By Ted Rossman
HIGH FIVES
In this section, we examine five strong but unheralded performances from the previous week and determine whether these players are likely to remain hot.
- Trent Cole, DE, PHI: Cole recorded three sacks and forced a fumble in last Sunday’s rout of the Lions. He leads the NFL with 4.5 sacks. Cole’s photo, however, should appear next to the phrase “fast starter” in the dictionary. He made six sacks in the Eagles’ first five games last year and then managed only two sacks in the final 11 contests. This is a great time to sell high on Cole.
- Corey Ivy, CB, BAL: Ivy turned in a strong game last Sunday with five tackles (all solo), a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Cardinals. However, the 30-year-old is likely to return to a reserve role in Week 4 with Samari Rolle due back from an illness.
- John DiGiorgio, LB, BUF: He made 12 tackles (eight solo) and had half a sack in last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. DiGiorgio likely will serve as the Bills' starting middle linebacker for the remainder of the season with Paul Posluszny on injured reserve. Expect DiGiorgio to record six-to-10 tackles per week the rest of the way, making him a solid option in many leagues.
- Marlin Jackson, CB, IND: Jackson is a legitimate tackling threat. He made 15 tackles (12 solo) in Week 3 and has 33 stops (25 solo) this season. Keep counting on Jackson for tackles, but remember he has only two interceptions in the last two-plus seasons combined.
- DeMarcus Ware, LB, DAL: Ware led the Cowboys with six tackles (all solo) and two sacks in Sunday night’s impressive victory at Chicago. He isn’t a great tackler (he figures to be in the 60-70 range this season, which is low for a linebacker), but he does have strong sack potential. Before we get too high on Ware, he’ll have to put together an impressive performance against a more mobile quarterback than Chicago’s Rex Grossman.
TREND WATCH
Here, we look at trends and matchups that savvy owners can exploit in the upcoming week.
- The Lions have a bad defense (need we relive the Eagles’ 42-point outburst last Sunday ... in the first half!), but the Bears have a bad offense. Brian Griese will be under center for Chicago. It doesn’t really matter -- Detroit’s IDPs are good plays this week. Look for good things from DL Dewayne White, DL Cory Redding, LB Ernie Sims and DB Fernando Bryant against the Bears.
- On the other side of the ledger, the once-mighty Chicago defense has allowed a very mediocre 19.3 points per game this season. The Lions are averaging 25.7 points per game and racking up more than 345 passing yards per contest. The Chicago secondary isn’t a good play this week, but the defensive line is. Detroit has been sacked a league-high 25 times in 2007.
- Tampa Bay has not thrown an interception this season, so steer clear of the Carolina secondary in Week 4.
- San Francisco has also taken care of the ball this season (one interception in three games), so don’t go out of your way to deploy any members of the Seattle secondary.
- Pittsburgh has 12 sacks in three games. The Steelers visit Arizona this week, a team that has only allowed two sacks thus far in 2007. However, the Cardinals offensive line has been ravaged by injuries and could stop overachieving this week against a tough Pittsburgh unit. Add the fact that Arizona will use two immobile quarterbacks (Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner) and it could be a big day for Pittsburgh pass rushers like DLs Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith .
- The Chiefs and Chargers are both off to slow starts offensively. However, these are teams with excellent running backs who will be hard to keep down for long. Look for a lot of rushing attempts in this game, which should produce a lot of tackles for both sides. It’s a good week to use linebackers like Donnie Edwards, Shawne Merriman, Stephen Cooper, Napoleon Harris and Derrick Johnson.
- Another place to go trolling for tackles in Week 4 is Arizona. The Steelers rush 36.0 times per game, the second-most in the NFL (No. 1 Tennessee has a bye this week). The Cardinals have several capable tacklers in LBs Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby and DB Adrian Wilson.
WHITHER THE WEATHER
Because bad weather usually means fewer points and more turnovers, you need to know where IDP’s could benefit from the elements. Here are some sites where the weather could be a significant factor. Keep in mind that the forecasts can change leading up to game day.
The most likely weather trouble spot this week is in Miami, where a high of 87 degrees and a 40-percent chance of thunderstorms are expected for the Dolphins-Raiders game. At least the Marlins will be done with their home baseball schedule, meaning that the infield dirt will be removed. The Rams and Cowboys will have to contend with heat and humidity in Dallas, where sunny skies and a high of 90 degrees are projected.
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