The Legacy of Bill Walsh Lives On

I talk about Marshawn Lynch and Trent Edwards here, and how ready they are for the NFL. And I have to tip my hat one more time to Bill Walsh, who helped Trent when he was at Stanford. I also talk about Parcells, Randy Moss, and a few other guys.

"Brandon Marshall is on a Mission"

Here are some of my thoughts on video about some guys on a mission: Anquan, Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler. I also talk about Spotfire here. Hey, it's fun sitting around talking about football!

Waiver Wire

Well, we've had three full weeks of the season. And the byes are starting to kick in. Most of us fantasy players are thinking about trades and the waiver wire as a result. I'm using Spotfire analytics to help me. Of course, everyone else in my league is doing the same thing, so I just have to be a little smarter than they are!

But what Spotfire does is present a beautiful picture, a visualization, of what's going on. The top NFL teams and FFL teams get over the top because of their mid-level picks, and this is where Spotfire is helping me compare a guy who may be number 12 versus a guy who may be number 16, for example.

And I can also visualize how these players will do against whatever defense they are facing. This is helping me decide not only who to play but who I'm trying to steal, whoops, I mean procure, from some of my FFL competitors!

Roger Goodell is Good for the NFL

I said it last week, and I'll say it again: Roger Goodell is doing great things for the NFL. He's bringing a renewed sense of discipline, which is great when you consider all the great, great young players in the game today. Look at the season's Top Five to the left of my blog. So many very young players, with the occasional old guy like Brett :-)

What young players need to realize is that everybody is fast and everybody is a great player in the NFL. You can just show up and get by on raw talent at this level. Even a guy like Reggie Bush. He was just running around there like he was still in college last year. Now, he's learned how the game flows in this league, and he's on pace to join Marshall Faulk and me in the 1000/1000 club.

But this new sense of discipline applies to the vets as well. I think you can look at Terrell Owens and see that he knows what he has to do to be a winner. Did you see some of the blocks he threw last week against Green Bay? I'm telling you, he first learned that with the 49ers, as part of a tradition that John Taylor established.

Ask Jerry Rice, he'll tell you that a lot of his success was because John Taylor was downfield just crushing people. No matter what you may think of Terrell, he has always been a team player when he's on the field. And now you can see this renewed discipline with him.

This is why I also think Randy Moss will be OK this year. Randy has found great success in New England with its team concept. The Pats have a bye week, and this will give Randy a chance to work out his timings with Matt Cassel.

But I'll say it again. This commitment to discipline and top performance starts at the top with Roger Goodell.

"Frank Gore Will be Watching Reggie Bush"

You can bet that Frank and Reggie will be watching either other when the Niners and Saints play this week-end. It reminds me of when Eric Dickerson and I used to compete to see who was the better back. You really turn into a fan during games like this, and I'm looking forward to watching this one.

Don't Give Up on Randy Moss

Randy will be fine once he gets used to his new quarterback. And hey, I like what Roger Goodell is doing for this league. His focus on discipline and playing the game the right way has already resulted in some fantastic games so far.

DeSean Can Play, Man!

Having some fun in the studio here. I mentioned that I still like DeSean Jackson, 'cause the kid can really play. And I know a bunch of the vets got in his face about his stupid mistake. Time to move on from that. I have some other thoughts in this video as well.

More Playoff Intensity in Week 2

OK, so let's talk about some of the individual performances in Week 2.

* I'm gonna keep talking about Brian Westbrook and how Spotfire identified him to me as the most consistent back in the league. He's part of a great offense, and he's going to keep these numbers up all season long.

* Eddie Royal looks like the real deal. So I know someone has already picked him up in your league, but trade for him if you can. He's gonna continue to benefit from Shanahan's ability to create a balanced attack, and Jay Cutler looks to be finally making Denver fans forget about Elway, at least a little bit.

* Tony Scheffler's the number 1 tight end right now. He'll continue strong as part of that Denver offensive scheme.

• You know I love Anquan Boldin. But I worry a little about Kurt Warner being able to stay healthy the entire season. Without him, Anquan will have trouble keeping those numbers. Kurt's a Super Bowl winner, a former MVP, and is no surprise. I just hope he can keep it going.

* Yes, you know a bunch of the Eagles really let DeSean Jackson have it after his stupid showboating. But don't you go and do something stupid about it. DeSean is the real deal, he's bulked up a little, and he's going to kill the league all year.

• Reggie Bush is number 5 right now at running back. I think he’s going to keep going higher, because I still love Drew Brees and New Orleans.

• And don't give up on Randy Moss just yet. It will take him a couple of weeks to get used to the new QB. But Cassel had a nice first game, and I think the Pats machine will continue to roll this season.

Playoff Intensity in Week 2

There was definitely a playoff atmosphere Monday night in Dallas. Great game by two great teams. I look for Philly to take the rematch though -- this will be the last game of the regular season for both. So mark your celandars, high noon eastern time on December 28th!

Lots of other real good games and great performances in Week 2. I credit Roger Goodell for bringing a new sense of purpose and discipline to the league. The players are responding, too. The NFL looks as strong today as it's ever looked.

