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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Steak for Dinner? It's not a question. It's the team name for the NFC West Gridiron Challenge leader after Week 8. The top two teams lost no ground

E11magnifico enjoyed the strongest individual week, amassing 169 points thanks to Titans running back Chris Johnson and the Bears' defense. His team moved into a tie for 68th place with 986 points.

Rank NFC West Gridiron Challenge Overall Standings Fantasy Points Percentile 1 Steak for Dinner? 1108 100.0 2 xpollolocox 1092 100.0 3 Captiva Cards 1087 100.0 4 MOErs 1079 100.0 5 saratogadefense 1068 100.0 6 VictoryinVA 1064 100.0 7 SINGH IS KING 1058 99.9 8 NYC STUD 1057 99.9 8 thescaredguy 1057 99.9 10 mpm4910 1054 99.9 386 Mike Sando 908 87.4 1611 sandowife 747 35.1

His lineup for Week 8:

• QB: Peyton Manning (13)
• QB: Aaron Rodgers (28)
• RB: Chris Johnson (35)
• RB: Justin Fargas (13)
• WR: Reggie Wayne (20)
• WR: Miles Austin (13)
• TE: Dallas Clark (9)
• K: John Kasay (10)
• Defense: Chicago Bears (28)

The chart shows overall NFC West Gridiron Challenge leaders through Week 8, plus a couple of stragglers. I moved up a few places and percentage points despite only 16 total points from my wide receivers (Michael Crabtree can't get a touchdown catch thanks to Vernon Davis' exploits).

Adrian Peterson will stay in my lineup during the bye week because the price I paid for his services -- $6.5 million out of a $50 million payroll -- is much lower than his market value of $8.2 million. Cutting him and re-signing him would prove too costly over the long haul. At least that's my read on how to manage these lineups. Am I wrong?

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Tinoisamoa

One of John Clayton's recent Insider notes explained how the Bears had penciled in Rams castoff Pisa Tinoisamoa as their starting strongside linebacker over incumbent Hunter Hillenmeyer.

Reports from Rams camp suggested Tinoisamoa lacked the size St. Louis wanted in its linebackers under a new coaching staff (the team also saved millions in salary and cap space). OK, I thought, but you have to line up with someone, and Tinoisamoa was likely to be no worse than the third- or fourth-best linebacker on a team lacking proven depth at the position.

The move appears more dubious from a pure talent standpoint with Tinoisamoa emerging as a starter in Chicago. At the same time, the Bears have erred before in picking up former Rams. I thought Adam Archuleta might help them given that the safety had enjoyed his finest seasons when Bears coach Lovie Smith was his defensive coordinator in St. Louis. It never happened.

Tinoisamoa was also with the Bears under Smith. He appears to have more left than Archuleta had when the Bears signed him. We'll find out how much.

ESPN's Mark Schlereth talks about potential destinations for Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Warrick Dunn.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Yes, different schemes favor different types of players, but I'm not sure how a player deemed unworthy of a roster spot on the 31st-ranked team in our power rankings can be deemed an upgrade for the 12th-ranked team. Call it the riddle of Pisa Tinoisamoa.

The Bears also found a spot for Rams castoff Orlando Pace. The Rams are rebuilding. Pace and Tinoisamoa carried inflated salaries. Those things matter. But a less-talented roster could be the price for the Rams, at least in the short term.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Rudy from Chicago writes: Sando! For each of the 4 divisional teams, which little-known players do you think are poised to have big seasons? We all have ideas as to how the big stars will play, but what about the up-and-comers? Thanks Sando, great blog.

Mike Sando: Thanks. Good question. I'm not sure each of the teams will have a little-known player enjoy the sort of season Steve Breaston put together in 2008. I'll be some of our regular contributors can step up with suggestions. I'll take a stab here.

Does John Greco become a productive starting offensive lineman for the Rams? Not if the team drafts a starting left tackle, as expected. Keenan Burton might be a candidate at receiver. Someone beyond Donnie Avery has to catch the passes. I would exclude Avery from the discussion because he played extensively as a rookie. His numbers could spike by default if the Rams do not find other starting-caliber receivers.

Cornerback Tarell Brown could get a chance in San Francisco. Free safety Dashon Goldson will get a chance. Jason Hill and/or Josh Morgan could take the next step as receivers. And a healthy Brandon Jones could take the next step.

In Seattle, does Will Herring get a shot at linebacker and make the most of it? Does Josh Wilson take the next step at cornerback? Red Bryant could improve if he can avoid injuries. Lawrence Jackson could improve, though he was a first-round pick, so not a lesser-known guy.

