The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Tom Brady was left needlessly into the third quarter of a blowout, but you have to respect the fact Bill Belichick played to win Sunday, especially since the team has an upcoming bye…After watching Brian Hoyer get 9.4 YPA with a 111.7 QB rating, I think it’s pretty clear the system has made Brady a star and not vice-versa. With Hoyer breathing down his neck, Brady better watch his back in 2011…Ronnie Brown did the unimaginable this season by staying totally healthy yet wildly unproductive.

Remarkably, the Lions were the best team in the NFL against the spread this year…After Brett Favre got 7.9 YPA and posted a 33:7 TD:INT last season, the Vikings enter 2011 with one of the shakiest QB situations in all of football…Calvin Johnson being active yet not seeing the field was the absolute worst-case scenario for fantasy owners still playing in Week 17. Why waste the roster spot if he’s not going to play a snap?…Jahvid Best will present one of the more interesting dilemmas at draft tables next year. After totaling 310 yards and five touchdowns over the first three games this season, he was essentially worthless in fantasy leagues from there on out, failing to top 65 yards rushing while scoring zero TDs on the ground over the final 13 games. The positives: two turf toe injuries can be blamed for it all, and it showed toughness he was able to even play at all. Thanks to so much activity as a receiver, Best still topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage during his rookie season despite the debilitating injuries and getting just 171 carries. If you believe the coaching staff, the toe ailments made a night-and-day difference with his explosion, and a healthy Best has a ton of upside on what could quickly turn into a highly productive offense. The negatives: That 3.2 YPC mark is hard to stomach, especially when you consider the number was actually lower before the turf toe problems popped up. And while he’ll enter 2011 with fresh feet, Best still needs to be viewed as a health risk, and it remains unlikely Detroit ever gives him 300 carries even if he remains injury-free. His 1.8 YPC after contact was the lowest in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-worst running back in football this season (with Tim Hightower being the worst).

The offhanded final sentence to this story killed me.

It’s been a while since a franchise’s future depended so much on a stay in school versus come out decision like Carolina is dealing with when it comes to Andrew Luck. The 49ers should hire Jim Harbaugh and offer the Panthers their entire draft to move up six spots…On a neutral field, I’d argue the No. 1 seeded Falcons would be underdogs against every NFC playoff team except the Seahawks (and the Giants would probably be a pick ‘em too). Of course, that doesn’t mean Atlanta shouldn’t be the favorite to come out of the NFC right now.

Talk about laying an egg, Kansas City, allowing Oakland to become the first team in NFL history to go undefeated in their division yet not make the playoffs. I would not have fired Tom Cable…Speaking of possible firings, if Jamaal Charles doesn’t get 80 percent of the carries against the Ravens, Todd Haley deserves to get canned immediately afterward…In 2008, Michael Bush ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Week 17, and he just totaled 171 yards with a TD run Sunday. The man cannot be stopped during the final week of the season (except in 2009, but that ruins my narrative).

This invention is pretty cool, although I certainly hope it’s not relegated to terrible beers.

I’d be shocked if there was ever a more productive season by a wide receiver who recorded just 60 catches than Mike Wallace in 2010. And remember, he was held to 25 yards or fewer in two of the games before Ben Roethlisberger returned from his suspension. During just his third year in the league, Wallace will unquestionably enter 2011 as a top-10 fantasy wideout…Peyton Hillis will be one of the tougher guys to rank among running backs for next year’s cheatsheets.

There might not be anyone who cares less about who belongs (and who doesn’t) in the baseball Hall of Fame than me.

I guess that whole Brian Brohm versus Chad Henne debate looks moot right about now…Those who stashed Joe McKnight all season were rewarded handsomely Sunday. Seriously, this year proved once and for all fantasy leagues need to end before Week 17…I never like to write anyone totally off, but C.J. Spiller’s rookie season was highly discouraging. Of course, that also makes him a nice buy-low target moving forward, and a Fred Jackson injury could make him quite valuable.

A truly remarkable story that is a must-read.

