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I've got a TON to say so let's get at it
No Fun in the Fantasy
Football Sun
There's a not-so-well-known
maxim in fantasy football that goes something like
this: some of the best trades that you will ever
make are the ones that you decline. Let us explain.
When you turned down that early-season offer of
Travis Henry for Javon Walker, you actually improved
your team by staying pat. We would like to sit down
with Arizona Cardinals' head coach Dennis Green
and explain our admittedly-flimsy theory to him
with regards to how he's handled his quarterbacks
this season. In week 13, Green inserted rookie seventh-round
draft pick John Navarre into the Cardinals' starting
lineup and the results were as predictable as a
Tom Clancy novel. On the day, Navarre completed
only 15 of 34 passes for 147 yards. He did manage
to connect with tight end Freddie Jones on a scoring
strike, but he also chucked four interceptions,
including three in to the second half to the Detroit
Lions' defense. With the Cardinals essentially dead
in the still-percolating NFC playoff race, we're
expecting to see the former Wolverine star at the
helm of the Arizona offense again in week 14. Had
coach Green just kept Josh McCown in the Cardinals'
lineup, it's conceivable that his team would be
still be in the midst of the wild-card race. Sure,
McCown wasn't great, but it's clear that he was
the team's best option at the position, and by virtue
of this, it further validates our theory: sometimes
doing nothing at all is better than trying to improve.
Hey c'mon—it's worked just fine for late-night
talk show host Jay Leno, right?
Payton…..ahem….its
Peyton Manning
With three touchdown passes
in Week 13, Peyton Manning now has 44 on the season,
four short of tying Dan Marino's single-season record.
Here's how he stacks up against his next two opponents:
• Week 14, @HOU:
Texans have allowed league-high 29 TD passes. Manning
has 12 TDs and 254.2 yards-per-game average in five
career games against Houston.
• Week 15, BAL: Ravens
have allowed NFL-low 10 TD passes, but Carson Palmer
just lit them up for 382 yards, three TDs. Why not
Manning?
TOP 12 Great Moments of Week
13
Moment 1
Indianapolis is on pace to
score 575 points, breaking the all-time season scoring
record of 556 points, held by Minnesota.
Moment of
the Week No. 2
Seattle scored 39 points, gained
507 yards ... and lost.
Moment of
the Week No. 3
Carolina has won four straight,
Buffalo has won six of its last eight -- and still
neither is above .500.
Moment of
the Week No. 4
Carolina and Buffalo, a combined
5-13 until three weeks ago, are a combined 6-0 since
and have outscored opponents 205-103.
Moment of
the Week No. 5
Arizona and The Giants are
a combined 0-6 since their coaches decided to change
quarterbacks. Up until that point, they were a combined
9-9.
Moment of the Week
No. 6
Under Kurt Warner, the Giants
were 5-4 and outscored opponents by an average of
21-18. Since Eli Manning took over, the Giants have
gone 0-3 and been outscored 72-23.
Moment of the Week
No. 7
Miami quarterbacks have thrown
seven interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
A.J. Feely has thrown eight touchdown passes to
his teammates and five touchdown passes to the opposition.
Moment of the Week
No. 8
Wide receiver Troy Brown of
New England, pressed into duty as a nickelback,
recorded his second interception of the season.
Moment of the Week
No. 9
In four games against the NFC
North, Peyton Manning threw 19 touchdown passes
-- more than the total number of touchdown passes
thrown in all games by all but seven other NFL quarterbacks.
Moment of the Week
No. 10
The team of the West Coast
offense, the San Francisco Squared 4.949s -- see
below -- gained just 160 yards and recorded nine
first downs.
Moment of the Week
No. 11
The AFC East is on a combined
streak of 11-1, the NFC West on a combined streak
of 1-12. In the streaks, the sole AFC East loss
has come when two division teams played each other,
while the sole NFC West win has come when two division
teams played each other. (Stat submitted by reader
Werner Pisar of Beijing, China.)
Moment of the Week
No. 12
The 41 points in the first
quarter of Tennessee at Indianapolis game exceeded
the total points scored in the majority of the week's
15 other games.
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Monday Night
No one can complain about
this Monday-night matchup.
Jerry Rice became the NFL's career leader in combined
net yards Monday night, catching a 27-yard touchdown
pass from Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to
boost his 20-year total to 23,351 yards.
