In his latest column, Simmons rails on those that defend Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 against the Patriots Sunday night. First, he skewers the idea that it was statistically the right move. Then he questions the assumption that the Colts would have scored had the Pats punted. After that, he questions a few other justifications for Belichick's decision. The whole thing is a good read, but here's the meat of his conclusion...

Did it feel like the end of an era? Yeah, a little. The truth is, Belichick is 57 years old. I doubt he's banking those famous 19-hour work days anymore. I doubt he possesses the same hunger that fueled him when he was trying to escape Bill Parcells' shadow and make a name for himself. Everything is gravy for him at this point. His place in history is secure.

Career security can be damaging in one of two ways: either you stop taking chances, or you feel emboldened and start taking too many of them. Belichick's recent history shows that he would rather roll the dice than do something conventionally. He made so many trades in the draft this past April that I can't even remember where we ended up picking. Right before the season, with the Patriots picked by many as the clear Super Bowl favorite, he dealt one of his defensive pillars (Richard Seymour) to Oakland for a future first-round pick. On Sunday night, he went for the jugular in Indianapolis when the situation demanded prudence.

There is a time for statistics and a time for common sense. And on the road, up six, facing a 4th-and-2 on your own 28 yard-line? That's a time for common sense.

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- THE SPORTRESS OF BLOGITUDE (I have to say, I like that name) has the details of a Marv Albert/50 Cent scuffle that happened backstage at a recent taping of "Jimmy Kimmel."

- THE SPORTING BLOG reports that detainees at the Wisconsin National Guard camp over in Iraq are using Brett Favre's shenanigans against the soldiers.

- BLACK SPORTS ONLINE wonders if anyone cares about the concussion problem in the NFL.

- SHUTDOWN CORNER discusses the Jay Cutler and Lovie Smith's decision not to sit down for an interview with Bob Costas in advance of the team's Sunday night game against the Eagles.

- RUMORS & RANTS lists some of the worst calls of all time.

I don’t get the Carolina Panthers.

One week after playing inspired in a 28-19 win over division rival Atlanta, the Panthers laid a dud in a 24-17 loss to the Dolphins on Thursday night in Carolina.

After they beat the Falcons, some pundits started believing in the Panthers again. Hey, why not? They beat the Cardinals in Arizona in Week 8, hung with a powerhouse Saints team in New Orleans in Week 9, and beat a good Falcons team in Week 10.

But after their performance Thursday night, it’s hard to believe that John Fox’s team will play consistent enough throughout the rest of the season to make a postseason run. Jake Delhomme is too mistake-prone, the loss of Jordan Gross kills the offensive line (the Dolphins sacked Delhomme four times), and the defense can’t stop the run.

At best, this is a 7-9 Panthers team. They’ll play hard enough for Fox to stay somewhat alive in the Wild Card race, but they blew a huge opportunity this week to earn a victory at home and put pressure on the Falcons to win in New York (vs. the Giants) on Sunday.

On the other side, the Dolphins still have a pulse at 5-5. Granted, given that they play in a tough AFC they don’t have much of a pulse, but considering they’re still alive without Chad Pennington and Ronnie Brown is quite an accomplishment.

Ricky Williams really stepped up in the absence of Brown, rushing for 119 yards with two touchdowns on 22 carries. He also caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown, which proves he can be multi-dimensional.

My TSR cohort John Paulsen made a good point the other day in that Williams doesn’t have the same wear and tear on him as most 32-year olds, given that he was out of football for a couple years. He won’t have the opportunity to face a suspect Carolina front seven every week, but if he continues to run the way he did on Thursday night then he’ll give Miami a chance to win on most game days.

Cedric Benson did not practice on Thursday. Rotoworld reports that Bengals players who don't practice on Wednesday or Thursday usually do not play on Sunday, but that an exception might be made for Benson, who is the league's 6th-leading rusher. Cincy's game against Oakland is at 4:15 PM, so fantasy owners with Bernard Scott can simply wait it out and see if Benson is active on Sunday. Those without Scott have a tough decision to make.

Brian Westbrook should make a full recovery. This is great news for Westy, but his 2009 is still in doubt. The doctors are recommending he be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, which makes his return in Week 13 at the earliest. The Eagles were told to take a conservative approach, so even if he's healthy enough to play, I'd expect the team to shut him down if they fall out of the playoff hunt. Fantasy owners should hold onto him in the event that he comes back for the fantasy playoffs, but if there is a good option on the waiver wire, it might be time to cut bait.

Jerious Norwood returns to limited practice. It looks like Michael Turner will be out this week, but he's optimistic that he'll be back soon. It's not inconceivable that Norwood would get some work with Jason Snelling in a RBBC against the Giants, though he's been out a while with a hip injury.

