AFC South & Mad Men (I need YOU)

Cecil Shorts quietly turning heads

Wherever and however you are view this today thank you for making  the Gray Area Matters  part of your Sunday.  Let’s hit the AFC South quickly and then we will get to the new Mad Men team on yahoo sports.  From now on I will stream the AFC South’s top tier which basically includes Arian Foster, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and my man crush Andrew Luck.  Ok the last part was a joke but man is he good. If I liken myself to Colin Cowherd than Luck is my Brady, those who watch or listen to The Herd know about Colin’s man crush.

Quick Outs Start/Sit:

1. Sit- Chris Johnson- if you can the Bears rank number 1 against the run. Only expect flex scoring of 7 points.
2. Start- Cecil Shorts- If he is on the wire, why don’t you have him? Mike Thomas is gone. Blackmon never showed up. And Robinson is coming back. All signs point to this guy getting the rock. Playing Detroit 7^th against the pass 16^th against the run but they haven’t looked as well as the ranks suggest.  
3. Sit-Brown/Ballard- A timeshare and Miami plays good defense ranked 2^nd against the run (Take that Hard Knocks hatters), but 25^th against the pass ( L ). Upside is on Ballard if you have to play one of them. 
4. Start-Rashad Jennings- Lions are 16^th against the run and Gabbert will dump the ball to Jennings on passing downs. Makes him a solid flex play this week.

Sees Endzone Ballard: (himself)" I'm going airborne"

On to team Mad Men, you can view my team from my boss page.

 I’ll note this week’s additions:

• Isaac Redman- Gets the start this week and I needed a #2 RB option.
• Cecil Shorts- Snagged this gem for the flex play shoring up the spot.
• Dwayne Allen- Vernon Davis  is on the bye and Coby Fleener will be out a few weeks. Allen was second to Wayne in targets last week and I like the match up against the Dolphins.
• Denver Defense- Playing the Bengals, I like the upside for the Broncos.
•  Justin Tucker Baltimore Kicker- At Cleveland and I am counting the Browns play hard making the Ravens kick field goals.

Can Redman snap the losing streak? (of Mad Men)

The team is 2-6, but the good news is four teams are 3-5 making a playoff spot possible. Also four other teams are 4-4 which means if Mad Men can get rolling we can climb quickly. I will leave you with this note on a possible trade I am proposing it will also be on the polls at PigSkin Boss.

• Percy Harvin for Fred Jackson and Eric Decker or Miles Austin

 Thank you for making this part of your Sunday! You can always hear more from me on twitter @IntoTheGray. Visit the PigSkin Boss Facebook page and like us. I hope all of you win this week, unless you are playing me.  

One foot, Bad Thumb, No Problem for Ben!

Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Matters part of your busy day.  Ben Roethlisberger may just be the toughest NFL player in the game. In the second quarter, Ben was knocked out of the game when a defensive lineman landed on his ankle.  The high ankle sprain injury keeps most professional athletes sidelined for three to four weeks, but not “Big Ben.” Already playing with a fractured thumb, Ben once again led the Steelers to victory.

This guy is old school.  Ben is a throwback player to the early days of football when the only way you got out of the game is if a broken bone was through the skin. Looking at his injuries over his career would lead most to believe he was a motocross rider or a daredevil.  With all the Tebow talk lately about his desire to win, people should be directing their attention to Roethlisberger. No one knows just how long he can keep this up, but I would imagine he won’t quit until he is forced to or physically cannot. Not many quarterbacks connect with their city more than Ben. Pittsburgh is known for being tough town and the Steelers embody the blue collar mentality of their city. Brad Kiesel said it best: “When Ben is hurt it just seems to work out well for us.”  It’s because he is always fighting some injury late in the season when the playoff race is in a full sprint.

Coaches and analysts say “attitude reflects leadership.” No one can deny that tough attitude reverberates through Steelers entire team. One thing is for certain. Every time an opponent lines up against Ben, he will do whatever it takes to win. The Steelers’ next challenge is against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. With a few extra days to recover, you can bet #7 will be ready come game time.

Thank you for making this blog part of your day. If you want hear more from me you can follow me on twitter @chrisgrayarea. Don't forget to like our Facebook page The Chris Gray Area as well as check out chrisgrayarea.com.