Tuesday Morning QB, Week 17

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

 The Grand Finale

This is it folks, my mad experiment with a weekly football post has come to an end!  The Full Court Press will return to the variety pack of subjects you all know and love (or at least know).  It's been fun writing regularly on a subject I'm passionate about, but a it's been a beating as well in trying to keep up with my self-imposed Tuesday morning deadline.  This week's edition of the Tuesday Morning QB will be a preview of the post-season, as I gaze into my crystal ball to predict the outcome of the playoffs, let's take a look:

Wild Card

Panthers vs. Cardinals: Before Carson Palmer went down (and even Drew Stanton, to an extent) this was the best team in football.  The Panthers, on the other hand, were the least-weakest team in the weakest division in football.  Expect an ugly game with a low score as Arizona's defense should be good enough to keep Carolina from kicking the most field goals of the two teams.

Steelers vs. Ravens: Saturday's night cap will be almost as ugly in a rubber match between division foes.  The Steelers are playing better ball late in the year, and I'm a Steelers fan, so I'm calling for Pittsburgh to stay alive for at least one more week.

Bengals vs. Colts:  I'm honestly shocked the Bengals managed to squeak into the playoffs.  Indianapolis has disappointed at times throughout the year, but they have a much stronger resume.  The Colts blanked the Bengals when these teams met in week 7, and while I wouldn't expect another shut-out, I also wouldn't expect Cincinnati to have learned their lesson.

Cowboys vs. Lions: While I wouldn't expect Dallas to step-up in the playoffs, I also didn't expect them to have a perfect December, or an 8-game winning streak en route to a plus-.500 season.  Since Ndamukong Suh won't be around to step on Tony Romo's back, expect the 'Boys to cruise to the next round.

Divisional Round (hypothetical match-ups)

Steelers vs. Bronocs: On paper, this is a game the Broncos should win handily.  But momentum is everything in the playoffs, and in this case, the advantage goes to Pittsburgh.  Look for an upset in Denver.

Patriots vs. Colts: One week after duplicating a win in one regular season match-up, the Colts will turn around and repeat a loss in another.  The Patriots have been playing far too well to lose to an inconsistent dome team at home.

Packers vs. Cowboys: The Cowboys revival season stops in Lambeau.  There's simply no way this team is strong enough to beat Aaron Rodgers at home in January.

Seahawks vs. Cardinals: They say it's hard to beat the same team 3 times in one season.  True as that may be, it's a heck of a lot easier to do that when said team has more QB's on IR than the active roster.  The 'Hawks will get to defend their NCF crown at home.

Conference Championships (even more hypothetical match-ups)

Patriots vs. Steelers: This hurts, as I love my Steelers, but absolutely hate the Pats.  However, Pittsburgh is 0 for their last 2 in AFC Championship showdowns with New England.  As much as I'd love for that streak to end, it ain't happening.

Seahawks vs. Packers: This game will prove just how meaningless the regular season opener is, a game that was dominated by the Seahwaks this season.  I know the Seahawks are playing like defending Super Bowl champions, but Aaron Rodgers has been playing like an MVP since that Thursday night game that seems like forever ago.  The Packers will punch a ticket to Arizona.

Super Bowl (it's probably OK to stop reading at this point, or at least stop taking this seriously)

Patriots vs. Packers: In yet another regular season re-match, look for a memorable showdown between two elite quarterbacks in Rodgers and Tom Brady.  The Packers won narrowly in a game in which they had home-field advantage, but I don't think the neutral field will hurt them this time around.  While speculation of a New England demise after a week 4 blowout to the Chiefs might have been a little overblown and premature, I think there was an ounce of truth in there that the Pats aren't as potent as they once were.  Aaron Rodgers cements his place as the best QB in football, and Brady hopefully joins Peyton Manning in the "can't win the big one" dog house (come on, 0 for his last 3 in a "what have you done for me lately league?").

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 16

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Don't be sacked by shingles!

I wish that were a joke, but instead, it's a line from the PSA below:

Yep, that's something that actually airs on TV.  The YouTube video is dated from September, but I saw it for the first time during this past Sunday Night Football, not once, but twice!

As a Steelers fan, I always get a kick out of Terry Bradshaw appearances playing up to his quirky charm.  But this straight-up weirded me out.  I know shingles is a serious thing.  I've talked to people who've had shingles, and they don't wish it on their worst enemy.  That said, Terry Bradshaw describing his red blisters made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.  If you want me to take the threat of shingles seriously, you're going to have to do better than "If you had chicken pox... mm hmm... we all remember chicken pox... well that shingles virus is already inside of you... and it ain't pretty when it comes out!"

To be fair, at least Terry is being honest with me about the risk of shingles, which is more than I can say about Full House and it's chicken pox episode, in which Uncle Jessie claimed he had the chicken pox as a kid, only to get it again from Stephanie.  Meanwhile, Joey used the logic that since he never had chicken pox, he was magically immune, thus it was reasonable for him to be around Stephanie.  If they wanted to be real with us, we should have seen them both writhing in pain from boils instead of putting together this cute little jingle (cut to the 1:38 mark):

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

Impish - Indianapolis Colts.  .What do you get when you take an AFC team that's won enough games to clinch a soft division, but all their losses are against elite teams, put them in a situation where their playoff rank doesn't improve with a win nor decline with a loss, and match them against a team that can clinch a division title after 5 years of being the poster-children for mediocrity?  A 42-7 mollywhomping.

