Can we count on those Rams?
Three weeks ago, I made a bonehead fantasy decision.
Furious at the inept St. Louis Rams offense, I dropped Marc Bulger and picked up Giants QB Eli Manning.
I suppose, at the time, it didn't appear to be a total bonehead move. But looking at it now -- after it cost me a victory and first place in my division -- I'm kicking myself from here to next week.
Bulger and the Rams looked fantastic against New Orleans in a 37-29 victory Sunday that wasn't nearly that close.
What was the difference? For one, the return of RB Steven Jackson was huge. The big, powerful running back carried 22 times for 76 yards and a touchdown, caught 5 passes for 24 yards, and even threw a 2-yard TD pass.
"You can't ignore the fact that when he's in there, good things happen," Bulger told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "If we can keep him healthy, I think we'll continue to get better and score more points."
Another factor is the improved play of the Rams' offensive line, which has been decimated by injuries.
Get this: Four of the Rams' offensive linemen weren't even in the NFL at some point this season. One of them, Nick Leckey, was signed Oct. 6 and is listed at 6-feet-3 and a generous 291 pounds.
"I'm bigger than him," said Jackson, who is 6-2, 231. "Last week, I asked him how much he weighed, and he said, 290, 295. I said, 'If he's 295, then I don't even want to know how much I weigh.' "
The question is, was this game a one-week blip against a bad Saints defense, or will the Rams build off this performance?
My guess is it will end up somewhere in between. I find it hard to believe that a makeshift line like this, put together so hastily, can remain this effective on a consistent basis. St. Louis' schedule isn't terribly daunting for the next few weeks (at San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, at Cincinnati). But then things get nasty as the Rams host Green Bay and Pittsburgh in Weeks 15 and 16.
We need to know if we can trust Bulger, Jackson, Torry Holt and maybe Isaac Bruce in the fantasy playoffs. The next four weeks tell us whether or not we can.
Of course, many of you with Bulger and Jackson are probably gasping for your fantasy lives right now. But if the Rams stay hot and you squeak into the postseason, perhaps these guys can lead your team to the promised land.
My teams: I hate losing because of a bad decision. And that's what happened to me last week when I got spooked by the weather forecast in Seattle (rain, wind) and sat Matt Hasselbeck in favor of Eli Manning. It was a dumb move and it cost me dearly in a 108-106 loss in my regular league (7-3). The real killer is a victory would have given me a 2-game lead in the division, but now I'm tied.
In the unit league, I improved to 7-3 with a 64-48 win with 43 of my points coming from Tony Romo and Terrell Owens.
Good bets
• Bucs RB Earnest Graham vs. Atlanta. Graham owners may fear Michael Pittman's return, but coach Jon Gruden has said he'll keep Graham as the starter and use Pittman in a secondary role.
• Texans QB Matt Schaub vs. New Orleans. Worthless since Week 4, Schaub is healthy again, faces a bad Saints defense and, best of all, he gets stud WR Andre Johnson back this week. Enjoy!
• Ravens WR Derrick Mason vs. Cleveland. Mason has been quiet the past two weeks (35, 29 yards), but he figures to rebound against a Browns pass defense so bad that it allowed Steve McNair to throw for 307 yards in Week 4. Mason had 10 catches for 78 yards in that one.
• Cardinals RB Edgerrin James vs. Cincinnati. This is a good spot for James against a team that has allowed rushing TDs in seven of nine games.
• Eagles QB Donovan McNabb vs. Miami. Wait … could we get back-to-back good weeks from McNabb? Bank on it.
• Packers defense vs. Carolina. It should be a point bonanza for Green Bay against a Carolina team that has scored 7, 7 and 13 points the past three weeks.
• Seahawks defense vs. the Bears. Sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries -- they should all come in bunches for Seattle against a woeful Bears offense.
• Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton vs. Washington. This is a great sleeper play against a Redskins defense that just lost safety Sean Taylor indefinitely with a knee injury.
Bad bets
• Raiders RB Justin Fargas vs. Minnesota. Ignore that 119-yard performance against the Vikings by Ryan Grant last week. The Packers have a passing game; the Raiders don't. Fargas will be lucky to go over 70 yards this week.
• Falcons WR Roddy White vs. Tampa Bay. This is going to be a tough game for Atlanta facing a rested Bucs team that has allowed 1 passing TD in its last four games.
• Dolphins RB Jesse Chatman vs. Philadelphia. Chatman isn't a terrible play, but he won't find the end zone against an Eagles defense that has allowed 4 rushing TDs all season.
• Jets RB Thomas Jones and WR Jerricho Cotchery vs. Pittsburgh. I'm sensing a 31-6 Steelers victory here.
• Redskins RB Clinton Portis vs. Dallas. With the entire Washington receiving corps in shambles, the Cowboys will stack the line and keep Portis under 60 total yards.
• Broncos QB Jay Cutler vs. Tennessee. Cutler's only thrown more than 1 TD pass once this season.
• Panthers WR Steve Smith vs. Green Bay. It's been ugly, ugly, ugly for Smith owners. He has 10 catches for 94 yards the last three weeks.