Thursday Night Preview: Jet at Broncos (8pm NFLN)

Another Thursday Night matchup is upon us, and the Tag Team Champions of the NFL Network ( Mike Mayock & Brad Nessler), bring you the Jets vs. the Broncos. A classic matchup of good vs. evil, toe sucking vs. 50 yard line prayer timeouts...this one promises to be old school...and by that I mean a perfect spiral will be non-existent.

 

GREEN LIGHT: None of note. A short week for the reeling Jets, and a basic ground and pound game plan for the Broncos, gives me more pause than a school bus full of koala bears.

 

 

YELLOW LIGHT:

 

Tim Tebow/DEN: I hesitate slightly, as the Jets will be pissed after having their collective asses handed to them by the Pats in their OWN HOUSE (full disclosure, I'm a Pats fan). However, this is a short week, traveling to Denver, and that Ol' White Magic is in Tebow's favor. Expect that Tebow-like statline with enough ground work and a cheap, deep TD to Eric Decker to make him startable over many of the QBs in fantasy these days. Go figure.

 

Willis McGahee/DEN: While he's not out of the water with his hamstring injury, it's looking like there's a decent chance he'll play.  Still, only 4 days removed from initially injuring his hamstring, there's a decent chance for reinjury.  As much as the Broncos run the ball, he'll be a high-risk/high-reward type play for fantasy owners desperate for a running back.

 

Lance Ball/DEN: His value will likely hinge on McGahee's health, but he should still see a decent number of carries should the Broncos run the ball another 50+ times.

 

Shonn Greene/NYJ: No L.T. means Greene will be a true workshorse in this game, and maybe even see 3rd down reps with inexperienced Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell likely to be liabilities in blitz pickup. Thirty carries for 100+ and a TD is a modest prediction on my part.

 

Santonio Holmes/NYJ: He'll likely draw Champ Bailey, but I think Holmes is due for a decent game, and even though his QB blows goats for spare change, I think  a 7/89 and a TD bottom line makes him a low end #2 WR/ high end #3.

 

Dustin Keller/NYJ: The Broncos will throw Dumervil and Von Miller at Sanchez and try to replicate some of what worked for NE last Sunday night. I expect they'll get to Sanchez enough to make a Keller a needed binky for Sanchez. 6/65 seems reasonable.

 

 

BLOW THROUGH THAT LIGHT!:

 

Plaxico Burress/NYJ: Brian Scottenheimer isn't afraid to let Sanchez air it out, because in fact, the deep throw is Sanchez's best weapon. I expect Plax to post the maddening statline of 3/58 and 1 TD. He'll likely be on your bench anyway.

 

Eric Decker/ DEN: Who else is Tebow going to throw to, eh? 2/67 and 1 TD. Yep, that's what ya' get, kids.

 

 

PUMP THE BRAKES:

 

Joe McKnight & Bilal Powell/NYJ: Again, Greene looks to be the workhorse and Powell & McKnight will come up short with a lesser workload.

 

Any WR not named "Eric Decker" for the Broncos: Sorry fuckers, this is the "Lord's House" and by that I mean Tebow.