Frank Coppola's new blog about fantasy sports can be found at http://blogs.seacoastonline.com/so-fantasyland

As it has for the past seven years, Frank's Fantasyland column appears each week in Seacoast Sunday. He can be reached at fcoppola@seacoastonline.com.

The bubble has officially burst for fantasy owners who were hoping that Tony Romo's broken finger wouldn't keep the Cowboys quarterback sidelined for more than one game.

Romo said Wednesday that his injury will likely keep him out of action until mid-November. It's been quite a roller-coaster ride for Romo owners in recent days. First getting word that the Dallas star would miss at least a month with the injury, then hearing rumors that he wouldn't miss any time at all and play in last weekend's game against the Rams.

But Romo didn't play, and now it looks like he'll be sidelined until after the Cowboys' bye week in November.

"I don't know when I'll be back," Romo said. "I think definitely the idea now is to get healthy by that bye week."

This is clearly bad news for anyone who also owns Dallas wide receivers Terrell Owens or Roy Williams, because backup QB Brad Johnson was terrible in the game against the Rams.

Extra points
* Sammy Morris and Lamont Jordan both missed practice for the Patriots on Thursday, meaning BenJarvus Green-Ellis might be the starting running back for Sunday's game against the Rams. Green-Ellis looked pretty good against the Broncos Monday, rushing 13 times for 65 yards and a touchdown.

* Giants WR Plaxico Burress had to be hospitalized Thursday due to continuing soreness in his neck. Tests came back OK, but it looks like Burress could potentially miss this week's game against Pittsburgh.

* Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder) was limited in practice on Thursday and will reportedly be a game-time decision against the Chiefs.

* With Chiefs RB Larry Johnson benched for the second straight week, Kolby Smith will start for Kansas City against the Jets this weekend. He gained just 20 yards on 10 carries against the Titans last week, so don't get your hopes up.

* It looks like the Steelers will welcome back Willie Parker for this week's big game against the Giants. Parker has missed four weeks (three games) with a sprained knee, but he is not listed on the team's current injury report.

It appears that Kobe Bryant's fantasy owners — and the Lakers, for that matter — have dodged a major bullet. After a couple days of question marks, it appears that the knee injury Bryant suffered in Tuesday's preseason game against Charlotte will not be a problem for the reigning NBA MVP.

In fact, Bryant could actually play in the Lakers' next exhibition game on Thursday.

Phew!

Bryant remains a safe pick to take if you haven't yet drafted your fantasy basketball team. For the record, I'd take him third behind LeBron James and Chris Paul in most formats. If you're smart enough to avoid roto leagues that make free-throw percentage more important than it should be, Dwight Howard also belongs in that mix.

It's been an interesting preseason already for several NBA stars, with injuries to Bryant, Deron Williams and Baron Davis all being less severe than originally feared. Perhaps that's a good omen for the upcoming season.

Fast breaks
* Warriors F/G Corey Maggette should be in line for a big scoring season, but he needed an MRI Wednesday night after suffering a strained hamstring. Maggette said he'll be ready for the season opener, but health concerns have sidetracked him before. Keep an eye on his status.

* With the Clippers missing Baron Davis and Marcus Camby due to injuries, second-year forward Al Thornton is having himself a nice preseason. Thornton had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in Wednesday's game against Portland.

* In that same game between the Clippers and Blazers, Portland center Greg Oden had 12 points and 13 boards in 28 minutes. Should be a fairly typical line for Oden, who seems like a good bet to average around 12 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season.

* Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose had another eye-opening game Wednesday, tallying 17 points, five rebounds and six assists. This after he scored 30 points against Dallas on Tuesday. The biggest problem with Rose this season could be turnovers; he had five of them against the Timberwolves Wednesday.

* You know who's actually looked good this preseason? Nets forward Yi Jianlian, who was traded by the Bucks for Richard Jefferson during the offseason. Yi hit 7-of-14 shots and had 16 points Wednesday against the 76ers.

Rookie players don't always make a big impact in fantasy basketball leagues, but it looks like the 2008-09 season could be a notable exception.

On Tuesday night, the top three players in last June's draft showed why fantasy owners shouldn't ignore rookies when it comes time to draft their basketball teams.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall selection, opened more than a few eyes with his performance against the Mavericks, totaling 30 points and seven assists in Chicago's 109-105 preseason victory. Rose shot 13-for-18 from the field.

In Miami, the second and third picks in the 2008 draft were matched up as Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo and Heat forward Michael Beasley hit the court. Mayo, averaging around 15 points per game in the preseason, burned the Heat for 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. He shot 12-for-22 from the floor. Beasley, meanwhile, scored 19 points in 20 minutes, shooting 8-for-13.

Of the three players, the guess here is that Mayo has the best fantasy season. Outside of Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies don't have many other scoring options besides Mayo. He's a gunner, and he's going to take his fair share of shots. He's also shown that he can contribute rebounds and assists during some of these preseason games, and he won't be shy about attempting several 3-pointers a night.

* This could be a big season for Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson. Without Baron Davis around, Jackson will be expected to carry a huge chunk of the offensive load. He hit five 3-pointers and tallied 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals on Tuesday against Lietuvos Rytas.

* Lakers C Andrew Bynum could be among the steals of any fantasy draft. The 7-foot center, recovered from last season's knee injury, had 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks in Tuesday's win over the Bobcats.

