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17
June

2015 NFL Trade/Free Agency Moves: NFC North Spotlight

Following the NFL during the offseason can be a long and tedious pursuit, interrupted by brief moments of excitement when your team signs someone. Now that most of the moves have been made, there’s little left to do but wait for training camp and preseason to start. With our downtime, we’re looking at each team, one division at a time, to look at the fantasy impact of each relevant player on each team and how their value has changed with the team’s changes. This time around, it’s the NFC North.

(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast: 6/9/15, NFC North Spotlight)

Green Bay Packers:

Add/Re-sign –

Randall Cobb, (4 years for $40 mil)

Scott Tolzien, (1 year, $1.35 Mil)

Kyle Sebetic, Safety, from the Giants (their ONLY FA signing this offseason)

Ty Montgomery WR, (3^rd round draft pick)

Departures –

Jarrett Boykin, (Panthers)

Matt Flynn, (Patriots)

DuJuan Harris, (Vikings)

Brandon Bostick, (Vikings via waivers)

Issues:

The Packers never seem to add many, if any, impactful players through free agency. Nearly their entire roster is built on draft picks (I believe at one point last year, their only player they didn’t draft was Julius Peppers). The Pack had a trip to the Super Bowl already booked, but Russell Wilson had other plans for them.

Fantasy-wise, there isn’t a whole lot changing on the Packers. The only notable departure is Jarrett Boykin, who was only a WR3 of questionable weekly output last year. Expect Rodgers, Cobb and Nelson to all return to the top 10 of their positions (maybe top 15 for the WR’s, but Nelson and Cobb did finish 2^nd and 6^th last year, respectively). Look for Davante Adams to pick up the WR3 work, and I wouldn’t expect much production out of the TE position, as is tradition in Green Bay lately.

Eddie Lacy is once again a first round talent, and despite his slow start to last season, still finished 6^th overall for points, finding the end zone a satisfying 13 times. Last year, the top 4 fantasy players on the Packers were probably better than any 4 you could find on any other team. In standard scoring, Rodgers & Nelson finished 2^nd and Cobb and Lacy finished 6^th. That is reminiscent of the Broncos from the 2013. While that team did have a slight drop-off, they did not disappoint when it came time to tally up the points at the end of the year. I expect that Green Bay will be able to repeat their success of last year.

Detroit Lions:

Add/Re-sign –

Jeremy Ross WR, (re-sign)

Lance Moore WR, (signed to 1 year contract)

Ameer Abdullah RB, (2^nd round pick)

Haloti Ngata DT, (acquired in trade from Baltimore)

Departures –

Reggie Bush, (cut, now on SF)

Ndamukong Suh, (left as a FA, signed with Miami)

Issues:

The Lions made the playoffs last year, but were the victim of Dez Bryant and Tony Romo making ridiculous highlight reel plays (which they fell victim to the following week). It’s hard to say that they have made enough moves to help even improve their team, let alone pass the Packers for the division in 2015.

Matt Stafford will still be a solid QB1, Calvin Johnson will feel like a steal when he’s not the first WR off the board in your draft (he’s still WR1 talent) and Golden Tate should probably wind up starting every week. Tate had 99 catches last year, with Megatron (71 rec) missing only 3 games (though he was a decoy in a few he did play).

The RB situation is still sketchy, though removing Bush at least removes one of the more knee-jerk options that were available. Joique Bell, Theo Riddick (3^rd downs) and Ameer Abdullah will probably split most carries to start the season, with the stronger back, if one emerges, getting a larger percentage of the carries as the season goes on. This is going to change a lot, but with a pass first team like the Lions, I wouldn’t waste too high of a draft pick on one of their rotating RB’s. The one exception to this is if Bell keeps sliding into the doghouse. If so, go for Abdullah, but remember, temper your expectations on rookies!

Their TE’s Pettigrew, Ebron and Fauria can be fun, but none are THE guy, so stay away from them as every week starters. Their D/ST should still be strong, adding Ngata and losing Suh, but I prefer streaming D’s anyways, so don’t draft them high.

Minnesota Vikings

Add/Re-sign –

Matt Asiata RB, (re-sign 1 year)

Shaun Hill QB, (2 year 6.5 mil, #2 guy now)

Mike Wallace WR, (via trade with Miami)

Du Juan Harris RB, (FA via GB)

Brandon Bostick TE, (waiver via GB)

MyCole Pruitt (TE) and Stefon Diggs (WR) are their highest offensive (fantasy) draft picks, from the 5^th round

Departures –

Christian Ponder, (OAK)

Greg Jennings, (released, signed by Miami)

Issues:

The story of the Vikings early in 2015 is all about the return of Adrian Peterson. I know I wouldn’t want to line up opposite Purple Jesus after he’s been kept out of football for an entire year. He’s probably in the best shape and health of his life and will make an immediate impact on this team, greater than all of their signings combined.

Last year’s rookie QB, Teddy Bridgewater, will have a few more tools at his disposal and should take another step from last year. His rookie campaign was average – throwing more TD’s than INT’s does show promise going forward. Bridgewater won’t enter August as a QB 1 or 2, but could easily finish the year as a strong QB2, possibly approaching or exceeding the Andy Dalton Line.

AP is clearly the only RB to bother with on the team. I don’t even think I’d entertain a handcuff in this case, as superhumans don’t tend to get hurt like us mortals. Their WR core is much more of a toss-up. Between Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson and the field, I really have no good feel for who will emerge as the consistent WR on their team. It could wind up looking like the Seahawks where none of them are viable fantasy options, due to a conservative passing game and spreading the ball around when they do throw it. Kyle Rudolph at TE might end up being the best receiver on the team stats-wise.

Chicago Bears

Add/Re-sign –

John Fox, (head coach) and Ryan Pace, (GM)

Zach Miller TE, (1 year extension, played well in 2014 preseason, hurt in the preseason)

Jimmy Clausen QB, (1 year extension)

Jacquizz Rodgers RB, (1 year, from Atlanta)

Kevin White WR, (1^st round, 9^th overall)

Eddie Royal WR, (Reunited with Cutler)

Departures –

Mark Trestman (good riddance!)

Brandon Marshall (even gooder riddance!)

Issues:

The Bears have many issues they’re carrying over from 2014, but they will look like a different team in 2015. Any time a new regime takes control, they give everything a make-over, especially when the previous season was a disappointing (too light?) 5-11.

Jay Cutler has been on the team for 6 years now, and he still feels like he needs to somehow win over Chicago fans to feel comfortable. If it hasn’t happened by now, it’s not happening. Cutler is the best QB the Bears have the opportunity to start this year, and probably next year too, so just get used to it and hope he doesn’t lead the league in INT’s again. Fewer passes should help Cutler, as in 2015 he had his most pass attempts since he joined the Bears in 2009.

The Bears instantly addressed the departure of Brandon Marshall in the draft, picking Kevin White from West Virginia 9^th overall. He should be able to have a near immediate impact and could be going in redraft leagues as a WR3/WR4, but we’ll see how he fits in a few preseason games first. Alshon Jeffery immediately moves into a WR1/WR2 position, and Marquess Wilson has some fantasy value as well.

It remains to be seen if Martellus Bennett is going to throw more tantrums for whatever reason. If he settles down, he could be a TE1 in a league where the drop off after the first 5 or so TE’s is very steep. If not, Zach Miller might emerge as an option, since Cutler does seem to like throwing to the TE. Matt Forte will continue to carry the load for Chicago, and even though he felt overvalued last year, he finished 4^th overall for RB scoring. Is he the new Frank Gore (a guy who should be dropping off, but never does)?

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30
September

Week 3 Overview: And the Beat Goes On..

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

TNF: 9/24/15: Washington Redskins vs. N.Y. Giants
Well, chalk up one for the N.Y. Giants, they cut their losing streak at the expense of the Redskins, 32-21. I guess Eli can talk about his 1st win of the season while Big Bro. Peyton talks about # 3 so far. I'm sure it's been some quite dinners at the folks house these last few weeks. In their previous losses against Dallas & Atlanta, the Giants fell apart in the 4th Qtr & loss. This time they were dominant in the 4th and held on to the victory. The Giants scored in almost every way possible, beginning with Jennings blocking Tress Way's punt for a safety on the Redskins opening series. Andre Williams scored on a 1yd run, Josh Brown kicked 3 FGs and Beckham toasted Bashaud Breeland to settle matters. For Washington, Rashad Ross returned the kickoff 101yds for the final score. Gruden still sticking to his "no QB controversy" every chance he gets, so then, you know it is. This is Washington's 5th straight lost to the Giants. Things just might be looking up for the Giants with Dallas being 2-0 who now have major folks out and Philly is 0-2. The Redskins, well, today, they were just here. Nuff said about that. E. Manning threw for 279yds & 2 TDs, R. Jennings had 11 carries for 32yds & R. Randle had 7 receptions for 116yds & 1 TD. K. Cousins threw for 316yds, 1 TD & 2 ints. M. Jones had 11 carries for 38yds & 1 fumble, J. Reed finished up with 6 receptions for 96yds. I heard that RGIII made up to #2 spot. I'm just saying.

MNF: 9/28/15: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers lights up Chiefs for 5 TDs and drops K.C. like a plague. Now, K.C. did put up a fight but you have to play all 4 Qtrs against the Packers. Smith was getting hit so much, he was just throwing the ball anywhere at one point to avoid the hit. He was sacked a total of 7x. On one of his TDs to Cobb in the 4th, Rodgers set the franchise record with his 4th career game of at least 5 TD passes. The Chiefs did not fail with the dropped passes and GB dropped a few themselves. The bright side for the Chiefs? They stopped their long streak of no TD receptions by a receiver when Jeremy Maclin hauled in a 5yd TD pass with 56 seconds left in the 3rd Qtr. Randall Cobb and James Jones were the preferred targets for the night. Rodgers connected with Cobb for 3 of the 5 TDs. Green Bay built a 38-14 lead early in the 4th Qtr before withstanding a late rush by Jamaal Charles & the Chiefs. Charles rushed for 3 TDs for K.C. Charles 7yd TD with 1:25 left got the Chiefs with 10pts but result was the same for K.C., which lost it's second straight. Despite the 3 TD runs, the Packers put the breaks on Charles from making explosive plays and shut him down to 49yds on 11 carries. The Chiefs were on alert for Rodgers tendency to take advantage of free plays and they still got beat. But Rodger's backup, Scott Tolzien, who sees the greatness of Rodgers every week, said it best. He said, "I mean, to me, it's like watching Jordan in his prime. He's at the top of his game. He makes it all go." Rodgers said what he loved about MJ was that MJ brought his "A" game every night because he knew that each night, there was someone in the stands that had never seen him play and he made sure to put on a show. Same with Rodgers, even on his bad days, he's good! He saw Jordan when he was 8 and said he will never forget it. A. Rodgers threw for 33yds & 5 TDs. His no interceptions at home was almost broken today but the ball was dropped. E. Lacy had 10 carries for 46yds & J. Jones had 7 receptions for 139yds & 1 TD. A. Smith threw for 290yds, 1 TD & 1 int., J. Charles had 11 carries for 49yds & 3 TDs. Did you know that Charles had a speech impediment as a child and he first discovered his football talents playing in the Special Olympics. J. Maclin had 8 receptions for 141yds & 1 TD.

NFC NORTH:

Green Bay Packers: 3-0

Good game, I really enjoyed this one. The Packers skinned the Chiefs, 38-28. Rodgers is just cold!!! Nothing else you can say. Read the MNF update for the details. Well, I can tell you that he won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Minnesota Vikings: 2-1

Hummm, so they won again and this time, like the last, it wasn't because of A.P. I know they are happy to have him back but they are holding their own as a team as well. He doe's do better with each game. This week before the game, he showed up at the practice facility on his day off to run a series of 100yd sprints, 18 in all. He looks to be in mid-career form now or so I heard. They beat the San Diego Chargers 31-14. Still can't believe that, I thought the Chargers would put up a better fight. His 1st TD was the first time crossing the goal line in more than 22 months, that's 2 years. The last time he scored was on Nov., 24, 2013 @ GB, before a foot injury slowed him down in the stretch that season. Fallout from the child abuse case last year kept him out of all but one game. Rivers was pretty beat up in this game. He was pulled out midway through the 4th Qtr when the deficit was 24pts. He was sacked 4x for a loss of 28yds. He had 2 turnovers and took a hard hit to the mid-section from Anthony Barr in the 3rd Qtr. Peterson tied Randy Moss for 2nd place, (93) on the team's all-time TD list, trailing Cris Carter (110). T. Bridgewater threw for 121yds & 1 int., that's less yds than Peterson rushed for in this game. A. Peterson had 20 carries for 126yds & 2 TDs & M. Wallace had 3 receptions for 49yds. P. Rivers threw for 246yds, 1 TD & 1 int., and a bunch of bumps & bruises. M. Gordon had 14 carries for 51yds & K. Allen finished with 12 receptions for 133yds & 2 TDs.

Chicago Bears: 0-3

I know, same story, different day. Bears lose to Seattle, no, they were shut out by the Seahawks, 26-0. This was the first shut out for my Bears in more than a decade. Dec., 29, 2002 to be exact, they lost to Tampa Bay 15-0 in the season finale. Bennett played against his brother, Bears traded Jon Bostic to Patriots & Jared Allen to Panthers and word on the street is that there may be more. Oh yeah, Clausen says he plays as good as Jay. Really? News flash Claussen, you suck too!! Read about the shut out in Seattle's update.

Detroit Lions: 0-3
What did you expect? They played Denver and they lost to Denver, 24-12. Read the Broncos update for details.

NFC SOUTH:

Atlanta Falcons: 3-0
How sweet it is for the Falcons. It's even sweeter for Julio Jones who now has 34 receptions through 3 games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the most receptions in NFL history, for 3 games of course. They got their 3rd win at the expense of, the "man down" Dallas Cowboys, 39-28. I told Lofton his team is going down without Dez then you add Romo, it is a game changer. Matt Ryan hit WR Julio Jones for 2 TDs. Julio had his 3rd straight 100yd game to start the season. He finished up with 164yds and a, put this one in the books, 2yd score late in the 4th Qtr. RB Devonta Freeman didn't ease up on the Cowboys either, he ran for 141yds & 3 scores starting for injured rookie Tevin Coleman. Dallas RB Lance Dunbar had 10 catches for 100yds but several were ill fated attempts to get 1st downs in 3rd and long situations. Cole Beasley was the only receiver to catch a pass. They pretty much took the home crowd out of the game. This is quite a change for the Falcons. If you remember they had not won their 3rd game until WK 10 last season and WK 13 in 2013, so you know they are flying high. According to the NFL, Atlanta is the 1st team to start 3-0 after trailing in the 4th Qtr of each game. M. Ryan threw for 285yds & 2 TDs, D. Freeman had 30 carries for 141yds & 3 TDs, he did his job for the day. J. Jones had 12 receptions for 164yds & 2 TDs. They got him working day & night. B. Weeden threw for 232yds & 1 int., J. Randle had 14 carries for 87yds & 3 TDs, not bad at all JR. L. Dunbar stats listed above.

Carolina Panthers: 3-0
Ho hum, Carolina wins another one. Now, I am sure that I read somewhere in the off season that the Panthers has the 3rd or 5th easiest schedule this year, somebody on that team must be Irish with all the luck they having. It's amazing what a QB can do when he is not crying & complaining all the time. They beat down the doomed Saints, 27-22. They said this is one of the most complete efforts of his 5yr career. He tossed his bud, former Bear, Greg Olsen, 2 TD passes to sweeten up his stat sheet. He put the icing on the cake when he ran in for a score himself. This gave him his 35th rushing TD of his career, tying him with Randall Cunningham & Stever Grogan for 7th most in NFL history by a QB. They said his "maturation" showed in this game, that means he is not crying on the side lines as much. The Panthers are 3-0 for the 1st time since reaching the SB in the 2003 season. This is the 1st game Brees has missed because of injury since he became a Saint in 2006. Luke McCown started in Drew's place. The previous time he started was Sept., 18, 2011, a game in which he threw 4 ints. in a 32-3 loss while playing the Jaguars. Be afraid New Orleans, be very afraid. C. Newton threw for 315yds & 2 TDs, J. Stewart had 14 carries for 52yds and Cam's #1 man, G. Olsen had 8 receptions for 134yds & 2 TDs. L. McCown threw for 310yds & 1 int., M. Ingram had 14 carries for 50yds & 1 TD, B. Cooks had 7 receptions for 79yds.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-2

It's a sad day in the NFL when the TBB are over the Saints in the NFC South, but that is the case. Even thought the lost to the Texans, 19-9, they are still one game better in the standings than a couple of teams. Read the details in Houston's update.

New Orleans Saints: 0-3

The lost boys, aka: The New Orleans Saints dropped another one, leaving them 0-3 and shaking their heads. Read the 411 in the Panthers update. Brees is still a ? for WK4.

NFC EAST:

Dallas Cowboys: 2-1

You know your team is doing bad when T.O., Terrell Owens says Dallas should give him another shot. As of today, he hasn't heard back from them. Dallas tried to win without Romo & Dez, but it was not to be. Read about their lost to the Falcons in that update.

N.Y. Giants: 1-2

Read about their 1st win of the season against the crashing Redskins. Check out the TNF update, right at the top.

Washington Redskins: 1-2

No surprise here, they dropped the ball on TNF and lost to the Giants, 32-21. Check out that update above.

