Snap, Crackle and Pop

E-Vick-ted from the playoff chase

By Greg Kellogg, Special to SI.com

Snap, Crackle and Pop is a weekly column that reviews the major injuries (Snap) and then projects both busts (Crackle) and sleepers (Pop) for the coming week.

You could hear the cries ring out across this grand country. Some even echoed from overseas. "Why do they play those stupid preseason games?"

Leagues that have held their drafts already have one team owner screaming at the unfairness of it all. Michael Vick, the next coming, won't be arriving anytime soon. As he crumpled to the FieldTurf in the Georgia Dome, so crumpled so many fantasy league owner's hopes and dreams of a 2003 championship.

Bull puckey! One player does not a team make. Even if you were counting heavily on Vick to carry you to the promised land there is still hope. Hope in the form of a journeyman named starter in Cleveland or in any one of a dozen players that will explode onto the scene in 2003. So keep your ear to the ground and pay close attention to the waiver wire because you won't win anything on cruise control. But you also won't lose because of the loss of one player.

Snap

Superman ran into some kryptonite Saturday night. Atlanta Falcons' QB Michael Vick might have a world class arm and world class speed, but his body just might not be up to the rigors of the pounding an NFL running back takes. That wouldn't be so bad if he remembered he was a quarterback, but this kid likes to run entirely too much. "I am terribly disappointed," Vick said. "But this is the ultimate team sport and we will have to keep playing. I have confidence that these guys and coaches can get it done."

As an aside, Donovan McNabb suffered a similar injury last season and he did return after just six weeks. However his QB rating dropped over 10 points, his rushing yards dropped in half and his TD per game average went from 1.7 to 0.5. Not a good sign for those who were counting on Vick to propel them to a championship this year.

The man who would be king, might not make it this year. TE Jeremy Shockey fractured a rib in Saturday's preseason gave against the Panthers. "He won't play this week, he's sore," Fassel said. "My comment to the doctor was what I want to make sure of is we get him back as soon as we can to practice. If it's iffy in the last [preseason] game, I won't play him, because the starters are only going to play a quarter." While he could play, if he can tolerate the pain, there is no reason to put him at further risk. Of more concern should be the two passes he dropped in the game. His biggest problem as a rookie was his propensity to drop catchable passes, and one of his drops this past weekend was inside the 5-yard line.

He isn't hurt per se, but WR Jimmy Smith certainly has hurt his team. Smith has been suspended for the first four games of the 2003 season for violating the NFL's Substance Abuse program. In 2001, during a routine blood test because of a traffic ticket, it was reported that Smith had cocaine in his system -- a charge Smith vehemently denied. While the NFL is not releasing the nature of this transgression due to confidentiality rules, Smith has basically admitted to his own personal failure. "I would like to apologize to my families, parents, friends, the Jaguars organization and fans. I would especially like to apologize to [owner] Wayne Weaver, who I know I have embarrassed and disappointed so much. I am sincerely sorry that I have concealed this from everyone and let them down."

Crackle

You've heard it before. "Don't draft RB Fred Taylor -- he'll rip your heart out." But with Stacey Mack moving to Houston many will feel tempted to take a chance. Especially since Taylor is going in the middle to late portion of the second round. He has a lot less risk as a RB2 you will say to yourself. Just say no! Taylor, known as a slow healer, is already missing preseason playing time to a bone bruise on his knee. Let us not forget that this is an odd-numbered year. Every other year, Taylor seems to miss a lot of time to injuries. Two years ago, he played in only two games. Four years ago, just 10 games. While I don't truly believe in patterns like that, there is one pattern I trust. In five professional seasons, Fred Taylor has played in all 16 games just once. I trust that ratio to go to once in six seasons after this one.

I hate putting a player here that plays for my favorite team, but the Lions' RB James Stewart has been going earlier than guys like Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin and Eddie George in some August drafts. With rumors of Duce Staley showing up to Eagles camp only to be traded, one has to wonder if the Lions might not be a potential suitor. It's no secret that the Lions debated whether to even bring Stewart back this offseason, and Staley is a better fit for the West Coast Offense that Mariucci runs. If you can wait until the fifth or sixth round to take Stewart, he is worth the risk, but if you have to take him in the third or fourth, my advice is to stay away.

Early this spring, everyone's preseason sleeper was RB Amos Zereoue. For good reason -- Famous Amos gained over 100 rushing yards in three of his five 2002 starts and scored two TDs twice, including a game against a relatively stout Ravens run defense. With most pundits penciling him in as this year's starting Steelers RB, and writing off Jerome Bettis at the same time, Zereoue looked primed for an explosion. But a funny thing happened on the way to the regular season. Bettis showed up healthy and in shape and determined to hang on to his starting job. Jerome Bettis has made a career out of proving his doubters wrong and he seems to have the motivation, and talent, to keep Zereoue in a running back by committee situation.

Pop

The Philadelphia Eagles believe they are a Super Bowl contender. But they are pretending they don't need RB Duce Staley to make it happen. This past weekend's game suggests otherwise. Super Bowl teams have to rush for better than two yards a carry. And they didn't even accomplish that against the Steelers this past weekend. Correll Buckhalter did score a rushing TD, but the team was limited to just 42 yards on 22 carries. Granted, Brian Westbrook sat out the game, but unless they are planning on using Westbrook as the full-time player while Buckhalter works himself back into playing shape, they really do need Staley. And Staley, nor his agent, are stupid enough to sit out the entire year. Look for him to break his holdout prior to the final preseason game and be in the starting lineup Sept. 8, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Don't take him too early, but if you are sitting in your 10th round and want to get a potential difference maker -- Staley is your guy.

Despite the hoopla of being named the Cleveland Browns' starting QB, Kelly Holcomb is still tremendously undervalued. Yes, there will be job security questions with Tim Couch lingering in the background. But Holcomb stood up to the scrutiny last season and has one big supporter on his side.

"He's so in tune with what's going on in a game, it's ridiculous," WR Quincy Morgan said. "That makes you have to be so much focused. He sees everything. He's great at reading the defense." Holcomb started three games last year -- the first two of the Brown's season and the final one, a playoff loss to the Steelers.

Consider this ... Holcomb led the Browns to an apparent 39-37 win over the Chiefs, until Dwayne Rudd's premature celebration gave Kansas City new life and a game-winning FG. Holcomb threw for 326 yards and three TDs. The following week he added two more TDs, though he only had 198 yards, in a 20-7 win over Cincinnati. A couple of mopup games produced three more TDs and then the amazing playoff game against the Steelers where he threw for 429 yards and three scores in a game that was clearly lost by the defense and not Holcomb. So wait late and expect great for Holcomb this season.

Another Cleveland Brown just sky-rocketed in value. Because Holcomb likes to air the ball out, safeties will be forced to honor the pass and the middle of the field. This should prove a windfall for RB William Green. Green showed surprising speed with an 82-yard screen pass this past weekend in which he out ran the entire Packers defense. The addition of the big play via the pass always helps running backs and I expect this move to be nothing less of a benefit for Green.

Famous Quotes

"Thirty is a grandpa for a running back in the NFL." -- Former Dallas Cowboys running back Walt Garrison

Greg Kellogg, current co-owner of the Fantasy Asylum and RotoCourt, is a member of the Professional Football Writer's Association and has been writing about fantasy football on a national stage since 1996.