 Impish - Baltimore Ravens.  Unlike the aforementioned DColts, Baltimore had something to play for, but apparently didn't get the memo.  Joe Flacco had 50 pass attempts, but less than 200 passing yards?  When the Ravens finally came to life, Arian Foster had to remind them what the score was.

Admirable - Miami Dolphins.  This team won't make the playoffs, but they won the game on a blocked punt safety, and that's pretty freakin' awesome!  Good on you Dolphins, good on you!

 Admirable - San Diego Chargers.  I'm a little disappointed that I went to bed at half-time.  But I'm tremendously happy they didn't let San Francisco run away with a blow-out win.  They're clinging to the last playoff spot in the AFC, and if they get in, Phillip Rivers is not a QB anyone wants to face in the first round.

Fantasy Watch

Unless you do Draft Kings or are in a weird fantasy league that counts week 17, your fantasy season is likely over.  Mine ended 3 weeks ago, so I'm going to take a few moments to re-cap the litany of teams I had this season.  There's no reason for you to care about this, so I won't be offended if you stop reading now.

Still there?

Awesome, let's do this!

Flutie Flakes, RoughRiders Reality League (ESPN): 8-5, lost first round of the playoffs.  This was the league I cared about the most, as it's the only one I paid to join.  It's also the first time I did an auction draft (for those of you not familiar, every participant has to be at the draft in person, and starting with a fictitious $200, you bid on all the players).  I was pretty happy with my strategy, as I set a draft board with a budget, got everyone on my board, and still had $4 left (although, apparently you're not supposed to do that).  The best bargain was Andrew luck, as I got him for about $30 (again, if you're not familiar, 1st-2nd round talent usually goes for $40-$50).  The steal of the draft was Steve Smith, as he was my last pick at $4, and nobody bid against me (which is why I had $4, I didn't think he'd go without a fight).  I was pleased with the balance of talent throughout the season, and the highlight was having the best record and most points scored after week 10.  Unfortunately, tight end was my weak link, as Vernon Davis forgot how to play football.  The team faltered the last 3 weeks of the regular season, falling to the 5th seed, losing the opening round game by a point gained on a meaningless 30 yard toss to Roddy White in garbage time of the Green Bay-Atlanta Monday night game.  Sigh.

Tears of a Clowney, Wait for it....... (Yahoo!): 8-6, missed playoffs.  Another draft first - I stepped into the 21st century and did the entire draft (standard snake format) on my phone.  I thought I did well, but Yahoo! was ridiculously harsh in it's draft evaluation (yes, I got offended by a computer).  Peyton Manning was my most productive pick - unfortunately, he decided to become human after his 509th career TD pass.  Running back was an area of inconsistency, as Giovanni Bernard and Reggie Bush couldn't stay healthy.  Denard Robinson was the steal of free-agency, getting me double digit points 3 weeks in a row after being acquired, and I was able to plug him into the RB, WR and Flex spots.  I'm not sure what the commissioner was thinking, but we only had 4 playoff spots, so our regular season ended when most other leagues were starting their playoffs.  I controlled my own destiny holding the 4th and final playoff spot going into week 14, but I lost the finale and the playoff spot.  I can't say I'm not at least a little irritated at the playoff format, as I would have made it in any other league.

Cowher Power, Backyard Football 11 (Yahoo!): 5-8, lost first round of the playoffs.  I had to autodraft on this one, as I couldn't make the scheduled draft.  I was sure to rank as many players as the there were draft slots, and I was pleasantly surprised at the results.  Running backs: Marshawn Lynch, Matt Forte, Alfred Morris and Darren Sproles.  I had the coin toss decision at QB between Tom Brady and Tony Romo.  Not only are these picks I would have made if present, I actually think I would have done worse if I was in there making decisions.  Then, another first - I lost the first 7 games of the season.  I started 0-7.  Believe me, I was trying.  I just made all the wrong guesses, as I had the difference in points on my bench in 6 of those losses.  But then, a miracle - I won 4 of the last 5 and grabbed the last playoff spot!  I even changed the team name to Bad News Bears, because it was just like the movie. But then, the momentum deflated and I lost round one.  

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 15

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Johnny (College) Football

Don't act so surprised.  I told you this was going to happen.  Johnny Football's coronation into the NFL was an utter disaster.  And perhaps even more dismayed about this than the Dawg Pound and Aggie Nation combined are the national media.  Talking heads at all the major sports networks have been salivating for weeks about the possibility of Manziel starting, and when he was finally announced the starter for this past week's game, they could not contain their excitement.  Just look at how the TV coverage map changed in light of the news.  Even after the embarrassing defeat, I think some outlets were in denial.  I flipped over to Fox Sports 1 after Cincinnati's 30-0 victory over the Browns, and look what I found on the scrolling score/stat line:

I'm sure they meant to type 2 Int., but maybe they were hoping we wouldn't notice that it was mathematically impossible to throw 2 TD's and finish with 0 points.

