Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco has thrown 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions against the Cincinnati Bengals in his career. The 18 interceptions are more than twice as many as he’s thrown versus any other team.
Footballguys View: Flacco had a great time of it against a vanilla Oakland defense last week, but the Bengals have been one of the best units in the league this year. It could look a lot more like Week 1’s dud against the Broncos.
New York Giants RB Shane Vereen did not catch a pass Thursday night against the New York Giants. It was the first time since Week 2 of last season that Vereen had not caught a pass, including the postseason. He ran for 23 yards on six carries in a 32-21 win over the Washington Redskins, but was held without a reception on three targets.
Footballguys View: Vereen is going to be a partial share back in a bad running game. When the Giants fall behind in games, he’ll have some PPR value, but that is always dicey to predict against middling opponents.
The Detroit Lions have scored only 23 points in their last 98 minutes of action and rank in the bottom third of the league in total offense (25th), rushing offense (31st) and turnovers. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said he’s optimistic that they can turn it around, but they’ll face a stingy defense in the Denver Broncos in Week 3. Detroit’s offensive line has been at the root of their problems with shaky pass protection and inconsistent run blocking.
Footballguys View: Ameer Abdullah needs to get more work as a potential solution, and the Lions can always use more Calvin Johnson. The Broncos defense however is not the one you want to be facing when you are trying to break out of a slump.
New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees (shoulder) is still unsure if he’ll play in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, but he will work with head coach Sean Payton to make a final decision on his status, according to a league source. Payton will have the final say, but the decision will likely be based on how effective Brees thinks he can be. Brees will likely start throwing Friday, Sept. 25, or Saturday, Sept. 26. Payton said the team won’t wait until the morning Sunday, Sept. 27, for Brees to throw for the first time.
Footballguys View: Brees is not an advisable play if active. He has not performed as well outdoors and on the road in the past and this version of the Saints offense doesn’t seem nearly as potent as past version even before Brees’ injury.
St. Louis Rams rookie RB Todd Gurley will be in a league of his own once he’s played a couple seasons, according to Pittsburgh Steelers rookie LB Bud Dupree.
Cleveland Browns WR Travis Benjamin has caught the NFL on fire so far with six catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He has all of the Browns’ receiving touchdowns and more than half of their receiving yards through two games. Overall, however, Cleveland’s receiving game is at the bottom of the league. They are last in catches (26) and 30th in receiving yards (403).
Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly (concussion) did not dress in pads for practice Friday, Sept. 25. He was seen running onto the practice field without a helmet.
Washington Redskins WR Pierre Garcon received a team-high 12 targets in a loss to the New York Giants Thursday night. He caught five of those targets for 64 yards.
Philadelphia Eagles RB DeMarco Murray (hamstring) will play Sunday, Sept. 27, against the New York Jets, according to a source.
Footballguys View: Murray is still a risky play with the possibility of the hamstring not responding well on Sunday and the woes of the Eagles running game against a stout Jets defense. Ryan Mathews loses his potential starter status.
Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins will remain the starting quarterback, according to Redskins head coach Jay Gruden. During his post-game press conference, Gruden was asked if he had thought about pulling Cousins in favor of QB Colt McCoy. Without hesitation, Gruden said there is no quarterback controversy. Cousins has struggled against the New York Giants in three starts, throwing one touchdown pass against eight interceptions.
Footballguys View: Cousins is a game manager backup quarterback forced into the starting role. He’ll be fine when the Washington running game controls the game, but if he has to comeback football like he did last night, Cousins will be exposed.