- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Steelers 19, Ravens 14
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.
We waited a week…to watch this game? Yeeesh.
We had to put up with all histrionics of all the rescheduling, and who that was and wasn’t fair for. We had to hear, from some, the decrying of the NFL as some monster for trying to play this game with their ‘basically everyone is gonna die’ mentality. Maybe it’s true…but the players are exercising their free will – if everyone reading this were an NFL player, 99.9% of us would play…we would want to play…so, why is the ‘NFL’ such a monster for trying to play the games? COVID exists. The teams know the rules. The teams know it could randomly happen. You just have to adjust.
We all waded through the noise and rescheduling…and then most of us got interested in the novelty of a midday Wednesday game. We were giddy in the morning, ready to partake in an afternoon delight…when we were supposed to be (air quotes) ‘working’. What a fun Wednesday!
…and they delivered us a bunch of turnovers, a bunch of drops, a bunch of 2-yard passes, and a no real ‘wow’ fantasy player production…aside from the Steelers-DST and Marquise Brown (who no one started) on a busted play late.
Football in the afternoon midweek just felt weird. Like when they tried to sell green-colored ketchup a few years ago. Yeah, I know it’s the same everything on taste, consistency… just its just it’s green -- but I’m still not comfortable with it. I’ve been classically conditioned that red ketchup tastes better/normal. 4pm football is to be played on Sundays…not Wednesdays.
This game was muddling along…a defensive score to break the ice by Pittsburgh, but then Baltimore answering back to make 7-6 at the end of the 1st-quarter. The game turned when Ravens CB Jimmy Smith got hurt in the 2nd-quarter…forcing the Ravens to play with another arm tied behind their backs and the Steelers dinked and dunked their way to a 19-7 lead. It seemed over…and then Pittsburgh’s secondary blew a tackle and let Marquise Brown turn a 10+ yard pass into a 70-yard TD scamper. The Ravens couldn’t hold off the Steelers final drive (they almost did) and the clock ran out on the Ravens. Steelers win, unimpressively, 19-14.
After the game, Mike Tomlin called the Steelers effort ‘really junior varsity’ – and that’s my thought on the whole game. Not because of the rosters or COVID or lack of practice…we’ve seen teams lose practice time to COVID issues this year -- and then go out and play better than they have all season. This was just a sloppy game…that the players may have been thrown off their internal clocks playing a game on a Wednesday. Who knows?
Pittsburgh stays undefeated (11-0) and all but has the AFC North locked up…there’s no way Cleveland is catching them. They are bearing down on the #1 seed in the AFC which is tremendously important in 2020. I think the Steelers will fall to Buffalo Week 14…and then things get interesting between them and KC trying to get to the #1 seed.
Baltimore has lost four of their last 5 games to fall to (6-5). They are better than that, but they’ve dealt with key injuries, COVID, bad weather games. Given their schedule, and their situation leading up to this – we might see the Ravens go on a tear and win their last five games in-a-row and go into the playoffs hot. We see them doing just that…finishing (11-5) if Lamar stays healthy…(10-6) worst case. Either way…the Ravens will be in the playoffs.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- The Steelers WR report…
1) Diontae Johnson (8-46-0/13) had two bad drops…one that might have been a TD (early in the game) and another drop late in the game for a 20+ yard gain wiped away. It wasn’t a good look for Diontae, but he was otherwise fine the rest of the night.
I hate ‘drops’ too…and when it’s your fantasy guy, you can feel the points being stolen – but we also will so lord over our own ‘kids’ watching these games and thus their mistakes are magnified and blown up into major mental anguish. I had some folks emailing me in-game and post-game asking me if it was time to sell Diontae because of his bad drops problem because he dropped 4-5 passes in the game. I’m like…I need to watch the tape, because I didn’t see that many drops – and I did re-watch, and there weren’t 4-5 drops. But because we’re so close to the action, we tend to remember it that way.
When Diontae caught that 30+ yard pass by adjusting/leaping up and catching it but then the DB swatted his arm down through the ball while they were coming down to the ground and it get knocked loose for an incomplete – that’s not a ‘drop’. It was almost a sweet catch (but a great move by the covering CB) and we’re disappointed, but it’s not a ‘drop’.
Diontae has had easy catch gaffes a bunch this season…a ‘bunch’ to me, because I’m always watching him intently. He’s had like 5-6-7 times this season where he’s had a simple pitch-and-catch and he takes his eyes away and misses the passes and looks stupid. I hope a coach steps in and helps ‘remind’ (needles/punishes) him of this – because I think Diontae is getting a bit full of himself with all these targets but he should work less on dance moves after big plays and more on playing sound football.
Diontae could be great…he could also get a big head and settle for just ‘good’ instead. Ben keeps feeding him, so the monster is getting fed. I don’t know how serious he is on being great, as I watch his every move this season. I know he’s really good. I want great.
Diontae was once again being shutout by the Ravens’ CBs, and then Jimmy Smith got hurt and left the game…AND THEN Diontae started getting all those targets. Diontae is getting ‘A+’ targeting but being a ‘B’ WR with them, to my eyes. Drops, etc., hasn’t been an issue in years past (back to college), so I think it can be fixed/tweaked…but it’s probably a boot in the ass fix more than anything else. Tomlin, I think may let him have it this week…he was not happy after the game.
2) Chase Claypool (6-52-0/9) – not sure why Claypool wasn’t in the game as much as he usually is…he was noticeably out for whole serieses late 2nd-half. We’ll have to see if that was due to being banged up…or if it was some rookie disciplining for something.
3) James Washington (2-19-0/3) – made a huge catch on the final drive to essentially help put the game away…a floated pass between three defenders and JW went up and snatched it away. Just a reminder, for Dynasty…Washington is going to be a starter in 2021, if you assume the Steelers let JuJu walk in free agency, which I think they will.
JuJu has put up good numbers as Diontae-Claypool have gone off…Washington could be in line for some nice numbers in 2021 as part of the trio.
-- Ben Roethlisberger (36-51 for 266 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) is getting rid of the ball quickly…so said Cris Collinsworth 10,000 times during the game.
Three things about that…
1) 51 passes for 266 yards here…why is it when Alex Smith does stuff like this we castigate him as a ‘dink and dunk’ QB, but we don’t brand Ben negatively with this? We sing the praises of it.
The bottom five QBs in yards per attempt in 2020 to date:
#32) Foles 9.2
#31) Roethlisberger 9.6
#30) Darnold 9.7
#29) Alex Smith 10.0
#28) Brees 10.0
Ben is 5th in the NFL TD passes…so, does yards per attempt really matter/tell us anything?
2) I think some of this short passing game has them using it as a quasi-replacement for the weak Steelers backfield/run game.
3) All these factors/realities…it means lots of short/quick pass attempts – Ben is #2 in pass attempts in the NFL (Brady #1). This is all good for PPR for Diontae Johnson’s game…the quick little slants, drags, bubbles, etc.
I don’t see Ben quick-passing changing ahead.
-- Lamar Jackson (DNP) hasn’t had a great follow up season to his 2019 MVP campaign – but the next 5 games he could finish on a high note with DAL-CLE-JAX-NYG-CIN.
-- I thought Lamar might finish stronger and be using Dez Bryant (0-0-0/2) as part of the solution going forward…after Dez showed he was the most talented WR on the Ravens Week 11.
Which, of course, meant Dez saw just two targets in a critical, undermanned game here.
Why did they even sign him and elevate him to the main roster?
What were they watching when he showed his skills in Week 11?
I got the message… When in doubt, assume NFL teams will stick with what they do/are comfortable with…even if they keep losing with it.