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

 

Impish - Philadelphia Eagles.  I think it's safe to say there weren't any Eagles fans offering Mark Sanchez their cheese fries at Pat's/Geno's after Sunday's disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys.  Philadelphia is fighting for a playoff spot, and they have lost to 4 teams that are currently in the playoffs.  A loss to the Giants or hapless Washington would be disastrous.




 

Admirable - Dallas Cowboys.  Sticking with the Sunday night game, this week's admirable goes to the Cowboys, simply because of this:

 

 

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB.  While many fantasy owners have been disappointed with his overall output, Breees put up big numbers on Monday to help propel the Saints into first place in the underwhelming NFC South.  Able to control their own destiny, I wouldn't bet against the Saints in the next two weeks, so expect another big game this weekend.  

Dislike - Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis WR.  While showing some flashes of brilliance this season, Reggie has not been the same WR this season after returning from a knee injury and is now reportedly considering retirement after this season.  The numbers have been pedestrian over the last few weeks, so if you're sorting out your WR3 or flex spot for championship weekend, feel free to take Wayne out of the mix.
 

Pyrite - Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals QB.  Don't do it.  I know he's had 2 strong outings in a row, but if you're still alive, you're playing for either 1st or 3rd place this week, so you need to stick with the guys who got you there.  I had Dalton on my bench 2 weeks ago with Andrew Luck starting (which has been the case all year).  Dalton scored 5 more points than Luck, and I lost by 1.  Do I regret that decision?  No.  Hindsight is always 20/20, and on any other week, Luck would have been the academic choice.  If you have a QB that's been struggling as of late, such as Manning or Rodgers, just remember - those guys have hiccups, but always get bounce back.  Dalton needs to win in the next 2 weeks, and he has a knack for choking on the big stage.

 

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 14

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Bandwagon Family

I know this isn't exactly news, as the "Vikings, Bengals, Eagles, Steelers, Cowboys Family"
commercial for NFL Shop.com has been airing for a few months now, but with Christmas approaching, we're seeing it a lot more on Sundays, and I'm getting more and more irritated.  Take a look.

This is the most irrational line of thinking I've ever witnessed.  And the sad part of this is, there are actually people who use this model for picking teams.  It's one thing to move somewhere, go to a game for the local team and enjoy it for what it is... as long as they're not playing your team.  If you have kids, and they go off to different colleges, then yes, you can spread your allegiances around on Saturday afternoons... just remember your Alma Mater.

But these aren't college teams, and this fictional family changes like the wind for the stupidest things.  I went to school in Philadelphia, and I was not charmed into being an Eagles fan.  The opposite happened - after being around the most obnoxious fans in football for four years, I loathed the Eagles by the time I  graduated.   I was there when they reached the Super Bowl, and unlike some of my peers at the time, I was not cheering for a Philly win just so I could "experience a championship parade." On the contrary, one of the most satisfying moments of my life was getting on the subway after the game and seeing full-grown men covered in green, drunk, depressed and quiet.

The commercial said one of the daughters met Emmitt Smith and became a Cowboys fan.  I moved to the Dallas area 5 years ago, I've seen Michael Irvin and Barry Switzer in person, and I hate the Cowboys even more.  Being a fan is not something that should automatically change with your circumstance or surroundings.  Fanhood is something internal, a part of you.  If you're a Raiders fan, then cheer for the Raiders.  If you grew up a Buffalo fan but move to Green Bay, then you still cheer for the Bills.  Please, I'm begging you, let's cut back on this, "I live in Detroit, so I like the Lions, but I had a layover at Reagan airport one time, so I cheer for the Redskins (oops, I mean Washington football team), but I like the beach, so I want Miami to win, but I have Angry Birds on my phone, and the red one reminds me of the Arizona Cardinals logo, so I cheer for them too...."

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

Impish - San Francisco 49ers.  If you ever wanted an example of mailing it in, look no further than the Bay area.  Any time there are rumors of your coach getting traded, that's a bad thing... nobody trades coaches anymore, especially to the cross-town rival!  The offense simply can't do anything right - Frank Gore is a perennial 1,000 yard back, and they don't run the ball.  Vernon Davis is ghost.  That's not a metaphor, I actually believe he's a ghost that floats and can slip through walls like Casper.  And the league has finally caught up to Colin Kaepernick.  He's completely useless now.  On paper, there is still a very realistic chance this team can make the playoffs... but they won't.

Admirable - Pittsburgh Steelers.  The opening piece about the NFL Shop commercial really inspired me, and after 2 "impish" labels already this season, I don't know how many opportunities I'll have left.  Sunday is an example of why I can't give up on the Steelers just yet.  Roethlisberger is as sharp as he's ever been.  Le'Veon Bell is arguably the best dual-threat running back in the game.  Antonio Brown is the best receiver in the league not named Calvin Johnson.  Even the much-maligned O-line has significantly improved.  It's just been a very long and gradual improvement, so whenever they give up a sack, everyone immediately over-reacts.  But they're better.  The defense is a big play liability, but when healthy, they can keep the team in a game. They're apparently vulnerable to sub-.500 teams, but if they can make the playoffs, that shouldn't be an issue (unless they play the NFC South champ in the Super Bowl).

