New England Patriots Wild Card Game Scouting Report: Baltimore Ravens

How They Got Here

The Baltimore Ravens kicked-off the season with an explosive start, winning their first three games by scoring over 30 points in each game. Their streak was broken after a close game in New England, which started a three-game slide that left the Ravens 3-3 at their Week 7 bye.

After the bye, the Ravens couldn’t get on a roll as they traded victories and losses for the next seven weeks. However, winning three out of their last four helped them secure an AFC wild card slot in a division where Cincinnati surprised and Pittsburgh disappointed.

Except for their Week 13 loss to Green Bay, the Ravens always kept the score close. This is a 9-7 team that could easily be 12-4.

Key Victories: San Diego (Week 2), Pittsburgh (Week 12)

Key Losses: Cincinnati (Week 5), Indianapolis (Week 11), Pittsburgh (Week 16)

Baltimore vs. New England – Week 4

In Week 4, the Ravens came into the game determined to beat the Pats through the air. Joe Flacco threw the ball 47 times, completing 27 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Despite only rushing the ball 11 times, Ray Rice racked up 103 yards and broke off an impressive 50-yard run.

The game was a very even match between the two teams, however the Ravens actually looked better on paper edging the Pats in third down efficiency (64% vs. 40%) and in Net Yards (363 vs. 319.)

So why did Baltimore lose this game? They stuck with the pass and saw drives end short while the Patriots ran the ball and ran down the clock. Sure, the Ravens could have easily won this game had Mark Clayton caught a fourth quarter pass with… READ MORE

 

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Dr. Grant, My Dear Dr. Sattler, Welcome to the New England Patriots Week 17

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El Mustachio’s Week 17 Picks and New Years Resolutions

 

(Originally posted on 4SportBoston.com )

Well it’s New Year’s Day, and it’s time to make some resolutions. For many of us we’ll be resolving to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, make more time for family, booze less, and pay off debt.

In the NFL, the resolutions are different and depending on the franchise—equally as unlikely to happen as our own resolutions.

So what do these teams need to change this year as some others start a playoff run? Some teams will be watching bowl games hoping to land themselves Ndamukong Suh, Eric Berry, or Jimmy Clausen in this year’s draft, and hoping their franchise players don’t have off-season killing injuries in the final game of the season.

By the way, why isn’t Freddie Barnes, the kid from Bowling Green who has 155 catches and 19 touchdowns even ranked by ESPN? He had 17 catches for over 200 yards and 2 TD’s in the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl against Idaho.

The first resolution is for the NFL Owners and Players Union to come to terms on a new contract. Facing the potential of an uncapped year in 2010 and possibly even a lockout in 2011, a deal has to get done to keep the NFL rolling and the fans happy.

Not sure if you knew this NFL, but the fans are your customers. I don’t think the NFL will tank the way the NHL did when they locked out, but it’s been a long road to recovery for the NHL, and if you ask anyone at 4SportBoston (besides Chaz), not a single one of us could tell you players names or cite rule changes since the lockout. I’m still pretty sure Adam Oates plays for the Bruins.

On to the individual teams…

Indianapolis +8.5 over Buffalo

I know the Colts are throwing away the rest of their season, but to lose by 8.5 points playing Buffalo’s starters who are probably about the same skill level as the Colts’ backups is absurd. The Bills are out of the playoff picture too, so there’s nothing really to be won or lost in this game.

In fact, if the Bills lose, it helps their draft position. No team will admit to that, but the GM’s and the scouts are definitely thinking it in the back of their minds.

Colts Resolution: Get your starters back on the field for at least a half of football this week. You have a bye week next week to rest up, and you don’t want to be rusty. You’ve lost in past playoff tries with this strategy of resting your players, and I know you’re trying to keep guys from getting hurt, but it’s going to hurt your playoff run.

Bills Resolution: Lose this game. You’re sitting at the ninth overall pick in the draft right now.  If the cards fall right for you this weekend, you could be picking as high as fifth. You need a new quarterback and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford projects somewhere between fourth and ninth overall.

Jacksonville +1.5 over Cleveland

Cleveland has won three in a row putting them out of contention for the top pick in the draft.  Jacksonville controlled their own destiny a few weeks ago, and now needs a truckload of luck to get into the playoffs.

Browns Resolution: Win this one at home. You’ve just hired a new GM, Mike Holmgren, so at this point everyone is playing for their job. Mike can make a good pick no matter where he is on the draft board, so it’s more important to go into this off season with a four game win streak and a mindset towards continuing that streak in 2010.

Jaguars Resolution: You have to win this one, but don’t expect much as a result.  Face it coach JackDel Rio, this season is blown. Go hide for a few months, hope you don’t get fired, make some good free agent changes (see: cornerback, add one) and enjoy the golfing season.

Chicago over Detroit +3

Yes, we’re going with Chicago here.  Matthew Stafford is gone, Kevin Smith is gone.  It should be a no brainer.

Bears Resolution: Offensive line. You have to bulk up your offensive line. You’ll get Brian Urlacher back next year, and we all knew your season was hosed the minute he went down in Week One (much the way Pats fans knew our season was done when Tom Brady went down in Week One in 2008). You can easily find offensive line help in free agency. If you can’t run the ball in the windy city, you can’t win games. That’s why you’re not in the playoff picture this year.

Lions Resolution: Lose this one and you’ve got the second overall pick locked up. Stafford will be back next year, and you know you’ve got a kid who can win some games for you there. Help out your defense. Either Nebraska’s DT Suh or Oklahoma’s DT Gerald McCoy will be available, and both are projected to go top three. You need to stop the run in a division with Adrian Peterson if you ever hope to become relevant.

San Francisco over St. Louis +7

The Niners are out of the playoff picture, but I don’t see them handing the final game away. That is un-Mike Singletary like. The Rams just aren’t good enough.

49ers Resolution: Is Alex Smith really the solution here? Singletary, pick an offense. Are you run first, or are you working out of spread formations? There’s a lot of decisions that need to be made in San Francisco before this team can hope to knock out the Cardinals as division champs. Make them and stick to your guns.

Rams Resolution: Congratulations St. Louis, you have the number one pick! Take Suh. The man is a beast. Look for a quarterback with your pick in the second round… Or offensive line… Or more defense. Let’s face it, you’ve got holes all over the field and no realistic plan to replace Steven Jackson. Take Suh though, the man is a beast.

Miami +3 over Pittsburgh

I don’t know why I like Miami here. I just do. Both teams have outside shots at getting into the playoffs. One of them definitely won’t make it, and I think it’s the Steelers.

Dolphins Resolution: Win this game and go into the off season on a good note. Ronnie Brown will be back, and with Ricky Williams you’ve got a dynamo running core. I like Chad Henne too, he could turn into a winner in this league. He needs weapons in the passing game though. Ted Ginn Jr is not a reliable receiver, no matter how explosive he may be in the return game. Devone Bess is a good underneath option, but he hasn’t broken a big play all year. Receiver Dez Bryant is available through the draft, and there could be a few options in free agency, but the Fins need to address that position.

Steelers Resolution:

Dear Ben,

Please stop taking sacks.

Love,

Steelers Fans.

Yes he extends plays and turns them into big gainers, but he needs to work on the clock in his head. Throw the ball away once in a while, you’ll find you won’t need as many of those big gainers when it’s not second and 18.