* If folks in your basketball league don't know about Knicks F/C David Lee, be sure to beat them to the punch in your draft. Lee somehow struggled to get minutes under Isiah Thomas' watch, even though he was a double-double lock whenever he was put in the starting lineup. Lee is slated to start at center for the Knicks. In 29 games as a starter last season, he averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds per game. He could average 15 and 12 this season.

* Just a taste of what Chris Paul's owners can expect this season: The Hornets star PG had 23 points, 15 assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block in Tuesday's game against the Pacers.

You've got to give credit to the Tampa Bay Rays. A franchise that has been the laughing stock of baseball for the last decade just withstood a heavyweight bout against the defending World Series champions and lived to tell the tale.

Just one loss away from one of the worst postseason collapses in baseball history, the young Rays erased a 1-0 deficit midway through Sunday's Game 7 of the ALCS and went on to earn a 3-1 win over the Red Sox at Tropicana Field.

Down 3-1, Boston had one last chance to conjure up some more magic during the top half of the eighth inning. But with the bases loaded and two outs, Game 5 hero J.D. Drew struck out against flame-throwing rookie David Price, who also fanned two in the ninth to wrap up the win.

The Red Sox couldn't do much of anything against Rays starter Matt Garza, who was named the ALCS MVP after allowing just two hits and one run over seven strong innings in Game 7. Jon Lester certainly pitched well enough to win for Boston, allowing six hits and three runs over seven innings while striking out eight, but the run support wasn't there on Sunday.

And really, that lack of offensive punch proved to be the Achilles heel for Boston. Let's face it: The Red Sox had no business getting this far in the playoffs, nevermind to a Game 7 in this series. As it turned out, Boston's miraculous comeback in Game 5 only delayed the inevitable, but that doesn't mean Red Sox Nation has any reason to hang its collective head.

This was about as gritty and gutty a Red Sox team that I can remember. They were doing it with mirrors for most of the season, surviving nagging and/or serious injuries to Josh Beckett, David Ortiz, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell. Making the playoffs despite disappointing seasons from rookies Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz. Losing Curt Schilling for the entire year. Losing Jason Varitek as an offensive contributor (with the notable exception of Game 6 against the Rays). Giving two more rookies, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson, key roles on the team in the second half. Having Manny Ramirez completely quit on the team, become a clubhouse cancer and force his way out of town via a trade to the Dodgers.

The Rays bent, but they didn't break. For a young team, that's pretty impressive, and it's why they'll be playing the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

For the Red Sox, plenty of questions loom. Most notably is what to do with Varitek, a free agent. There's no debating his importance to the team despite his offensive struggles this season. He's the team captain, its heart and soul, and a Gold Glove caliber catcher. But he's also going to be 37 next season, and his offensive skills aren't going to miraculously return.

Elsewhere in the lineup, questions will need to be answered at third base, shortstop and center field. Will Lowell be fully recovered from hip surgery? ... What will Boston do with shortstop Julio Lugo, whose season-ending injury was seen as a blessing by many Red Sox fans? He's still got two years left on his contract for $18 million. Lowrie showed flashes of his potential this season, but he was also prone to long slumps at the plate. ... What's going to happen to the Ellsbury/Coco Crisp platoon in center field? They had a role reversal in this year's playoffs, with Crisp taking his old starting job back from the struggling Ellsbury.

Even more questions: Will David Ortiz ever be the same after injuries to his knee and wrist? Will Josh Beckett show up to camp in shape next spring? Will Tim Wakefield be back? Can Buchholz bounce back?

For a team that was five wins away from its third World Series championship in five seasons, that's a lot of question marks heading into the 2009 season.

There's never a dull moment in Boston baseball, and there was certainly no lack of drama in this year's playoffs. It's just too bad they ended a bit earlier than most of us had hoped.

Editor's note: This column appears in the Oct. 19 edition of Seacoast Sunday.

During Barack Obama’s trip to New Hampshire this week, the Illinois senator spoke about how it would be foolish to rest on his laurels and relax despite having a big lead against the opposition.

I think he was talking about the presidential race and not his fantasy football team, but the principle applies equally well.

If you’re off to a strong start in your league, now is not the time to kick back and put your team on autopilot for a few weeks. This is especially true for owners who play in head-to-head leagues, because let’s face it: The first week of the fantasy playoffs is more important than all the previous weeks combined.

You know what having a 6-0 record in head-to-head leagues gets you right now? Bubkus. One bad day during the first week of the fantasy playoffs could send your season up in smoke, so now is the time to target players who have good matchups during Weeks 14-16 of the NFL regular season, when most leagues have their playoffs.

With that in mind, here is a quick look at some teams with relatively easy schedules down the stretch. Making a shrewd trade now could result in a big-time payoff down the road. Hey, Obama isn’t going to sit on his lead, and you shouldn’t sit on yours.

• Minnesota Vikings (at Detroit, at Arizona, vs. Atlanta): Two road games, but nothing scary about the opponents. This is good news for Adrian Peterson, Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian.

• Indianapolis Colts (vs. Cincinnati, vs. Detroit, at Jacksonville): OK, that last one could be a problem. But you gotta get to the dance first, and what better way than through the Bengals and Lions? This is good news for Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Joseph Addai.

• New England Patriots (at Seattle, at Oakland, vs. Arizona): Tom Brady’s injury has been crippling for the Patriots fantasy value as a team, but matchups against these defenses can only help. This is good news for Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Matt Cassel. And Laurence Maroney, too, if he ever plays again.

• St. Louis Rams (at Arizona, vs. Seattle, vs. San Francisco): Having Rams on your fantasy team has been a death wish so far, but there’s still offensive talent on that roster. Home games against bad defenses are always nice in the playoffs. This is good news for Steven Jackson, Torry Holt and Marc Bulger.

Sunday best
Here’s a look at some players with good matchups to exploit in this week’s games:

• Matt Schaub, QB, Texans (vs. Lions): Do you realize that Schaub has averaged 343 passing yards in his last two games? Pretty impressive. The Lions defense? Not so much.

• Dominic Rhodes, RB, Colts (at Packers): With Joseph Addai out 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, Rhodes figures to get plenty of work in the improving Colts offense.

• Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (vs. Lions): Not surprisingly, the winless Lions have one of the worst run defenses in the league. The speedy Slaton should take advantage.

• Santonio Holmes, WR, Steelers (at Bengals): Is this the game Holmes’ owners have been waiting for? The underachieving wideout has yet to crack the 100-yard mark in a game this season.

• Vincent Jackson, WR, Chargers (at Bills): Chris Chambers (ankle) is listed as doubtful this week, so Jackson could be a nice play again after torching the Patriots secondary last week.

Take a rest
You might want to think twice about starting these players if you have other options:

• Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys (at Rams): This is obviously a favorable matchup for the Dallas offense, and it’s great that Romo wants to play through his broken finger, but the Cowboys would be crazy to play him in this one. Why risk it?

• Derek Anderson, QB, Browns (at Redskins): Anderson looked fantastic against the Giants last week, but can we trust him yet on the road against a tough defense?

• Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks (at Bucs): Jones has come back down to earth in the last couple weeks, and the Tampa Bay defense can be ferocious.

• Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (at Giants): Gore is awfully tough to sit, but you’d think the Giants defense would be out for blood after being embarrassed by the Browns last week.

• T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Bengals (vs. Steelers): Housh is averaging under 50 receiving yards per game with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback in place of the injured Carson Palmer.

Stud of the Week
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars
The struggling Broncos defense was a perfect cure for Jones-Drew’s recent slump.
Jacksonville’s mighty mite, who had rushed a total of 12 times for 39 yards over his previous two games, broke out with 22 carries for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Jaguars’ win at Denver.
Jones-Drew added two catches for 23 yards, padding an already impressive stat line.
The Jaguars are off this week, but they play Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit over the next three weeks, so this could be the start of something special for Jones-Drew and his fantasy owners.

Dud of the Week
Brett Favre, QB, Jets
Some Favre owners out there must really be tearing their hair out at this point.

The legendary quarterback threw a career-high six touchdown passes against Arizona two weeks ago, finally earning a spot in many fantasy lineups last Sunday with the Jets going against the winless Bengals.

So how did Favre respond? He completed 25 of 33 passes, which was great. Unfortunately, those passes accounted for only 189 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. Favre also lost a fumble for good measure, making it three turnovers in all.

Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

Frank Coppola is the assistant sports editor for Seacoast Media Group and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He can be reached at fcoppola@seacoastonline.com.

When a friend called me from Fenway Park midway through Thursday's game against the Rays, I wasn't sure if he was at a funeral or at Game 5 of the American League championship series.

By the end of the night, it was clear: This was anything but a funeral.

The Red Sox rose from the dead in the late stages of the game, erasing a 7-0 deficit in the final three innings and escaping a crazed Fenway with an improbable 8-7 win over Tampa Bay.

Boston cut its series deficit to 3-2 and conjured up memories of the 2004 and 2007 league championship series that saw the Red Sox rally from 3-1 series deficits.

Even if the Red Sox can't complete this series comeback, the 2008 team showed the heart of a champion with Thursday's remarkable rally, the second-biggest comeback in playoff history.

Let there be no mistake: The Rays still hold all the cards here. They're up 3-2 and have two games at home to clinch the franchise's first trip to the World Series after a decade-long stay at the bottom of the standings. But on Thursday the Red Sox may have got the game changer that John McCain has fruitlessly been searching for over the past few months.

If any type of win is going to carry over from one game to the next, this was it. The Rays were certainly already making their World Series plans, and who could blame them? Up 7-0 in the seventh inning, holding a 3-1 series lead against a team it had — to that point — outscored 29-5 over the last three games!

It's tough not to be confident in Lester given his track record over the course of the season. But Beckett? It's hard to be confident in him at all. Some reports say Beckett's actually tore his oblique muscle in his final start of the regular season.

And if that's true, then it's remarkable that Beckett could even take the mound. It would definitely help explain why he has allowed 18 hits and 12 runs in 9 1/3 innings during the playoffs.

There have been rumblings that the Red Sox might start Lester in Saturday's Game 6 and bump Beckett to a possible Game 7, but Boston manager Terry Francona says it isn't true.

We'll see. All that really matters is that the Red Sox are still alive. And after seeing them pull off one of the most miraculous comebacks in baseball history on Thursday, that's certainly good enough for now.