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers WR.  Based on Monday night's game, the only reason this doesn't go to Julio Jones is because of his hip injury.  But Jordy Nelson has put up yet another 20-plus point performance, giving him 5 for the season.  This isn't earth-shattering news, or even news for that matter.  I didn't realize Nelson has never played in the Pro Bowl, and that will change this season (unless Green Bay punches their ticket to Arizona), so this is just a matter of giving props where props are due.  

Dislike - Any Kansas City Chiefs WR.  Alex Smith threw a touchdown pass on Sunday.  It was caught by Jamaal Charles, a running back, but it's nothing new for running backs to double as a useful pass-catching option.  What's interesting here is who didn't catch it - any of the Chiefs wide receivers.  The Chiefs are the only team in the league without a TD pass caught by a wide receiver.  That's right, all of Smith's TD passes have been to tight ends, running backs, or water boys.  My sincerest apologies if you drafted Dwayne Bowe early in your draft.

Pyrite - Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns QB.  Named the starter for this week's match-up against the Bengals, Johnny Football fever will only rise exponentially by week's end.  But he's never started a game in this league, his tools are very flawed, and Cleveland is throwing him in the midst of a playoff race against a division foe looking for revenge.  With fantasy playoffs underway, if your team is still alive, then you must have got there with a more reliable QB.  Now is not the time to experiment.

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 13

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

I warned you about this last week.  I'm a day late, and very abbreviated.  That's what happens when you use your Thanksgiving vacation to travel across the country.  I don't regret it though - it was a memorable trip, and my wife and I had a blast!  You might say I was thankful for it.  So, in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday that delayed this report, I thought I would use this Tuesday Morning QB to list everything I was thankful for in week 13 of the NFL:

• I'm thankful Dallas lost.  It's not just because I hate Dallas, as I'm not particularly fond of the Eagles either.  As a Dunkin Donuts (DD) Perks member in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area, I get a free coffee from DD as part of the "Cowboys win, You Win" promo.  After a Dallas win, the coupon is usually loaded to my phone the following day.  The coupon is also only valid at DFW DDs.  However, when Dallas won in week 12, I did not get the coupon.  I was also not in the DFW area at the time, and the GPS on my phone was on due to my travels.  Dunkin Donuts knows where I am at all times!  Had Dallas won on Thanksgiving, I would have been denied free coffee twice in the same week, and I can't have the Cowboys winning if I'm not getting something in return.  More importantly, forget government surveillance, DD is watching....
• I'm thankful the Jets lost.  To be fair, I have nothing against the Jets and usually cheer for them, but let's face it - the NFL is more interesting when the Jets are either really good, or really awful.  Right now they're the latter, and wouldn't you know it, they're making headlines! This is no time for the team on Broadway to climb their way to mediocrity.
• I'm thankful Johnny Football got pancaked in his own end zone in the drive following his touchdown run.  After scoring, the entitled brat made his infamous "money" sign, so it was nice to see some grown men knock him back down to reality.  The buzz in Cleveland is that Manziel will be the new starter.  I'm sure we'll see some highlight reel plays in the near future, but I'm also sure we'll see even more humbling moments for Johnny Football in the long run.
• I'm thankful that after returning a blocked punt for a touchdown for the first time since 1986, the Minnesota Vikings didn't wait another 28 years to do it again.
• I'm thankful I started Keenan Allen on my fantasy team.  I picked him up several weeks ago, as he fell to the waiver wire due to a poor start to the season.  I was hesitant to start him, but I took a gamble last week, and it paid off with a 25-point effort!  I usually don't want to rush to irrational conclusions, but I think it's safe to say Allen is back. After only posting one 100-yard game and 1 touchdown through the first 11 weeks, he has back-to-back 100 yard games with 3 TDs in that stretch.
• I'm really thankful I started DeAndre Hopkins in 2 of my leagues.  Early in the season, he had a "boom or bust" label with Andre Johnson in the picture, yet he kept posting bigger numbers than Johnson.  After a 35-point outburst on Sunday, I think it's safe to say there's a new top WR in Houston. 
• I'm thankful Justin Bieber is hanging out with the Patriots.  I don't know why the Steelers let him in their locker room a few weeks ago, but it made my stomach turn, as he's the polar opposite of the team's blue-collar persona.  The Pats, on the other hand, are a much more natural fit for the Biebs, as they're basically a collection of 52 frat-tastic dude bros.  I'm also pretty sure Bieber is the reason the Steelers lost the game he attended, so I'm hoping the same jinx rubs off on the New England.

I realize football is inconsequential, so if you want to see a list of more meaningful things I'm thankful for, click here.

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 12

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

I know, I know.  It's neither Tuesday nor the morning (I also never played QB in organized ball, in fact, I was typically a last resort in sandlot ball...).  I've been traveling for 4 days on a half-country road trip from Texas to PA, so my football viewing & time in front of a computer have been limited.  As a result, you're getting a limited post (spoiler alert: I'll be road-tripping back this weekend, so expect something similar next week).  A few notes below:


While I did not get to see much football on my road trip, I did get to stop in glorious Pittsburgh (while the Steelers were on a bye-week).  Naturally, I took some time to soak in the beauty of Heinz Field.