NYG +9 over Minnesota

The Vikes will win this one, but not by nine points. The Giants really have nothing to play for, and are ready for this season to be over. It’s been an up and down battle for them all year, with only themselves to blame for not making a run this year.

Giants Resolution: Replace Antonio Pierce. He’s not the every down linebacker he used to be, and proved this season he could be subject to breakdown. It’s easier said than done, obviously, but it’s a requirement to have a middle linebacker who can quarterback your defense.

Vikings Resolution: Win this game and hope for an Eagles loss. To me, you need the bye week more than any other team in the NFC. Your defense is floundering without EJ Henderson and you need a week off to get your act together.

As a more long term goal, you need to put Adrian Peterson in a room alone with Tiki Barber for six months. His fumbling problems need to be addressed. That issue alone cost the Vikings home-field advantage and possibly even the bye week and if it continues, could cost them a Super Bowl.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay +2.5

Atlanta has Matt Ryan back, and that means a whole lot for this team’s chances. His mid season turf toe injury, combined with Michael Turner’s high ankle sprain, cost the Falcons a playoff run. They should win this game.

Falcons Resolution: Make sure you go into 2010 with a spell back for Michael Turner, and work on that defensive secondary. You’re in good shape though, a playoff run in 2010 is in the cards.

Bucs Resolution: If Josh Freeman is your answer, give him some weapons. He needs wide receivers. With the third overall pick though, a more reasonable selection would be Tennessee safety Eric Berry. The Bucs haven’t had an impact player at that position since John Lynch left, and he could be the anchor this defense needs.

New Orleans over Carolina (off)

New Orleans needs this win and Steve Smith has a broken arm.

Saints Resolution: Defense, Defense, Defense. That’s the mantra for the Saints in the playoffs. They’ve lost two in a row after starting 13-0. It’s time to get back on track, and make the run to the Super Bowl.

Panthers Resolution: Matt Moore has shown he can lead this team to victory, and may be the replacement for Jake Delhomme in 2010. If not Matt Moore, it needs to be someone though. Delhomme is inconsistent and the position needs to be addressed in the off season.

New England +8 over Houston

This game doesn’t mean a whole lot to the Pats for the playoff picture, but the Pats never lay down deliberately. It’s just not the Belichick way. Houston needs some help to get into the playoffs, but I expect a Pats win, so good luck next year.

Patriots Resolution: Get back to the basics. Embrace the field goal as a viable scoring method, they make the difference. There’s no reason to go for it on fourth and two from the six yard line. It’s okay to punt too, play for field position. That’s how you win in the playoffs, so do it. They can beat any team on any week, so play like it.

Texans Resolution: The three headed monster of Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats, and Chris Brown at running back has been ineffective at best this season. I’m not sure if it’s the offensive line or the guys with the ball, but it needs to be figured out. This team is on the verge, and if they can figure out how to beat the Colts, of making the next step as a franchise.

Philadelphia +3 over Dallas

This could be the biggest game of the week in terms of playoff position. The winner takes the NFC East and gets home-field advantage in the first round. If the Eagles win, they have next week off and home-field advantage in the divisional round as well.

Eagles Resolution: Win in Big D and take a week off to prepare for round two. The road still goes through New Orleans though, but with the way Minnesota and New Orleans have played of late, the door is wide open in the NFC.

Cowboys Resolution: The Cowboys need this win too, and in order to do it, DeMarcus Ware needs a big day rushing Donovan McNabb. Michael Jenkins is turning into a good cornerback, but the Eagles deep passing game is too good for the ‘Boys if they don’t get pressure on Donovan. If they lose, they have to go to Minnesota next week, and I don’t think anybody wants to go there. Their biggest resolution is to win in the playoffs though. At some point, the finger will have to be pointed at Wade Phillips and Tony Romo if they can’t get a win.

Kansas City +13 over Denver

Okay, so I don’t think KC will win, but 13 is too large a spread against a Denver team without Brandon Marshall, who will be sitting on Sunday with a nagging hamstring.

Chiefs Resolution: Win this game and spoil the Broncos playoff bid. After that, get some help for your offensive line. ESPN’s Todd McShay projects you taking OK State’s OT Russell Okung, and I can’t disagree with your need for a stud left tackle. There was a time when the Chiefs had a dominant O-line, and if they want to compete with the Broncos and Chargers again, they need to get back there. Matt Cassel needs to be protected.

Broncos Resolution: I’m really quite surprised Marshall won’t be playing Sunday. Maybe it’s part of his plan to let the Broncos know how much he’s worth in the event of a Denver loss here. Conspiracy theories aside, they should win either way, and are next in line to make the playoffs in the event of a Ravens or Jets loss. In the off-season, they have the Bears’ first round pick, which means an early round pick. At this point, look for a play-maker on offense or defense, a difference maker that can turn games in your direction.

Oakland +10.5 over Baltimore

This could be our upset of playoff teams that control their own destiny. Oakland can win this game at home, and send the Ravens home for the season. In fact, I just called that.

Raiders Resolution: Re-sign Richard Seymour somehow. Otherwise, your 2011 first overall pick goes for nought, and you have to spend your 2010 first round pick to replace him with Florida DE Carlos Dunlap. Apparently he’s got questionable work ethic and a DUI, so he’ll fit right in with the silver and black. The most important advice I can give to Al Davis is to let go. Hire someone to run the team for you or you won’t see another winner before you take the infinite dirt nap.

Ravens Resolution: Baltimore needs a wide receiver. They got lucky that Desmond Mason decided to play another season. I’m certainly not sure he’ll make the same move in 2010, and in that event Joe Flacco will have no options in the passing game. Mark Clayton is not a number one receiver. Available Wide Receivers in the draft are Dez Bryant, Golden Tate, and Mardy Gilyard.

Green Bay +3.5 over Arizona

This game doesn’t mean much to either team, but depending on the outcome of the weekends games, these teams could be facing each other again next week.  Both teams should try to avoid that scenario.

Packers Resolution: You’ve done a good job adapting to a new 3-4 defensive scheme this year, and if I’m you, I stay on that track. Look for a cornerback to help out aging Charles Woodson and Al Harris. In the meantime, focus on winning playoff games. They’ve got as good a chance as any other NFC team to go the distance, and I think they’d like another shot at Minnesota.

Cardinals Resolution: In position to make it back to the Super Bowl, that is the Cardinals goal. Keep Kurt Warner on his feet and in the pocket and they can do that. In the off season, re-sign Darnell Dockett. He’s not a happy man when it comes to his contract, but needs to be because he’s a force on the Arizona defensive line.

San Diego over Washington +4

San Diego is good enough to win this game with LaDanian Tomlinson on the bench, and will do just that.

Chargers Resolution: The talk around town is that this is the Chargers year.  They certainly look like the team to beat in the AFC, as questions about the Colts dedication to excellence surface.  Although, the Chargers haven’t gotten it done in the playoffs in recent years with this group, led by LDT. Play like they have in the second half of the season, and they could be the AFC representative in the big game.

Redskins Resolution: Is the Jason Campbell experiment over yet in Washington? Certainly the Jim Zorn experiment is over. There will be changes in Washington, and Mike Shanahan as the head coach could be the best off season move the Skins could make.

Tennessee +4 over Seattle

The Titans should win this game and still have an outside shot of going to the playoffs.

