I know we are just a mere couple of weeks into the preseason, and that the NFL Preseason is to the regular season what miniature golf is to the PGA Tour. However, some things have become pretty clear to me already. I’m not quite ready to cement the following observations in stone, but I will boldly post them in this article.
Peyton Manning may still be the No. 1 QB in football, but Aaron Rodgers is 1A and closing fast. Rodgers already holds the distinction as the best Fantasy QB to those of us who place importance on such things. Back in the real world, his accomplishments pale in comparison to Manning who is Super Bowl winner and four-time NFL MVP. Heck, even Drew Brees has proven more to this point after picking up a Super Bowl win over Manning and the Colts last season. But after two straight seasons with 4000 plus yards and 28 plus touchdowns (in his first two seasons as a starter), Rodgers has crashed the elite quarterback discussion party. Thanks to the overkill that is The NFL Network’s preseason coverage, I have seen every minute of Manning’s, Brees’ and Rodgers’ preseason thus far and hands down Rodgers has been the best quarterback on the planet.
The New England Patriots are the team to beat in the AFC East. Most of the preseason hype has centered on the New York Jets, but the Patriots seemed to have regained their swagger. In the two quarters that have mattered so far (the 1st quarters of games 1 and 2), the Patriots dominated two likely contenders in the NFC (New Orleans and Atlanta). Again, I know it’s only the preseason, but I see a focus and hunger that had been missing in this team since going 16-0 in 2007.
Ryan Mathews looks like a top five running back in this league. With all due respect to top pick Sam Bradford, Mathews had more pressure than any rookie in the 2010 draft. From the time he was drafted with the 12th pick in the first round, Mathews was “charged” (no pun intended) with the responsibility of replacing a Charger legend in LaDainian Tomlinson. In the Chargers first two preseason games, he has been a carbon copy of LT – running with quickness and power, catching passes out of the backfield and providing solid pass protection (always a challenge for rookie running backs). He has a long way to go before he makes anyone forget about LT, but the Chargers are looking pretty smart for cutting ties with the best player to ever where the lightning bolt.
Today’s sports medicine is nothing short of amazing. Three guys who suffered devastating leg injuries in 2009 – Patriot WR Wes Welker, Seahawks RB Leon Washington and Vikings LB E.J. Henderson – all appear to be back at 100 percent well ahead of schedule. No so long ago, each of their respective careers would have been in serious doubt and playing less than a year after such injuries would have certainly been out of the question. Not only were all three guys playing in their team’s 2nd preseason games last week, they were playing at or above the level they were prior to getting hurt.
The Cardinals are going to miss Kurt Warner – a lot. I wouldn’t exactly characterize the Cardinals quarterback play in the first two preseason games as horrible, but it does leave a lot to be desired. The two guys competing to replace Warner in the starting lineup – Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson – have both shown a complete lack of the subtle anticipation and instincts it takes to be a successful signal caller at the pro level. As Ron Jaworski pointed out on the Monday Night preseason game between Arizona and Tennessee, it was a Leinart misread on a crossing pattern in the previous game that led to a nasty hit on star receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It is that hit that put Fitzgerald on the sideline with a sprained MCL. The Cardinals know their play at QB will likely be subpar this season, but at this point they will probably settle for not having their receivers killed as a result of it.
–Antwan Leonard
Antwan Leonard writes a Fantasy Sports Blog – H2H Fantasy Sports – with the latest Head-to-Head Fantasy news, tips and recommendations.
