2011 IDP Game Notes: Week 4

ByRyan Sitzmann Posted on Updated on
Written By: Johnny Davis


Hello and welcome everyone to the 4th weekly installment of “IDP Game Notes” brought to you by IDP Guru staff writer, Johnny Davis. This column is quickly turning into one of the most comprehensive, all-encompassing IDP articles anywhere. And it’s free!

Panthers @ Bears

– Chicago MLB Brian Urlacher (8 solo tackles-0 assists) and WLB Lance Briggs (5-3) keep chugging along. With SS Chris Harris still out with a hamstring injury, safeties Brandon Meriweather (6-1, pass defensed) and Major Wright (5-1) held down the fort. CB Charles Tillman (6-1, 2 PD) had good tackle numbers, while CB D.J. Moore (2-1, PD, 20-yd int return TD) took a pick to the house. DE Julius Peppers (2-1, blocked FG) had a decent day.
– With Carolina SLB James Anderson (3-1) having a down day, MLB Dan Connor (6-2) picked up the slack. With Chicago’s Swiss cheese O-line, big things were expected out of the Panthers D-line, but DEs Greg Hardy (3-0) and Charles Johnson (1-1, 1 sack) didn’t exactly blow up the stat sheet. SS Charles Godfrey (4-1, int, PD) returned from a concussion. CB Chris Gamble sat out with his own concussion.


