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KC Joyner

  (4:00 PM)

Hello! Some quick TFS news. The Pass Plays, Draft Lab and CB Corner articles as well as the Countdown Daily video preview clips can be found on the KC Joyner search page (just type in KC Joyner in the search box on ESPN.com). I also post links to all of my material on Twitter at kcjoynertfs. Let's talk some football!

Josh (Taunton, MA)

KC, would you consider the New England Patriot's 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans as domination and talent, or would you say they scored that high due to the elements, opposing team's record, their poor defensive calls and mistakes throughout the game? I'm a fan of the Pats and I only feel that a player is as good as their stats show them as, and obviously the Pats have outrageous stats in that one game, but I do not think the Patriots would have won the game 59-0 if the weather was different. I feel as if the score would have atleast been 31-0 after all of the mistakes the defense made, but if they played great defense, it would have been a decent game between the two. What do you think?

KC Joyner

  (4:02 PM)

I think it was a matter of Bill Belichick targeting the weakest link of the Titans defense - their injured and secondary. They had youngsters and subpar players out there and Brady/Moss/Welker will always toast players of that caliber.

Charles Blacksburg (Baltimore, MD)

Dear Mr.Joyner,I have two questions for you. 1) Is Darrelle Revis a better cornerback than Nnamdi Asomugha?2) Would Ron Bartell be an All-Pro if he were on a better team?

KC Joyner

  (4:03 PM)

Hard to say between Revis and Asomugha because teams aren't throwing Nnamdi's way (it's much lower than usual in that department, which is saying something for NA). Bartell is having a really good year but I don't know that he would quite make All-Pro status given how well a lot of CBs are playing.

Brian (Tampa)

Based on his performance so far, does Antoine Bethea deserve another Pro Bowl selection?

KC Joyner

  (4:04 PM)

Colts are topping the league in passing YPA allowed and he's a big reason why. I'd vote for him if the vote were today.

Derek (Raleigh)

KC, traditional thought is to always play a good running back in a flex position. This season though, WR's seem to be much more reliable. Is it crazy to start someone like Dwayne Bowe over a guy like Pierre Thomas?

KC Joyner

  (4:05 PM)

There are so many strong passing offenses that WRs are often a great flex option over RBs. Not sure I'd play Bowe over Thomas every week, as Bowe still isn't as good as his reputation says he is, but the case could made fairly often.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

KC minus the Sunshine Band: Just looking at the QBs they will face over the final ten weeks, is it safe to say that the Saints defense has a better chance to put up numbers than the Vikes?

KC Joyner

  (4:07 PM)

Yeah, no Sunshine Band this week. And, really, you don't want to hear me sing. Regarding the Saints, their extremely talented secondary is allowing Gregg Williams to be as aggressive as he wants. They go four deep at CB better than any team in the league and Jabari Greer very well may have been the best CB pickup of any CB this offseason.

Travis (Canada)

KC, how about my pulling Lawrence Malroney off the waiver wire, starting him and getting a killer day of 20 fantasy points?

KC Joyner

  (4:08 PM)

Thank the Titans D for that one, Travis!

Dom (Minneapolis)

Which WR do you want this week Berrien, Moore, or Breaston?

KC Joyner

  (4:09 PM)

Moore vs Miami is the best matchup. It's one reason I put him high on the Pass Plays WR list this week.

John (Columbus)

If I can get M. Colston for Portis, is it a no-brainer?

KC Joyner

  (4:10 PM)

I'd make that trade seven days a week. The Skins situation is such that any Washington player is a short-term risk and could be a long-term risk if the Zorn situation doesn't improve.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Don't forget Greer's secondary mate, Darren Sharper. How much better would the Vikings be if they kept him?

KC Joyner

  (4:11 PM)

He did get beaten for that TD vs Manningham where he went for the pick but I couldn't agree with you more overall. Sharper has been covering well and making picks with heads up reads. He's the perfect veteran fit for this secondary.

Luke (Aurora, CO.)

Do you think Elvis Dumervil has a good chance of winning Defensive Player Of The Year, if he keeps up his production? He's on pace to break Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record.