The Exeter High School football team survived a scare against upset-minded Keene last weekend, and the Blue Hawks will put their perfect record on the line again Friday against Timberlane. For more on that game and others around the Seacoast, here is a look at our high school football previews for the weekend:

EXETER VS. TIMBERLANE
* When and where: Friday (7) at Timberlane High School in Plaistow.
* Team records: Exeter is 6-0 overall, 5-0 in Division II. Timberlane is 4-2 overall, 3-1 in Division II.
* 2007 result: Exeter won, 28-0, in Plaistow.
* Noteworthy: Both of these teams appear headed for the playoffs. Exeter is one of six unbeaten teams in the state, and Timberlane has won four of its last five games since opening the season with a 21-12 loss to Division I Manchester Central. … Junior running back Derek Furey has carried the Timberlane offense for much of the season, but quarterback Erik Hatton completed 8 of 12 pass attempts for 149 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend's 28-14 victory over Salem. … The Timberlane defense recorded eight sacks against Salem. … Exeter ranks second among Division II teams in points scored (173) and points allowed (49) this season. Unbeaten Bishop Guertin (6-0, 5-0) is first in both categories.

WINNACUNNET VS. ALVIRNE
* When and where: Friday (7) at Winnacunnet High School.
* Team records: Winnacunnet is 0-6 overall, 0-4 in Division II. Alvirne is 3-3 overall, 2-2 in Division II.
* 2007 result: Winnacunnet won, 39-26, in Hampton.
* Noteworthy: Alvirne has been outscored 103-91 this season, but is very much in the Division II playoff picture. The Broncos pulled into a tie for fourth place by beating Dover, 28-20, last Friday. Four Division II teams will qualify for postseason play. … The goal is different for Winnacunnet, which is seeking its first victory of the season. Farmington is the only team in the state that has allowed more points (250) than Winnacunnet (234) this year. … Alvirne running back Nick Goldsack ran for two touchdowns against Dover, and has scored a team-high five TDs this season. The Broncos were held to 29 points in their first four games, but have scored 62 points in their last two contests. … Winnacunnet has played two Division I teams (Londonderry and Concord) and the two unbeaten Division II teams (BG and Exeter).

ST. THOMAS VS. BISHOP BRADY
* When and where: Friday (7) at Concord's Memorial Field.
* Team records: St. Thomas is 5-0 overall, 4-0 in Division V. Bishop Brady is 3-2 overall, 2-2 in Division II.
* 2007 result: The teams did not meet.
* Noteworthy: St. Thomas is battling Pelham (5-0 overall and in Division V) and Trinity (5-1, 4-1) for home-field advantage in the Division V playoffs. The Saints may have to finish unbeaten to secure the No. 1 seed, which could translate into a home game for the Division V championship game. … Bishop Brady has already lost to Trinity (24-16) and Pelham (36-8). The Green Giants are among the teams competing for fourth place and the final playoff berth in Division V. … Bishop Brady beat St. Thomas, 60-40, in the 1998 Division IV championship game. … St. Thomas will play Pelham in Dover next weekend.

PORTSMOUTH VS. HOLLIS-BROOKLINE
* When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) at Hollis-Brookline High School in Hollis.
* Team records: Portsmouth is 5-1 overall, 5-1 in Division III. Hollis-Brookline is 1-5 overall, 1-5 in Division III.
* 2007 result: The teams did not meet.
* Noteworthy: This will be the first meeting between these programs. Hollis-Brookline moved from Division IV to Division III in the offseason. … Unless someone upsets unbeaten Souhegan (6-0, 5-0), Portsmouth will earn the No. 2 seed – and a home game – for the Division III playoffs if it wins Saturday, and beats Milford on Oct. 31. … Hollis-Brookline doesn't appear to have what it will take to knock off the Clippers. The Cavaliers have been outscored 132-69 this season, and were beaten by Division IV Sanborn, 23-20, last week. Sanborn is in its first season of varsity play. … Portsmouth ranks second among Division II teams in points scored (166) and points allowed (81) this season. Souhegan is first in both categories (210-51). … Portsmouth will play a non-league game against Division IV Kingswood next Friday night.

EPPING-NEWMARKET VS. BOW
* When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) at Bow High School.
* Team records: Epping-Newmarket is 1-4 overall, 0-4 in Division V. Bow is 1-4 overall, 0-4 in Division V.
* 2007 result: Bow won, 35-0, in Bow.
* Noteworthy: These are the only winless teams in Division V. Both teams opened the season with a non-league victory, and have lost four in a row since then. … No Division V team has scored fewer points than Epping-Newmarket (53) this season. The Blue Devils have failed to score more than eight points in any of their last four games. Epping-Newmarket has scored 21 points in those four contests. … The Blue Devils have also allowed more points (157) than any Division V team. … Injuries have plagued Bow, which began the season with a 24-player roster. … The Falcons are coming off last weekend's 35-20 loss to unbeaten Pelham. Junior tight end Tom Poitras had three touchdown catches in that loss.

