Tom Brady threw for just 159 yards (6.9 YPA) with one touchdown while committing three turnovers (there should’ve been a fourth) as he continues to be one of the most disappointing players in 2014. New England’s offensive line struggled badly again, and it’s clear Rob Gronkowski isn’t yet 100 percent, so there are some excuses, but there’s no question he’s played poorly (he was just 2-for-7 on passes that went longer than five yards in the first half Monday). The safe bet is the inner-circle Hall of Famer plays better over the rest of the season, but in a tough situation and clearly in the decline phase of his career at age 37, Brady simply can’t be counted on in fantasy leagues (he gets a Bengals team in Week 5 that’s allowed a 2:6 TD:INT ratio on the season). I fully expected a big year from Brady, but he’s yet to throw multiple TDs in any of his four games and has produced a 7.0 YPA in just one of them. Brady entered Week 4 having suffered just one drop by his receivers, which was tied for the lowest among all QBs who've seen more than 75 snaps this season. His YPA has dropped each of the last three seasons and currently sits at a career low 5.8. It’s probably meaningless, but it was interesting to see Jimmy Garoppolo immediately lead a TD drive once he took over.
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Monday night marked the first time New England allowed 300 yards in the first half during the Bill Belichick era. Kansas City entered having zero takeaways on the year before recording three…With Aaron Dobson apparently a total bust, Brandon LaFell, who led the Pats with 10 targets, becomes an interesting waiver wire add this week…Travis Kelce looked terrific and will be a top-five fantasy tight end moving forward if the Chiefs continue to feature him like that…Jamaal Charles looked healthy (aside from briefly leaving with cramps) and needs to be treated as a top-three fantasy asset, although Knile Davis remains the most important handcuff in fantasy football…Alex Smith has a 6:0 TD:INT ratio over the past two weeks. Like last year, the Smith to Charles connection inside the 10-yard line is unstoppable…Gronkowski may not be fully healthy, but he sure looked like a beast on this touchdown catch.*
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Charlie Whitehurst got 7.7 YPA, and the Titans got 5.3 YPC, yet Tennessee lost 41-17. Whitehurst also somehow led his team with 40 rushing yards. “Starter” Shonn Greene had 10 yards on three carries. He’s safe to drop in even deep leagues. Bishop Sankey is the Titans back to own moving forward…Trent Richardson got 20 rushing attempts, resulting in 2.4 YPC compared to Ahmad Bradshaw’s 3.6. Bradshaw grabbed both of his targets for 20 yards and a score, while TRich secured 4-of-5 of his for 52 yards, although his one drop was pretty bad. It seems safest to expect this status quo moving forward, even if it’s obvious to everyone other than the Colts’ coaching staff that Bradshaw is much better at football* than Richardson…Delanie Walker has seen 32 targets this year, which is the third-most among all tight ends. He’s improbably on pace to finish with 88 catches, 1,268 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns…I’m still a believer in Justin Hunter, but it’s hard to justify him being worthy of stashing on your roster right now, let alone starting him. Hunter has caught just 34.6 percent of his targets this season and hasn’t reached 40 receiving yards since Week 1 (when he recorded 63 yards). l love Hunter’s talent, but if the rest of this year features a bunch of Chuck Whitehurst, I’m off the Hunter bandwagon…With 7:06 left in the first quarter, the Colts attempted an onside kick (and recovered it)…Andrew Luck has thrown 13 touchdowns and rushed for another over the first four games of the year, averaging a whopping 326.3 passing yards. The schedule has been favorable, but the biggest criticism about Luck has been his efficiency throughout his career, and he’s gotten 9.5 YPA over the past two games (to go along with an 8:1 TD:INT ratio). Luck entered Week 4 as the No. 1 fantasy QB despite T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne having zero combined touchdown catches on 44 targets. The question is no longer whether Luck is the No. 4 fantasy QB. It’s whether he’s among the top-three.
The situation found himself in a situation.*
I get that “revenge” games are almost always overblown, but this is Steve Smith! This TD involved some luck*but here’s Smith burning a Panthers defense so bad they committed pass interference and he still scored.*Smith Sr. had 120+ yards and two scores by halftime. Yeah, that’s pretty much “blood and guts.” Smith leads all WRs with 13 broken tackles as well as yards-after-the-catch (196) this season…Bernard Pierce was “active” Sunday but don’t tell that to any of his fantasy owners who started him during a week in which six teams had byes…Speaking of running back by committees, with DeAngelo Williams hurt, it’s pretty remarkable the most overpaid backfield in the NFL is now down to someone named Darrin Reaves. And poor Tauren Poole, who lost a fumble during his first touch in an NFL game…It’s nice to see Torrey Smith catch a 24-yard touchdown, but he saw just three targets, and I’d keep him on my bench in Week 5. Owen Daniels saw twice as many looks…Carolina entered with the worst red-zone defense in the NFL and lived up to it, while Kelvin Benjamin continues to impress.