Titans Resolution:   Playoffs or no Playoffs, this season was a success for Jeff Fischer and company. Though they started 0-6, they turned it around with vigor and rediscovered that Vince Young is a starting QB in the NFL and Chris Johnson established himself as possibly the most complete young running back in the league. WR Kenny Britt has also done well in his debut season, and should develop into a solid number two receiver or low end number one. In the off season, they should look for a true number one receiver if they can find one, and get younger in the defensive front seven.

Seahawks Resolution:   Look for a Matt Hasselback replacement. He’s 35 and apparently prone to injury, and Seneca Wallace is not the answer. They have the Broncos first round pick, along with their own pick. Perhaps a reach on Bradford or Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen with one of those picks is in order.

Cincinnati +10 over NYJ

I’m not sure I could turn down a spread this large. Everyone is saying the Bengals will lay down like the Colts did last week, but I’m not so sure that’s true. If the Bengals lose to the Jets this week, they have to play them again next week. That’s not a good scenario for Cincy.

Bengals Resolution:   Beat the Jets. This is Round One of the playoffs for Cincy. Then find some offense to go with their defense, otherwise they’re not going to go far in the playoffs. In the off season, look for a Tight End to compliment Chad Ochocinco andLaveranues Coles.  If this team is going to run an offense like this, they need a Todd Heap/Heath Miller type of player in their offense.

Jets Resolution:   Obviously start with a win on Sunday, then lose next week. I hate the Jets. They need to strengthen their offensive line in the off season.

 

So those are the resolutions, we’ll see how many of these teams follow through.

See you next week for the playoffs! 

I failed to fill out my Yahoo! Picks multiple times this year, so I’m going to have to do some heavy analysis to figure out how many I got right this year. I’ll let you know the final tally next week, so you can decide if it’s worth it to listen to me next year.

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Fantasy Aftermath: End Of The Season Edition

(Originally posted at 4SportBoston.com )

I’ve never been so in-touch with the NFL season than I have been this year.

Thanks to writing Fantasy Aftermath at end of each and every NFL week, I now walk away with a new-found knowledge of what’s going on around the league- as well as two fantasy football championships. I may have lost the championship game in our 4 Sport Boston league, but out of four championship games I played in this past weekend I won half of them, not that shabby.

So for the last Fantasy Aftermath column of the season I want to take a big picture look at the fantasy story lines we’ll be talking about. For most players, your fantasy football season is now over (and if it’s not I hope you don’t own Peyton Manning .)

Reading The Box Scores & Watching The Highlights

San Diego 42, Tennessee 17

The Titan’s improbable playoff run realistically ended with their loss to the Colts, but after a blowout from the Chargers, they have a chance to turn an 0-6 start into a 8-8 record they can be proud of. San Diego is secure with the second seed in the AFC playoffs and are getting hot at the right time to possibly make a big post-season push.

Philip Rivers is currently six points behind Tom Brady in fantasy scoring in the 4 Sport Boston league. He’s quietly having another great season where he has consistently put up solid numbers week in and week out. His 264 yards/2 TD/0 INT day tells me he is establishing himself as an elite fantasy quarterback for 2010.

Unlike Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson ‘s stock has fallen this season. He has failed to rush for over 100 yards all year. He is still valuable as a goal-line back, but Darren Sproles has seen his role increased as well. Both backs scored two rushing touchdowns this week.

Vince Young didn’t look sharp with two interceptions this past week but he is the current future of the team- not Kerry Collins. It will be interesting to see how the Titans will fare if they let Young start all of 2010. As a fantasy option, he is looking like a solid backup to draft next year.

Chris Johnson is a beast. That’s all I need to say. He’s rushed for over 100 yards every week since week 6, including 142 yards this past week. He only needs 128 yards next week to go over 2,000 and there is no doubt he’ll get it. He’ll be drafted first or second next year.

Buffalo 3, Atlanta 31

There was no doubt who was going to be the victor in the Brohm vs. Ryan match-up. Matt Ryan poured it on with three passing touchdowns.

Buffalo may not know who their starting quarterback will be next year, but it is shaping up that they know that Fred Jackson is the Bills running back you want. Granted, neither him or Marshawn Lynch performed well enough to be anything but a spot start here or there.

Terrell Owens really only had a two week period where he was fantasy relevant. If he plays next year, he’s on the Joey Galloway road to fantasy irrelevance.

Ryan may have looked cold in the second half of the season but his performance this week shows he’s still a good second-tier option next year. Roddy White ‘s 139 yard/2 TD game puts him as a low-end WR1 option after a hot and cold season.

Who out there wants to link Michael Turner ‘s injury riddled second-half to the curse of 370 ?

Kansas City 10, Cincinnati 17

The Bengals clinch the AFC North title in a close win against Kansas City. A fourth quarter Chad Ochocinco touchdown reception put the Bengals on top.

Jamaal Charles ‘ strong second half is going to help raise his stock next year as a sneaky pick in the draft. Imagine what he could do if the Chiefs improved their line.

Ochocinco is having a bounce back year but is still a boom or bust receiver. His performance this year merits WR2/WR3 consideration next year. Cedric Benson rushed for 133 yards and is one of the big surprises on this year’s Cinderella-Bengals team. Currently the 12th ranked running back in fantasy scoring, he will certainly be a low-end RB1/RB2 pick next year.

Oakland 9, Cleveland 23

NFL Network said it best as Charlie Frye played against his former team when they called it “the least interesting revenge angle ever.” His three interceptions reminded Cleveland why they shipped him out after one game in 2007.

Zach Miller caught nine passes for 110 yards- I’ll say again how good this kid could be if he actually had a real quarterback under center.

In the big picture he’s probably the only player I can talk about on Oakland- it’s just a big ol’ black hole over there.

Jerome Harrison followed up his 200+ yard game last week with 148 yards this week. He’s going to be an interesting sleeper pick next year now that Jamal Lewis is expected to retire. If Cleveland can find a QB, the same sleeper statement can be said of Mohamed Massaquoi .

Seattle 10, Green Bay 48

Much like the Chargers in the AFC, the Packers are the NFC’s dark horse favorite to go very deep into the playoffs. They certainly demonstrated their skills against a helpless Seahawks team in Week 16.

I really like Matt Hasselbeck, but his days as both a NFL and fantasy football starter are numbered. I even picked him up this season as a possible spot starter but performances like his four-interception game this week shows me that Seattle needs to find a new quarterback soon. One of the only bright spots on the team could be 24-year old Justin Forsett . It will be an interesting training camp battle between him and Julius Jones for the starting gig next season.

Ryan Grant has gone from consistent in the first half to explosive in the second. 97 yards and two touchdowns this past week makes him a solid pick for next year. However, remember his breakout year in 2007 was followed by a disappointing 2008. What Ryan Grant will we see in 2010?

For a good part of the first half of the season, Donald Driver was the Green Bay receiver you wanted. Greg Jennings has recently reasserted himself as “The Man” the past couple of weeks but I’ll go out on a limb and say both receivers are low-end options next year. Aaron Rodgers has really spread the ball around and with big targets like Jermichael Finley , I see that trend continuing.

Houston 27, Miami 20

Houston may have an outside chance to get into the playoffs but a win next week would at least give them a winning record – something they haven’t had in their entire team history. Miami also has an outside chance, but hoping for four teams ahead of you to lose is a real long shot.

I look at the Texans on paper and there are fantasy studs all around. Matt Schaub , Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels , the only real problem is the running back situation. Will Steve Slaton get another chance or will the role fall to Arian Foster, Ryan Moats, or Chris Brown ?

