The countdown to to the Hall of Fame game continues, and we'll be seeing live, actual football take place in about 48 hours. Not coincidentally, this is about the time of year when my body cells will start to feel normal again.
One down?
One of the ongoing QB battles may not be a battle for much longer. It's as if we're about to see the first wrestler get tossed over the top ropes in the QB Royal Rumble.
Bills GM Doug Whaley recently had this to say about EJ Manuel:
"Most successful quarterbacks have that 'it' factor. (Manuel) has that 'it' factor," Whaley explained. "When he walks into a room, there's a presence and people take notice. He's going to be the face of our franchise, and it's not too big for him."
Translation: Thanks for playing, Kevin Kolb. You don't even need to read between the lines on this one.
Rookie quarterbacks once sat on the bench and learned on the job for a year before taking the field. However, times are a'changing. I don't need to review the names of the seemingly high number of rookie quarterbacks who have been able to step onto the field and instantly produce. So if you're the Bills, what's the point of waiting on Manuel? He and Kolb are different quarterbacks, and if Manuel really is their guy of the future, then they might as well try to install an offense tailored to his strengths sooner instead of later. There's no upside to doing it any other way.
At this point, I'd be stunned if Manuel isn't the Week 1 starter. The bad news is his receiving options may be limited after WR Stevie Johnson tweaked his hamstring in practice on Friday. Buffalo's only other real options are T.J. Graham, who made a very minimal fantasy impact in his rookie season last year (31-322-1) and unproven rookie Robert Woods, who doesn't seem like the kind of guy the Bills can count on to rip down 8-10 passes for 100 yards each week. Sure, he did it occasionally at USC. But as a man whose faith is in short supply when it comes to production at the NFL level, I'll need to see it from Woods before I believe he's capable of doing it.
Fuel on empty
If Rex Ryan could choose a song that describes his offense this season, Alice Cooper's "Welcome to My Nightmare" probably fits the bill. Their receiving game was in such bad shape that they called Braylon Edwards and talked him into what will presumably be a one-season stand. Now, their featured back Chris Ivory is nursing a sore hamstring that just doesn't want to heal any time soon.
So, let me see if I have this straight: New York's options at quarterback are between a guy whose performances seem to get worse by the week or an unproven, out of shape rookie. The guy who was supposed to lead their rush-heavy attack can't get past a hamstring issue, and none of his backups have ever even rushed for 500 yards in a season in their careers. Their top wideout isn't sure whether he'll even play in 2013, and the rest of the WR corp is a patchwork group of castoffs.
Never mind fantasy value - will the Jets offense even cross midfield with the ball during any game this year? Outside of Ivory, whose status is currently up in the air, I don't think there's one Jet worth targeting in your fantasy drafts.
It's a shame since the Jets are going to have a pretty strong defense, so if you're a fan of low-scoring defensive struggles, this is the team for you! I wonder if this Jets season will unfold as the modern day reenacment of Jerry Glanville's 1977 Falcons Grits Blitz defense which, by the way, owns the all-time record for both fewest total points allowed in a season and fewest average points per game allowed by a defense. Not even the 1985 Bears or 2000 Ravens could match those numbers. Bet ya wouldn't have guessed that one! But it does make a great trivia question to bring up during your fantasy draft. Your league mates will be distracted racking their brain for an answer, even though the majority of self-proclaimed NFL history buffs probably won't be able to get the answer even if you gave them 50 guesses.
Quick hits
» Well, Chris Culliver's knee injury is indeed a torn ACL that will probably cost him the entire 2013 season. The Niners aren't short on talent at cornerback, but now they are short on depth at the position. I suppose in one sense, the injury helps solidify San Fran's depth chart for their secondary. But that sure wasn't the way Jim Harbaugh wanted to arrive there. Culliver was the ideal guy to bring in when the Niners wanted to run a nickel or dime package. The Niners had excellent balance as they were fourth-best in both run and pass defense (in terms of average yards allowed per game). With Culliver gone and Patrick Willisdealing with his own injury issues, it's tough to envision the Niners remaining in such lofty ranking positions this year.
» You've read about injuries galore since camps got underway a week or so ago, but this one is a little different. It seems as though Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and WR Hakeem Nicks are at odds over Nicks' groin issue. Nicks is keeping himself out while Gilbride is urging him to return to action as soon as possible. Isn't it usually the other way around with the coaches and players? This is a contract year for Nicks, so I have no doubts he'll only return when he's completely healthy and ready.
John Juhasz is a fantasy editor at NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnJuhasz