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

Admirable - Oakland Raiders.  Just an admirable this week.  Oakland finally won a game!  They did everything they could to lose it, but they somehow found a way to win!  I'll give this franchise some credit - ever since my week 4 "impish" label, this team has played with a lot of heart in some close losses.  It may still be a few years until they're relevant again, but their decision to implode in order to rebuild (maybe in Los Angeles), is probably for the best.

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.
 

Dislike - All my fantasy teams. Every one of my teams lost.  In my paid league, I was in first place two weeks ago, now I'm clinging to the 6th and final playoff spot with a week to go in the regular season.  The last league I joined has me on the outside looking in at 5th place (apparently our league manager doesn't believe in bye-weeks).  The only silver lining is my team that lost 7 in a row before winning 4 in a row.  Despite having that win streak broken, I'm somehow in the 6th and final playoff spot with a 4-8 record!


Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 11

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Throw-back Trivia

If you watched the Green Bay Packers 53-20 thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, you noticed they wore throwback jerseys.  That's nothing new. But what caught me off guard were the hats they wore on the sidelines:

Who are the Acme Packers?  When the team was founded in 1919, they received funding for their uniforms from the Indian Packing Company.  India Packing was taken over by the Acme Packing company in 1921, the same year the NFL granted Green Bay a franchise.  Over the years, the nickname "Packers" stuck.  Some cheese-eating Wisconsin native is probably rolling their eyes at my recent discovery, but for those of us in the country who did not have Packers history as part of our elementary school curriculum, I thought this was a fun fact!

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

Impish - Cleveland Browns.  Just one week after the Browns had sole possession of 1st place in the division this late in the season for the first time since the Clinton administration, they went and did something Cleveland-ish by dropping to last place in the AFC North.  To add insult to injury, the Houston Texans managed to win without Arian Foster, and scored a touchdown with J.J. Watt lined up at wide receiver.  The silver lining for the Browns: Josh Gordon's suspension is over.

Impish - Philadelphia Eagles.  Just to prove the week-to-week nature of "Impish or Admirable," here's a team that was one of my admirable's last week.  For a team that has made a name for itself off big defensive plays all season long, they looked very inept at stopping anything on Sunday.  We're enamored with big offensive numbers, but defense still wins championships.  If they keep trying to arm tackle their way to stops, they'll be in for a long Thanksgiving Day NFC East showdown with the Cowboys.

Admirable - Miami Dolphins.  With all the attention on a litany of other teams in the AFC, the Dolphins have been quietly plodding along in the AFC East.  Since his starting job was in danger after a poor week 4 performance, Ryan Tannehill has managed to assert himself in the top half of the league in passing yards, touchdowns and QB rating.  Despite two weak games recently, Mike Wallace is on track to surpass his disappointing numbers from his first season with Dolphins last year.  The aforementioned Eagles defense can take a few notes as well: the Dolphins are top-5 in the league in points and yards allowed per game.  Don't look now New England, but Miami is only 2 games back in the AFC East and won the first meeting between the teams.  They meet again in week 15, and should Miami complete the sweep, they'd own the tie-breaker in the event they end up with the same record at the end of the season.

Admirable - St Louis Rams.  What. The. Heck? 

 

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Greg Zeurlein, St. Louis Rams K.  It's time to show some love for the kickers.  Initially, it may seem more reasonable to give him the "pyrite" label, as Zeurlein scored 20 of his 50 season points on Sunday alone.  While this St. Louis team is still struggling to find its identity on offense, they have shown flashes of potential in their last 3 freaky wins.  Don't be surprised in the coming weeks if the Rams string together some chain-moving drives that stall in the red zone - the ideal formula for a fantasy kicker.

Dislike - Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers TE.  Once the darling of fantasy tight ends, Davis has yet to post a respectable game since week one.  In addition to a myriad of nagging injuries, there are rumors floating that he hasn't been giving his best effort as of late (believable considering recent history).  Factor in that he is also on a San Francisco offense that is very vanilla right now, Davis has essentially played his way to the waiver wire in just about every fantasy league.

Pyrite - Jonas Gray, New England Patriots RB.  It's tempting.  He's easily the most popular waiver pick-up in all fantasy leagues right now.  But this is New England.  Next-man-up, flavor-of-the-week, running back-by-committee, the "whole is greater that the sum of its parts" New England.  I was clearly too hasty in my rationale when I labeled Shane Vereen as a "like" in week 7.  In fantasy terms, it's best to exercise caution when dealing with New England running backs.

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 10

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Cheers!

The NFL completed another game in London on Sunday, a 31-17 Dallas Cowboys victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (and a free coffee at Dunkin Donuts!).  At a press conference earlier in the week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn't hesitate to give his blessing on the idea of London having an NFL team someday.  There was concern over Tony Romo (and other starters) playing midway through the 4th quarter with a multiple touchdown lead.  Talking heads have speculated that this was Jerry's way of getting the Cowboys brand maximum exposure on the international stage.  It might be working, look at these "Cow"-boy fans at the game on Sunday:

Jekyll & Hyde

The Steelers won 3 games in a row.  Roethlisberger threw 6 TD's in back-to-back games.  The 1-8 Jets were next on the schedule.  I had a bad feeling about this...

