By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Notjustagame unveils its latest new and updated quarterback rankings heading out of week two.

1. Drew Brees- Untouchable among fantasy quarterbacks. Offense is running at will like a power house college team.
2. Philip Rivers- No wonder the Chargers franchised Brees a year and had a difficult time deciding which quarterback to move forward with.
3. Peyton Manning- What he did with less than fifteen minutes with the football might be a quiet legendary story down the road.
4. Eli Manning- He is picking up where we he left off in 2007 and where we expected him to be last year.
5. Tom Brady- Still shaking off the rust but balance to the offense has to develop.
6. Ben Roethlisberger- Has been a winner his whole career but is now not just making plays in the fourth quarter.
7. Matt Schaub- Ascended up this week after torching a Titans defense that was one of the best last year. As long as Andre Johnson stays healthy he’ll keep his numbers up. That and the fact they’ll be throwing a lot.
8. Kurt Warner- The ageless veteran breaks yet another record.
9. Joe Flacco- Has surprised just about everyone with his knack for development. The Ravens are actually letting him play this year and he is stepping up with some big throws.
10. Aaron Rodgers- Not where he needs to be yet but it’s a long season
11. Matt Ryan- Looks like he loves his new tight end
12. Donovan McNabb- Needs probably one more week off
13. Jay Cutler- Led his team to a huge win against the Steelers
14. Trent Edwards- Showing he can get it done but needs to trust his deep ball more.
15. Carson Palmer- Been a way for awhile, but should creep back into the top ten by mid season
16. Matt Cassel- Missed the opener and must find a way to get the Chiefs rolling.
17. Byron Leftwich- His accuracy is proving to be too much of an issue
18. Tony Romo- Has to forget about this last game in a hurry
19. Kyle Orton- Has stayed away from the mistakes and has his team at 2-0
20. Mark Sanchez- The Jets offensive attack has allowed for Sanchez to make plays and you’re starting to see his confidence soar.
21. Kerry Colins- The veterans having a tough time squeaking out the close games like they did a year ago.
22. Matt Hasselbeck- Hopefully he’ll be back within a short time period
23. David Garrard- The Jaguars are going to have many people on the hot seat soon, Garrard and Del Rio will lead it off.
24. Jake Delhomme- Bounced back enough to quiet critics but didn’t get the win.
25. Jason Campbell- Needs to ignore the headlines and attack with aggression
26. Chad Pennington- Should of screamed for a big free agent wide receiver signing, as the Dolphins do not have a true number one receiver.
27. Brett Favre-Sooner or later the Vikings will call on him to air it out.
28. Brady Quinn- No wonder Mangini took forever to announce the fans choice in Quinn
29. Shaun Hill- Singletary has got the ground game going and Hill’s role isn’t quite involved as last year
30. Marc Bulger- Hard to believe he was once a premier elite fantasy quarterback.
31. Matthew Stafford- Will go through the normal rookie growing pains
32. Jamarcus Russell- His performances have been down right atrocious.

Raymond Ayala’s Top 20 Quarterbacks

1) Drew Brees (NO) – Brees has looked as advertised during the preseason. Colston’s health will be key to another Brees pro-bowl season.
2) Peyton Manning (IND) – This year seems to be no different then the previous.
3) Tom Brady (NE) – Brady took a huge hit by Big Albert, but got up and continued to battle. Brady seems even more determined this season, than he did in 2007.
4) Philip Rivers (SD) – He just received a new contract extension, now he just has to continue to live up to it. Should not be a problem.
5) Tony Romo (DAL) – Still has young receivers to work with, but Roy Williams-Tony Romo, could be the new Peyton Manning-Marvin Harrison.
6) Kurt Warner (ARZ) – Warner’s age eventually has to catch up to him, but having Fitzgerald and Boldin on your team can extend a career.
7) Aaron Rodgers (GB) – Has had the best preseason of all the quarterbacks thus far. Rodgers has potential to slide into the top 3, by seasons end.
8) Carson Palmer (CIN) – Palmer continues to battle the injury bug, but a healthy Palmer is better than most in the league.
9) Matt Ryan (ATL) – Has looked good this preseason. Adding Tony Gonzalez just gives him another touchdown target.
10) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) – Legal matters have not had an impact on Big Ben, and he seems to be at the top of his game.
11) Jay Cutler (CHI) – Cutler has surprised me this preseason, but still lacks a valid Wide Receiver threat.
12) Brett Favre (MIN) – Some people seem to forget he is the NFL leader in Interceptions as well.
13) Donovan McNabb (PHI) – The addition of Michael Vick hurts McNabb’s fantasy value, just because Vick has a lot of potential, which could take snaps away from McNabb.
14) Matt Cassell (KC) – Even being out 2-4 weeks with an injury, still remains a valuable fantasy pick based on potential.
15) Matt Hasselback (SEA) – Hasselback has had a great preseason, and has put any doubts behind him. The addition of T.J. Houzmanzadeh has helped tremendously.
16) Chad Pennington (MIA) – I don’t expect him to put up the same numbers as last year, but his preseason is definitely encouraging.
17) Shaun Hill (SF) – Hill is officially the starter for the 49ers first game, but Michael Crabtree would make him so much more valuable.
18) Joe Flacco (BAL) – Flacco is a good game manager, but that doesn’t translate well in fantasy football.
19) Trent Edwards (BUF) – Edwards has yet to throw a touchdown pass, and is starting to scare the Bills. T.O. returns this week, so that could improve his passing arsenal.
20) Jason Campbell (WAS) – Has not impressed much during the preseason, but will still continue to put up solid numbers.

By Chris Burrows

It’s still in the air who’ll be getting things into the air in Cleveland for next season since speculation that the Browns would be trading away one of their two top QBs ended per Head Coach Eric Mangini’s recent announcement. Instead they are keeping both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn onboard and a fierce competition for the starting job has erupted.

Last season Anderson, Quinn, and backup QB Ken Dorsey shared the workload with 10, 3, and 4 credited games among them respectively. None of them were standouts then, either. The trio combined for just 11 total TDs (9 of which came from Anderson’s tosses).

This will be Anderson’s fourth season with the Browns but his stunning 3,787 yard 29 TD season in 2007 seems to be fading fast. It’ll be Quinn’s third season with the team and his first real shot at winning the starting job.

The battle for the top spot has seen a firestorm of media coverage that has pushed the QBs to the top of their games and Eric Mangini has stressed that this season he won’t be rotating QBs—there will only be one starter. He has also stressed that the two backs will be receiving equal amounts of practice time and snaps—which has been already been evidenced in Cleveland.

Obviously neither Anderson nor Quinn will be at the top of any fantasy charts but with drafts fast approaching it’d be good to know now who’ll be calling the shots in Cleveland. With the race currently in a CNN-style “too close-to-call” situation and a mum Mangini it’s important to note—is either of these guys worth the hassle?

The Browns are a very different team this season especially under the new direction of Eric Mangini who is already changing things up—penalizing sloppy play, making players fight for their jobs, and bringing a certain hard-nosedness to their game. This isn’t the 4-12 team that we saw last year. And they have the tools to do better.

18 transplants from other teams and 8 rookies make up the 2009 Browns roster. Two of the rookies—Brian Robiskie and Mohammed Massaquoi—were both picked up in the second round of the draft and will be competing for a starting receiver job with Dante Stallworth indefinitely gone from the team. They’ll breath some life into a stagnant position on the squad that Braylon Edwards is scheduled to return to and hold down for ’09.

The RB position is weak point for the team that will push the air-game that both Anderson and Quinn are capable of.

The turn-around has begun with a QB quarrel at the center of it—just as Mangini likes it. Fans are drawn to the idea of switching things up for once and Cleveland now has a chance led by a top staff of coaches.

With their team momentum carrying them into the season it’s a safe bet that Anderson or Quinn (whichever gets the nod) will be a productive flinger that—as Mangini has said—will be the starter for the entirety of the season. So, if nothing else, the winning QB has an entire 16 weeks of work ahead of him—none of that switching QBs nonsense of last year.

Don’t grab either in the early rounds of the draft but whomever gets the pick should be drafter fairly high with a possibility to start especially further down the road.

Raymond Ayala’s Top 20 Quarterbacks

1) Drew Brees (NO) – Brees has been a model of consistency since his time with the San Diego Chargers. Things have gotten even better in New Orleans, where Brees has found some great targets in Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Reggie Bush. Brees was able to throw for over 5,000 yards and 34 Touchdowns, and that was without any of those touchdowns going to Jeremy Shockey. Look for Brees to have a great season, and Brees should be the first quarterback taken in mixed leagues, in my honest opinion.
2) Peyton Manning (IND) – Manning continues to be the king of the quarterback crop, and was named NFL MVP last season. He losses Marvin Harrison, but that did not make a difference last year, so it probably will not this year. Look for Manning to put up even more Touchdowns then he did last season. Manning will probably be the first quarterback taken, though I think Brees will have the better year fantasy-wise.
3) Tom Brady (NE) – Brady was the most important player in most peoples 07-08 fantasy football campaign, taking home MVP honors after breaking the touchdown record. Last season Brady’s year was done by Game 1, as a leg injury ended his season. Now Brady steps back into the starter role with a different team that he must once again get used to. Still I would definetly say that he is good for 30 touchdowns this season, and the passing yards will be high as well. Brady will be selected in the late 2nd round, early 3rd round of most mixed drafts.
4) Kurt Warner (ARZ) – Warner did not lost any single player that contributed to an MVP-like season last year, even though Anquan Boldin is supposedly not happy with the organization. Warner will continue to put up the same numbers so long as he has Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin to throw to. While Warner is old and a risk, he is still an accurate quarterback who will deliver Touchdowns this season. Warner will most likely fall in the third-fourth round of most major drafts.
5) Philip Rivers (SD) – When the Chargers let Drew Brees walk after a monster season, people in San Diego became very skeptical of Phillip Rivers. After a season like he had last year though, the skeptics have been put to rest. Rivers is hot-headed, but it is just apart of his game. He will only get better with an improved Ladainan Tomlinson this season. Feel free to take Rivers in the first five rounds.
6) Tony Romo (DAL) – No more T.O., no more Jessica Simpson=no more tabloid spotlight distracting Romo. He has settled in quite nicely with his No. 1 Wide Receiver Roy Williams.
7) Aaron Rodgers (GB) – Last year was no fluke. Rodgers has but the Favre-era behind him for good in Green Bay, and he plans on proving it this season.
8) Carson Palmer (CIN) – Palmer will be out to show the world that he is 100% healthy this season, and Chad Ochocinco is still one of the best Wideout targets in the game.
9) Matt Ryan (ATL) – The rookie surprised many this season, achieving Rookie of the Year Honors in the process. He is the real deal and his numbers will increase by 10 in the touchdowns category.
10) Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) – The key to Roethlisberger’s season will be his usage of Santonio Holmes. If he uses him like he did in the Super Bowl, then the Steelers could be looking at another ring, and Ben could be looking at 5-10 more touchdowns this season.
11) Donovan McNabb (PHI) – Speed is the name of the Eagles game this year, and McNabb adds that aspect to the team. Will be one of the leaders in rushing yards for a QB, by seasons end.
12) Jay Cutler (CHI) – Trade to Wide-Receieverless Chicago hurts his fantasy value. Would not be more than a 2nd QB on my team.
13) Matt Cassell (KC) – Trade from New England hurts Cassell, but at least he has Dwayne Bowe on his team. If only Bowe would learn not to drop so many balls.
14) Chad Pennington (MIA) – Last year was a fluke for Pennington, as I expect him to be played less in favor of Chad Henne by seasons end. Pat White will also take away snaps from him
15) Trent Edwards (BUF) – Adding Terrell Owens will add TD’s to any quarterback’’s statline. Edwards ain’t to bad himself either though, he could be a breakout star this year.
16) Shaun Hill (SF) – Hill showed patience, as the 49ers opted for J.T. O’Sullivan to start last season. This year Singletary knows that the team is safe in the hands of Hill, especially when you have a running back of Frank Gore’s caliber.
17) Joe Flacco (BAL) – Flacco is improving and will suffer if Derrick Mason follows through with his retirement claims. I expect a big year out of Flacco though, especially with a year of experience under his belt.
18) Matt Hasselback (SEA) – The addition of T.J Houshmanzadeh to the already strong Nate Burleson, will equal some great stats for Hasselback this year. Only problem could be Seneca Wallace.
19) Jason Campell (WAS) – I think all the Brett Favre talk did to Campell was make him more inspired. I would be not surprised if he had a 20+ touchdown season this year.
20) Josh Freeman (TB) – It’s tough not to go with the proven veteran Jeff Garcia (OAK) here, but he plays for a terrible team. The Wide Receivers are set up for Freeman in Tampa Bay and he seems to be their long term option.

By Zack Cimini

It’s safe to assume that the speculation of the Brett Favre saga will soon be ended. He’ll be sporting a new look for the second year in a row, this time in purple. Divisional rivals will be his former team and sports conversation will continue to be hyped around his play and actions. Lets not forget this time last year Favre couldn’t control where he landed. The Packers kept his choices limited and didn’t want to see him in the NFC. In reality Favre’s top choice last year was Minnesota and now he is assured of controlling his own destiny. The Jets left the door open for Favre by releasing him as a retired player. All of Favre’s razzle of I’m done, I’m done, we all knew was his indecision that he has every year after football season. Once the draft came around the itch was back.

Welcoming Favre back into the league as a Minnesota Viking will have more advantages by far than his situation last year with the Jets. Favre would have ultimate weapons to his disposal. In New York, Thomas Jones did have a career year but many factors led to Favre and the Jets decline as the season wore on. One of the main reasons of course was Favre’s ailing shoulder. Like in years past, Favre would not allow it to sideline him and he tried to play through it. If his name wasn’t Brett Favre he would have likely been sat for the better of the team. Instead a sure lock playoff berth went down the drain. We all knew the images of Favre giving away throws to the Miami Dolphins wasn’t going to be his last image as an NFL quarterback.

Up to the mid portion of last season Favre was performing beyond expectations. The team was riding high at 8-3 and many were favoring them to be the AFC representatives for the Super Bowl. That quick wave fell with four of five losses, and was a true emotional ride for Favre. His decision to leave the game was a majority decided on his shoulder. He didn’t want to have surgery on it and knew he would have to go through with it to be back in the NFL. Talks lured him into having it diagnosed and for the love of the game he decided to go through with it.

Images of him testing out his arm with local high schoolers in Mississippi have filled mini highlight clips all over sports networks. When he transitions back to the ultimate gridiron will his body fatigue and break down like it did last year?

When July 30th comes along and Favre has his press conference announcing his official return, the plan that Brad Childress has will be set. Favre will come in and know his role. To be that signal caller that the Vikings needed last year which cost them against advancing versus the Eagles. To be in that position again, Favre needs to do exactly what Tavaris Jackson did except exponentially three to four times better. Handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson is the recipe for success. Teams cannot stop him and even Jackson was able to feed off of his performance’s with big pass plays through play action and mixing the play calls.

That’s where the Jets wore down Favre. Many a games Favre threw the football between 35 and 40 times (4 times over 40). That’s a lot to ask of your quarterback, especially a 39 year old. Cold weather situations at home and on the road in the AFC East didn’t help either. Loosening up that body and staying fluid in rhythm throughout the game becomes that much more difficult. Favre is Favre though and the way he has played the game the last 18 seasons isn’t going to change. The same (no he didn’t) throws will be there as well as his precision bullet throws.

