From a Fantasy Football perspective, AP has been hyped up to the point that some people are drafting him first overall, or at least second in most leagues. Now first of all I don’t know how there is even any kind of debate on whether one should draft LT or AP first overall, that is just ludicrous. Everyone is putting all their hopes on an injury prone RB who had an excellent ROOKIE year. Does anyone remember Cadillac Williams’ rookie year? How about Kevin Jones? Where are they now? In fact, I don’t know if either running back was actually drafted in my most recent fantasy draft.

Now lets get into the facts about Each running back. Adrian Peterson broke into the league by gaining over 100yds in 4 of his first 5 games — with 224 yds in one game. However, after week6, he only broke the 80yd mark twice for the rest of the year. Stephen Jackson on the other hand started off the season much slower with only one 100yd rushing game in the first 3 weeks, and then he was injured and missed the next 4 weeks of the season. The main thing I want to look at is how the two Running Backs finished in the second half of the season. Obviously no defense was expecting Adrian Peterson to cause them so many problems, but once defenses around the league started to catch on, they made life for AP a lot tougher in the NFL.

I compared the stats for both players from weeks 10-17to see who finished the season stronger. From weeks 10-17, Adrian Peterson averaged 50.83 yds per game in 6 games and 16.2 yds receiving for a total of about 67 total yard per game. He also scored 4 total TDs in that span. Stephen Jackson finished out the season with an average of 91 rushing yard per game, throughout 8 games, and added another 25.6 yds receiving for a total of 116.6 total yds per game. So in the second half of the season, Stephen Jackson averaged almost double the yards that Peterson did throughout the final 8 weeks of the season. Jackson also scored a total of 5 TDs in that span. Even if you add in Peterson’s record breaking 296 yds in week 9 to his second half average, he still would have averaged only 85.8 yds per game. Overall, the stats clearly show that Jackson ended the season MUCH stronger than Peterson did, and he was far more consistent as well. In the second half of the season, Jackson rushed for 75+ yds in 7 of those 8 weeks, had 4 or mor ereceptions in 5 of those games, and also scored a TD in 5 different games. Peterson rushed for 75+yds only twice in 6 games, including a 3 yard outing against the 49ers, and did not catch more than 3 passes in any game.

Some other factors that clearly lead me to believe that Jackson is the better back include:

- The fact that Stephen Jackson not only missed 4 games due to injury and still reached 1000yds on the season, but also the fact that Jackson played another two games without his starting QB.

- The fact that Stephen Jackson played behind a mind boggling 18 different Offensive Line combinations throughout the season. While Peterson’s OL stayed pretty much intact for the entire season.

I am not saying that AP is not a good player, in fact I think that he will be an elite RB in the NFL for years to come, if he can stay healthy. I mean the guy set the single game rushing record in his rookie season. However, if you looka t AP’s two biggest games (296yds 3TDs against San Diego, and 224yds 3 TDs against Chicago) combined, he gained 520 yards and scored 6 TDs. That does not say much for AP’s consistency however, because those two games alone made up almost 40% of his total rushing yards for the season and 50% of his TD total.

Sure, fantasy owners were very happy in those weeks that AP blew up, but how about the game against San Francisco where he rushed 14 times for 3 yards? Jackson never failed to reach 50 yards in a game last year, where Peterson failed to reach the 50 yard mark 4 times.

I feel like everyone has been hyping Adrian Peterson up so much over the past year because of what a great season he had last year, and yeah it was a good season, but he was actually very inconsistent. Therefore, I have to say that whether looking at the two from a fantasy perspective or just in general, I feel like the stats and the facts all say that the controversy over the best RB in the league should not be between LT and AP, but instead be between LT and SJ….

Worst Teams in 2007 by Record:

Miami Dolphins (1-15)

St Louis Rams (3-13)

Atlanta Falcons (4-12)

Oakland Raiders (4-12)

Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)

Baltimore Ravens (5-11)

San Francisco 49ers (5-11)

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are in what coaches are terrified to say, the “R” word… Rebuilding. The Dolphins last year offensively were ranked 27th in points, 28th in yards, 24th in passing, and 23rd in rushing. Defensively, 30th in points, 23rd in yards, 4th in pass yards, and 32nd in rush yards.

Top Players

• Channing Crowder
• Jason Allen (Should step up big this season)
• Joey Porter
• Ronnie Brown

Why They Will be the Worst

The Dolphins this year will be led by QB Josh McCown who last year threw for 10 td’s and 11 int’s with a QB rating of 69.4 over 9 games. Ouch. And if It is not McCown behind center, it will be young struggling QB John Beck. RB Ronnie Brown is coming off of a torn ACL, and we all know that is not an easy injury to recover from as a running back… If Brown is not healthy Ricky Williams will be carrying the rock who also was placed on IR with a torn chest muscle last season. Now for the starting receivers(Ernest Wilford + Ted Ginn), this is probably the easiest matchup of any receiver duo any team will see this season. On the Defensive side of the ball, they got rid of Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor(Great Move! *sarcasm*) and the secondary is undersized at best

St. Louis Rams

In 07, the Rams offensively ranked 28th in points, 24th in yards, 19th in pass yards, and 25th in rush yards. Defensively they were 31st in points, 21st in yards, 21st in pass yards, 20th in rush yards.

Top Players

• Stephen Jackson
• Marc Bulger
• Torry Holt
• Orlando Pace
• O.J. Atogwe

Why they will be the worst

Reason 1 is that they are the Rams, I feel like that is enough said right their but just in case you would like to know a little more about why the Rams are almost a lock for the bottom 5 here it goes. Last season the Rams ranked 24th in the NFL in total offense averaging just shy of 300 total yards per game accompanied by a pitiful 16 points per game. The Rams were also 31st in the league in ppg game allowed and 21st in yards per game allowed. Those are just stats tho, the major concern comes with the fact that they really didn’t do a whole lot to help themselves out on either side of the ball (yes Rams fans i know they got Chris Long but it is naive to honestly think he is gonna single handedly change things). Honestly the best thing they got going for them right now is that they should hopefully have a healthy offensive line this season and they finally got a veteran backup for Marc Bulger, in Trent Green. All in all, look for the Rams to finish in the bottom 5 of the league with a record similar to last seasons (4-12) if not worse

Atlanta Falcons

In 07, the Falcons offensively ranked 29th in points, 23rd in yards, 18th in pass yards, 26th in rush yards. Defensively, they ranked 29th in points, 29th in yards, 23rd in pass yards, and 26th in rush yards.

Top Players

• Michael Boley
• Keith Brooking
• Roddy White
• Michael Turner
• Chris Houston (Unproven, but arguably one of the best press coverage guys around)
• Jerious Norwood

Why they will be the worst

You can sum up the reason the falcons will be the worst in just a few words. These words are inexperience at major positions. Just take a quick look at what the Falcons are facing this season, They are projected to start QB Chris Redman who until last season no one had heard from in 3 seasons. I will however say that he did an ok job last season but the chances of him coming in and being the leader that young team needs is slim to none. Behind Redman, their is Falcons first round selection Matt Ryan who is talented but has never played a down of NFL football. It only gets worse Falcons fans, you have a RB who although may be extremely talented and most likely will be a star, had never carried the full load for a team in his NFL career. The inexperience goes from QB to RB to TE to OL to DL, LB, CB,and S. Basically, don’t look for the Falcons to resurrect themselves just yet (in a couple years from now though, they should be a force to be reckoned with) And as if all that was not enough to take the Falcons down, you must also factor in that they were 24th in total offense last season and an embarrassing 29th in total defense.

Oakland Raiders

in 07, the Raiders offensively ranked 23rd in points, 25th in yards, 31st in pass yards, 6th in rush yards. Defensively, they ranked 26th in points, 22nd in yards, 8th in pass yards, and 31st in rush yards.

Top Players

• Javon Walker
• Darren McFadden (Unproven)
• Jamarcus Russell (Unproven)
• Deangelo Hall
• Derrick Burgess

Why they will be the worst

This is a tough one for me because although I do not feel they are going to be anything incredible, i cannot fully decide weather or not they will be the worst. Last season the Raiders were awful and their is no denying that but now with all the moves that Al Davis has made, the Oakland Raiders are now home to more superstar athletes than the 2008 Olympics. I mean their average players 40 is like a 4.3 (slight exaggeration, but look at Hall, Huff, McFadden, Walker, Routt, Fargas, Higgins, not to mention that Howard is easily one of the fastest LB’s in the league) anyway, I feel that the Oakland team as a whole could be a boom or bust team, they have the potential to blow up and fight for a spot in that division. With the young combo of Jamarcus Russell and McFadden, the Raiders could very easily end up surprising people. Unfortunately for them, they still have some major holes to fill and history is against them, so look for them to improve on last season, but still remain one of the NFL’s worst this season.

Kansas City Chiefs

in 07, the Cheifs offensively ranked 31st in points, 31st in yards, 20th in pass yards, 32nd in rush yards. Defensively, they ranked 14th in points, 13th in yards, 5th in pass yards, and 28th in rush yards.

Top Players

• Larry Johnson
• Derrick Johnson
• Dwayne Bowe
• Tony Gonzalez

Why they will be the worst

As far as I am concerned the Chiefs really only have two flaws, and that doesn’t sound like a team that belongs among the leagues worst. Unless of course those two major flaws happen to be extreme inconsistency at the Quarterback and Offensive line positions which the Chiefs currently have. If someone would have asked me a couple years ago (when the Chiefs drafted Croyle expecting him to eventually become the teams leader) if I thought they made a good decision, i would have laughed in their face. Croyle is not the answer and that is unfortunate for the Chiefs because now they are stuck with him (The eagles will experience the same “We’re Dumb” feeling when they realize that they passed on 2-3 talented QB’s and ended up with Kolb) The offensive line is the next problem and oh is it a big one, the Chiefs who used to boast one of the NFL’s best O-lines currently have one of its worst and until they can get their tackles to step up and start playing professional football than they will continue to have this problem. I like the move they made this year in drafting Virginia’s big boy Branden Albert but the transition from collegiate gaurd to NFL offensive Tackle can really be a tough one. What maybe the Chiefs only chance of a decent season is if they suck it up and realize that Croyle is not the answer and let Damon Huard take over again. But even that will not be enough, look for them to be one of the first names the commissioner calls during next seasons draft.

Baltimore Ravens

in 07, the Ravens offensively ranked 24th in points, 22nd in yards, 23rd in pass yards, 16th in rush yards. Defensively, they ranked 22nd in points, 6th in yards, 20th in pass yards, and 2nd in rush yards.

Top Players

• Ray Lewis
• Willis McGahee
• Chris McAllister
• Ed Reed
• Terrell Suggs

Why they will be the worst

The Ravens are in for a new surprise with coach John Harbaugh. Unlike Billick, Harbaugh actually run’s a very intense camp and preseason that many’ players will make or break in. The Ravens are returning a dominating defense, but are still lacking in the one spot that has hurt them for a long time now. Quarterback. Troy Smith will be taking snaps this season as the predicted starter, but has not proven himself at all. Smith’s major upside is that he is very quick and mobile, not necessarily fast but very quick burst, and it is that escapability that helps make him a better choice. The position is very shaky at the moment but they finally have young talent that will soon be a strongpoint of their team in years to come.

San Francisco 49ers

In 07, the 49ers offensively ranked 24th in points, 22nd in yards, 23rd in pass yards, 16th in rush yards. Defensively, they ranked 22nd in points, 6th in yards, 20th in pass yards, and 2nd in rush yards.

Top Players

• Frank Gore
• Patrick Willis
• Nate Clements
• Isaac Bruce (new addition)
• Vernon Davis

Why they will be the worst

The 49ers are still deciding between their starting quarterback, they are going back and forth with Shaun Hill and Alex Smith. The 49ers new offensive coordinator Mike Martz is very pass heavy, so don’t expect Frank Gore to produce much this season. Martz’s offense is not going to be as productive as the past due to the reason that their 2 best offensive players are their tight end and running back. Defensively the 49ers don’t have a dominating pass rusher on the d-line to help compliment speedy Manny Lawson.

Additional Teams for Consideration

• Cincinatti Bengals
• Carolina Panthers
• New York Jets (They were originally on the list, but we removed them due to the high number of big time free agents they acquired)

First off let me apologize for the long wait between posts but I have been very busy lately, Now back to football, with training camp finally arriving, football season is officially in the air, but anyway here are my rankings for who i feel will be the top running backs of the 08-09 season. and of course I will add my “Stretch” pick which is the player i feel will come outta no-where and become a statistical monster.

1.) LaDainian Tomlinson- This one is pretty much as obvious as they come, for starters Tomlinson will continue his amazing career with another stellar season and I personally feel that he will hit the 1,800 yard mark this season and help lead the Chargers to a possible super bowl. Season Prediction 1800 yards 16 td’s

2.) Larry Johnson- Many people are gonna try and tell you that a guy like Steven Jackson belongs in this spot and that Larry has been a bum for 2 years in a row now. Well thats wrong because Larry Johnson is hungry for redemption, and that redemption comes by way of Dwayne Bowe. Yes I realize that at first this may make no sense, but what Bowe is gonna do is open up the passing game for whoever ends up starting for KC and by doing this, Johnson will not have to face as many 8 men in the box sets, this is going to enable Larry to hit the whole hard and then do what he does best (run people over)  Season Prediction – 1500 yards 12 td’s

3.) Stephen Jackson- The Rams are all over the place right now, but one thing that Jackson has going for him is that he should have a much better blocking this season due to the fact that he will hopefully be running behind a healthy O-line this season. Look for Jackson too have a solid year, not an incredible year but He earns top three because i feel that even if the run game slacks, he will make up for it in the pass game as he is a very solid weapon coming out of the backfield. Season Prediction – 1,200 yards 13 td’s

4.) Adrian Peterson- I have a bad feeling that an injury may be around the corner for AP which is the only reason that he is not ranked a little higher, Peterson has an unfortunate tendency to be injury prone and with his physical running style it is only a matter of time. My prediction is that it will only be a small injury keeping him out of maybe 4 games but the time that he does play, he will produce big. Another reason he gets knocked down a little is that now NFL teams know what to expect from him and from the vikings they will be able to better prepare to play him, also the fact that he is still “splitting” with Chester Taylor. Season Prediction -1,100 yards 11 td’s

5.) Kevin Smith- This is obviously my Stretch pick, but I have a strong feeling that it is also a good one. Smith did nothing but produce during his time at UCF and he did it against alot of tough competition. He runs like a man with something to prove, and that is what is gonna carry him into the endzone so many times. Smith is a big back (6-0 215) and is deceptively quick with 4.45 speed. I love the way this kid runs and I think it will definately transfer into the NFL. Look for the lions to slowly work him into their offense and then once they see what he can do, he will just run away with that starting position. Smith is also helped out alot by the fact that the lions already have a ton of weapons and they added an enormous lineman in Gosder Cherilus. Season Prediction – 1,200 yards 13 td’s

Honorable mention-

Willie Parker (left off cause of Mendenhall taking carries)

Frank Gore (Martz is pass crazy)

Rudy Johnson (Team is a little unorganized so they need to pull it together)

Jamaal Lewis (I am not a firm believer that he is back to old form)

Stay tuned for WR ranking coming soon.

Former Raider and Jet – Lamont Jordan signed with the New England Patriots today. One day after release by the Raiders. After failed attempts to trade Lamont, the Raiders released him. Last year with the Raiders, Lamont had 796 yards from scrimmage off of 172 touches. Lamont has averaged 3.8 YPC in the past 3 seasons, but has not turned out to be the star the Raiders had hoped he would be. Lamont’s best season came in 2005 as he rushed for 1,025 yards while catching 70 balls for 563 yards.

It is obvious the potential is there for Lamont, he is a much harder runner then the stats show. But, It will be interested to see how he fits in with the high powered offense of New England. Lamont will be competing with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris for touches this year. Do not expect much out of Lamont Jordan this year, but if any injuries occur in the NE backfield don’t be to suprised if he makes some big plays.

In the rest of the NFL:

The Kansas City Chiefs locked up LSU rookie Glenn Dorsey to a 5 year deal for a wopping $51 million. Asante Samuel had to be removed form Eagles training camp today after a minor hamstring pull. Terry Glenn has been released by the Cowboys(retirement?). Stephen Jackson was not present today at Rams TC after contract disputes for his last year on contract.