By Dalton Del Don
Thursday night games have been poorly played and often sluggish in the past, so it was nice to see such an exciting finish to the Falcons/Ravens contest, which featured 27 fourth quarter points. The non-PI call was egregious, but that was quite an impressive game-winning drive by Matt Ryanâ¦Over the last four games, Joe Flacco has completed 66.9 percent of his passes while getting 8.0 YPA and posting a 10:1 TD:INT ratio. Few quarterbacks are playing at a higher level right nowâ¦How does Atlanta not go for two up 19-7 with 10 minutes left? It nearly cost them the gameâ¦Words canât explain how bad Matt Millen and Joe Theismann were during the NFL Networkâs telecast.
With Joseph Addai and Mike Hart both out, Indyâs backfield was Donald Brownâs for the taking in a favorable matchup at home against the Bengals in Week 10. That resulted in just 50 yards and him ceding goal-line carries once again to Javarris James. If Brown isnât worth using in fantasy leagues in a plus matchup and as the starter, when will he ever be? Constantly battling injuries and poor in short-yardage situations, Brown has averaged a paltry 3.5 YPC during his career. Bill Polian canât hit a home run with every draft pickâ¦The Bengals havenât won since they beat the Panthers in Week 3. Hard to believe this team had a home playoff game last seasonâ¦Indyâs âhandsâ team remains pathetic.
Santonio Holmes had the game-winning 37-yard touchdown catch with just 16 seconds left in overtime last week, and heâs totaled 190 receiving yards over the past two weeks. Itâs worth noting 95 of those yards came in overtime, but Holmes is finally getting starterâs snaps, and Jerricho Cotcheryâs groin injury should lead to even more targets for Holmes. Heâs arguably the Jetsâ best receiver and should benefit from Mark Sanchezâs further development. Sanchez has thrown six interceptions over the past four games after not committing a single turnover during the first five games this season, but he made some spectacular plays last week and has gotten 7.7 YPA over the past two contests. New Yorkâs passing attack will only get betterâ¦The Jets became the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back road games in overtime. They have won eight straight away from homeâ¦With 48 seconds left in regulation at the three yard line, not sure why Cleveland called a timeout (followed by a pass attempt), but New York then sitting on the ball (getting it at the 30 yard line after the kickoff) and conceding overtime was equally as perplexing.
The title of this news story really says it all.
One year after posting a 33:7 TD:INT ratio, Brett Favre has thrown 10 touchdowns while committing 21 turnovers in 2010…Jay Cutler has thrown five touchdowns over the past two weeks, and heâs been sacked just twice over that span, but he hasnât reached 7.5 YPA in a game since Week 3 (he got 9.6 YPA over the first three games this year)â¦Matt Forte has gotten 3.5 YPC or fewer in seven of nine contests this season, and heâs topped 70 yards rushing just once in 2010. The offensive line has been a big reason why, but Forte is going to go down as a major fantasy disappointment for the second straight year.
Sundayâs win was Miamiâs first at home this seasonâ¦Tyler Thigpen has impressed when given the chance before (albeit coming mostly out of the Pistol formation. Heâll be asked to play under center for the Dolphins), and at this point, any change has to be welcomed by owners of Brandon Marshall, who hasnât topped 65 yards in any of his past four games and is still stuck on one touchdown catch this yearâ¦Fantasy owners still counting on Randy Moss being a contributor are going to be left sorely disappointedâ¦After failing to gain one yard per rushing attempt against the Titans, Ronnie Brown is down to 3.9 YPC this season, and heâs yet to top 80 yards rushing in a game. Normally health is Brownâs biggest issue, but performance has been the problem in 2010, as heâs on pace to finish with just 789 rushing yards. He remains locked in a timeshare, and itâs surprising to see the 33-year-old Ricky Williams outplay him.
During his last four full games (he was knocked out of Week 6 with a concussion), David Garrard has posted an 11:2 TD:INT ratio and gotten a whopping 10.0 YPA. Yet somehow, there isnât a Jaguars receiver with much fantasy valueâ¦Houston is currently giving up 8.5 YPA, making them a dream matchup for opposing quarterbacks.
Fred Jackson totaled 170 yards with two touchdowns last week, and while it was the first time he reached 75 rushing yards in a game this season, he should continue to dominate Buffaloâs workload with C.J. Spiller already ruled out for Week 11 with a hamstring injury. Jackson is hardly a special talent (his six dropped passes are the most among all running backs), but the Billsâ offense has improved since Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken over QB duties, and heâs one of the few true workhorses in the NFL these daysâ¦Iâve been a Jahvid Best apologist all year, but itâs hard to defend him getting just 35 yards on 17 carries against a Bills defense that entered allowing the third most YPC (4.8) in football. After scoring five touchdowns over the first two games of his NFL career, Best hasnât reached the end zone since, and he hasnât gained 80 yards rushing even once during his rookie campaign. The ugly 3.1 YPC mark is a product of the poor Detroit run blocking as well as Bestâs troublesome turf toe injuries, and neither problem is likely to be fixed until the offseason. Still, itâs worth noting that Kevin Smith is out after undergoing thumb surgery, and each of Detroitâs next four games will be played on turf, which highlights Bestâs speed. Most owners will likely keep him on their benches, but because of his activity in the passing game, Best is still on pace to finish the season with 1,316 yards and nine TDs. He remains plenty useful in PPR formatsâ¦The Lions have the worst record in the history of the NFL for a team that has outscored its opponents.
The best mugshot of all-time.
Josh Freeman has gotten 10.0 YPA over the past three games, also tossing five touchdowns over that span. Heâs averaged a modest 30 pass attempts per game this season, which limits his fantasy value, but Freeman has chipped in nearly 25 rushing yards per game as well. Mike Williams continues to develop into one of the more dangerous receivers in the league, and Tampa Bay now has a running back in LeGarrette Blount that defenses must pay attention to. During Weeks 13-16, the Bucsâ schedule is highly favorable (Atl, @Was, Det, Sea), so Freeman could be quite useful down the stretchâ¦With DeAngelo Williams surprisingly landing on IR, and Jonathan Stewart continuing to miss practice after suffering a concussion (remember, it was so bad he was carted off the field), Mike Goodsonâs fantasy value might not be short-lived after all.
Just as I didnât expect the Broncos to get blown out 59-14 in Week 7, I didnât see them destroying the Chiefs 49-29 during their next home game either. After being outscored 40-7 during the first quarter over the teamâs previous eight games, Josh McDaniels decided to script Denverâs first 18 plays Sunday, and Kansas City was down 35-0 before they knew what hit them. And what was up with Todd Haleyâs finger wag at McDaniels afterward?…After Week 5, I said this about Dwayne Bowe: âItâs nice that he seems to finally have coach Todd Haleyâs confidence, but maybe Bowe just isnât any good. Forget stardom, itâs now worth questioning if heâs even a league average wide receiver.â Since then, heâs racked up 454 receiving yards with eight touchdowns over five games, putting me in my place. He benefited from being down big early last week (his 18 targets led the league), and his schedule couldnât have been easier over that stretch, but itâs hard to argue with that kind of production, even if itâs past due. Itâs nice to see Bowe finally living up to expectations.
After watching Manny Pacquiao absolutely dominate Antonio Margarito on Saturday night despite giving up 17 pounds, I want to see him fight Floyd Mayweather more than ever. With the latterâs legal issues piling up, itâs becoming increasingly less likely to happen, which might be the final nail in a dying sportâs coffin.
During his two starts this year, Troy Smith has gotten 11.7 YPA with two touchdowns and zero turnovers, both resulting in wins. Most of Smithâs damage has come outside the pocket, and his willingness to go downfield is a welcome sight in San Francisco. His numbers Sunday could have been bigger, as three TD passes were called back by penalties (and Josh Morgan was tackled at the one yard line). The former Heisman winner is sure to undergo some growing pains, and his fantasy value is limited playing for a run-first team, but he has some nice weapons to work with in Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. The Alex Smith era in San Francisco is officially overâ¦There were 11 quarterbacks selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, and of them, only Smith and Tyler Thigpen will be starting in Week 11â¦How badass is Joe Staley returning to play with a fractured left fibula?…Brandon Gibson is back on the fantasy radar in deep leaguesâ¦Itâs obviously still early, but Anthony Davis looks like a bust.
Hereâs what I wrote while previewing the Giants/Cowboys game: âStill, this is a dangerous game for New York, who could overlook a seemingly dead Dallas team they already beat handily just two weeks ago. With injuries to the offensive line and to Steve Smith, and both teams likely to deal with natural regression, it wouldnât surprise to see this division game closer than the huge point spread suggests.â I also made Dallas my âbest betâ of the week, thinking the firing of Wade Phillips may also have a positive effect. And like a total idiot, I somehow still picked the Giants in my survivor pool. I had a great day in my fantasy leagues and won some money in a teaser, yet losing survivor ruined my entire weekend. I was genuinely depressed. I need help. Probably from a professionalâ¦Dez Bryant has averaged 91.3 yards over the past three games and has scored six touchdowns over the last five contests. Bryantâs emergence is bad news for Miles Austinâs fantasy value, but Tony Romoâs should skyrocket next season with both weapons at his disposal. Bryant is a special talent, capable of dominating both in the red zone and as a downfield playmaker. Heâs going to enter next year as a top-10 wide receiver on most cheat sheets, and maybe even top-five.
Click âget directionsâ and type Japan to China. Then scroll to #43.
Mike Williams is averaging 11 catches and 116 yards with one touchdown over two games against the Cardinals this year. Heâs averaging 3.4 catches and 44.7 yards with no scores over seven games against everyone elseâ¦Marshawn Lynch managed just 29 rushing yards on 13 carries last week against the Cardinals, which is especially discouraging since the Seahawks played mostly with a comfortable lead. After getting 4.4 YPC on a bad Buffalo team, Lynch has averaged just 2.9 YPC since getting traded to Seattle. He has played on bad teams his whole career, but itâs clear Lynch wasnât close to worthy of being a top-12 draft pickâ¦Itâs pretty hard not to conclude that Carolina is the worst team in the NFL right now, but Arizona sure looks like the second worst to me.
What a performance by Tom Brady. Love to see that emotion too. New England is now 23-2 following a loss under Bill Belichick. Should be a helluva game this week against the Colts. Brady has a 24 game winning streak during the regular season at homeâ¦Looking at the schedule in Weeks 14-16, Pittsburgh is clearly the best fantasy defense to own, but after that, there really isnât another unit worth targeting. Itâs been a weird year with team defenses all season long, as none have stood out like in years past.
With the way he looked Monday night and considering the injury troubles with his competition, Keiland Williams could easily become a difference maker in fantasy leagues from here on outâ¦Itâs not a stretch to call Michael Vickâs performance Monday night one of the best ever. Considering the opponent (Washington is on pace to allow the second most yards in NFL history) and context (regular season game), it wonât top any lists, but this was memorable nevertheless. In fact, Vick became the first player ever to have 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, four passing TDs and two rushing TDs in a game, and he did it in less than three quarters! His decision-making and accuracy have caught up with his natural talent, which is scary. Vick hasnât committed a single turnover this season, and heâs surrounded by explosive teammates and in a terrific offensive system. His style of play makes him a bigger injury risk, but thatâs the only argument against him being a top-10 fantasy player right now. There certainly isnât another quarterback Iâd rather own.
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