San Diego Chargers doctors fear pass rusher Melvin Ingram suffered a torn anterior cruciate during the Chargers organized team activities this week, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday on “NFL Total Access.”

Ingram was selected 18th overall by the Chargers during the 2012 NFL Draft, and he finished his rookie year with 16 tackles and one sack.

I attended the NFL Super Regional Combine at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday and out of the more than 100 athletes who worked out, to my eye, Lawrence Okoye of England stood out the most. Of the guys there, he seemed to be the class of the defensive linemen.

The Super Regional Combine will be held on Sunday and Monday, with 219 players selected from the nine previous Regional Combines participating. These are players with no college eligibility left, some former NFL players and some aspiring NFL players who weren’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Half of the 219 invited worked out Sunday, the rest will work out the following day. It was amazing to see how good many of the players looked, albeit while only in shorts and shirts.

Lawrence Okoye, DE (6-foot-5 3/8, 304 pounds) — An Olympic discus thrower, Okoye reportedly turned down an offer to attend Oxford University to try out for the NFL. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 and 4.78 seconds. He performed the short shuttle in 4.38 seconds, had a 10-foot-5 broad jump and a 35-inch vertical jump. His arms were measured to be 35 inches long.

It looked like from the group that worked out Sunday, about half will be given the opportunity to sign with a team as a free agent and attend training camp. Okoye looked like he could be drafted. He was unbelievably active and incredibly explosive in drills. It was a real, first-class show.

The guy right behind him is Louis Nzegwu. He was in the draft last year and went to training camp with a team. He’s a guy that could be signed immediately. Another DL to keep an eye on is Gerald Rivers of Ole Miss.

After seeing a recent article in the New York Daily News that described gourmet burger chain Red Robin as “a favorite haunt” of Colin Kaepernick,  the restaurant decided to return the love.

Red Robin took out a full page ad in Thursday’s San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, where CEO Steve Carley addressed a letter to the San Francisco 49ers quarterback. If the Niners win Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Red Robin will give Kaepernick free food for life.

And fans are invited to get in on this “golden offer” as well.  All Red Robin restaurants in the San Francisco area will offer a buy one, get one free Tavern Double Burger on the Tuesday after the big game.

Red Robin says it’s just one additional incentive for Kaepernick to lead his team to victory.  (Could an endorsement deal be on the way next?)

One more week until Super Bowl 47.  Ravens and the 49ers. Going to be a legendary match-up taking place in the Big Easy.  We’ve got you covered with our Casual Fan’s Guide to the Super Bowl.  Planning a party?  Making a meal? Don’t know who to root for?  Have no fear. See below and you”ll be totally prepared.

It’s not as delicious as a po’boy sandwich, but we’ve got tasty content below:

(more…)

One of my favorite episodes of “The Simpsons” is Bart’s Comet. Bart Simpson discovers a comet on a collision course with the town of Springfield. After losing all means of escape (and running out of room in Ned Flanders’ bomb shelter), the town comes to grips with its fate.

And then Homer delivers the one last bit of hope when he says, “What’s everyone so worked up about? So there’s a comet — big deal. It’ll burn up in our atmosphere and what’s ever left will be no bigger than a chihuahua’s head.”

Forgive the spoiler, but Homer is right. And everybody is scared, rightly so.

I figured I had the same chance of winning in our “NFL AM” league over the weekend as I headed into Monday night’s game behind Matt “Money” Smith by 17 points. Thanks to RG3‘s injury, Danario Alexander‘s disappearance and leaving Knowshon Moreno on the bench for Jamaal Charles, well, I didn’t deserve even that much. I joked before the game started that I only needed about five turnovers from Mark Sanchez to win the night.

The notion seemed so far-fetched, I didn’t even check my fantasy scores while I watched the game (and “Monday Night RAW”) from my usual haunt, Slice of New York in Huntington Beach. (And to be honest, I never enjoy the Monday night games because I’m feverishly checking the running totals after every play.) It wasn’t even until late in the fourth quarter when I casually mentioned to my neighbor, Mark, that it was a possibility.

After a quick peek, I was still about four points shy. With just minutes left and the Jets on the move, all hope seemed lost. Even with Sanchez at quarterback, how can you even expect such a thing? It would be like Herman Edwards and the “Miracle of the Meadowlands,” the “Music City Miracle” and the “Immaculate Reception” all rolled into one.

Now, the hyperbole might be a bit thick here considering the author is the beneficiary. But it was really cool for it to work out the way it did. My mouth was on the floor when Sanchez fumbled, and if you could read Rex Ryan‘s lips after the play, let’s just say we both said the same thing but with different inflections.

I know kids: I’m scared, too.

But this isn’t the point of the Monday Nightmare. It’s disconcerting when I actually win on Monday night. We’re here to share our tales of woe. This is one big fantasy therapy couch, and the doctor is in. So share your story. This is a safe place, you’ll feel better when you do.

For the record, you can submit your fantasy questions to NFL Fantasy Live, Michael Fabiano or me on Twitter. But realize, NFL Fantasy Live has 90,000 followers, and Fabiano has nearly 100k. Me? Just four. See, the odds are better I will answer your question, so hit me up both via Twitter or via Facebook (oh wait, I told you to stop going to Facebook). Go instead to Google+. Also be sure to catch the latest “Dave Dameshek Football Program.”

The season is over for Percy Harvin. The Minnesota Vikings dynamic wide receiver hasn’t played since spraining his ankle in a Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Since then, the Vikings have used a collection of receivers —  including Jarius Wright, Jerome Simpson and Michael Jenkins — with average success, at best.

It’s a big blow because Harvin had played so well this season, scoring double-digit fantasy points in six of the eight full games he played this season. But since his injury, the only Viking with any fantasy value is Adrian Peterson and possibly Kyle Rudolph. Considering how poorly Christian Ponder has played for the bulk of the season, it’s hard to point to any other Minnesota skill player worth chasing.

– Marcas Grant
Follow Marcas on Twitter @MarcasG

The Carolina Panthers head into Philadelphia tonight to take on the Eagles in a matchup of two of the league’s most disappointing squads. Both teams were considered playoff contenders before the season, but have fallen on hard times; Carolina (2-8) are in a brutally tough NFC South and Philly dropped their last six to fall to 3-7.

Tonight’s game represents a chance for both teams to salvage something positive out of the rest of this season. The Panthers are one of the league’s most intriguing young clubs and will try to get back on the winning track so they have something to build off of for next year. The Eagles, on the other hand, will likely be undergoing a lot of changes this offseason and will get to take a look at two of their rookies that will start due to injuries. Running back Bryce Brown will start in place of LeSean McCoy and quarterback Nick Foles will start for Michael Vick.

All that being said, however, this game will be decided in the trenches and in the red zone. The Eagles are among the league’s worst red zone teams, ranking 30th in touchdown percentage (38.7 percent), and dead last with six red zone turnovers. Their struggles on the offensive line are a big reason for this. They rank 30th, averaging just 2 yards per carry once inside the 20, and have given up a league-worst seven sacks.

The Eagles’ woes this year play into the Panthers’ strengths. The Panther defense ranks eighth in the league in red zone TD percentage, allowing opponents into the end zone on just 45 percent of their chances. In addition to being stout defensively, the Panthers have also been efficient offensively inside of the 20-yard line. Carolina ranks sixth in red zone scoring, converting 61.5 percent of their opportunities into touchdowns.

Given these matchup issues, the Panthers should get the better of the floundering Eagles and potentially capitalize on Philadelphia’s consistent carelessness.

Falcons @ Buccaneers

In three of the Buccaneers’  last four outings, Doug Martin has rushed for over 100 yards; this week the 25th-ranked run defense travels from Atlanta to stop this trend. That’s asking a tall order, some would say, given that the Falcons give up 130 yards a game on the ground.

Tampa Bay also has their matchup issues as well. The Falcons must use lighter packages on early downs to exploit a weakness in the Bucs’ nickel package – cornerback Leonard Johnson. He should be a guy that Matt Ryan finds at the line of scrimmage and attacks frequently.