Philadelphia Eagles 1-2

Eagles finally win one over the N.Y. Jets, 24-17. D. Sproles, aka, Mighty Mouse, led the way. Have you seen the thighs on that guy? It's like the MM cartoon from way back, come on now, some of y'all know what I'm talking bout lol. He started off with an 89yd punt return for a score & added a 1yd TD run. The D caused 4 turnovers & Philly got it's first win. QB, Bradford threw a TD pass to Ryan Mathews, who rushed for 108yds on 25 carries while starting in the place of the injured DeMarco Murray. The Eagles improved to 10-0 all time against the Jet's who had just put the smack down on the Colts on MNF last week. Even though Fitzpatrick threw TD passes to B. Marshall & Jeremy Kerley, it was really pointless when he turns around and throws 3 ints. Even with them holding the Eagles scoreless after halftime. They couldn't add any more points on the board. With this win, the Eagles avoided their 1st 0-3 start since 1999. So much more to read about this game, but I try really hard to keep it short & to the point. Good luck with that huh, lol. S. Bradford threw for 118yds & 1 TD., R. Matthews had 24 carries for 108yds & 1 fumble and on double duty, he had 6 receptions for 49yds. R. Fitzpatrick threw for 283yds, 2 TDs & 3 ints., Ouch! No rushing worth mentioning. My boy, B. Marshall had 10 receptions for 109yds, 1 TD and some butter fingers with 1 int.

NFC WEST:

Arizona Cardinals: 3-0

You knew it was going to be a great day for the Cardinals when they immediately put the 49ers on notice by returning 2 interceptions for a TD in the opening minutes. S, Tyrann Mathieu, who brought back the 2nd TD and later picked off another pass in Arizona's 47-7 slaughter. He had his part in setting an NFL record as the Cardinals became the 1st team in NFL history with a pair of interception returns for scores in the first 6 minutes of a game. To make it feel like Christmas for Mathieu, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Larrry Fitzgerald caught 9 passes, he was on fire in this game and he's still my boyfriend, I don't care what anyone says, lol. It's the first time the franchise has had two 40pt victories in a row since 1969. It's also the largest margin of victory since a 44-0 win over Houston in 1970. Palmer won his 9th in a row, the NFL's longest active streak, and is 16-2 in his past 18 starts. The scary part, they can only get better. Kap threw 4 pics in this game, he had a QB rating of 16.7, the worst in his career. I see he still hasn't found his MoJo yet. In his favor, he did score on a 12yd TD run. That's all I got to say about this one. C. Palmer threw for 311yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., C. Johnson had 22 carries for 110yds & 2 TDs and Larry had 9 receptions for 134yds & 2 TDs. C. Kap, smh, threw for 67yds & 4 ints. that's the worse I've seen for any QB. c. Hyde had 15 carries for 51yds & no receiving yards worth talking about.

St. Louis Rams: 1-2

They were handed their 2nd loss of the season at the hands of the Steelers. Check it out in Pittsburgh's update.

San Francisco 49ers: 1-2

Man, go back up 2 spots and read about the 47-7 slaughter they took from the Cardinals in that update.

Seattle Seahawks: 1-2

So Russell was like, ok guys, we are 0-2 but we got the Bears Sunday so we 1-2 going into WK4. I'm just saying, that's how the pep talk went in the Seahawks locker room. The game was really slow for a bit. Tyler Lockett provided a need jolt to his boys with a start to the 2nd half with a 105yds kickoff return for a TD. After that, Wilson, Graham and a defense that was whole again with the return of Kam Chancellor took over. They still didn't look all that great, they were only up 6-0 at halftime. I mean you beat my Bears, that's all I'm saying. But they may have paid for the shut out on the Bears. Already dealing with a sore back and neck and a calf injury that had him limited in practice last week, Lynch has to have an MRI on injured hamstring. I'm just saying, he been put down a lot lately & it may have just caught up with him. He may be out for WK 4. R. Wilson threw for 235yds & 1 TD, T. Rawls had 16 carries for 104yds & J. Graham look like the Saint from past play with 7 receptions for 83yds & 1 TD. J. Clausen, loser, had 63yds & you say you better than Jay. You must have grew up together. M. Forte had 20 carries for 74yds & Z. Miller, who the hell is that, had 1 reception for 21yds. SMH. Pitiful!

AFC NORTH:

Cincinnati Bengals: 3-0

Good game against the Ravens, I honestly could not tell who was going to win this one until the very end. Bengals remained undefeated with a 28-24 win over the losing Ravens. It was the battle of Andy Dalton & A.J. Green against Joe Flacco & Sam Smith Sr. It was truly amazing to watch. When the smoke cleared and the game was over, the Bengal boys came out on top. You just should have saw this one. The Bengals blew a 14-0 lead & twice trailed in the 4th Qtr before Dalton & Green brought them back. This is what I'm saying, it was that kind of game, again, you should have saw this one. The Ravens went ahead for the 1st time, turning a fumble by Dalton into a 41yd TD return by Mosley for a 17-14 lead with 6:49 left. Green immediately got free & caught a pass in stride that he turned into an 80yd score. Green broke a tackle by J. Smith, shook off W. Hill & scrambled into the end zone. The Ravens answered with a 79yd drive that featured 2, 3rd down conversion & ended with Steve Smith catching a 16yd TD pass in front of Dre Kirkpatrick for a 24-21 advantage with just under 4 minutes to go. After that, Green comes up with the game winner and that's all she wrote. I'm so glad I didn't miss this game. Cincinnati has won 4 in a row in this AFC North rivalry for the first time. 5 of the past 6 games have been decided by 7pts or fewer. Baltimore WAS the only existing NFL team NEVER to start 0-3, before this season. It had been a decade since the Ravens began with 2 straight defeats. A. Dalton threw for 383yds, 3 TDs & 1 int., G. Bernard had 13 carries for 49yds. But the real "Superman" A.J. Green had 10 receptions for 227yds & 2 TDs. J. Flacco threw for 362yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. No rushing yards worth mentioning. S. Smith Sr. had 13 receptions for 186yds & 2 TDs. To bad if you missed this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-1

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the injury shark gets you. True, the Steelers won this one over the Rams but they paid a heavy price. Big Ben was injured and will be out for at least 4 games. At least he has Michael Vick to back him up and not Clausen. Vick said he was stunned that Ben got hurt, but I bet he grabbed his helmet so quick to hit the field, all you could see was sparks from his feet. Ben hasn't missed a game since 2012. He won his franchise-record 108th game, passing Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. LeVeon Bell scored from a yard out in the 1st half, his first game back after a suspension, making up for lost time no doubt. The Rams were limited to 2 FG and have scored only 16pts in their last 2 games. Ram's QB said they will say some prayers for Ben. Rams MLB James Laurinaitis became the franchise career tackle leader, passing late Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. He has started all 99 games since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2009. B. Ben threw for 192yds & 1 int. before going out on a knee/leg injury. L. Bell had 19 carries for 62yds & 1 TD. A. Brown had 11 receptions for 108yds. N. Foles threw for 197yds & 1 int., no rushing yards worth mentioning. K. Britt had 7 receptions for 102yds. Good luck Big Ben.

Cleveland Browns: 1-2

The Oakland Raiders handed the Browns this loss, 27-20. Check out that update for details.

Baltimore Ravens: 0-3
Wouldn't believe it, if I wasn't writing it. The Ravens are still searching for a win with yet another loss, this one to the Bengals. Check it out in that update.

AFC SOUTH:

Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-2

So it turns out that the 49er's were not beat up the worst, the Jaguars were. Read the details of the 51-17 stomp you down to the ground beating they took from the Patriots in that update.

Indianapolis Colts: 1-2

They finally pulled one out by the hair of their chiny, chin, chins or by Lucks beard. They beat the Titans 35-33, so they barely won, but it's still a win. This was their first 0-3 start since 2011 and they disparately needed this win, especially since he was the "answer" for the Colts. I still think he's okay, not great. Not saying he won't get there, but he isn't just yet. They trailed 27-14 before Luck got going. Luck threw 2 TD passes, 56 seconds apart. Frank Gore ran for 2 TDs including the winner on a 6yd run with 2:51 left. Luck finally had that rabbit's foot working in his favor. He did add 2 interceptions, but what's a game without a pic six here and there. The Titans, well we know their story, they have lost 13 of 14 against the Colts so this day was not a surprise to them at all. The Titans were down 14-0 in the 2nd Qtr, they scored 27 straight points to take that 27-14 lead. Though they lost, they stayed in the game and that's more than I can say for a few teams. A. Luck threw for 260yds, 2 TDs & 2 ints. F. Gore had 14 carries for 86yds & 2 TDs and T. Hilton had 4 receptions for 94yds. M. Mariota threw for 367yds, 2 TDs & 2 ints., when he grows up in the NFL, he's gonna be on fire. A. Andrews had 12 carries for 49yds & 1 TD. K. Wright had 7 receptions for 95yds & 1 TD.

Houston Texans: 1-2

They finally put one in the win column with the 19-9 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs. Mallett got his 2nd NFL win in his 2nd start this season after Brian Hoyer was benched after struggling in Houston's opener. The Texans didn't care if it was a H.S. team they beat, as long as they didn't join the 0-3 club. Texans, DeAndre Hopkins, who missed practice this week because of a concussion, finished with 8 receptions for 101yds & 1 TD. QB, J. Winston threw for 261yds and a TD but added an int. Mike Evans tried to pitch in but hampered more than helped with a couple of drops. Here is the sad part, after making a 58yd FG, rookie kicker Kyle Brindza, missed one for the 1 extra point and then missed 3 more FG attempts, which would have tallied 10pts, which is what they lost by. We'd be reading a totally different update, if he didn't. Watt snickered as he said the FG kicker helped us out, hell, he gave them the game. One thing Houston can brag about for sure is this. With the Chiefs loss against GB, the Texans are the only team in the NFL that has never lost in Lambeau Field. R. Mallett threw for 228yds, 1 TD & 1 int., A. Blue had 31 carries for 139yds & 1 TD. D. Hopkins, back to work, his stats are noted above. J. Winston threw for 1 TD & 1 int., D. Martin had 14 carries for 46yds & M. Evans had 7 receptions for 101yds.

Tennessee Titans: 1-2

Indy beat these guys 35-33, simple enough. Read about it in the Colts update. Mariota did grab the honors of the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September. In his first 3 starts, the No. 2 overall pick in last April's draft lead the Titans to a 1-2 record, completing 61-0f-97 passes for 833yds & 8 TDs, with 2 interceptions. Jay/Claussen, you guys taking notes yet?

AFC EAST:

New England Patriots: 3-0

Pulverized the Jaguars, 51-17. They didn't even give them a chance for false hope in this game. Jags fresh off their first win, feeling pretty good taking down the Dolphins then this. Talking about skinning a cat alive, the Patriots stripped them of everything in this game. To top it off, Brady gets that 400th TD in the bag. Brady became the 4th QB in NFL history to throw for 400 TDs and he added his 401st, a 13yd pass to Keshawn Martin late in the 3rd Qtr. He Joins P. Manning, B. Favre & D. Marino. LaGarrette Blount had 3, 1yd TD runs & Gostkowski added the extra point on all 6 TDs to run his streak to an NFL record 425 in a row. He has led the NFL in points for each of the past 3 season. By this time, it was 37-10 and the Jaguar fans were knocking each other down to get out and beat the traffic. The Patriots are headed into their by week with a perfect record still intact. Jacksonville was flagged 7x for 114yds, including back-to-back pass interference penalties in the 3rd Qtr. The first one cost them 52yds, the second negated an interception and 82yd return, instead, it put the Patriots on Jacksonville 1. T. Brady threw for 358yds & 2 TDs, L. Blount had 18 carries for 78yds & 3 TDs, dangggg. R. Gronkowski had 4 receptions for 101yds. B. Bortles threw for 242yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. No rushing yards worth writing. A. Hurns had 2 receptions for 70yds & 1 TD.

Buffalo Bills: 2-1
Man, they whipped it on Miami, 41-14. TE Charles Clay scored the Bills first TD, 3 minutes into the game. This was Tyrod Taylor won his first NFL road start and embarrassed the Dolphins on the way. We are only finishing up WK 3 and the Dolphins are already in last place in the AFC East with two consecutive loss. The loss was the most lopsided defeat in a home opener for the Dlphins, who are beginning their 50th season. Buffalo improved to 5-2 against Miami over the past 4 years. The victory was especially sweet for former Dolphins Clay & Richie InCognito, who were co-captains in Buffalo. Fans were booing after less than 12 minutes and by the 4th Qtr, the stadium was mostly deserted. I know this is WK4 news. But, Dolphins Coach J. Philbin said he wasn't worried about his job. Not 1 hour later, I got the next ESPN alert that said he had been fired. So much for job security. T. Taylor threw for 277yds & 3 TDs. K. Williams had 12 carries for 110yds & 1 TD. C. Clay had 5 receptions for 82yds & 1 TD. R. Tannehill, who just year people were comparing him to Dan Marino! Come on man. He threw for 297yds, 2 TDs & 3 ints. No rushing yards worth writing about & R. Matthews had 6 receptions for 113yds & 2 TDs.

N.Y. Jets: 2-1

They were cut off at the pass on their way to an 3-0 start when Sproles and the Eagles said, not today. Read Philly's update on this one.

Miami Dolphins: 1-2

You just never go to work each day, thinking that you will be punked on national TV. Well, that's what happened to the Dolphins. Check it out in the Bills update.

AFC WEST:

Denver Broncos: 3-0

No surprise here as the Broncos move up to 3-0 with a win over the Lions in WK 3. It wasn't a beat down @ 24-12, just a reminder that you ain't going to beat us. Whether it was 3rd or 4th down, 1st or 4th Qtr, Manning at 39, still has it. Manning hit D. Thomas with a 43yd TD pass on a 4th down with 5 seconds left in the half. Then he threw an 11yd scoring pass to Owen Daniels on 3rd down with 2:28 remaining. That lifted the Broncos up for the win for good. He credited the coaching staff with using a pistol formation, giving him the ball in a short shotgun with a RB behind him. Whatever all that is I just wrote, it's working out for the better for Manning and the team. He was only sacked once in this game. That's a load off his body considering he was sacked 7x in the first 2 games. Stafford had 3 turnovers, including a fumble & interception at midfield in the 4th. Detroit was in reach of this one until they were called for an illegal formation. Not only did Denver miss the FG but they got it back and 5yds closer and you know what happened with that, they made the next FG. That put Denver up by 5pts and they never looked back. The last time the Broncos won their first 3 games was in 2013, when they reached the Super Bowl. They could go all the way, but way to early to tell. Still got Arizona & Green Bay out there. P. Manning threw for 324yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., no rushing yards worth writing and D. Thomas had 9 receptions for 92yds, 1 TD & 1 fumble. M. Stafford threw for 282yds, 1 TD & 2 ints. No rushing yards worth writing about, less than 25 on both teams. C. Johnson, now renamed mini tron for the start of the season finished for 8 receptions for 77yds.

Oakland Raiders: 2-1

Sayyyy whatttt, the Raiders went at least 9 games last year before they won one, now they rolling round town, picking up wins. This one was against the Cleveland Browns, 27-20. Derek Carr is doing pretty good for the Raiders. Before this game Carr was 0-8 on the road. Carr threw 2 TD passes and Safety, Charles Woodson made a game clinching interception with 38 seconds left as Oakland snapped an 11 game, road losing streak. This was their 1st road win since Nov., 17, 2013. They said even the ball boys were happy while picking up shoulder pads & other game over stuff to load on the bus back home. Cleveland was driving for a tying TD in the final minute before Woodson stepped in and intercepted Josh McCown, who was trying to hit Travis Benjamin down the right sideline. That's all she wrote folks, game over. D. Carr threw for 314yds & 2 TDs, L. Murray had 26 carries for 139yds & 1 TD & A. Cooper tied it up with 8 receptions for 134yds & 1 fumble. J. McCown threw for 341yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. No rushing yards to mention. G. Barnidge had 6 receptions for 105yds & 1 TD.

Kansas City Chiefs: 1-2

They started off slow, picked up, then slowed down again in this 38-28 loss to the Cheese heads. Read the MNF update to catch up.

San Diego Chargers: 1-2

I got my eyes checked and I'm reading it right. The Chargers have only won 1 of 3 games to start off the season. It was the Vikings that they bowed to on this day. Read the Vikings update for more details.

Read full article

12
October

Week 5 Overview: It Ain't Looking Pretty

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

TNF: 10/8/15 Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

AARP member Matt Hasselbeck saves the day for the Colts. He teamed up with 34 year old Andre Johnson and hit him for 2 TDs. They tried to give it away but Matt & Andre had taken an extra swig of Geritol and were ready to go. Johnson's 2yd score in the 4th Qtr put them ahead to stay. A. Johnson was released by the Texans in March after 12 seasons with them, he tallied up 6 catches for 77yds & 2 TDs. Hey, it's 25yr old guys who can't do that on a daily basis. Sure it might be he his last year, but he looks like he's going out with a bang. They won 27-20. With 2:08 left in the 2nd Qtr, Nick Novak hit a 36yd FG to finally put the Texan on the score board. The Texans would get the ball one more time in the 2nd QTR with maybe 1 min left. Hoyer kept moving it down the field, no sooner than I said it, it happened. Hoyer threw a pretty Hail Mary pass into the end zone with 0 seconds left on the clock and Jaelen Strong caught it. He was as open as a convict giving testimony to get time off his sentence, LOL. There were 3-4 Colts around him but they were busy knocking each other around while Strong caught the pass and after the 1pt kick, we had a game 13-10 going into the half. I kept telling Indy that Hoyer was going to throw it. Ryan Mallett wasn't cutting the mustard so they sat him down, early. Oh yeah-Hasselbeck was so ill he couldn’t even speak at meetings Wednesday night, so the injured Andrew Luck spoke for him. Luck was saying that Matt said, "this is your team man, I'm just happy I could help." Yeah right. Luck better be glad Matt is 40 or he would give him a run for the money, just my thoughts. He went to the emergency room on Monday and was discovered to have a really bad bacterial infection. Hasselbeck is 40 and prior to this season, he hadn’t started and won a game in the NFL since 2012. Yet here he is, taking over for Andrew Luck amid a disappointing 0-2 start, leading the Colts to consecutive victories in the division. Same ole story with the Texans, though they tried, they could not win. Mallett, who started for the Texans had the wind knocked out of him on an illegal hit midway through the 2nd Qtr & was replaced by Hoyer. Nuff said about this one. M. Hasselbeck threw for 213yds & 2 TDs. F. Gore had 22 carries for 98yds & 1 TD. T. Hilton, who, 2 years ago that he would be the best receiver to every play in the NFL, had 5 receptions for 88yds. You got a long way to go man. B. Hoyer, threw for 312yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. He received a game ball along with A. Johnson of the Colts for their work today. No rushing yds worth writing, where you at A. Foster? 41yds, that's ridiculous. D. Hopkins had 11 receptions for 169yds. Could you please help out Hilton.