YORK VS. FRYEBURG ACADEMY
* When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) in Fryeburg.
* Team records: York is 5-1 in Western Maine Class B. Fryeburg Academy is 2-4 in Western Maine Class B.
* 2007 result: Fryeburg Academy won, 27-20, in York.
* Noteworthy: The Wildcats stretched their winning streak to five games with last weekend's 62-19 triumph over Lake Region. York has scored 108 points in its last two games. … Fryeburg opened the season with three consecutive losses, but has won two of its last three games. Fryeburg's victories came against Gray-New Gloucester (30-6) and Poland (41-14). … A victory over Fryeburg would guarantee the Wildcats a berth in the Western Maine Class B playoffs. York can still earn the No. 1 seed. … York will play unbeaten Mountain Valley at home next Friday.

TRAIP ACADEMY VS. LIVERMORE FALLS
* When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) at Kittery's Memorial Field.
* Team records: Traip is 2-4 in Western Maine Class C. Livermore Falls is 3-3 in Western Maine Class C.
* 2007 result: Livermore Falls won, 3-0, in Livermore Falls.
* Noteworthy: The Rangers have plenty of momentum entering this contest. After opening its season with four consecutive losses, Traip posted back-to-back wins against Old Orchard Beach (48-30) and Madison (26-14). A victory Saturday would give Traip its third victory, matching its win total from last season. … Traip has surrendered more points (194) than any other team in Western Maine Class C, but turned in its best defensive performance of the season last weekend. One of Madison's two touchdowns came on a 100-yard interception return … Livermore Falls is among the teams trying to earn the No. 4 seed for the Western Maine Class C playoffs. … Livermore Falls won three of its first four games, but is coming off losses to Dirigo (17-2) and Lisbon (28-24).

− Capsules compiled by Roger Brown

You've got to think it felt like Christmas morning to new Cowboys receiver Roy Williams on Wednesday. The former Pro Bowl wideout was shipped from winless Detroit to Dallas for three draft picks on Tuesday, leaving the league's most dysfunctional franchise this side of Oakland for a spot on America's Team.

That, my friends, is a nice upgrade.

The trade certainly also helps Williams' fantasy owners, who were about to give up hope now that Dan Orlovsky is the Lions' starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Instead, Tony Romo will be throwing to Williams once the fantasy playoffs come around. Of course, Romo has to convince Terrell Owens that it's OK to share first, but still, this is a much better situation than being in Detroit.

Williams has been a major bust thus far, catching only 17 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown in five games. In 2006, he had 82 catches for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns. That's the type of production the Cowboys are banking on.

The Williams blockbuster makes the Dallas offense downright scary. It's not like Patrick Crayton was a bad second receiver, either. But Williams is a notch above, and pairing him with Owens should prove fatal to most of the defenses in the league once Romo comes back. Throw in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Jason Whitten, and Dallas has the makings of a fantasy goldmine.

Of course, there's that defense thing to work out .... but most fantasy owners couldn't care less about that.

Extra points
* A stunner from the Dallas Morning News, which is reporting that Cowboys QB Tony Romo (broken finger) might throw in practice on Wednesday and have his playing status re-evaluated. Huh? Just yesterday it was announced that Romo would miss at least a month with the injury. Maybe he's just really excited about throwing to Roy Williams....

* Patriots RB Laurence Maroney (shoulder) missed the start of practice Wednesday and is questionable to play in Week 7. New England fans — and fantasy owners — have just about had it with Maroney.

* Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Wednesday that TE Kellen Winslow (illness) could play against the Redskins this week.

* With RB Ladell Betts out up to four weeks with his sprained knee, the Redskins signed former MVP Shaun Alexander to back up Clinton Portis. It looks like Rock Cartwright will be second on the depth chart for now, however, at least until Alexander proves his worth.

* Tony Gonzalez owners got bad news on Tuesday, when the future Hall of Fame tight end stayed in Kansas City at the trade deadline. Gonzo could have been a fantasy beast again on a team like the Giants, but now he's stuck on a woeful Chiefs team with Brodie Croyle as his quarterback.

Between now and the start of Thursday's Game 5 in the American League championship series, you're bound to hear a lot about the Red Sox' recent postseason history.

2004: Rallied from 3-0 deficit to beat Yankees in historic ALCS on way to World Series win.
2007: Rallied from 3-1 deficit to beat Indians in ALCS on way to second title in four years.

Now that Boston trails the Rays 3-1 in this year's ALCS, some Red Sox fans might be holding out hope that history repeats again. Well, we probably shouldn't count on it.

This Red Sox team reminds me of the 2006 Patriots team that somehow advanced to the AFC title game despite a wide receiving corps led by Reche Caldwell. The Red Sox have pulled off a similar trick thus far, but the ride could be ending very soon.

Not to burst any bubbles, but here are some reasons why:

* Injuries. Mike Lowell is officially done for the season with a hip injury, David Ortiz is simply not himself at the plate right now due to that troublesome wrist and/or knee, and Josh Beckett seems to be a complete mess due to elbow/shoulder/oblique woes. Having Curt Schilling around wouldn't hurt, either.

* Too many holes in the lineup. Remember when the Red Sox had batting champion Bill Mueller batting ninth a few years ago? Those days are gone. Outside of Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay, who do you really feel good about at the plate right now? Ortiz is banged up. Jason Varitek can't hit anymore. Jed Lowrie has been slumping for months. Mark Kotsay and J.D. Drew don't scare anybody. Neither do Jacoby Ellsbury or Coco Crisp. Other than that, things look great.