KC Joyner

  (4:14 PM)

DPOY? Heck, Dumervil could make a case for overall MVP at this point. It won't happen if Peyton keeps up his pace but DPOY is a heckuva 2nd place finish. What I like about Elvis is that a lot of his sacks are of the one-on-one variety. He's earning them by showcasing his elite pass rushing skill. A lot of the collegiate pass rushers I've covered in the Draft Lab series could learn a thing or two from him in that department.

Travis (Canada)

KC, I have to ask you like I asked Jeremy Green when he was undefeated in his F.F league, have you needed help keeping in check your ego or any issues with a enlarged head over the past six weeks?

KC Joyner

  (4:15 PM)

Absolutely not. I've lost two games the past couple of weeks by a single point and I know I'm only an injury or two away from having a 6-0 start drop to a 6-7 finish.

Matt (Chicago)

KC, I know you've mentioned it a little before, but I'm curious as to how you objectively decide for QB's what is a good or bad decision. For example, even though Orton completed an 80+ yard pass to Stokley against Cincy, would you have graded that a bad decision since two Bengals were closer to it than any Bronco. It just seems like such a thin line between what could be a bad decision or not. Thanks!

KC Joyner

  (4:16 PM)

I don't believe I marked that play as a bad decision because it didn't result in an interception or a near interception. That's the first indicator in the bad decision metric and overrides everything else.

Will (Utica,New York)

Do You Think T.O. Will Blow Up Soon?

KC Joyner

  (4:18 PM)

Owens has Houston, Miami, Tennessee and Kansas City as easy opponents on the schedule. There is no guarantee his play returns to his elite levels but those contests are more than enough of a reason to consider trading low for him.

Chris (Rockville,MD)

Any chance Miami's seconday can slow down Drew Brees?

KC Joyner

  (4:19 PM)

The Fins are playing better against the pass but their only chance of slowing Brees will stem from their offense. Look for a repeat of Super Bowl XXV in the Fins offensive gameplan.

Corey (D.C.)

KC, I need some Fantasy Football help. Would you you take this week between Devin Hester @ Cincy, or Collie @ StL?

KC Joyner

  (4:21 PM)

I'd go Collie. It's a bit of a risk in that he is a #3 versus Hester being a

Josh (Knoxville, TN)

KC, which two guys should the Cowboys be starting at WR?

KC Joyner

  (4:22 PM)

This may technically have been a demotion for Patrick Crayton but he has always been better in the slot than he has on the outside. I agree with starting Austin over him in that Austin is better at the outside role.

Ryan (San Diego)

Do the Chargers have any hope of protecting Rivers the rest of the season? Seriously, I think one of these times he's not gonna get up the way they are whiffing on blocks

KC Joyner

  (4:24 PM)

Some credit needs to be given to Denver, but you are right about the Chargers O line woes. They have been shuffling guys due to injury much of the year and it is starting to catch up with them. Only thing I'd say about Rivers is that the Steelers won a Super Bowl last year with a QB operating behind a patchwork line. Not saying SD will do that, as their D is nowhere near as good as Pittsburgh's last year, but just pointing out that wins can be had even with subpar pass blocking.

Ryan (San Diego)

Are you putting a fork in the Chargers like everyone else?

KC Joyner

  (4:25 PM)

Big time no. They were 2-1 just a couple of weeks ago and their losses have come against very strong teams. They have KC and Oakland coming up and if they win those two games, they'll be 4-3 going into a tough stretch (at Giants, vs Philly, at Denver). I'll wait and see how they look after these games before deciding to get a kitchen utensil out.

Majeed (SD)

KC, Jon Gruden in SD soon?

KC Joyner

  (4:26 PM)

I have no inside info on this but I can't imagine why he would do that. Gruden is doing a terrific job in the booth (he's fast becoming one of my favorite announcers) and he seems to be enjoying himself. If life is that good, why change?

Jon (DC)

Can you do a metric analysis of owners and prove Dan Snyder is worse than Al Davis? Can you do one for GM's and prove that Cerrato is worse than anyone, ever? Please.

KC Joyner

  (4:28 PM)

Jon, if you'll go back and look over my Scientific Football 2005-2009 reviews of Washington, you'll see more than a few scathing reviews of the personnel/management decisions for the Skins. I'm doing my part on this front!