I took a friendly gentleman's bet with a co-worker who happens to be a Jets fan: With the spread being Steelers by 4, I gave him and extra point, so if the Jets either won or just lost by 5 or less, I would have to wear a Mark Sanchez jersey Monday morning in the office.  If the Steelers won by more than 5, he had to wear a Steelers jersey (player TBD).  Just so we're clear, I was betting not just on the Steelers winning, but winning by more than 5 points.  They lost by 7.  If you're looking for an explanation as to why the Steelers have been 8-8 the last two years, just look at the last 2 weeks.  Behold my shame: 

 

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help. This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.

Impish - Pittsburgh Steelers.  See above picture.

Impish - New York Giants.  What a sad, depressing mess.  I feel like Eli's adjustment to the new offensive scheme has kinda been like a yo-yo: down, then it looks like he's just about got it, then back down, repeat.  Injuries have plagued them offensively, and the defense is a mere shell of what it used to be.

Admirable - Kansas City Chiefs.  Remember when Kansas City opened the year 0-2?  Yeah, neither do the Chiefs.  This team has quietly asserted itself atop the AFC, and they're doing it the old-fashioned way: defense and a solid ground game.  Fun fact: through the first 10 weeks of the season, no Kansas City wide receiver has a touchdown reception!  But with Jamaal Charles healthy and running like his

 all-pro self, and Knile Davis as a dynamic compliment (ignore Sunday's numbers!), Alex Smith doesn't have to be anything more than a game-manager. 

 

 

 

 Admirable - Philadelphia Eagles.  I know they both won this weekend, but I think Philadelphia supplanted Dallas as the team to beat in the NFC East.  The scary thing is that even with Nick Foles out, Mark Sanchez looked really comfortable running Chip Kelly's offense.  While they didn't have a ton of rushing yards on Monday (they didn't need to) LeSean McCoy overall seems to have found his groove again, and Darren Sproles is still lingering as change of pace back.  The X-factor for this team has been special teams and big plays on defense - with last night's punt return and pick 6, the Eagles defense and special teams now have 16 total forced turnovers, 3 blocked kicks, and 6 touchdowns. 

 

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars RB.  Confession: I'm on the "Shoelace" Kool-Aid.  In each of the first three weeks after he was inserted in Jacksonville's starting line-up, I added him to one of my teams.  Now he's starting on all of my teams, and putting up double-digit points every time!  Even though he was a QB in college, this isn't terribly surprising as he really made a name for himself with his legs.  I like his upside for 3 reasons: 1.) He'll get the bulk of the carries for the foreseeable future; 2.) Most of what he's been doing has been based off raw talent.  As he learns the playbook and becomes more comfortable with his offensive line, he'll start to see holes before they develop; 3.) Much like a OF/1B, SS/3B, etc. player in fantasy baseball, he has the  WR/RB status which is much more rare in football.  This past week, I had one too many receivers on a bye-week, but Robinson's WR label saved me from having to raid the waiver wire!

Dislike - DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan  Stewart, Carolina Panthers RB.  Hard to believe this is STILL the running back combo in Carolina.  With the exception of the 2009 season in which they each had 1,000 yards rushing, they've spent the better part of the last 6 years taking turns being hurt and ineffective.  It seems like every time I read a weekly preview for a Carolina game, there's always the obligatory "The Panthers are hoping DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart can get healthy for this week's game, otherwise DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart will have to step up their game." Stop it!  Neither of them are getting healthy, and neither of them will step up their game.  Here's a 2015 Carolina draft preview for you: "The Panthers need to draft a running back!"  If you drafted either one for your fantasy team, I'm guessing you were desperate.  If you're a Williams/Stewart owner and are waiting for this imminent "breakout" from one of these backs, just don't hold your breath.  

Pyrite - CJ Anderson, Denver Broncos RB.  It might be tempting to go after the 2nd-year back from Cal after 150 total yards and a TD this past Sunday, but consider 3 things: 1.) He's green.  He had more total yards on Sunday than he had in his entire career beforehand; 2.) This is a pass-first offense that spreads the ball around; 3.) The running game has been very "flavor of the week," so what happens when Montee Ball comes back from injury next week and Ronnie Hillman in about 2-3 weeks?
 

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Tuesday Morning QB, Week 9

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Bye Week

It's the halfway point of the NFL regular season.  Every team gets a bye week, so why not the Tuesday Morning QB?  This past weekend was my one-year anniversary, so I had higher priorities to tend to.

However, I was not completely aloof, I still managed to watch three games on Sunday, so I'll leave you with a handful of thoughts:

• Jerry Jones is not a doctor, and if he wants to see the Cowboys in the playoffs, he should stop playing one on TV
• Manning-Brady XVI does not settle anything in the Manning vs. Brady debate.  Although I'm admittedly a Manning apologist, there are valid arguments for Brady, but a regular season head-to-head match-up contradicts those arguments.
• Apparently, USA Today took a bye week as well.  Below is their print-up of the Steelers schedule.  Notice who they're playing on December 14:

Have things become that desperate in Atlanta that they're sending the baseball team out to play?