There are some pretty impressive counterparts, but I’d argue Josh Freeman, Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount are absolutely in the conversation among the best triplets in football moving forward…I hate to play the what if game, but Tampa Bay’s Week 15 loss at home to the Lions stings even more after what happened Sunday. Especially when you consider this…For those of you playing in a fantasy league in the playoffs (and really, why wouldn’t you? Six people works perfectly), Julius Jones makes for an interesting late round flier. We really have no clue as to Pierre Thomas’ availability, and Chris Ivory was just placed on IR.

I’m curious if Slippery Pete was in anyway involved.

I turned down a trade last week involving Jerome Simpson in a dynasty league. I very well may live to regret it…Over his past 844 rushing attempts, Cedric Benson has scored just 15 touchdowns…Despite facing a team that was undefeated at home this season until Week 17, Baltimore is three-point favorites in Kansas City, which is pretty interesting. The “sharps” will hammer the Chiefs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right. Should be a good game either way…Billy Cundiff is the man…I’ve killed this issue enough this season, but I can’t stop until the madness does. At the end of Sunday’s game, the Bengals spiked the ball on 2nd-and-1 from Baltimore’s two-yard line with 22 seconds left down six points. Their next play took a whole three seconds, so they were then left with a fourth down with 19 seconds left. Another incompletion followed, so they turned it over on downs with 10 seconds still remaining. Andy Reid thinks this was horrible clock management.

These commercials are legit.

Make no mistake this Bears defense is the real deal and absolutely championship worthy. We’ll see if the offensive line and offense are also up to the task…Eagles v. Packers is easily the game of the Wild Card weekend, and Philly better be prepared for a ton of blitzes…Despite topping 40 yards just once (when he got 82) over the first five games this season, Greg Jennings finished with 1,265 receiving yards – the fourth most in the NFL. Most will disagree, but I can see taking Jennings over Roddy White in non-PPR leagues in 2011.

If by “obnoxious” they meant hilarious, then I agree.

Mario Manningham’s 92-yard TD catch was the longest reception of the season…Osi Umenyiora set an NFL-record by forcing a whopping 10 fumbles this year…I love Hakeem Nicks and no receiver has as much upside as him entering 2011 (expect maybe Calvin Johnson), but he simply must be considered an injury risk at this point. There’s no way around it…Pro Football Focus gave Ahmad Bradshaw a grade of 10.6 in blocking. To put that into perspective, the next best RB was Fred Jackson at 4.6 (which is pretty surprising since Jackson finished dead last in the category last year at -6.7), so that’s an extreme lead. Bradshaw deserves a big payday, so we’ll see if the Giants reward the free agent…Ryan Torain averaged 3.4 YPC after contact this season, which tied for fourth-best in the NFL. He remains a huge injury risk, but if he somehow stayed healthy and was given the role as Washington’s true workhorse next year, big things could follow.

Fascinating results that should further the movement to basically question everything. I’m sure there’s some connection with sports and sample sizes here too.

While not exactly surprising, where was that performance in Week 16 Rashad Jennings?…I believe in the talent and love the setup with Gary Kubiak returning, but it’s kind of weird how those who finish with the best numbers the previous year are then reflexively ranked No. 1 the following campaign on most cheatsheets. I love Arian Foster, but should he be the no-brainer No. 1 pick in 2011? I’m personally on the fence…If you prorate Owen Daniels’ last four games over a full season, you get 88 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. I’m under no illusions he’ll come cheap at draft tables next year, but he’s probably worth reaching for. A healthy Daniels has about as much upside as any tight end in the league.

This is pretty crazy. I’m rooting for this guy. (h/t Jonah Keri)

Kevin Kolb played without all of his team’s best offensive weapons Sunday, but he was at home and remained in a terrific system, so it’s worth noting the awful stats (50.0 completion percentage, 4.5 YPA, one touchdown, four turnovers) against a Dallas defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2010…Felix Jones has become the Cowboys’ featured runner, and he’s fully capable of rebounding in the YPC department next season, but once Marion Barber leaves, Tashard Choice may become the better back to target in 2011 fantasy leagues. Jones has just two touchdowns this year over 233 touches. And Choice will obviously come way cheaper.

I could understand family members being a bit upset over this.