In Arizona, defensive end Calais Campbell will get more playing time, as could Kenny Iwebema. Early Doucet could emerge if given a chance at receiver. I'm not sure he'll get that chance given the people ahead of him.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Orlando Pace wasn't out of work long. His agreement with the Bears, reached Thursday, means he'll be protecting Jay Cutler's blind side.

Pace can still be effective even though age and injuries have slowed him some. I think he'll benefit from a more mobile quarterback. Cutler is athletic. He can buy time with his legs.

The big question with Pace is whether he can make it through a season healthy enough to play at a high level. The Rams couldn't afford to find out under terms of his old deal. That's why they released him.

Pace's new deal with the Bears is presumably more affordable. If that is the case, the Bears have minimized the risk.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Now we know why the 49ers weren't knee deep in the trade talk for Jay Cutler. They apparently wanted to experience meaningful participation in the next two drafts.

Quarterbacks are important, no question, and the 49ers haven't had a dynamic one for too long. But the price Chicago paid for Cutler -- 2009 first- and third-round choices, plus a 2010 first-round choice and quarterback Kyle Orton -- carries serious sticker shock. The Bears also picked up the 2009 fifth-round choice Seattle had sent to Denver in the Keary Colbert trade, but that qualifies as a minor throw-in.

Assuming the 49ers had the option, would they have been wise to pay that kind of ransom for Cutler? The Broncos acquired the 18th and 84th overall choices in the 2009 draft as part of the deal. Joe Flacco was the 18th player chosen in 2008. Art Monk was the 18th overall choice in 1980. Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell was the 84th player chosen -- in 1958.

Most of the players chosen in those spots don't jump out as perennial Pro Bowl types. The Bears also went into the deal with an edge. They had picked up a third-round compensatory selection, 99th overall, so they felt better about trading No. 84.

The 49ers hold the 10th, 43rd and 74th choices in the first three rounds this year. Those choices are considerably more valuable than the ones Chicago had to offer.

Draft Round Pick Graves' Team Running Back College Conference 2000 1 7 Cardinals Thomas Jones Virginia ACC 1995 1 21 Bears Rashaan Salaam Colorado Big 12 2005 2 44 Cardinals J.J. Arrington Cal Pac-10 1998 4 95 Cardinals Michael Pittman Fresno St. WAC 1994 4 114 Bears Raymont Harris Ohio St. Big Ten 2008 5 149 Cardinals Tim Hightower Richmond CAA [I-AA] 1997 6 175 Cardinals Rod Brown N.C. St. ACC 2002 6 185 Cardinals Josh Scobey Kansas St. Big 12 1996 7 253 Bears Michael Hicks S.C. St. MEAC [I-AA]

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Cardinals would like to find a potentially dynamic running back in the upcoming draft, as we have discussed.

Their general manager, Rod Graves, will guide decisions on the matter with input from college scouting director Steve Keim, head coach Ken Whisenhunt and presumably others in the organization.

For perspective on decisions the team might make in the 2009 draft, I've singled out the halfbacks Graves' teams have drafted since 1993, when Graves was with the Bears. His teams also drafted fullbacks Joel Makovicka, Dennis McKinley and Ron Janes, but halfback is the position we'll consider for this exercise.

None of the players listed in the chart became long-terms starters for Graves' teams. Raymont Harris started most of three seasons for the Bears.

With that in mind, I checked the Steelers' drafting history at running back during the years Whisenhunt was an assistant for them.

Willie Parker was undrafted. Jerome Bettis entered the NFL with the Rams. The Steelers did not draft a running back before the fifth round (166th overall) while Whisenhunt was with the team from 2001 to 2006. The team did draft fifth-rounder Verron Haynes and seventh-rounders J.T. Wall, Noah Herron and Cedric Humes.

Perhaps the Cardinals and Whisenhunt can start a new tradition drafting for the positon in Arizona. Tim Hightower showed some promise as a rookie in 2008, but not enough to keep the starting job.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Elias Sports Bureau came through with this nugget after the Titans improved to 7-0 without a single 200-yard passing game this season:

"The last NFL team to win its first seven games of a season without throwing for 200 yards in any of the seven games was John Robinson's 1985 Rams, with Dieter Brock at quarterback (and Eric Dickerson in the backfield)."

Those Rams topped 300 yards passing in their eighth game, only to lose, 28-14, to the 49ers. The Rams' season ended in the NFC title game when Mike Singletary's Chicago Bears shut them out, 24-0, at Soldier Field.

Singletary wasn't nearly as entertaining during postgame interviews back then, but if you gave him a chance, he would rock you good. Nobody was messin' in his neighborhood.

Running back Team Att. Yards Avg. TD Michael Turner ATL 59 366 6.2 5 Adrian Peterson MIN 65 340 5.2 1 Julius Jones SEA 61 312 5.1 2 Matt Forte CHI 73 304 4.2 1 Frank Gore SF 60 287 4.8 3

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Playing the Rams and Lions can do wonders for an NFL running back.