That’s where Pittsburgh deserves huge credit…most teams would have buried Chase Claypool all season. Not the Steelers. It took them 3-4 games to realize he’s the best WR they have on the team and they moved him to a featured role.
-- Speaking of buried players, Justice Hill (9-35-0, 2-5-0/2) was let out of his cage for the first time…and he looked solid. Joining the Ravens, in this offense, has all but killed his career. He’s been forgotten through no fault of his own. He doesn’t fit this offense at all…and yet he just gets stuck with this team until his contract ends.
No one will trade for him because the only mismanagement worse than head coaches not knowing their talent on the roster are the GMs petrified to make a trade in the NFL for fear it will be ‘wrong’. Now, Hill is ‘old news’, so no one cares in the league.
-- What a schedule ahead for the Ravens-DST: Dalton, Baker, Glennon, Dan Jones, Br Allen to finish the season.
It’s not bad for the Steelers either: A. Smith, Josh Allen, Br Allen, Rivers, Baker. The Steelers-DST has been great all year but I’d rather have the Ravens-DST from here on in…and if you’re locked in with the Steelers-DST – you gotta consider a Week 14 replacement for at Buffalo, if a viable option presents itself. Maybe the weather conditions help roll with the Steelers-DST there, we’ll see.
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Snap Counts of Interest:
28 = Edwards
26 = J Hill
67 = JuJu
65 = Diontae
45 = Claypool
24 = J Wash
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Browns 27, Jaguars 25
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.
Facing a Jaguars team who benched it’s QB for their 3rd-string, ancient QB (Glennon), and with half their defense on I.R. -- what should have been an easy Cleveland win was really a loss that the Browns survived in the end and escaped with a 2-point win.
The Jaguars took the lead with 11+ minutes left in the 3rd-quarter, but the Browns took it back and held it the rest of the way. Up 27-19, the Jags scored to make it 27-25 and lined up to go for a two-pointer to tie it up and failed. The Brown held the ball from there/ran out the clock for the win. The Jags lost by two…missing a field goal and blowing two different 2-point conversions in the game.
The Jaguars should’ve won and Mike Glennon arguably outplayed Baker Mayfield…that’s all you need to know about this game, this Browns team.
Cleveland has to be the worst (8-3) team in the history of professional football. They’re likely to finish (9-7) and then hope to make the wild card. If they can beat Tennessee Week 13…they are very likely a wild card/10-win team. I don’t think they’ll beat Tennessee or make the playoffs in the end. If there's any justice in the world, the Browns will not make the playoffs.
Jacksonville almost ruined their ‘tank plan’ by accidentally winning this game. But they found a way to lose, 10 losses in a row, which got their GM fired this week (2-4 years overdue). Jacksonville should finish (1-15) and has to hope the Jets lose twice, in order for the Jags to snag that #1 pick. Likely, they will be drafting #2 overall behind a winless Jets team.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- Mike Glennon (20-35 for 225 yards, 2 TDs/0 INT) drew the start and played a very solid game. The protection held up for him/his lack of foot speed never factored into this event negatively. Glennon is a solid enough QB prospect – a QB from a gone-by era…tall, statue-esque in the pocket, deep ball thrower. The Browns barely laid a finger on him – no sacks, just 2 QB hits.
It was a mild defensive embarrassment for this supposed playoff team. We do have to allow for Cleveland missing the two best players on their team (Garrett, Ward) and not having its starting ILB and losing its main safety in-game. Still, you can’t let Mike Glennon, behind this Jags O-Line without D.J. Chark, push you around.
This version of Mike Glennon isn’t leading a team to a Super Bowl, but it isn’t embarrassing itself. Keep him protected and he’s a decent, experienced QB.
What’s shocking to me is that Gardner Minshew is back from his thumb injury…and Glennon is getting another start. For what purpose? Who did Minshew piss off? Doug Marrone, I assume. How Doug Marrone is still employed is beyond me – but, if you want to lose games…you need a coach that’s going to help you lose games. Check, and check…and thus Glennon for another week. Marrone/Jacksonville is (3-16) in their last 19 games.
The teams ahead on the JAX schedule are going to pressure Glennon and make this look uglier – MIN, TEN, BAL, CHI, IND.
-- But Glennon looked better/more sound than Baker Mayfield (19-29 for 258 yards, 2 TDs/0 INT) in this game. Glennon played a steady ‘C’ grade football game, all game. Baker’s performance was like charting a water bug’s movement all day…he was all over the place with some ‘A’ throws followed by ‘D’ and ‘F’ throws.
In a game Baker should’ve dominated, with Jacksonville missing so many defensive players -- he didn’t…he looked more like what you thought Glennon would at times. Other times, Baker made money throws. Baker is making this look too complicated. Sometimes he looks great and you start to have hope, then the next series you’re like ‘Man, he’s too small for the NFL’.
-- Baker was wearing out Jarvis Landry (8-143-1/11) for the first time ever, which is neat but this was a game where everyone was open all over and it should’ve been a field day…instead Baker was forcing it to Landry like he was his crutch to get by on.
I’ve never seen Baker + Landry be this heavy, productive…I’m going to assume it’s a one off. Landry had 1 TD in his last 15 games with Baker, now he has 2 TDs in 16 games. This is not what a WR1 looks like. Not on tape, not in the number trends. I don’t trust that there will be a follow up event to this.
-- The Browns are Nick Chubb (19-144-1, 3-32-0/3) ‘is the offense’ now. In this game, for the first time going back to the 2019 season when the pairing got into high gear, we saw the first shift away from a 50/50-ish Chubb-Hunt rotation.
Instead of a 50-50, where you don’t know who the lead guy is, per se…now it’s starting to become Chubb is the 60/40, 65/35 lead. At least, it’s starting to feel that way this game. One game does not a trend make, but for as well as Chubb has been playing…you have to be concerned if you own Hunt. It may just be a blip, but Chubb is working so much better than Hunt right now (and that wasn’t the obvious case earlier in the season) that the smart move for Cleveland is to ride the best horse right now.
Chubb had more catches in this game than he’d had all season combined prior.
I’ve started taking down Hunt touch counts and raising up Chubb’s in the projections.
-- The top WR for the Jags with D.J. Chark out was not Keelan Cole 3-44-0/6) or Laviska Shenault (3-31-0/4)…it was #4 WR Collin Johnson (4-96-1/8). Glennon aired it out to him several times for a nice connection or attempted downfield connection. If Chark is out this week, Johnson could be a WR3/Flex option this week.
Johnson is 6’6” and is working kinda like Chris Conley or Chark out there…the medium-deep, tall receiver option that presents themselves as a nice look for the QB. Johnson is slower of footspeed, so if he starts drawing top coverage…he’s in some trouble, but he’s a solid WR otherwise.
-- JAX UDFA rookie CB Luc Barcoo (4 tackles, 1 TFL) was one of our highest rated CB prospects for 2020, and with all the Jags’ injuries, he got a full start this game and didn’t play too badly stepping up to a bigger role. He had trouble with Landry some, but had moments halting Landry too.
Barcoo is not a great IDP prospect, per se…more one to watch to see if he impacts the game for opposing WRs.
Snap Counts of Interest:
61 = Cole
59 = Shenault
52 = Collin Johnson
03 = Trey Quinn
41 = Chubb
28 = Hunt
03 = D’E Johnson
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Giants 19, Bengals 17
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.
Whew.
I had rung up 11 straight wins in Survivor pools leading up to Week 12, and I went out on a limb a little bit picking the Giants here – and they got the win, but it wasn’t easy/close.
