Favre may be down, but he's not out.

While initial reports stated Minnesota Vikings star quarterback Brett Favre had two “fractures” in his surgically repaired ankle, further information (or opinion), suggest the injury may not be as bad as first imagined.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King no longer believes Favre’s ankle injury will keep him from facing the New England Patriots in week 8, after speaking with a top NFL orthopedist.

Honestly, neither do I.

But it’s not just because Favre’s fractures arguably equate to something more closer to a bad ankle sprain, but because it’s simply not in Favre’s demeanor, or Minnesota’s best interest, for Favre to sit out.

Make no mistake, Brett Favre isn’t on top of his game. He has three more interceptions right now (10) than he had in all of the 2009 regular season, and his team already has the same amount of losses (4) that it had in all of last year’s regular season. It’s bad, but it’s not a hole Favre and the Vikings can’t crawl out of. That is, as long as Favre can effectively start and begin producing against a young and active Patriots defense this week.

For all the writers and reporters who are already writing Favre off, I’ll say this: Favre is at his best when his back is against the wall. He has just one season below 8-8 in his entire career, and when it happened, he was without star players on offense. Seriously, Samkon friggin’ Gado was his starting running back, as he and his then Green Bay Packers finished 4-12.

But Favre has support. He has Randy Moss, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe in the passing game, and he also has an absolute stud in the running game with Adrian Peterson.

The real issue? There has been too much pressure on Favre, and he’s been battling the pressure, tough opponents, and off-field distractions. And on top of that, at least until Moss came into the picture, Favre had nothing to work with in the first three weeks of the 2010 season.

That has all changed, and while the Vikings have dropped four of their first six, one look at the production shows that small strides have been made, despite Favre-haters’ willingness to admit it.

In the first two losses to the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, the Vikings mustered a combined 19 points. Since then, Minnesota has gone 2-2, while scoring at least 20 points in every game.

Most importantly, Favre has had the Vikings in every single game, as the Vikings haven’t lost a game yet by more than 9 points. And that’s the rusty Favre with no weapons (for the first three weeks), facing tough defenses, while fielding off-field allegations.

Just think what starts happening once the chemistry is 100% there with Favre and his offense, when the schedule starts easing up a bit after the Patriots game, and when the off-field allegations situation gets worked out. No, it’s currently not the prettiest of pictures, and there’s a long way before this season ends (or almost ends) on another magical note, but it’s headed in the right direction.

The question is, Favre and Vikings fans; do you believe it?

When asked if he would announce Roethlisberger’s suspension Monday or Tursday, Goodell did not give a decisive answer, saying, “There may be plenty of reports. I make the decision when I’m prepared to do so”.

Goodell was also asked if there was a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy by Roethlisberger, to which Goodell responded, “Yes, there has been a violation of that. The issue is respect to a pattern of behavior [and] bad judgments”.

Goodell stated that he still needed more time to review all the facts before he could come to a conclusion on Roethlisberger’s punishment. Stay tuned.

Not the numbers you want to hear when you’re thinking of a rising team’s number two receiver.

Donald Driver has recently said that he’d like to keep playing in the NFL until he’s at least 40. While that’s a fine goal, it’s growing less and less likely that he will be able to retire as a Packer, if he does in fact continue aiming for this goal.

And what a lofty goal it is.

Only 51 players in NFL history have played to (or past) 40 years of age, and only one has been a wide receiver: Jerry Rice.

That’s some interesting company Driver is fancying himself in.

Sure, he helped get the Philadelphia Eagles back to the playoffs, yet again, but yet again, the season ended without a Super Bowl, and inevitably, in disappointment.

While it’s impossible to put all (or even most) of the blame on McNabb, rumors have been swirling all around Philadelphia lately, and for McNabb, they’re not good.

A Philadelphia radio station has reported that young Eagles players have been seeking out advice to back-up Kevin Kolb, and not starter Donovan McNabb. This has apparently been going on for much of the regular season, and led up into the post-season.

But this isn’t the beginning.

