Redskins WR Moss out 5-7 weeks; RB Hightower done for season

The Washington Redskins announced that wide receiver Santana Moss will be sidelined five-to-seven weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured hand Monday.

A double whammy for the ‘Skins as, running back Tim Hightower received news that he will out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, according to coach Mike Shanahan via the Washington Post.

Hankerson responds: Rookie third-round wideout Leonard Hankerson is taking things personal, by firing back at the fans who said he ran a wrong route Sunday via Twitter.  Why waste your time, Leonard?

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Three and out: Texans’ Johnson could “miss a few weeks”

NFL.com Staff | Tags: Three and out, Andre Johnson, Ben Tate, Houston Texans, Mario Manningham, New York Giants, Roy Helu, Ryan Torain, Tim Hightower, Washington Redskins

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Johnson to have MRI: The Houston Texans got good news on Sunday when Andre Johnson’s injury appeared to be a hamstring and not a knee. But the bad news is that his injured hamstring could put him on the shelf for a bit. Add that to Ben Tate’s groin injury and Derrick Ward’s bum ankle and the Texans might have to go without quite a bit of firepower. If Johnson is gone for any length of time, it means more snaps for Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter. However, it likely means more targets for Owen Daniels and more dependence on the renewed Arian Foster and the running game.

Redskins to rotate running backs: Sunday turned out to be a big day for Ryan Torain and if he keeps running hard, there could be more on the way. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan unveiled his new running back strategy after yesterday’s win, telling reporters that “we’ve got three football players at the running back position. All three guys can play. All guys have a strength, and we’ll play the hot guy.” Translation: Tim Hightower, Torain and Roy Helu all become risky plays — unless you can get into the mind of Shanahan. Good luck.

Manningham demoted during game: The disappearance of Mario Manningham had a lot of fantasy owners scratching their heads on Sunday. The fourth-year receiver had just one catch for 10 yards and was reportedly dropped from the team’s two-receiver sets midway through the game. In his place, Victor Cruz did a nice job, catching six passes for 98 yards. It’s premature to banish Manningham to the waiver wire, but with a game against the woeful Seattle Seahawks next week, if Manningham finds himself behind Cruz again, it might be time to move him off your roster.

– Marcas Grant

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Haley Already on the Hot Seat Two Weeks Into the 2011 Season

Todd Haley is finding success to be just as fleeting as all the goodwill that comes with it.

The Chiefs coach was on the short list of just about every award after taking a 4-12 team his first year to a 10-6 finish last season. With emerging stars such as Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, Kansas City won the AFC West and was thought of as a team on the rise.

Well, Charles and Berry are out with torn ACLs, along with tight end Tony Moeaki. The Chiefs are off to one of the worst starts through two games in NFL history, getting blitzed 89-10 by a pair of teams that won just 10 games last season. And all the positive vibes that come with success are but a distant memory for an angry fan base calling for Haley’s job.

“I’ve said this to a few people; that’s not something I generally have worried about or thought about at whatever level or whatever I’ve been doing,” Haley said. “Kind of been raised that way and believe that way — that you focus on the task at hand and focus on the things that you can make improvements and do your job to the best of your ability. The NFL is a team results business.”

Therein lays the problem.

The results have been terrible.

Going back to the end of last season, the Chiefs were trounced by the Oakland Raiders in their regular-season finale and the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.

The preseason schedule wasn’t much better — a shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lopsided defeats to the St. Louis Rams and Ravens, and a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers when Kansas City played its starters nearly the entire way against the Super Bowl champions’ backups.

Haley vowed the Chiefs would be ready for the regular season, and they wound up losing 41-7 to the Buffalo Bills. Then came last Sunday’s disaster in Detroit, where the Chiefs lost Charles for the season and what was viewed as a must-win game by the unsightly score of 48-3.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier.

Haley said his approach has always been to go “full-steam ahead, trying to be the best I can be, and that solves a lot of problems.” But that might not be enough to solve all the problems surrounding a floundering franchise with a fan base pining for a contender.

“Teams will never be judged on individual results, and that goes for coaches and players alike,” Haley said in a rare moment of candor. “When you lose, it’s tough. When you win, it’s a lot better.”

But the losses are mounting and statistics are sobering — or, perhaps more accurately, enough to make Chiefs fans of legal age pour a stiff drink at their next tailgate.

They’re on pace for 72 turnovers after committing six more against the Lions, three of them on interceptions by Matt Cassel. The lone turnover that the Chiefs forced in that game, an interception by safety Jon McGraw, was given right back to Detroit seconds later when he fumbled it on the return.