* If last year's Josh Beckett were still around, I'd actually feel pretty good about the Red Sox' chances. You give Dice-K the benefit of the doubt Thursday, and you have Lester for Game 7. But Beckett has been bombed twice in the playoffs in two starts, and was basically throwing batting practice last Saturday. As Rick Pitino would say, the 2007 Beckett isn't walking through that door. Maybe next year he'll come to spring training in shape, unlike this year.

* This Rays team is good. Really good. And young. And hungry. The guys who have been there for a few years, like Carl Crawford (5-for-5 in Game 4), are savoring this moment for all it's worth after being baseball's doormats for so long.

* After three Super Bowl wins, two World Series championships and one NBA title this decade, the sports gods might finally be frowning on Boston (see Brady, Tom). If Kevin Garnett goes down soon, we'll have our answer.

Another one bites the dust. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo became the latest big-name NFL star to get bit by the injury bug, as the Cowboys star will likely miss at least the next four weeks (three games) with a broken finger on his throwing hand.

Romo was hurt during the Cowboys' stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He will be replaced by 40-year-old Brad Johnson, who last started a game in the 2006 season.

Romo, who is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns (14) and ranks fourth in passing yards (1,689), will miss games against the Rams, Bucs and Giants. It's possible that he could miss the Nov. 16 game against the Redskins as well.

This is obviously terrible news for Romo's fantasy owners. It's also very bad news for those who have Terrell Owens. As Randy Moss' owners painfully know, losing a stud quarterback is usually bad news for stud receivers, especially when the backup QB doesn't count arm strength among his best qualities. Johnson, who managed the Bucs to the 2002 Super Bowl championship, was never known for throwing the deep ball.

The Cowboys will likely rely even more heavily on their ground game now, although rookie Felix Jones is expected to miss at least two weeks with a strained hamstring. It's Marion Barber's show now in Dallas. Johnson's strength is the short passing game, so wide receiver Patrick Crayton and tight end Jason Whitten could actually benefit from this change.

It will definitely be interesting to see how T.O. reacts to all this. Moss has yet to crack in New England without Tom Brady. Let's see if Owens can do the same without Romo.

* Braylon Edwards owners can finally exhale. Edwards, arguably the biggest bust in all of fantasy through Week 5, had five catches for a career-high 154 yards and a touchdown against the Giants on Monday. It's about time.

* It just gets worse for the Seattle Seahawks (1-4). Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been ruled out for Week 7 with a bulging disc in his back. Seneca Wallace is slated to start Seattle's game at Tampa Bay next week. Good luck with that.

* Speaking of bad news, Bengals QB Carson Palmer will miss next week's game against the Steelers due to his sore elbow. The Cincinnati air attack from recent seasons has been severely grounded this year, with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson combining for four touchdowns through the first six games. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start again in Palmer's place.

* Among the big surprises for Week 6, how about Dolphins running back Patrick Cobbs, who caught three passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Miami's loss to Houston. Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (three catches, 75 yards, 1 TD) and Cardinals WR Steve Breaston (eight catches, 102 yards, 1 TD) helped make up for the losses of injured stars Chris Chambers and Anquan Boldin, respectively.

The fine line
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (at Broncos): 125 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns, 2 receptions for 23 yards. What a difference a week makes for Jones-Drew, who rushed five times for 7 yards against Pittsburgh in Week 5.

In case you were distracted by the Red Sox-Rays marathon on Saturday night, here’s a quick rundown of some fantasy football news and notes as we head into Week 6:

* Reports out of Kansas City have the Chiefs putting future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez on the trade block. If Gonzo goes to a good team with a need for a pass-catching tight end (Giants, anyone?), it would be a nice boost for his fantasy value.

* It looks like Justin Fargas will get the starting nod at running back for the Raiders against the Saints. Darren McFadden (toe) is listed as questionable but is now expected to play as well.

* Chargers WR Vincent Jackson (knee) practiced Friday and is expected to play against the Patriots on Sunday. He could be a nice fill-in play with Chris Chambers sidelined due to injury.

* Laurence Maroney (shoulder) and LaMont Jordan (calf) are listed as questionable and doubtful, respectively, for Sunday's game against San Diego, so Sammy Morris could carry the running back load for the Patriots.

* Bucs QB Jeff Garcia took the first-team practice snaps on Friday and looks to be the starter for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. He's a risky play, however, against a top-notch defense.

* Lions WR Roy Williams, constantly mentioned in trade rumors, was limited in practice Friday but is expected to start against Minnesota.

* Charlie Frye is expected to start at QB for the Seahawks in Sunday's game against the Packers due to Matt Hasselbeck's knee injury.

* Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin (sinus fracture) is out for Sunday's game against Dallas.

* The Saints could get a nice boost if Marques Colston (thumb) can play against the Raiders Sunday. He is listed as questionable but is expected to be active after missing four games.

