http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/22666 Recent articles about Patrick Willis en-us Without further ado, the games ... Philadelphia vs. San Francisco: The difference between watching the 49ers now versus the last couple of years? A small delineation: 49ers of 2004-2006: Horrible, but at least I can watch other, better games after the Niners go down 17-0 in the first quarter on the way to a severe beatdown. And we're going to get the first pick! Let's hope we choose someone good like Alex Smith. 49ers of 2007: They don't lose automatically, but they go down almost immediately and spend the rest of the day trying to whittle it down to a one score contest. This invariably fails. I flip over just in time to see the end of what appears to be a really sick game. 49ers of 2008: We're up? What? We're beating the (insert name here)? Are you kidding me? An hour later ... we're still beating the (insert name here)? Are you kidding me? And at the end of the game ... Damnit! We were beating the (insert name here) right until the 4th quarter, and then J.T. throws a pick and we're toast. And I missed several entertaining afternoon games to boot. Some analysis from this week's game? We had the momentum and a lead in a game we didn't deserve to even be in. Our special teams were giving us great field goal position and we kept blowing it, getting field goals when we should have TD's. And then the turnovers start. O'Sullivan was starting out so well, and his decision-making deteriorated towards the end. Our defense also dropped clear interceptions on TD drives in the 4th that would've kept the game in our control. Takeo Spikes is a definite bright spot, three straight games with a pick. He and Patrick Willis are an imposing duo. And the Eagles? They should've murdered us. They have real concerns calling that group McNabb plays with an offense without Westbrook. Hurry back Brian, because the Yard has a couple dozen denizens who are at the throat-slitting stage, and it isn't clear whose throat will get slit. All I know is Philly fans can't think of a better insult than "Go drink some Lysol, Lysol." Good one. If they were allowed to string together four-letter words and homophobic slurs, I'm sure I'd be put in my place properly. Unfortunately, Yardbarker has hamstrung the 9-year-olds by insisting on a cursing ban. Now if they would only ban posting in all upper-case like a psychotic idiot. St. Louis vs. Washington: Was this a letdown? Maybe the Redskins were due for some turnovers after being so airtight in the first month of the season. Between the bad decisions with a live ball and allowing four sacks, I'm tempted to pin the culprit label on the offensive line. But more likely this was a desperate team taking advantage of another team that wasn't expecting a battle. Carolina vs. Tampa Bay: I was surprised to watch this game get out of hand so quickly. The Bucs went up 14-0 in the first and never looked back. Delhomme shouldn't get reamed too badly, as it was bad luck that gifted two of those interceptions into Tampa Bay hands. But they put together three 10-play drives with only 3 points to show for it. The Bucs home-field advantage is underrated, and was in full swing yesterday. Cincinnati vs. New York Jets: This was a "somebody has to win" game. The Jets start with the ball in Cincy territory three times in the first half and once from their own 42 yard line, and they come away with 17 points. Two more drives in the second half starting in Cincy territory yield the remaining 9 points for New York. So basically, they won the entire game on a short field. For the Bengals, they had a fumble return for a touchdown and a hurry-up score before the half. Ugly game, but someone had to win. Oakland vs. New Orleans: JaMarcus may only have one INT, but there were a half-dozen dropped interceptions by the Saints D. I couldn't tell if he was telegraphing them or just hesitating too much. Does N.O. get credit for flustering him, or did he just make bad decisions? Either way, the Saints seem to be roughly the team they were when they pushed their way into the NFC Championship Game. Will this be the year that offense beats defense? Anything seems possible. Detroit vs. Minnesota: I don't know where I got the idea that the Vikings were going to crush the Lions. Maybe it's because they outhustled the Saints the weekend before, and I figured that since it was still a dome game ... A.P. was productive but turned the ball over on the Lions side of the field twice. The margin of victory over the Lions is a safety their QB incurred by voluntarily running out of the end zone? Between this, Green Bay's loss last week and Chicago's loss yesterday, the NFC North is looking pretty sad per usual. Baltimore vs. Indianapolis: Now this team looked like the Indianapolis Colts team I remember. I don't know when I stopped hating them and starting rooting for them, maybe I need them to be good so I can hate. Maybe I should take them off the list of teams I root against. But that list is a couple of years old. Anyways, opportunism on defense flustering and then capitalizing on Flacco, and alternating dink and dunk with long bombs on offense. If Bob Sanders wasn't hurt, they'd be the best team in the league. Miami vs. Houston: Pennington had a great game, and even his only mistake was covered up by a fumble. He was damn efficient, but Schaub stole the show with his last play. No faith in Miami's defense, that game should've been theirs. Entertaining game, but it sucked having to root for the