The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

At home this season, David Garrard has posted a 12:5 TD:INT ratio, but when on the road, he’s recorded just a 1:2 TD:INT ratio. There wasn’t a big discrepancy entering 2009, so it’s likely an anomaly (albeit a season long one), but it’s worth noting nevertheless. Mike Sims-Walker’s stats have been directly affected by Garrard’s splits as a result…Dallas Clark’s five touchdowns over a five-day span probably led to a bunch of his fantasy owners still being alive come Week 16…Reggie Wayne ended his mini slump in a big way Thursday, but he’s worth considering benching in fantasy leagues this week. There’s a chance he’s rested some come Sunday, but even more worrisome, Darrelle Revis is likely to shadow him all game. It’s a big concern for Wayne’s fantasy owners.

What a performance by the Cowboys. This is still a vulnerable squad, especially outdoors, but Dallas is also capable of beating any team in football when they play their “A” game. Hard to believe DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field just six days earlier…What’s up with the horrible kicking this season?…The Wade Phillips blank stare from the sidelines is easily one of my five favorite things of the 2009 NFL year. Sometimes I rewind them on DVR multiple times. It never gets old. It looks like he’s trying to do long division in his head or something…The Saints have actually been outscored over the past three weeks…Over his last four games, Tony Romo has gotten 8.5 YPA with an 8:0 TD:INT ratio, recording a 111.9 QB rating over that span. Not this season of course, but in many others he’d be a legit MVP candidate.

Over the Browns’ three wins in 2009, their quarterbacks have combined for 18-for-53 (33.9%) for 179 yards (3.4 YPA) and a 0:3 TD:INT ratio. Josh “take it to the” Cribbs is pretty ridiculous. He deserves a huge payday this offseason. Best kick returner of all-time?…For those who gambled and started Dwayne Bowe during his first game back from suspension, the end result was disappointing, but the decision wasn’t necessarily misguided considering he received a team-high 10 targets and immediately went back to being KC’s No. 1 option in the passing game. Still, rust played a factor, as he dropped three passes (then again, he does that even without time off), one of which was a sure touchdown…The back-and-forth between who to use between Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison has to go down as one of the most frustrating aspects of the year, at least during crunch time. Harrison’s performance Sunday was one for the ages, and he was highly unlikely to be in any fantasy lineups. It may have come against a bad Chiefs’ run defense, but Harrison has always impressed (other than in pass protection) when given the opportunity. What a joke that Cleveland wasted so many carries on Jamal Lewis earlier this year. There’s no guarantee what Eric Mangini will do, but if I own Harrison, there’s no way I’m not playing him at home against Oakland in Week 16…Did you see the final play of the game Sunday? At the 26-yard line, Matt Cassel dropped back and waited about 5-10 seconds and threw basically what amounted to a hail mary that ended up hitting the field goal post. Did he think he was at the 50-yard line? Truly bizarre (and pathetic). I hope he watched Ben Roethlisberger during Pittsburgh’s final play later that day…If Kansas City doesn’t bring in any competition and Jamaal Charles stays durable over the final two games, how high does he go in fantasy drafts in 2010? Second round? Higher? His late season schedule has been favorable, but remember, he’s doing all his damage running behind an already bad offensive line that was missing its left guard and right tackle last week.

I’m all for players gutting it out and playing hurt, but Michael Turner needs to learn when it’s too soon to return to action, if only to save fantasy owners from headaches. He could be a steal if he falls to the end of the first round in drafts next year because of his injury-riddled second half this season…The Jets are a quarterback away from being one of the best teams in the NFL. Of course, that’s the most important position on the field. Hopefully Mark Sanchez takes a big leap next year…Darrelle Revis is unbelievable (no clue why he wasn’t guarding Roddy White in man coverage when the Falcons had 3rd-and-9 with 2:15 left in the fourth quarter), and it’s almost to the point where fantasy owners need to bench clear No. 1 WRs when facing him, no matter the name. In eight games against Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Roddy White this season, Revis has held them to 35 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown combined. There isn’t a more valuable defensive player in football.

The Dolphins’ defense has allowed 8.1 YPA this year (third highest) and have given up 15 scores on the ground (bottom-10). On offense, their 20 rushing scores lead the league, but the passing attack has averaged just 203.6 yards per game with a 12:15 TD:INT ratio, so on paper this team hardly looks like a playoff contender. In reality, they seem to always find a way to be in the game on Sundays, as they are clearly better than the numbers suggest…What a catch by Brian Hartline. One of the better plays of the 2009 season…If it wasn’t abundantly clear already, it is now: Chris Johnson is the No. 1 pick in fantasy leagues in 2010. Hands down…I’m a Jeff Fisher fan, but there’s no excuse for what he did Sunday. With Miami pinned at their own 2-yard line with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter, he decided not to use any of his three timeouts, opting for overtime instead of potentially forcing the Dolphins to punt deep out of their own end zone.

Tom Brady has a 4:6 TD:INT ratio over the past four games, although with a 7.5 YPA mark and just one sack over that span, he hasn’t been truly awful. Look for a strong finish to the season, with a home game against the Jaguars this week followed by a trip to Houston afterward…The Bills rely on their ground game and secondary to win games, but with Brian Brohm taking over QB duties, the team could be in big trouble Sunday. The Falcons defense suddenly becomes a viable fantasy option in Week 16.

Maurice Morris sure made Kevin Smith look bad Sunday, as his 64-yard TD was easily the longest run by a Lions’ back this season. In fact, Kevin Smith only had one rush for more than 20 yards all year, his long of 31 yards. Morris did so during a game when two Detroit offensive lineman were benched. The Lions really need to address the RB position during the offseason…With constant double teams and bad quarterback play, Calvin Johnson really has odds stacked against him, not to mention he’s playing on a banged up knee as well. He’s been a massive fantasy disappointment this year, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a bargain in 2010…Beanie Wells remains an injury-risk and still needs to improve in pass protection, as a receiver and with ball security, but man is he a terrific running back with the ball in his hands. He’s a top-10 start in Week 16, and I might be willing to spend a second round pick on him in 2010. If he’s available later, all the better.

Steven Jackson has already played in more games this year than either of the past two campaigns, showing real toughness fighting through a painful back injury in a lost Rams’ season. The four touchdowns have been a real disappointment, but he’s also on pace to finish with 1,914 total yards playing for a St. Louis team that has averaged an NFL-low 11.4 points per game. He’ll once again be worth a mid-first round pick in fantasy leagues next year…Ultimately, those who started Arian Foster last week were burned, but if not for a fumble on the opening drive, he likely would have had a nice game. What’s with Texans’ backs and fumbling this season?

I’m not sure what was my favorite moment of the Raiders/Broncos game Sunday, Gus Johnson comparing JaMarcus Russell to Johnny Unitas, or Greg Papa’s touchdown call…If there’s one thing Oakland does well, it’s kick. Shane Lechler continues to be the best punter in the league averaging a whopping 51.5 yards per punt (the highest in NFL history, and yes, he also leads the NFL with a 44.2 net), while Sebastian Janikowski leads the NFL with five FG makes from 50-plus yards, and his only three misses all season are from 45, 57 and 66 yards out (he also ranks in the top-10 in touchbacks)…Why did it take Justin Fargas tweaking his knee for Michael Bush to get carries? Like Jerome Harrison, Justin Forsett and Jamaal Charles, it’s simply maddening how coaches refuse to give carries to superior backups, electing to give them to inferior veterans instead. Infuriating really. I hope they all get fired…While Mike Lombardi, Bill Simmons and Josh McDaniels would argue the opposite, it appears Knowshon Moreno (like most running backs) wasn’t worth a top-15 pick in the draft. He’s struggled in short-yardage situations and has yet to have one rush of 40-plus yards all year. In fact, he has just two carries that have gone for more than 20 yards over 224 rushes this year, and the Broncos’ offensive line is good. Journeyman Correll Buckhalter has averaged 5.3 YPC compared to Moreno’s 3.9 on the year. Why would any team spend an early pick on a running back unless he’s a true (and rare) game changer? Moreno can still be a plenty valuable fantasy back, but Denver made a mistake taking him so early as well as giving up a first round pick in 2010 to draft the disappointing Alphonso Smith in the second round last year.

Nice to see Carson Palmer still has a pulse, as Sunday’s game was his first 300-yard effort of the season and also his first multiple TD game since Week 7…For owners who survived Cedric Benson’s dud last week, they should be rewarded big time in Week 16 with a home game against a Chiefs’ front seven that has allowed an NFL-high 4.8 YPC and 16 rushing scores on the year…With 58 yards through the air Sunday, LaDainian Tomlinson nearly doubled his receiving output on the season. Fantasy owners would be wise to concentrate more on his 3.3 YPC average than his 10 touchdowns at next year’s draft table.

Over seven games on the road this year, Jay Cutler has thrown 20 interceptions. No other quarterback in the NFL has more than 20 interceptions in the 2009 season…Don’t tell Ray Rice owners there isn’t such a thing as too good of a matchup. He’s totaled 323 yards (and 8.7 YPC) over the past two games, but thanks to lopsided scores (they’ve won 79-10 over that span), he’s played essentially just five quarters, so it could have been so much more.