Kyle Orton has torn ligaments in his left ankle. Brandon Marshall owners should keep an eye on this. If Orton isn't able to play through this injury, it's a big blow to Marshall. Orton isn't great, but he's a lot better than Chris Simms right now.

Ronnie Brown reportedly has Lisfranc injury. This generally requires surgery and recovery takes a while. If this is indeed the type of injury he has, he will enter the 2010 season as a question mark.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both expected to play tonight. Williams sat out practice on Wednesday just to rest, nothing more. He's a good RB1 play and Stewart is a solid RB2/flex play in most formats.

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Rotoworld shares the bad news that the Dolphins placed Ronnie Brown on IR, ending his season...

The extent of Brown's foot injury still hasn't been revealed, but the Dolphins wouldn't have ended his season so early if it wasn't significant. A Lisfranc fracture requiring surgery could jeopardize his availability for 2010 training camp. In standard leagues, Brown has been the No. 8 overall fantasy RB with eight all-purpose touchdowns, 746 total yards, and a rock-solid 4.4 YPC in nine starts. With no CBA deal on the horizon, Brown's 2010 option will likely kick in, keeping him in Miami. He's due $5 million in salary next season.

Obviously, this is a big blow to the Dolphins who already have RB Patrick Cobbs on IR. However, they do have a good backup in Ricky Williams who is more than capable of taking over.

From a fantasy point of view, if Williams is somehow available on your waiver wire, pick him up NOW. His matchups in the fantasy playoffs are all decent and the Miami running game is one of the best in the league. There are a few things to keep in mind: 1) He's 32 years-old and hasn't had a 25+ carry game since 2005, 2) he was basically out of football for two years so he doesn't have the normal mileage of a 32 year-old RB, and 3) he has looked damn good this year, averaging a career-high 5.3 ypc.

The Dolphins plan to use Williams as their workhorse back. Lex Hilliard is listed next on the Miami depth chart, so he might be a guy to stash if you have room on your roster. Hilliard is a power back that hasn't yet carried the ball in his two year career. However, he amassed 3,428 yards and 45 TD in three seasons at Montana. He averaged 107 yards and 1.2 TD in 23 games over his last two years in college. Given his age, Williams is susceptible to injury, and if he were to go down, Hilliard would likely be the lead back in a potent rushing attack.

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Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

Matt Schaub is coming off his bye and has a tasty matchup with a Tennessee defense that has given up an average of 270 yards and 2.6 pass TD per game...Eli Manning is also coming off his bye and has a date with an Atlanta defense that is 28th against the pass...The KC DT has been a little better versus QBs of late, but Ben Roethlisberger should still have a nice game. On the season, the Chiefs have given up an average of 234 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game...It's tough to run on the Vikings, so look for Matt Hasselbeck to pass early and often to try to take advantage of Minnesota's 23rd-ranked pass defense...The Giants have struggled against the pass of late, so Matt Ryan will have an opportunity to break out of his recent funk...Desperate? Miami has really struggled against the pass lately, so (gulp) Jake Delhomme should be able to post some good fantasy numbers.

I love Ricky Williams this week. Not only is he slated to be the Dolphins' workhorse back, but he has a great matchup with a sketchy Carolina rush defense...Cedric Benson is a must-start if he can play, but if he can't go,Bernard Scott should be able to post nice numbers against an Oakland defense that has yielded 156 yards and 1.6 TD on the ground this season...Rashard Mendenhall should have a very nice day against the Chiefs, who are ranked 27th against the run...Kevin Smith hasn't tore it up lately, but a date with a suspect Browns' defense should remedy that...Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells both look like nice starts against the Rams this week. I think I prefer Wells, who will get more work if the Cardinals are able to build a lead. It all depends on which Rams team shows up. If this game is competitive, Hightower is likely to see more touches because he's more involved in the passing game...It's tough to tell what's going on in the Saints' backfield, but Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are both worth starting this week against the Bucs' 31st-ranked rush defense. Tampa Bay has given up an average of 167 yards on the ground this season...Ryan Moats got the lion's share of the touches in Week 9 and I'd expect that to continue this week against a struggling Titans rush defense...Michael Turner owners can turn (pun totally intended, ugh) to Jason Snelling. The matchup with the Giants isn't great, but ATL doesn't have any other good options at RB with Turner out and Jerious Norwood banged up...LeSean McCoy and Justin Forsett are likely to fill in for Brian Westbrook and Julius Jones, respectively. Neither guy has a great matchup, but in PPR leagues, both players are very startable.