Bills @ Bengals

– Cincinnati FS Reggie Nelson (5-2, PD) is having a good season. MLB Rey Maualuga (3-8) was in on a lot of plays but is just not posting the numbers we had hoped for. DE Carlos Dunlap (0-2, PD) continues to disappoint. DE Michael Johnson (1-2, .5 sack) could have been worse.
– Buffalo SS George Wilson (8-4, int, PD) had an outstanding day. DB Bryan Scott (2-0, PD, 43-yd int return TD) didn’t get the tackles but a pick-6 makes up for that. DE Dwan Edwards (5-3) had a big day, while ILB Nick Barnett (5-5), FS Jairus Byrd (5-2), and rookie DE Marcell Dareus (2-2, 1 sack) held their own. CB Terrence McGee sat out with a bum hamstring.
Titans @ Browns
– With Tennessee’s starting SS Chris Hope (2-0) suffering a new injury, Jordan Babineaux (5-0, PD, 97-yd int return TD) is back in the starting lineup. CB Jason McCourty (10-0, PD) is having a great year, and fellow CB Cortland Finnegan (10-1, PD) decided to join in on this day. A couple of LBs racked up on the tackles too: WLB Will Witherspoon (7-1, 2 PD) and MLB Barrett Ruud (7-0). Three DLs got to the QB: DE Derrick Morgan (2-0, 1 sack), DT Karl Klug (2-0, 1 sack), and DE Jason Jones (1-0, 1 sack).
– Cleveland MLB D’Qwell Jackson (5-5) has cooled off a bit but is still getting in on a lot of plays. SLB Scott Fujita (6-3) had his best game of the season. Owners are hitting the panic button on SS T.J. Ward (3-1). DT Ahtyba Rubin (0-2) was quiet, while rookie DE Jabaal Sheard (2-3) continues to show promise. CB Joe Haden (1-0, 2 PD) left the game with a knee injury.
Lions @ Cowboys
– With Tony Romo deciding to morph into a mistake factory, some of Detroit’s IDPs had huge days. MLB Stephen Tulloch’s (10-2, int, PD) numbers have been rising. With starting SLB Justin Durant out with a concussion, Bobby Carpenter (4-2, PD, 34-yd int return TD) stepped up. CB Chris Houston (5-1, PD, 56-yd int return TD) is having a good season. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (2-0) and DT Ndamukong Suh (2-1) were pretty quiet.
– Expectations are now sky high for Dallas ILB Sean Lee (3-1, PD) and he fell short in this game. With FS Gerald Sensabaugh (4-0, int, PD) going out with a concussion, Barry Church (5-1) stepped in. OLB Demarcus Ware (2-1) had a pedestrian day.
Saints @ Jaguars
– New Orleans SS Roman Harper (5-3, 1 sack) is as reliable as they come. DE Will Smith (2-0, 2 sacks) only had 2 tackles but they were both on the QB behind the line of scrimmage. MLB Jonathan Vilma (4-1) returned from injury.
– Now this is more like what I expected out of Jacksonville MLB Paul Posluszny (9-4, 1 sack, 2 PD).  Dawan Landry (7-4, int, PD) is now listed as the Jags’ starting SS, with Dwight Lowery (3-2, PD) at FS. Landry had been listed as the FS with Courtney Greene at SS. SLB Daryl Smith (6-1, int, PD) and CB Rashean Mathis (6-0) are having good seasons. DE Aaron Kampman remains out with his lingering knee injury.
Steelers @ Texans
– Houston OLB Mario Williams (4-1, 2 sacks) performed nicely after a knee scare last week. Rookie DE J.J. Watt (1-0) filled his diaper. Other notables: ILB DeMeco Ryans (4-0, PD), ILB Brian Cushing (2-4), OLB Connor Barwin (3-1, 1 sack, PD), and SS Glover Quin (2-0). CB Kareem Jackson missed the game with a knee injury.
– Pittsburgh ILB Lawrence Timmons (2-0, PD) had his second-straight extremely quiet game. SS Troy Polamalu (8-1) had his usual awesome game. OLB James Harrison (3-0) suffered – of all things – an eye injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit. With DE Brett Keisel already out with a knee injury and DE Aaron Smith (3-1) going down with a foot injury, Pittsburgh’s D-line could be in trouble.
Vikings @ Chiefs
– With starting SS Jon McGraw inactive with a lower leg injury, no safety stood out in his absence: Kendrick Lewis (5-0), Donald Washington (5-0), and Sab Piscitelli (1-0). A handful of KC LBs racked up the numbers: OLB Tamba Hali (6-1, 2 sacks), ILB Derrick Johnson (5-2), and ILB Jovan Belcher (6-1).
– The usual suspects in Minnesota’s defensive backfield ate up plenty of tackles: FS Husain Abdullah (7-1), CB Antoine Winfield (6-1), and CB Cedric Griffin (5-0, 2 PD). You can almost set your watch by DE Jared Allen (2-0, 2 sacks) doing something to help your fantasy team. MLB E.J. Henderson (4-1) and SLB Chad Greenway (3-0) were nothing remarkable.
49ers @ Eagles
– San Fran FS Dashon Goldson (10-0, PD, fumble recovery) was considered a bust last season, but he’s looked good in the two games he’s played this season. Both ILBs put up good numbers: Navorro Bowman (6-0, PD, fumble recovery) and Patrick Willis (6-0, PD). DE Justin Smith (3-0, forced fumble) had a decent day, while rookie OLB Aldon Smith (4-1, 1.5 sack) had a very nice game.
– The big story here is that Eagles stud DE Trent Cole went down with a calf strain and is expected to join a long list of DLs on Philly’s injury list.  Other notables: DE Jason Babin (3-0, 3 sacks, forced fumble, PD), MLB Jamar Chaney (6-2), WLB Brian Rolle (5-0, PD), and back-up LB Casey Matthews (0-0).
Redskins @ Rams
