Cup O' Joe - Week 7 Rumblings and Grumblings

Here's the news for Week 7:

- Seattle ran the ball down the throats of the Shamrocks on Sunday, and threw rather effectively with Marco Brandt, the third-string QB who got the nod over injured starter Monte Meier. Brandt was 24-of-38 for 243 yards and a touchdown in the Tritons' 34-14 win. Brandt will more than likely play again this week against Louisville, as the Tritons nurse Meier back to health. This is good news for fantasy players, who have Quincy Jones on their roster. Jones had three touchdowns against the 'Rocks last week, and has his best output, yardage-wise, since Week 1. Jones COULD be the top running back in football, but the Tritons have limited his carries to under 15 the past two weeks. They turned him loose for 22 carries, and he went for 101 yards and had his first 3 TD game.

- How about the Chicago Fire? They have this rotating door with players coming in and out for the first six weeks...have a near mutiny on a team fight because of a pool on who was going to be traded next (Noland Maynard was the one who was tagged, and the 15-year vet went after 6-6, 276-pound defensive end Koren Powers, starting a locker room brawl that saw two players, including start TE Clayton Daufeldt, get injured. So, did the rickety old quarterback get respect out of the brawl? Well, maybe not so much as when he scrambled 23 yards for the game-winning score with 55 seconds left, as Chicago shocked the Empire. This with Maynard suffering an elbow injury, too.

- As we look around the league at some of the teams who are currently projected to pick high in the first round, we look at the current #1 overall pick, Kansas City, and see what they need most. The #1 need they have is at offensive tackle, and with gamebreaker prospects at other positions, we could see them going at the tackle spot, if there's one that shows the kind of skills that comes along once in a lifetime. In this case, we see OT Gene Herron, out of San Jose State, being a potential candidate, along with OT Tony McMullen. McMullen has been a beast in the Big Ten, but Herron has a lot of size, and hasn't let a defender NEAR QB Zeke Walker (#72 prospect) this season. He could be a major part in the Gamblers' effort towards re-signing QB Marc Hamdan, who has been adamant that he won't resign with the club unless they commit to fixing the line.

- The big game this week is, of course, the Gulf Division battle in Miami, where the Tampa Blazers will try to take out the division-leading Blitz. But another key battle is one in the Pioneer, where all four teams will have tough games. San Francisco, who nobody can figure out, will go to Cleveland, where the Blues are coming off a tough loss to unbeaten Cincinnati. This is a trap game for the Generals, and nobody knows how this team will do from one game to the next. Seattle, meanwhile, goes to Louisville (as we wrote about earlier). Oakland has the only home game this week, but it's against Portland, who has struggled and is looking to right their ship. The Gulf and the Frontier divisions have become the most contested divisions, with all teams in each still able to do damage.

- Finally, Dallas fans are clamoring for the debut of corner Tripp Welbourne, who has sat out the year on the practice squad. He may start next week against Michigan; if so, he would give the Outlaws a MUCH needed boost on their pass defense. He has immense talent, and can contribute immediately. Another player who could come off the practice squad is Cleveland OT Chad Coleman, who is considered the third-best prospect in the league right now. Cleveland should give him a chance to see what he can do; he could solidify a line that has given up 13 sacks this season.