Ever since Kolb delivered two remarkable back-to-back performances while subbing in for an injured McNabb, he’s garnered the respect of his teammates as a confident signal caller and a strong leader.

McNabb, on the other hand, has other’s confidence in him wavering.

Again, this is all speculation off of reports from no-named talk-show hosts and aspiring NFL experts, but with everything that has happened, a divorce between McNabb and the Eagles would only make sense.

While Michael Vick has been open about finding a new home (because he knows Philly isn’t a permanent gig), perhaps McNabb should begin his own search.

Actually, it’s sounding more and more like Philly will be glad to do it for him.

McNabb is entering the final year of his contract with Philadelphia, one in which he is due $6.2 million in an offseason roster bonus on May 5th.

Considering how well Kolb has fared and how well he has grasped the offense, it’s fairly likely the Eagles will already start taking offers, and will try to move McNabb before or during this April’s NFL Draft.

And for all you Eagles fans that just can’t believe the hype, take a good, hard look at the plan at hand before you scream “mutiny!” at the top of your lungs:

McNabb is 33, due a ton of money, and simply isn’t getting it done. It’s arguable that anyone with a decent amount of ability and a grasp of Philly’s offense could take a roster full of explosive weapons to the playoffs.

Like, say, Kevin Kolb?

If the Eagles firmly believe he can (and they do), then the next step is unloading their dead weight (McNabb and Vick), by getting what they can to build for an even brighter future.

Vick can probably be had for a 5th rounder, although Philly will likely entertain offers until the bitter end, in hopes they can drag a 4th rounder out of a desperate team (we’re thinking Rams).

McNabb, on the other hand, could be worth a first day selection (or two), or even a pick and a quality player. McNabb is still in his prime and is still playing elite football, for the most part, and there are plenty of teams that are a good quarterback away from making a serious run.

On that same note, there are several teams with young, talented rosters that could use a savvy, veteran quarterback to pull them together and push for a playoff spot.

Wherever McNabb winds up, we’re undoubtedly going to be hearing about this deep into the summer, and probably again next season, unless McNabb signs a long-term contract right away with his next team.

But the point is, if you can get some picks for a guy that simply isn’t in your plans anymore, then why not?

After all, it’s what Green Bay did, and look at where they are now? They hit a rough patch in their first season with Aaron Rodgers as the starter, but were back in the playoffs the following year.

Both Brett Favre and Rodgers are now enjoying their role with their current teams, and a similar future isn’t unrealistic for both Kevin Kolb and Donovan McNabb.

However, unlike the Packers situation following the 2007 season, McNabb hasn’t even breathed a word of retirement. And unlike the 2007 Packers team, who were on the rise and made it to the NFC Championship game, McNabb’s Eagles aren’t coming off of a season that is necessarily deemed as successful.

Either way you look at it, McNabb’s days as Philly’s golden boy are long gone. And it’s just a matter of time before it’s official.

For more NFL news and articles, go here.

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will square off for the NFC East division title, with Philadelphia also claiming the No. 2 seed and first-round bye with a victory on the road against Dallas.

In the AFC, both the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets need a win and they’re in, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos all remain alive, and could still get in with a win and some extra help.

Read on for all the games in Week 17:

San Francisco 49ers @ St. Louis Rams

The 49ers can get to 8-8 and make this into a respectable season after starting 3-1. Considering their defense bottomed out near mid-season and they survived a quarterback switch, they have to be feeling okay about where they are.

The Rams aren’t good enough to get in the way of some much-needed momentum toward next season.

49ers 27, Rams 6

New England Patriots @ Houston Texans

Despite the cries of their fans to play the starters, the Patriots will rest their core players and inevitably fall to a Houston team that has been pulling out games the past three weeks.

New England is the better team, but they don’t need this one, and they’d be foolish to play Tom Brady and Co. much past the third quarter.

Texans 33, Patriots 27

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay may have surprised New Orleans, but they won’t sneak up on Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Atlanta is a better team than given credit for, and despite numerous injuries and a leaky defense, they can finish the season on a high note.