Three of the NFL's five leading rushers have played one of those teams.

The Falcons' Michael Turner rushed for 220 yards against the Lions in the opener. The Seahawks' Julius Jones rushed for 140 of his team's 245 rushing yards against the Rams in Week 3. The 49ers' Frank Gore rushed for 130 yards against the Lions, also in Week 3.

Jones didn't even start the regular-season opener. He rushed for 45 yards in that Week 1 game against Buffalo. But with Maurice Morris suffering a knee injury, Jones has rushed for 127 and 140 yards in two subsequent games. Morris could return after Seattle's upcoming bye week, but it's tough to make a case for reducing Jones' carries.

Jones was adamant all offseason that he could be an elite every-down back. He claimed the Cowboys made a mistake in letting him go. His former Dallas teammate, Marion Barber, ranks sixth among NFL rushers, right behind Gore. Barber hadn't gotten into a rhythm before carrying 28 times for 142 yards against the Packers on Sunday night.

Gore has a chance to pad his rushing stats in Week 4 as long as the 49ers don't fall behind against the Saints. New Orleans is allowing 5.3 yards per carry and 133 yards rushing per game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Coutu	Mare

Few teams can justify carrying two kickers on their 53-man rosters. The Seahawks, with injuries wiping out starters at multiple positions, would seem to have no such luxury. But here they are, entering Week 2 with two kickers among a bloated group of four specialists.

Seattle is one of only six teams carrying fewer than nine offensive linemen. The Seahawks are one of only four teams carrying fewer than nine defensive backs. Seattle is the only team in the league carrying fewer than nine offensive linemen and fewer than nine defensive backs. The team has six receivers, but only four appear healthy enough to play.

Teams make difficult roster decisions all the time. Seattle will have to make another one if the team decides to sign receiver Michael Bumpus from the practice squad Saturday. The team's decision to keep two kickers -- Brandon Coutu and Olindo Mare -- at the expense of other positions does seem extreme. The decision can mean only one thing: Seattle likes Coutu's long-term prospects enough to keep him around even while Mare, with his stronger leg, booms kickoffs through the end zone during games.

The Seahawks couldn't know if a team would claim recently released running back Justin Forsett off waivers. By their actions, the Seahawks clearly feel a team would snap up Coutu if Seattle tried to place him on its practice squad.

Indianapolis was the only team in the league to claim Forsett off waivers when Seattle released him. The Colts, in preparing for their opener against the Bears, surely saw Forsett's breakout game against Chicago during the preseason. We'll have to see if Forsett sticks in Indianapolis and produces. And we'll have to see how Coutu performs over the long term. Only then will we know if the rookie kicker was worth the roster machinations required to keep him.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

A winning record is not hiding in the Rams' 2008 schedule. I've looked, and it's not there. Check out the six-game stretch following the bye. At Redskins, home for Cowboys, at Patriots, home for Cardinals, at Jets, then back across the country for a road game against the 49ers.

Handing the Rams an upset victory over the Giants in the second week qualifies as charity, most likely, but the alternative was forecasting a 1-9 start. And that would be cruel.

With that, we continue our game-by-game look at schedules throughout the division:

1. Lose at Eagles
2. Win vs. Giants
3. Lose at Seahawks
4. Win vs. Bills
5. Bye
6. Lose at Redskins
7. Lose vs. Cowboys
8. Lose at Patriots
9. Lose vs. Cardinals
10. Lose at Jets
11. Lose at 49ers
12. Win vs. Bears
13. Win vs. Dolphins
14. Lose at Cardinals
15. Lose vs. Seahawks
16. Win vs. 49ers
17. Win at Falcons

No question, the Rams should improve offensively. Their line simply can't suffer from as many injuries this season. Steven Jackson should produce. And I do think the defensive front has the potential to rush the passer effectively. I'm just not sure the Rams will be winning enough games to turn loose the pass rushers regularly.

I thought about forecasting a home victory over Arizona in Week 9, but I needed to stay consistent in my predictions made for other teams, and that was a game given to the Cardinals in a previous entry. The Ram's can't like playing on the East Coast in Week 10 (Jets) and the West Coast in Week 11 (49ers).

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams face an extremely tough draw in their opening-week matchup with the Eagles in Philadelphia. These franchises have very little in common.

The Eagles' roster features 33 players drafted by the organization, one behind league leaders Chicago and Green Bay. The Rams have only 23 of their own draft choices. Holding onto one's own draft choices isn't necessarily a good thing, but failing to hold onto them often reflects poor drafting, poor management, frequent scheme changes and overall instability.