As far as a fantasy quarterback, he should be a suitable strong fill in occasional starter. Meaning he is officially a designated bench quarterback in any fantasy football league. Whether your in an 8, 10, or 12 team league there are a plethora of stronger candidates that should fill out an 8-12 team starter league. Now 14, depending on the way you fill out your draft Favre could be a teetering starter. By no means should you expect any consistency from him and that’s not what a fantasy owner wants to hear. His erraticness in the statistical category was unreal last season.

Just based on last season he had five games without throwing a touchdown pass, and another five where he only threw a single touchdown pass. Yet he threw for his career high of six against the Cardinals. Our advice is to enjoy Favre’s whirlwind storybook return but not from a fantasy football perspective.

By Chris Burrows

With a full season on the books filling in for the injured Tom Brady in the trenches, Matt Cassel was no longer destined to serve his years as a backup QB. Instead the Kansas Chiefs traded their second round draft pick for the 5th season passer who threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns last season for the 11-8 Pats and they plan to completely rebuild their broken offense around the rising QB.

Assuming that you, the fantasy owner, miss out on grabbing top pick Tom Brady for your roster, Matt Cassel is now not only a viable pick—you should grab him near the top—and here’s why.

He’s already a proven talent in the pocket. With just 11 interceptions and a rating of 89.4 that eclipsed even Jay Cutler in 2008, Cassel proved himself as a talented and patient playmaker who is also a reputable leader on the field. He’s coming onto a Kansas City team that has had more than its fair share of trouble at his position and with its renewed confidence that they have a winning QB, the Chiefs can now aggressively build an offense around the former-Pat’s style.

In New England Cassel was comfortable in the air-based offense that garnered him big numbers. That won’t be the case in Kansas City where there is no Wes Welker or Randy Moss to make the short to medium range passes under pressure. At Arrowhead the rushers will be carrying the brunt of the offense with veteran RB Larry Johnson the go-to guy. He hasn’t played a full 16 game season since 2006 but he had two impressive 1700+ yardage seasons in 2005 and 2006. He’s got a good at shot at matching those stats with Cassel at the wheel (and he might be a great sleeper RB for your roster). Jamaal Charles will be proving himself in his soph. pro season opposite Johnson—he’ll be a useful utility player.

Cassel’s offense led all NFL teams in 2008 with 356 total first downs. They did it with a close ratio of passes and rushes (186 and 145 respectively) which should be the case again in KC.

The Chiefs air game won’t be ignored and will probably see a good amount of long-range action. Their top receiver from 2008, TE Tony Gonzalez, went to Atlanta but Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley will continue to hold on to their starting receiver spots. Bowe and Bradley combined for 1,400 yards of offense and 10 TDs in 2008 while the departed Gonzalez himself accounted for 10 TDs last season. The duo of receivers will be getting more catches under Cassel in first and second down situations in medium to long ranges. They should handily put up respectable numbers for Cassel but can’t be counted on like a duo of Welker-Moss could.

The offensive line may be a weak point in the KC offense. They allowed Tyler Thigpen to be sacked 26 times last season and haven’t added much in the draft or off-season (with fifth round pick offensive tackle Chris Brown the one exception). Of course, that may be just what they need to get their act together as a group and perfect their position-playing.

But to improve on their 2-win 2008 season the Chiefs will need a sturdier defense too—and that’s where they’ve already done some major enhancements. They grabbed defensive end Tyson Jackson, defensive tackle Alex Magee and cornerback Donald Washington in the draft—it’s a clear showing of their commitment to fix a defense that allowed 440 points last season.

Also new in town is head coach Todd Haley who has a history as an Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach with several teams—most recently he coached the offense of the post-season venturing Cardinals and he may be exactly what the Chiefs need to start a highly productive offense that can pull them out of their winning season draught.

Cassel may be the inspiration that moves Kansas City up from the bottom of the charts. The front office in KC is breathing some life into this stale team and a young offense built around Cassel is just the place to start. Grab Cassel early and you won’t be disappointed.