Matt (Chicago)

In my opinion, the trend of teams switching to a 3-4 may be short lived because really effective 3-4 NT's seem rare. Look what happened to SD with the loss of Williams. Do you think there are enough good NT's (and even 3-4 DE's) around and coming out of college for this many teams to be running 3-4's?

KC Joyner

  (4:30 PM)

I'm of a yes and no mindset here. Colleges may not be developing that many 3-4 NTs but the pros are good at finding 4-3 DTs and converting them. Ron Brace and BJ Raji both did well when playing a 0/1 technique in their senior seasons and they both went to 3-4 teams (they played a 4-3 front in college).

JT (Nashville)

Tell Jon in (DC) that William Clay Ford and Matt Millen take offense to his claim.

KC Joyner

  (4:32 PM)

Ouch! Let's let up on Millen a bit - he a natural born announcer and is doing a fine job in that area on the college broadcasts.

BSB (Philly)

Will you be doing a draft lab on Ala NT Terrance Cody?

KC Joyner

  (4:33 PM)

Good question! Tell you what, I'll see about doing one on him next week. The Draft Lab article goes up on Tuesday, so keep an eye out for it!

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Collie, Austin, Sims-Walker. Is it time to give scouts some credit for finding these unheralded gems?

KC Joyner

  (4:34 PM)

Big time, especially in the case of Austin and Sims-Walker. It just goes to show that being a successful WR is a whole lot more than just being big and fast.

John (California)

Do the 49ers make the playoffs? If so how much will rely on Crabtree's production?

KC Joyner

  (4:37 PM)

I'm a bit concerned about the Niners. I see in them something of a repeat of what happened to Jim Mora, Jr. a few years ago with the Falcons. His team bought into his high energy approach but once that initial burst of enthusiasm wore off, the team started to falter. If that is what is happening to the Niners, we are going to find out in a hurry if Mike Singletary has what it takes to be a good head coach, or if he is just a guy who can fire a team up short term.

Matt (Chicago)

KC, thanks for answering my questions. I agree that teams can convert 4-3 DT's to 3-4 DT's if they know what they're doing. Raji looks like he could be an anchor for years to come, but not so sure about Brace yet...he's been inactive for three weeks and hasn't seen much playing time. Even though teams convert these guys, it doesn't mean much if they can't hold off two blockers or are otherwise ineffective in the 0/1 technique (at the pro level).

KC Joyner

  (4:39 PM)

I wouldn't give up on Brace just yet. The Patriots might not be using him because they have their DL rotation set and figure they will get more PT upside from someone else. I still believe they picked him up as a way of keeping Wilfork's contract demands in check.

Joe (Maryland)

If Levi Jones was protecting your quarterback, how safe would you feel, 1-10, 1-safest, 10-empty bowels afraid?

KC Joyner

  (4:40 PM)

Empty bowels afraid?! I've heard of odd 1-10 scales but this one takes the cake! Regarding Jones, it wouldn't quite be a 10 but it would be closer to that than it would a 1.

Eric (Chicago)

KC...Johnny Knox definitely takes offense to J.B.'s comments about not being included there. Abilene-Christian, a school the Bears scout VERY well...some other teams should(n't) take note!

KC Joyner

  (4:41 PM)

Too true. Some teams seem to do a good job of scouring the relative unknowns and Chicago did that with Knox.

Mike (San Diego)

KC, good to hear your review on Gruden in the booth. I have to say that he's my favorite announcer by far...brings so much insight to the game, it's incredible. Thanks for your analysis!

KC Joyner

  (4:42 PM)

Believe me when I say that I spend so much time listening to announcers (a job requirement when you watch as much tape as I do) that when I hear a good one, I want him to stay on the job as long as possible!

Lane (kukuihaele, hi)

If you go back and look at how many productive and pro bowl players AJ smith has let leave or traded. Are they better off without those players like Brees. Plus don't forget the coach he let leave.

KC Joyner

  (4:44 PM)

AJ Smith taking some grief. That hasn't been hitting the rounds but I can see your point. I'd still wait and see how the SD season pans out before thinking of making changes either at the coach or GM spots. This team isn't finished quite yet and Smith has a heckuva lot more personnel hits than he does misses.

