The reign of Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback Kevin Kolb as the top signal caller in the desert lasted about as long as the Daniel Bryan title defense in Wrestlemania. But at least Bryan got a peck from AJ for his troubles.
Kolb had what we would call a worst-case scenario moment in the Hall of Fame game. Kolb was intercepted on his first pass attempt and then it somehow managed to get worse as he eventually left the game with a rib injury. Not the kind of start a guy with history of injuries is looking for.
I'd be shocked if Kolb is the starter in Week 1. Backup John Skelton looked poised in the pocket and good enough to win the job. The Cardinals invested a lot in Kolb, but I expect them to treat this situation the same way the Angels have approached the Vernon Wells situation and just have a well-paid backup quarterback.
This is good for Larry Fitzgerald, who would excel with anybody, but check out these numbers provided by Michael Fabiano last week:
Fitzgerald played in 16 games last season. In the eight contests where Kolb led the team in pass attempts, he averaged 4.7 receptions, 82.2 yards and scored two touchdowns. In the other eight games, where Skelton led the team in pass attempts, Fitzgerald averaged 5.2 receptions, 94.1 yards and scored six touchdowns. Kolb is the current favorite to start heading into 2012.
Let's hope it's Skelton
Are you worried now?
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbergersat out practice on Sunday because of an ankle injury after he threw a touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders (told you the team would be fine without Mike Wallace) earlier. Coach Mike Tomlin said the injury was not serious.
Yes, so "not serious" the team held him out of practice because of an injury. Got it.
Still though, I'm not going to be overly concerned about his. Ben Roethlisberger likes to sell injuries like he's Dolph Ziggler (more of an over-seller compared to Heath Slater), so it's not a surprise his name is in the news because of an injury.
But here's the thing... he always plays. He's like the anti-Kolb in that respect.
Quick Outs
Your Darren McFadden injury update: He's good! Wait, let me check .... yep, still going strong! Hey, this guy stole my line.
» Another takeaway from the Hall of Fame game is Mark Ingram looks like he will be the goal-line back for the New Orleans Saints. If he can reach the team's target of 200 touches and get the goal-line Ingram is a great option as a flex guy. His average draft position (ADP) is round 10. He's a good value there.
» Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd played with the second team. Keep an eye on this, though. Floyd has the talent to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Larry Fitzgerald, and this should be a matter of when, not if, he takes the spot this season. Floyd has been going in the 15th round in drafts, a great value for him right there.
» Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin will be out at least a week with a hamstring injury. Awesome. Austin admitted he wasn't in shape last season, and this year is off to a smashing start. I don't have a lot of faith in Dez Bryant (even though ATL's Dan Hanzus . But if you want a deep sleeper, remember receiver Andre Holmes. You won't need to draft him, but keep an eye out for him as a guy who can come out of nowhere, like Laurent Robinson last year, if Austin continues to have injury troubles.
» Terrell Owens is working out for the Seattle Seahawks. T.O. won't have much fantasy value if he does join the team. But what you should take away from the Seahawks receiver position becoming the NFL version of TNA is the team is hurting for help at the position. Don't trust any of these guys, including Sydney Rice who has been going in the 15th round on NFL.com drafts.
» Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt met with the commissioner on Monday, and I can't imagine this ending well for Britt. The enigmatic receiver was able to avoid discipline for his transgressions during the lockout, so I would expect him to receive a multi-game suspension.
» Houston Texans receiver Dre Johnson returned to practice on Monday. Hurray! Dre's value is way too high for an injury-prone lead receiver on a run-based team. Dre is the third receiver taken (on average), but you have better options with Roddy White, Julio Jones, Greg Jennings and Steve Smith.
» Congratulations Darren McFadden, looks like you made it through again!
For the record, you can submit your fantasy questions to NFL Fantasy Live, Michael Fabiano or me on Twitter. But realize, NFL Fantasy Live has 50,000 followers, and Fabiano has 60,000. Me? Just 13. See, the odds are better that I will answer your question, so hit me up both via Twitter or via Facebook. Also be sure to catch the latest "Dave Dameshek Football Program."