TRAIP ACADEMY VS. MADISON
When and where: Friday (7) in Madison.
Team records: Traip is 1-4 in Western Maine Class C. Madison is 0-5 in Western Maine Class C.
2007 result: Traip won, 32-12, in Kittery.
Noteworthy: The Rangers are coming off one of their best performances in recent years, a 48-30 victory over an Old Orchard Beach team that won three of its first four games. Traip coach Ron Ross called it the most complete game a Traip team has played in his seven years as the team's head coach. …Mike Collins rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries against Old Orchard Beach. He's gained 284 yards on the ground in Traip's last two games. Eric Modica caught three passes – two for touchdowns – from quarterback Eric Spear against OOB. … Madison is the only winless team in Western Maine Class C. The Bulldogs haven't scored more than 14 points in a game this season. … Madison began the season with 31 players, 16 of whom were freshmen.

MARSHWOOD VS. SCARBOROUGH
When and where: Friday (7) at Marshwood High School.
Team records: Marshwood is 2-3 in Western Maine Class A. Scarborough is 3-2 in Western Maine Class A.
2007 result: Marshwood won, 42-21, in Scarborough.
Noteworthy: Marshwood has lost two in a row and will need to finish the season strong to qualify for the Western Maine Class A playoffs. After Friday's contest, Biddeford (2-3) and Noble (0-5) remain on Marshwood's schedule. … The Hawks have allowed 91 points in their last two games – losses to Thornton Academy (42-14) and Deering (49-7). … Scarborough has held its opponent to one touchdown in each of its three victories. Senior tailback Brendan Ham is the Red Storm's top offensive threat. Ham rushed for 155 yards on 23 carries in last weekend's 13-12 loss to Portland. … Scarborough's victories came against Biddeford, Sanford and Noble.

EXETER VS. KEENE
When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) at Keene's Memorial Field.
Team records: Exeter is 5-0 overall, 4-0 in Division II. Keene is 2-2 overall, 2-1 in Division II.
2007 result: Exeter won, 42-0, in Exeter.
Noteworthy: Exeter stretched its winning streak to 13 games by beating Merrimack, 37-15, last Friday. That allowed the Blue Hawks to keep pace with unbeaten Bishop Guertin, which improved its record to 5-0 with a 35-7 triumph at Dover. … Each of Keene's two losses came by one point. The Blackbirds dropped a 15-14 decision to Division I Salem, and lost to Timberlane 13-12. Keene's victories came against Winnacunnet (26-14) and Alvirne (27-7). … Keene has allowed 49 points this season. Only BG (17) and Exeter (35) have allowed fewer. … Although Keene isn't throwing the ball as much this year as it has in recent seasons, quarterback Tanner Luopa and split end Mike Tateosian are among the players to watch when Keene has the ball.

PORTSMOUTH VS. PEMBROKE
When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) in Pembroke.
Team records: Portsmouth is 4-1 overall, 4-1 in Division III. Pembroke is 2-3 overall, 2-2 in Division III.
2007 result: Pembroke won, 14-10, in Pembroke.
Noteworthy: Despite last Friday's loss to Souhegan, the Clippers can secure home-field advantage for the Division III semifinals if they can avoid defeat the rest of the way. This could be a spot where Portsmouth stumbles, though. … Division III has its share of talented quarterbacks, and Pembroke's John Natalizio is one of them. A late Natalizio TD pass allowed Pembroke to beat Portsmouth last season. He threw four TD passes in last week's victory over Bedford. … The Spartans also have a dangerous kick returner in Chris Allen. … The Clippers will play three of their final four regular-season games on the road. If Portsmouth can get past Pembroke, its matchup with Milford could determine the No. 2 seed in Division III.

EPPING-NEWMARKET VS. ST. THOMAS
When and where: Saturday (1:30 p.m.) in Epping.
Team records: Epping is 1-3 overall, 0-3 in Division V. St. Thomas is 4-0 overall, 3-0 in Division V.
2007 result: The teams did not meet.
Noteworthy: This will be the first varsity game between these programs. Before this season, St. Thomas competed in Division IV. … Epping has scored 45 points in its four games, by far the fewest by any team in the division. The Blue Devils have been held to 13 points in three contests since opening the season with a 32-20 victory over Mascoma. … Scoring hasn't been a problem for the Saints, who have collected at least 26 points in each of their four contests. … St. Thomas, which had a bye last weekend, is battling Pelham for the No. 1 seed in the division. Both teams are 4-0. Those teams will meet in Dover on Oct. 25.

WINNACUNNET VS. BISHOP GUERTIN
When and where: Saturday (7 p.m.) at Nashua's Holman Stadium.
Team records: Winnacunnet is 0-5 overall, 0-3 in Division II. Bishop Guertin is 5-0 overall, 4-0 in Division II.
2007 result: Bishop Guertin won, 40-0, in Nashua.
Noteworthy: This will be a tough spot for Winnacunnet to pick up its first victory of the season. BG is unbeaten and ranks first among Division II teams in points scored (160) and points allowed (17). … Defense continues to be a problem for the Warriors, who have allowed a league-high 190 points. Winnacunnet has surrendered at least 26 points in each of its five contests. … Bishop Guertin's option attack was held to 10 points against Division I Pinkerton, but the Cardinals have scored at least 31 points against each of their Division II opponents. … After this contest, Winnacunnet will play three of its final four games at home.

– Capsules compiled by Roger Brown

For anyone who missed the Celtics’ preseason opener on Wednesday — and let’s face it, preseason basketball isn’t the first thing on everyone’s mind these days — Boston GM Danny Ainge is certainly going to have some interesting roster decisions to make in the coming days.

My concerns about the Celtics being complacent in the wake of their 17th NBA title were alleviated a bit when high-flying rookie Bill Walker dunked in the face of Philadelphia’s Theo Ratliff in the first half. Not because Walker is ready to become an All-Star player (although he looked pretty good), but because of the reaction on the Boston bench.

The Celtics were famous for their team chemistry last season, highlighted by their constant high-fiving, chest-bumping and generally euphoric nature on the bench whenever one of their teammates did something special on the court. Well, Wednesday’s reaction to Walker’s dunk might have topped anything we saw all of last season. Honestly, you would have thought the Celtics had just defended their NBA championship.

For a team that played deep into June through a number of physical playoff series, the Celtics looked remarkably fresh and were emotionally invested in the game. That’s a very good sign.

Despite the loss of James Posey, who will be sorely missed, this Boston team already looks deeper than last year’s version. Walker has been the story of camp to this point, impressing teammates and coaches with a versatile game and a strong work ethic. Heat rookie Michael Beasley was the top dog for Kansas State last season, but many folks associated with the program say that Walker was the team’s heart and soul. He’s a player who was often compared (at least talent-wise) to Vince Carter before suffering a pair of serious knee injuries. If Walker is healthy, he could turn out to be another draft-day steal for Ainge.

Taking a quick glance at the Celtics’ roster, there are 16 players fighting for 12 roster spots, and all of them are guys that Ainge and coach Doc Rivers probably wouldn’t mind having around.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House, Tony Allen, Glen Davis and Leon Powe are locks to make the roster. O’Bryant started in place of Perkins on Wednesday, so he seems to be a lock too. That’s 10 guys already.

So two players from this group of six will round out the active roster (and probably find playing time hard to come by): Sam Cassell, Bill Walker (rookie), J.R. Giddens (rookie), Darius Miles, Brian Scalabrine and Gabe Pruitt.

As we learned last season, Tony Allen and House can’t play point guard on a consistent basis. So either Cassell or Pruitt will be on the active roster. And it was hard not to be impressed by both Walker and Miles on Wednesday.

Chances are, Giddens and maybe even Walker will spend some time in the developmental league. Perhaps even Pruitt if he is a victim of a numbers crunch. Regardless of the way it turns out, Ainge seems to have an embarrassment of riches to play with. And that’s even without Posey.

Is it any wonder why sports fans across the country are so jealous of Boston at the moment? If the Red Sox and Celtics defend their respective titles, New England might get burned to the ground. And if Matt Cassel and the Patriots defense get their act together ... well, who knows what might happen.

As soon as Terry Francona revealed his pitching rotation for the upcoming American League championship series against Tampa Bay, it was obvious that the talking heads on sports radio and TV were going to have a field day.

No Jon Lester in the first two games?!? Dice-K over Beckett in Game 1?!? What is Tito thinking?!?

For a manager of a formerly cursed franchise that has won two World Series in four years and has its sights set on a third, Francona remains the most underappreciated figure in Boston sports.

Part of this is due to the extreme passion (some say yahoo-ism) of Red Sox Nation. Baseball is a fairly easy game to follow, so millions of us think we could manage the Red Sox tomorrow. How hard could it be? You take pitchers out, you put pitchers in, you fill out the lineup....

Well, it's more difficult that it looks, particularly in Boston. I remember watching Francona's introductory press conference and thinking that this was a guy who gets it. Compared to two of his predecessors, Grady Little and Jimy Williams, Francona seemed like the brightest guy on the planet. But it was more than the way he talked, it was his whole demeanor. He said all the right things, acted the right way. Seemed to have a plan. Displayed a passion for baseball without being overly dramatic about it. I liked him, and I hoped his stay would be a good one.

Well, we're on Year 5 of the Francona Plan, and so far it's been pretty good. He's certainly proven to be a capable in-game manager, but the real strength of Tito lies in his ability to expertly handle two groups of people with sizable egos: his players and the Boston media. Neither of those two tasks are easy in any sense of the word, but Francona does it -- for the most part -- with perfection.

Outside of lunatic Manny Ramirez, every one of Francona's players would run through a wall for him. And I can't remember even one instance when Francona didn't say the right thing to the media. He is a man who carefully, and thoughtfully, chooses his words. And it's paid off.

But even after hearing that logical explanation, many Red Sox fans were up in arms -- and the Red Sox won the game! Have we really become that spoiled around here? Umm, does anybody remember Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS? Grady Little?? Pedro Martinez??

Pedro had mentally checked out of that game against the Yankees, thinking he was done for the night, and proceeded to cough up the lead once Grady put him back on the mound.

That move infamously got Little fired and led to Francona's hiring, yet some people think Francona wasn't going to remove Lester from that game when there was even a shadow of a doubt about his mental status? Wow. I don't think Red Sox Nation is nearly as savvy as it thinks sometimes.

Here's the point: Francona has an established track record of success here, and he knows way more about all of these players and situations than any of us ever will. If he wants to start Lester in Game 3 against the Rays, well that's good enough for me. I trust him, and I trust Theo Epstein; I think they've earned the right.

Now, that doesn't mean Francona can't make a mistake; he is human, after all. But at this point in the game, Francona is deserving of the exact same kind of respect that is afforded Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

To me, they're equals. And in a few weeks, they might have the same number of championships to prove it.