It speaks volumes about Donald Brown ceding so many carries to Dominic Rhodes. Although that may not continue after the latter’s egregious fumble late in Sunday’s game. Only that was countered by an even worse one during a snap by Kerry Collins, turning a sure win into a loss. Crazy turn of events involving two lost fumbles in the final 90 seconds…Kenny Britt won’t be a secret, and he’s definitely an injury risk, but he’s also capable of finishing 2011 as a top-five fantasy wide receiver. If Arizona doesn’t do something drastic to address its quarterback position, I’d prefer Britt over Larry Fitzgerald next year…I get his owners’ frustrations this season, but there’s no way Chris Johnson lasts past the fifth pick of next year’s drafts, right?…I try not to be hyperbolic, but I really can’t remember an athlete running out of gas like this ever. And it’s not like he’s some lineman or something. It’s almost as if Antoine Bethea didn’t care I had the Colts in a teaser with the 49ers!

This guy is no joke. And bear in mind, death can result.

I can’t think of a crueler thing for Ryan Mathews to do to his owners this year than having such a terrific Week 17. Seriously, how frustrating. It also likely raises his price tag for prospective owners next year. Clearly, the guy can play…I try to keep an open mind with all things NFL, but I must admit, Brandon Lloyd leading the league in receiving yards is pretty mind-blowing…Although they still won, it was only fitting to see San Diego’s special teams allow Denver to recover the onside kick at the end of Sunday’s game. And with Tim Tebow’s magic, I’m actually surprised neither of his two Hail Mary attempts landed in the arms of a Bronco. While it seems like most of his passing stats come on simple screens, and his accuracy remains an issue, Tebow will be a viable fantasy option moving forward because of his running ability…San Diego became the first team in NFL history to finish top-three in offense and defense and not make the playoffs. And this is underrated, but they actually ended up ranked first in both categories (getting 395.6 ypg on offense and allowing 271.6 ypg on defense)! And I’m pretty sure having an easy schedule makes that feat actually worse, not better. I certainly can’t think of someone ever more deserving to be fired than Norv Turner as a result. Not only did they have the best offense and defense in the NFL (basing this on yards per game isn’t perfect admittedly, but still), they also had the second most sacks in the league, yet were eliminated from playoff contention even before Week 17. If Turner isn’t fired (which seems unlikely), I’d love to see the scenario that finally prompts such an act in the future.

Believe me, I know no one cares, but I can’t help myself – I went 35-13 against the spread over the final three weeks of the season.

That Larry Fitzgerald was able to gain more receiving yards this season compared to last was pretty remarkable. He’s a special player relying on horrible options at a QB position he’s completely dependent upon…Let me repeat, I’m not an Alex Smith apologist and fully believe the 49ers need to address their quarterback situation, but I’d also argue he’s not quite as awful as his public perception suggests. For one, his 82.1 QB rating was the best among all NFC West signal callers, making it hard to blame the disappointment of San Francisco not making the playoffs on him. In fact, Smith had a 9:0 TD:INT ratio inside the 20 this season, recording the best red-zone QB rating in the NFL! Digging deeper, Smith got 8.2 YPA with 11 TDs over five home games this year, despite facing three playoff teams over that span. That’s a season’s pace of 4,195 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Unfortunately, half the games must be played on the road, but I’d love to see an NFL team implement a strict platoon, treating Smith as a lefty batter who struggles mightily against southpaws.

I think we can all agree the mother and 3-year-old showed up to the agreed upon location.

Sam Bradford was impressive this year, and Rams fans should be encouraged, but even as someone who went on record saying St. Louis should take the QB over Ndamukong Suh, Bradford’s rookie season seems to be a bit overblown. He dealt with a below average receiving corps, but he also got an anemic 6.0 YPA while accounting for nearly as many touchdowns (19) as turnovers (17) despite a ridiculously easy schedule…The brother-in-law of a close friend recently became the sous chef of a high-end restaurant in my town, so I didn’t get around to watching the Seattle/St. Louis battle until later Sunday night on DVR after eating a beautiful 40-day aged New York steak. And I nearly lost such a great piece of meat due to vomiting watching such an ugly affair, although it perfectly represented an abysmal NFC West.

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