Insights from Week 4 in the NFL

The Packers are 4-0! I don't believe it! The Packers are undefeated a quater into the season, along with the likes of the Cowboys, Patriots, and the Colts. How is this possible? There is no ground game, few, if any, recognizable stars on defense or special teams..It must be the gunslinger who has officially reached the status of the GREATEST of ALL TIME! There is no argument.

Brett Favre is, as Mike Lupica suggested, Cal Ripken and Hank Aaron rolled into one! Not only has Favre broked every major quaterback record with lackluster receivers such as Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks (ask yourself the last time the Packers spent a first round pick on a Wide Receiver), he has played in over 200 consecutive games!

This season, more than any other, it seems, more players are getting injured and missing games than ever before. The following fantasy starters have already missed a game or are scheduled to miss an upcoming game through 1/4 of the season: Steven Jackson, Jake Delhomme, Brian Westbrook, Tavarais Jackson, Chad Pennington, Steve McNair, Cadillac Williams, Brandon Jacobs, Ahman Green, Santana Moss, Mark Clayton, Terry Glenn...And, these are just the fantasy offensive starters. I'm not even counting all the injured linemen and defensive players. This just means that Favre is even more amazing, and what he has done without a ground game this season, ever more incredible!!!



Here are some other insights on Week 4 in the NFL:

• Maybe the Browns are better than we thought? Or maybe it's just the Ravens who are worse than we thought. After Derek Anderson torched the Ravens defense, the Ravens should start thinking about emphasizing McGahee and the ground game rather than relying on Air McNair and his 8 yard passes.

• Contrary to popular thought, Brian Leonard was not the answer for the Rams. A popular waiver wire pick this past week, Leonard did not start on his own team in college and is unlikely to be anything more than a backup in the NFL. The Rams have lost Orlando Pace as well as some other vital linemen. With Bulger nursing 2 broken ribs, don't expect the Rams ground game to get much room to run.

• Giants RB Derrick Ward is really, really good. A former 7th round draft choice of the Jets in 2004, Ward has finally received the opportunity to play since Brandon Jacobs went down. Ward has totalled over at least 85 yards from scrimmage in each of his first 4 games. Coughlin claims that Ward is even faster on the game field than he is in practice. Although Jacobs is likely to return this week, Ward may be a huge factor in the season going forward.

• The Chargers are really, really bad. Hard to believe that "Nice guy" Norv turned these Super Bowl contenders into losers in only 4 games. Paging Marty?

• The Cardinals are playing Steeler-Smash Mouth football and Edge is a top 10 fantasy RB again. In a big upset for the Red and White, the Cardinals defeated the Steelers 21-14 yesterday. It was vindication for Ken Whisenhut, but more so, the Cardinals franchise. They would have found a way to lose this game under Denny Green last year. Also, don't look know, but Edge is putting up Top RB numbers better than LJ, SJax, or LT.

• Daunte Culpepper is back!! In a day where he accounted for 5 TD's (3 rushing and 2 passing), Culpepper made every fan in South Beach wonder, why did we haggle so much for Trent Green?

• Plaxico Burress cannot be covered. The man is 6"5' and runs a 4.4 in the 40. All Manning has to do is lob up the ball to him on every play. Why does this not happen more??

• Cedric Benson is falling into oblivion. The former first round draft choice was benched in the last 11 minutes of Sunday's game after fumbling the ball, yet again. Maybe it wasn't all "Wrecks'' Grossman's fault?