Kansas City has been outscored 150-27 during its four-game skid. The offense ranks among the worst in the NFL, and the defense is just as bad. Even normally reliable punter Dustin Colquitt has been battling the shanks, and kicker Ryan Succop is 1 for 3 on field-goal attempts.

“We don’t feel sorry for ourselves at all. You can’t,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “When you start feeling sorry for yourself it’s going to be a long year, and the outcome of the games are not going to change, and we definitely don’t want that to happen.”

But the fact remains that only a handful of teams ever have been outscored by more points through two games. The 1961 Raiders lost by a combined 99-0, the ’73 Saints were outscored by 92, the ’89 Steelers dropped their first two games 92-10, and the ’78 Colts by a combined 80 points.

Even the odds-makers in Las Vegas are having a hard time putting the Chiefs’ miserable start in perspective. They installed the San Diego Chargers as 13-point favorites for Sunday, and people immediately poured money on them to cover. Hours later, the line was more than two touchdowns.

The outlook is so bleak that many fans in Kansas City have begun a “Suck for Luck” movement in which they plan to openly cheer for the opposing team so that the Chiefs finish with the worst record in the NFL, land the No. 1 choice in the NFL draft and select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, whom most scouts consider the closest thing to a sure-fire franchise quarterback.

If the Chiefs do indeed play poorly enough to land the top overall pick, it likely means that Haley is out of a job, even though it’s something that he insists does not enter his mind.

“My focus is, and will continue to be, and has been on, ‘What can we do to be better?’ It was the same the first year, last year and this year, and right now, we’ve done some things that have caused us to lose a couple games,” he said. “Right now we’re 0-2 in the first quarter of the season, and the head coach — and I know the players and the staff — will be doing everything in our power to change the results.”

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The AFC North – Two Weeks In

In week one, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Cleveland Browns on the road, while the Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. Week one established early leaders in the AFC North Division, with the Bengals and Ravens coming out of the week, 1-0, in the AFC North.

Week Two, however, the AFC North played games outside the division.

This week the Bengals lost on the road in Denver – a place they haven’t won at since 1975 – to the Broncos 24-22, while the Ravens wasted a 2-0 opportunity by losing to the Titans in Tennessee, 26-13.

The Steelers, the only AFC North team playing at home this week, blanked the visiting Seahawks, 24-0. In Indianapolis, the Browns finally won a game they were supposed too, defeating the Colts, 27-19, for the team’s first win of the season.

Two weeks into the 2011 NFL season, and there’s already a logjam in the AFC North.

After two weeks, the AFC North looks like this….

Cincinnati Bengals: 1-1, 1-0
Baltimore Ravens: 1-1, 1-0
Cleveland Browns: 1-1, 1-0
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1-1, 1-0

Points For: Bengals (49), Browns (44), Ravens (48) and Steelers (31)
Points Against: Bengals (41), Browns (46), Ravens (33) and Steelers (35)

Here’s what’s next for team’s in the AFC North…

Cleveland Browns (1-1) vs. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

- This is another game the Browns should pull-off, but as the Dawg Pound knows – nothing is a given when it comes to the Browns. Miami is 0-2 on the season, losing to the Patriots in week one, and the Texans in week two. The Browns will need to step-up against the run, and Joe Haden will need to shut-down Brandon Marshall.

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) at San Francisco ’49ers (1-1)

- Cincinnati fell short in their comeback bid last week in Denver. Rookie QB, Andy Dalton, showed no lingering effects from the wrist injury he suffered in week one against the Browns, and fellow rookie, A.J. Green, is living-up to his 1st Rd status as a star. The ’49ers have given-up a lot of passing yards, but I give the edge to San Fran, simply because they’re at home. ’49ers, by 3.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2)

- The Ravens started the season off with a huge blowout against the Steelers. I’m not sure if they were still on a high after blasting their AFC North rival, or if they just had an off game. Regardless, their week two loss to the rebuilding Titans shouldn’t be considered the ‘norm’. The loss should provide a wake-up call for the Ravens, and what better way to refocus for the season, than against the St. Louis Rams. Ravens, by 2 TDs.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

- After an embarrassing week one loss to the Ravens, the Steelers took their frustrations out on the poor Seahawks, defeating the lowly Seattle team, 24-0. The Colts can’t go winless on the season, unless they’re trying to “Suck For Luck”, but beating the Steelers isn’t an easy task, even at home. Indy should be able to keep the game close, and turnovers are likely to be a huge factor. (7 in Wk 1 for Pitt). Steelers, by 7.