 



 

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below. For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 8

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

Doppelganger?

There's not much news I care to write about this week.  However, I noticed in the Bengals-Ravens post-game interview that Andy Dalton bears a striking resemblance to the Heat Miser from A Year Without Santa Claus.   Judge for yourself:

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help.  This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.  

 Impish - Chicago Bears.  Less than a week after Brandon Marshall was calling people out in the locker room, this team pretty much forgot to show up against the New England Patriots on Sunday.  Jay Cutler should be embarrassed that he's surrounded with talent like Marshall, Alston Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte, but still has a losing record.  Whats even sadder is that he's not embarrassed.  Not at all.  

 Impish - Seattle Seahawks.  No, that's not a typo. I know, I know... defending Super Bowl Champs, coming off a win, winning record overall, etc.  Yesterday's 13-9 win over the Carolina Panthers was uninspiring to say the least.  They were trailing 9-6 with under a minute to go against a struggling Carolina team.  That's one week after they lost to St. Louis on a couple ridiculous special team plays, which was one week after losing to the Cowboys at home.  A 13-9 win does not answer lingering questions from the Percy Harvin trade and rumors about divisions in the locker room.

 Admirable - Denver Broncos.  I know it's only October and we should expect this level of dominance from Denver.  Sure, they'll be under a very critical microscope come playoff time, but right now, this is the best team in football.  Payton Manning's precision is unparalleled.  I realized this past Thursday that he doesn't just have a large number of targets to choose from, he has a large variety to choose from: Julius and Demaryius Thomas are big and athletic, Emmanuel Sanders is fast, Wes Welker is one of the best possession receivers in the NFL.  Peyton also has a big weapon he didn't have most of last season in Ryan Clady, arguably the best (if not, then definitely most underrated) left tackle in the business.  No Montee Ball, no problem.  Denver's running back by committee strategy has been very effective.  And the defense is significantly improved with a healthy and out of rehab Von Miller, the signing of DeMarcus Ware, and the addition by subtraction of releasing Champ Bailey combined with the addition of Aqib Talib (that's a plus 2 at cornerback if you lost count).   It's a week-to-week league, but they're going to need a lot of bad weeks to loose the Super Bowl contender label.

 Admirable - Buffalo Bills.  Don't sleep on this young (not counting Kyle Orton) team!  The season's been a bit of a roller coaster thus far, but right now they're in the midst of an upswing. The aforementioned elder statesman Kyle Orton has led the team to consecutive wins, and Sammy Watkins is quickly becoming a force to reckoned with at wide receiver (he'll learn to wait until the end zone to celebrate).  And the defense is sneaky good.  They're in the bottom third of the league in points allowed, but number 1 overall in sacks and interceptions, and 8th in forced fumbles (all of this sans Jarius Byrd).  I haven't watched  a Bills game yet this season, but these numbers coupled with 5 wins tells me that while they may be pushed around by better offensive teams, they make big plays when it counts.  The only serious question mark is at running back, after they lost both CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson against Minnesota last week.

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers QB.  You can make an argument that after Sunday's record-setting performance, Ben would be a "Pyrite" candidate.  True, he will not throw for 500+ yards and 6 TD's every week, but the numbers still aren't bad.  He's top-10 in the league in total passing yards, touchdowns passes, completion percentage, and fewest interceptions thrown (minimum 100 attempts).   Traditionally a bench QB in 8-12 team leagues, you might want to start thinking about starting Ben.  And if you don't have him and need a QB, he's un-owned in 20-25% of most leagues. 

Dislike - Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns TE.  Remember when you weren't supposed to draft tight ends before the 6th round?  This was supposed to be the year of the receiver in fantasy football, and tight end stock consequently went up as well.  Jordan Cameron was one of those beneficiaries, with selections as high as the 3rd or 4th round in many leagues.  However, lingering injuries and an Cleveland offense without a clear identity has left many Cameron owners disappointed.  With the exception of a 17-point outburst in week 6, he hasn't topped 4 points in any other week, including this past Sunday.

Pyrite - Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints RB.  Ingram owners must have been excited this past Sunday, as the back tallied 172 rushing yards and a touchdown.  With injuries to Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas, Ingram is likely to see an increase in starts across fantasy leagues.  That makes sense for now, but I don't recommend having him as a major role in your late season and playoff plans.  This was his first 100 yard game of the season (after missing 3 games with injury).  Historically, Ingram has never ran for more that 600 yards in any season, and New Orleans has always been a pass-first, running back by committee team.  If Drew Brees and his receiving corps continue their momentum from Sunday, and if Thomas and Robinson get healthy soon, Ingram will be a RB3 or Flex option at best.

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below.  For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.

Tuesday Morning QB, Week 7

Tuesday Morning QB is weekly feature on The Full Court Press, reacting to the past week’s happenings in NFL Football.

America's Team?