team you picked rather than whoever had the ball last. Chicago vs. Atlanta: The Bears made Matt Ryan beat them, and he did. Down 19-10 they held Turner to three yards on six carries, and Orton came up with the improbable drive to go ahead. And then you allow them to one-shot themselves into field goal range for the win? Inexcusable, Mike Brown could very easily have just pushed Jenkins out of bounds before he caught the ball, not after. Game over. C'mon, Bears! Or is Atlanta starting to develop some grit? Jacksonville vs. Denver: This was exactly the type of game Del Rio is used to winning. Take an offensive juggernaut and frustrate them, try to hold onto the ball and rip it from the other team, and run the game out as soon as you get the lead. The Broncos have to be concerned. After that blowout win over Oakland in the first week, they won three games by a combined six points. So their offense isn't winning convincingly by itself, and you have to wonder if they have the manpower to race team to the finish week after week. Green Bay vs. Seattle: The Packers let Charlie Frye and a bunch of nobodies go down the field a couple of times. I'm bailing hardcore on the Packers, I think that Shinola on the first couple of games is obviously, well, not Shinola. Does that reference register with anyone? Oh well. This game should've been a blowout if GB was any good. Dallas vs. Arizona: Anybody who was worried about getting some negative attention this week, if you're not on the Cowboys don't worry about it. You could pull an O.J. and drive down the 405 with Al Cowlings, and whatever T.O., Pacman or Romo said would trump your indiscretion. The Bengals are throwing a party right now, I hear. Romo out? Now who's going to ignore Owens and get the ball to the open man like they're supposed to? You know Terrell is jonesing to throw a QB under the bus, so maybe he'll get his wish and unload on Brad Johnson after they lose to the Rams next week. Seriously, how do they outgain the Cardinals by 100 yards, win the turnover battle 3-1 and old the ball for longer than 30 minutes, and then lose? Maybe the 12 penalties are a good place to look. New England vs. San Diego: Wow. So that's what L.T. looks like healthy? It had been so long that I had forgotten. His stats won't blow you away, but you could tell how much healthier he felt, and how much more that opens up their offense. Rivers had a field day getting the ball to Vincent "Not Bo" Jackson over the head of Deltha O'Neal, and the defense chipped in with 4 sacks and under 200 yards allowed in the first three quarters while this was still a game. With road games in Buffalo and London vs. the Saints, if they can split the two games heading into the bye and emerge healthy, then I like them to win home-field advantage in the AFC. which, as we've seen, is virtually meaningless when it's in San Diego. B.W.B.'s standings for the week crimped by a combination of poor internet access and better things to do. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:09:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349878 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349878 This week we will be analyzing 28 defenses, as four of them; Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans all have bye-weeks. Listed below are the Bruno Boys Defensive Rankings for Week 6, all you have to do is click the link below to see how your defense ranks ------------------------ 1. (New York Giants) @ Cleveland Browns The third best defense stats wise takes on the leagues worst offense at the moment. Is it just us, or do the New York Giants look like a great play this week? The only thing that could stop them is a return to old for the Cleveland Browns, which in all likelihood will not happen. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ 2. (Philadelphia Eagles) @ San Francisco 49ers The Philadelphia Eagles defense is pretty solid, ranking in the top 6 in the league allowing just 274 YPG. They take on a San Francisco 49ers club that has barely managed 300 YPG. As good as the Eagles rush defense usually is, barring last weeks Clinton Portis performance, the Eagles should be able to keep Frank Gore and his fellow 49ers in check. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ 3. (Chicago Bears) @ Atlanta Falcons The veteran Chicago Bears defense has a lot going for them this week. First of all, they take on an inexperienced, younger group from Atlanta. Secondly, their RB Matt Forte should be able to run all over the Falcons. This is a pretty good defensive match up this week, and only one of three that earns the 5 star rating. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------------ To READ the rest of the Week 6 Team Defense rankings, click the link below Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:42:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348752 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348752 By Sean Haugh. I hope you had a better week than I did last week. Started Trent Edwards in two leagues, and it only got worse from there. Someone actually started DeAngelo Williams against me in another. Kyle Vanden Bosch, Chris Gamble, and Jerod Mayo let me down in multiple games. And I lost a case in the US Supreme Court. I am a little afraid of what this says about me, but frankly, I'm more disappointed about going 1-4 last weekend than losing the case. Start of the Week: Adam JonesDB Adam Jones: The mere mention of Pacman is still good for a laugh, and rightfully so. However, statistics and Jerry