This game will rest on the shoulders of the quarterbacks. Josh Freeman better be careful against this Falcons secondary. While they aren’t the best in-your-face man coverage corners, they play very smart off-zone coverage and take gambles at opportune times.

Winner: Tampa Bay

Vikings @ Bears

Even with Jay Cutler at quarterback, Jared Allen and the Vikings front seven should have a field day against this offensive line. The Bears offense has been extremely inconsistent all season, and the variation of looks that Minnesota gives teams now opposed to prior seasons, will benefit the Vikings.

Adrian, Adrian, Adrian, as Brian Baldinger explained on the Playbook show, Chicago doesn’t handle heavy sets well (multiple tight ends & running backs) – that is what Minnesota does. Over the last for games, when Minnesota has aligned in the I-Formation (2 RB’s) they have averaged 11 yards per carry, accumulating 540 yards out of this set alone. On the other hand, defending the I-Formation in the last four games, the Bears have given up 4.3 yards per rush. Too much AP

Winner: Minnesota

49ers @ Saints

This is an intriguing matchup. On paper, nothing adds up. New Orleans is last against the run while San Francisco is first. Let’s peel the onion a bit more; the Saints have given up 42 runs of 10+ yards while the 49ers have gained 57 runs of 10+ yards – these are drive-sustaining runs that will keep Drew Brees off the field.

We all know how great the Niners defense is in all stages of the job description, but they face the best all-around passing offense in the NFL. With the annual improvement of left tackle Jermond Bushrod, expect Aldon Smith to face some sort of resistance this week. The Saints have only given up 16 sacks this season (T-6^th).  They also lead the NFL in touchdown passes (28) and are fifth in the NFL on third down (44.9%) – but San Francisco has a 32.6% conversion rate against them on third down (3^rd).

Winner: San Francisco. We feel funny about this game, and it can go either way

Packers @ Giants

If there is any time for Eli Manning to wake up, the time is now. This is a wounded Packers defense ,and he better capitalize because Green Bay’s offense is no sitting duck – and they will score!  In the last five games, Aaron Rodgers has thrown 17 TD’s while Eli has only thrown two.

The one thing that goes in New York’s favor is that Green Bay cannot block their front, therefore the Giants can rush four comfortably and drop seven into coverage – giving Rodgers smaller throwing lanes. If the Giants can generate pressure like we know they can, this should force the Packers to keep eligible receivers involved in the protection, limiting how many can deploy into a route.

This is a classic set up for the Giants to explode, coming off of a bye and having two weeks to game plan for the NFL’s most deadliest passer. Tom Coughlin is too good of a coach for his team to continue to be flat after this much time to prepare.

Winner: New York

Panthers @ Eagles

The Eagles lead the NFL in red-zone giveaways with six, and are second to last in total giveaways at 24.  The Eagles have also fumbled seven times in the red zone, not losing all of them, but carelessness is our point. This is just what Carolina needs — an opportunity for the ball to bounce their way.

Winner: Carolina

Rams @ Cardinals

Arizona’s inability to run the football on offense is the key to their downhill skid after a 4-0 start to this season. It is easy to blame the quarterback situation, and that has aided their situation as well, but there has been no relief in the backfield with Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams injured.

One thing the Rams have done well all season is compete. This is a much improved football team from a year ago, and their defense will be the reason the Rams win this game. They are the better team no doubt – but do not count out defensive coordinator Ray Horton of the Cardinals to dial up exotic blitzes to breakdown the Rams’ protections and potentially force turnovers.

The Rams learn from their early loss to the Cards and get a victory.

Winner: Rams

AFC

Titans @ Jaguars

When the Titans travel to Florida this weekend they should be packing their ascending rushing offense as a main priority.

Jacksonville is 0-2 when giving up 100 yards to a rusher. On the contrary, Chris Johnson has averaged 130 yards per game in his last five outings.

Tennessee should be able to control the clock against the NFL’s 29th-ranked run defense (138.6/gm), which will aid quarterback Jake Locker and possibly limit the amount of drives Jaguar quarterback Chad Henne will have to operate.

