NFL Week 15 Fantasy Football News: DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick Give Eagles 38-31 Win With Their Legs

As if we haven’t mentioned DeSean Jackson’s amazing game-winning punt return enough today: it’s an NFL first, too.

So says the Elias Sports Bureau, which tends to know about things like these:

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Grossman has four touchdowns and 279 yards after an early interception made it look like Cowboys-Redskins was destined for either vintage Grossman or current Donovan McNabb. This is already the Cannon’s biggest yardage day since mid-2007, and he might even have overtime ahead of him as we’re knotted up at 30 late. His career high is 339.

Meanwhile, Giants QB Eli Manning has thrown four of his own, plus he’s only two yards behind Grossman’s total. Kitna’s in an actual, non-fantasy shootout with Grossman, throwing for only two touchdowns — but no picks — and a division-leading 284 yards.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel is playing today after a week of practice limited by an appendectomy. He isn’t playing quite like the fantasy stud we’ve come to expect to our own surprise, though the Chiefs haven’t needed much through the air to put an 11-point lead on the St. Louis Rams.

Cassel has 152 yards on 24 attempts, plus a pick and a touchdown to Leonard Pope. He’s also ambled for 17 yards on the ground.

Indianapolis Colts RB Donald Brown is leading a productive day for Indy’s offense, breaking for 127 total yards and a touchdown on 11 touches. His highlight reel includes a breakaway 43-yard touchdown and a 49-yard haul up the sideline. Actually that’s his entire highlight reel, but it’s better than yours! You’re just sitting there!

This is already Brown’s best game of the season, and could earn him a few more carries in what’s usually the NFL’s most pass-oriented offense.

What’s the fantasy football impact of Terrell Owens’ knee injury? If he’s out for the season, it would be wise to take a look at the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals receiving corps.

WR Chad Ochocinco is the first name that comes to mind, but rookie WR Jordan Shipley might be a better trade value, depending on how much attention your potential trade partners pay to what happens on Sundays. Despite missing a game, Shipley has only about 200 fewer receiving yards than Ochocinco does this season, and the Bengals have to start thinking about the future of their aging offense as the season dies out. More balls to Shipley would make sense.

QB Eli Manning threw scores of 33 and 35 yards to Manningham, along with a pair of other completions. Manningham has seven targets already, so it looks like New York’s game plan was to get him heavily involved early, and it’s paying off.

Vick is four of eight with 22 yards and what we’d like to call a rare interception, except that he’s thrown four picks in four straight games after a turnover-free start. He’s also added 14 yards on the ground.

You may have heard Rex Grossman is starting today for the Washington Redskins over Donovan McNabb. Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin should be glad Grossman isn’t starting for Dallas, because Cowboys QB Jon Kitna is slingin’ it today. Seven-for-13 for 100 yards and a three-yard touchdown to Austin, Kitna has helped lead the Cowboys to a 13-0 early lead over the rival Skins.

Grossman has already thrown his first interception, with Gerald Sensabaugh the happy recipient. This was the Sex Cannon’s first interception since 2009, when he threw one among his only nine attempts of the season in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I realize none of you started Grossman in fantasy today, but maybe you started some Skins receivers?

Brees continues his absurd scoring streak, with a touchdown in every game this season and the last 11 of 2009. He’s also scored multiple touchdowns in 10 of his last 12 games — with over three quarters to go today, it would not be insane to presume another will be on the way soon.

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In Cleveland Browns QB Colt McCoy’s first game since week 11 and first game as Browns perma-starter, the rookie threw a touchdown on Cleveland’s opening drive. McCoy suffered a high ankle sprain in week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but appears to be back in the form that helped lead the Browns to upsets of the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots, plus close losses to the Jags and New York Jets.

McCoy’s touchdown pass went 20 yards to Robert Royal and was countered by a one-for-four, three-yard drive by Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer. McCoy has thrown for 71 already on seven attempts, with Brian Robiskie and Benjamin Watson catching a pair each.

Injured Indianapolis Colts WR Austin Collie was a question mark this week due to the lingering effects of a recent concussion. He’s on the field and playing very well, grabbing a seven-yard floater from QB Peyton Manning on Indy’s opening drive in addition to two other passes. He has 20 yards already.

He’s only played in three games since week six, with only seven catches and no touchdowns in that meager span. The Colts clearly feel Collie is back in business and ready to contribute, and he’s on pace to have his best game of the season since two early season outbursts of more than 160 yards each.

It is officially the beginning of the Tim Tebow era in Denver: Tebow will make his first NFL start today for the Broncos against the Raiders

Broncos tight end Dan Gronkowski tweeted the news first, as the Denver Post’s Lindsey Jones notes.

And now the Matt Cassel owners can exhale.

ESPN’s Stephania Bell tweets that Cassel is officially starting for the Chiefs against the Rams.

Note to anyone who owns Matt Cassel: you’re halfway to being okay with starting him.

That’s because Cassel is active for the Chiefs’ Week 15 game against the Rams, but has not yet been cleared to start or announced as Kansas City’s starter.

It’s no big surprise, but Maurice Jones-Drew and David Garrard are both active for the Jaguars.

It wouldn’t be like that team’s two best players on offense to miss a game that could give the Jaguars their first AFC South title. And for fantasy players, both make good plays in championship or playoff weeks.

Colts owner Jim Irsay tweets the Colts’ inactive players — here, I will pause while you take a time machine back to 2002, say that out loud to someone, and clean up the brain spatter — and they include running backs Joseph Addai and Mike Hart, who have battled injuries all season.

Here’s hoping you weren’t relying on either of those players to return and carry your team to a fantasy playoffs win.

The Saints travel to Baltimore for a showdown with the rugged Ravens defense today, and will likely be without the services of rookie runner Chris Ivory in the Charm City.

ESPN’s Rachel Nichols tweets that Saints players don’t expect Ivory, who is nursing an injured hamstring, to play against the Ravens.