Jones don't pay much heed to character. Let's see how many interceptions Kurt Warner can include in his 300+ passing yards this week. Jones has just almost shaken off the suspension-induced rust. Three drops last week could turn into two or three picks this week. As long as they can keep him out of trouble he's going to start making Jerry Jones appear less crazy than Adam. Defensive Linemen to Start I have to confess I pass on John Abraham every year for the same silly reason I let someone else draft Brian Westbrook. I know for a fact that I won't have him for all 16 games. But so far, Abraham Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:27:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347117 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347117 Another crazy week in the NFL and Fantasy Football. Some new names on Team Stud and Team Dud. Some players switched teams this week. Let's have a look at the top dog's and the dog's that laid down this week in fantasy football… Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:05:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346194 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346194 By Sean Haugh. DE Derrick Harvey: OK, the kid is starting to show us something. In the preseason, I predicted his long holdout could set him back a full year. Proving me wrong, Harvey has now won the starting job in Jacksonville. And guess who's the guest of honor for Harvey's coming out party? The banged up and brutalized Pittsburgh Steelers. This is the week the average NFL fan gets to know Derrick Harvey... Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342405 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342405 Sure, Peyton Manning is the obvious No. 1 guy, but there are several other big-name NFL All-Pros who played their college ball down South as well. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:14:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340914 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340914 Let's get right into it ... Minnesota vs. Tennessee: This will be a battle of strength vs. strength. Both of these teams play fundamental football, running the ball, stopping the run on defense, and generally controlling the line of scrimmage. I want to just give it to the Titans, but this one will be lcose so justification is needed. One, the Titans are at home. Two, they're healthier than the Vikings. I say Titans by four. Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay: This one might be a blowout. The Bucs can't keep up with the Packers wideouts, whereas my grandmother could cover Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway. I think it'll be the Packers by eleven. Arizona vs. New York Jets: Will I get burned picking the Cards again? Their defensive line is banged up, but not much about the Jets impressed me besides their return game on Monday. I have to believe that with limited or no play from Kris Jenkins, Arizona will be able to run the ball as well as pass. Cardinals by five, something like 39-34. San Francisco vs. New Orleans: I'm going with SF, I won't go against my team in an attempt to prove myself. So how can I justify this pick? Well, the Saints are giving up a lot of rushing yards, and they haven't faced a back as talented as Frank Gore. Also, they're starting some guy named Tracy Porter at cornerback. When the Saints have the ball, I like the defense's chances if Patrick Willis covers Reggie Bush and the rest of the team worries about the rest of the Saints. Willis is more dominant at his position than Bush, so consider him neutralized. This one will be high-scoring as well, I'll give it 31-30 49ers victory. Denver vs. Kansas City: If Kansas City has a pulse, they should be able to put up a couple touchdowns after Denver puts this one away. I'm going with the Broncos, 45-17. Houston vs. Jacksonville: Upset special? Shows that I'm still judging by last year's performances if I think Houston beating Jacksonville is an upset. Did you know that Houston has won 3 out of the last 4 games against Jacksonville? Only one of those games was meaningless to the Jags. But their offensive line looks like it gets Meester and Chris Naeole back, which is huge against Houston's undersized DL's. I'm going with Jacksonville in a 13-6 cruncher. Cleveland vs. Cincinnati: This game is back to being one of the ugliest matchups in the league, the way it has been most of my life. Dexter Jackson is out, leaving behind a starting secondary with six combined years of experience. So look for the Browns to get back on track offensively. On the other end, Palmer's numbers have increased each week of the season, a legitimate reason to believe that the Bengals are getting their groove back. Last year the home team won each game, so I'm giving it to the Bengals. These guys played a 51-45 game last year, and look for similar numbers this year in a Bengals 63-58 win. Atlanta vs. Carolina: Another head-scratcher. I think this game will hinge on the matchup between Sam Baker and Julius Peppers on Matt Ryan's blindside. Michael Turner's performance will be a bellwether for this game, and I'm betting he comes up big. I want to give it to Carolina, but they had a better road record (5-3) last year than they did at home (2-6). I blame that super-annoying Panther growl that they play after every first down. Falcons by 5, I'm going out on a limb here ... Buffalo vs. St. Louis: This would be the biggest upset of the year. Emphasis on "would be." Seriously though, Roscoe