MNF: 10/12/15: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. S. D. Chargers.

I can't believe the Chargers let this one get away, it was a good game. But the Chargers would bow to the Steelers 24-20 when all was said and done. They seem to have forgotten that Vick is a running QB, he don't sit still unless they tell him to. It was a sweet pass to Le'Veon Bell from Michael Vick for a 1yd, game winning TD as time expired. Vick was having a bad game for the most part but redeemed himself by the time the clock was done, he said, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish." Of course, they had to review it and I'll be darn, they let it stand. I saw a TD but not sure if the refs would agree. They were down by 3pts with the ball inside the 1 with 5 seconds left. Bell said it was the most meaningful TD of his 3yr career. He said he dreamed about "being the one that catches the game winner on the last play of the game." Besides, Tomlin was not putting his kicker out there, he still salty about that last game. Vick also hooked up with Markus Wheaton on a 72yd TD on a stop and go route to tie it at 17 with 7:42 left. The Chargers battery had run down, Lambo, who kicked a 34yder as time expired for a 30-27 win over Cleavland, was short & left on a 60yd attempt just before halftime. Antonio Gates returned from a 4 game PED suspension. He had 2 TDs to contribute. Gates has 101 career TDs, joining Tony Gonzalez (111) as the only tight ends to reach that milestone. Rivers have thrown 74 TD passes to Gates, the most from a QB to a TE in NFL history. Antwone Gates of the Steelers intercepted a River's pass & return it 70yds for a TD. Rivers 3rd pick-six of the season. M. Vick threw for 203yds, 1 TD & 1 interception. L. Bell had a good day at work with 21 carries for 111yds & 1 TD. M. Wheaton had 1 reception for 72yds & 1 TD. P. Rivers threw for 365yds, 2 TDs & 1 interception. M. Gordon had 15 carries for 42yds & 1 fumble. Not worth writing but somebody might want to know. A. Gates had 9 receptions for 92yds & 2 TDs.

NFC NORTH:

Green Bay Packers: 5-0

You know what really grinds my gears? The fact that green, is my favorite color and when I wear it, with my green gym shoes & cap, I get these insults like, "hey, you a Packers fan?" I just walk away shaking my head. lol. A girl can't have a favorite color anymore. As far as this pack of green people, they did it again, this time to the Rams, 24-10. Aaron Rodgers remarkable run of mistake-free football at home is over, even though they are the Kings of the NFC North. The defense did their job in this one with 3 sacks & 4 interceptions to hold off the Rams. But Rodger NFL record streak of 587 pass attempts & 49 TD passes at home without an interception ended in the 1st Qtr on LB James Laurinaitis diving pick of a tipped ball for the Rams. Then he threw another one in the 2nd Qtr before losing a fumble in the 3rd on a sack. Rough day at the office. When the press asked him which one bothered him the most, he said all of them. Nick Foles said of his 4 interceptions, I've got to make better decisions. Here's a tip, learn how to play. You wasn't all that with the Eagles either. You had your wonder season already, it's over. A. Rodgers threw for 241yds, 2 TDs & 2 ints. A. Rodgers had 8 carries for 39yds & 1 fumble. J. Jones had 2 receptions for 77yds & 1 TD. N Foles threw for 141yds, 1 TD & 4 ints. T. Gurley had 30 carries for 159yds & S. Bailey had 3 receptions for 73yds.

Minnesota Vikings: 2-2

They did not play in WK 5, so therefore, they did not lose. A. Peterson just proclaimed himself to be the Michael Jordan of football. Get over yourself already.

Chicago Bears: 2-3
You made me sooooo very happy, I'm so glad youuuu, won another game. LOL. Yeah, my Bears won their 2nd game, 18-17. So naturally, I'm getting the "they only won by one point" So, what y'all trying to say? If you ever read my blog, one thing you should have heard a bunch of times is that, "a win is a win." So get off my back people, you can't break me. Now, I'm not going to lie, the Bears had me shaking in my boots, this is definitely one of those games where you don't want to turn your head or you are going to miss something. What it boiled down to was this, Cutler led the Bears to 2 TDs in the closing minutes Sunday. An alert toss to Matt Forte with 18 seconds remaining, putting us in the lead for good. Mind you he dropped the snap, picked it up and look straight down the field and hit Forte in the end zone and there were Chiefs literally grabbing at his fee. After Robbie Gould's 2nd FG got them going, Cutler led an 88yd drive that he capped off with a 22yd pass to Marquess Wilson. The 2pt conversion came up short, but the Bears defense responded by forcing a quick 3 and out. Sadly, the Chiefs paid for this loss in more ways than one. Star RB Jamaal Charles with a torn ACL & I do believe a torn MCL as well, either way, he is done for the season. It was a freak accident, no hit was involved, he just made this cut and you can see the weird way his knee turned. That's sucks, for anyone. Well, I guess I'll have some wine and check out a few more games, yeahhh meeee. Cutler threw for 252yds & 2 TDs. M. Forte had 18 carries for 71yds & M. Wilson had 6 receptions for 85yds & 1 TD. A. Smith threw for 181yds & 1 TD. J. Charles had 12 carries for 58yds before leaving the game with an injury. J. Maclin had 8 receptions for 85yds.

Detroit Lions: 0-5

Man, I can't even imagine being a Lions fan right now. This has to suck for the fans especially. Lions slain by Cardinals, check out that update. I really don't want to play them, win less teams are the hardest to beat. Ughhhh.

NFC SOUTH:

Atlanta Falcons: 5-0

Next I'll be losing 25lbs. I mean it when I say, I could guarantee you that nobody saw Atlanta coming out the gate, 5-0. Maybe there is hope for me yet. They stayed in the "y'all can't take us down club" with the 25-19 win over the Redskins, which was really no surprise. Atlanta trailed 16-12 before D. Freeman's 6yd scoring run with 24 seconds remaining in regulation. Redskins kicker, Dustin Hopkins 52yd FG on the final play of regulation forced OT. I see the studying that Robert Alfred did of Kirk Cousins, 3-step drops, paid off in OT. Alfred returned an interception 59yds for a TD in over time that kept the Falcons undefeated. The Redskins had 1st possession in OT and Cousins moved the team to midfield. On 2nd & 8 from the 50, Ryan Grant slipped while trying to adjust to Cousin's pass. Alford was in perfect position for the pick six and eased on down the sideline for 59yds for the winning TD. He said he trusted his instincts and the film study. Lesson 101 guys, study your opponents. M. Ryan threw for 254yds & 2 ints. D. Freeman had 27 carries for 153yds & 1 TD. J. Freeman is the 1st NFL player with 7 rushing TDs in his first 3 starts. J. Tamme had 8 receptions for 94yds. K. Cousins threw for 219yds, 1 TD & 2 ints. M. Jones had 11 carries for 20yds and 1 TD, which is what even got him a mention, 20yds, really, that's like 1.82 yds per carry. J. Crowder had 8 receptions for 87yds.

Carolina Panthers: 4-0

They did not play this week, thus they are still undefeated.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-3

First they came out with the iPhone, now the Bucs are 2-3, what other miracle will happen next? Well, here it is, they beat the Jaguars, 38-31 and they both put some points up. If you play a pool, I would always put this match down for only 3pts, you can never be sure how it turns out with these 2. With this win the Bucs end an 11-game home losing streak. The Bucs ran the ball with authority, young QB J. Winston didn't make any costly mistakes and an improving defense did it's part too. Add all that up and it = victory. Winston said, "This was just smash-mouth football. We lined up in two-TE formations, two-RB formations and pounded that football. When you are able to force your will upon somebody else, and you've got a RB that's just getting 4 & 5 yds and then popping one for 20, that's great football." Well, nothing else to say here, he said it all. It was a bad day for B. Bortles, he threw 4 TDs but was sacked 6x, that's going to leave a bruise. He also threw an interception that led to a Bucs TD. The Bucs won for the 1st time at home since beating Buffalo 27-6 on Dec. 8, 2013, one week after Jacksonville last won on the road, 32-28 at Cleveland. J. Winston threw for 209yds & 1 TD. D. Marting had 24 carries for 123yds & 2 TDs. C. Sims had 4 receptions for 85yds. B. Bortles threw for 303yds, 4 TDs & 1 costly interception. No rushing yds worth mentioning. A. Hurns had 5 receptions for 116yds & 1 TD.