Miami has proved themselves to be a great running team, and both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will be great players next year. Their only weak spot would be at receiver, where there are a lot of prospects but no true number one. Keep an eye out on Chad Henne . If he starts next year he could develop to be a serviceable bench player.

Baltimore 20, Pittsburgh 23

In a very messy game full of turnovers and penalties, the Steelers stopped the Ravens from clinching a playoff spot and both teams now have to win next week to get to the post-season (Pittsburgh will also need a lot of help.)

Even though Joe Flacco has had some cold streaks this season, his sophomore year has actually seen a lot of improvement. Ray Rice ran for 141 yards in a breakout year. He is emerging from the three-headed monster in Baltimore and will be a top pick in 2010.

On the other side of the ball, Rashard Mendenhall has also established himself as the Steelers running back that you want. Hines Ward is once again the leading receiver for Pittsburgh but, as with every year, the question grows as to how long it will be until Santonio Holmes takes the top spot.

Carolina 41, New York Giants 9

In the last game in Giants stadium, a must-win game for the Giants to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Panthers spoiled the party as they blew out the New York Football Giants in dominating fashion.

Back-to-back three touchdown games for Matt Moore ? We already know that Jake Delhomme is done as an NFL starter and it is early, but perhaps Moore may be the starting quarterback come 2010.

Two years ago we were cursing DeShaun Foster for taking touches away from DeAngelo Williams . I believe that we can now wonder how many touches Jonathan Stewart will take away from D-Will going into 2010. His 206 rushing yards and touchdown show that he is also very talented. Steve Smith broke his arm in the game (but finished the play first) and is most likely done for the season- not that Carolina had much of a season left this year.

(Editor’s note: Patrick greatly under-values this broken arm by Steve Smith. So I am going to go ahead and rock your world with the video of the catch, hit, break, and Smith STILL finishing the play for the touchdown… LANDING on the broken arm!)

(Video in original post at 4SportBoston.com )

(Editor’s note: You’re welcome.)

Eli Manning has a young but talented receiving crew. We’ve already seen each of these receivers and what they can do. I think next year they will be even better- and drop less passes.

Jacksonville 7, New England 35

The Jaguars are pretty much finished unless every team in the AFC besides them loses in Week 17. New England finds a bit of their mojo back as Tom Brady connects with Randy Moss for three touchdowns. Just like the good ol’ days.

Last year the question was if Joseph Addai could handle the rushing load by himself and the answer was “no.” This year the question was if Maurice Jones-Drew could handle the rushing load and the answer was “hell ya”. Even though he only rushed for 63 yards against the Pats, he is already having a career year and will be an early first rounder next year. Mike Sims-Walker started to look like the top receiver for the Jags but he’s shaping up to be very boom-or-bust.

Now that the Patriots running back staff is at full strength, Laurence Maroney looks to have fallen down on the depth chart. At first we thought that maybe he would still get the nod over Sammy Morris , but an early fumble put him in the dog house as Morris proceeded to break out a long 55-yard run to set-up a rushing touchdown for himself. As much as we’d love to have L-Mo as the man in New England, we are reminded nothing is ever certain in Foxborough.

Tampa Bay 20, New Orleans 17

Did Tampa Bay just win two games in a row? Against the number one seed New Orleans Saints? WHO DAT?… Dat just happened. Luckily for the Saints they still retain the top seed, as we’ll cover later.

Josh Freeman didn’t look good at all in this win, but regardless he’s a candidate to become the starter as of next year. After all the talk of Derrick Ward taking over the rushing duties early this year, Cadillac Williams has been the lead rusher and ran for 129 yards this past week. Still he’s nothing but a fantasy bench player at best.

On the Saints side of the ball, we know that Drew Brees is a stud. We also knew that more likely than not, Pierre Thomas is the guy you want over Mike Bell (even though Bell will have some goal-line value.) The big question heading into next year is how to value all of those Saints receivers.

St. Louis 10, Arizona 31

For the team that went to the Super Bowl last year, Arizona is bettering their case to return as they improve to 10-5. However, St. Louis is already on the clock for the 2010 draft.

Steven Jackson sat out this game and probably cost me one of the two championship games I lost. Besides him there’s not really much to talk about when it comes to the future of the Rams.

Beanie Wells looked good with 68 yards and a score. Even though Tim Hightower has had value this year- next year maybe the changing of the guard for the two running backs.

Larry Fitzgerald already has 12 touchdowns for the season- no need to analyze his future for next season. I still like Anquan Boldin however as a top end WR2.

Detroit 6, San Francisco 20

San Francisco went out and beat the Detroit Lions, not that wasn’t a hard task to accomplish. Both teams have seen a lot of improvement: Detroit finally won a game and if the 49ers win this week, they can avoid yet another 7-9 year.

I’ll still stand by the foundation Detroit is building. Matt Stafford and Kevin Smith are injured, but when healthy they are both competent talents. Calvin Johnson has had a disappointing season compared to last year but 96 receiving yards this week shows us that he’s still an elite receiver.

Alex Smith is back in charge and should be the starting quarterback next season. Frank Gore continues to be a monster with 152 combined yards for the week. Michael Crabtree is sure to be a sleeper pick next year but still won’t be anything more than a WR3.

Denver 27, Philadelphia 30

Another game that goes down to the wire. Philadelphia squeaks out the win as Denver is now left hoping for a playoff berth next week. The Eagles are already locked in and will play for the NFC East title next week against the Cowboys.

Kyle Orton has proved to be a serviceable quarterback for the Broncos and I see him as a solid QB2 next year. At first we weren’t sure if Brandon Marshall was going to get his share of the catches, but he has strung together a few streaks where he’s been great. I put him as another solid WR1.

Brian Westbrook returned to getting the majority of touches but his sun has already set. LeSean McCoy is the future for the Eagles but he hasn’t put up the elite numbers that Westbrook used to. DeSean Jackson has become the definition of a big play-maker, unfortunately that also means if he doesn’t make the big play, you are usually stuck with nothing.

New York Jets 29, Indianapolis 15

The Jets spoil the Colts’ perfect season and actually have a chance to clinch a playoff berth next week despite the big mouth of Rex Ryan .

I think Mark Sanchez had an OK start to his NFL career. His hot start followed by a cold streak didn’t do well for his big New York market fans. Braylon Edwards was an interesting add to the team this season, but so far it’s the same Braylon, different uniform.

Thomas Jones continues to run well but we must always ask how long can this last? Will a 32 year old Jones be busting out 100-yard games next year?

No need to look at the Colts future outlook. The team is full of studs at most every position. However, most of these stars sat out the second half of the game and I can imagine how many people will question Jim Caldwell’s decision to sit his starters and sacrifice perfection. Would they have won the game had Peyton Manning and company played the entire game? What will happen if the Colts still lose in the playoffs at the cost of a perfect season?

(Editor’s note: Colts fans are seriously letting Caldwell know how they feel about it as you can see here .)

I would argue that if Manning was getting roughed up they should take him out, but he wasn’t sacked once during the game. You could argue sitting out the last game but the last two games, and with the current game not in hand? If Manning was in a position to get hurt, I’d say sit him, but given there was still a game to play, I would of kept Manning in.

But I’m not too disappointed. I mean, at least the 2007 Pats record is still intact.

Dallas 17, Washington 0

With nothing to play for, the Redskins rolled over to the Cowboys, who are back in the playoffs despite a rough December.