Here’s a funny “Inside Amy Schumer” skit.*
Mike Glennon looks like an immediate upgrade over Josh McCown and it will take an injury for the latter to get another start this season. The Steelers were dealing with a bunch of injuries, but Glennon’s game-winning drive came with Mike Evans sidelined, and he got little help from his rushing attack (3.2 YPC) all game…After getting outscored 50-9 over its previous six quarters, Pittsburgh went into Carolina and won 37-19 as underdogs in primetime last week, only to lose as touchdown favorites against a winless Buccaneers team at home Sunday. It’s safe to say the Steelers’ performance has been uneven so far...Vincent Jackson is on pace to finish with 536 yards this season, although at least he’s scored in back-to-back weeks, a span in which he’s secured just 5-of-14 targets…Heath Miller hauled in 10-of-11 looks for 85 yards and a score, so maybe he’s not done after all…Antonio Brown is in the tier one group of fantasy wide receivers moving forward, regardless of his height (although he had a horrible drop on a would-be huge gain and possible touchdown during a flea flicker early in the fourth quarter on a perfectly thrown pass)…Doug Martin was the clear lead back, although that still resulted in just 2.9 YPC and during his TD run, there was a clear holding (that wasn’t called) that helped him get into the end zone. Still, Bobby Rainey was held to just two yards on four carries, so if Martin can stay healthy, he should be treated as a top-15 fantasy back (this says more about the RB landscape in general than Martin himself)...Brad Wing sure picked a bad time to have a 29-yard punt.
This floating hat act is pretty legit.*
No one was surprised by the Packers offense getting it together, but I certainly didn’t expect them to win by 21 points in Chicago. Of course, that still resulted in just 48 rushing yards on 17 carries by Eddie Lacy, as he continues to struggle (along with Green Bay’s offensive line). He did score a TD (and had another called back by a penalty), and it’s worth noting no other GB RB had a carry, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say this outing was yet another disappointment by one of my favorite players entering the year…Matt Forte, meanwhile, rebounded in a big way…What a performance by Aaron Rodgers. Unfair, really…Randall Cobb is 5-10, 192 and on pace to record 20 touchdown catches on 84 receptions…Martellus Bennett is on pace to finish with 116 catches and 1,180 yards and 16 touchdowns…Brandon Marshall is on pace to score 20 touchdowns on 64 receptions…This was just the second regular season game in NFL history that didn’t involve a single punt…With 45 seconds left in the first quarter, props to Marc Trestman for going for it on fourth down. The Bears also attempted an onside kick in the second quarter, and while they didn’t succeed on it, you have to love the aggressiveness. Trestman’s play design on this Alshon Jeffery TD catch was simply brilliant as well.*
I was down on Matthew Stafford entering this year, as I saw a lot of good quarterback options, and Stafford wasn’t a top-five fantasy QB last year despite attempting 634 passes. In fact, Stafford had averaged just 24.5 TD tosses over the past two seasons while attempting a whopping 680.5 passses, and that was with Calvin Johnson staying healthy. But I’ll admit I sure look wrong so far. Stafford, who’s younger than my guy Colin Kaepernick, clearly lost weight during the offseason and just got 8.6 YPA with a 2:0 TD:INT ratio on the road against the Jets, even adding his second rushing score on the season. Calvin Johnson was clearly hobbled, and while the Jets entered with a banged up secondary and still have yet to record an interception, they had held opponents to a low YPA, and Stafford has typically struggled outdoors, so this is something to not ignore. After the obvious big three, there’s now an obvious top-five, with Andrew Luck and Stafford next…Detroit kickers this season have been 4-of-9 on field goal attempts…I expected a much bigger game from Jeremy Kerley, who got just three receiving yards while seeing three targets. The immortal Greg Salas led the team with 60 receiving yards. I’m beginning to think Geno Smith might not be the answer as the Jets long-term quarterback…Chris Johnson may have broken free for a 35-yard touchdown, but Chris Ivory continues to look so much better. Fantasy football remains unjust.