New Orleans: 1-4

Ain't no sunshine when they gone, only darkness everyday. I'm sure that's the saints theme song since Sproles and Graham have both left. And, the buzz is getting louder & louder that Graham is not happy with Seattle. Seattle is also not happy, they said he is not fitting into their system the way they thought he would. They lost to the Eagles 39-17, check that update for the 411.

NFC EAST:

New York Giants: 3-2

Bingooo, Giants win their 3rd straight game. They beat the already broken 49er's 30-27. Larry Donnell's spectacular catch over two 49ers with 21 seconds remaining lifted the N.Y. Giants over the hump and capped off Manning's sensational clutch performance. His perfect throw to Donnell finished off an 82yd drive with a 12yd TD. The two time Super Bowl winner passed for 441yds and became the winningest QB in team history with 102. They now lead the NFC East. S.F. has lost 4 in a row and let this one slip away after an impressive comeback. Carlos Hyde's 2yd run with 1:45 left gave the 49ers the lead. But on a night of huge plays & lengthy drives, Manning and Donnell had the topper. Beckhams speed & moves were too much for the 49ers. He set up the 1st TD by using his elusiveness for a 31yd reception down the middle. His 15yd catch led to a 17yd score on which he neatly spun & sped down the left sideline. The TD was his last reception, he left with a hamstring injury, something that has plagued his short pro career. He returned only briefly on the winning series. E. Manning threw for 441yds, 3 TDs & 1 int. No rushing yds worth writing about. O. Beckham had 7 receptions for 121yds & 1 TD. C. Kaepernick threw for 262yds & 2 TDs. C. Hyde had 21 carries for 93yds & 1 TD. A. Bolding had 8 receptions for 107yds & 1 TD.

Dallas Cowboys: 2-3

There's going to be some heartache tonight. This can't be good for the Cowboys ego. They were walking in rhythm last season. Dez gets hurt then the very next week, their fearless leader Romo gets hurt. I'm sorry Cowboy fans, but I think you might have to chalk this season up and regroup for next year. And Terrell Owens, said Dallas should give him another shot. It's about at that point T.O., hang around the phone for a bit. They just might do that. There might be a bright side, Dez Bryant was seen doing some light running as rehab continues. Read about their expected loss to the Patriots, 30-6 in N.E. update.

Philadelphia Eagles: 2-3

I gotta say, watching the Eagles play is like watching paint dry on a wall, just not the least bit interested in watching either one. But they won so I'll give them their props. They put the Saints away easily 39-17. All those "playmakers" Chip Kelly acquired made plays in the same game. Sam Bradford overcame 2 red-zone interceptions & threw for 333yds & 2 TDs, Ryan Mathews & DeMarco Murray each rushed for TDs and all that team work made for an easy win over the Saints. Fletcher Cox forced 2 fumbles on sacks to help the Eagles snap a 3 game losing streak at home that dated to last season. Drew Brees had 3 turnovers leading to 17pts for the Eagles. The Saints fell to 1-4 a week after an OT win against Dallas. S. Bradford threw for 333yds, 2 TDS & 2 ints. D. Murray had 20 carries for 83yds & 1 TD. J. Huff had 4 receptions for 78yds & 1 TD. D. Brees threw for 335yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. M. Ingram had 12 carries for 57yds & W. Snead had 6 receptions for 141yds.

Washington Redskins: 2-3

They lost this one in OT to the still undefeated Falcons, read that update for details. I just read that DeSean Jackson suffers injury setback in practice. You have to go read that one for yourself.

NFC WEST:

Arizona Cardinal: 4-1

It took exactly 7 days for the Cardinals to get over their surprising loss to the St. Louis Rams. They slayed the king of the jungle, the Lions, 42-17. Palmer threw 3 TDs and Stafford was benched after throwing a 3rd interception. Palmer had a 154.2 passer rating which was the second highest of his career that started when Cincinnati drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003. Palmer was poised & efficient as he threw a 14yd pass to Darren Fells, an 18yd connection to John Brown and a 2yd strike to Larry Fitzgerald for scores. Even though they won, they only have a 2 game lead in the NFC West and Larry Fitzgerald said that no one on the team will be celebrating on the flight home. He said it's far too early. The Lions 0-5 have the dubious distinction of being the NFL's only win less team for a 2nd straight week, and are off to their worst start since becoming the league's only 0-16 team in 2008. Cory Redding who was part of that infamous team 7 years ago said that he hopes the Lions win 1 game. He said he wouldn't wish a 0-16 season on his worst enemy. Stafford will start against the Bears next week. Mannnn, I hate playing teams that haven't won yet, they usually get their 1st win on us, I'm just keeping it real. C. Palmer threw for 161yds & 3 TDs. C. Johnson had 11 carries for 103yds & J. Brown had 4 receptions for 73yds & 1 TD. D. Orlovsky threw for 191yds, 1 TD & 1 int. G. Tate had 8 receps for 74yds & 1 fumble.

St. Louis Rams: 2-3

The Rams were gobbled up by the green goblins, 24-10. They did break Rodgers "no ints @ Lambeau". Read about that in the Packers update.

Seattle Seahawks: 2-3

See what happens when the refs cheat for you, your bad karma comes back on you. Y'all know that was a bogus non-call in the Detroit game. So, good for y'all. Oh, they lost to the Bengals, 27-24 in OT. Read Cincinnati's update for details.

San Francisco 49ers: 1-4

Where's the love 49er fans, I heard you guys been walking out on your team lately, man up and take the beat downs. Read about their 30-27 loss in the N.Y. Giants update.

AFC NORTH:

Cincinnati Bengals: 5-0

Whoops upside ya head, I said whoops upside ya head. Yeah, the Bengals can pretty much talk all the smack they want to right now. They are flying high, staying undefeated going into WK6. Playing like an elite QB, Dalton led the Bengals from a 17pt deficit to a legacy victory over the Seahawks. Mike Nugent's 42yd FG in OT bounced off the left upright, but went through for a 27-24 win over Seattle. I thought for sure Seattle had this one. Dalton's looks like a totally different QB this season. He didn't look too bad last year, but he is looking great right now. This just wasn't a good come back win, it matched the 2nd biggest comeback in team history and came against the 2 time defending NFC champions, a signature moment for the unbeaten Bengals. Here's the deal, they were trailing 24-7 heading into the 4th Qtr. Dalton threw for a TD, ran for another and led the Bengals on a 69yd drive with no timeouts to get Nugent's 31yd FG on the final play of regulation. Dalton said, "For us to come back against a really, really good team is huge." The 17pt collapse matched the biggest in Seattle history. The Seahawks also blew such games in 2003 against Baltimore and 2004 against St. Louis, losing in overtime as well. Well, they ain't look all that good right about now, lol. That's all I got for this one. A. Dalton threw for 331yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. G. Bernard had 15 carries for 80yds. T. Eifert had 8 receptions for 90yds & 2 TDs. R. Wilson threw for 213yds, 1 TD & 1 int. T. Rawls had 23 carries for 169yds & 1 TD. D. Baldwin had 3 receptions for 70yds.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-2

The road is long, with many a winding turn. Seems like the Steelers going down every one of them, finding a win along the way. They beat the Chargers, 24-20. Read about that in MNF update.

Cleveland Browns: 2-3

Well, I can't talk about them to bad, my Bears have the same record. After being down 21-9 in the 4th Qtr, they did manage to pull this one out off against the Ravens, 33-30 in OT. Seems to be the theme for WK 5. One thing I can say, you should go and read the FULL recap on this one, it was something. I'll just add my two cents and keep it moving. Josh McCown bucked recent history and put his name in the Cleveland record book with a marvelous performance that went into OT. Travis Coons kicked a 32yd FG, which turns out to be the winner in OT. This was the Ravens 2nd straight OT game and they went 3 and out on their 1st possession. McCown then used more than 7 minutes to move the Browns 51yds before Coons kicked his 4th FG of the game with 6:43 left in OT. Justin Tuck did his part in kicking a 23yd FG with 25 seconds left in regulation to get the Raves an extra session. But, OT belonged to the Browns after a wild 4th Qtr. Cleveland had lost 13 of it's last 14 meetings with their AFC North foes, but the Brown rallied from 12pt deficit to leave the Ravens 1-4 alone in the division cellar. Baltimore has never been 1-4 and this marks the 1st time they lost their first 2 games at home. J. McCown threw for 457yds, that's almost 500, dangggg and 2 TDs. No rushing yds worth mentioning. G. Barnridge had 8 receptions for 139yds & 1 TD. J. Flacco threw for 210yds & 1 TD. J. Forsett had 21 carries for 121yds & 1 TD. K. Aiken had 4 receptions for 78yds.

Baltimore Ravens: 1-4

Who knew? I know I didn't, did you? The Ravens got it bad and that ain't good. Read about the comeback for the Browns to beat them, 33-30, in OT, in that update.

AFC SOUTH:

Indianapolis Colts: 3-2

Read about how the Geritol Boys won this one, 27-20 over the worried Texans. Check out the TNF update.

