5 Things You Need to Know – Pre-Season Week 2

I’m going to try and stray from the obvious. There of course will be things I bring up in these posts that people already know, but hopefully for every reader there will be at least one or two topics I mention each week that are news to them. But I will stay away from common knowledge (e.g., Chad Johnson being arrested and then cut from the Dolphins is not in my list).

1.            Witten, Harrison Could be out for Season Opener

Two announcements were made concerning injuries that could keep two star players out of their teams’ season openers in a few weeks. Cowboys TE Jason Witten has a spleen injury that will likely keep him out for the rest of the pre-season and could carry past then, so if he is on your fantasy draft list, either bump him down or be prepared to draft another Tight End to use for the first week or so of the season.

Steelers LB James Harrison had knee surgery today. He has had some issues with his left knee for some time and the team felt it was important to have the procedure done now. According to NFL.com, Mike Tomlin called the surgery ‘minor,’ but didn’t say how long he will be out. Harrison is just one part of a very, very good defensive group, but is important nonetheless. I wouldn’t strain yourself grabbing a high-ranking backup defense to begin the fantasy season, but be prepared for slightly lower numbers for the first week or two. Hopefully your other players can pick up the slack.

2.            Ball with Synthetic Laces to be used this Week

If you have been on NFL.com, you may have already seen this story, and I will link to the story in just a moment, but for those who don’t feel like following it, here is the gist of the story.

High school and college football games use footballs with synthetic laces, while the NFL uses leather laces. The difference may not seem substantial, but the way a quarterback has the grip the ball and how he has to release the ball changes based on that material. For most of us, the difference isn’t significant, but at the professional level, where the best of the best reside, the difference most certainly is.

The NFL is calling it an experiment for this week of the preseason. Teams have the option of which ball to practice with, and also which to play with in the games (at the discretion of whichever offensive unit is on the field). Despite the voluntary nature of the ball’s use, many passers throughout the league have been complaining because they have experienced issues from using the synthetic laces and are concerned the NFL may be trying to make these balls used permanently.

NFL.com, Synthetic Laces Trial

3.            Maurice Jones-Drew Still not with Jaguars

MJD is still holding out from the Jaguars, and while he was probably the best running back in the game last year, fans are, rightly so, steadily moving him down their fantasy draft boards. Remember that Chris Johnson held out all the way until the start of the season last year. His stats last year? 300 fewer yards than he had in a poor 2010 effort, only 4 touchdown rushes, down from 14 in 2009 and 11 in 2010, and no receiving touchdowns, a first in his career. Hopefully the impact this holdout has on Jones-Drew won’t be as devastating, but without playing time in practice and games during this pre-season, he will be coming in well behind the curve at the start of the season.

4.            Green Bay Defense just cannot catch a Break

Two years ago the Packers had around 13 defensive players on IR by the time they played in, and won, Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers. Last year they had a few top defensive players lost to injury, finished dead last in the NFL in total defense, but went 15-1 in the regular season before dropping their divisional round playoff game to the Giants.

This year, trying to right the ship and better compliment their top-notch offense will not be easy, especially with Desmond Bishop suffering an injury, which will almost certainly be season-ending, in their pre-season opener against the Chargers. The best we can do is cross our fingers and hope no more bad luck comes their way.

5.            Saints Opening Day Coach still Unnamed

We have just three pre-season games left to play before the Saints host the Washington Redskins in the first week of the 2012 regular season. Joe Vitt is going to be the Saints’ head coach while Sean Payton serves his season-long suspension from the NFL, but Vitt has a 6-game suspension of his own to serve at the start of this regular season, and we still don’t know who will be coaching in his stead during those critical first seven weeks (their bye is in week 6).

Looking on ESPN.com today, they have three names that are at the top of their list: Aaron Kromer, the offensive line coach, Pete Carmichael, the offensive coordinator, and Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator. I won’t try and predict who will be coaching during the first several weeks, but while ESPN seems to think Kromer is the front-runner, I think it will be near suicide to not go with Spagnuolo. I think he did a great job in St. Louis considering what he had going in and the detrimental injuries his team sustained last season, most notably to Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. The Rams may have upgraded, but so did the Saints, and with a much better team, I think Spagnuolo is the right man for the temporary job.

I will likely post a brief blog later this week/weekend about my thoughts on the Madden ’13 demo, which dropped yesterday. As for my NFL writing, I am done until next Tuesday. Thank you for reading and enjoy the second week of the pre-season!