This dog loves the sunroof.*
A couple people asked me on Twitter*Sunday morning about Arian Foster, and I said to roll with him since he was active. Sorry about that. The Bills have defended the run well this season (Alfred Blue got nine yards on nine carries), but it’s safe to say I expected more even from a hobbled Foster, although he did turn 10 targets into 55 receiving yards, so it wasn’t a total disaster…Call me crazy, but I think I’m going to start putting DeAndre Hopkins ahead of Andre Johnson in my weekly rankings moving forward. Hopkins has three touchdowns this season, while Johnson has none over his past 11 games (in fact, Johnson has scored in just two of his past 24 contests)…E.J. Manuel has gotten 5.8 YPA with a 7:9 TD:INT ratio while taking 27 sacks over seven games on the road during his career (he’s been sacked seven times over seven games at home). It’s no shocker he’s being benched for Kyle Orton after the latter was given such a lucrative contract to come out of retirement in August…Robert Woods somehow turned 12 targets into 17 yards, which is pretty much unfathomable…This J.J. Watt interception was the first of his career in the regular season. I love Calvin Johnson, but it’s becoming increasingly clear Watt is the most valuable player in the NFL who doesn’t play quarterback.
Headlines of the Week: White House Will Now Lock The Front DoorCanadian Man Found With 51 Live Turtles Stuffed In His PantsNew ‘Facebook For Rich People’ Costs Just $9,000 To Join...Need A Cuddle? New App Cuddlr Offers Sex-Free Alternative To TinderStarbucks Tests Coffee With Beer TasteBusiness Magnate Richard Branson Gives His Staff Unlimited VacationGuy Sells Severed Leg On Ebay – As A LampNetflix Launches Spoiler Site For Viewers Who Can’t Wait For The Ending Of A FilmA Mansion In Florida’s Hillsboro Beach Is Palatially Priced At $139 Million*(the pool is 4,500 square feet! It also has an IMAX for the home theatre)…Brooklyn Mailman Found With Decade Worth Of Undelivered Mail.
The Raiders scored the first and last touchdowns in London on Sunday, but the Dolphins scored 38 points in between. Ryan Tannehill got 9.0 YPA while completing 74.2 percent of his passes for two touchodowns, so I think it’s safe to say his job is secure for now, even if he was picked off once. Tannehill didn’t take a sack for the first time this year and even added 35 yards rushing…Lamar Miller got 5.3 YPC and scored twice yet somehow was only given 14 touches in a game in which the Dolphins won by 24 points. It seems as if someone on the Miami staff is facing Miller every week in fantasy football. He’s averaging 12.3 rushing attempts on the year, and that number somehow drops during the team’s two victories, which have been by an average of 18.5 points...Andre Holmes saw 12 targets and scored, so he’s on the radar in deep leagues, but James Jones remains the best fantasy option in Oakland…These teams are the only ones on bye in Week 5 after playing in London…The Dolphins somehow have the highest paid wide receiver corps collectively in the NFL…Miami’s defense was tackled inside the three yard line on another play before scoring here, which couldn’t have been a bigger gift…Can’t say I’m shocked Dennis Allen was fired, as his team deployed this defensive strategy Sunday.
I hyped Donald Brown in a big way on this podcast last week, and he proceeded to gain 19 yards on 10 carries in the most favorable matchup in the NFL. Brandon Oliver was given nine rushing attempts as a result. Brown ranked No. 2 in DVOA as a rusher last year, but he faces the Jets in Week 5 and appears to be a total bust for fantasy owners who spent a bunch of their FAAB on him like myself…As someone who backed San Diego in Survivor, I was worried all week. But even with Jason Verrett inactive, Allen Robinson and Cecil Shorts combined for just 63 yards on 11 targets, with the latter once again leaving with an injury…I wouldn’t start Toby Gerhart on a bet at this point…Keenan Allen is back. Start him with confidence moving forward…Philip Rivers is actually putting together a pretty good case he belongs in my aforementioned top-five fantasy QB group…Eddie Royal has four touchdowns over the past two weeks, on 13 targets. He has 12 TDs over his past 19 games. Royal had eight scores over the first 66 games of his career.