Projected AFC North Standings after Week Three

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-1, 0-1
Projected Week Three Score: Steelers 24 – Colts 17

Baltimore Ravens: 2-1, 1-0
Projected Week Three Score: Ravens 35 – Rams 21

Cincinnati Bengals: 1-2, 1-0
Projected Week Three Score: Bengals 24 – ’49ers 27

Cleveland Browns: In week one, I predicted the Browns to blow the Bengals out, 34-10. When that didn’t happen, I kept my prediction for week two to myself, and they won. So, following the tradition of superstitions in sports, I refuse to predict the Browns game.

___________

Did You Know?

Cincinnati Bengals

- looking to start 2-1 for the third consecutive season.
- one of 4 teams in the NFL yet to throw an interception. (Packers, Saints, Rams)
- Andy Dalton ranks 9th in the NFL in completion percentage. (66.1)
- 9 of A.J. Green’s 11 receptions have gone for a 1st Down, tied for 12th in the NFL.
- averaging 24.5 points per game, tied for 13th in the NFL. (Cardinals)
- rank 8th in scoring defense, at 20.5 points per game.
- opponents are only converting 33.3% of their 3rd Downs. (9-27)
- have given up 36 first downs; 14 by rush, 19 by pass and 3 by penalty.
- have been penalized 18 times on defense for 127 yards, third most in the NFL.
- opponents are averaging 3.5 yards per rush attempt, 9th in the NFL

Cleveland Browns

- looking to start 2-1 for the first time since 2002, the last time the team made the playoffs.
- have committed 14 penalties for 121 yards; top five in least penalized teams in the NFL last two seasons.
- 13 rushes have gone for a first down, tied for 8th in the NFL.
- a product of the west coast offense, Colt McCoy is averaging 5.89 yards per pass attempt, 25th in NFL.
- Peyton Hillis’ 2 rushing TDs are tied for 2nd in the NFL, LeSean McCoy (Eagles) leads with 3.
- D’Qwell Jackson is tied for 10th in the NFL in total tackles with 19. (Woodyard, Den; Chancellor, Sea)
- Joe Haden is tied for first in the NFL in passes defended with 5. (Flowers, KC)
- only allowing 5.6 yards per pass attempt, 1st in the NFL.
- given-up the second fewest passing yards in the NFL. (331 yards)
- currently giving up the fewest receiving yards in the NFL. (364 yards)

Baltimore Ravens

- looking to start 2-1 for the sixth consecutive season.
- rank 25th in total offense, averaging 307 yards per game passing, 107.5 yards per game rushing.
- Ray Rice ranks 12th in the NFL in rushing. (75.0 yards per game)
- Joe Flacco’s 82.8 Passer Rating ranks 22nd in the NFL.
- Rice averages 9.0 points per game, tied for 12th in the NFL.
- CB Lardarius Webb is tied for 3rd in the NFL in total tackles with 21 the next highest Raven is Lewis (15)
- Terrell Suggs is 2nd in the NFL in sacks, with 3.
- have given-up the 5th fewest points in the NFL with 33.
- opponents are only averaging 16.5 points per game, 5th fewest in the NFL.
- have 109 total tackles as a team, 3rd fewest in the NFL behind the Buccaneers and Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers

- looking to go at least 2-1 for the 8th time since 2001.
- Ben Roethlisberger has thrown 3 INTs, 5th most in the NFL.
- averaging 15.5 points per game, 6th fewest in the NFL.
- have 2 receiving TDs so far this season, leader has 7.
- Rashard Mendenhall is averaging 55.5 yards per game, 19th in the NFL.
- Troy Polamalu leads the team with 14 tackles, which ranks 42nd in the NFL.
- 1 of 6 teams in the NFL yet to record an INT. (Broncos, Saints, Giants, Seahawks, Panthers)
- 1 of 5 teams in the NFL yet to record a forced fumble. (Dolphins, Cardinals, Chargers, Seahawks)
- giving up the 4th fewest passing yards in the NFL, with 174 yards per game.
- giving up 100.5 yards per game on the ground, 12th fewest in the NFL.

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RG Kraig Urbik to Miss 2 to 4 Weeks with Knee Injury

Starting right guard Kraig Urbik will be out two to four weeks with a left knee injury sustained in the second quarter of Sunday’s victory against the Raiders.

Urbik will be replaced in the lineup by Chad Rinehart. “He did a pretty good job,” Bills coach Chan Gailey said of Rinehart.

“There’s a couple things he was rusty on, but he did a pretty good job. I’ve got confidence in him that he’ll be able to handle it.”

Rinehart briefly challenged for the starting left guard job during training camp, but will be returning to the position he started three games at last season for the Bills. The fourth-year man from Northern Iowa measures 6-foot-5 and 323 pounds.

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