It started out great…a quick 7-0 lead for NYG on the opening drive and I thought I was home free. Then Cincy returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, and my spirit dampened a bit…but, still, I should be fine (I thought). 10-10 tie at the half had me nervous. Brandon Allen playing solid football had me nervous.
Colt McCoy coming in for Daniel Jones had me a bit nervous, but Dan Dimes isn’t good…so it wasn’t terrible, but still something to worry about because that’s what we do in fantasy/betting.
The Giants led 16-10 with 4+ minutes left, and Cincy had the ball, and I was getting a bit nervous. But then a fumble by Cincy set up NYG 20+ yards away from taking a two-score lead…and they did. 19-10 NYG with 3+ minutes left. It’s in the bag now!!
Nope.
Cincy went right down and scored, then three-and-outed the Giants and suddenly it was 19-17 NYG with 0:57 left and Cincy sitting at the 50-yard line after a bad punt/good return for the Bengals. I could do the math…a field goal would end my Survivor Pool run in 2020, and they were only 15 or so yards away from being in good range. BUT the Giants got a strip sack fumble and ended the game on the very first offensive play for Cincy…ball game.
Whew.
The Giants, led by their top 5 NFL defense (to my eyes), jump to (4-7) and are now tied with the Football Team for the NFC East lead. The NFC East winner will likely be the team that gets to 6 wins. It won’t be easy for WSH-NYG-PHI to get there given their schedules. If they all get to five wins, then the Giants are winning the division with their tiebreaker advantage. We see NYG finding 6 wins and winning the division…but that’s a very fluid, fragile projection.
Cincy played a very good ball game under their circumstances. They are (2-8-1) on their way to (2-13-1).
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- My main notes from this game, the main thing you need to know…
Both of the bad QBs in this game…they aren’t that ‘bad’.
Brandon Allen (17-29 for 136 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) is a solid QB talent. He was completely unfazed in this start against a borderline great NFL defense. Allen was like Joe Burrow-lite. Kept his cool, took what he was given. Didn’t risk stupid throws but made tough throws when he had to.
The problem for Allen is – a bad O-Line keeps him under pressure, but he handled it well. Allen could work well against a weaker defense…the issue is he has MIA-DAL-PIT the next three weeks, all capable of pressure (except Dallas is erratic).
Colt McCoy (6-10 for 31 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 5-7-0) wasn’t bad either. My memory from the live watch was that he was a drop off from Dan Jones, but I think that was ‘in spirit’ for a drop-off/the team’s demeanor dropped for a bit. Re-watching it…I think the Giants might be equally fine or better with McCoy. He also looked ‘unfazed’ by the moment, and with a week of full prep…he’ll probably be OK. Not a star, but not a joke either.
Allen or McCoy…they looked better than Carson Wentz did in Week 12.
-- Because Brandon Allen isn’t terrible, it’s possible Tee Higgins (5-44-1/5) and Tyler Boyd (3-15-0/6) won't totally fall off a cliff for FF. Still, it’s WR3 hope now…not WR1-2.
Allen looked like he had a better working relationship with Higgins over Boyd, for what it is worth.
The schedule ahead (Week 13 v. MIA, Week 15 v. PIT) is not good for anyone involved. Week 16 v. HOU might be some FF title game help.
-- I’d also say the Giants’ weapons don’t change much on projections with McCoy v. Dan Dimes. Sterling Shepard (7-64-0/8) will lead the way in catches. Evan Engram (6-129-0/9) will be a random event boom-or-bust. Darius Slayton (0-0-0/2) continues to die because Jones nor McCoy are good with the deep ball. Slayton is NYG’s version of Michael Gallup for Dallas now – potential star talent buried in a role that hurts them for growth/going to the next level.
-- Wayne Gallman (24-94-1, 3-0-0/5) has been a low-key MVP for the Giants. He is running with such heart and shiftiness. He’s brought some juice to the run game that Devonta Freeman or Dion Lewis could not. Honestly, he’s been more consistent than Saquon Barkley…but the defensive focus is different when Saquon is there – so, it’s an apples-oranges comp.
People are all like…waaaahhhh, boo hoo, I wish I had drafted James Robinson to solve all my RB woes.
Since Gallman has become a starter (Week 8), he’s the #9 RB in PPR PPG. Robinson is #6.
In non-PPR, Gallman is #5 in that starter span…Robinson #6.
Don’t ever tell me RB’s matter THE MOST in fantasy again.
The great ones do…just like the great WRs, TEs, and QBs.
There are a thousand and one RB options available up and down NFL rosters. They slide in and out for each other and put up the same numbers when given the chance. Wayne Gallman is a strong RB1 today…no one had that in their FF plans.
-- …like the way Gio Bernard (8-32-0, 2-17-0/3) has been as good/bad as Joe Mixon for FF since taking over. Gio is the clear lead back for Cincy right now. There is no hint of them trying to push younger guys for a look.
I don’t think Joe Mixon will return this season…if you’re Cincy, you’ve already spent the money – why rush him back? Let him take the rest of the season off – which means they’ll rush him back/put him at-risk as soon as they can in a 2-win season.
Trayveon Williams (1-0-0, 1-13-0/1) got into the game when it mattered in the 2nd-half (not garbage time) and saw a nice screen pass set up and made a solid play. He then took the handoff into a crowd for nothing…then gone. No real extra effort to see what they have here.
-- I keep cooing about the Giants defense, because it is terrific, but I’m not sure you can use them the rest of the season now.
Week 13 at SEA
Week 14 v. ARI
Week 15 v. CLE
Week 16 at BAL
Maybe Week 15 v. CLE in the cold could be a winner. Regardless, just know…this is a very good, emerging defense. And GM Dave Gettleman deserves a ton of credit for his work rebuilding it, as does D-C Patrick Graham. If Gettleman could/would go get a real QB…he could rule the NFC East ahead.
He won’t.
Snap Counts of Interest:
38 = Gio
07 = Perine
05 = Trayveon
38 = Sample
13 = Carter
56 = Slayton
51 = Gallman
46 = Tate
17 = Mack
05 = Xavier McKinney return
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Bills 27, Chargers 17
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.
What a weird game. The Bills let the Chargers hang in this game, and the Fighting Anthony Lynn’s would not accept the gift from Buffalo and just lost in a sad way.
The Bills turned the ball over 3 times, 2 of them on fumbles. The Bills had 9 penalties (to 5) called against them. They were pretty well handling the Chargers but kept letting LAC hang around due to the mistakes…but in the end, the Bills just muscled the Chargers to sleep for the 10-point victory.
The Anthony Lynn highlight reel/classic moment of the week, his bad coaching gem – with under a minute remaining, the Chargers down by 10 and facing a 4th & 27…they throw a Hail Mary, it connects down to the 2-yard line. The Chargers had no timeouts left so they raced down the field to run the next play. 1st & goal from the two…no timeouts left…down by 10…the Chargers race to the line of scrimmage and then inexplicably run up the middle, it gets stuffed and the clock burns and chaos/panic ensues. You have to be a special kind of moron to call a running play at that point…but ‘here’s your sign’.
Needing two scores with less than 0:30 remaining after the Hail Mary, the Chargers ran it, threw it away, and ran it again (QB sneak) to no avail…and ball game. At one point in there, the kicking team was coming onto the field for a field goal (to then go onside kick after to play the clock)…but then they came back off the field to run a play that did nothing. The clock just ran out…a 10-point loss for LAC.
Anthony Lynn is still employed. It’s unbelievable.
The Chargers fall to (3-8)…one more loss and my 7.5 ‘under’ win total bet is home free! If Anthony Lynn wins five in-a-row to end the season, I will quit football analysis. I just gave it the ‘kiss of death’.
Anyone have a job for a former failed football analyst in 2021? I’m good with numbers and my weakness is ‘I care too much’ about doing a good job. And, just note…I’m probably going to wear sweats to the interview…it’s all I own/need anymore.
The Bills are (8-3), a BS Hail Mary/Murray away from being (9-2) and thus one of the top teams in the NFL, by record. The Bills should finish with 11-12 wins and an AFC East title, and their clinching game might be at New England on a Monday Night Week 16. The Bills might be a #3 seed, but possibly a #4 seed if the Titans (who beat them earlier this season) get hot to the finish.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- Battle of QBs that I have loved this year… Both played well, but both caught bad breaks here and there to keep their FF scoring down.
Josh Allen (18-24 for 157 yards, 1 TD/1 INT, 9-32-1) got knocked out of the game for a few plays on a deep drive (a hit to the knee took him out for a few plays), and Matt Barkley came in to flop and they had to settle for a field goal. Could’ve been an Allen TD drive. Buffalo also ran all over LAC (172 yards rushing total), who lost another linebacker in-game…smart thing to do…taking the ball away from Allen through the air more than usual.
Justin Herbert (31-52 for 316 yards, 1 TD/1 INT, 2-0-0) lost a couple goal line TD shots to fluky things, which happens from time-to-time. Including him trying to goal line QB sneak to end the game, but he got stuffed – it would have been a meaningless-to-the-game-result play but would’ve been +6 for Herbert. Overall, he looked fine…better than Allen, honestly…and I mean that in that they are both great/elite QBs right now. And both better than Kyler Murray (I’m starting this drum beat up again) as passers.
I was not happy with the heavy screen pass game all to returning Austin Ekeler (14-44-0, 11-85-0/16) but after re-watching this I understand it a bit more now.
Here’s what you need to know on why LAC was a little stimied in their passing game here, and it’s important for FF interpretations/projections ahead…
1) The Buffalo Bills pass defense is getting its groove back.
The Bills’ defense had several injuries early in the season and were getting thrown on by everyone. Week 5, things started turning around…they’ve squashed most opposing offense’s passing games their last 7 games – including holding Herbert down here (a 50+ yard Hail Mary pushed his numbers over 300+ yards), and holding Mahomes to 225 yards (in bad weather) Week 6. Only Russell Wilson rolled yards up against them lately, BUT that’s a game Buffalo got up so big in that Seattle just threw every play to try to make a game of it.
The top pass defense in 2018 and 2019…it’s starting to peek its head back up in 2020 now.
2) Further evidence of this…
Keenan Allen (4-40-1/10) has been a monster since Herbert took over…nigh unstoppable. Except, Tre’Davious White stopped him here. Allen’s 4 catches were all miracle/tight window throws and catches. It was a grind to get 4 for 40 out of Allen.
Mike Williams (3-26-0/5) was taken out of this game as well.
3) Justin Herbert had a 7-game streak with 2 or more TD passes in-a-row, and then just one TD pass here.
The Buffalo Bills defense is back.
At SF Week 13 might be pretty good for the Bills-DST.
Week 15 at Denver is for sure good. As is Week 16 at NE.
4) Thus, the Austin Ekeler 16 target event…it was actually a smart move by Anthony Lynn. Wait, what did I just type.
Well, he still lost. So…
-- Ekeler is back, so Kalen Ballage (DNP) is probably dead for fantasy upon his return, but you almost have to hold and see what his role will be…or if Ekeler gets hurt again.
I have a feeling Ballage’s owners will be dropping him after Week 13, but we’ll see…
-- Gabriel Davis (3-79-1/4) had a solid FF week with John Brown out…but just 4 targets and his TD catch was off a Cole Beasley TD pass/trick play. Not a sign of an uprising.
-- Devin Singletary (11-82-0, 3-20-0/3) really looked good here, but his problem is not talent…it’s touches. He’s splitting with Moss, and then Josh Allen takes rushing TDs.
In 2019 and 2020 to date, rushing TDs comparison:
15 = Josh Allen
03 = Singletary
-- Two IDPs to point out…
1) BUF LB A.J. Klein (14 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1.5 sacks,1 PD) is smoking hot right now. Klein is averaging 10.0 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 0.67 PDs, 2.3 QB hits per game the past three games.
Since Week 9, he is the #1 IDP LB in FF on a PPG basis…and it’s not even close (Darius Leonard #2).
2) LAC LB Nick Vigil (8 tackles, 1 PD, 1 FF) got to play more when Denzel Perryman got hurt. If Vigil is going to start for a week or two ahead…he’s a really talented player. He could get 6+ tackles a game the next few weeks.
Snap Counts of Interest:
37 = Moss
25 = Singletary
60 = Ekeler
19 = J Kelley
06 = Pope
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: 49ers 23, Rams 20
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.
Well, that didn’t go the way I expected.
I thought the Rams had finally found themselves vs. Tampa Bay, and were going to show a wounded 49ers team who was the NFC West boss.
Nope.
There’s a simple rule I should follow here… Kyle Shanahan > Sean McVay.
This game was a battle of two top defenses…only one offensive TD was scored by each team. They also each scored a defensive TD. There were 3 INTs and no passing TDs between the two teams and 4 lost fumbles. It wasn’t a sloppy game – it was a battle between two really good defensive performances. The Rams, I expected. The 49ers D shocked me.
San Fran led this game 17-3 late 3rd-quarter. The Rams chipped it to 17-6 with a field goal, and on the ensuing drive for SF…a Raheem Mostert fumble, scoop-and-score TD for LAR…and suddenly it was 17-13 SF. The Rams then halted the 49ers on their next drive, got the ball back, had a 61-yard Cam Akers run setting up a short TD moments later – within 5 minutes the Rams went from down 17-3 to leading 20-17. I thought it was over for the 49ers at that point.
I was wrong.
The 49ers rallied for two field goals on their final two drives, shutting down the Rams in the process, and hitting the game winner with 0:00 remaining. The 49ers’ season was saved from the brink. The Rams now have more questions than answers suddenly.
The 49ers got two ‘wins’…the game win to go to (5-6) and then the Cardinals botched their game to fall to (6-5) as the #6 wild card leader…so the 49ers are in playoff range – as they pull into a tie for the #7 seed with MIN and CHI, and now just a game behind #6 Arizona. The 49ers are right back in it…and if they stay healthy, make the playoffs, and get Jimmy G. and Kittle back for the playoffs – the 49ers could make a Super Bowl run again. It sounds crazy to even type that.
Because (8-8) might be the #7 seed in the NFC…the 49ers can get there, but they probably need to get to 9 wins to be sure of a spot. They are more projecting (8-8). If the 49ers get in #7 seed, they could face any number of rivals 1st-round of the playoffs: NO, GB, SEA. Teams they are familiar with and have beaten in times of need recently.
I was ready to see the Rams make a run at the NFC West title after handling Seattle and Tampa Bay the last two games prior, but this loss was a killer. Likely ends the long shot NFC West hope (Seattle has such an easy schedule ahead). They are now looking at trying to get good wild card position – being the #1 wild card draws the NFC East winner, so it’s like a BYE week for the #1 wild card. We see the Rams getting 10 wins, being the #1 wild card…and thus they will advance in the playoffs to face the #1 seed, whomever that might be. If they lose to Arizona next week, then there’s even more chaos to this Rams season. Huge game for both teams LAR at ARI Week 13.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- First things first… This was one of the best individual performances I’ve seen from a WR this season, or any season. The show Deebo Samuel (11-133-0/13) put on was unreal. This was a huge performance against the #1 pass defense in the NFL in certain metrics.