Police Blotter: China Floods U.S. With Near-Perfect Fake Driver’s LicensesFormer UPS Worker Accused Of Stealing 0,000 Diamond, Trading It For Of MarijuanaUber Driver Accused Of Hammer Attack on S.F. RiderPolice: Man Calls Wrong Number, Sets Up Drug Deal With State TrooperiPhone Hoax: No, You Can’t Recharge It In The Microwave, LAPD WarnsKiller Thought Walmart Texts Signaled Someone Knew His Deadly SecretCharges Dropped As Residue On Spoon Not Meth, Just Spaghetti Sauce.*


In the Yahoo Friends & Family league, I rejected a trade offer for Matt Asiata, and this was with me really needing a RB this week (I have Montee Ball on bye to go along with Ryan Mathews, Knowshon Moreno and Ben Tate in a league with few bench spots). But I wanted to look long-term, and while I ranked Asiata as a top-20 back this week, he entered averaging just 3.0 YPC. Of course, Asiata hit paydirt three times Sunday, totaling 100 yards. I still say Jerick McKinnon will be the better fantasy option down the stretch, but Asiata refuses to go away quietly. It’s a limited sample but for what it’s worth, McKinnon leads all RBs with 3.5 YPC after contact this year...Teddy Bridgewater completed 63.3 percent of his passes and got 10.6 YPA while also rushing for a touchdown. He was clearly an upgrade over my boy Matt Cassel...Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings combined for eight targets, which were two fewer than Jarius Wright’s 10. I didn’t see that coming. Also, it sure looks like Patterson might not live up to expectations, which is a real shame. Find a way to get his hands on the ball Norv Turner, please...The Falcons lost badly as favorites, but nice to see Matt Ryan throw for nearly 300 yards and three scores while playing outdoors…Roddy White wasn’t exactly eased back into the lineup, seeing 14 targets. Only Jeremy Maclin saw more (16) in Week 4.
With no Cris Collinsworth or James Brown (and no Phil Simms the past few weeks for an unclear reason), “Inside The NFL” has been noticeably worse this year.
The Eagles have struggled in the first halves of games this year, while the 49ers have dominated, so naturally, San Francisco entered halftime Sunday down 21-13 despite having a 232-99 advantage in total yards. Moreover, Philadelphia had outscored its opponents 77-24 after halftime this season, while the 49ers had been outscored 52-3. So of course S.F. outscored Philly 13-0 in the second half. The Eagles didn’t run a play in San Francisco’s territory until there was 4:19 left in the fourth quarter...This catch by Steve Johnson was pretty good (and was also the first touchdown by the 49ers in the second half this season), but this one by Jeremy Maclin was even better...This was an odd game as Philadelphia had 11:02 time of possession after three quarters, while the 49ers defense allowed zero points on 11 drives, holding the Eagles to the second fewest yards in the Chip Kelly era…Colin Kaepernick called a timeout with 14:00 minutes left in the fourth quarter on 4th-and-2 at Philly’s 43-yard line. This happened after a failed attempt to draw the Eagles offside, and a five-yard penalty would have probably helped the ensuing punt (that resulted in a touchback). Pretty awful lack of awareness…Speaking of questionable decisions, the Eagles accepted a 10-yard penalty on what would have otherwise been fourth down at the Eagles’ 24-yard line with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter. Kaepernick proceeded to gain a first down on a 16-yard run on the following play, but I’d question this decision regardless of the outcome…Based purely on passing, Pro Football Focus has Nick Foles as the No. 33 QB this season, behind Josh McCown, Chad Henne, Derek Carr and the recently benched E.J. Manuel. Geno Smith comes in last in the grading…When not facing the 49ers, their opponents have a combined 9-2 record so far this season…LeSean McCoy has 39 rushing yards on 29 carries over the past two games, failing to record a single reception over that span as well. I’m definitely on board with buying low if that’s possible, but Philly’s offensive line is a real problem right now (it should help Lane Johnson will return from suspension in Week 5)…Frank Gore was terrific Sunday, getting 5.0 YPC and hauling in this sick 55-yard TD catch.*
Longread(s) of the Week: ‘True Detective’s’ Nic Pizzolatto On Season 2, ‘Stupid Criticism’ And Rumors Of On-Set Drama and The Power Of Sleep.
The Saints are 1-8 in their past 9 road games, and maybe Dallas DC Rod Marinelli deserves some credit for coaching a unit that almost everyone expected to be the worst in the NFL this season to somehow allowing the 10th fewest points-per-game (fewer than the Seahawks)…Meanwhile, while most consider New Orleans to have a strong coaching staff, they called a rushing attempt with 19 seconds left in the second quarter at their own 20-yard line, which was terribly silly…Maybe Sean Payton was disoriented, as his 24-0 halftime deficit was his largest since he took over as head coach in 2006….This fake punt didn’t exactly go as planned…The last time the Saints faced the Cowboys, they recorded an NFL-record 40 first downs…Drew Brees’ 71.4 completion percentage is actually the highest of his career, but his 7.5 YPA is his lowest since 2010…Nice to see Terrance Williams break out. The unexpectedly competent Dallas defense to go along with its dominant rushing attack has held back a passing offense that has plenty of potential…DeMarco Murray’s four straight 100-yard rushing games are the most by a Cowboys back since Emmitt Smith back in 1995. Murray broke an NFL-high seven tackles Sunday, as he continues to be the league’s best running back in 2014. In fact, Murray has 11 more missed tackles than any other back this year. It would be hard not to consider him the No. 1 fantasy asset in all of fantasy football right now.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*