Tennessee Titans: 1-3

They lost by 1pt. I am sure they would have loved to win by 1pt, see what I mean when I say 1pt does make a difference. Read the details in the Bill update.

Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-4

Looking better than you did last year at this time. Read about their spanking from the Buccaneers in that update.

Houston Texans: 1-4

The big ole state of TEXAS must be feeling pretty small right about now. Neither Houston or Dallas is bringing nothing home this season as far as football. Read about their loss to the Colts in the MNF update.

AFC EAST:

New England Patriots: 4-0

Like my dad used to say, "ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun." Say what you will about the Patriots, all you are doing is fueling the fire. I mean come on, the Cowboys can barely beat the Patriots when everyone is healthy. You got two of your star player out and one left? Come on man, this was like sending a sheep into a lions den, the sheep is done for. So were the Cowboys with the 30-6 loss to the Patriots. To add insult to injury, they whipped them in their new $1.2 billion showplace of a stadium. Brady threw a pair of TD passes in the 2nd half after surviving 5 sacks in the 1st half. The Super Bowl champion Patriots won their 7th straight game going back to the playoffs last year. Brady's sneak to put N.E. ahead for good in the 2nd Qtr was his first rushing TD since Dec., 16, 2012, when he had the last of his career high four that season. The Cowboys lost their 3rd in a row without Romo & Bryant, both out with injuries. They have at least 4 more before the two come back, maybe. Weeden, he has lost his 11th straight game a a starter going back to his time as a 1st found draft pick in Cleveland. The buzz is that he has been replaced this week by Matt Cassel when they come off their bye week. T. Brady threw for 275yds & 2 TDs. L. Blount had 13 carries for 74yds & J. Edelman had 4 receptions for 120yds & 1 TD. B. Weeden thew for 188yds & 1 interception. J. Randle had 15 carries for 60yds. D. McFadden had 9 receptions for 62yds.

New York Jets: 3-1
Well now, look whose right on the Patriots heels. The Jets are doing well for the start of the season, wonder how long this is going to last. They had a bye this week so they are home chilling. They have the Redskins Sunday, should make them 4-1.

Buffalo Bills: 3-2

The Bills were determined not to lose this one. They beat the Titans 14-13, 1pt. I'm just curious why everyone at work ragging me about our 1pt win. Anyway, the Titans had a 10pt lead and gave it up. They said that QB Tyrod Taylor came through by doing a little bit of everything, even catching a pass. Taylor threw a TD pass and ran for another in rallying the Bills over the Titans, saving the day. Rex Ryan said that "Taylor has the biggest heart, it was tough sledding, but he's got guts, he's got heart. He wasn't playing great but at the end of the day, he's the reason we won the game." Taylor rand for 76yds as the Bills snapped a 5 game skid against Tennessee. The Titans blew a 2nd straight double digit lead at home, this by 10pts. They have lost 2 straight by a total of 3pts. All I can say is, move over Cam, there's a new super man in town. T. Taylor threw for 109yds & 1 TD. T. Taylor had 8 carries for 76yds & 1 TD. C. Hogan had 3 receptions for 52yds & 1 TD. M. Mariota threw for 187yds & 1 int. M. Mariota also had 5 carries for 47yds. No receiving yds worth writing.

Miami Dolphins: 1-3

Good thing there is a great night life and beautiful beaches in Miami or you guys just would not get over the sucky season the big fish are having. But, the good news, they didn't play Sunday, so they are still 1-3 instead of 1-4. Just my opinion.

AFC WEST:

Denver Broncos: 5-0,
You guys know I love me some Peyton Manning. But, keeping it real, he is playing OK right now, not the usual I expect to see whenever he takes the field. His crew got his back right now, he is just along for the ride and to throw a few balls. I think he has lost a step and he is giving up way too many interceptions, like the two that Charles Woodson had in this game. He said he has waited 18yrs to pick off one of Manning's passes, he did one better and got 2. The man that saved the day, Chris Harris Jr., he returned a 4th Qtr interception for 74yds for a TD and the Broncos overcame a shaky day from Manning to Beat the Raiders, 16-10. Harris said, "You never know who it's going to be, but we've got a team full of play makers on defense, if we got to win on D, we feel we can do it. They've done it so far with 22 sacks, 14 turnovers and 3 defensive TDs as Manning and the offense have struggled for long stretches. Manning has more interceptions, (7) than TD passes (6) through 5 games for the 1st time since his rookie season. He was intercepted twice by 1998 draft classmate Woodson and failed to lead the Broncos to an offensive TD for the 2nd time in 5 games. The Raiders were done in by an interception midway through the 4th Qtr with Oakland in position for a possible go ahead FG. Carr's 3rd down pass over the middle was off target & Harris picked it off like a fresh peach off a tree and returned it for the score & the win. Silencing what had been a loud crowd in Oakland. The Raiders added a late 50yd FG by Sebastian Janikowski but Denver recovered the onside kick to seal it. P. Manning threw for 266yds and 2 ints. No rushing yards worth writing. E. Sanders had 9 receptions for 111yds. D. Carr threw for 249yds, 1 TD & 1 int. No rushing yard worth writing. M. Crabtree had 4 receptions for 54yds, barely worth writing.

San Diego Chargers: 2-2

I thought for sure the the Chargers would win this one. Good thing I didn't ask anybody to bet. They lost to the Steelers. Check out the MNF update for all details.

Oakland Raiders: 2-3

They were thisssss close and let it slip away. Read about it in Denver's update.

Kansas City Chiefs: 1-4

Read about not only the loss of the game to the Bears, 18-17 but also the loss of Jamaal Charles, he's gone for the season. Check out the Bears update.

Read full article

20
August

Preseason Fantasy Breakdown: NFC North

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Minnesota Vikings

vikings

What’s changed since last year? The core of the Vikings will remain the same this season, with just a few minor changes. Latavius Murray is gone, he’s on the Saints now. That leaves Dalvin Cook as the main running back, though rookie Alexander Mattison (3^rd round) is someone who could see a decent share of carries this season, but more on him and fellow rookie Irv Smith Jr. in a moment. The most important change for the Vikings this year will come if Dalvin Cook can stay healthy all year. He’s only played 14 games in his first two seasons and he needs to stay on the field to be worthy of his ADP 20 (RB11) current draft spot.

Who is the breakout/3^rd year WR on the team? There’s not much here as the main core of the Vikings is already well established, but you could keep an eye out for WR Chad Beebe, an UDFA from last year. He’s gotten a lot of hype during practice for making some big catches, but wasn’t heard from in the first preseason game. He also returns punts and holds for the kicker (during practice), so he’s at least making himself valuable for special teams. That being said, he’s not even listed on fantasypros’ ADP list, so no, there are not really any breakout candidates on the Vikings this year.

Who is a sleeper you can draft? The main fantasy names on the Vikings – Diggs, Thielen and Cook, are all being drafted in the first 4 rounds, so sleepers they are not. I do propose that Kirk Cousins is a sleeper with an ADP of 144 (QB19). Cousins has the talent to be a top 10 guy (the 2^nd highest paid QB this year) and you could essentially just draft him at the very end of a draft and get reasonable production from the QB slot while adding more depth to your other positions. You like that?

What stud can you draft without hesitation? There are potentially 3 fantasy studs on this team, but the one I like the most is Adam Thielen (ADP 26, WR11). Thielen had 142 targets in 2017 and 153 in 2018, showing that he has ridiculous volume coming to him, regardless of who’s at QB. His catch rate went from 64.1% in 2017 to 73.9% in 2018 and his TDs went from 4 to 9 over the same time period. He’s clearly got a good rapport with Cousins and I feel that if he and Cousins are healthy, a WR10 finish is basically his floor for this season.

Who could be a waiver pickup during the season? If you’re into streaming QBs, keep an eye out for Kirk Cousins, as his draft spot currently could leave him undrafted in some 10 team leagues. Alexander Mattison is also a guy who could wind up on the waiver wire early in the season. He’s a great handcuff for Dalvin Cook and might just be used in a 2 RB system anyways, similar to the rotation they had with Murray/Cook last year.

Who are the rookies to know on this team? Will any of them be relevant this year? Two offensive rookies, Alexander Mattison (ADP 153, RB52) and Irv Smith Jr (ADP 240, TE281) are the guys to check out this year. Mattison was drafted in the third round and he’s not quite relevant at his draft value, however, he is likely to get a decent share of carries this year based on Dalvin Cook’s injury history. He’s certainly going to be involved in the offense and not just taken out of moth balls once Cook gets hurt. Irv Smith Jr was drafted in the 2^nd round and was a bit of a surprise, considering the Vikings have Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph did sign a big contract this year, but the team has an out in 2020 and just has to eat the rest of his signing bonus against their cap. Smith should be slowly introduced into the offense and will be relevant in dynasty drafts, but is unlikely to be involved in redraft leagues this season.