By my count, 18 Rams players entered the NFL as draft choices for other teams, about four more than the league average. The Eagles' corresponding number is seven. The low figure reflects a disciplined approach to roster management.

For more on the Eagles, pick up a copy of Philly's 25-category roided-out roster. Five quick notes on the team I picked to represent the NFC in the next Super Bowl:

• The Eagles' Jon Runyan is one of the biggest -- and oldest -- starting right tackles in the league. Pass protection is not his specialty. The Rams will have to keep this game close to free up their pass rush. If they do, a healthy Leonard Little could give Runyan some problems.
• On the other side, Eagles left tackle Tra Thomas welcomes Rams first-round draft choice Chris Long to the NFL. Long fashions himself as a technician, but he's still making the adjustment from 3-4 to 4-3 defensive end.
• Quarterback Donovan McNabb hasn't started 16 games in a season since 2003, but he's been at his best in September. McNabb has thrown 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions in September games over the last four seasons. The numbers dip to 25 touchdowns with 13 interceptions in October, 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions in November and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions in December (all since 2004).
  
• Brian Westbrook has 2,550 yards rushing and 167 receptions over the last two seasons. Rams middle linebacker Will Witherspoon finds himself overshadowed in a division featuring Lofa Tatupu and Patrick Willis. Westbrook presents his greatest challenge of the season. No other back on the Rams' schedule threatens a defense in so many ways.
• That note about McNabb not finishing seasons as strong (if at all) casts doubt on my Super Bowl prediction. At least I took the Chargers to win (not that San Diego has any injury concerns entering this season, come to think of it).

The Rams had to grimace when they saw the 2008 schedule for the first time. This was a fragile team coming into the offseason, to the point that coach Scott Linehan wanted to win preseason games for momentum. A victory over the Eagles in the opener would represent a giant step forward for the Rams under Linehan, but it's a tough draw.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

I wanted to hit the rest of the mailbag questions before heading to the airport and catching a flight to Oakland for the Cardinals-Raiders game tonight. Now, on with the proceedings.

Jeff from Newark, Del., writes: Why do people rag on Mike Nolan for starting the guy that has clearly played better over the guy that makes $24 million an throws behind people an over there head? I've watched almost every game Alex has played. He still holds onto the ball too long an doesn't throw it where the WR is going to be. I think the players don't want him to start but they're not going to tell him that because they might hurt his feelings. Mr. Softy is harder than him. Sando, you were rooting for Alex. You're getting a little worried now because your Seahawks are going down. lol

Mike Sando: You did make me chuckle with that one. I've merely pointed out the risks associated with turning one's back on a franchise quarterback.

J.T. O'Sullivan absolutely, positively had to be named the starter based on what happened this summer. That doesn't mean the 49ers have handled Smith correctly or put him in position to succeed. And I certainly understand Nolan's reasoning. He needs to win games, not worry about developing Smith for the next head coach.

It's just an unfortunate situation for a franchise that bet its future on one player (Smith), only to go with a 28-year-old journeyman with zero NFL starts.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The 49ers lost Adam Snyder for at least one exhibition game when the veteran left guard suffered an ankle injury during practice this afternoon.

Coach Mike Nolan wasn't immediately sure which player would replace Snyder against the Bears on Thursday night. In other developments this afternoon:

• The 49ers' starting offense could play into the third quarter against the Bears.
• At quarterback, the 49ers will not weigh salary-cap issues and other factors that could, in my words, favor choosing Alex Smith over J.T. O'Sullivan and Shaun Hill.
  

The question, as asked by Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee moments ago: "When you and Mike (Martz) and Ted (Tollner) and Scot (McCloughan) sit down and make the final decision for quarterback, does investment factor into that, how much money a player makes, does any of that sort of off-field stuff ..."

To which Nolan said: "This decision is going to be based on who we feel at this point gives us the best chance to win. That's what we'll do."

• Second-year receiver Jason Hill, overshadowed in camp by rookie Josh Morgan, beat double coverage to catch a deep ball along the right sideline. I'll have more on Hill based on a conversation we had Monday.
• The 49ers played simulated crowd noise over loudspeakers during practice, something I've never seen during training camp. The volume remained the same for each quarterback (hey, it's a fair competition).
• Nolan, when asked if he'll be relieved when the 49ers finally name a starting quarterback: "Not as much as you guys."

I've got a plane to catch in a few hours. Plenty of stuff to come tomorrow. I've checked in with two Rams players today and a Cardinals player is on the schedule within the next hour or so. I've got some Seahawks stuff left over from their postgame locker-room session, and plenty of fresh stuff on the 49ers that we'll get to in the coming days.

Then it's back to the Bay Area for the Cardinals-Raiders game Saturday night. Oh, and one other thing: Thanks for continuing to hit the mailbag. Great stuff, as always.