2009 Season - Week 14

As reported last week Clinton Portis had been placed on IR by Washington. Daz replaced him with Baltimore’s Willis MaGahee. Meantime Wayne’s first year franchise man Steve Slaton has a career threatening spinal injury so Wayne has cut ties with him and signed Jamaal Charles from Kansas City. As Slaton was in his first franchise year Wayne will have to pay his salary next season so Wayne will effectively be operating on a $9.5m budget. Kicking Saint John Botten’s Garrett Hartley has been available to kick for New Orleans since week 5 but every week without warning an hour before kick-off Hartley has been made inactive and the Saints have gone with his first month replacement John Carney. Then last week, an hour before kick-off Carney was made inactive and John’s kicker finally got off the schnide. In-fact New Orleans needed Hartley as he scored 15 points in their OT win at Washington. Hartley played again this week scoring 8 more points. If John had the 55 points Carney has scored since week 5 he would currently be 8th and 25 points above the drop zone. Three Weeks To Go As it is, with 3 weeks to go John is still battling for Premiership survival currently 14 ahead of Mark and 11 behind Dave G. Aaron is looking over his shoulder as he sits just 5 points above the drop line. After her second scoring Hall of Fame week of the year Cheryl is 50 points clear in the Conference and it looks like rookie Craig and George will join her moving on up. In the Hunt for the Papas Fritas Trophy it’s close at the top with both Johnnie and Marcus cutting into Chief’s lead. He currently has a 10 point lead over Johnnie who outscored Chief by 9 this week and Marcus is 24 points back but he outscored Chief by 11. Also chasing the podium is Andy H whose excellent 47 point week has him passing 400 points and sitting 25 behind Marcus. Three Teams In Along with the two unbeaten teams (Indianapolis and New Orleans), Minnesota have clinched a place in the playoffs after beating Cincinnati on Sunday. Cinci, San Diego and Arizona are also 1 win away from postseason play. In the AFC, New England are top of the East with Denver and Jacksonville in the wildcard spots though Baltimore, Miami, NY Jets, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Houston are all within 1 game of Jacksonville. In the NFC, Phili are now atop the East with Green Bay and Dallas in the wildcard spots. NY Giants (1 game behind Dallas) and Atlanta and San Francisco (both 2 games back) are still in the hunt. BUMS on Seats. Week 15 starts Thursday night with Indianapolis @ Jacksonville. On Sunday we will be at HQ from 3:30pm to see Saturday Nights important Dallas @ New Orleans game followed by Sky’s doubleheader, Miami @ Tennessee then Cincinnati @ San Diego. We’re at at H’s on Monday 6:30 for the Sunday Night game Minnesota @ Carolina. Call if you are coming.