Two days after the Dallas Cowboys made headlines for beating the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, essentially establishing themselves as back to "relevant" in the NFL landscape, they woke up to a less desirable headline: The Denver Broncos are America's team.  At least that's according to the annual Harris Poll, a national survey of adults who follow football to find out who the most popular team in the country is.  The Cowboys fell to the 4th spot, which comes as a shock considering they had been number one for the last six years.  In all fairness to Dallas, the poll was conducted between September 10-17, BEFORE they went on their 6-game winning streak (or 6 free coffees from DFW Dunkin Donuts!).  The Cowboys probably have bigger things to worry about anyways, like making sure ALL players are adequately supplied with underwear and cologne. 

Also, breaking news as of Friday afternoon: the Seattle Seahawks traded Percy Harvin to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick.  I'm not afraid to admit that I have no idea what's going on here.  Either the Jets are delusional or the Seahawks are getting really cocky.  I'm guessing a combination of both.

And congrats to Peyton Manning, 510 and counting...

Impish or Admirable?

This is a recap of teams that are either looking good, or need help.  This is not a playoff projection. I call it impish or admirable.  

 Impish - Minnesota Vikings.  We already know about the AP drama.  Then there was the brief glimmer of excitement mixed with hope when Teddy Bridgewater started - and that was cut short with a 1-week ankle injury.  Yesterday, they lost to a Buffalo Bills team that played half the game without a running back.  At almost the halfway point of the season, they stand at 2-5, and there's no reason for optimism.  Well, Kyle Rudolph might be off IR in a few weeks, so I guess that's something....

 Impish - New Orleans Saints.  For weeks, I feel like we've all been saying: "That was a close game, they'll bounce back," "They just need a game at home," "Drew Brees will throw his way out of this funk," "A Rob Ryan-led defense can't stay this bad for too long," "They'll turn it around," etc, etc, etc.  Saints fans, your team is 2-4, no road wins, and they blew a 13-point lead with under 6 minutes to go Sunday against the Lions.  Perhaps most alarming is that Drew Brees continues to look.... human?

 Admirable - Jacksonville Jaguars.  Jags win!  Jags win!  Normally, a 1-6 team does not merit "admirable" status, but when a team is this bad, you can't help but feel good for them when they get their first win.  Blake Bortles was forgettable, but Denard "Shoelace" Robinson had a career day rushing.  This is a week-to-week list, so don't anticipate seeing Jacksonville on this side of "Impish or Admirable" for the rest of the season. 

 Admirable - Green Bay Packers.  "Relax."  Hindsight is always 20-20 vision, but that was a profound statement by Aaron Rodgers in week 3 after a 1-2 start.  The Packers have won 4 straight, and the offense is running on all cylinders: Rodgers is putting up MVP-like numbers, Jordy Nelson is at least statistically the best wide receiver in the NFL, Randall Cobb is settling in as a solid number two receiver (even with ketchup on his jersey), and Eddie Lacy found the end zone 4 times in that span.  The defense is bottom 3rd in the league, but at the top of that bottom 3rd, and when your offense that good, who cares?

Fantasy Watch

A look at players worth having on your fantasy football roster, who needs to be cut, and who has deceptive stats.

Like - Shane Vereen, New England Patriots RB.  Is this me hopping on the bandwagon after his 26-point performance on Thursday?  No.  In fact, if Steven Ridley were healthy, Thursday would have been enough reason to stick Vereen in the "Pyrite" category.  However, the fact of the matter is that Ridley is out for the season, and that changes the entire dynamic of the Patriots running game.  In past weeks, either of the Pats RB's were risky starts, and they were being dropped and picked up week-to-week on fantasy rosters like bad habits.  With Ridley hurt, Vereen is likely not available on most waiver lists.  If you were one of the managers who had Vereen before the Ridley injury and wisely held on afterward, it's reasonable to start him as either a RB2 or flex from here on out.

Dislike - Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins QB.  Confession: I picked up Cousins on one of my teams when RG3 went down.  To be fair though, I did not agree with late 2013 season/offseason/early 2014 season cries for him to be named full-time starter.  I knew RG3 would be down for a while, and Cousins put up good numbers at the end of last season (except for wins, which mean nothing in fantasy). I picked him up in the event that if he went off, I could: 1.) start him and get solid point production, or 2.) trade him for a high-value player at one of my weaker positions. Neither happened.  Colt McCoy led a game-winning drive on Sunday.  RG3 will be back before season's end.  Teams in my "Backyard Football 11" league will find Cousins on the waiver list later this week.

Pyrite - Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins RB.  Miller has been the mirage of fantasy running backs for years now.  I remember the first time I nabbed him a few years ago: it was after a very similar effort to last week - 60+ yards rushing, 20+ yards receiving and a touchdown.  I thought to myself "wow, this guy is versatile, he could be a huge help."  Daniel Thomas then proceeded to out-rush him for a couple weeks.  It may be tempting to nab Miller, especially now that we know Knowshon Moreno is out for the year.  However, unless you're desperate, I wouldn't do it.  I don't have any clever, in-depth analysis for why he won't produce, I just know he has a history of burning fantasy owners.  Plus, Daniel Thomas is somehow still employed by the Dolphins.... 

Questions, comments, smart remarks? Log in to your Gmail account and leave feedback below.  For last week's Tuesday Morning QB, click here.