Greg Jennings and Donald Driver should be in lineups this week, as they have a pretty nice matchup against the 49ers' 29th-ranked pass defense...Roddy White should be a good start against a banged-up Giants' secondary...Look for Sidney Rice to have a big game against the Seahawks, who have been torched by WRs in the last few games...The Chargers have been pretty good against the pass this season, but lately, they've struggled a bit. Brandon Marshall has a chance to have a nice game...Hines Ward is a solid atart against the Chiefs, though I'm a little worried that KC won't be able to stay in the game without Dwayne Bowe...Obviously, Marques Colston is a good bet to have a bounce back game against the Bucs, but Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem will also have a shot to catch a deep ball or two...Kevin Walter is looking like a solid start against a shaky Titans pass defense. With Owen Daniels out, he figures to get a few extra targets...Desperate? Donnie Avery caught two TD last week and has another nice matchup this week as the Cardinals come to down. He's not a dependable start right now, but if you need a guy, you could do worse...Really desperate? Maurice Stovall has gone for 7-93-1 over the last two weeks and the Bucs are likely to be playing catch up against the Saints this week.

David Garrard has been a little tough to figure out lately, so a bad matchup with the Bills' 9th-ranked pass defense doesn't bode particularly well...There are a number of good QBs that are still startable, but have bad matchups: Tom Brady (NYJ), Tony Romo (WAS), Carson Palmer (OAK) and Joe Flacco (IND)...Steer clear of Mark Sanchez, who faces a Patriots defense that is ranked 7th in the league in yards allowed (195 ypg). Bill Belichick's DT should be able to give the rookie fits...Alex Smith has been pretty solid as the 49ers' starter, but he has to play in Green Bay against a defense that shut down the Cowboys last week. Assuming the Packers show up, it could be a long day for Smith.

The Chargers have actually been pretty good against the rush of late, which is why I'd avoid Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter this week...Jamaal Charles was great against the Raiders, but those were the Raiders. This week, he faces a very stout Pittsburgh defense that is coming off of a loss. This could get ugly...I don't like Marion Barber very much this week. The Washington run defense is coming on and he isn't all that involved in the passing game this season...Likewise, I think Ladell Betts will struggle against a fired up Dallas defense that is still smarting from a tough loss to Green Bay last week.

Mike Sims-Walker is good enough to start just about every week, but Buffalo has been stingy against the pass this season, so be warned...The same goes for Chad Ochocinco, who has the unenviable task of going head to head with Nnamdi Asomugha this week...Devin Hester is a shaky start against a very good Eagles pass defense...Michael Crabtree may find the going tough against a good Packer secondary. Green Bay is ranked 6th against the pass in yards allowed, though they have given up the 4th-most pass TD this season.

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…okay, not really. But LeBron did say recently that he could succeed in NFL if he put in the time and Browns head coach Eric Mangini has a helmet waiting for him if he ever wants to give it a try.

From ESPN.com:

"If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good," he said Tuesday night, "no matter what team I was on."

Mangini agreed, calling James "a freak athletically" and said the 6-foot-8, 260-pounder could be dangerous at tight end, wide receiver or even outside linebacker.

Quarterback Brady Quinn also heard about James' football fetish. He would love to have a target to throw to like James in the red zone.
"That'd be great," Quinn said. "Tell him to suit up and let us know, we'll get him working. Obviously he's an incredibly talented athlete. If he wants to try to play a little bit now, we'd be more than willing to pick him up."

Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers isn't convinced James, as great as he is, could step into the NFL and be able to handle the pounding.
"I heard that comment," Rogers said. "I have mixed emotions about that. A great athlete? Yes. A football player? No."

Rogers then looked into TV cameras.

"Yeah LeBron, I said it," he said. "It's a punishing game. I just don't think you can step off the basketball court after not going through this year in and year out and just play football. From that standpoint, I just don't think it's possible. You have to weather and condition your body to take this punishment."

That’s all the Cavs and the city of Cleveland needs: For LeBron hurt playing for a 1-8 Browns team going nowhere fast.

Given how gifted an athlete James is, I could see him succeeding in the NFL if he put in the time. But I agree with Rogers in that he couldn’t just step onto the field this Sunday and have an impact. For starters, he’s never run a pro route and he’s never read a defense. If he was told to just run straight down the field and then look for the ball, I could see him making a play or two. But he’d be lost if he were to start a game without practicing and I could only imagine him getting laid out going across the middle.

The front office for the Cavs would rather die than see this come to fruition, but I would love to see LeBron play for just one game to see how he’d do – even if it were just for a couple of plays.

Of course, that would require Brady Quinn to throw a pass longer than three yards in bounds, which is something I seriously doubt he could handle.