Falcons 24, Buccaneers 20

New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers

Can New Orleans really strike fear into the rest of the NFC if they drop three straight as they head into the playoffs?

Considering they have home-field advantage, it may not matter. Regardless, it’s about time the Saints sit their starters, while the Panthers show no signs of slowing down.

Panthers 31, Saints 19

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have lost two heart-breakers in back-to-back weeks, and even though the Steelers are the ones that are still alive, this won’t be an easy win for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers need some help to return to the playoffs to defend their title, but it has to start with a victory on the road, where they are merely 2-5. Somehow, some way, they get it done.

Steelers 21, Dolphins 16

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cleveland Browns

Jack Del Rio has completely lost his team, while Eric Mangini is ironically finally finding his. The funny thing is, it’s likely too late for both coaches, and neither of these teams will be in the playoffs.

Look for another big day from Jerome Harrison as these two hapless teams explode for a meaningless, albeit entertaining matchup.

Browns 38, Jaguars 35

New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings

The Giants didn’t show up last week at home with everything on the line, so why should we think anything different on the road against the Vikings? Minnesota can use a weak Giants defense as its playoff launchpad to correct any mistakes.

They still have a long way to go, but ending the season on a high note is probably a necessity to making a serious run in the playoffs.

Vikings 34, Giants 24

Indianapolis Colts @ Buffalo Bills

The Colts will still sit their starters before or around half-time, as they’d look simply foolish if they switched their philosophy after blowing a shot at perfection last week.

Even with their starters out, there’s not a very good chance they drop this one to a Bills team led by Brian Brohm.

Colts 27, Bills 7

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions

Jay Cutler found some magic last week and should only continue his late-season splurge on weak defenses. The Lions will be no match for an inspired Chicago team that is playing its heart out to keep Lovie Smith in town.

Bears 37, Lions 13

Washington Redskins @ San Diego Chargers

The Redskins are a game away from saying good-bye to Jim Zorn and possibly welcoming the likes of Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, or Mike Shanahan.

It’d be nice for Zorn and Co. to end this dismal season on a high note, but even the Chargers’ scrubs will nix that before half-time.

Chargers 28, Redskins 17

Tennessee Titans @ Seattle Seahawks

Chris Johnson will pursue (and surpass) the 2,000-yard plateau against a horrible Seahawks defense, while we will all watch in awe as we try to understand why Seattle is so bad on both sides of the ball.

Titans 30, Seahawks 16

Baltimore Ravens @ Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have been playing the “upset special” card all season, with impressive wins over the Eagles, Bengals, and Steelers, so why stop now? How about because Ray Rice won’t be denied against one of the worst run defenses in the league?

Ravens 27, Raiders 6

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

The Eagles have looked impressive lately and have several experts thinking “team to beat” in the NFC, but a trip to Dallas for the NFC East title and a shot at the No. 2 seed in the playoffs will be too much to swallow.

They’re a good team, but so are the Cowboys. Dallas finally rids of their “December Curse” by sweeping Philly and stealing the NFC East.

Cowboys 36, Eagles 33

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Denver may have been an inconsistent disaster since starting the season at 6-0, but they’re still too talented and competitive to see their playoff hopes dashed by the Chiefs. Right?

Broncos 21, Chiefs 18

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

This game doesn’t mean anything more than seed positioning for either team, although a win and a loss by both the Vikings and Eagles would magically get the Cardinals the No. 2 seed and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs.

They won’t be getting the second seed, but they will finish strong at home by disposing of the Packers as both teams rest for the playoffs.

Cardinals 27, Packers 23

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

The Bengals could play spoiler against an average Jets team that has a shot at the playoffs, but considering all New York needs to do is win to get it, I somehow see Mark “Sanchize” working some magic and winning over his city (and state) yet again.

After starting the season 3-0, Sanchez and the Jets will once again be on top of the world after beating the Bengals, if only for one week.