– Washington SS LaRon Landry (2-1) scared owners by heading toward the locker room on Sunday, but Coach Mike Shanahan said he “went off to the restroom” because “something happened.” Ah, well that clears it up. Rookie OLB Ryan Kerrigan (5-1, 1 sack, FF) remains on a tear. OLB Brian Orakpo (4-1, 2.5 sacks) had a huge day. ILB London Fletcher (1-0) and FS O.J. Atogwe (2-0) were quiet.
– St. Louis MLB James Laurinaitis (5-2, int, PD) got back on track. DE Chris Long (2-0) finally failed to get to the QB. It looks like Darian Stewart (6-0, 3 PD) may be winning the SS battle over Craig Dahl (5-0). FS Quintin Mikell (3-1) had a down game.
Giants @ Cardinals
– With New York DE Justin Tuck out with neck and groin injuries, DE Osi Umenyiora (2-0, 2 sacks, FF) came back nicely from his own injuries. Other notables: DE Jason Pierre-Paul (3-2, PD), SS Kenny Phillips (4-0), FS Antrel Rolle (6-0, int, 2 PD), and WLB Michael Boley (7-2).
– Arizona DE Calais Campbell (6-0, FF) is officially in beast mode. DE Darnell Dockett (3-1, fumble recovery) had a decent day. It appears ILB Daryl Washington (6-0) is OK after missing week 2 with a calf injury. CB Patrick Peterson (7-0, 2 PD) continues to be a rookie sensation.
Falcons @ Seahawks
– Atlanta MLB Curtis Lofton (4-4, int, PD) and WLB Sean Weatherspoon (4-3) didn’t have gigantic tackle numbers in this game, but they are still two valuable IDPs. SS William Moore (8-0) had by far his best game of the season. DEs John Abraham (1-0) and Ray Edwards (3-0) continue to disappoint.
– With SS Kam Chancellor out with a quad injury, Seattle’s DBs racked up on the tackles: FS Earl Thomas (5-4), CB Marcus Trufant (7-2), and CB Brandon Browner (8-0). MLB David Hawthorne (3-7) had disappointing solo numbers, while WLB Leroy Hill (5-4) had another good game.
Broncos @ Packers
– Green Bay ILB Desmond Bishop (9-1, FF, 1 sack) is easily one of the top IDP options in the game. FS Morgan Burnett (5-1, fumble recovery, PD) had another great game, and it looks like owners can stop worrying about his position change hurting his value. OLB Clay Matthews has been unstartable even in big-play leagues. CB Charles Woodson (2-2, PD, 30-yd int return TD) will never stop coming up with big plays.
– Denver WLB D.J. Williams (7-1) announced his return from injury. Williams’ return didn’t render Wesley Woodyard (4-3) completely useless. Rookie SLB Von Miller (4-0, 2 sacks) had a nice QB-terrorizing day. Rookie FS Rahim Moore (4-0, int, PD) had his best game of the season. SS Brian Dawkins (3-3) ain’t what he used to be. DE Elvis Dumervil (1-0) returned from injury, while CB Champ Bailey sat out.
Patriots @ Raiders
– With New England’s stud WLB Jerod Mayo (2-1) going down with a knee injury, no LBs really stepped up in his absence. CB Devin McCourty (7-1) had another good tackle game, while SS Pat Chung (2-2, int, PD) returned from injury. DT Albert Haynesworth continues to sit out with a back injury.
– Oakland MLB Rolando McClain (5-2, PD) and SS Tyvon Branch (4-4, PD) continue to play well. DE Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder) and FS Michael Huff (concussion) missed the game due to injury.
Dolphins @ Chargers
– San Diego FS Eric Weddle (6-2, int, PD) had another great game, while a couple of ILBs held their own: Takeo Spikes (5-3, 1 sack, PD) and Donald Butler (4-1). With CB Quentin Jammer out with a hamstring injury, rookie CB Marcus Gilchrist (6-0, int, 2 PD) saw plenty of passes come his way.
– Holy high tackle number! Miami SS Yeremiah Bell (14-0) had a ridiculous day. ILB Karlos Dansby (4-1, FF) is still not blowing anyone away, while OLB Cameron Wake (3-0, 1 sack) continues to find the QB.
Jets @ Ravens
– Baltimore’s usual suspects were mostly underwhelming in the tackle column: ILB Ray Lewis (4-1, PD), FS Ed Reed (1-0, FF, 1 sack), DE/OLB Terrell Suggs (2-1), DT Haloti Ngata (2-0, FF, 1 sack), and CB Lardarius Webb (1-1, 3 PD, 73-yd int return TD). SS Tom Zbikowski (1-0) left with a concussion. Is this Bernard Pollard’s opportunity? CBs Chris Carr and Jimmy Smith were inactive.
– A couple of New York ILBs had good days: David Harris (4-3, PD, 35-yd int return TD) and Bart Scott (6-2). They lost OLB Bryan Thomas for the season. Other notables: FS Eric Smith (2-2, .5 sack, PD) and DT Sione Pouha (7-1, fumble recovery).
Colts @ Bucs
– Tampa Bay’s D-line had poor little Curtis Painter running for his life: DE Michael Bennett (4-1, 2 sacks, FF, fumble recovery), DT Gerald McCoy (5-1, 1 sack), and rookie DE Adrian Clayborn (2-0, 1 sack). SS Sean Jones (1-1) and rookie MLB Mason Foster (3-1) were quiet.

– In his first game since usual starting MLB Gary Brackett was declared out for the season, new Indy MLB Pat Angerer (6-2) continued to put up good numbers, but WLB Kavell Conner (14-4) was the man in this game. Other notables: FS Antoine Bethea (7-1, PD), SLB Philip Wheeler (6-4), DE Robert Mathis (4-0, 1 sack), and DE Dwight Freeney (0-0).

If you have any questions for Johnny, feel free to email him at johnnydavis@idpguru.com or follow him on Twitter. Also, feel free to post any questions or comments for David in the comments section of this post.

Last Updated: October 4, 2011