Week 8 Fantasy Football News

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Maybe we shouldn't be shocked that the New York Jets have already equaled last year's total of four wins.

It's simple. Chad Pennington is healthy, giving the Jets a first-rate quarterback, the key to any team's success.

The Jets illustrate a fact of NFL life: injuries can ruin a season, especially at key positions where the backups are shaky. But it's a crap shoot - teams get lucky if the guys who get hurt are at positions with depth. If not, they are likely to crash quickly.

For example, Kansas City lost QB Trent Green with a concussion in its first game. He still hasn't returned, but Damon Huard, a journeyman, has kept the Chiefs afloat at 3-3. He is fifth in the league in passer rating and has thrown just one interception.

Same thing in Pittsburgh, where Charlie Batch has been more than adequate filling in for Ben Roethlisberger, who is on his second concussion in four months and also missed the opener after an appendectomy. The defending Super Bowl champions are 2-4, but you can lay some of the blame on a defense that allowed 41 points last week in a loss in Atlanta.

And as well as he played in a little over a quarter Monday night in Dallas, LaVar Arrington's torn Achilles' tendon probably won't hurt the New York Giants badly. Arrington hadn't done much in the first five games, and the Giants went out of their way to stock up on linebackers after they went into the playoffs last season with LBs literally picked up off the street.

``I am definitely concerned, but I think more that I feel very badly for him,'' coach Tom Coughlin said, a subtle way of noting that his team will get by with Reggie Torbor, Carlos Emmons, Gerris Wilkinson or whoever ends up stepping in for Arrington.

Right now it's Emmons, who started on the other side before he got hurt. Brandon Short, one of those offseason pickups, came in and played so well that Emmons couldn't get his job back. That's another example of how teams survive with depth.

On the other hand, there is Seattle.

The Seahawks were good enough to start 4-1 despite playing two games without Shaun Alexander, the league's leading rusher and MVP last season. They are 1-2 without Alexander, although last week's loss to the Vikings was clearly due more to Matt Hasselbeck's injury. The game was tied 10-10 when he went out, and the Seahawks were outscored 21-3 from there on as inexperienced Seneca Wallace, more an athlete than a QB, threw two interceptions.

Hasselbeck will miss at least three weeks - at Kansas City, and at home to Oakland and St. Louis, Seattle's only real challenger in the NFC West. Only the Raiders are easily beatable if Wallace is the QB.

``It's very much a measure of what your team is really like at its core,'' said coach Mike Holmgren, adding that he faced a bigger challenge coaching freshmen at Lincoln High School in San Francisco 35 years ago.

Other losses that will have an impact?

- Mike Peterson, LB, Jacksonville, out for the season with a torn chest muscle. Not only is he one of the least-publicized impact linebackers in the NFL, but he's the leader of the defense. Without him, the Jaguars are squabbling among themselves. Jacksonville also misses DE Reggie Hayward, its best pass rusher, out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

- San Diego's linebackers. Steve Foley was put on the non-football injury list before the season after being shot by a policeman outside his home. Shawne Merriman is appealing a four-game suspension after testing positive for a steroid. And Shaun Phillips, who replaced Foley and leads the team with six sacks, could be out for a month with a calf injury. Subtract defensive end Igor Olshansky, out with a knee injury, and a once formidable defense is far less so - 30 points allowed in Kansas City last week. The Chargers hope Merriman's appeal won't be decided until Phillips is ready to return.

- Mike Brown, S, Chicago. Out for the season with a foot injury. Brown's absence isn't going to keep the Bears from winning the NFC North or from losing more than two or three games overall. But the scary Chicago defense has never been quite as good when Brown has been hurt. Brian Urlacher gets all the publicity, but Brown is the glue. Without him, the Bears might have problems in the playoffs.

- John Abraham, DE, Atlanta. The Falcons knew his injury history when they traded for him. He's played in only two games (with three sacks) and now may miss four more with groin/abdominal injuries. Maybe the Falcons can continue to contend, but Abraham draws attention when he plays, and his absence allows offenses to concentrate on Patrick Kerney to slow down the pass rush..

There are other contenders missing important players, such as Carolina, which has lost middle linebacker Dan Morgan for the season with a concussion.

But the Panthers were prepared for that: Morgan has missed 25 games in five-plus NFL seasons and played hurt most of the rest of the time. A bigger concern might be the injury to rookie running back DeAngelo Williams, who is about ready to return from a sprained right ankle. He backs up injury prone DeShaun Foster and Carolina is averaging less than 100 yards rushing a game.

Indianapolis has been lucky, too.

Despite a rushing defense that's next to last in yards allowed, the Colts are unbeaten heading into very tough road games at Denver and New England. They traded for defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, a run-stopper to replace Corey Simon, who is on the non-football injury list. McFarland played pretty well against Washington, and Bob Sanders, the run-stuffing safety who missed four games, is about to come back, so things could get better.

Sometimes the effect of injuries is strange. And sometimes teams survive when they shouldn't.

The Eagles, for example, started 4-1 despite playing three games without Lito Sheppard, their best cornerback, and his backup, Rod Hood. Sheppard's absence probably cost them the game in which the Giants came back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and won in overtime. New York exploited NFL Europe refugee Joselio Hanson and Dexter Wynn, who is really just a return man. Now Sheppard is back and the Eagles have lost two straight they could have (should have) won.

But the Jets remain the best example of how important one player can be - in the lineup and out.

Two years ago, they almost made it to the AFC title game, even though Pennington was playing with a torn rotator cuff.

Last season, he reinjured it. A few plays later, backup Jay Fiedler, signed as insurance, was lost for the season. So New York pulled Vinny Testaverde out of retirement, then used Brooks Bollinger and finished 4-12.

Pennington is healthy again, the Jets have four wins and a schedule weak enough that they have a shot at the playoffs.

Yes, injuries can ruin. Or not.

DIRTY DOZEN: The top six and bottom six teams based on current level of play:

1. Chicago (6-0). Lovie Smith was hard on his lads during bye week after scare in the desert. Rebound against 49ers will help the confidence.

2. Denver (5-1). With that defense, who needs an offense?

3. Indianapolis (6-0). McFarland has already helped the defense.

4. New England (5-1). A team to be wary of in January.

5. New Orleans (5-1). Tests coming soon with road games against Bucs, Steelers and Falcons.

6. New York Giants (4-2). A team that can go 3-1 on road against brutal schedule deserves ranking.

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27. Washington (2-5). Injuries hurt, but as always Skins have overspent on average players. Thanks, Dan.

28. Cleveland (1-5). Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards are building blocks. Is Charlie Frye?

29. Detroit (1-6). Jon Kitna knows that bad teams get no breaks. He's played on enough of them.

30. Oakland (1-5). Momentum building?

31. Miami (1-6). Who's a bigger disappointment? The Dolphins or ...

32 Arizona (1-6). Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, Darnell Dockett? Edgerrin James? Matt Leinart? Dennis Green and Bill Bidwill.

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