Thursday Night Observations

Well that sucked. I don’t mean because of the Joe Burrow and Mark Andrews injuries — unfortunate though they were — but because I started Keaton Mitchell (at the last minute) with Saquon Barkley and D’Onta Foreman both questionable, and in any event, Foreman is possibly losing share this week to Khalil Herbert. The other option was Jerry Jeudy, and he’ll probably go off against the Vikings, but I just can’t any more. Even when there’s not much Justice (Hill) in a game the Ravens won by 14, Mitchell couldn’t do anything.

I also had the Bengals +4 in my home pool, but once Burrow got hurt, that was toast. I had Justin Tucker in a few leagues (he did fine) and Zay Flowers in one (he had his usual modest, short-pass-catching week), while it’s pretty clear OBJ is now the team’s No. 1 on the outside.

• Burrow sprained his wrist and is awaiting an MRI. He’s a great quarterback when healthy, but the injuries are piling up.

• I wasn’t pleased to see Ja’Marr Chase partially salvage his day with that garbage-time TD. If my players are going to bust, I want others to suffer too.

• I only watched the highlights, but Lamar Jackson looked smooth, even if he got lucky on the Nelson Agolor TD off a tipped pass. Odell Beckham is accelerating after the catch like he did with the Giants. The Ravens are going to need him, especially after Andrews’ apparently serious injury.

• I’m soured Flowers who seems like he’s all moves and no production. Maybe with Andrews out he and Rashod Bateman will get a boost, but it’s hard to count on either.

• Gus Edwards got two more TDs. I was going to nominate him in our TD-heavy Steak League for a buck in the end game, but changed my mind, got outbid on the guy I nominated, and then someone else got Edwards for a buck before my turn came back around. He’s the NFL’s leader in rushing TDs with 12.

• Roquan Smith got me 10 tackles which isn’t bad, but a bit of a come-down after last week’s 21.