Winner: Tennessee

Bills @ Colts

The Bills average 140 rushing yards a game and have an NFL best second-down rushing average of over six yards per attempt. Buffalo has a lot of speed in its backfield and uses its spread packages to remove bodies out of the interior, which exemplifies them being tied for third with 11 rushes over 20 yards this season.

Andrew Luck has been as advertised and is showing why he was selected as the No. 1 draft pick.  There is no situation too great for him, this offense is fourth in the league in third-down conversion (45%) and the is the NFL’s best in third-and-long situations at 41.2 percent.

This game will score a lot of points because both defenses have deficiencies when facing the run and pass. Luck’s show of poise at such a young age forces us to believe that Indy will prevail.

Winner: Indianapolis

Steelers @ Browns

This season Pittsburgh has not allowed a 300 yard passer and are No. 1 in the NFL in pass defense and third-down defense. In these same categories the Browns rank 20th in passing offense and 12th on third down.

Even though Charlie Batch will start against a much improved Browns front four, he still is well vested in the Pittsburgh system and just needs to protect the ball. This game will probably close if Cleveland continues to find ways to get the ball to rookie running back Trent Richardson in open space forcing one-on-one tackling. When watching film, defenders simply do not want to tackle him alone.

Pittsburgh has the defense to force turnovers and even put points on the board when needed. Expect a tough game out of this storied rivalry, but the defense of the Steelers will have to find a way to lead their team.

Winner: Pittsburgh

Chargers @ Ravens

Charger quarterback Phillip Rivers  is 2^nd in the NFL in interceptions this season with 14. This doesn’t bode well when visiting an opportunistic  Ravens defense that is the AFC’s second-leading pass intercepting defense (11).

Though the Charger defense issecond in the NFL against the run (87.9 yds/gm) and held running back Ray Rice to 57 rushing yards in 2011; their pass defense will be challenged. San Diego loves to play a simple three-deep coverage, which shall boost Baltimore’s pass offense – making it an uphill battle for the San Diego Chargers.

Winner: Baltimore

Raiders @ Bengals

Though the Oakland offensive line has struggled to get consistent push in the run game, Cincinnati has struggled against the run as well through undisciplined linebacker play. Expect versatile RB/FB Marcel Reese to challenge this defense on the ground.

As we have watched film this season, one thing that has consistently shown up while watching the Raiders’ secondary has been busted coverages. Bengal quarterback Andy Dalton is going to test this group, and expect Cincinnati to find ways to get A.J. Green matched up on converted safety Michael Huff for big plays down the field.

Winner: Cincinnati

Broncos @ Chiefs

Believe it or not, Kansas City does not match up bad against Denver. They are sixth in pass defense yet 25th against the run. With the injury to Willis McGahee, this should play in the Chiefs’ favor right? Wrong. Peyton Manning is the tipping point; he is a master at the line of scrimmage and will play a numbers game with this Chiefs defense.

When the box is heavy with defenders, Manning will abandon the run and check to a pass play, and vice versa when the box is light. This will create mismatches and ultimately force mistakes and defensive breakdowns that Denver has capitalized on most of this season.

Still expect nothing less than a great game from Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, who is having a lights-out season thus far.

Winner: Denver

Seahawks @ Dolphins

The Seahawks rank 32nd in passing offense (1748 yds, 175/gm) and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown every interception this season on the road. Though Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle run offense ranks in the top 5 of the NFL, they face a top 10 run defense led by interior terrors Randy Starks and Paul Soliai, a disciplined linebacking group and solid run supporting safeties.

On the other side, Seattle’s defense must leave a prominent stain in this game if they want to succeed. Their defensive front is built to stop Miami’s zone run scheme. The Dophins rank 24th in completion percentage and have the third-lowest passer rating in football (72.3), playing  into the Seahawks’ hands to stop their inconsistency away from home.

Winner: Seattle

Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins

With the return of QB Jake Locker you have to wonder if this Tennessee Titan rushing offense will regress. NFL Network analyst LaDanian Tomlinson made a point a few weeks ago on First On the Field saying that Matt Hasselbeck puts Chris Johnson in better positions to succeed in the pre snap phase of the game.

