Monday Wrap: LenDale will have a double, but hold the yardage
While it rained in Philadelphia, the Titans reigned on Monday night. Here's a fantasy summary from the tackle football...
• We're a few days from Halloween and LenDale White is on pace for an utterly-unimpressive 22.9 touchdowns. Carries from the one yard-line? That's good work if you can get it.
White averaged 1.3 yards a pop Monday (the third time this year he's been there or lower), but he bailed out his fantasy owners with a couple of short touchdowns. If you take away that free 80-yard score the Chiefs gave to White two weeks ago...
...then Tennessee's baby got back is averaging 2.8 yards per carry
• I don't automatically start my best players regardless of matchup, but it's worth mentioning that Peyton Manning was the No. 8 quarterback this week at Tennessee, and he graded No. 4 when he faced the Ravens. No matter how short your "unbenchable stars" list might be, Manning should be on it. Manning's stat line at Tennessee (26-for-41, two touchdowns, two picks, one TD run) looks better than the actual performance did, but in our numbers racket, the bottom line is all that matters.
• Reggie Wayne was held to three catches, and the Titans seemed to have him marked well most of the night. Manning's normally a take-what-you're-given sort of quarterback, but he made a few out of character forces to Wayne, one resulting in a pick. I wouldn't worry too much about Wayne going forward, he won't face this sort of challenge every week. I can't tell you a good reason to be optimistic about Marvin Harrison (1-12); he looks slow and defenses are routinely single-covering him with lesser corners.
• Dallas Clark had a couple of bad drops but who wouldn't take 7-94 at the end of the day, with two scores? He's clearly the No. 2 option in this passing game going forward. Dominic Rhodes (eight catches, 39 yards) was used as a dump-off option when Manning couldn't find anything downfield; on the ground, Rhodes was a mixture of boom and bust, breaking a few runs but also losing yardage on a handful of carries. The unheralded Chad Simpson looked good in a change-of-pace role (4-23 rushing, 2-24 receiving).
• Kerry Collins got more chances to throw Monday, but he never really left game-manager mode (24-for-37, 193 yards, 5.2 YPA, no turnovers, no sacks). The Titans know they can win playing offense this way, so there's no reason for radical chances. Bo Scaife was the top receiver (five catches, 44 yards). Justin Gage had just one grab (for all of six yards), and he dropped a couple of passes.
Manning wasn't sacked on the night, either, in part because the Titans were without Kyle Vanden Bosch, but mostly because of Manning's outstanding pocket awareness. Sacks in general are more about the quarterback, anyway, and less about the line play.
• Chris Johnson didn't go off against Indy's maligned rushing defense, and his score game in the beginning of garbage time, but at the end of the day, what's wrong with 23 touches, 97 yards, and a score? Works for me.
• The Colts didn't consider Adam Vinatieri trying a long field goal into the wind, which reflects where his leg is these days. Rob Bironas missed one long try, but made good on his three other opportunities.
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