It was the 35th NFL record
for Rice, and the score put the Seahawks up 7-0
over Dallas. Fans chanted "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry"
as he ran to the sideline.
But it wasn’t all good
news for the Seasucks. The Cowboys scored a pair
of touchdowns in the final two minutes to rally
from 10 points behind and knock off the Seahawks
43-39. Dallas rookie RB Julius Jones scored three
touchdowns and ran for 198 yards to spark the underdog
Cowboys to the stunning win. The loss drops the
Seahawks into a first-place tie with St. Louis for
the NFC West lead, with each team at 6-6. However,
the Rams hold the tiebreaker edge, having beaten
Seattle twice this season.
Seattle trailed 29-17 heading
into the fourth quarter, but that’s when the
Seahawks’ offense finally got hot. RB Shaun
Alexander scored on a one-yard TD run to cut the
lead to five; then, after a Dallas punt, Seattle
QB Matt Hasselbeck threw a 19-yard TD pass to WR
Jerheme Urban. Hasselbeck completed a two-point
conversion pass to WR Darrell Jackson to give the
Seahawks a 32-29 advantage. Cowboys QB Vinny Testaverde
threw an interception on Dallas’ ensuing possession,
and four plays later, Alexander appeared to seal
the win with a 32-yard TD run, giving Seattle a
39-29 lead with 2:46 remaining.
But the Cowboys weren’t
ready to give up. Taking over at the Dallas 36,
Testaverde calmly moved his team down the field
and gave the Cowboys life by throwing a 34-yard
TD pass to WR Keyshawn Johnson in the back of the
endzone with 1:45 to play. PK Billy Cundiff then
attempted an onside kick, and Cowboys TE Jason Witten
leaped high to recover the kick with 1:45 to play.
Jones did the rest. He ran for 42 yards on the Cowboys’
final drive, including scoring from 17 yards out
with 32 seconds on the clock, putting Dallas ahead
for good. Hasselbeck’s final desperation heave
as time expired fell incomplete, giving the Cowboys
the win.
Seattle has now lost two in
a row and three of its last four games. Dallas,
on the other hand, won its second in a row on the
heels of a three-game losing streak.
AFC
Three weeks ago, it appeared
the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Baltimore
Ravens were sure things in the AFC playoffs, meaning
wild-card possibilities at bare minimum.
Now they're fighting for their
playoff lives. Believing your press clippings in
November can turn into a December disaster.
The Jaguars have lost three consecutive games to
fall to 6-6, while the 7-5 Broncos and 7-5 Ravens
both have lost two of their past three. Suddenly,
other 6-6 teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and
the Buffalo Bills are alive and well in the AFC
playoff picture -- a few weeks after being left
for dead.
It's taken some time, but the
AFC is starting to look a whole lot more like the
NFC: A few good teams, four in this case, and the
rest fighting and clawing just to make it in. OK,
not nearly as bad as the NFC, where those 5-7 teams
still have a chance.
Bad sign for AFC teams: The
Patriots ran for 225 yards on 50 carries, showing
their running game is getting primed for the playoffs.
Corey Dillon had 100 yards rushing while Kevin Faulk
ran for 87. Tom Brady added 157 yards through the
air.
The Bills have suddenly climbed back in the postseason
picture, overcoming an 0-4 start to win six of their
last eight, including a 42-32 victory at Miami on
Sunday.
Buffalo (6-6) has four games left and is among five
teams that have a realistic shot at winning the
AFC's sixth and final playoff berth.
The group of contenders includes
Denver and Baltimore, both 7-5, and two 6-6 teams:
Jacksonville and Cincinnati.
The Bills aren't in the driver's
seat, considering Baltimore and Jacksonville have
the tiebreaker edge because they've both beaten
Buffalo this season.
But the Bills might have an advantage in their relatively
easy stretch - Cleveland (3-9), Cincinnati and San
Francisco (1-11) before hosting Pittsburgh (11-1)
in their season finale.
NFC
Several NFC teams that won this week to go to 5-7
must be feeling pretty good about themselves. That's
because with the NFC so wide open, a team could
lose seven games and still make the playoffs as
a wild card. The Vikings (7-5) and Rams (6-6) hold
the last two spots right now, but the Bears, Buccaneers,
Lions and Panthers all won in Week 13 and are merely
one game back of the Rams.
Some of these teams got to 5-7 by defeating an opponent
with a winning record. The Buccaneers had a convincing
shutout victory over the Falcons, who could have
clinched the division with a win. The Bears came
from behind with a new quarterback, Chad Hutchinson,
and a healthy defense to defeat the Vikings 24-14.