In the last three games out of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WRs) the Titans have averaged 4.71 yards per carry and out of 21 personnel (2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WRs) 9.93 yards per carry on 30 carries.

Facing the third best defense in the NFL, we feel that this Tennessee rushing surge goes away.

Pick: Miami

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

With the huge offseason transaction for the Buffalo defense they have not lived up to expectations. In the week 4 matchup Tom Brady threw for 340 yards.  41% of those yards (141) came out of an empty set.

Expect the Patriots to add some kind of wrinkle to their approach still attacking the Bills with a spread mentality on the ground and through the air. May we also add that Buffalo gave up 104 of 247 total yards on the ground against 3×1 sets – a formation that spreads the defense.

Pick: New England

Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens

With key injuries of late in Raider nation, an opportunity to steal a game from a wounded Ravens team looks grim. But with the high production of Carson Palmer of late, you never know how the ball may bounce.

Too bad Carson doesn’t play defense, Baltimore has spread out more than in recent years and will attack the Oakland defense with 3×1 sets. In the last three games, the Raiders have given up a 55% completion percentage while Joe Flacco has thrown 10% higher against the last three opponents he’s faced.

Add the threat of Ray Rice into the mix and the Ravens gain the advantage in this matchup.

Pick: Baltimore

New York Giants vs. Cincinnati Bengals

They key for success in this matchup is first down efficiency – that is when a team gains for or more yards on 1^st & 10.

Andy Dalton cannot be put in second and long situations against a veteran defense like the Giants possess. If the Bengals do not rush well on first down they could potentially put themselves in a deep hole on second and third downs.

A situation that fans would trust Eli Manning a bit more than sophomore QB Andy Dalton.

Pick: New York

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Kansas City Chiefs have to become more consistent when it comes to getting the ball to #25, Jamaal Charles. They possess one of the NFL’s greatest talents and he is the key to any success they can have.

The chiefs have also struggled at the quarterback position this season, and that will probably continue as Dick Lebeau’s defense continues to find new ways to disguise pressure packages and coverage.

Expect former Chiefs head coach and current Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley to spare no expense on Kansas City’s pedestrian defense (17th in NFL total defense).

Pick: Pittsburgh

San Diego Chargers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In both teams’ last four games…

The Chargers defense has played a single high coverage 76% (104/170) of the opponents drop backs. They will also be forced to stack the box due to RB Doug Martin’s presence.
This tendency will present one on one opportunities on the outside for QB Josh Freeman who has been efficient against a single high safety (30/54, 551 yds, 2 TDs, INT) with a 55% completion percentage.

Pick: Tampa Bay

Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers

Peyton Manning faces the NFL’s 12th ranked weekend in the Carolina Panthers that has given up 21 pass plays of 20 or more yards.

This season, Manning has completed 37 passes of 20 or more yards. In the last three games the Denver passing offense has been 21-35, 473 yds, 60% comp %, 2 TDs, INT (158 yards/game) via play action pass. They have used play action to take downfield shots in all three games – expect nothing less this week.

Pick: Denver

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

In their week 4 meeting QB Christian Ponder was 1-11 passing on third down and barely threw for over 100 yards (111) in the game. The positive for Minnesota is that RB Adrian Peterson ran for over 100 yards (102) averaging 4.9 per carry. They had ground success with trap and draw plays. The Vikings’ offense did not record an offensive touchdown in this win.

In the first meeting Detroit was held to 55 yards rushing on 20 carries, forcing Matthew Stafford to sling it 51 times, for 319 yards and 0 interceptions. If they do not generate any rushing attack, the results could be the same. Ground movement is the key.

Pick:: Minnesota

Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints

The Falcons defense has given up 45 pass plays of 15 or more yards while the Saints offense has thrown 60. Atlanta is a defense that likes to take chances in efforts to generate turnovers. Drew Brees is not the player to be undisciplined against.

Drew Brees has 8 TD passes of 20+ yards (2nd in NFL) and 34 completions of 20+ (3rd in NFL) but average the worst starting field position in the league (23.2).