The traditional December swoon for the Cowboys can’t be blamed on Tony Romo, who continues to be a solid quarterback option with new found Miles Austin to throw to. Marion Barber looked good with 63 yards and a score but next year we’ll all have to take a hard look at the three-headed monster in Dallas. Right now you have to rank ’em Barber, Felix Jones, then Tashard Choice .

The Redskins are in trouble. Clinton Portis is looking old and fragile, Santana Moss was never a WR1, and Jason Campbell might not return to the team despite putting up some OK numbers. Chris Cooley was looking good too until he broke his ankle. If Campbell doesn’t return this team could get real bad, real fast. Wait, they are already there.

Minnesota 30, Chicago 36

The Bears were in charge of this game until the Vikings came back to send the game into overtime. But Jay Cutler ‘s touchdown pass to Devin Aromashodu won it for Chicago.

Brett Favre certainly made a second half splash as a fantasy quarterback. Before I even try and project him for next season we should actually make sure he’s still playing… oh what the hell, we know he’s going to come back, right?

Adrian Peterson ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns- however next season he might be selected number two overall to Chris Johnson. On the receiving end, there’s lots of exciting talent including Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. Expect both players to be solid WR2 players.

Cutler threw four touchdowns in last night’s game, showing Chicago why they traded for him. However, it’s too little – too late as Cutler’s poor performance throughout the rest of the season have people wondering if they made the right call to trade for him after all. The Bears are full of fantasy disappointments from Cutler to Matt Forte .

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From Dominance to Prominence: Boston’s Four Major Teams in a New Decade

(Originally posted on 4SportBoston.com )

Please say this decade isn’t about to come to an end.

The Boston fan base has certainly been spoiled over the past ten years and the “Decade of Dominance” is about to come to an end on the calender but it would be nice to think that it will continue on the field/court/ice.

Prior to the New England Patriots Super Bowl Championship in 2001, the entire region known as New England had not seen a single championship team since the 1986 Boston Celtics beat the Houston Rockets.

There is no denying that for years upon years, decades upon decades, New England as a whole has been tormented by at least one of their teams at a time. But the 2000s were different.

We never really came up with a good name for the decade that flowed from the lips like “the 90s” but “the Double Zeros” in Boston, and all of New England, were a block of years that meant dominance in sports. We saw the underdog New England Patriots win the three Super Bowls in four years (their first ever in 2001). We saw the Boston Red Sox end an 86 year curse to win two Championships in three years. We saw the Boston Celtics finally bring basketball back to the city with the most NBA Championships ever, after 22 years. Here we are on the way out of the decade watching the Bruins return to contender form and hopefully make a push for the Stanley Cup.

The ’00s were definitely good years for the Boston sports fan but will the ’10s, what we’ll call it the Decade of Prominence, be better or worse? 

 

You will see many websites, blogs, newscasts, newspapers, etc all writing recaps of the past decade. How great everything was! Boston’s the best! Well folks, it’s almost 2010. It’s time to look ahead and think about what our four major sports teams hold for us in the Decade of Prominence.

Seemingly, we may be in some trouble heading into the new decade if we take a quick glance. Obviously there are thousands of moves to be made throughout the decade crossing over all four sports but will the right moves be made? As Kevin Garnett famously screamed after winning Banner 17, “Anything’s possible.”

New England Patriots

Heading into the Decade of Prominence, the Patriots are one of the biggest question marks. It is still debatable if we will ever see Tom Brady return to 2007 form or if the defense will ever regain the depth and leadership it was once known for. Will we even see him in a Patriots uniform past 2010 when his contract runs up? 

One thing is for certain: If the Patriots want to make a push into the next decade, receivers and running backs need to remain their focus. Randy Moss has been in the league for 12 years now and he is not getting any younger. He’s seen a lot of criticism lately, but he obviously still has “it.” But for how much longer? You would have to assume that the Patriots are going to look to bring in a new stud on the long routs once Randy’s contract ends after the 2010 season.

The Patriots need to lock up Wes Welker for the long-term and start looking for that complimentary deep route guy of the future. But can Welker continue to take the beating he does and be successful for several more years? Signed through 2011, you have to wonder how the installation of a new No. 1 receiver in 2011 will affect him.

L-Mo has looked good of late as well and has the legs to run him right through the Decade of Prominence with so little time on the field in his first three seasons. As long as he stays healthy, Maroney is the Patriots future at running back and should see an extension on his contract before the end of next season when his contract expires.

The defense is another story. This year they are young, they are fairly immature, and frankly, not getting the job done on a consistent basis. But with time comes age and I think that the Patriots have given themselves a nice core for the future. Ty Warren is signed through 2013; Jerod Mayo, Mike Wright, Patrick Chung, Ron Brace, Darius Butler are signed through 2012;  and Shawn Springs, Brandon Meriweather, Tully Banta-Cain and James Sanders through 2011.

 

Barring the circus around this coming off season and what it may hold for Vince Wilfork, his eventual re-signing will be a great push into the new decade.

Bill Belichick is currently locked in as the Patriots Head Coach through the 2013 season. Let’s assume they will not return to the dominance we saw in 2007 and the three Super Bowl titles. This team has a lot of work to do to remain legit through the coming decade.

Boston Red Sox

As we all are well aware, this coming 2010 season has been called a bridge year by some, and the season that the Sox have finally lined their team up to be competitive with the Yankees by others. Personally, I believe that we fall closer to the first of the two assuming that the acquisitions of Marco Scutaro, John Lackey, and Mike “Frozone” Cameron are the biggest moves of the season.

During the days surrounding the presentation of Lackey and Cameron as the newest members of Red Sox Nation, fans were starting to turn optimistic. We heard things like “Maybe defense is the answer,” “Lackey as your third starter will line up great with the Yanks,” and some guy who I swear yelled “Cameron is WICKED PISSAH.” I don’t know why.

In reality, this year is still a bridge year. But is it the bridge to the Red Sox Decade of Prominence?

Despite rumors or trades from every angle, the Red Sox still have a farm system that will mix in well with the guys who are currently on the club as players move into the big leagues. The positional battles may just be lining up perfectly as well when you put a close eye on it.

The Red Sox current top five prospects are (1) SP Casey Kelly, (2) OF/DH Ryan Westmoreland, (3) OF Ryan Kalish, (4) OF Josh Reddick, and (5) 1B Lars Anderson. A few other notables at the bottom of the top 10 are (7) SP Junichi Tazawa, (8) SS Jose Iglesias, and (10) Michael Bowden. Of course, we are most familiar with Reddick, Tazawa, and Bowden from their time on the big league club over the past couple seasons.

But take a look at how those players fit into today’s lineup and the lineup you expect to see going forward. With Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia both locked up with the team through 2014, the key parts to the infield and batting lineup are there. With the opposite hot corner being a dead spot in the lineup currently, Lars Anderson will place nicely in there in the future.

With the 36-year-old (turning 37 in January) Cameron in the outfield, we are certain to see the likes of Reddick, Westmoreland, and Kalish sooner rather than later. These guys are 22, 19, and 21, respectively. Assuming the Sox are not going to re-sign J.D. Drew following the 2011 season, it will be a sight to see Jacoby Ellsbury in the outfield with a couple of these guys.

 

Kelly, Tazawa, and Bowden clearly have the road paved for them going forward and pitching is never a place any team could not use extra help at during the season. Having already seem glimpses of Tazawa and Bowden in Boston primarily this past year, both have great potential and are being groomed to be stars.