And the Panthers outscored the Saints to come out
of New Orleans with their notch.
Right now, the mindset of these
5-7 teams is positively strong. "We can really
make the playoffs," is what they all must believe.
The season isn't over -- "do you believe in
miracles?" They figure they have to win their
final four games to have a realistic shot, but I
wouldn't be surprised if someone sneaks in with
an 8-8 record. And there's going to be tiebreakers
galore then.
After the Philadelphia Eagles,
name another team in the conference that any sober
person would consider a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
I'm not that sure one existed before Week 13. I
have even stronger doubts that one will emerge through
the final four weeks of the season, or the first
three weekends of the postseason for that matter.
The Green Bay Packers had offered
at least a little bit of promise in the form of
a six-game winning streak, culminating with a blowout
primetime win over St. Louis in Week 12. Then came
Week 13's kickoff in Lincoln Financial Field. The
game had barely started when the Eagles blew open
a big lead on the way to a 47-17 victory. Red-hot
Packers? On a balmy December afternoon in the Northeast,
when the thermometer hit 55 degrees, they made their
own frozen tundra seem like a desert oasis.
The Minnesota Vikings were
7-4 at the start of the day. Their opponent, the
Chicago Bears, were so desperate for a starting
quarterback that they handed the job to a former
baseball player at the bottom of their not-so-sterling
depth chart: Chad Hutchinson. Chad Hutchinson vs.
Daunte Culpepper. No contest, right? Right ... except
it was Hutchinson who threw three touchdown passes
and Culpepper who threw three interceptions in a
stunning Vikings loss. another team that is going
to stop the Eagles from ending their three-year
losing streak in the NFC Championship Game? You
can't.
Browns
A source close to Pioli confirmed Pioli would have
interest in interviewing for “the right position,”
and classified the Browns' GM post as “pretty
close to it.”
The Browns are being extremely cautious in the interview
process not to turn off potential candidates. For
example, former Packers and Seahawks cap guru Mike
Reinfeldt — he turned down a contract extension
in Seattle on Feb. 26 — spoke with the Browns
last week. But the Browns were particularly angered
that the news went public. Cleveland views Reinfeldt
not as a GM candidate, but a salary-cap manager,
and was leery of giving any sign of a commitment.
Leading candidates uch as Pioli and Savage, according
to the Browns, could be turned off by news that
Reinfeldt is being considered, as it is customary
for general managers to fill such positions by hiring
from under their own networking umbrella.
Reports over the next four weeks won’t be
easy to follow, but fans in Cleveland should know
this much: The Browns aren’t about to make
a move without seeking permission to discuss their
GM opening with Pioli and Savage.
He Said What??
Former Dolphins RB Ricky Williams quoted in the
Los Angeles Times on whether or not he still is
interested in playing football: “I can’t
shut the door on anything because I haven’t
found my purpose. So I’m not going to say
what it is or isn’t. I can’t even say
what I’m going to do tomorrow, because I know
that tomorrow might not come. The only thing that
I have that’s real is this moment right now.”
Jaguars head coach Jack Del
Rio quoted in the Florida Times-Union on the importance
of this Sunday’s loss vs. the Steelers: “Some
things don’t really need to be said. Some
things grown men can figure out for themselves.”
Bills CB Troy Vincent quoted
in the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle on
his excitement about getting back to the field soon
after undergoing knee surgery earlier this season:
“I’m optimistic. I’m just tired
of holding hats and cheerleading. It’s been
a long eight weeks.”
49ers RB Kevan Barlow quoted
in the San Jose Mercury News on the perception that
e has been an NFL bust: “I am not a failure.
I’m not going to be a letdown. I am not a
bust. Hell, no. It isn’t in my blood.”
Jets QB Chad Pennington quoted
in the New York Post on how strong his arm is after
rehabbing from a shoulder injury: “Sometimes
when you make deep, deep throws, you feel like you
have just gotten your arm out of a box and it is
a little bit rusty and you are trying something
new on. I need to get back into the rhythm and in
a groove and get my feet coherent with my arm and
my mind.”