Despite playing for an offense that has averaged the second-most points in the league this year (28.5), there simply isn’t a running back on the Eagles worth using in fantasy leagues. That’s even more true if Brian Westbrook (concussion) returns in Week 16…Conversely, Alex Smith, Michael Crabtree and the 49ers’ defense are all worth using at home against the Lions this week…I’m beginning to think you might want to devote some attention to DeSean Jackson in the secondary. How did 49 players get drafted before him in 2008?

Jermichael Finley should enter next year as a top-five tight end, while Aaron Rodgers is likely to be gone by the end of the second round. I still don’t know what to make of Ryan Grant…Ben Roethlisberger has completed 67.7 percent of his passes with an 8.6 YPA mark (third-highest in NFL) this year, also throwing 22 touchdowns over 13 games. The Steelers have been hugely disappointing in 2009, but it certainly hasn’t been his fault. What a terrific pass on the final play of the game Sunday.

Matt Hasselbeck has posted a 5:8 TD:INT ratio over the past six games, and the QB position has become a real concern in Seattle. Where has that been all season John Carlson?…Thinking back on his early ADP, it’s pretty crazy that last week Derrick Ward’s 67 yards rushing were his season-high. He also hasn’t had a rushing touchdown since Week 1. I guess that’s what happens when in a timeshare on a bad team.

If DeAngelo Williams owners weren’t already burned this year, they are now after Sunday’s early exit. And if that wasn’t already frustrating enough, it couldn’t have helped watching Jonathan Stewart score two touchdowns and become the first RB to run for 100 yards against the Vikings in 37 games in Williams’ place….Brett Favre has five touchdown passes over four outdoor games this year. He has 22 scores through the air over 10 games indoors. And am I supposed to be surprised he has more control than Brad Childress?…Steve Smith was awesome Sunday night, but I was most impressed by his postgame interview when he established the “rules and regulations.”

Over the last four games, Fred Davis has 17 catches for 211 yards and five touchdowns, so while he’s still a major work in progress as a blocker, it should be interesting to see how he coexists with Chris Cooley next season…It’s so easy to criticize after the fact, but that fake field goal was pretty humorous. Might want to block the oncoming defensive linemen…Over the past three games, Eli Manning has gotten 10.1 YPA with an 8:1 TD:INT ratio – all against division rivals with strong secondaries, so he’s currently playing some of the best football of his career. If you go back further, Manning has posted a 13:3 TD:INT ratio over the past six games. His current 8.1 YPA mark is by far a career-high (previous best was 6.8), and his 26 touchdown passes are already more than he’s ever had in a season with two games left on the schedule. Who knows what his final numbers would have looked like had a foot injury not affected his play in the middle of the year. With three young wide receivers fast developing into potential stars, Manning’s fantasy outlook has never looked better.


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5 responses to “The Scoop”

  1. The Jewru Avatar
    The Jewru

    The Jets are #1 in rushing offense, #1 in scoring defense, #1 in yardage defense and yet are 7-7. Any other franchise boasts those marks they are 11-3 and playing for the bye.. God it sucks being a Jets fan. Revis is unbelievable. Wayne will be overmatched just like the others.

    How about that fake field goal call by Zorn? Wow that was sad.

  2. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    If the Jets had Romo or Rivers, I’d easily pick them to win the Super Bowl (overwhelmingly).

    I mentioned that Zorn fake FG – unreal. But then again, what does he have to lose? Kind of funny in a way.

  3. Pernell Avatar
    Pernell

    First of all, I loved how Steve Smith established the “rules and regulations” for the youngster “22”. He showed him who “89” was and now he’s going home.

    But I need your help in deciding which 2 RB I should start for Week 16 which is the championship game. Here are my RBs:
    Beanie Wells vs. STL
    Jerome Harrison vs. OAK
    Jason Snelling vs. BUF
    Pierre Thomas vs. TB
    Michael Bush vs. CLE
    Jamaal Charles vs. CIN

    Thanks.

  4. Dreamwepaon Avatar
    Dreamwepaon

    Harrison’s outburst was cute and all, but I wouldn’t start him over Charles at this point, especially in a title game. I also suspect basically anyone posting on this board could run for at least 80 yards on the Lambs.

  5. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Pernell – Not an easy call with your backs. I’d probably go with Wells and Charles. Seems like Dreamweapon agrees too. Harrison is VERY tempting, however, and it’s not like P. Thomas is a bad start either. Bush has a bunch of upside too.

    But I like Charles and Wells as the safest starts, and their matchups aren’t bad either.

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