Big Ben's Big Fall

The year of the cart continues. Sunday, it was Ben Roethlisberger being ferried to the locker room. The man nicknamed after a 157-year-old, 315-foot tall clock was felled by a Mark Barron sack. Few quarterbacks have taken more punishment in the third millennium, but not even Big Ben can survive a hit beneath the knees.

Playing the best football of his career, Roethlisberger has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and bone bruise, injuries that will sideline him 4-6 weeks. His loss throws the Steelers’ offense into chaos — on a short week, no less — and further decimates a quarterback field that was already missing Tony Romo, Drew Brees and Jay Cutler.

In a best-case scenario, Roethlisberger will return Week 8 against the Bengals. In a worst-case, after Pittsburgh’s Week 11 bye. Michael Vick will replace him under center, but it’s Le’Veon Bell who will replace him as the center of the Steelers’ offensive universe.

A superficial reading of the situation could almost construe it as a positive for Bell’s fantasy prospects. It most certainly is not. Big Ben’s loss threatens to crater the pace and efficiency that have made the Steelers so lethal since the middle of last season, while opponents now have one less to superstar to game plan for.

Yes, Antonio Brown will still give defensive coordinators nightmares, but with turnover-machine Vick calling the shots, they won’t be afraid to bear down on the box. That’s what the Rams did Sunday, limiting the Steelers to only 60 yards during Vick’s 20 minutes in the game.

With Roethlisberger doing damage both deep and underneath, Bell and Brown have had valleys in which to operate. Space has been abundant. Now they’ll find themselves in more cramped quarters. Bell obviously remains a high-end RB1, but his value was already close to being maxed out before Roethlisberger's injury. Bell got the ball 23.3 times per game last season, and 26 times on Sunday. Maybe 25 weekly touches is realistic, but 30 isn’t. The quality of those touches will also go down without Ben clearing the middle of the field and hitting Bell in stride on dump offs and screens.

Brown will be hit even harder. Brown has been Mr. Consistent with Roethlisberger under center, but consistency is not something Vick provides. There will be quarters, if not entire games, where Vick singlehandedly nukes the Steelers’ offense. Brown’s amazing streak of 13-straight seven catch performances is in grave danger. Last but not least is Martavis Bryant, who will be even more boom or bust upon his Week 5 return. Every-week WR3 status is no longer a given.

Although a shell of his former self, Vick still offers big-play potential. It’s just that he offers even bigger bust potential. By the time Roethlisberger returns, it might not be clear who missed him more: The Steelers, or fantasy owners.

Five Week 3 Positives

Todd Gurley’s NFL unveiling. Gurley didn’t exactly light up the box score — he gained 14 yards on seven touches — but he did look healthy. More than anything else, nerves seemed to slow Gurley against the Steelers. That should be less of an issue for next week’s trip to Arizona, where Gurley will not only play, but perhaps be the star of the show. The Rams’ offense, and Tre Mason in particular, have been going nowhere. Gurley is primed for a bigger role, and ready for his FLEX close up in fantasy leagues.

Peyton Manning’s first 300-yard game of the season. Finally operating out of his preferred shotgun/hurry up, Manning was close to his vintage self, completing 31-of-42 passes (73.8 percent) for 324 yards (7.71 YPA), two touchdowns and an interception. Unlike last week’s nail biter against the Chiefs, this performance didn’t come with the caveat that Manning could have easily thrown 2-3 more picks. On the contrary, Manning might have had an even bigger night if not for a few drops from Demaryius Thomas. With the schedule finally easing up — Minnesota, Oakland and Cleveland are on deck — Manning’s revival is primed to go full 2014 Tom Brady.

Devonta Freeman’s eruption against the Cowboys. Entering Sunday, Freeman had 87 career rushes for 291 yards (3.34 YPC). Facing a defense fresh off holding the Eagles to seven yards on 17 carries, he seemed an unlikely breakout candidate. But break out he did, scorching Big D for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries (4.7 YPC), adding five catches for 52 yards for good measure. In one afternoon, Freeman came 33.3 percent of the way to his previous career yardage total (579). Freeman is still miscast as a between-the-tackles runner, and has a tough Week 4 matchup in the Texans, but volume alone will keep him in the RB2 mix if Tevin Coleman (ribs) is again forced to sit.

Latavius Murray’s breakout in Cleveland. Facing the league’s worst run defense, Murray got off to a slow start, managing just 19 yards over his first 10 carries. He got cooking after halftime, however, ripping off a 54-yard run and finishing 26/139/1 as a rusher. Averaging 21 touches per game and 4.76 yards per carry, Murray is looking like he may emerge as an RB1. That’s what he’ll be in Week 4 against the pathetic Bears.

Ryan Mathews’ spot start. The Eagles entered Week 3 with 70 total rushing yards. Facing one of the league’s stingier run defenses, Mathews had 67 by halftime, finishing 25/108 on the ground and 2/20/1 through the air. One decent performance isn’t going to pull the rug out from underneath DeMarco Murray’s feet, but it will put him on his toes. Murray (hamstring) simply has to be better upon his return. Chip Kelly is not a patient man, and now he’s seen the other side.

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Five Week 3 Negatives

Colin Kaepernick’s descent into Gabbert-land. Few quarterbacks this decade have been as bad as Kaepernick was on Sunday. One of them is his backup, Blaine Gabbert. Therein lies the desperate situation facing the Jim Harbaugh-less 49ers. Kaep completed 13 passes against the Cardinals — if you count his four interceptions. Just last week, Kaep said the 49ers’ simplified offense was a positive, but Cardinals S Tyrann Mathieu believes it’s why Kaep was so easy to pick on Sunday. “Their passing game has just simplified so much, it was easy for us to anticipate routes, get some good breaks on the ball.” With the Packers up next, things are going to get worse before they get better for San Francisco.

Marshawn Lynch’s disappearing act against the Bears. Absent from the Seahawks’ first two drives, Lynch with finished with five carries for 14 yards, zero of which came after halftime. Questionable with a calf injury heading into the game, Beast Mode was confusingly ruled out with a hamstring issue. The veteran runner enters Week 4 with just 38 carries for 128 yards (3.36 YPC). He needs to get going with a big effort against the Lions next Monday.

LeSean McCoy’s health. Listed as “probable” on the injury report, Shady was instead highly limited, rushing 11 times for 16 yards, and spending most of the day on an exercise bike trying to get loose. McCoy’s fantasy owners got a gift from god when he caught a 10-yard touchdown in the first half, but it was an otherwise concerning afternoon. That’s because not only did McCoy struggle, but Karlos Williams again shined. With Williams running so well, the Bills could decide to give McCoy Week 4 off in an attempt to get him healthy.

Teddy Bridgewater’s caretaker role. This has been a positive for the Vikings, but a big, fat negative for fantasy owners. Bridgewater has just 274 passing yards over his past two starts, and is averaging 168 on the year. The Vikes have correctly identified Adrian Peterson as their best means of moving the ball. Now fantasy owners must identify Bridgewater as a QB2, and not a particularly high-end one at that.

Blake Bortles’ continued struggles. As is custom, Bortles padded his stats in garbage time, but looked overwhelmed against the Patriots, barely completing half his passes while escaping with one turnover when he could have easily had three. Bortles entered halftime 8-of-17 for 90 yards (5.29 YPA) with a pick as his team trailed 20-3. The owner of a 53.8 completion percentage, Bortles seems to be regressing more than progressing.

Questions

1. If that wasn’t Full Philbin, do you really want to know what is?

2. Does anyone actually think that Warren Buffett, who showed up at Dolphins Stadium in full regalia on Sunday, would be a worse coach than Philbin?

3. Can you predict when the next 10-catch Keenan Allen game will occur?

Early Waiver Look (Players owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)

QB: Tyrod Taylor, Derek Carr, Alex Smith, Michael Vick

RB: Chris Johnson, Karlos Williams, Thomas Rawls, Antonio Andrews

WR: Rishard Matthews, Michael Crabtree, DeVante Parker, Dorial Green-Beckham, Leonard Hankerson, Cecil Shorts, Allen Hurns

TE: Crockett Gillmore, Antonio Gates,

Stats of the Week

Five: That’s how many rushes the Cowboys attempted in the second half of Sunday’s come-from-ahead loss. Brandon Weeden played surprisingly well in Tony Romo’s absence, checking down like a man born to do it, but the Cowboys will lose every last non-Romo start when they abandon the run after the break.

The Bears had 10 possessions against the Seahawks. They had 10 punts.

Tom Brady is on pace for 5,931 yards passing, which would break Peyton Manning’s single-season record by 454.

Cecil Shorts has as many targets as Odell Beckham.

Nate Washington has as many targets as Rob Gronkowski.

Houston currently leads the league in pass attempts, an unideal strategy when you have Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett under center. Expect a massive correction once Arian Foster returns.

Larry Fitzgerald’s five touchdowns are already three more than he scored in all of 2014, and would be his second highest total of the past four seasons.

Awards Section

Week 3 Fantasy All-Pro Team: QB Andy Dalton, RB Devonta Freeman, RB Adrian Peterson, WR A.J. Green, WR Julio Jones, WR Steve Smith Sr., TE Greg Olsen

The “Same Here” Tweet of the Week, From @DavisMattek: Emmanuel Sanders is just so much better than I ever tried to give him credit for. Unreal.

Worst Sequence of Week 3: Lamar Miller getting the Dolphins — who were trailing 34-8 — to the Bills’ two-yard line early in the fourth quarter only for OC Bill Lazor to dial up four passes. All four fell incomplete.

Worst Play of Week 3: Well, Brandon Marshall actually believes it was the worst play of all time. Judge for yourself.

Most Absurd Moment of Week 3: The Rams setting their own field on fire.

Tweet of the Week, from @PseudoFootball: Brandon Weeden having his best game since returning home from the Korean War.

Stay Woke Moment of Week 3: Mr. Orange in Miami.