While Atlanta’s high octane offense faces a porous New Orleans defense, throw records out of the window, these teams are very familiar with one another. Expect a high scoring game and the last offense to have the ball bring home the win.

Pick: New Orleans – upset alert!

New York Jets vs. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle is 4-0 at home this season hosting a struggling New York Jets squad that has not produced offensively at all, creating a trickle effect onto their defense.

Seattle is 7th in the NFL in rushing offense attempting 32 rushes per game averaging 4.9 yards per carry. New York’s 29th ranked run defense faces 32 rushes per game and allows 4.4 yards per carry.

Seattle can exploit this weakness and aid the continuation of Russell Wilson’s phenomenal home passing statistics (62 % completion %, 9 TD-0 INT, 120.2 passer rating).

Pick: Seattle

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Both teams offenses have not done well starting the game fast. The Eagles have scored only seven points in the first quarter (31st in NFL). Not a good recipe when facing the 5th ranked defense in the NFL.

Last week Michael Vick and the Philly offensive line struggled with adjusting their protection to various looks. One of the main conflicts came when facing mugging linebackers – that is when linebackers walk over each shoulder of the center. Something that any Ryan run defense has never been afraid to do.

Pick: Dallas

St. Louis Rams vs San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are the best running football team in the game. To take that further, they are the league’s best at running on second down averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

The St. Louis Rams are a league worst defending the run on 2nd down (6.05 per carry).

Pick: San Francisco

Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears

The key to this game for Chicago is to shut down Houston’s potent zone running scheme – bottom line. This season, The Texans have run most out of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WRs); they have rush 172 of their 280 total rushing attempts averaging 4.45 yards per carry in this personnel grouping.

The Bears have only given up 2.76 yards per carry against this personnel package (12) – yet only seeing 34 attempts.

In the last three games Chicago has not been good against play action passing. They have given up a quarterback rating of 105.2 averaging 11.4 yards per attempt; while Matt Schaub has been an efficient 12-16 (75%), 154 YARDS (9.63 YPA) and a 144.3 QB rating.

Pick: Houston

Probably around the time Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin was scampering for his third touchdown of the day — a 70-yard dash in Tampa Bay’s win over the Oakland Raiders — you were probably asking yourself where the Muscle Hamster’s day ranked historically. We might live in the now, but never let it be said we don’t believe in providing historical context. So here it is…the Top 5 all-time fantasy football performances.

1. Clinton Portis, RB, Denver Broncos — 55.40 fantasy points (2003)

Portis was a quality fantasy producer (and snappy dresser) for most of his career, but in Week 14, he took it to a new level. The man from “The U” rushed for 218 yards and five touchdowns — and added another 36 receiving yards for good measure — in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The following week, he ran for 139 yards and two more touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. But after posting a 50-spot, those 26.5 points look like a pittance by comparison.

2. Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks – 53.10 fantasy points (2002)

Alexander was the undisputed king of fantasy running backs in 2004 and 2005, but before he ascended to the throne, he put on a show in primetime. The only problem with this performance is determining what was more impressive: Alexander’s 139 rushing yards, his 92 receiving yards or his five total touchdowns (four rushing) … or that he scored all of those touchdowns in the first half! That game proved to be something of a jinx for Alexander as he was held below 100 yards rushing for six straight weeks following his explosion.

3. Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 51.20 fantasy points (2012)

The list of superlatives for the rookie’s breakout performance is pretty long, including being the top rookie fantasy performance on record. Martin set a franchise record with 251 rushing yards and became the first player since 1940 with three touchdown runs of 45 yards or more in the same game. His numbers would have looked even better except Martin lost 14 yards on his final three carries — otherwise, he would have had 52.60 points. I guess we can let him slide.

4. Mike Anderson, RB, Denver Broncos — 49.60 fantasy points (2000)

It’s somewhat odd that two Denver Broncos made this list, but neither of them are named Terrell Davis. Anderson, the originator of the Mile High Salute, earned kudos from fantasy owners for running roughshod over the New Orleans Saints as a rookie. The former Utah Ute posted 251 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the victory. It was the highlight of a season that saw Anderson surpass 100 rushing yards six times — including games with 195 and 187 yards.