So, how did Deebo have such a good game facing this defense, matched up with Jalen Ramsey, and working with Nick Mullens?
1) Deebo’s whole game, just about, is now behind the line of scrimmage…screens, pitch pass with him coming across in motion, etc. Jalen Ramsey type cover corners cannot deploy their talents against him.
2) Deebo is becoming A.J. Brown, only better…the guy who is untackleable after the catch. Only Deebo is a very good receiver, and AJB is technically flawed as a WR -- but a monster physically.
3) Kyle Shanahan has made Deebo the center of his offense. Deebo might as well be a running back now. Only instead of handoffs, it’s screens, pitch passes, and jet sweeps…and some straight up handoffs from time to time.
You saw Tyreek Hill Sunday?
You saw D.K. Metcalf Monday?
You see Rodgers-to-Davante every week?
No wide receiver in the NFL has a better plan to get him the ball now than Deebo Samuel by Kyle Shanahan. Deebo is essentially matchup proof now. He’s about to become a mega-star for (PPR) fantasy…I believe.
-- The real star of this game was the 49ers defense. That Rams offense that squashed the Bucs on Monday Night Football…the 49ers squashed them back. How did this happen?
The ‘how’ is what makes them a hot pick up for a DST for Weeks 14-15 (WSH, at DAL).
1) Richard Sherman (7 tackles, 1 INT) returned…and that changes a lot from his play to the morale boost of their leader back on the field.
2) Jason Verrett (5 tackles) looks reborn. The CB combo of Sherman-Verrett is low key one of the best CB-duos in the game now. I can’t even believe I typed that. Good for them. I thought injury ruined Verrett’s career, but he’s clawed his way back.
3) DT Kerry Hyder (4 tackles, 20 sacks, 4 QB hits) has 7.5 sacks this season…a journeyman DT. He finally got a shot. We were pointing him out earlier this season, and he’s never let up.
4) They dumped Kwon Alexander…and there must have been a good reason why they gave him away to NO.
I won’t play them v. BUF Week 13, but I would go for it Weeks 14-15. Since they’ve had a down season, they can be on many a waiver wire. Wild card FF teams starting the playoffs Week 14…take note if you need it.
-- Cam Akers (9-84-1) had a 61-yard run helping the comeback efforts…so, now everyone is excited. But note…
1) 8 carries for 23 yards aside from that 2.9 yards per carry otherwise.
2) played the least amount of snaps among all the Rams-trio RBs in this game, which has been the norm.
-- Raheem Mostert (16-43-1, 2-0-0/2) looked good in this return game for him…it’s just the Rams defense is arguably the best in the game right now.
Jeff Wilson (12-43-0) came off IR and got 12 carries…which made me think: (a) Shanahan is always going to split carries with two RBs, regardless of who they are, and (b) Jerick McKinnon (3-21-0, 2-11-0/3) is going to be the #4 RB when Tevin Coleman returns.
-- Jared Goff (19-31 for 198 yards, 0 TDs/2 INTs) went from god to goat in the span of a week. Crushing TB last game, getting crushed by SF here.
This is two games in recent weeks where Goff got smoked…vs. SF here, and that Miami game a few weeks ago. It may be that the secondaries of these two teams, their defenses overall…any strong/bad matchup for Goff is major trouble, but he’s fine otherwise – which means the Bucs secretly suck on defense, and we’re all seeing that the last few weeks (when they were terrific the first 6-7 weeks of the season).
Which means…Week 13 is neutral for Goff vs. ARI, but Week 14 v. NE could be the next problem game.
-- All this talk of the 49ers defense, but the Rams defense is better…I think they’re the best in football right now.
They crushed TB last week. Held down Russ two weeks prior. Held SF to 3.5 yards per carry, 0 TD passes, and got three turnovers this game…plus a defensive TD.
The loss is blamed on Goff’s/the offense’s turnovers, not this defense.
Troy Reeder (15 tackles, 1 TFL) started for the injured Micah Kizer...and looks better than Kizer. Reeder has started two games for Kizer this year...and has 11 and 15 tackles in those games with 3 TFLs and 3.0 sacks combined. He gets two more starts ahead, at least, with Kizer on IR.
-- I’ve been promoting Matt Gay (2/2 FG, 2/2 XP) as a sneaky PK play based on his top results last season, his booming leg, and the fact that he’s kicking indoors until Week 16. He’s averaging 10.0 PPG (FPros system) in his first two appearances with the Rams.
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Snap Counts of Interest:
25 = Brown
20 = D Henderson
17 = Akers
63 = Deebo
63 = James
41 = Bourne
44 = Dwelley
31 = Jo Reed
29 = Mostert
25 = J Wilson
18 = McKinnon
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Seahawks 23, Eagles 17
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.
I feel like there is at least one game every week I say this on, but we’re here…so, let’s do this: That was maybe the worst football game I’ve ever watched. At a minimum, that was the worst offensive display I’ve seen in a long, long time…at least the worst display since Denver played on Sunday.
You saw it, and if you didn’t…don’t bother to watch. Here’s the summary: Carson Wentz has the yips…he can’t complete the most basic of passes anymore (until the game is out of hand and he’s dumping off passes vs. prevent)…it was sad to watch him spiral on national TV (again). Seattle just moved out of the way and let Wentz fall on his face, while they just threw every pass to D.K. Metcalf and no one on Philly tried to help stop it. It was 23-17 final, but that’s with a garbage time special/TD with 0:12 left. It was really much, much worse than the score showed.
Seattle cruises to (8-3) in a week that saw both the Rams and Cardinals lose. The NFC West is going to Seattle, and possibly the #1 seed with it. Seattle’s defense is rising, and they have Russell Wilson…so they’re as good as any team in the NFC now. Add to that the easy schedule ahead and we should see a (12-4) Seattle walkaway with the NFC West and have a shot to get past New Orleans for the #1 seed.
Philadelphia in this game, this season…just…wow.
We all make fun of ‘someone has to win the NFC (L)East’…but what does it say if you finish in last place in that division? The Eagles are actually still in this…if they can get a surprise win over at GB or v. NO, they can get to 5-6 wins and 6 wins gets them the title but 5 wins might since NYG is going to Colt McCoy and the Washington schedule ahead is not great either.
What has happened to Philly?
1) Carson Wentz seriously has the yips…like a baseball player with mental performance issues. He’s so in his head about throwing the ball that he’s frozen/late on passes with indecision and double-pumping and tap-tap-tapping the ball way too much before a throw…it’s sad to watch. I’ve never been a fan, but he’s better than this…he’s just in a funk.
2) Doug Pederson should’ve benched him at the half, because letting Wentz try and ‘play through it’ is only making it worse. But Pederson will never bench Wentz, so people should stop asking about it.
I think Pederson is playing out an internal war and is trying to get fired -- all at the same time. He obviously hates the GM, who likely took Jalen Hurts without Pederson’s approval/desire…so, Pederson isn’t going to give GM Howie Roseman the satisfaction. Between the GM and owner (and the owner is 99% of the time lunch BFF’s with the GM), they’ve likely turned on Pederson…so now Pederson is a dead man walking at his job. The GM HAS to blame this on the coach with the owner, or the blame goes to the GM.
Pederson wants to leave, and they want him gone. Pederson wants to be fired, so he can get out…because he’ll be hired somewhere else quickly. So, Pederson is not going to make ownership/management desired changes because he (a) doesn’t want to, and (b) if he’s fired…it’s what he wants. Good for his psyche and bank account. He’ll get paid in full upon firing, as he signs a big deal to coach wherever next…he’ll double dip and escape Philly all at the same time. Plus, the Eagles CAP situation for 2021 is so awful that Pederson doesn’t want to be here to swirl down the drain with it for another year.
There is no change coming at QB unless Pederson is fired in-season, which wouldn’t shock me if it happens due to public pressure…but I think the Eagles’ ownership/management wants Pederson to stay for the rest of the season.
Why?
Honestly, the Eagles are going nowhere even if they win the NFC East…so, management might as well let Pederson and Wentz run into a brick wall, don’t win the NFC East, and the HC and QB get blamed for all this. The Eagles are probably the worst planned/salary cap team going into 2021…they have a giant mess to deal with ahead, so winning the NFC East at 6-9-1 or 5-8-1, losing in the playoffs…it does nothing for them now or later. They can’t have some reason NOT to fire Pederson pop up (like ‘winning the division, or then maybe somehow winning a playoff game)…so, firing him now would make some sense. But also, their best chance to lose (which is better for the big picture) is to keep letting Pederson and Wentz hang themselves on national TV weekly – so Pederson will likely not be fired because he’s a useful tool/patsy in more losses for better draft pick position.
Management can then fire everyone after the season ends, find a new coach, hope springs eternal and the fans follow the team, as they do, and buy season tickets regardless.
All I know is – fire up your opposing DST against this Eagles squad right now until Wentz finds himself again…if he even can.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- I’m 90%+ certain Carson Wentz (25-45 for 215 yards, 2 TDs/1 INT, 5-42-0) will remain as the starter for Doug Pederson the rest of the season. If there was the slightest of chance that Pederson sensed Wentz was dying and that a move to Jalen Hurts (1-1 for 6 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) would have been the right things to do…he would have played Hurts more than 2 snaps in this game (and played him more for last few weeks).
The fact that rumors/words leaked that Hurts would get more snaps/opportunities this week…and then he got literally one real play and then out all the game – it’s a message sent by Pederson.
As long as Wentz is in the WRs are dead for fantasy, until Wentz gets over his yips…so Reagor-Fulgham have no real value in redraft now.
I’d love to be in FF-ahead on Hurts for a run as a great mobile QB opportunity, but unless Wentz gets hurt or Pederson is fired…it’s not happening in 2020 (until the season is officially ‘over’ for Philly, which it may not be until Week 17…if even then).
-- There was one thing working with Wentz…Dallas Goedert (7-75-1/10). And it’s been growing for a few weeks now.
I’m back to ‘all the way the hell in’ on Dallas Goedert as the next great NFL and fantasy TE…with one pause… I don’t know what affects Jalen Hurts’ offense, which is going to be like Lamar Jackson’s or more so Taysom Hill’s, will be on the tight end.
All I know is…Goedert looks the best I’ve seen him in a while. He’s over his injury, and his movements are smooth like an elite TE. You will see him rise in redraft rankings and skyrocket on our Dynasty stash rankings.
If you want to acquire Goedert in Dynasty, for the future, best to let Wentz deal him a 3-33-0/6 game next week, or whatever week it happens and then shoot in after him. Hard to make a deal off a stat line like this game, but people may want off anything Philly…so, maybe a deal can be had reasonably. But the better opportunity might be in a week or so (if trading is still open).
Goedert is the better-than-Gronk ‘next Gronk’…but without a prime Tom Brady to work with, so we have to be cautiously optimistic. He’s just been so buried in Philly for years (again, another reason Pederson needs to go) we all kinda forgot about him because he isn’t touching the ball on the regular. Now, he is.
…as soon as Zach Ertz returns, Pederson/Wentz will lean that way and…that’s maybe your window to buy lower.
-- Not much to say about the Seattle offense in this game. Russell Wilson completed 22 passes for 230 yards and 77% of the yards and nearly 50% of the completions went to D.K. Metcalf (10-177-0/13).
The lesson learned here is: no one besides DKM matters in the passing game (as it should be).
My actual Seattle offensive notes…
1) I’ve been talking about Russ ‘not cooking’ for weeks, but now others are starting to realize it…
The first few weeks of 2020 season, Wilson was #1-2-3 in FF-output. Then he started to glide to #5 range midseason…and since Week 8, he’s the #8 QB in fantasy PPG…with Kirk Cousins about to pass him (in that stretch). Russ is a QB1, but not a top five QB1 in this new run game + defense Seattle approach.
2) I’ve been trying to sound an alert that Tyler Lockett’s (3-23-0/4) decline the past several weeks was a ‘canary in the coal mine’ warning that Russ was slipping (for FF). Basically, Lockett is a WR4 unless facing Arizona…and they have no more games scheduled with the Cardinals.
3) The tight ends don’t matter in the passing game…
My ‘watch out for Will Dissly’ (0-0-0/0) alerts ended up a zero. When I’m wrong on this type of thing, it’s usually because it’s a week early. So, we’ll all drop him…and he’ll be 3-40-1 next week and we’ll all be piling back in. Hard to trust him after this first non-Olsen result has been dealt. And the passing game is declining in general.
Jacob Hollister (2-11-0/5) played less snaps but got all the meager pass targets.
Colby Parkinson (0-0-0/0) didn’t see any work but did play 11 snaps. He could be the star of the group…in the future…not now.
-- Chris Carson (8-41-1, 2-18-0/2) got back to work and was solid, looked fine. Seattle kept him fresh with a Carson-Hyde mix -- and Seattle was controlling this game, so why push Carson heavy? The schedule ahead may allow Carson to split/stay fresh for the upcoming playoff run.
-- Boston Scott (2-7-0, 5-40-0/60 had some numbers here, but all the passing game stuff was final drive pure, unadulterated garbage time/meaningless stuff. There is no worry about Miles Sanders (6-15-0, 2-7-0/3) being cut into for touches. Seattle’s run defense is good, Philly’s O-Line and QB are not, and everything got shut down.
-- Jumping on Seattle-DST several weeks ago was a call by us that seemed like lunatic rantings…but now you’re grateful you chased it…or pissed you didn’t.
The defense is getting better each week. The Carlos Dunlap (2 tackles, 0.5 sacks) addition is an obvious boost. Rookie Jordyn Brooks (5 tackles, 1 PD) is starting to get more integrated also helps. But the big thing was getting starting CB Shaquill Griffin (4 tackle, 1 PD) back this game. When they get CB Quinton Dunbar back, then it gets even better.
Again, the schedule is really the thing driving this as much as anything.
Facing Colt McCoy, Sam Darnold, Alex Smith the next 3 weeks…your faith in grabbing Seattle several weeks ago, to get ahead on it, per my alerts – it may be the little thing that gets you over the top this season.
-- Everyone is going to get down on the Eagles everything, but we have to note…they played a helluva game here. They were flying to the ball. They fought hard all game and really held Seattle in check…except Darius Slay could not handle D.K. Metcalf. The offense is not helping the defense either.
If the Eagles win one of their next two, and breathe some life into themselves…Week 16 at Dallas might be a spot they might be useful in.
Snap Counts of Interest:
43 = Sanders
26 = B Scott
71 = Goedert
22 = R Rodgers
05 = C Wilson
48 = Dissly
37 = Hollister
11 = Parkinson
41 = Hyde
25 = Carson
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Falcons 43, Raiders 6
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.
Wow. Just wow.
Why I even bother to try to figure out what team will win/cover what game each week is a colossal waste of my time.
Coming into this game, Las Vegas was the team almost sweeping the Chiefs and playing good football overall. The Falcons played a game like this (on the losing end) just last week…falling out of the playoff picture (for the most part) and rolling over on their interim coach (because they got their original coach fired) in a bad loss to the Saints.
So, of course the bad team with nothing to play for beats the really good team with a lot to play by 37 points.
This game was just 6-3 Atlanta with 4+ minutes before halftime. Atlanta lined up for and missed an easy field goal, but a Raiders’ defender rolling out of control ended up hitting the kicker well after the kick…penalty called…1st-down…soon after a TD. From the moment the Raiders had stopped the Falcons via missed field goal with 4+ minutes ‘til halftime, but then the penalty was called – Atlanta then went on a 37-3 run from there for a blowout win.
For Las Vegas (6-5) it is a crushing blow to their season/playoff hopes. This was a gimme win…and they lost…in extreme fashion. They should’ve won and had a path to 10 wins and a for-sure wild card berth…now, they will have to scramble to get to (9-7) and hope they own a tiebreaker among the 9-win cluster to get in. Week 14 vs. Indy might be the season for both of those teams…the loser being out of the playoffs in the end.
Atlanta gets to (4-7) and kinda creeps back into the playoff picture on a long shot basis. Two games behind Arizona. But their schedule ahead will crush them, and they’ll finish with 4-5 wins.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- The biggest player news from this game is the leg injury to Josh Jacobs (7-27-0). My early guess is he misses Week 13. If it were the playoffs, maybe he tries to get back but he got hurt pretty good…and Week 13 is at the Jets – they don’t need him to reaggravate/push himself…just use the time as like a bye week.
If Jacobs is out, then Devontae Booker (5-6-0, 1-0-0/4) is going to be an RB1 threat for Week 13 vs. NYJ. Booker has been great in relief of Jacobs in spots/spurts all season. It’s not a guaranteed home run, but Booker has been solid+ all season and the Jets are a nice matchup.
It doesn’t appear Jacobs will be out longer than a week, but we’ll see what the word is Wed-Fri this week on that front. My guess is one week, for now.
-- Booker elicits the same cautious FF-optimism…like when we all found out Todd Gurley was out, and Brian Hill (13-55-0, 0-0-0/1) was drawing the start. I thought Hill was a nice pickup for a possible shot at an RB1 last week, as we all did.
The RB who did become an RB1 here was not Hill, but Ito Smith (12-65-1, 4-10-0/5)…outta nowhere. Hill started and was the obvious lead, but Ito sprinkled in early as a 3rd-down back of sorts. When it was a game for the 1st-half, everything was bottled up for either RB. When it got out of hand, Ito was running well and they just kept rolling with the little used back through the blowout and a good FF-game resulted for Smith.
Is it Hill or Ito next week?
I’m guessing a split/hot hand approach, where I still like Hill…Atlanta has favored Hill over Ito all season with both head coaches, so no reason to think good Ito numbers in a blowout changes that – BUT it’s on the table/a worry for Hill now after seeing this result.
-- After his Week 11 ‘zero’, Hayden Hurst (4-48-0/8) bounced back with a solid game. Good target counts, but man…watching Matt Ryan (22-39 for 185 yards, 2 TDs/1 INT) throw to him is painful.
Hurst has probably lost out on at least 10 catches and 2-3 TDs this season to date from Ryan misfiring to the wide open TE.
All you can do is keep rolling with Hurst…unless you got Kelce-Waller.
Hurst played less than 50% of the snaps here…but he was questionable all week (ankle), and this was a blowout, so he got pulled out for his own good it appears.
-- The state of the Raiders’ WR Union:
Nelson Agholor (5-54-0/6) is still the #1 WR look for Carr, and sometimes he gets a TD with his 3-5 catches for 30-60 yards in a game, and sometimes he doesn’t. He didn’t here.
Hunter Renfrow (7-73-0/9) had a nice FF game here (PPR), but these types of games are too few and far between – Renfrow is a Pro Bowl slot WR talent waiting to happen but Derek Carr isn’t going to make that happen.
Henry Ruggs (3-56-0/5) is flashing moments, but everyone outside of Agholor at WR is usually a bystander getting 1-3 targets a game to work with. I’m not seeing any uptick with Ruggs on the field.
Bryan Edwards (1-15-0/2)…I can see some of the athletic ‘it’ in his limited work/targets. I know why he was a Week 1 starter out of nowhere, and why people thought he was the best WR in camp – he has the goods. He’ll not get to display them in 2020, sadly. 2021 is a big question mark too, but there’s hope for 2021…hope that Edwards is too good to keep bottled up.
-- This was a game/matchup where Derek Carr (22-34 for 215 yards, 0 TD/1 INT) needed to put the hammer down and wreck the Falcons and have us all saying ‘Carr is not so bad, you could win a Super Bowl with him’. Instead, Carr crapped the bed with 3 sacks (against a team that doesn’t rush the passer well), 3 lost fumbles, and a pick.
This may have been the game the Raiders start to wonder if Carr really is their future. You cannot flop like this in a must-win game over an inferior pass defense.
-- Weeks 8-10, the Raiders defense held the Browns to 6 points, beat the Chargers holding them to a respectable (in 2020) 26 points, and then beating Denver holding them to 12 points. You forgive them for allowing 30+ to KC Week 11.
With all that, I thought Week 12 at ATL might not be bad for the Raiders-DST…instead, it was a nightmare. A good chunk of it was on Carr losing 3 fumbles. The Falcons only had 304 total yards…185 yards passing and just 3.9 yards per carry with their 125 yards rushing. It wasn’t an Atlanta offensive explosion, just a Las Vegas comedy of errors.
This kinda-sorta wasn’t what it looked like for the Raiders-DST. I have some faith in them against the Jets Week 13…although it got reduced a bit seeing this. In reality, it wasn’t as bloody for the defense as it looked/appeared.
*Regular Tuesday Video Q&A moved to Wednesday, at the normal time (8:00pm-9:30pmET)
Snap Counts of Interest:
39 = Br Hill
28 = Ito Smith
37 = Hurst
34 = Stocker
25 = Graham
38 = J Jacobs
22 = Booker
42 = Ruggs
42 = Agholor
41 = Renfrow
19 = Br Edwards
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Patriots 20, Cardinals 17
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.
I watched it live. I watched it again Monday for study purposes…I still have no idea how Arizona lost this game.
I’ll blame it on Kliff Kingsbury.
Arizona had a:
34/26 minute time of possession advantage.
3rd-down conversion advantage (43% to 37%).
Total yards advantage (298 to 179)
1st-down advantage (23 to 16)
The Cardinals had the better quarterback, and their defense was arguably as good as the Patriots.
So, how do you lose this game? It helps if you walk in with a huge QB advantage…and the decide to feature your expensive, overrated, low ypc in most games running back Kenyan Drake instead.
It also doesn’t help when your passing game is all WR based and then an opposing defense takes away your WRs in good coverage, and you have no ‘other gear’ to shift to in the passing game.
Throw in a missed field goal trying to take the lead with 1:52 left…and you lose.
Now, three losses in Arizona’s last 4 games. It really should be 4 losses in a row, if not for the Hail Mary beat on Buffalo. It really should be five losses in a row because they were thoroughly outplayed by Seattle Week 7 when they won that game in OT on Sunday Night Football.
