinnati 7: Cedric Benson did what Cedric Benson always does - ran for under 4.0 yard per carry. His 28 yards on eight carries (3.5 ypc) does little to inspire those that have been burned by the former first-round bust in the past. Speaking of busts - okay, possible busts - Reggie Bush continues to show he makes an outstanding slot receiver for a running back, carrying three times and gaining 15 feet.

San Francisco 17, Denver 16: Disaster, thy name is Kyle Orton. Fantasy owners will need to see more than three interceptions in 16 passes from the new Broncos signal-caller before embracing him on their roster. So too will Denver fans. For the Niners, tight end Vernon Davis proved he could get downfield a bit, with two receptions for 41 yards.

Detroit 27, Atlanta 26: Not much happened to speak of for the Falcons, besides losing to Detroit after being up by nine with under 3:00 to play. Preseason or not, that’s a poor way to start. A much better way to start is by doing what Michael Turner did, running for 63 yards and a score on six carries. Matthew Stafford was a bit up and down for the Lions, connecting on half of his 14 passes, throwing for a score but also tossing a pick.

Buffalo 27, Chicago 20: Not the greatest of beginnings for Jay Cutler. While he wasn’t as terrible as the man he switched teams with, he completed just five of his 10 passes and threw an awful interception, chucking the ball in the air after feeling some pressure. Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards was very good, however, despite not having Terrell Owens. He completed each of the 10 throws he made.

Green Bay 17, Cleveland 0: Some sizzling quarterback race in Cleveland. Brady Quinn did complete seven of his 11 passes, but for only 68 yards, and he also tossed an interception. Derek Anderson, meanwhile, threw twice and completed one - to the wrong team. All the Green Bay running backs did a nice job, and it was good to see Brandon Jackson - a must-handcuff to Ryan Grant - deliver 41 yards on eight carries.

Tennessee 27, Tampa Bay 20: Little seemed to have been done to uncoil the quarterback situation in Tampa, as Byron Leftwich, Josh Freeman and Luke McCown were each okay. For the Titans, rookie wideout Kenny Britt started off with a bang, with five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. He’s definitely someone to look out for in the rookie wide receiver class.

Houston 16, Kansas City 10: Someone needs to be the backup and possible handcuff to Steve Slaton, and both Ryan Moats and Chris Brown got off to solid starts. Moats ran the ball 10 times for 52 yards, while Brown carried it six times for 25 yards and a score. On the Chiefs side, not much could be taken away from the start Matt Cassel had, as he completed just two of his five throws.

Seattle 20, San Diego 14: Neither T.J. Duckett nor Julius Jones ran for 4.0 yards per carry in what could be a sign of things to come this season in the Seattle running game. Then again, neither did LaDainian Tomlinson or Darren Sproles in this contest that told very little about either team’s stars.

Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers August 13th, 2009  

Summary of 1st half. 

PITTSBURGH 

Drive 1: Pittsburgh called pretty standard plays without any big success. Didn’t have much rhythm. Gained a couple first downs, then punted.

Drive 2: Pittsburgh had a few more big passing plays, to keep the chains moving, but was not successful with the run. Decent pass protection from the line. They did not score.

Drive 3: Batch long bomb to Sweed, but then drive stalled. Scored a 50yd FG. 

 Ben Roethlisberger (QB) - Looked ok.

Charlie Batch (QB) - Looked decent.

Hines Ward (WR) - Looked fine. No obvious injuries.

Santonio Holmes (WR) - ?

Limus Sweed (WR) - Looked good. Might get some good work this year.

Heath Miller (TE) - Sports Hernia surgery recovery..played and looked ok.

Willie Parker (RB) - Did not play.

Rashard Mendenhall (RB) - Injured last year last year.  Got most of the work in this game, but didn’t have any big gains.  Ran with some power, but not as much as you would expect for a guy his size. Not elusive either

Justin Vincent (RB) - Got a few carries.  

ARIZONA 

Drive 1: Arizona called a lot of short passing plays, and kept the chains moving for several first downs then punted.

Drive 2: Arizona called mostly short passing plays with a long pass downfield and a few short runs. Runs were not very successful. Ended with a punt.

Drive 3: Arizona called mostly short passing plays, with a few short runs mixed in. Runs were not very successful. Unsuccessful on 4th down attempt. 

Kurt Warner (QB) - Hip Surgery…says his hip still hurts when he stands still…grimacing in pain. A little rusty but looked ok, but even less mobility than normal.

Matt Leinart (QB) - Started out very rusty…..inaccurate passes…but picked it up as the game went on. In a fight to be #2 QB.

Tim Hightower (RB) - Looked pretty good..showed some quickness…got most of the running work and a few short passes out of the backfield.

Jason Wright (RB) - Got a few carries, might be #3 RB.

Beanie Wells (RB) - Did not play. Right ankle injury.

Larry Fitzgerald (WR) -  Looked ok.

Anquan Boldin (WR) -  Looked ok.

Steve Breaston (WR) - Looked ok. 

Antrell Rolle (RB) - Might return kicks this year. He fumbled on his first attempt.

We Americans love our projections, whether they are being used for something as salient as election night or in a relatively less important way, like for fantasy football (shameless plug alert: get 2009 NFL player projections from Sports Data Hub via Twitter).