Iglesias has been the talk of the town since the great debate at shortstop began, but Theo immediately shut that down stating that the plan is for Iglesias to be primed for Boston by 2011. Works out well when you remember that they just signed Scutaro to a two-year deal.

Obviously, all of these rising stars are debatable and each one could play as a primary piece in any trade the Red Sox want to get involved in, but without being able to guess the trades of 2010 and beyond, this isn’t a bad answer for the future of this club.

The key part to leading the Sox into the new decade are easily the main component players but also the manager. Tito Francona is locked up through 2011 with team options for 2012 and 2013 so the Sox will be able to keep one of the most successful managers of the decade on the bench for several more years.

Boston Bruins

The fun part will now be watching the team develop from developing upstart to recognized force. It is easier said than done, but it is clear that from top to bottom everyone involved in this organization is interested in going from ugly stepsister to princess sooner rather than later.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics may have the most interesting new decade after their roller coaster ’00s. The C’s went from a team that was playing to have the worst record and most chances at the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft to making moves that would make them the NBA Champion that following year. Looking forward to the Decade of Prominence, the Celtics are set up pretty well.

I have always been a big believer in the business aspect of sports, having always believed that spending money up front wins championships and championships bring back more money in the long run is not a hard concept to invest in. Seemingly, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics decided to go just this route and invested millions of dollars in the likes of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join in and help Paul Pierce succeed in the hunt for the championship.

In this 2009-2010 season, we are looking at another Celtics team that may be well on their way to another successful playoff run. Whether this team goes on to win it all or not may play a role in the future success going into the new decade.

As of the end of this season, only five players are inked for next season including Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and Rajon Rondo. They also have team options on J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker. And don’t forget about the player option held by Pierce, Mr. Boston Celtics himself.

For those of you who know the Celtics, that means that Ray Allen, Eddie House, Tony Allen (yes!), Brian Scalabrine (boo!), Marquise Daniels, Sheldon Williams, and Lester Hudson are all free agents after this season.

The key result of success this year, should be the re-signing of Ray Allen. Sugar Ray loves being here in the Northeast, close to his alma mater of UCONN, and seemingly, he loves the chemistry that he has with Pierce and Garnett as well. The only problem may be if the Celtics are looking to deal that money towards some more youthful talent as Allen is still worth as much as he was when came in.

The key component to this team has been locked up in Rajon Rondo. Maybe stealing a page out of the old Celtic yearbooks, this team will be built around a talented young point guard for at least the next five years. With Perkins inked for one more season, I would fully expect a new contract to be built to keep him in Green for years to come.

In today’s NBA, teams are finding that there are more and more superstars who can shoot well, making that position more flexible than ever. The pieces of the puzzle that are hardest to fill are all but done here with the physical center and the speedy, quick-thinking point guard.

Judging by the fact that the Celtics have a total salary (15 players) of $84,678,579 this season and already have $63,326,049 tied in only eight players for next season. That is a difference of Ray Allen’s contract alone.

Looking at these numbers, we may have some interesting moves and seasons ahead in the early part of the decade but overall, the 2010-2019 seasons may just be the Celtics return to prominence overall.

Coach Doc Rivers is signed on with the team through the 2010-2011 season. Will this team see a major transition at that time? It will greatly depend on if Doc can keep the team successful through the changes over the next couple of years.

What does this mean for fans?

Well, Bostonians near and far, let me tell you that the best is yet to come.

We are currently in the process of seeing Boston, or New England for that matter, become an even further known as a four-sport threat. As we have covered here, there are a lot of questions coming up for each of our teams, but the excitement and enthusiasm each team will bring to this city, and each individual sport will remain unbridled. We should certainly be ready for an exciting Decade of Prominence.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Football Aftermath: Things That Surprised Me Edition

We are now well into the fantasy football playoffs for most people so I’m here with another “just the games” edition of Fantasy Aftermath. This is the time of the season where even the best laid plans can go awry in this crazy game we call football. Just look at some of the unexpected performances this week:

 

 

Reading The Box Scores & Watching The Highlights

Indianapolis 35, Jacksonville 31

 

Well the Colts improve to 14-0 and as a Patriots fan, I get a little bit nervous of somebody else to share the 16-0 perfect season with. Dallas Clark follows up his three TD game in week 14 with a two TD game in Week 15. It is not news that he is a stud tight-end, but some may have noticed that perhaps his receptions were eating into Reggie Wayne ‘s stats.

Well, in this shootout, Wayne got his own with 132 receiving yards that were fueled by a 65-yard touchdown catch. It does concern me that Joseph Addai has been cooling off after what looked like a potential hot streak.

Things that surprised me: Maurice Jones-Drew hauled in two touchdowns via air and ground, maybe he should do some holiday work with Fed-Ex. David Garrard bounced back to have another solid game, but that interception kept the Colts perfect in the defeat. I’d be cautious starting him against the Patriots next week however.

 

 

Dallas 24, New Orleans 17

 

I was watching this game in a Chinatown restaurant during snomageddon this past weekend. For the same reasons as above I was rooting for Dallas to upset the perfect Saints, and they managed to stop a last minute Saints’ comeback.

Things that surprised me: The Cowboys went back to running the ball (Marion Barber: 62 rushing yards, 2 TDs); Nick Folk made a field goal (but missed a key one as well.); Lance Moore returns to the field and scores a TD; Dallas managed to win a game in December.

 

 

Patriots 17, Buffalo 10

 

Patriots finally win one on the road (in the country). Again it was a tough victory that almost was lost in the second half, so I’m still not feeling good about this team right now.

Things that surprised me: L-Mo (23 carries, 81 rushing yards, TD), who’s Sammy Morris? I’ve already written that it looks like Maroney is standing out as the Pats top back but it’s not even close when it comes to the time share. Jonathan Wilhite caught an interception—does this mean we can stop picking on him?

Things that did not surprise me: Fred Jackson had a better day vs. Marshawn Lynch—party is over for Lynch owners (including me); Randy Moss caught a TD—after a rough couple of weeks, Brady was going to get the ball to Moss; Tom Brady had another blah day—Brady’s slump has to be killing fantasy seasons right now.

 

 

Cleveland 41, Kansas City 34

 

Classic two-terrible-teams shootout here folks. Lots of surprises to be had in the stats sheet.

Things that surprised me: Jerome Harrison had 286 rush yards, 3 TD; now how many players started him? I thought so. Of course he’ll be the hot pickup this week; the fact Jamaal Charles‘ 154 yards rushing wasn’t the best performance of the game.

Things that did not surprise me: Josh Cribbs is a machine: Two return TDs; Dwayne Bowe‘s slow start coming back from suspension—I was hoping he’d be back up and running but at least he got targeted 10 times so he’s back as the top receiver on the team.

 

 

Atlanta 10, New York Jets 7

 

The Sanchise continues to struggle late in his rookie season with three interceptions, but hey, he’s a rookie. Both Matt Ryan and Michael Turner return to the field but both were a shell of what you would normally expect, not surprised by either. Ryan fought against a tough Jets defense and Turner is definitely not 100 percent healthy yet.

Did anything surprise me about this game? Probably that Atlanta (thanks to Tony Gonzalez), won but this was a snoozer.

