A friend of mine asked me who I thought the best cornerback in the NFL was Sunday night during the Cowboys game. I turned to him and said, “When he’s healthy, it has to be Terence Newman. His interceptions are low, but that is only because offenses don’t bother looking to his side of the field.”
On the play following my response, Newman promptly got burned on a 15-yard crossing route.
But as the game progressed, he started to improve. He and Jay Ratliff are the main reasons Dallas won Sunday’s game at Washington, and before it was over, Newman reminded everyone what he means for this defense and to this team.
But before we get into this week’s stuff, here are my thoughts for the week:
1.Donovan McNabb doesn’t know games can end in a tie? This is only the latest gaffe by the awkward and overhyped quarterback. Remember last year’s preseason news conference when he jumped up and ran out of the room? After proclaiming the Eagles Super Bowl champions this preseason McNabb has disappointed, partially because of his less-than-inspiring last two games.
2.The Dallas Morning News ran a story about Tony Romo that I felt needed repeating.
A homeless man was cashing in change at a Cinemark in Dallas when Romo appeared behind him and offered to pay for his movie. The man had to walk across the street to ask for the day off from a place that occasionally pays him to hand out fliers, but when he returned and went in the theater Romo called him over to sit with him and his friend. Say what you want about this team, but they’re not all the prima donnas Skip Bayless and ESPN would have you believe.
And now the main event, this week’s top three waiver wire adds, and the matchups to keep an eye on.
Waiver Wire Adds:
Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (RB – TB): Earnest Graham is on injured reserve, and Tampa Bay hasn’t ever run a truly one-back offense. Warrick Dunn will play and probably play a lot as Williams isn’t fully up to speed yet, but the day is fast approaching when Williams will regain his starting role.
Dustin Keller (TE – NYJ): The rookie is showing everyone what he’s made of and forging a strong bond with Brett Favre. Keller came up big against New England and things can only get better from here.
Justin Gage (WR – Ten): Gage is emerging as Tennessee’s leading wide out, and the Titans have realized there are other ways to win the game than pounding their foes with the running game. Gage’s finally healthy knee and Kerry Collins’ resurgence gives him a prime opportunity to make a difference in all the fantasy playoffs that are fast approaching.
Week 12 Matchups:
San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys: This is supposed to be the first of two “easy” games Dallas has before hitting its final crucial stretch and receiving some much-needed backup in the form of Felix Jones and Adam “Pacman” Jones. But beware, the 49ers will not go quietly and their main strength attacks Dallas’ big weakness: run defense. Frank Gore can take control of a game and could have a big one on Sunday. Romo’s numbers should start to trend up but there are still better options out there, which means Jason Witten, Terrell Owens and Roy Williams are all risky plays. The Barbarian will be huge again this week.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans: The Titans defense will try to get after Favre this game, which could mean big days for Dustin Keller and Thomas Jones, who has been on fire as of late. The Jets’ pass defense is not to be taken lightly, and the Titans’ offense will defer to the ground meaning good numbers from both LenDale White and Chris Johnson. I see the Jets pulling an upset this week in a close game.
New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals: The Giants have plowed through the easy part of their schedule and arrive at Arizona ready to give the upstart Cardinals a rough time. Kurt Warner and the rest of the Cards’ pass offense are every-week starters, but Tim Hightower could have trouble gaining yards this weekend. Brandon Jacobs may play but is struggling with his “nagging” injury. Either way, Derrick Ward will be getting plenty of carries this weekend, and as weak as Arizona can be against the run, he is worth a look. Eli Manning should have a decent, but not great, game this week.