Jared (Phoenix, AZ)

What happened to Antonio Cromartie between 2007 and now? He was supposed to develop into one of the games best cover corners.

KC Joyner

  (4:45 PM)

I wrote something about this in Scientific Football 2009. Cromartie's YPA total was bad in 2008 until he racked up his first interception. Once that happened, he seemed to relax and his coverage metrics were greatly improved. I don't remember if he has a pick this year but if he doesn't, hope that he gets one. Things should get better as soon as that happens.

Bret (Minneapolis)

Millen dug his own hole. He's to blame for the fans giving him no credibility. It's only other media types that think he's any good.

KC Joyner

  (4:47 PM)

I don't know Millen personally but from what I've read, I haven't heard him make any excuses about his Detroit tenure. He understands the NFL is a bottom line league and that his team didn't get it done while he was there. It sounds like he is a stand up guy and that's why I'm coming to his defense. It's actually kind of odd in that I was on his case as much as anyone while he was in that job.

Mike (San Diego)

KC, don't you think Ron Rivera deserves some hate from Bolts' fans? That D is about as bad as it gets. And, I know about the injuries, but nothing should be this bad...you and I could get 100 yards rushing on them.

KC Joyner

  (4:49 PM)

I can't jump on Rivera's case too much because of the loss of Jamal Williams. The Jets D fell apart last year when they lost Jenkins and the Titans haven't been the same without Haynesworth. That kind of in the middle presence on the line is hard to replace no matter how good of a playcaller you have at the helm.

Kev (NYC)

Is the NFL becoming socialist too? You must admit the blocking of Rush Limbaugh for one or two comments is just as racially/politcally-motivated as the original comments, no? If not way more...

KC Joyner

  (4:51 PM)

Kev, if you have a chance, take a look at my book Blindsided (it's in many bookstores). The NFL is and has been socialist for a long time. Regarding Limbaugh, the NFL didn't block his move. Checketts and company dropped him from the ownership group.

Dave (Tucson AZ)

How did you react when you heard about richard seymour's comment about the Raiders going to the playoffs? I predict they have as good a chance as the Redskins.

KC Joyner

  (4:52 PM)

I think what Seymour is saying is that the Raiders have the physical talent to make the playoffs. If they play up to that talent level, he'll be proven right.

Rob (Goblin)

KC. How much of the Redskins terribleness can be blamed on Jim Zorn? Obviously Sndyer and Cerrato put together a pretty bad roster, but has Zorn gotten the most out of it?

KC Joyner

  (4:54 PM)

A lot of it has to go on Zorn's shoulders. I wrote something about this in Scientific Football 2009 that was excerpted on the NY Times Fifth Down blog, but in a nutshell, Zorn put way too much on his shoulders unnecessarily.

Dave (Tucson AZ)

What do you see in the future for RB Cedric Benson after his progression from the Bears to the Bengals

KC Joyner

  (4:56 PM)

The signs that Benson was coming back to his old form showed up late last year. I had him listed as a good later round RB fantasy pickup because of this. His attitude was good, his teammates and coaches liked him and he played hard on every down. That has rolled over to this year and it is why he is back to being one of the best RBs around.

Kev (NYC)

KC, Will definitely check out that book. Give me a tease, what are 3 quick reasons as to how the NFL has become social? I think that's an excellent investigation of truth.

KC Joyner

  (4:58 PM)

It's a really long chapter in the book but in a nutshell, the league has made move after move through the years to become more socialist. I believe the intro to that chapter was posted on the NY Times blog this offseason, so check that out.

Landon (Boulder)

I know Brett Favre has been one of the worst in the league the past couple of years at throwing the deep ball but he has looked pretty impressive so far this season. Do you think that this will continue or will he go back to his old ways?

KC Joyner

  (5:00 PM)

Favre had very poor vertical numbers after three games this year but he has been off the charts great in that area since then. As long as his endurance holds up, he should be able to keep up the latter. Well, hate to do it but Mrs. Scientist cooked up some spaghetti and I can't stay away from the dinner table any longer. I hope to see you all here next week!