 

 

Houston 16, St. Louis 13

 

Fantasy owners were licking their chops for this matchup: a high powered offense playing one of the worst teams in the NFL? Fantasy point for everyone right? Not so much.

What surprised me: The score—really Matt Schuab? Only one TD? You are playing the Rams! Really Keith Null? Only one pick? I played the Houston defense hoping you’d throw another three to four picks! Way to improve.

What did not surprise me: Andre Johnson. You didn’t score but you always make it worth the start with 195 yard receiving. I’ll take that any day. A Houston running back fumbles the ball (Arian Foster ) and Ryan Moats comes in and takes over. This sounds familiar…

 

 

Miami 24 Tennessee 27

 

Patriots got some help from Tennessee as they take care of the Dolphins and both teams go to 7-7.

What surprised me: Vince Young : (236 passing yards, 3 TDs)- Young has the upside to produce elite numbers but I didn’t expect it against the Dolphins. I also didn’t expect two of those touchdowns to go to Justin Gage. Sorry Kenny Britt.

 

 

Arizona 31, Detroit 24

 

Arizona continues to dominate on the road—who needs time zones? Detroit continues their quest for a top draft pick.

What surprised me: Maurice Morris: really, 128 yards and a TD? I picked him up after the Kevin Smith injury but I didn’t expect you to perform like that. He’s definitely worth a place on your bench just in case, I can see Detroit running the ball more as long as Matt Stafford is out.

What did not surprise me: Beanie Wells was a popular start option coming into the week and he proved experts right (17 carries, 111 yards rushing, TD); Calvin Johnson (3 receptions, 35 yards) here’s why I traded him away—his schedule to end the season is tough.

 

 

Oakland 20, Denver 19

 

Everything about this game was a surprise, but then again Oakland upsetting a team every once in awhile shouldn’t be.

What surprised me: Michael Bush (133 rushing yards, 1 TD)—you couldn’t even put up one fantasy point in the past four weeks now you put up 20? I call fluke. Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas are two reasons I’d leave Bush on the waiver wire. JaMarcus Russell: wait, the QB that got benched for Charlie Frye (who left the game- not a surprise) won the game for the Raiders? Maybe he wants to play after all.

 

 

Cincinnati 24, San Diego 27

 

Cincinnati played a very emotional game after the loss of wide receiver Chris Henry . Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for a red hot Chargers team.

What surprised me:  J.P. Foschi—the Bengals tight end led the team in receiving with 82 yards. Does it mean anything? Not really. Chad Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles caught the TDs for the team. Ochocinco celebrated his touchdown by breaking into tears on the bench. I don’t think he’ll get fined for that, an emotional gesture in honor of his departed teammate.

 

 

Chicago 7, Baltimore 31

 

The Ravens pour it on for a second straight week. Baltimore got hit hard by snow just like DC but managed to dig themselves out after moving the game back.

What surprised me: Joe Flacco: (234 passing yards, 4 TDs)—well, welcome back Joe, we missed you for a good few weeks. Devin Aromashodu—after a great start filling in for Devin Hester last week, he came back down to earth. What was surprising was that he was still targeted 10 times.

What did not surprise me: Jay Cutler: (QB rating 7.9, 3 interceptions)—can you believe he was a top 10 QB last year?

 

 

Tampa Bay 24, Seattle 7

 

What surprised me: The fact Tampa Bay won. If you told me one of the two quarterbacks in this game threw 4 picks—I would of guessed Josh Freeman , not Matt Hasselbeck.

 

 

San Fransisco 13, Philadelphia 27

 

What surprised me: Leonard Weaver getting the majority of the carries compared to LeSean McCoy—this is definite cause for concern if you own Shady McCoy.

 

 

Green Bay 36, Pittsburgh 37

 

What surprised me: Lack of running game: With both teams having great running backs in Ryan Grant and Rashard Mendenhall, it was sad to see them only go for 37 and 38 yards rushing. At least each had a score to tack on as well. Pittsburgh’s crazy passing game: both Hines Ward and Heath Miller went over 100 yards receiving but Mewelde Moore and Mike Wallace caught the touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 500 yards and 3 TDs.

 

 

Minnesota 7, Carolina 26

 

What surprised me: Um, Carolina beating Minnesota? The Matt Moore-led Carolina Panthers? No way. The game was a 7-6 snoozer until Carolina put up 20 points in the fourth quarter.

What surprised me: All the Minnesota receivers—Adrian Peterson led the team in rushing and receiving, something that shouldn’t happen when you have young talent that have been hot all season long. Matt Moore really? Three TDs?

What doesn’t surprise me: Jonathan Stewart—once again DeAngelo Williams disappoints me with that ankle injury and the Daily Show got all the action with two TDs.

 

 

New York Giants at Washington

 

Washington’s newly found offense goes up against a Giants team that has been struggling to put something consistent together. With two defenses in the top ten against the pass, I think it’ll come down to the run game. Washington is weaker against the run so this may be an OK matchup for Brandon Jacobs. I am starting Quinton Ganther but there’s not a whole lot of great matchups anywhere in this game.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Football Aftermath: Crunch Time

You’ve been waiting all year for this.

Hours of drafting and weeks of setting lineups have culminated to these final three weeks of the regular NFL season: The fantasy playoffs.

Hopefully most of you in 12-team leagues are either starting or already into your playoffs. The 4 Sport Boston league is set-up with playoffs just the way I like them:

• Playoffs Weeks 14-16 (there’s too much uncertainty in Week 17 for it to be a true championship week)
• Top six teams advance (just like each conference of the NFL, also it’s more fun to include more teams)
• Consolation games (I like any incentives to keep owners playing—I’d also have a consolation bracket too but looks like Craig forgot to put one in)

As we go into the fantasy football playoffs here’s three tips I have to make the most of your run.

 

Don’t Get TOO Cute

I know some experts say, “take who you bring to the dance”. I agree to this somewhat but I feel there are some instances where you have to think of new developments in a player’s situation.

For instance I was mulling over starting either Jamaal Charles or Pierre Thomas . Charles had a great matchup this week but late breaking news out of the Saints camp said that Mike Bell was inactive, thus Thomas would get most of the carries for the Saints.

Even though Thomas was the back I drafted and Charles was a waiver wire grab, I chose Charles because he would be the guy to get every carry. While Thomas’ value rose a bit, he still had Reggie Bush looming over him and might vulture a TD.

Well my hunch was right, Charles earned a total 181 yards and a TD while Thomas earned a combined 100 yards rushing and receiving—but saw Bush score two TDs.

Sometimes there are some situations where the opportunity is too great. Charles playing against the worst run defense in the NFL was indeed that situation.

 

Make Sure Your Roster is Optimized

This is something you should really do after the bye weeks but if you haven’t yet it’s time to dump off all the dead weight and stock your bench with handcuffs to your stud players, and players to add depth to your team.

There’s no reason why you should have an extra defense, or a player done for the season like Steve Slaton . I wouldn’t carry a backup TE, and I am not opposed to picking up guys off the waiver wire so your opponent doesn’t pick them up to use against you.

 

Don’t Worry Too Much About Weather or Resting Players

When it comes to the weather it’s not a big factor unless you are playing in a snow bowl. Also as long as your playoffs end before Week 17 I wouldn’t worry too much about teams resting players.

Even when you look at a team like the Colts who now have everything locked in, they still have perfection to play for and with Week 17 regular Jim Sorgi injured they may think about sticking with Peyton Manning longer than expected.