Jets 26, Bengals 24

They were 10-1, Brett Favre and the offense were clicking, and this team was thinking Super Bowl.

But then, as so many Favre-haters had predicted, the previously unbeatable Favre began his “late-season fade” and had his worst game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals.

That game prompted articles galore against Favre, suggesting it was “merely the beginning,” and that the end would be near.

Three weeks after the dismal performance in Arizona, it’d be hard to argue that the end may be near for the team, although logic and reason would dare you to look a little closer before assuming Favre is “once again” bringing his team down with him.

Just ask Trent Dilfer. Ask the guys in the Monday night booth. Ask anyone with some common sense and a good head on his shoulders.

The pass protection isn’t there. That awesome running game that Adrian Peterson was supposed to provide isn’t there.

And that playoff-level defense, well, without middle linebacker E.J. Henderson (lost for the season), is nonexistent.

But those Favre-bashers out there aren’t worried about the specifics. All they want is the team’s record, the numbers, and the bad plays.

They’re not concerned with the lack of support by the rest of the offense—the poor pass protection, the countless fumbles, or the drops from his offensive weapons.

Going into Monday night’s matchup with the Chicago Bears, Favre had a measly three touchdowns to four interceptions in his last three games, and owned a 1-2 record with his only win coming at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He didn’t do much to prove his doubters wrong in the first half (nor did the rest of the Vikings), as he went just 5-for-9 for under 40 yards, as the Vikings trailed the 5-9 Bears 16-0 at the break.

What followed, however, should show us all (especially the haters) that, regardless of wins or losses, the legend of Brett Favre cannot and will not die in the cold weather of Chicago or the twilight of another NFL season.

Favre proceeded to throw for just under 270 yards and led Minnesota to four scoring drives, including the game-tying touchdown pass to Sidney Rice on 4th-and-goal with 16 seconds remaining in the game.

But, of course, tying isn’t winning, and playing a remarkable second half isn’t quite as good as playing a flawless entire four quarters.

No, not quite.

But these moral victories need to be warranted when so many skeptics continue to push at the Jenga pieces that are Favre’s legend and seemingly hope and pray for the future Hall of Famer to fall apart as the season goes on.

When asked if the cold weather had anything to do with it, Favre shrugged, saying he’d played in worse. It was cold, but that was a bogus excuse.

And then he made a comment about all the writers and analysts who suggest the “old man” can’t come through in cold games, referencing that he still couldn’t win the winter games, despite playing at a high level and having nothing to do with the final outcome in overtime.

Favre watched on with the rest of his offensive teammates after Adrian Peterson lost yet another fumble, and then as the Bears scored on the ensuing play.

Favre will be the first to admit the Vikings aren’t peaking; they have issues, and that they aren’t exactly going in the right direction.

But his play during the game and comments after should limit any writer’s fuel to pen up a column against Favre after this loss, as the legendary quarterback played at an elite level, despite not having the chance to come out on top.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of writers across the nation will eagerly jump at writing another article that damns Favre and these Minnesota Vikings after their third loss in the month of December.

And with the Vikings being in relative shambles, they’d have every reason to opt for that perspective. But if we’re being reasonable, if we’re being logical, and if we’re really looking at everything, there’s no way we can continue to point the finger at Favre.

He was brought here to excite, deliver some clutch drives and performances, and get this team to the playoffs (and beyond). So far, he’s done all of it, and on Monday night, he almost did even more.

But just because Favre can’t play defense and special teams, or will the ball to stay into his receivers’ (or Adrian Peterson’s) hands, doesn’t mean he should continue to be the nation’s punching bag for why the Vikings are falling apart.

Two weeks later, reports are emerging that Gonzalez went under the knife again, and that he may not even be available for the post-season.

Fantasy Perspective: You can count Gonzalez out for the regular season and your fantasy playoffs, and there’s a good chance his season his done altogether.

The even more interesting aspect of Gonzalez’s year-long ordeal is what his future is with the Colts. With young receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie emerging, he may not necessarily be needed.

Wait on turning Gonzalez loose in Keeper leagues, but in all other leagues it’s officially time to label him a lost cause. If you haven’t dropped him yet, it’s time you do so.

Catch up on some other headlines around the NFL :

Washington Redskins Place Clinton Portis on IR. (Yahoo! Sports)

Matt Schaub Hopeful to Play Sunday. (Rotoworld.com)

Troy Polamalu Unsure About Returning This Season . (ProFootballTalk.com)

Hines Ward to be Game-Time Decision For Thursday. (Rotoworld.com)

For more fantasy updates/advice and breaking NFL news, go here .

Is Tomlinson done as a Charger?

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson could very well be spending his final season in San Diego.

It took Tomlinson and the Bolts half of the off-season to figure out a new contract that would bring him back to San Diego, but it appears the two sides may part ways, after all.

After on-going speculation before re-signing with the Chargers, that a reunion with former teammate Drew Brees in New Orleans was a possibility, the thought has to be reborn in the minds of both LT and Brees.

Fantasy Insight: LT may be slowing down, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a coach or GM who would actually say they wouldn’t take him for cheap. He doesn’t have the speed or cut-back ability that he once had, but he can run hard and he still has a nose for the end-zone.

However, speculating about his next potential suitor is a moot point, as we’ve yet to learn about his future plans. For all we know, LT could happily retire after the season without a Super Bowl ring and never look back. The fact that he’s only 30 years old suggests otherwise, however.

Gonzo's return is up in the air.

Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Thursday, and appears unlikely to return to the field anytime soon.

The surgery was conducted to clean up the inside of his knee, and to remove loose particles.

Indianapolis has been quiet about the exact details of Gonzalez’s injury, never officially releasing whether or not the receiver’s ligaments were torn or sprained, nor whether or not he ever had surgery following the injury.

Gonzalez was originally hoping for a return around Week Seven, but two weeks have come and gone, and Gonzalez still hasn’t even hit the practice field.

This latest “clean-up” is a major setback, and there is no timetables for his return.

Fantasy Perspective: Gonzalez and the Colts have been dragging us around all season with false hope. Even if he does return, mini-Gonzo isn’t guaranteed big numbers in an offense with so many weapons, so there isn’t much use for holding onto him an longer.

He’s likely at least another two to three weeks away from returning, that is, if the Colts aren’t already preparing to put him on IR.

He got his deal. He’s learning the offense. And now it’s time for him to shine.

Well, that’s the general idea, anyways.

With his excellent hands and play-making ability, the main obstacle keeping Michael Crabtree grounded in the fantasy (and real) realm was learning the offense. Next was his previously undefined role with the San Francisco 49ers.

What head coach Mike Singletary would only speculate, now former starter Josh Morgan openly voiced.

“They gave him my spot,” the dejected receiver said.

While Morgan was the one who everyone was “sleeping” on before the season started, it is now the Texas Tech product, Crabtree, who will be the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver, and possibly as early as this coming week.

That means the San Francisco passing game has life, that Crabtree is relevant, and that you’re not a complete fool for holding onto him for all this time.

In the name of Anthony Gonzalez, your efforts have been awarded fair friends, for holding onto Crabtree for about as long as he held out, himself.

Still, with just a mediocre Shaun Hill tossing him passes, Crabtree’s value can only be looked at as a weak flex play, and possibly a fourth wide receiver.

He definitely has the tools and ability to see his value rise to third wide receiver status by the end of Sunday’s game, but we need more certainty from several different angles before we add him to the roster and give him a cemented slot in our line-up.

Mike Singletary’s thoughts, exactly.

Crabtree is more than worthy of being on your roster now, but his status for Week Seven remains up in the air. While reports do suggest that he will be starting, it is recommended that you hold tight and find a different option for your third wide receiver spot until we know what to expect.

This move severely drops Moran’s value, while keeping Isaac Bruce’s at mediocre fourth wide receiver status. Bruce will stay at the No. 2 spot, while Crabtree begins his career as the top receiver in ‘Frisco.