5. Michael Vick, QB, Philadelphia Eagles — 49.32 fantasy points (2010)

Magic can happen on Monday night, and in 2010 Vick pulled a rabbit out of his hat against the Washington Redskins. It began with an 88-yard touchdown strike to DeSean Jackson and ended with a 3-yard TD pass to Jason Avant. In between, the Eagles quarterback threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns while running for 80 yards and two more scores. It was part of a phenomenal fantasy season that Vick has been trying to duplicate ever since.

– Marcas Grant
Follow Marcas on Twitter @MarcasG

Fans went out on Halloween showing off their best impressions of NFL players. Who was the most convincing?

(@CheesyFireman/Twitter)

(@ckloop/Twitter)

(davidely/Instagram)

(@blondebombshel3/Twitter)

(@tallgirl1989/Twitter)

(@auntkimmy1818/Twitter)

(@ricardo_rose/Twitter)

NFL players got into the Halloween spirit last night and stepped out in full costume. Here are a few of our favorites:

Iron Man and Cinderella, better known as New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany, pose with their son Baylen. (@drewbrees/Twitter)

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee poses in his Bane costume. (@JoshScobee10/Twitter)

Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito and tackle Jake Long made a heroic team as Batman and Superman. (@68INCOGNITO/Twitter)

NFL Network’s Kurt Warner appears on air in disguise. (National Football League)

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson sticks with the familiar and goes as head coach Chan Gailey. (@StevieJohnson13/Twitter)

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hulks out. (@AdrianPeterson/Twitter)

Atlanta Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud shows off his moves as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. (@tattedNspatted/Twitter)

Following a painful 35-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Minnesota to take on a red-hot 5-2 Vikings team. After being shredded for 377 yards and four touchdowns through the air, the Buccaneers defense is eager to rebound against Adrian Peterson and a run-heavy Vikings offense.

While Tampa’s secondary struggles have been well documented, their run defense has excelled this year. The Bucs currently rank third in the NFL, allowing just 76 rushing yards per game. They will have a tall order tonight, facing the league’s seventh-ranked rushing offense in Minnesota, which averages 132 yards per game and boasts one of the league’s premier running backs in Peterson.

Tampa will need to bottle him up if they want to have a chance to pull off the upset, but the good news is that they have the tools to do so. They are arguably the best run blitzing team in football, with linebackers Lavonte David and Mason Foster having tremendous seasons, but it is safety Mark Barron’s ability to walk down into the box and be a true player against the run that gives them a unique weapon. The “Playbook” crew breaks it down.

Safety Mark Barron is walking down to the line of scrimmage. He will become the 8th man in the box against this run-heavy offensive set. Wide receiver Dexter McCluster has a close split, putting him in position to block the 1st force player (Barron).

As you see here, McCluster did not cut off the force player and Barron is unaccounted for by the offensive line. Barron is unblocked and inserts himself into the line of scrimmage as an unblocked player in the run game.

Unblocked and unaccounted for, Barron finishes a designed run blitz aggressively. He is an explosive and physical young player who does not back down from contact. Barron has been very efficient against the run as a box player this season.

For the Vikings to combat the Buccaneers’ frequent run-blitz scheme, they have to take advantage of playaction and the holes that will be available in the middle of the field. QB Christian Ponder is going to have to make quick decisions and hang in the pocket on his throws, because there will be openings. Luckily for Minnesota, they have one of the league’s most explosive receivers between the numbers in Percy Harvin. If they can get the ball in his hands in space, it is going to be another long day for the maligned Tampa secondary. This will also keep the Bucs honest and ideally open up a little more space for Peterson. And, as we’ve seen for years, it only takes a little bit of space for AP to abuse opposing defenses.

“Playbook” — the ultimate football Xs and Os show — airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET (NFC) and 9 p.m. ET (AFC) on NFL Network. Check the NFL Network broadcast schedule for further details. Follow “Playbook” on Twitter @NFLN_Playbook.