 

Patriots Pride

I watched the first half of the game then stopped due to frustration and sleepiness (I had a big party the night before).

While I am delighted to see we didn’t lose three in a row, there should be some concern now over the performance of Tom Brady . In the past four weeks he’s averaging five fantasy points below his season average and his recent run of interceptions is making people nervous both in fantasy and outside of it.

While it appears that Tom hasn’t been terrific as of late, I would like to point out he is still on track to have a slightly better season than he did before the 2007 season.

Patriot Nation needs to realize that a 50-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio isn’t going to happen again. We can count on Brady to score 20-30 TDs and 10-15 Ints in a given season. Right now he’s simply going through a rough patch, and unfortunately he’s picked the wrong time to do it.

 

Reading the Box Scores and Watching the Highlights

Pittsburgh 6, Cleveland 13

An ugly game against two ugly teams (you have to admit the Steelers are looking bad now they have unleashed hell onto themselves).

Josh Cribbs continues to be the only offensive weapon for the Browns, racking up 147 combined rushing, receiving, and return yards. Rookie Chris Jennings ran the ball 20 times for 73 yards—just FYI in case you want to know who’s running the ball post Jamal Lewis .

Rashard Mendenhall disappointed, Hines Ward looked like he should of rested that hamstring, but Santonio Holmes caught six passes for 93 yards. He’s been quietly racking up yards and has scored in two of his past three games. Holmes makes a great WR3/Flex play—especially if Ward misses any time.

 

New Orleans 26, Atlanta 23

I already talked about Pierre Thomas but I want to add Robert Meachem to the list of players who analysts caught on to too late.

I’ve been watching Meachem for a bit and I will admit I’ve been hesitant to start him—and with everyone finally jumping on the Meachem boat, I knew that it was the perfect time for him to have a less than average game.

Meachem is still part of a crowded corp of receivers, and I’d rather play someone like Pierre Garcon over him.

Just as I dropped Jason Snelling for Jerious Norwood , it looks like Snelling is the healthier of the two backups for Michael Turner. Still I think the sun has set on big games for both these guys.

 

Detroit 3, Baltimore 48

Kevin Smith left the game in the fourth quarter and he might miss the rest of the season—time to get Maurice Morris on your bench just in case.

While some people worry about the Ravens’ three-headed rushing offense, each of them had a piece of the high scoring action Sunday. Ray Rice racked up 166 rushing yards and one TD, Willis McGahee went for 76 rushing yards and two TDs, and Le’Ron McClain recorded 32 yards and one TD.

Even Heisman alumni Troy Smith joined in the fun and ran 15 yards for a TD. Man the Lions suck.

 

Green Bay 21, Chicago 14

You look at the score and hope that Aaron Rodgers threw three TDs. Well that didn’t happen. Ryan Grant punched it in for two TDs instead. In fact, Rodgers had a terrible day going 16/24 for 180 yards. That lack of production hurt Donald Driver and Greg Jennings .

 

Seattle 7, Houston 34

Like I mentioned before, with Slaton now done for the season it’s now a time share between Ryan Moats and Chris Brown. Brown has been getting more and more work and to make things worse, rookie Arian Foster actually got the most carries in the game.

Another situation that looks too messy to touch. At least you don’t have to worry about Andre Johnson . I’m sure his 193 yards and two TDs won a lot of fantasy games this week.

 

Denver 16, Indianapolis 28

Brandon Marshall caught a record 21 passes for 200 yards and two TDs. If you own him in a PPR league you pretty much won the lottery—or at least felt like you did. This is the kind of upside you hope for in Marshall and unlike Brady, he’s heating up at the right time—continue to start him without fear.

On the Colts side of the ball it’s amazing to think that Dallas Clark got overshadowed by Marshall even though he caught three TDs.

 

Miami 14, Jacksonville 10

Greg Camarillo made an appearance with seven catches for 110 yards. He was productive last season but this can be written off as a fluke. Same can be said about Torry Holt on the Jaguars side of the ball.

 

Buffalo 16, Kansas City 10

Buffalo ran all over Kansas City with both Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson looking good. Maybe Lynch isn’t fantasy dead after all. FYI, Dwayne Bowe should be coming off his suspension and makes a great pickup for your bench.

 

Cincinnati 10, Minnesota 30

Chad Ochocinco caught another TD but did not celebrate as he planned—he was stopped by coach Marvin Lewis.

Brett Favre has been quietly cooling off after his hot streak that brought him back into fantasy relevance. No problem for the Vikings however, they can count on Adrian Peterson: he ran for 97 yards and scored twice.

 

Carolina 10, New England 20

On last week’s podcast I said I didn’t think Steve Smith would be much of a problem and besides catch a long 41-yard TD pass he wasn’t. He still did good for his fantasy owners however.

Talking about Patriots on the decline, do we need to worry about Randy Moss ? He only caught one pass for 16 yards and dropped passes, and fumbled the ball as well. He hasn’t topped 100 yards since Week 10 and if the Patriots don’t get their swagger back, we may see more of the bad side of Moss.

 

New York Jets 26, Tampa Bay 3

Owning the Jets defense hasn’t been any sweeter. With Kellen Clemens throwing the ball the Jets stuck with the running game and Thomas Jones ran both Jets touchdowns in.

This could pose to be a problem for Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards if the team is nervous about Clemens throwing the ball. On the other side this could also mean lots of opportunities for Jones.

 

St. Louis 7, Tennessee 47

After the comeback of Vince Young, he left the game early with a knee injury. Kerry Collins didn’t look too bad but then again this is the Rams.

The Rams started rookie Keith Null and it was a great game…for the Tennessee defense. Null threw five interceptions.

 

Washington 34, Oakland 13

Bruce Gradkowski left this game with a leg injury and Ja-awful returns to lose another game. Darren McFadden said “hi” to his fantasy owners by catching three passes for 84 yards. Like JaMarcus, you can continue ignoring him.

Redskins 4th stringer Quinton Ganther carried the ball 14 times for 50 yards and two TDs—I think he’s installed himself as the Redskins RB you want the rest of the way.

 

San Diego 20, Dallas 17

Vincent Jackson has awaken to post a very respectable game: seven catches for 120 yards.

Do you believe in December curses? Tony Romo continues to be fantasy productive but his team continues it’s December slide.

 

Philadelphia 45, New York Giants 38

Talk about curses, Eli Manning has never been a good second half player but in this shootout he looked good throwing 391 yards and three TDs. Hackeem Nicks led the Giants receivers with four catches for 110 yards and a TD, but Mario Manningham had lots of chances to also put up a good game, but really needs to learn to stay in bounds.

Michael Vick is getting more and more work but remains fantasy irrelevant. However that means that he’s going to continue to eat into Donovan McNabb ‘s time as the team continues to use more wildcat and direct snap formations.

DeSean Jackson : six catches for 178 yards and a TD (plus a return TD) and the coolest chest bump I’ve ever seen .

 

Monday Night: Arizona at San Francisco

If you own Kurt Warner you’re going to start him against the 27th ranked pass defense. If you own Alex Smith you could start him too—Arizona has the 29th ranked pass defense and I can see him throwing for 250 yards and two TDs.

The 49ers have the fifth ranked run defense so this could be a tougher matchup for Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. Frank Gore is one of the players you start no matter what along with Larry Fitzgerald , Anquan Boldin , and I will even say Vernon Davis.

(Originally posted on 4SportBoston.com )

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