Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Aging QBs are playing young again

If you drafted Drew Bledsoe, Rich Gannon, Mark Brunell or Rodney Peete as your starting quarterback, I'd have to say you are really really smart and quite the savvy fantasy football player.

If it was 1995.

In 2002, I just call you lucky (and me jealous).

Sunday, Bledsoe and Gannon threw for more than 400 yards, Peete threw for 300 and Brunell showed that he has regained his 1997 form.

Who woulda thunk it? While fantasy players were snatching up Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Jeff Garcia and Peyton Manning, the older folk were lurking in the shadows, ready to put up big numbers.

The most perplexing is Peete, who didn't throw a pass the past two seasons. But here he is, ringing up Detroit for 300 yards, and actually an option for teams that will be hit by the bye week Sunday (and against Minnesota, who's ruling out another 300 yards?).

Say it with me: Rodney Peete, fantasy football starter.

HELLO GOODBYE: For those who had Shane Matthews, my condolences. About 100 percent of you were too afraid to play him in Week 1, when he went off. That persuaded you to start him this week, didn't it? And you suffered, didn't you?

Peete owners may feel your pain shortly.

VROOM: Say, is that the Thomas Jones bandwagon revving its engine?

After the first 100-yard game of his career (173 against Seattle), Jones owners may finally be ready to take him out for a spin. The seventh pick of the 2000 draft has teased his owners for years with his ability, and he was a big risk to draft high this year. But maybe, just maybe. . .

Jones' breakout game will help him avoid the distinction of being the biggest bust from the 2000 first round, though his competition is Travis Taylor, Ron Dayne, Sebastian Janikowski, Sylvester Morris, and R. Jay Soward.

SLEEPERS: For years Patrick Johnson was a wideout who had great speed and was expected to flourish in Baltimore (526 yards in 1999). But the sleeper just, well, slept. Brunell has woken him up in Jacksonville, however. Filling the void left by Keenan McCardell, Johnson caught a 79-yard touchdown last week, his second, and if he can catch half as many balls as McCardell did opposite Jimmy Smith, it's worth the gamble.

ROOKIES: Buffalo rookie Josh Reed is the hot one this week. If he's not already gone, snag him. With Bledsoe putting up huge numbers, and a running game that is suspect (Travis Henry was great in Week 1, but it was an aberration), Reed could have more days like his eight-catch, 110-yard day Sunday. Especially now that defenses know they might want to double-team Peerless Price.

DEFENSES: How bad are Pittsburgh and Green Bay? These were two of the first defenses to go in most drafts (first and eighth respectively, according to espn.com), and they have killed their owners. The Steelers coaxed a pass-happy attack out of New England, of all teams, and then watched Oakland throw 60-plus times last week. That's 697 passing yards And the Packers? Well, 34 points allowed to Atlanta and 35 to New Orleans is cause for alarm.

TOP TIPS: I said last week to fear Shaun Alexander, Rod Smith and Derrick Mason. Can I have one more chance? ... Darrell Jackson goes nicely with Trent Dilfer, who threw for 350 yards last week and wouldn't be a bad addition. ... David Carr has been sacked 15 times -- grab the defense that plays the Texans, even if it is the Colts. ... Seattle has made Charlie Garner and Jones look like All-Pros the past two weeks -- can you say Tiki Barber?

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright