Man, rhyming with 12 was tough.
Oh, and bear with me on this tangent. It won't take long. You can check for yourself, you DO have a scroll bar.
So I have a final paper for my Linear Algebra class (yes, a math paper) this semester, and it can be written about pretty much anything as long as it can be connected to the subject. Seriously. My friend is knitting a hat and writing about how that relates to linear algebra. I'm not even sure what the scope of linear algebra is, if you're wondering, but as far as I know it's basically a wide-ranging application of matrices. My friend Nathan and I are tag-teaming on this paper (because we can), and since we are both pretty big sports fans we thought that it would be a good idea to write a paper about some application of linear algebra to sports.
Lo and behold, it turns out that some of the computations involved in the Division I Football BCS system utilize linear algebra! However, since we don't really care too much about college football (and there's WAY too many schools to get data for), I figured it would be more appropriate to use these calculations to rank something a little smaller, like the teams in the NFL! Turns out that I've already found two ranking methods (only one of which is actually used) that I could do myself, and I thought that looking at how the rankings for these systems turned out would be a good wrap-up for Week 12 in the NFL.
First, just a few notes:
1. The Bears defense is pretty good, and when their offense is able to harness the ridiculous speed they have at receiver in Johnny Knox and Devin Hester, they're pretty tough to cover (just ask Dmitri Patterson and Joselio Hanson). Having said that, Andy Reid's late game field-goal shenanigans and useless timeout to avoid a delay-of-game on 3rd-and-19 were bad.
2. I guess the Falcons are the best team in the NFC now? But if they lost to the Eagles who lost to the Bears who beat the Packers too, where does that leave the Bears? Why am I still talking about the Bears?
3. I am SO rooting for the NFC West champion to go 7-9, and for that team to be the Rams. It would involve a first-overall-pick-to-playoffs turnaround that mirrors the Dolphins' 1-15-to-11-5 one-year improvement from 2007 to 2008. Except that they would still be a losing team. On a related note, I would not mind so much if the Eagles lost the division to the Giants, because a wild card berth might mean playing a sub-.500 team in the playoffs, and that's just delightful.
4. What in the world is Dwayne Bowe doing? During the past seven games, in which he has scored a touchdown each time, he is averaging 7 receptions, 105 yards, and 1.9 touchdowns. As a reference point, if he did that for the entire season, he would have 112 receptions, 1675 yards (7th all-time), and 30 touchdowns (all time record). And since I have him on a fantasy team or two, that would put him on pace to be the overall leader in fantasy points for this season. Too bad he had fewer fantasy points in the first 4 weeks of the season than he has had each of the last three weeks...
5. Andre Johnson is a man. He has an intense deep voice (just check the Nike Vapor Trail Glove commercial), is the first player to record 60+ receptions in his first 8 years in the league, and beats down cornerbacks. Fortunately, he was able to accumulate fantasy points before he got ejected. Although I would have appreciated him getting suspended for one game since the Texans play the Eagles this week.
All right, so here's some power rankings based on Linear Algebra! The two ranking systems are based off of simple data (one by wins/losses, one by points for/against), but use an iterative calculation that allows teams to be accurately compared despite the NFL not having a round-robin format. Keep in mind that there is no human input into these models, just pure win/loss ratios or points scored/allowed for opponents. Which looks better to you?
Points For/Against
1. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
2. Atlanta Falcons (9-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
4. San Diego Chargers (6-5)
5. New York Jets (9-2)
6. New Orleans Saints (8-3)
T7. Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
T7. Indianapolis Colts (7-4)
9. New England Patriots (9-2)
10. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
...
12. Detroit Lions (2-9)
...
T15. Chicago Bears (8-3)
T15. Miami Dolphins (6-5)
...
T25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4)
...
27. St. Louis Rams (5-6) **The NFC-West-leading St. Louis Rams**
Wins/Losses (ranking for other system in parentheses)
1. Atlanta Falcons (2)
2. New England Patriots (9)
3. New York Jets (5)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (3)
5. Baltimore Ravens (7)
6. New Orleans Saints (6)
7. Chicago Bears (15)
8. Philadelphia Eagles (11)
9. Green Bay Packers (1)
10. Miami Dolphins (15)
...
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25)
...
15. San Diego Chargers (4)
...
24. St. Louis Rams (25) **Still leading the NFC West**
...
31. Detroit Lions (12)
For the record, I think that an appropriate ranking would be somewhere in the middle of these two systems, and for our paper I'm sure I will find some sort of weighting for the two computations to account for this. Someone's gotta do some justice with those Lions and Buccaneers...
Pay no attention to the man behind the numbers.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Frameshmania Week 12 Preview!
Thanksgiving weekend doesn't stop the NFL, and it doesn't stop me from pursuing fantasy glory. Or blogging about it. With two weeks left in the season, here's the standings:
9-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
9-2 Sabotage the League
6-4-1 Gym Tan Laundry
5-6 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
4-6-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
4-7 CodyRansom's Crew
3-8 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
3-8 Hometown Mamas
The Frameshmans all won last week, which meant that the top of the standings separated itself from the pack. With two weeks left and a tie-breaker lead, I just need to have the same record as Sabotage the League to claim the regular season crown. Gym Tan Laundry is in good position to keep a high seed in the playoffs, and with Mama's win last week and everyone else's loss, she can still make up ground and finish in a less-than-awful sixth place.
Week 11 saw my team put forth a very impressive effort, getting 19 or more points from 4 different players (including Greg Jennings with 33). This was fortunate, considering Matt had Aaron Rodgers (30 points) and had his best game of the year. Michael Vick continues to be my savior, leading my team to a 141-124 victory.
Regardless of my opponent, every game at this point in the year is important. I play my friend Steve (CodyRansom's Crew), who is led by the combo of Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson. His draft was rough, but he's still got some explosive players that could take me down. Having said that, he's already got 44 points from Deion Branch, Calvin Johnson, and Brandon Pettigrew on Thursday, and I'm freaking out about it. Here's last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB3 Jamaal CharlesWR2 Greg JenningsWR6 Brandon Lloyd
TE6 Chris Cooley
D/ST Chiefs
K Mason Crosby
Bench:
D/ST Browns
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
WR1 Andre Johnson
Roster Moves:
Dropped Chiefs D for Seahawks D
Dropped Garcon for Jason Snelling
The Chiefs got me good points last week and I intend to stream defenses against the hapless Panthers while I can, so I picked up the Seahawks for next week (as I have the Browns against them this week, fresh off a 20-point performance). Garcon will never see the starting lineup for me, so I figured that I'd drop him for some insurance in the form of Snelling, who has done very well as an injury replacement for Turner in the past.
Lineup changes:
Browns D (v. Panthers) in for Chiefs D (v. Seahawks)
Turner/Lloyd/Wallace (v. Packers/Rams/Bills) in for Bradshaw (v. Jaguars)
Johnson (v. Titans) in for Lloyd (v. Rams)
Browns play the Panthers this week, who are the worst against fantasy defenses this year. Bradshaw has fumbled enough that his coach has removed him as the starter, so I can't trust him enough to play him, especially with such depth on my roster. I'm just not sure right now whether I want to roll the dice with Michael Turner against a good defense or go with the big-play receivers in Lloyd and Wallace. Andre Johnson appears to be mostly healthy and not facing Derrelle Revis, so he's back in the lineup.
Hoopes already has 44 points from three players that aren't Adrian Peterson or his quarterback, which worries me, but I'll have to see what happens in the early games to see if it's worth worrying about. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Bears) vs. Matt Ryan (v. Packers) -- push
Foster (v. Titans) vs. Adrian Peterson (v. Redskins) -- Peterson +3
Charles (v. Seahawks) vs. Keilland Williams (v. Vikings) -- Push
Turner/Lloyd/Wallace (v. whoever) vs. Deion Branch (v. Lions) -- Branch +10
Jennings (v. Falcons) vs. Calvin Johnson (v. Patriots) -- Push
Johnson (v. Titans) vs. Larry Fitzgerald (v. 49ers) -- Johnson +4
Cooley (v. Vikings) vs. Brandon Pettigrew (v. Patriots) -- Push
Browns D (v. Panthers) vs. Raiders D (v. Dolphins) -- Push
Crosby (v. Falcons) vs. Graham Gano (v. Vikings)-- push
Verdict: I lose by 9, mostly by virtue of an anomalous performance from Deion Branch. I have to hope that Michael Vick is able to figure out the Bears defense, and that whoever I pick to play my flex position doesn't stink up the joint.
9-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
9-2 Sabotage the League
6-4-1 Gym Tan Laundry
5-6 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
4-6-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
4-7 CodyRansom's Crew
3-8 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
3-8 Hometown Mamas
The Frameshmans all won last week, which meant that the top of the standings separated itself from the pack. With two weeks left and a tie-breaker lead, I just need to have the same record as Sabotage the League to claim the regular season crown. Gym Tan Laundry is in good position to keep a high seed in the playoffs, and with Mama's win last week and everyone else's loss, she can still make up ground and finish in a less-than-awful sixth place.
Week 11 saw my team put forth a very impressive effort, getting 19 or more points from 4 different players (including Greg Jennings with 33). This was fortunate, considering Matt had Aaron Rodgers (30 points) and had his best game of the year. Michael Vick continues to be my savior, leading my team to a 141-124 victory.
Regardless of my opponent, every game at this point in the year is important. I play my friend Steve (CodyRansom's Crew), who is led by the combo of Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson. His draft was rough, but he's still got some explosive players that could take me down. Having said that, he's already got 44 points from Deion Branch, Calvin Johnson, and Brandon Pettigrew on Thursday, and I'm freaking out about it. Here's last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB3 Jamaal CharlesWR2 Greg JenningsWR6 Brandon Lloyd
TE6 Chris Cooley
D/ST Chiefs
K Mason Crosby
Bench:
D/ST Browns
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
WR1 Andre Johnson
Roster Moves:
Dropped Chiefs D for Seahawks D
Dropped Garcon for Jason Snelling
The Chiefs got me good points last week and I intend to stream defenses against the hapless Panthers while I can, so I picked up the Seahawks for next week (as I have the Browns against them this week, fresh off a 20-point performance). Garcon will never see the starting lineup for me, so I figured that I'd drop him for some insurance in the form of Snelling, who has done very well as an injury replacement for Turner in the past.
Lineup changes:
Browns D (v. Panthers) in for Chiefs D (v. Seahawks)
Turner/Lloyd/Wallace (v. Packers/Rams/Bills) in for Bradshaw (v. Jaguars)
Johnson (v. Titans) in for Lloyd (v. Rams)
Browns play the Panthers this week, who are the worst against fantasy defenses this year. Bradshaw has fumbled enough that his coach has removed him as the starter, so I can't trust him enough to play him, especially with such depth on my roster. I'm just not sure right now whether I want to roll the dice with Michael Turner against a good defense or go with the big-play receivers in Lloyd and Wallace. Andre Johnson appears to be mostly healthy and not facing Derrelle Revis, so he's back in the lineup.
Hoopes already has 44 points from three players that aren't Adrian Peterson or his quarterback, which worries me, but I'll have to see what happens in the early games to see if it's worth worrying about. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Bears) vs. Matt Ryan (v. Packers) -- push
Foster (v. Titans) vs. Adrian Peterson (v. Redskins) -- Peterson +3
Charles (v. Seahawks) vs. Keilland Williams (v. Vikings) -- Push
Turner/Lloyd/Wallace (v. whoever) vs. Deion Branch (v. Lions) -- Branch +10
Jennings (v. Falcons) vs. Calvin Johnson (v. Patriots) -- Push
Johnson (v. Titans) vs. Larry Fitzgerald (v. 49ers) -- Johnson +4
Cooley (v. Vikings) vs. Brandon Pettigrew (v. Patriots) -- Push
Browns D (v. Panthers) vs. Raiders D (v. Dolphins) -- Push
Crosby (v. Falcons) vs. Graham Gano (v. Vikings)-- push
Verdict: I lose by 9, mostly by virtue of an anomalous performance from Deion Branch. I have to hope that Michael Vick is able to figure out the Bears defense, and that whoever I pick to play my flex position doesn't stink up the joint.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Week 11, I Already Rhymed Seven with Heaven
Guess what? It's almost Thanksgiving! And, you know, being American, I love me some Thanksgiving. Some nice family time, some great food, some parade/dog show action, and some Thursday football. So, being the cool person I am, I'm gonna do a little Thanksgiving-style recap of Week 11 (I know, it's not actually Thanksgiving yet, but I do what I want here, people).
So...
Five Things I'm Thankful for from NFL Week 11
1. Eli Manning's general ineptitude: A missed pass to Hakeem Nicks late in the game, an awful slide/dive that caused him to fumble (and would not have had he slid feet-first), and three interceptions (including one at the end of the game that caused my friend Alex to win his fantasy game by 0.04 points)
2. Brad Childress finally getting fired by the Vikings after a 31-3 shillacking (love that word) against their division-rival Packers. Hopefully Brett Favre will be next, because he just looks awful.
3. Dwayne Bowe, Arian Foster, and Greg Jennings, for making me look good in fantasy-- again.
4. Not being a fan of the Vikings (3-7) , Cowboys (3-7), or Giants (Eli Manning; nuff said). Although the Giants' Super Bowl win would be nice... Who would have thought that the Eagles' last five games of the season (against the Texans, Cowboys twice, Giants, and Vikings) would be a stretch that screams 5-0?
5. The Steelers laying a 35-3 smackdown on the Raiders and reminding them that they are, and will always be, the Raiders.
How about some Thanksgiving analogies? That would be fun.
White meat: The classic, favorite part of the turkey, always satisfying.
How about the New England Patriots? After a Super Bowl run earlier in the decade and a 16-0 regular season in 2007, the Patriots have been an elite team for years, and now they're back on top after a 31-28 win against the Colts. Granted, Peyton Manning threw a generally-ill-advised interception when the Colts were in field goal range late in the game, but...
Dark meat: Delicious, under-appreciated, a dark-horse perhaps?
Yes, I'm a homer. But I don't think that you can argue with the Eagles' 27-17 win against the Giants last night to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East. The Giants used a pretty good gameplan against Michael Vick, rushing on the left to force him to run right, which (being a lefty) almost guarantees that he's not going to pass it. The Giants eliminated the deep pass from the Eagles' offense, but we were still able to get it done. An explosive offense and opportunistic defense... hmm... sounds like last year's Saints?
Cranberry Sauce: Doesn't really look pretty, but boy is it sweet.
With three straight very late wins against sub-.500 teams (they beat the 4-5 Texans on a TD pass with ten seconds left this week), the New York Jets are giving their fans a pretty exciting run (trust me, I live with one). However, you gotta be at least a little bit worried about a team that's winning like that so often. Once they play teams that know how to win games late, they might have a little more trouble. Games against the Patriots and Steelers will show mroe about this team, but an 8-2 record is hard to argue with.
Stuffing: A mish-mash of foods that can be hit-or-miss depending on the chef or the ingredients
The Dallas Cowboys were 1-7 with Wade Phillips as head coach, and now they fire him and suddenly their offense is explosive despite lacking their starting/franchise quarterback? Some ingredients (quarterback) may be mixed-and-matched fine, but when you have a good base (talented skill players in Felix Jones, Miles Austin, and Dez Bryant) it might just be about the preparation (Jason Garrett vs. Wade Phillips)
National Dog Show after the parade: Not too many people are watching, but it's good anyway
Josh Freeman started 10 games last year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won 3 games, throwing 10 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. This year, he has started 10 games and won 7, throwing 14 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Nobody's giving them any credit, but they have a young, solid quarterback, good young skill players in Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount, and a defense that is 6th against the pass in an NFL that is all about passing these days. I don't know if they will be able to hold up against division rivals in New Orleans (7-3) and Atlanta (8-2), but they're giving it a good run without anyone caring much.
So...
Five Things I'm Thankful for from NFL Week 11
1. Eli Manning's general ineptitude: A missed pass to Hakeem Nicks late in the game, an awful slide/dive that caused him to fumble (and would not have had he slid feet-first), and three interceptions (including one at the end of the game that caused my friend Alex to win his fantasy game by 0.04 points)
2. Brad Childress finally getting fired by the Vikings after a 31-3 shillacking (love that word) against their division-rival Packers. Hopefully Brett Favre will be next, because he just looks awful.
3. Dwayne Bowe, Arian Foster, and Greg Jennings, for making me look good in fantasy-- again.
4. Not being a fan of the Vikings (3-7) , Cowboys (3-7), or Giants (Eli Manning; nuff said). Although the Giants' Super Bowl win would be nice... Who would have thought that the Eagles' last five games of the season (against the Texans, Cowboys twice, Giants, and Vikings) would be a stretch that screams 5-0?
5. The Steelers laying a 35-3 smackdown on the Raiders and reminding them that they are, and will always be, the Raiders.
How about some Thanksgiving analogies? That would be fun.
White meat: The classic, favorite part of the turkey, always satisfying.
How about the New England Patriots? After a Super Bowl run earlier in the decade and a 16-0 regular season in 2007, the Patriots have been an elite team for years, and now they're back on top after a 31-28 win against the Colts. Granted, Peyton Manning threw a generally-ill-advised interception when the Colts were in field goal range late in the game, but...
Dark meat: Delicious, under-appreciated, a dark-horse perhaps?
Yes, I'm a homer. But I don't think that you can argue with the Eagles' 27-17 win against the Giants last night to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East. The Giants used a pretty good gameplan against Michael Vick, rushing on the left to force him to run right, which (being a lefty) almost guarantees that he's not going to pass it. The Giants eliminated the deep pass from the Eagles' offense, but we were still able to get it done. An explosive offense and opportunistic defense... hmm... sounds like last year's Saints?
Cranberry Sauce: Doesn't really look pretty, but boy is it sweet.
With three straight very late wins against sub-.500 teams (they beat the 4-5 Texans on a TD pass with ten seconds left this week), the New York Jets are giving their fans a pretty exciting run (trust me, I live with one). However, you gotta be at least a little bit worried about a team that's winning like that so often. Once they play teams that know how to win games late, they might have a little more trouble. Games against the Patriots and Steelers will show mroe about this team, but an 8-2 record is hard to argue with.
Stuffing: A mish-mash of foods that can be hit-or-miss depending on the chef or the ingredients
The Dallas Cowboys were 1-7 with Wade Phillips as head coach, and now they fire him and suddenly their offense is explosive despite lacking their starting/franchise quarterback? Some ingredients (quarterback) may be mixed-and-matched fine, but when you have a good base (talented skill players in Felix Jones, Miles Austin, and Dez Bryant) it might just be about the preparation (Jason Garrett vs. Wade Phillips)
National Dog Show after the parade: Not too many people are watching, but it's good anyway
Josh Freeman started 10 games last year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won 3 games, throwing 10 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. This year, he has started 10 games and won 7, throwing 14 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Nobody's giving them any credit, but they have a young, solid quarterback, good young skill players in Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount, and a defense that is 6th against the pass in an NFL that is all about passing these days. I don't know if they will be able to hold up against division rivals in New Orleans (7-3) and Atlanta (8-2), but they're giving it a good run without anyone caring much.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Frameshmania Week 11 Preview!
Another week, another win for the Big Tymers, I guess. In the two leagues that I care about, I haven't lost in 7 weeks. Unfortunately, in this league I can't shake Sabotage the League, and he's made some nice moves to improve for the playoff run.
8-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
8-2 Sabotage the League
5-4-1 Gym Tan Laundry
5-5 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
4-5-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
4-6 CodyRansom's Crew
3-7 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
2-8 Hometown Mamas
The middle of the pack stays murky, as the previously-surging CodyRansom's Crew lost last week and Delco's Sidearm Stud won for the second week in a row. Looks like there's a clear-cut top two teams and a clear-cut bottom two, and the last three weeks of the regular season will be big for the middle teams to jockey for position.
Week 10 was the Michael Vick/wide receiver show, as Vick, Andre Johnson, and Brandon Lloyd combined for 90 points, leading me to victory despite GTL getting 20-point performances from David Garrard, Frank Gore, and Roddy White. Vick's ungodly Monday Night performance turned an 18 point deficit into a 32-point blowout, as I took down my brother 131-99.
This week's matchup is a battle of bragging rights with my friend Matt's team, JETS Jets Jets Jets. He's got explosive players (Aaron Rodgers, Chris Johnson, etc.) that could always have a big day, and from what I've seen of my players' matchups, this may be the week I finally trip up. Not only that, but the Bye weeks are over, so it's time to see how my full roster fares at this point in the season. Here's last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
WR1 Andre Johnson
WR6 Brandon Lloyd
TE6 Chris Cooley
D/ST Giants
K Dan Carpenter
Bench:
QB3 Ryan Fitzpatrick
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB3 Jamaal CharlesWR2 Greg Jennings
Roster Moves:
Dropped Giants D for Chiefs D
Dropped Fitzpatrick for Browns D
Dropped Carpenter for Mason Crosby
The Giants did not do very well for me last week and have a tougher schedule coming up, so I picked up the Chiefs (who should be angry after allowing 49 points last week) against the Cardinals. I figure that since bye weeks are over, people won't need backup quarterbacks, so lining myself up for a defense next week seemed like a good forward-thinking move (the Browns play the Panthers next week, who have no quarterback or running backs). Carpenter had a tough matchup this week (he played Thursday and got 0 points, incidentally), and Crosby did fine for me earlier in the season and has a more reliable offense.
Lineup changes:
Miller (v. Steelers) in for Cooley (v. Titans)
Charles (v. Cardinals) in for Bradshaw (v. Eagles)
Chiefs D (v. Cardinals) in for Giants D (v. Eagles)
Crosby (v. Vikings) in for Carpenter (v. Bears)
Jennings (v. Vikings) in for Johnson (v. Jets)
Zach Miller seems to be healthy off the bye, so he's my starter regardless of matchup. The Eagles' run defense has been hit-or-miss, and I'm going to err on the side of being able to wholeheartedly root for my team and start Charles, and I don't feel as bad about it since he's playing a really bad defense. Yes, I'm scared of Revis Island, but I'm also worried about injuries to both Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, and I got burned last week by not sitting my stud (Turner) against a tough matchup.
Nobody in this matchup played Thursday (thankfully for me), but I'm gonna need a nice game from my stud running backs against not-so-friendly matchups. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Giants) vs. Aaron Rodgers (v. Vikings) -- push
Turner (v. Rams) vs. Chris Johnson (v. Redskins) -- Johnson +3
Foster (v. Jets) vs. Lesean McCoy (v. Giants) -- McCoy +3
Charles (v. Cardinals) vs. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (v. Colts) -- Charles +2
Jennings (v. Vikings) vs. Reggie Wayne (v. Patriots) -- Push
Lloyd (v. Chiefs) vs. Chad Ochocinco (v. Bills) -- Lloyd +3
Miller (v. Steelers) vs. Todd Heap (v. Panthers) -- Push
Chiefs D (v. Cardinals) vs. Jets D (v. Texans) -- Chiefs +3
Crosby (v. Vikings) vs. Matt Bryant (v. Rams)-- push
Verdict: I win by 2, which basically just means that I have no idea what's going to happen. This game will hinge on the Packers/Vikings and Eagles/Giants matchups, and here's hoping that Greg Jennings is the only one catching Rodgers' touchdowns.
8-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
8-2 Sabotage the League
5-4-1 Gym Tan Laundry
5-5 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
4-5-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
4-6 CodyRansom's Crew
3-7 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
2-8 Hometown Mamas
The middle of the pack stays murky, as the previously-surging CodyRansom's Crew lost last week and Delco's Sidearm Stud won for the second week in a row. Looks like there's a clear-cut top two teams and a clear-cut bottom two, and the last three weeks of the regular season will be big for the middle teams to jockey for position.
Week 10 was the Michael Vick/wide receiver show, as Vick, Andre Johnson, and Brandon Lloyd combined for 90 points, leading me to victory despite GTL getting 20-point performances from David Garrard, Frank Gore, and Roddy White. Vick's ungodly Monday Night performance turned an 18 point deficit into a 32-point blowout, as I took down my brother 131-99.
This week's matchup is a battle of bragging rights with my friend Matt's team, JETS Jets Jets Jets. He's got explosive players (Aaron Rodgers, Chris Johnson, etc.) that could always have a big day, and from what I've seen of my players' matchups, this may be the week I finally trip up. Not only that, but the Bye weeks are over, so it's time to see how my full roster fares at this point in the season. Here's last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
WR1 Andre Johnson
WR6 Brandon Lloyd
TE6 Chris Cooley
D/ST Giants
K Dan Carpenter
Bench:
QB3 Ryan Fitzpatrick
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB3 Jamaal CharlesWR2 Greg Jennings
Roster Moves:
Dropped Giants D for Chiefs D
Dropped Fitzpatrick for Browns D
Dropped Carpenter for Mason Crosby
The Giants did not do very well for me last week and have a tougher schedule coming up, so I picked up the Chiefs (who should be angry after allowing 49 points last week) against the Cardinals. I figure that since bye weeks are over, people won't need backup quarterbacks, so lining myself up for a defense next week seemed like a good forward-thinking move (the Browns play the Panthers next week, who have no quarterback or running backs). Carpenter had a tough matchup this week (he played Thursday and got 0 points, incidentally), and Crosby did fine for me earlier in the season and has a more reliable offense.
Lineup changes:
Miller (v. Steelers) in for Cooley (v. Titans)
Charles (v. Cardinals) in for Bradshaw (v. Eagles)
Chiefs D (v. Cardinals) in for Giants D (v. Eagles)
Crosby (v. Vikings) in for Carpenter (v. Bears)
Jennings (v. Vikings) in for Johnson (v. Jets)
Zach Miller seems to be healthy off the bye, so he's my starter regardless of matchup. The Eagles' run defense has been hit-or-miss, and I'm going to err on the side of being able to wholeheartedly root for my team and start Charles, and I don't feel as bad about it since he's playing a really bad defense. Yes, I'm scared of Revis Island, but I'm also worried about injuries to both Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, and I got burned last week by not sitting my stud (Turner) against a tough matchup.
Nobody in this matchup played Thursday (thankfully for me), but I'm gonna need a nice game from my stud running backs against not-so-friendly matchups. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Giants) vs. Aaron Rodgers (v. Vikings) -- push
Turner (v. Rams) vs. Chris Johnson (v. Redskins) -- Johnson +3
Foster (v. Jets) vs. Lesean McCoy (v. Giants) -- McCoy +3
Charles (v. Cardinals) vs. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (v. Colts) -- Charles +2
Jennings (v. Vikings) vs. Reggie Wayne (v. Patriots) -- Push
Lloyd (v. Chiefs) vs. Chad Ochocinco (v. Bills) -- Lloyd +3
Miller (v. Steelers) vs. Todd Heap (v. Panthers) -- Push
Chiefs D (v. Cardinals) vs. Jets D (v. Texans) -- Chiefs +3
Crosby (v. Vikings) vs. Matt Bryant (v. Rams)-- push
Verdict: I win by 2, which basically just means that I have no idea what's going to happen. This game will hinge on the Packers/Vikings and Eagles/Giants matchups, and here's hoping that Greg Jennings is the only one catching Rodgers' touchdowns.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Lyin' Tiger and... Bears? Oh, my
In the past year or so, we as sports fans have been confronted with some compelling dilemmas when it comes to placing our allegiances with athletes. Almost a year ago, Tiger Woods' car hit a tree, and his life and career went into a tailspin. (His gas tank must have been leaking... secrets!) As it turned out, Tiger had committed several infidelities with different women, which all came to light over the following weeks. He and his wife, Elin, attempted to reconcile this issue, but I'm sure the scope of it all (thanks, ESPN/TMZ) made a return to normalcy, and trust for that matter, impossible. So, they got divorced, and now Tiger is making the media rounds he should have done ten months ago and clearing the air with regards to how he feels about all this.
What is compelling for me through all this is what happened to his public image. Woods was one of the most recognized and beloved sports icons in the world a year ago, which is impressive considering he plays golf, a sport that 95 percent of Americans would not be able to bear watching for more than half an hour. His approval rating was over 80 percent (yes, CNN keeps this sort of data) at this time last year, and once his infidelity came to light, his rating was down to 34 percent. He lost many of his endorsements, of which he had many, and considering he wasn't earning much in terms of golf tournaments, that has a big impact on his net worth (I know, cry me a river, but he's got a life too).
And yet in July, an annual Harris poll revealed that Woods retained his title as America's Favorite Sports Star (a title he has held since 2006), although he was tied for the first time in that run (with Kobe Bryant; more on him in a moment).
So how do explain yourself, America? The guy broke one of the Ten Commandments several times, and abused his public image as a means to this end! And what about Kobe? He admitted to an adulterous relationship that initially was reported as sexual assault, and both of these guys are America's favorite athletes?
The sad truth of it is that the difference between these guys and the Pacman Jones/Ron Artest/Latrell Sprewell category is that Kobe and Tiger have titles. A lot of them. This probably doesn't make sense logically, but American sports fans do a pretty good job of parsing performance on the court/field from performance in unrelated domains, and if you are a winner, people see you as a winner. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss have two things in common: they have poor public images (though no legal troubles), and they haven't won anything. Kobe has won multiple championships since his whole scandal, and I think that Tiger's not-so-hot performance on the course lately is what kept him from holding the Favorite Sports Star title by himself, because he certainly has the career success that Kobe has.
People who pay sufficient attention to sports just don't have as strong moral sensibilities as people who don't, I guess. Perhaps it's related to the fact that they spend time on such a pointless enterprise as paying attention to people they don't know playing a game they can't play rather than making the world a better place or something. Maybe sports fans are just bad people; certainly would explain New York/Boston/Philly fans, and this. We care a lot more about punishing people who cheated the game (Bonds, McGwire, etc.) than people who cheated their wives, children, friends, or anyone else, and that's just how sick our society has become.
__________________________________________________________________________________
But what do we do now with Michael Vick?
The guy funded and participated in a dog-fighting ring, occasionally actively killing dogs. He served almost two years in jail for this offense and disgraced the Falcons franchise that put so much money and faith into him. He got out of jail last summer, and was allowed back into the league after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to him and reported that Vick seemed to have genuine remorse for his actions.
Of course, animal rights enthusiasts will be all, "An apology is not good enough! He can't undo what he did," but if there were no forgiveness in the world, society would fail. I understand that he did horrible things to animals, but we have to keep in mind that our legal system is designed to appropriately punish for crimes, and after that (in theory) the culprit is allowed to continue living just like everyone else. If NFL teams felt like Vick was a bad seed or whatever, they could just ignore him and not worry about it, and he wouldn't get the opportunity to take advantage of the privilege that is playing pro football.
Well, Andy Reid puts a premium on forgiveness and redemption since his sons have had their share of troubles, and he picked Vick up. Now, Vick is a legitimate MVP candidate and just put together one of the greatest quarterback performances of all time (20-28, 333 yards, 4 TD; 8 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD). Steve Young may as well have been standing there pumping helium straight into Vick's ego balloon after the Monday Night game, and NFL analysts are abuzz about the indefensible Eagles offense. So is Vick already back to being forgiven by the sports community?
First of all, Michael Vick was never on the level of Tiger Woods in terms of public opinion, but he was a well-known and exciting player that drew a lot of attention to his team and the league. But is a forgettable first season (though without incident and with many anti-dogfighting events) and an excellent half of a season enough to get people to forget about the images they saw as his crimes came to light? What's weird to me is that this offense is probably more likely to linger than Woods' (and certainly Kobe's), and the only explanation is that people REALLY care about dogs, for whatever reason (and I'm not going to get into my opinion on our obsession with pets). I think we treat cruelty toward animals as tantamount to cruelty toward people, which is really quite magnanimous of us as a species, considering natural selection and all that. I also think that it just might be that dogfighting and animal cruelty are more unique than cheating and sexual abuse, so they're more abhorrent by our estimation.
So, if Michael Vick really wants to get back into the good graces of the sports community, he should probably win the Eagles a Super Bowl this year. Just saying.
What is compelling for me through all this is what happened to his public image. Woods was one of the most recognized and beloved sports icons in the world a year ago, which is impressive considering he plays golf, a sport that 95 percent of Americans would not be able to bear watching for more than half an hour. His approval rating was over 80 percent (yes, CNN keeps this sort of data) at this time last year, and once his infidelity came to light, his rating was down to 34 percent. He lost many of his endorsements, of which he had many, and considering he wasn't earning much in terms of golf tournaments, that has a big impact on his net worth (I know, cry me a river, but he's got a life too).
And yet in July, an annual Harris poll revealed that Woods retained his title as America's Favorite Sports Star (a title he has held since 2006), although he was tied for the first time in that run (with Kobe Bryant; more on him in a moment).
So how do explain yourself, America? The guy broke one of the Ten Commandments several times, and abused his public image as a means to this end! And what about Kobe? He admitted to an adulterous relationship that initially was reported as sexual assault, and both of these guys are America's favorite athletes?
The sad truth of it is that the difference between these guys and the Pacman Jones/Ron Artest/Latrell Sprewell category is that Kobe and Tiger have titles. A lot of them. This probably doesn't make sense logically, but American sports fans do a pretty good job of parsing performance on the court/field from performance in unrelated domains, and if you are a winner, people see you as a winner. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss have two things in common: they have poor public images (though no legal troubles), and they haven't won anything. Kobe has won multiple championships since his whole scandal, and I think that Tiger's not-so-hot performance on the course lately is what kept him from holding the Favorite Sports Star title by himself, because he certainly has the career success that Kobe has.
People who pay sufficient attention to sports just don't have as strong moral sensibilities as people who don't, I guess. Perhaps it's related to the fact that they spend time on such a pointless enterprise as paying attention to people they don't know playing a game they can't play rather than making the world a better place or something. Maybe sports fans are just bad people; certainly would explain New York/Boston/Philly fans, and this. We care a lot more about punishing people who cheated the game (Bonds, McGwire, etc.) than people who cheated their wives, children, friends, or anyone else, and that's just how sick our society has become.
__________________________________________________________________________________
But what do we do now with Michael Vick?
The guy funded and participated in a dog-fighting ring, occasionally actively killing dogs. He served almost two years in jail for this offense and disgraced the Falcons franchise that put so much money and faith into him. He got out of jail last summer, and was allowed back into the league after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to him and reported that Vick seemed to have genuine remorse for his actions.
Of course, animal rights enthusiasts will be all, "An apology is not good enough! He can't undo what he did," but if there were no forgiveness in the world, society would fail. I understand that he did horrible things to animals, but we have to keep in mind that our legal system is designed to appropriately punish for crimes, and after that (in theory) the culprit is allowed to continue living just like everyone else. If NFL teams felt like Vick was a bad seed or whatever, they could just ignore him and not worry about it, and he wouldn't get the opportunity to take advantage of the privilege that is playing pro football.
Well, Andy Reid puts a premium on forgiveness and redemption since his sons have had their share of troubles, and he picked Vick up. Now, Vick is a legitimate MVP candidate and just put together one of the greatest quarterback performances of all time (20-28, 333 yards, 4 TD; 8 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD). Steve Young may as well have been standing there pumping helium straight into Vick's ego balloon after the Monday Night game, and NFL analysts are abuzz about the indefensible Eagles offense. So is Vick already back to being forgiven by the sports community?
First of all, Michael Vick was never on the level of Tiger Woods in terms of public opinion, but he was a well-known and exciting player that drew a lot of attention to his team and the league. But is a forgettable first season (though without incident and with many anti-dogfighting events) and an excellent half of a season enough to get people to forget about the images they saw as his crimes came to light? What's weird to me is that this offense is probably more likely to linger than Woods' (and certainly Kobe's), and the only explanation is that people REALLY care about dogs, for whatever reason (and I'm not going to get into my opinion on our obsession with pets). I think we treat cruelty toward animals as tantamount to cruelty toward people, which is really quite magnanimous of us as a species, considering natural selection and all that. I also think that it just might be that dogfighting and animal cruelty are more unique than cheating and sexual abuse, so they're more abhorrent by our estimation.
So, if Michael Vick really wants to get back into the good graces of the sports community, he should probably win the Eagles a Super Bowl this year. Just saying.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Week 10, Do it Again
So Week 10 is almost in the books (although not even close to done for me, since the Eagles are playing tonight and I still have two big fantasy matchups in the balance), and there were a lot of interesting plays that went down yesterday, including some late-game heroics. This time around, I think I'm going to use a multimedia approach, and point you in the direction of the video highlights of some of these games, because if a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a video worth?
The really exciting game was the Texans/Jaguars affair, which included a missed field goal with under a minute left in a tie game followed by an unbelievable 50-yard hail mary that was batted down by the Texans only to be caught and brought into the endzone by Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas. Here's a clip, just sit back and listen to Gus Johnson flip out.
On the totally opposite end of the nail-biter spectrum was the Broncos/Chiefs game in which Denver led 35-0 in the second quarter, but chillaxed for the rest of the game, eventually winning 49-29. Tim Tebow both ran and threw for a touchdown, and Brandon Lloyd continued his resurgence, including this absurd toe-tapper. Oh, and Dwayne Bowe continues to make me look good, putting up 13 catches, 186 yards, and two touchdowns in junk time. In his last five games, he is averaging 6 receptions, 90.8 yards, and 1.6 touchdowns. The rest of his career, he has averaged 4.5 receptions, 58.7 yards, and 0.36 touchdowns.
I don't know if any of you were aware, but Eli Manning is terrible. OK, not this terrible, but certainly not worthy of a $100 million contract. Exhibit A. Exhibit B (yes, it's not until 3:45 in, but it's SAD). Also, this game was made interesting by the fact that the lights in the stadium were freakin' out, man! (That one's a minute in) Oh, and if you watch the rest of the highlight, you'll see some evidence that both Dez Bryant and Hakeem Nicks are impressive individuals. Some serious young receiving talent in the NFC East... except for the Redskins (Joey Galloway *cough*).
The Jets became the first team in league history to win consecutive games on the road in overtime with a 37-yard touchdown pass with under 20 seconds left in overtime (yes, Donovan, it would have been a tie otherwise). However, the fact that the Browns chose to try to take a shot downfield with under two minutes left in overtime FROM INSIDE THEIR OWN FIVE YARD LINE that allowed the clock to stop and the Jets to even get the ball in the first place was reeeeeeeally questionable. And while Santonio Holmes made a great play, it was Jerricho Cotchery that made the most impressive play of the game (wait till 40 seconds in), making a diving catch immediately after injuring himself on the play.
Lastly, I don't have a video of this because I don't find the video very interesting, but the Dolphins managed to lose their TOP TWO starting quarterbacks FOR THE YEAR yesterday, and still won the game! Two of the most talented receivers in the league, Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall, combined for 4 catches and 60 yards, further showing that, when it comes to receivers, you kinda need more than talent to do well. Like a gameplan that needs you.
Bonus!
Just a little humor here. Tom, how do you explain your facial hair situation while standing in front of a razor ad?
The really exciting game was the Texans/Jaguars affair, which included a missed field goal with under a minute left in a tie game followed by an unbelievable 50-yard hail mary that was batted down by the Texans only to be caught and brought into the endzone by Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas. Here's a clip, just sit back and listen to Gus Johnson flip out.
On the totally opposite end of the nail-biter spectrum was the Broncos/Chiefs game in which Denver led 35-0 in the second quarter, but chillaxed for the rest of the game, eventually winning 49-29. Tim Tebow both ran and threw for a touchdown, and Brandon Lloyd continued his resurgence, including this absurd toe-tapper. Oh, and Dwayne Bowe continues to make me look good, putting up 13 catches, 186 yards, and two touchdowns in junk time. In his last five games, he is averaging 6 receptions, 90.8 yards, and 1.6 touchdowns. The rest of his career, he has averaged 4.5 receptions, 58.7 yards, and 0.36 touchdowns.
I don't know if any of you were aware, but Eli Manning is terrible. OK, not this terrible, but certainly not worthy of a $100 million contract. Exhibit A. Exhibit B (yes, it's not until 3:45 in, but it's SAD). Also, this game was made interesting by the fact that the lights in the stadium were freakin' out, man! (That one's a minute in) Oh, and if you watch the rest of the highlight, you'll see some evidence that both Dez Bryant and Hakeem Nicks are impressive individuals. Some serious young receiving talent in the NFC East... except for the Redskins (Joey Galloway *cough*).
The Jets became the first team in league history to win consecutive games on the road in overtime with a 37-yard touchdown pass with under 20 seconds left in overtime (yes, Donovan, it would have been a tie otherwise). However, the fact that the Browns chose to try to take a shot downfield with under two minutes left in overtime FROM INSIDE THEIR OWN FIVE YARD LINE that allowed the clock to stop and the Jets to even get the ball in the first place was reeeeeeeally questionable. And while Santonio Holmes made a great play, it was Jerricho Cotchery that made the most impressive play of the game (wait till 40 seconds in), making a diving catch immediately after injuring himself on the play.
Lastly, I don't have a video of this because I don't find the video very interesting, but the Dolphins managed to lose their TOP TWO starting quarterbacks FOR THE YEAR yesterday, and still won the game! Two of the most talented receivers in the league, Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall, combined for 4 catches and 60 yards, further showing that, when it comes to receivers, you kinda need more than talent to do well. Like a gameplan that needs you.
Bonus!
Just a little humor here. Tom, how do you explain your facial hair situation while standing in front of a razor ad?
Friday, November 12, 2010
Frameshmania Week 10 Preview!
Last week's win was a big one for the Big Tymers, as I finally take my rightful place at the top of the standings. Too bad it won't last more than a week.
7-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
7-2 Sabotage the League
5-3-1 Gym Tan Laundry
4-5 CodyRansom's Crew
4-5 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
3-5-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
3-6 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
2-7 Hometown Mamas
The Battle for First Place ended with me on top, and the rest of the league seems to be trading blows for the middle spots. CodyRansom's Crew is climbing back into relevance, and Hometown Mamas and Ease it In seem to be falling behind.
Week 9 was a big one for my team, and my big-time players stepped it up. Michael Vick, Michael Turner, and Arian Foster all went for at least 22 points and Peyton Manning, a missing Antonio Gates, and Beanie Wells let Sabotage the League down, as I was able to topple the first-place team 120-93.
This week's matchup for the Big Tymers is against the league's top-scoring team, Gym Tan Laundry. I got blown out by him last time, and this time around I already am down 25-3 after the Thursday night game (thanks for nothing, Turner). I need to win this week to hold him off and maintain first place. Last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB3 Jamaal Charles
WR1 Andre Johnson
WR2 Greg Jennings
TE5 Benjamin Watson
D/ST Giants
K Dan Carpenter
Bench:
QB5 Matthew Stafford
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR6 Brandon Lloyd
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
Bye week players this week:
Miller, Jennings
Roster Moves:
Dropped Stafford for Ryan Fitzpatrick
Dropped Watson for Chris Cooley
Stafford got knocked out of the game against the Jets, so he can't be a good backup. I picked Fitzpatrick right back up, though, so nothing big there. I would like to keep a rostered backup because of Vick's injury history, but after the bye weeks nobody else should need a QB so I may be able to drop him for now. Watson was awful last week, and Cooley is fresh off a bye and playing the bad-against-tight-ends Eagles.
Lineup changes:
Cooley (v. Eagles) in for Watson (v. Jets)
Bradshaw (v. Cowboys) in for Charles (v. Broncos)
See above for Cooley explanation. Lloyd has been a top-3 receiver this year and Jennings was on bye, and while Mike Wallace against the Pats is tantalizing, I like Lloyd's consistency more. Bradshaw's been a beast this year, and until Charles gets the ball enough times (just 10 carries last week), I can't start him over Bradshaw, even with Charles' great matchup.
I already know I'm losing big thanks to starting Michael Turner (despite contemplating sitting him for hours prior) and Roddy White's big day. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Redskins) vs. David Garrard (v. Texans) -- push
Turner (v. Ravens) vs. Frank Gore (v. Rams) -- Gore +10
Foster (v. Jaguars) vs. Peyton Hillis (v. Jets) -- Foster +5
Bradshaw (v. Cowboys) vs. Rashard Mendenhall (v. Patriots) -- Mendenhall +3
Johnson (v. Jaguars) vs. Roddy White (v. Ravens) -- White +8
Lloyd (v. Chiefs) vs. Steve Johnson/Randy Moss (v. Lions/Dolphins) -- push
Cooley (v. Eagles) vs. Marcedes Lewis (v. Texans) -- Push
Giants D (v. Cowboys) vs. Cardinals D (v. Seahawks) -- Push
Carpenter (v. Titans) vs. Rob Bironas (v. Dolphins)-- push
Verdict: I lose by 16, which would be probably an improvement over what it looks like after the first game of the week. The big game is Texans-Jaguars, and I need a Texans blowout.Lloyd (v. Chiefs) in for Jennings (BYE)
7-2 Salt Lake City Big Tymers
7-2 Sabotage the League
5-3-1 Gym Tan Laundry
4-5 CodyRansom's Crew
4-5 J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets
3-5-1 Delco's Side-arm Stud
3-6 Ease it In, Don't Forsett
2-7 Hometown Mamas
The Battle for First Place ended with me on top, and the rest of the league seems to be trading blows for the middle spots. CodyRansom's Crew is climbing back into relevance, and Hometown Mamas and Ease it In seem to be falling behind.
Week 9 was a big one for my team, and my big-time players stepped it up. Michael Vick, Michael Turner, and Arian Foster all went for at least 22 points and Peyton Manning, a missing Antonio Gates, and Beanie Wells let Sabotage the League down, as I was able to topple the first-place team 120-93.
This week's matchup for the Big Tymers is against the league's top-scoring team, Gym Tan Laundry. I got blown out by him last time, and this time around I already am down 25-3 after the Thursday night game (thanks for nothing, Turner). I need to win this week to hold him off and maintain first place. Last week's roster:
QB4 Michael Vick
RB1 Michael Turner
RB6 Arian Foster
RB3 Jamaal Charles
WR1 Andre Johnson
WR2 Greg Jennings
TE5 Benjamin Watson
D/ST Giants
K Dan Carpenter
Bench:
QB5 Matthew Stafford
WR7 Pierre Garcon
TE2 Zach Miller
RB2 Cedric Benson
WR6 Brandon Lloyd
WR4 Mike Wallace
RB7 Ahmad Bradshaw
Bye week players this week:
Miller, Jennings
Roster Moves:
Dropped Stafford for Ryan Fitzpatrick
Dropped Watson for Chris Cooley
Stafford got knocked out of the game against the Jets, so he can't be a good backup. I picked Fitzpatrick right back up, though, so nothing big there. I would like to keep a rostered backup because of Vick's injury history, but after the bye weeks nobody else should need a QB so I may be able to drop him for now. Watson was awful last week, and Cooley is fresh off a bye and playing the bad-against-tight-ends Eagles.
Lineup changes:
Cooley (v. Eagles) in for Watson (v. Jets)
Bradshaw (v. Cowboys) in for Charles (v. Broncos)
See above for Cooley explanation. Lloyd has been a top-3 receiver this year and Jennings was on bye, and while Mike Wallace against the Pats is tantalizing, I like Lloyd's consistency more. Bradshaw's been a beast this year, and until Charles gets the ball enough times (just 10 carries last week), I can't start him over Bradshaw, even with Charles' great matchup.
I already know I'm losing big thanks to starting Michael Turner (despite contemplating sitting him for hours prior) and Roddy White's big day. Let's take a look:
Vick (v. Redskins) vs. David Garrard (v. Texans) -- push
Turner (v. Ravens) vs. Frank Gore (v. Rams) -- Gore +10
Foster (v. Jaguars) vs. Peyton Hillis (v. Jets) -- Foster +5
Bradshaw (v. Cowboys) vs. Rashard Mendenhall (v. Patriots) -- Mendenhall +3
Johnson (v. Jaguars) vs. Roddy White (v. Ravens) -- White +8
Lloyd (v. Chiefs) vs. Steve Johnson/Randy Moss (v. Lions/Dolphins) -- push
Cooley (v. Eagles) vs. Marcedes Lewis (v. Texans) -- Push
Giants D (v. Cowboys) vs. Cardinals D (v. Seahawks) -- Push
Carpenter (v. Titans) vs. Rob Bironas (v. Dolphins)-- push
Verdict: I lose by 16, which would be probably an improvement over what it looks like after the first game of the week. The big game is Texans-Jaguars, and I need a Texans blowout.Lloyd (v. Chiefs) in for Jennings (BYE)
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