Sleeper Watch

Now that the dust has settled, what did we really learn in the first game of the brand new NFL season? We learned in no uncertain terms that despite the loss of two coordinators and several defensive stalwarts, the defending Super Bowl champions aren’t going to roll over and play dead. We also learned that Randy Moss is going to be a star no matter which team he plays for, and that quarterback Kerry Collins could turn into a fantasy force this year.

But come on: we knew all that already.

One thing we weren’t quite so sure about is how second-year tight end Courtney Anderson would fit into Oakland’s offense. Now we know.

Anderson caught three passes for a mere 18 yards on Thursday, but two of those catches were for touchdowns, already doubling his 2004 TD total. This might well be the beginning of a trend rather than a mere one-game fluke: with opposing defenses concentrating on the difficult task of containing Moss and the rest of the Oakland’s formidable WR corps, Anderson could receive plenty of looks when the Raiders are in the red zone this year. Don’t expect impressive yardage totals, but with Oakland’s offense already starting to click, his scoring potential makes him an intriguing pickup.