Dose: Saved By The Bell
Michael Vick said, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
That’s an understatement.
On an extraordinarily sloppy night of football in San Diego, Le’Veon Bell rose above the mediocrity to deliver a last-second touchdown, sealing the Steelers’ 24-20 win over the Chargers.
If only games had a fast-forward button. The 59 minutes of football that preceded Bell’s game-winning touchdown were unbearable. The highlights included a head-scratching pick-six by Philip Rivers, countless misthrows by Vick and the mysterious disappearance of Antonio Brown. Even Mike Tomlin was probably asking himself, “Hey, isn’t the Dodgers game on right now?”
The Sistine Chapel this game was not. But somebody had to win and usually when all else fails, star power prevails.
Monday’s game was no different. Bell finished with 111 rushing yards, but his last one was the toughest. Down by three with five seconds remaining and one timeout left, the Steelers lined up in the wildcat formation. Bell took the snap and tried to leap into the end zone. After his path was obstructed, Bell kept his balance and made one more push for the goal line. Donald Butler bottled him up but Bell had already crossed the plane. Pittsburgh could have and probably should have played it safe by kicking the game-tying field goal. But this time, the gamble paid off.
As poorly as Vick played for most of the night, his 24-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter kept the Steelers alive when they were down to their last breath. The veteran finished 13-of-26 for 203 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He couldn’t find chemistry with Brown, or really anyone else, but sometimes all it takes is one big play.
Losing in the final seconds always stings, but Antonio Gates can hold his head high after Monday’s 92-yard effort. The first of his two end zone visits marked the 100th touchdown of his illustrious career. Fantasy owners were probably expecting rust from Gates after missing the first four games because of a PED suspension. Clearly, the long layoff wasn’t an issue for the 13-year veteran.
With Ben Roethlisberger (sprained MCL) unlikely to suit up for Sunday’s home game against the Cardinals, the Steelers will have to suffer through another week of Vick. Hopefully he stays out of the way and lets Bell do the heavy lifting.
Replacing Charles
Remember AIM? Before texting was a thing, it was the easiest way to communicate—you know, besides actually talking to someone.
You probably thought instant messaging went the way of the dinosaurs, but here at Rotoworld, we fire up the ol’ AIM every Sunday during football season. Mostly, the group chat is used for dividing up blurbs and discussing fantasy lineups. It’s business as usual, but when something significant happens in one of the games we’re covering, the chat can take on a very different tone.
Sunday was one of those instances.
“Jamaal Charles is down.”
“How bad is it?”
“What’s his injury?”
“It’s his knee.”
“Was it non-contact?”
“They’re carting him off.”
“Oh no.”
Such is life in the Rotoworld chat room. But the impact of Charles’ torn ACL goes way beyond that. With Charles out of the picture, the Chiefs need to find a starting running back and they need to find one fast. Charcandrick West leads the list of in-house candidates and seems to have the trust of head coach Andy Reid. Knile Davis will push for a timeshare, though if Sunday’s game was any indication, he still has some ground to make up. West out-touched Davis eight to two in that contest while outgaining him 36 yards to two.
West and Davis offer different skill sets but both can be effective if used the right way. Davis is more of a power runner while West is a stud athlete with sprinter’s speed. He ran a 4.27 in his now legendary Pro Day at Abilene Christian University. West is certainly a promising backfield weapon, but he’s also unproven. The 24 year old has logged just 12 carries for 48 yards in 11 career games.
Of course, the Chiefs can’t be that enthused by the tandem of West and Davis if they’re working out Ben Tate and Pierre Thomas. Tate last surfaced in Pittsburgh where he actually drew the start in a Wild Card loss to Baltimore. Le’Veon Bell missed that game with a hyperextended knee. Thomas was close to signing with the Texans during training camp but wasn’t willing to work for the veteran’s minimum. Now that his offers have dried up, he’s probably singing a much different tune. Even if one of them ends up signing, neither will carry much fantasy relevance.
Charles has accounted for an incredible 31.3 percent of Kansas City’s yardage this year. That’s a lot of offense to make up. If you didn’t notice, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has been on quite a tear with 374 yards over his last three games. His fantasy stock will be through the roof now that Charles is out of the equation. The same goes for Travis Kelce, who ranks third among tight ends in both receiving yards (328) and receptions (24).
Quick Hits: Ravens coach John Harbaugh said there’s a “good chance” Justin Forsett (ankle) will play against the Niners in Week 6. He was also optimistic about Steve Smith Sr.’s availability. Smith missed Sunday’s game with a back injury … Andrew Luck (shoulder) practiced in full on Monday. It looks like he’ll return Sunday against New England … Speaking of the Colts, former Colt Dwight Freeney signed a one-year deal with Arizona. The Cardinals needed depth at outside linebacker with Alex Okafor sidelined by a strained calf … After getting a bye in Week 5, Dolphins players returned to find their lockers had been rearranged by position group. Struggling veteran Greg Jennings said, “I was just hoping I still had a locker” … Cowboys coach Jason Garrett acknowledged that the team could make a change at quarterback during the bye week. Brandon Weeden posted a dismal 67.0 passer rating against New England on Sunday. With Tony Romo (collarbone) sill out, Matt Cassel is next up on the Cowboys’ quarterback depth chart … Bills coach Rex Ryan said he “feels good” about Sammy Watkins’ chances of playing this week. He’s missed the last two games with a strained calf … The Bills have added linebacker/Geno Smith puncher IK Enemkpali to their 53-man roster. Cierre Wood (torn ACL) was placed on injured reserve … Rather than heading back to Arizona for a few days, the Cardinals went from Detroit straight to West Virginia where they will practice at the Greenbrier facility this week in preparation for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. Coach Bruce Arians said he wanted his team to stay in the same time zone this week … Joe Haden is in the league’s concussion protocol. He’s doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Broncos … Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has no intention of benching Peyton Manning despite his struggles … DeMarcus Ware will be sidelined for two weeks after suffering a strained back in Sunday’s win against Oakland … Marques Colston is dealing with a separated shoulder and will likely miss Thursday’s tilt against Atlanta … Blake Bortles played through a sprained shoulder in Week 5. It looks like he’ll do the same Sunday against Houston … Joique Bell is expected to return in Week 6. He sat out the last two games with an Achilles injury … Hakeem Nicks worked out for the Patriots on Monday. Nicks was among Tennessee’s final roster cuts in training camp … Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt tried to patch things up with wide receiver Kendall Wright on Monday. Wright said he was “beyond frustrated” with his role in the Titans’ offense after Sunday’s loss to Buffalo … Giants coach Tom Coughlin is hoping wide receivers Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham will be available to practice on a limited basis this week. Both of them suffered hamstring injuries in Sunday’s win against San Francisco … Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said Mike Nugent’s game-winning field goal against the Seahawks on Sunday was aided by the Earth’s rotation. Seriously.