This reminds me of 1983, when QBs John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly were all drafted, along with a couple of running backs named Eric Dickerson and Roger Craig! The excitement in the NFL this year is very similar to that, I think.

Big Games Coming Up in Week 2

I love playing Fantasy Football as much as anyone. But I think we should always remember that there are real football games being played here. I still love watching the NFL for the big games, not just because of my Fantasy guys.

So in Week 2 we already have some great games on tap. Here are some that I'll be sure not to miss...

* Dallas-Philadelphia (Monday night). One of the great NFC East rivalries. And they're both real good this year. We know the 'Boys would be real tough, but now it looks like Philly can challenge them. This is a great early-season test for both teams.

* Denver-San Diego. This is one of the most interesting games in Week 2. Are the Broncos that good? I think they are. Can San Diego recover from a shaky start? I gotta say that I have some concerns.

* Indianapolis-Minnesota. Two teams off to a shaky start. Peyton was really limping around out there against the Bears, and I have some concerns about the QB situation in Minnesota, too. This game will tell us a lot about both teams, and should also indicate what kind of numbers Adrian Peterson is really going to put up this year.

* New England-New York Jets. Wow. This game looks a lot different now than it did a month ago. How will the Pats do without Brady? And how much magic does Brett Favre still have?

"I'll Welcome Reggie into the 1000/1000 Club"

I was talking a little bit about running backs here. The big thing is, I wanted to shout out to Reggie Bush. I can see him joining Marshall Faulk and me as the only guys in the 1000/1000 club...and I hope he does some day.

"He Was Holding the Ball Too Long"

It's not rocket science to figure out that the Raiders looked real bad the other night. But I still want to watch DeMarcus Russell this year, and see how he develops. Right now, he's still got a steep learning curve.

"You Don't Make People Miss Like That in the NFL"

I was stunned by watching Eddie Royal the other night, as I say here. I also have some comments on my guy DeSean Jackson. I'm telling you, this kid can play, and he's lucky to have Donovan McNabb as his QB.

"Big Backs Make Big Targets"

Here are some of my thoughts about running backs after Week 1. You can see I'm a big believer in consistency, and Spotfire helps me track those real consistent backs like Westbrook.

Playing With Purpose (Video Version)

Here are a bunch of comments I made about some of the quarterbacks in Week 1. Check out what I have to say about Jay Cutler, Donovan McNabb, and the quality of Aaron Rodgers' Lambeau Leap!

Playing with Purpose

Jay Cutler and Donovan McNabb were a couple of great surprises in Week 1. I thought Jay was going to have a good year, and I had hopes for Donovan. But I didn't pick either one in my top five QBs in pre-season.

But I'll tell you why they are looking so good--they're playing with purpose.

Once Jay found out he had diabetes, he realized that his career could end at any time, and he really started taking care of himself. He is playing with commitment, inner drive, and fire. With Shanahan's ability to deliver a great offense for Denver, look for Jay to be strong the entire season.

Donovan, like I said below, got himself into tremendous shape over the summer. He knows that he can't play forever, and he's got some great weapons in his offense. Donovan is playing with purpose. It will be great to see him on the Monday night stage this week against the 'Boys.

Another guy with inner drive, and I think some anger, is Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He was out there Sunday telling the Packer fans and the world that he can replace Brett Favre, that he's a pretty good quarterback too!

Don't Forget the NFL With Your FFL!

Hey, I'll have some new video posted here soon. So look for that.

Meanwhile, let's talk about some of the teams that emerged. I know this is a Fantasy Football League blog, but let's not forget the real games from the NFL.

I'm saying this because there were some teams that looked intense, and the key players from these teams are going to be FFL stars this season.

I'm talking about the Eagles for one thing. Donovan McNabb worked out hard in Arizona all summer, and look at him, he's playing like he's 25 years old again.

If Donovan keeps this up, this means that Westbrook (my number one RB) and DeSean Jackson (one of my rookie sleepers) are going to be racking up big FFL numbers all season long. Philly could seriously challenge Dallas this year.

The Cowboys looked almost too good. So Romo, TO, and Witten didn't have the great FFL numbers this week...but they will. The 'Boys are the team to beat in the NFC.

So mark Monday night on your calendar. Dallas and Philly are already playing each other. This will be a great test for both teams.

Denver looked just great. Arizona looked real strong, with a nice offense with a lot of options and a QB (Warner) who knows how to stay within himself and manage the game. Pittsburgh looked great.

All these teams are already looking to have real good season...and this will drive the FFL numbers for their key players.

Week 1 is Done!

Well, it’s obvious that Tom Brady is the big story of the week, for the NFL and for Fantasy players. What a tough break for him, for the Pats, and for anyone who picked him in their FFL league!

The story today is that Tim Rattay (remember him, Niners fans?) might get a shot. Whatever the case, the old saying is that injuries are part of the game. No reason to obsess about the Brady injury, and there are a ton of other interesting stories from Week 1.

So let’s move on. Belichick will.