Chicago Bears

bears

What’s changed since last year? The RB group in Chicago has had a shake-up – Jordan Howard was unceremoniously dumped on the Philadelphia Eagles for a sixth-round pick. The Bears then acquired Mike Davis, formerly of the Seahawks muddled backfield. Then, to cap it off, they drafted David Montgomery with their first available pick in the 2019 draft (third round). Montgomery showed some flash and we’ll get to him more in a bit. For now, it looks like the QB, WR and TE groups are the same as last year, while the RBs have received a decent upgrade.

Who is the breakout/3^rd year WR on the team? Last year’s rookie WR, Anthony Miller, appeared in 15 games, had catches in 12 of those games, but scored a whopping 7 TDs. He saw the bulk of his work in the middle of the season – he only had 4 catches over his last 5 games. Miller is definitely a guy who can benefit from a larger number of targets and might wind up being fantasy relevant this year. He’s definitely trusted by Mitch Trubisky to get the ball into the end zone.

Who is a sleeper you can draft? Anthony Miller is also the sleeper that has some good draft value. His current ADP of 141 (WR53) is far below his consensus ranking of 113 (WR45), so he can be drafted in the late rounds and has some great potential to make it to WR3 status this season. Allen Robinson also has a discrepancy between his ranking and ADP. His ADP is listed at 75 overall (WR31), but he’s ranked 61. If you can grab Allen Robinson in the 8^th round of your draft, that’s a good value for a #1 WR on a team that will likely want to throw the ball more than the 512 times they did last year. Other Bears like Montgomery (ADP 42, RB22), Tarik Cohen (ADP 69, RB31) and Trubisky (ADP 152, QB21) will be fantasy relevant, but are probably right about where they should be on the draft boards.

What stud can you draft without hesitation? The Bears will have an improved offense, but honestly, they don’t have any studs on this offense. I wouldn’t even recommend the DST as a “stud”, considering that they have a new coordinator this season and that last year’s league-leading 36 turnovers will be hard to replicate.

Who could be a waiver pickup during the season? Taylor Gabriel (ADP 293) is not being drafted anywhere and will be available during the first few weeks of the season. He current is listed as a starting WR on the team’s depth chart, so if he has early success, he may be able to hold off Anthony Miller from overtaking him. I also think that Cordarrelle Patterson could wind up as a heck of a gadget player, but is probably only worth owning in leagues that give points for return yards.

Who are the rookies to know on this team? Will any of them be relevant this year? David Montgomery is the rookie to know on the Bears in 2019. The team traded up with the Patriots to acquire him, and he was widely regarded as the 2^nd best RB talent in the draft. In his first action (week 1’s preseason game vs the Panthers), he had 3 carries for 16 yards and 1 TD, 3 catches for 30 yards in very limited play. Montgomery’s draft stock will continue to rise as the preseason goes on and he’s shown more and more with the first team. Currently, his ADP of 42 matches his consensus rank of 48, (he’s risen 10 spots in each category since last week) but when you consider he’s just the RB22, I think that’s probably good value considering his upside. If he winds up with a similar rookie year as say, Kareem Hunt (whom scouts have compared Montgomery to, and was drafted around the same spot), he could have over 300 touches and finish as a top 5 RB.

Detroit Lions

lions

What’s changed since last year? The Lions offense may not wind up looking a lot different in terms of results, but at least there’s several new names on the jerseys. Golden Tate was traded mid-way through last season and they signed Danny Amendola to take his place. They also got rid of 3^rd down back Theo Riddick, paving the way for Kerryon Johnson to be the guy, and possibly turn into a proper three down back. Finally, the Lions have changed their OC – Darrell Bevell is going to be calling plays this year. Known for his great running teams from Seattle, Bevell should provide a positive jolt to the offense. Of course, Bevell is also the guy who called a pass from the 1-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX .

Who is the breakout/3^rd year WR on the team? Third year WR Kenny Golladay (ADP 46, WR18), while technically not a breakout candidate (he had 70 receptions for 1063 yards last year and 5 TDs) could take another step forward and has a ceiling of being a top 10 guy. The third year with Matt Stafford will help him out, as well as having two other decent receivers to draw attention away from him.

Who is a sleeper you can draft? I have two guys in mind for sleepers on the Lions, based on their current draft positions. Danny Amendola (ADP 306, WR104) is available at the end of the draft or as a waiver pickup. He will play in the slot for the Lions and will be trying to fill the Golden Tate role. Tate had over 90 receptions each year he was in Detroit (he was extrapolated to have over 90 in the year he was traded). In a PPR league, Amendola is someone who could easily wind up as a WR3 just based on volume alone. I also like the value of T.J. Hockenson (ADP 143, TE13), especially given the scarcity at TE. He’s a rookie, so we’ll get to him in a moment.

What stud can you draft without hesitation? Gone are the days of Megatron in Detroit, and with him the last stud fantasy player that the Lions have had. There are no players I recommend drafting that are definitely going to become studs. Kerryon Johnson comes the closest, however I see his ceiling as maybe a top 15 guy at best.

Who could be a waiver pickup during the season? As I mentioned earlier, Danny Amendola will likely be available as a waiver pickup early in the season, but he’s likely to be snatched up quickly in PPR leagues, so if you like him, take him at the end of your draft instead. Another waiver possibility will be (the ageless?) C.J. Anderson. Anderson was nothing short of a fantasy stud in the last two games of 2018, filling in for Todd Gurley. 150 yards from scrimmage and a TD (each game) are hard to ignore, and probably got more than a few people a surprise championship to finish out 2018.

Who are the rookies to know on this team? Will any of them be relevant this year? With the 8^th overall pick in the 2019 draft, the Lions took tight end T.J. Hockenson from Iowa (now known as tight end U). Hockenson’s scouting report is glowing and he has a very high ceiling in the NFL. I do worry that the Lions have a history of drafting TEs high and not knowing what to do with them, but there’s a new regime in Detroit (new HC last year, new OC this year), so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re getting this right. Hockenson is currently being drafted as the 13^th TE, but he could wind up as a top 5 guy easily, given the depth of the position.

Green Bay Packers

packers

What’s changed since last year? The biggest change in Green Bay is the play caller. Out with Mike McCarthy and in with Matt LaFleur. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers was going to win that power struggle against McCarthy and I expect the Packers offense to be better this season. The Pack also parted ways with Randall Cobb, thus clearing the way for Marquez Valdes-Scantling to be the #2 WR behind Davante Adams. Aaron Jones (ADP 28, RB15) is also, supposedly, going to be the lead back this season, not really splitting with Jamaal Williams. There is a new coach, but I’m not sold on this increased usage and think that he’s being drafted too high right now.

Who is the breakout/3^rd year WR on the team? The Packers have a WR core full of young guys just itching to break out. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (ADP 112, WR44) leads the pack and is the most likely to reach the 1000 yard milestone this year. Equanimeous St. Brown (ADP 290, WR97) probably has the best measurables of the group, but is currently banged up and questionable for week 1. Geronimo Allison (ADP 118, WR 46) is in his 4^th season on the Packers and he is no secret in drafts. He had good numbers last year, but was only able to play 5 games. If we extrapolate his numbers, he winds up just shy of 1000 yards with 6 TDs. Filling out this group is Jake Kumerow (ADP 375, WR128) who has made some big plays during in preseason, but didn’t get a lot of playing time last year. Of these four guys, I think that Valdes-Scantling has the best chance to break out and be big deal in fantasy.

Who is a sleeper you can draft? I would argue that Valdes-Scantling and Allison are not sleepers since they are being taken in almost all drafts. With them taken out of the picture, I would recommend Equanimeous St. Brown as a sleeper you can nab at the end of the draft. This offense is led by Aaron Rodgers which means they’re going to throw the ball nearly 600 times, and that’s a ton of targets available, allowing for several WRs to thrive.

What stud can you draft without hesitation? This one’s easy – Davante Adams (ADP 8, WR2). Last season, Adams finished as the 3^rd WR in PPR scoring. His worst game was 16.1 points – if he had scored his floor all season long, he would have still be the WR12 on the season. He’s a hell of a wide out and don’t hesitate to grab him, PPR or not. Aaron Rodgers (ADP 48, QB3) gets an honorable mention here, but I don’t endorse taking a QB that early in single QB leagues.

Who could be a waiver pickup during the season? I could see Jake Kumerow being a waiver pickup later in the year, especially if injuries crop up in the WR group. Kumerow is probably the odd man out to start the season, but will stay on the roster and will see more action as other players wind up having to sit at different points of the season. Jimmy Graham (ADP 165, TE19) is a guy with a big name who fell off the fantasy radar the last few seasons. He’s in a good spot for a comeback player of the year type season, but isn’t currently being drafted. As we keep saying, with the positional scarcity at TE, anyone is a viable option, really.

Who are the rookies to know on this team? Will any of them be relevant this year? New TE Jace Sternberger is the only skill player that the Packers drafted who has a chance at being fantasy relevant this season. Sternberger was a 3^rd round pick this year and is not currently listed in Fantasypros’ ADP list. He will need to pass Jimmy Graham on the depth chart, because the Packers are unlikely to run a lot of two tight end formations.

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