However, projections can be tricky, and are best used as part of a more engaging process of collecting information. Nobody out there projected Steve Slaton to run for nearly 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns last season, or for Antonio Bryant to accumulate over 1,200 receiving yards after not playing the previous year. So let’s travel down the unbeaten path for a while and make some rather bold predictions about the upcoming fantasy season. Just remember, use these as guidelines, and hopefully we’ll steer you in the right direction.

Shonn Greene Will Lead NFL Rookies in Touchdowns: What you see in the graph below are Thomas Jones’s touchdown runs per week over the past three seasons. You may notice something of a disparity there. In 32 games in 2006 and 2007, Jones scored in only six separate contests. Then last year, out of nowhere, he put the ball in the end zone in nine separate weeks. Which one looks like the aberration? Jones, at age 31, is due for the inevitable running back slowdown, and Leon Washington is better suited as a third-down back for the Jets. Enter the 230-pound Greene, a rookie from Iowa. He’ll become the team’s primary goal-line threat, and this year’s version of Le’Ron McClain, someone new Jets head coach and former Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is quite familiar with.

Matt Leinart Will Become Fantasy Relevant: Forget all this hubbub about Leinart in a battle with Brian St. Pierre for the backup job to Kurt Warner in Arizona; Leinart will be second on the depth chart. There are red flags surrounding Warner this season, entirely due to his health. He’s 38 years old, and last season was the first time since 2001 he played in 16 games. He had off-season hip surgery, and the malady is still bothering him, and will limit his play in the preseason. At some point during the year, Warner will be sidelined, and Leinart will take over the offense.

Steven Jackson Will be No. 1 in Fantasy Points at the End of the Season: Jackson is one of the most dynamic players in football, though he’s gone somewhat unnoticed because he’s wallowed in the dregs of a dysfunctional Rams team and front office that mustered just five wins the past two seasons. He suffered injuries during both of those years and missed four games in each of them. However, in 2005 and 2006, Jackson missed just one of the team’s 32 contests, and racked up a total of 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns. This season, he is the unquestioned offensive leader of a club that has seen it’s No. 1 receiver, Donnie Avery, already go down for what could be the start of the regular season. He’ll be relied on heavily to move the chains and put the ball in the end zone, and will succeed behind a new, more rugged offensive line.

Eli Manning Will Not Throw for 20 Touchdowns: Manning the younger has thrown for at least 20 scores in each of the past four seasons, but his totals have fallen each of the past three years. The loss of Plaxico Burress cannot be understated. In the six games, including the playoffs, that Burress was not with the Giants last year, Manning tossed only three scores and six interceptions and threw for at least 200 yards just once. While first-round pick Hakeem Nicks could very well become a star, rookie wideouts in the NFL very rarely come in and make a huge impact. The rest of the wide receiver corps is underwhelming at best, so expect the Giants to put an even bigger emphasis on the running game inside the red zone, with fullback Madison Hedgecock leading the way for the talented triumvirate of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and rookie Andre Brown.

NFL players get hurt in training camp. It’s as predictable as death, taxes, and celebrity sex tapes. There’s nothing anybody can do about it, so the best way for fantasy owners to deal with the maladies is to gather as much information as possible and decipher what it means. Let’s do just that with some of the latest injury news.

Donnie Avery, WR, St. Louis Rams: The second-year pro has a stress fracture in his left foot, and is said to be out 4-6 weeks. This is a dangerous injury, because it can be difficult to know when a stress fracture is fully healed. Avery could very well miss the opening few weeks of the regular season. As such, bump him down a few notches on your WR cheat sheets. He was also hurt last season in training camp, so the “injury prone” label is quickly coming. You can move the likes of Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson and Ronald Curry up your rankings if you wish, but their fantasy value will ebb once Avery comes back, and it wouldn’t be high enough to make them draftable in anything but deep leagues anyway.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Wells is not practicing with Arizona, as he recovers from an ankle malady. Injuries were the knock on him coming out of Ohio State, and it took him no time at all to get hurt in training camp, which isn’t a good sign. If Wells continues to miss a significant amount of time, it will help Tim Hightower snatch the starting job at running back. Hightower failed to capitalize on the opportunity last season, as you can see in the graph to the right which shows his rushing yards per game, but he is a good receiver and will get in the end zone a number of times. Still, be careful making him anything more than a RB3.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: Johnson jammed his right thumb over the weekend, and had a temporary cast on it. X-rays revealed nothing major, but the Lions can ill afford to lose their most talented player, so he’ll have more tests done on it. This simply sounds like the Lions being overly cautious early in camp with their best player, so fantasy owners should continue taking Johnson with confidence.

Ben Utecht, TE, Cincinnati Bengals: Utecht may miss the season after suffering a concussion. He’ll meet with neurologists to discuss his future over the next couple days. While not a prolific player, Utecht could have mustered some fantasy value with the return of Carson Palmer this season to Cincy’s offense. Should Utecht miss the year, the fantasy value of Robert Royal and Chase Coffman goes up, especially in Coffman’s case. He struggles blocking, but is an excellent receiver who can catch anything thrown to him, and if Utecht is gone, Coffman is guaranteed to see more playing time, and should be moved up a number of notches on your TE rankings.