Quick Hit on College Football
and The Heisman Trophy Candidates
1. Cedric Benson,
RB, Texas (10-1)
Season stats: 303 carries, 1,792 yards, 19 TDs;
22 catches, 179 yards, 1 TD
He has been criticized for saying he would rather
win the Heisman than beat Oklahoma. If Texas had
been able to beat the Sooners, the award may be
his. Instead, he failed to rush for 100 yards in
that game, the only time he did not cross the 100-yard
mark this year.
2. Alex Smith, QB,
Utah (Jr.) (11-0)
Season stats: 185-of-280, 2,624 yards, 28 TDs, 4
INTs; 120 rushes, 697 yards gained, 10 TDs
If voters got a chance to spend more time with the
top candidates before casting their votes, Smith
might come away with the trophy.
3. Adrian Peterson,
RB, Oklahoma (Fr.) (12-0)
Season stats: 314 carries, 1,843 yards, 15 TDs
He came up big in the Sooners’ biggest games.
He has a rare combination of size, speed, strength,
balance and toughness. It doesn’t matter if
scouts say he is the best runner in college football,
or if he would be drafted the highest of any running
back in this year’s draft, were he to be eligible.
4. Reggie Bush, RB,
USC (Soph.) (12-0)
Season stats: 137 carries, 833 yards, 6 TDs; 41
catches, 478 yards, 7 TDs; 23 punt returns, 369
yards, 2 TDs; 19 kickoff returns, 501 yards; 1-of-1
passing, 52 yards, 1 TD Bush had a going-out party
vs. UCLA and made a strong case for his candidancy,
but not excelling in one area, having to split time
in a crowded backfield, being too versatile and
acting too much as a decoy throughout the season
will likely diminish Bush’s chances, as will
having to split votes with Leinart.
5. Jason White, QB,
Oklahoma (12-0)
Season stats: 231-of-354, 2,961 yards, 33 TDs, 6
INTs
White’s numbers are nearly as impressive as
they were a year ago, and he has one less loss.
However, if he sticks to what he said earlier in
the year, Adrian Peterson will receive his vote.
White’s comeback story from knee injuries
was well-documented a year ago, and after being
granted a sixth year of eligibility, the story only
grew more legendary.
6. Matt Leinart, QB,
USC (Jr.) (12-0)
Season stats: 251-of 377, 2,990 yards, 28 TDs, 6
INTs
With a new offensive line, new receivers and no
Mike Williams, Leinart had every bit as good of
a season as he did a year ago, when he led the Trojans
to three comeback victories and outproduced his
predecessor, 2002 Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer.
7. Jason Campbell,
QB, Auburn (12-0)
Season stats: 177-of-254, 2,511 yards, 19 TDs, 6
INTs
Campbell finished the season with a career outing
vs. Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference championship
game, and his efficient performance was a huge reason
for the Tigers’ undefeated season. He exceeded
all expectations and escaped the inconsistency that
marked his play early in his career.
8. Aaron Rodgers,
QB, California (Jr.) (10-1)
Season stats: 185-of-274, 2,320 yards, 23 TDs, 7
INTs
In a head-to-head matchup with Matt Leinart, Rodgers
was clearly the more talented quarterback, and he
may have turned in the most outstanding effort by
any quarterback in the country.
Final Words
Wager ON Football Play of the
Week
Leading 17-14 in the fourth
quarter, underdog Chicago faced third-and-goal on
the Minnesota 5. The Bears did a "jumble"
-- the skill players all lined up on one side, then
shifted to the other side, then shifted a third
time and set. Who-dat reserve fullback Jason McKie
went in motion right as if to block; just-in-off-the-street
quarterback Chad Hutchinson rolled right. McKie
suddenly turned up the field and caught the touchdown
pass that put the Chicago Mingdingxiong ("bears
whose outcomes are decided by fate" in Mandarin)
in command. Coming into the game, McKie had three
career receptions. The play was to McKie all the
way, and he was ignored by the Vikings defense.
Designing a critical-situation play for a gentleman
with three career receptions was worthy of the WagerOnFootball.com
Play Of The Week..
In NFL scheduling news, next
week's Monday Night Football game pits 4-8 Kansas
City against 4-8 Tennessee. The following week,
MNF will showcase the Miami Dolphins, who may be
2-11 at kickoff. Please networks and league contract-meisters,
finalize a way to make December Monday night games
flexible, okay?
Now
get back to work...
Wager
On Football Writer Ray Monohan is an NFL analyst
with 10+ years of experience covering the NFL. He
provides a great perspective on the NFL with player
and team insight unmatched in the NFL football betting
industry.
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