2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Football Team 41, Cowboys 16
I take notes during the live watch. I re-watch the game on tape looking for hidden clues to report on. Here are my notes/takes on what I saw and how it related to FF 2020. I write anywhere from 1,000-3,000+ words on each game, and I must move fast to get to all of them through the week…so, please forgive any typos/grammar.
Washington got the ball first here and went three and out. Dallas got their first drive and they were chopping their way down the field…and on the 7th play of the drive, OL Cam Erving got hurt…and I was like ‘that’s not good’ (as someone who picked Dallas -3.0). Four plays later, top Dallas OL Zack Martin got hurt, and you knew it was serious…and I was like, ‘Well, I can go get something to eat and just let this record and catch up to it in a bit because Dallas isn’t going to win this game; no chance in hell’.
And that was the correct assessment.
The loss of the two O-Linemen on the first drive on top of the life loss of their strength and conditioning coach during the practice week – all killers mentally. The already fragile O-Line was finally getting some health back the last few weeks for Dallas…and they lost it all on one drive. Game over. Season over.
Dallas was going to win this division if they kept that O-Line they had intact, but now that’s done – and we are very likely going to see a Washington v. Giants battle to the end to get that title. The Eagles are about to fall off a cliff even more with their tough schedule stretch ahead.
Dallas is now (3-8), and an NFC East team HAS to get to at least 6 wins to claim the prize (NFC East title). It’s a real long shot Dallas can get to 5 wins, much less 6 wins now with their O-Line. It’s not totally coffin nailed shut, but the hammer and nails are out.
Washington is now (4-7) and right in the thick of things, but they have the worst schedule ahead. Weeks 13-16: at PIT, at SF, SEA, CAR…very possibly four losses. If they get one win in there, then the 5-win Football Team would face Philly Week 17 for all the marbles, potentially.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- So, a few of us FFMers got into a great depression to start the fantasy week with the weak J.D. McKissic (1-6-0, 2-21-0/2) output here. It’s the risk – as I’ve said 20+ times the past 3-4 weeks, when Washington can get up ahead on a team -- they will run it out/run the clock/keep it out of the QB’s hands. Thus, in this game -- Antonio Gibson with 20 carries, and Peyton Barber with 11…and Washington with a killer 36/24 time of possession edge.
McKissic in the passing game wasn’t really needed. JDMK had the same dull result (in PPR) like a generic starting RB getting 10-12 carries for 50 yards and no TD and 0-1 catches. McKissic laid an egg, but who thought Washington would get up on Dallas and just run it out in the 2nd-half? Smart for the NFL, great for Gibson…bad for J.D.
Likely a very different story at Pittsburgh Week 13…
-- The most attention-getting player, for me, in this game…Logan Thomas (4-20-1/4, 1-3-0, 1-1 for 28 yards passing).
In this game: He ran a wildcat play. He ran a play setting him up as a passer. The guy was a 2nd-round pick QB several years ago, a dumb one…but it happened. So, he can throw the ball…especially in a gadget situation.
My only question is – why did this take so long for Washington to come up with? How ignorant must their coaching staff be? Be that as it may…it’s happened now. It makes Thomas standout a bit more as a TE who does ‘other things’ for FF options. He’s a TE1 for us ahead when we adjust projections after Week 12 fully books for the league.
-- The most impressive player in this game, Terry McLaurin (7-92-0/9). He looks so dominant…it’s just a shame the QB play is so horrific. I never thought he’d be much more than a #3 WR in the NFL, at best, but man was I wrong. I’m shocked.
Watching him makes me wonder…what in the hell did former Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer see in players, anyway?
McLaurin was not featured fully at Ohio State…at the same time Joe Burrow couldn’t play ahead of Dwayne Haskins?
This offseason, I’m sure several NFL teams will back up a Brinks truck to try and land Urban as head coach.
-- Not much to say about Dallas…same old non-Dak Cowboys returned on offense – led by the all-to-typical now… Ezekiel Elliott (10-32-0, 1-7-0/3) doing little and fumbling.
I’ll give him the grace…once they lost Erving and Martin, it was over for the team…and for Zeke’s season of production remaining. Zeke was making a comeback last week, with the healthier O-Line…it’s all gone now. You’re in trouble with Zeke ROS.
-- The Washington-DST scored well here…a pick six TD. Holding Dallas to 16 points. But they benefited from Dallas’s O-Line falling apart, and still Andy Dalton (25-35 for 215 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) didn’t have a bad game…just the ‘Boys died with the O-Line and Washington controlled clock – those are not normal things for Washington.
You can’t start the WSH-DST vs. PIT Week 13.
Not sure Week 14 at SF is great either, but we’ll see who is healthy or not for SF at that time.
Weeks 15-16 vs. SEA and CAR are not great either.
-- My boy, Cole Holcomb (10 tackles, 1.5 TFLs) had a nice game.
Since he became a starter Week 6 on…he has a solid 6.0 total tackles, 0.67 TFLs, 0.22 sacks per game. He’s getting there…getting better and better. Hope is still alive!
-- DAL SAF Donovan Wilson (10 tackles) became a starter Week 4 and has averaged 6.4 total tackles per game, and he has 9.5 total tackles per game the past two weeks. He has also forced 3 fumbles the past four games.
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Snap Counts of Interest:
39 = Zeke
21 = Pollard
62 = McLaurin
55 = Cam Sims (no targets, I give up)
13 = Stv Sims
45 = Gibson
28 = McKissic
17 = Barber