Parrish's injury is a huge loss for this team. He's their home run hitter. Buffalo by somewhere between 20 and 80. San Diego vs. Oakland: I'm tempted to contemplate this game, but I really shouldn't. no matter how close it is, I can't see Oakland winning this game. San Diego needs it for momentum, and Philip Rivers is playing at such a high level. Plus, how much confidence can you put in the Raiders right now? The franchise is a travesty. Chargers by ten. Washington vs. Dallas: If I go with Washington I know I'll be the only one, and the team is too much of a chronic underperformer to buy stock in them now. I'm looking at their defense and trying to identify one player Dallas will have a problem with, and I can't find him. This team could sure use Sean Taylor, he was about to reach the Polamalu-Sanders level of safety, and they still look lost in the secondary without him. Cowboys by fifteen. Philadelphia vs. Chicago: What does it mean when the injury listed on the report is "rest," and it announces that the player missed practice for a non-injury related reason. So if they aren't injured, why do they need rest? Are the Bears that bushed after three weeks? We're talking major players like Mike Brown and Brian Urlacher. I don't think it speaks much to their conditioning. On the flipside, I'm giving Westbrook and McNabb the benefit of the doubt regarding their injuries. I'll be watching closely to see how effective they are Sunday night. Eagles by ten or less. Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh: I'm torn on this. Pittsburgh's the better team and they're at home, but they're missing players. They lost twice last year at home, and both times were to the Jaguars. Could they be sitting players looking ahead to the Jags next week? That would be foolish, and by the same token I think the Ravens sat Kelly Gregg to make sure he was healthy for this game. I don't think the Steelers will be able to run the ball, and they aren't equipped to withstand a Ravens pass rush. i don't think Baltimore will score much, but they'll win solely because they win the turnover battle. Ravens win, 6-3. I'll gather together the B.W.B. league's picks and post them side by side either tomorrow or Saturday. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:32:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339033 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339033 With the first bye weeks starting in just a few days, I've started thinking about which defensive units I might need to pick up to replace my Seattle Seahawks D/ST, Tennessee Titans D/ST, Philadelphia Eagles D/ST and Green Bay Packers D/ST (those are the four defensive units that I own in my 7 leagues). Since I seem to play in leagues with only the fantasy football-obsessed, most of the "good" D/STs are gone and the only available teams are um, less than desirable. But maybe, just maybe, they're not quite as bad as they seem. If you take a look at the strength of schedule for some of the "bad" D/STs over the next few weeks, it's possible to pick out some potential bye week plug-ins. So for the Week 4 edition of "A Librarians Touch", I thought I'd take a look at some of the D/ST dark horses for Weeks 4 through 6 -------------------- Week Four --- Denver (of course I'm going to mention my Broncos here somewhere!) plays Kansas City this weekend and the Chiefs have only put up 14, 8 and 10 points over the past three weeks. I envision a solid week for the Broncos, as they face a 0-3 Chiefs team and their array of less than impressive weapons in KC. The St. Louis Rams take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 and while the Buffalo defense might not be available any... To read the full article, click the link below... Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:57:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/338628 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/338628 Yet another exciting week of NFL football has come and gone. Some major upsets, close calls, and key injuries have really shaken up our rankings. Let's have a look at the rankings as they stand heading into week four of NFL action… 1. Dallas Cowboys (3-0) - Their dominating performance in Cleveland in week 1 was followed up by a week 2 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. In week three they traveled to Green Bay, where they had never won a game, and took it to the Packers for an impressive victory. Rookie Felix Jones has proven to be a dynamic playmaker. Marion "The Barbarian" is an absolute beast. 2. New York Giants (3-0) - Defending Super Bowl Champions haven't seemed to miss a beat on defense despite the losses of Michael Strahan to retirement and Osi Umenyiora to a season ending injury. They coasted to wins in their first two games, but were just barely able to get past the lowly Cincinnati Bengals in week 3, winning by a field goal in overtime. 3. Denver Broncos (3-0) - The offense is explosive, while the defense is atrocious. Brandon Marshall may have taken over as the premier wide receiver in the NFL. Jay Cutler continues to show poise in the pocket, a rocket arm, and deadly accuracy. 4. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) - Despite injuries to Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook, the Eagles held on for a hard fought victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jim Johnson's defense did what they do best, blitz. In week 2, Philadelphia hung through 4 quarters of football with the best team in the NFL…in their own building. May be a different story when these teams meet in Philly. Continued At PCPSPORTS.COM Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:02:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337473 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337473 With a wild week 2 wrapping up with an insane NFC East Monday night showdown, it's time for the pcpsports.com power rankings. With a lot a nailbiters this week, things have really tightened up. Let's have a look at the rankings as they stand heading into week three of NFL action… Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:36:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333729 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333729 Vote Patrick Willis for Defensive Player of the Week! Let's get him this award! Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:37:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333528 So I made it 11-3 through Sunday's action, which is good enough for me. I learned a couple of things yesterday ... Indianapolis vs. Minnesota: Peyton Manning isn't going to make it through the season. His offensive line is shaky, and his team isn't good enough to build large leads and run out the clock. If he drops back 30 times a game, he's going to the turf seven or eight times a game. Will we see a Pats-Colts game featuring Cassel and Sorgi at QB? Ugly stuff. Minnesota needs to work on it's red zone offense. Tarvaris Jackson actually impressed me at times in this game, but he doesn't look like the player they need him to be this year to be dominant. We'll see how steep his learning curve is. Denver vs. San Diego: If Brandon Marshall's entertainment system obeys the restraining order, this guy might catch 140 easy. San Diego just looks deflated on both sides of the ball. Darren Sproles is the only reason that game wasn't a blowout. And you can't let a team convert a 2-point conversion with the exact same play it scored the touchdown on! That's video game material right there. Shanahan looks like he's got the talent to execute his play-calling, and Cutler is Pro-Bowl material in the AFC this year. San Diego isn't out of it by any stretch of the imagination, but any run they have planned hinges on LT being healthy. New England vs. New York Jets: Brett Favre could sure use a dominant running back right now. I don't know if Leon Washington was dynamic, or just not as ineffective as Thomas Jones. Favre threw one interception, but it was returned to the Jets 31 and set up the only touchdown the Pats could manage in game one of the Cassel era. This was a battle between 8-8 teams, and I can't wait until one of them plays Buffalo. Buffalo vs. Jacksonville: Trent Edwards quietly had one of the best performances of the day yesterday. The Bills have to be the favorites in the division after this game. Jacksonville threw everything they had at Edwards late, and his downfield vision made me forget he was a second year guy from Stanford. Garrard now has as many interceptions this year as he did last year. The Jaguars are going to Indy next week limping in a major way, and Del Rio's now officially on the hot seat. New Orleans vs. Washington: Jason Campbell looked like the QB of the future, but it was against the Saints. Drew Brees is making bad decisions and it's been costing his team, but this is probably another matchup of 8-8's. New York Giants vs. St. Louis: The Giants decided to play cat and mouse with the Lambs for most of the game, and it took a deep shot to Torry Holt to wake them up. But boy, did they wake up. These guys are playing like they have nothing to prove, but they're wrong. They have to play well to prove last year wasn't a fluke. They have a couple more tune-up games, but then they play Pittsburgh, Dallas and Philly in a three week span. They can score touchdowns on all of their drives, and if they stop settling for field goals early in the game the Giants can start playing from further ahead and punishing the other team with Jacobs and Bradshaw late. Oakland vs. Kansas City: The Chiefs are horrible. This win means little other than that McFadden really can run. The job is his now that Fargas is injured; we'll see if it's Peterson part deux. Green Bay vs. Detroit: Green Bay runs all over the Lions. Calvin Johnson runs all over the Packers. Aaron Rodgers looks like the real deal, but he's played two of the worst passing defenses in the first two games. Jon Kitna looks down his receivers too much, and those interceptions late were proof that he doesn't always have the arm strength to make up for such an obvious weakness. The Packers face their first real test against the Cowboys next week. Tennessee vs. Cincinnati: Jeff Fisher seems content to run over every opponent it meets, and in this year's AFC there's no reason they won't run their way to the playoffs. The Bengals aren't worth talking about, really. Chicago vs. Carolina: The two Chris's, Gamble and Harris, combined on another fumble recovery. Both defenses were stifling, and Delhomme looks like his old cold-blooded self in the fourth quarter. With Steve Smith coming back they look like one of the best teams in the league right now. Devin Hester went out and the field position favored the Panthers the rest of the game. Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay: The Bucs win with defense and running. Atlanta comes back to earth. Generally an ugly game. San Francisco vs. Seattle: The 49ers won ugly. Way too many penalties, and Nedney could've avoided overtime if he just makes the first kick. A team running nobodies at WR run all over my team, but our defense came up with the turnovers. Did you see Patrick Willis on that return? Ridiculous. If Isaac Bruce had any speed left we'd be a dangerous team. J.T. O'Sullivan has garbage for an offensive line, but he made some big plays late in the game. We almost beat ourselves, but managed to win anyways. Miami vs. Arizona: It was a reach going with the Dolphins, that I realize in hindsight. Arizona just looked bored in Week 1. Anquan Boldin needs to come up with some funny end zone celebration that highlights how underpaid he is. Is this Arizona's year? Hilarious. They might make the playoffs, which is like Christmas to them, but that's it. Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh: These teams don't normally play each other close, so I didn't think this game would be any exception. Is Ohio right next to Texas these days? Getting hurricane weather there seemed rather odd, and I'm ready to chalk the closeness of this game up to the wind. Willie Parker just never seems to fall down no matter how hard you hit him. He's just got this balance and bounce to his running that gets him extra yards each time. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:20:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333279 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333279 What an amazing Week 1 that we all experienced in the NFL! There was a lot of excitement in the air with Brett Favre's debut with the New York Jets, Matt Ryan's rookie debut with the Atlanta Falcons, Tom Brady's devastating season-ending knee injury and a couple huge rushing games from both Michael Turner and Willie Parker. What was lost in that all was the excellent as well as miserable defensive team play around the NFL. But, that is to be expected. In fantasy football, the defense and kicking positions are like an ugly step child. You know you have to love it, but do you really? Probably not, but luckily for you the Bruno Boys have you covered week in and week out no matter how sexy, or unsexy, a position may be. With that being said, let's help you get a leg up on your competition at the defense position with the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 2 Defense Rankings. -------------------- 1. (New England Patriots) @ New York Jets The New England Patriots have one of the best defenses in the game. It is hurt some by Tom Brady's season-ending injury and his play calling ability, but Matt Cassel should fill in just fine. Look for the Patriots to give the Brett Farve led New York Jets a fit in Week 2 showing everyone that there is life after Brady! Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * ------------------- 2. (Seattle Seahawks) vs. vs. San Francisco Alright, I will be the bigger man and admit that I expected much more in Week 1 from the Seattle Seahawks defense than what they performed! They allowed 34 points to a very sporadic Buffalo Bills offense. They should do much better in Week 2 and capitalize on some of Mike Martz's questionable aggressive play calling. Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * * -------------------- Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:55:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332282 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332282 With Week 1 in the books, it's time for the pcpsports.com power rankings. Couple big surprises, injuries, and performances have really shaken things up. Let's have a look at the rankings as they stand heading into week two of NFL action... Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:15:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/330345 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/330345 In the NFL, a great defense can lead a team to a championship. That is not the case in the fantasy football world, but that doesn't mean that you can just blow off this position and expect to make it to the glory land. With precise planning as well as a little bit of luck, even if you don't own a top-caliber DST you can still excel by having a good plan. That would include holding 2 solid DST's that you can rotate in and out of your lineup without losing much to the teams that hold the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers of the world. As with all of the Bruno Boys weekly positional rankings, if you use the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 1 Defense Rankings as a guide on who to start and who to sit, you too should excel at this position! And keeping up with the Jones' is what it is all about, that way you don't start with a huge disadvantage by starting the Atlanta Falcons because you "heard" they could be better this year. -------------------- 1. (New England Patriots) vs. Kansas City Chiefs In what is probably the most unbalanced matchup this week, a top 5 NFL defense in the Patriots takes on one of the worst offenses in the game! I wish I could come up with something positive to say for Chiefs fans that way they have something to look forward to, but other than LJ actually being there the whole preseason, I can't think of a thing. That alone should tell you that this game reeks of complete domination by the Patriots! They are the best of the best and earn the Bruno Boys #1 defense play for Week 1. TO CHECK OUT THE TEAM DEFENSE RANKINGS FROM 1-32, click the LINK below... Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:14:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/318841 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/318841