Arizona is now (6-5), lucky to not be (4-7) and their season going down the drain. The shame of it is – this is a decent Arizona team. No longer a defensive liability, and plenty of offensive talent to win games. Their Week 13 game hosting LAR is going to be the season, in a sense, for both teams…the loser is going to be sent reeling with back-to-back losses and falling out of any NFC West title talk. I think it will be Arizona losing to the Rams -- and thus the Minnesota Vikings will start moving ahead of the Cardinals for the 7th wild card spot and Arizona will end the season (if they lose Week 13) at (8-8) and likely miss the last wild card.
New England is now (5-6), they should be (2-9)…they are the worst 5 win team in the NFL this side of the Chicago Bears. You’ll need 9 wins to have a shot at the AFC wild card, but more likely 10 wins. If New England wins 4 or 5 of their next five games…Bill Belichick should be awarded a medal. I think they can get to 8 wins, with pressure towards being a 7-win team in the end. Theirs is almost no way they can get to 9 wins…but never rule out Belichick.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- The Kyler Murray (23-34 for 170 yards, 0 TDs/1 INT, 5-31-0) Report…
It wasn’t his finest hour, but he didn’t look bad or lost or under any major duress.
Three issues…
1) The Patriots covered the WRs well. And they put decent pressure on him off the edges keeping him in the pocket and up the middle, not getting outside to make plays/extend plays.
2) Kyler/this offense had no answer to the covered WRs or getting Kyler away from being boxed in.
3) Part of the ‘no answer’ was no Kyler running plays on purpose…which is killing Kyler’s FF-vibe. The past two weeks, just 5 rushes and each game. The prior four games he ran the ball 10-14-11-11 times for 60+ yards each game and 5 rushing TDs. Just 23.0 rushing yards per game with no TDs in the last two weeks, and ‘surprise’ both losses.
If Kyler’s not running…we’re screwed for fantasy, because this Air Raid is not impressive at all for the passing game. Kyler’s been under 300 yards passing in 10 of 12 games this season. At/under 270 yards passing in nine of 12 games this season.
The next two weeks Kyler faces two of the most impressive defenses in the NFL – the Rams and the Giants. Kyler might run out of FF-gas before we get to the FF-finish line. All you can do is ride him all the way…he got you here.
…unless you have Justin Herbert or Josh Allen as well.
Kyler did have a TD pass right before the half, but it was ruled an inch short as time expired…it was that kind of FF-day for Kyler.
*Side Note: In my 3 Things/5 Players Report for Week 12, I noted Brett Hundley as the Kyler backup/handcuff. I was educated later by a faithful FFMer that my statement was likely not true – that Chris Streveler is the backup.
Streveler is the listed backup. He has played some in-season in specialty situations a la a Taysom Hill type QB. If it came down to it, I’m not sure if Arizona wouldn’t go with the experienced Hundley if in the playoff hunt – or if they see Streveler has more juice and would try and ride him.
With a little extra research on the subject, I think it is Streveler as the backup who would go in for Kyler – but it’s not a 100% for sure.
This is an FYI for those in deeper leagues where this would matter.
-- The more I watch Damien Harris (14-47-0) the more I think he’s one of the 3-5 best running backs in the NFL that I’m watching work each week the past month+.
That claim is kinda FF-meaningless since Harris does all his work between the 20s and is out of the game for others in the passing game or near the end zone. Why? I have no idea.
Two stud RBs who get treated like nobodies in their coach’s RBBC: Damien Harris and Darrell Henderson.
My 2020 life quote: Running backs are random timeshare and injured garbage, and I’ll never value them highly again in fantasy.
I tried this one COVID year to play RB heavy -- and it’s the worst year to have ever tried it. I will literally scissor kick anyone who tries to deny my long-complained claims that elite QBs and Travis Kelce aren’t as/more important than 99% of the Fantasy RBs each season.
-- Andy Isabella (4-33-0/6) drew the start for COVID Larry Fitz. The first play of the game, he took a little man-in-motion pitch pass and weaved around 4-5-6 guys to turn a 2-yard play into a sweet 19-yard pop to get things started…and then was never really involved in the offense again.
This is what worries me about Kyler…Kirk and Hopkins were taken away, Isabella would have been the matchup to expose, the game began with an example of it – and then they never go to it again, no real purposed plan by Kliff, and no vision by Kyler.
…and Christian Kirk (3-19-0/6) is a giant waste in this offense as well. The wrong style WR for this offense playing on the wing as a deep ball guy. Kirk should be in the Larry Fitz role, and Isabella should be in the Kirk role, the way Arizona plays offense. But what do I know? 170 yards passing and no passing TDs and a loss to New England says I might have reason to be heard.
-- Arizona isn’t moving away from Kenyan Drake (22-78-2, 3-15-0/4) and towards Chase Edmonds (6-29-0, 4-14-0/5) and more Kyler – no, they are leaning even MORE into Drake. Congrats! You hired a college coach offensive whiz with a gimmick offense, and the offense has devolved into Kenyan Drake runs between the guards. Sweet! Season ticket sales will be booming in 2021.
I have thought that there would be no way Arizona will throw 2021 free agent money at Kenyan Drake…now, I’m not so sure they won’t trade Kyler and install Drake at quarterback. Drake is somehow the key to the franchise, apparently.
Who knew the secret sauce of the Air Raid was smaller RBs running up the middle for 3.5 yards per carry? I learn something new every day.
-- Jakobi Meyers’ (5-52-0/6) interesting run as a PPR monster for New England is stalling out. He had that one massive game vs. the Jets (enough said) for 12 catches, 169 yards, and 14 targets – outside of that he just keeps repeating 4-6 catches for 50-60 yards with no TD games. Solid, but not FF-worthy/exciting.
The two starting WRs for this game on the first play = Byrd-Harry…but Meyers did play 94% of the snaps. It’s just odd he’s been so good and not on the field as a starter no matter the alignment.
-- Isaiah Simmons (6 tackles, 1 sack) helped Arizona lose this game with a helmet-to-helmet on Cam running out of bounds, an extra 15 yards that boosted New England into FG range with less than a minute left. Had the penalty not occurred, I’m not sure the Pats could’ve gotten into range in time (and thus the game head to OT)…because Arizona’s defense was really good otherwise (and the Pats stink on offense).
Besides that, Simmons looks FF-terrific of late – 8.0 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 1.0 sacks per game, while only playing about half the defensive snaps per game.
-- Do you know who New England’s top linebackers are?
Ja’Whuan Bentley (13 tackles), who is averaging 8.6 total tackles per game the past 5 games and Terez Hall (7 tackles), who I don’t even remember from college or pro work ever…he’s played 4 games since being signed by the Pats, and is averaging 6.8 total tackles per game with the opportunity – and only playing about 50% of the snaps in games +/-.
-- Arizona’s defense is really playing well, and I need to issue a formal apology to D-C Vance Joseph, who I mocked all preseason. The offense looks erratic…the defense looks rock solid. They really squashed NE’s offense here, and gave Seattle fits two weeks ago. They shut down Buffalo for a large chunk of their battle…and the Bills/Josh Allen had to be great to get to 30 points. I’ve been more impressed with Joseph’s defense than Kingsbury’s offense.
Week 13 vs. LAR might be OK with the Cardinals-DST.
Weeks 14-16 could be sweet…at NYG, PHI, SF.
-- The Patriots-DST has been OK this year (#15 DST in PPG this season to date), but they don’t have as favorable a schedule ahead…
Weeks 13-16: at LAC, at LAR, at MIA, BUF…not good, except Miami if Tua is starting.
Snap Counts of Interest:
34 = Dam Harris
20 = JWhite
41 = Drake
33 = Edmonds
72 = Hopkins
64 = Kirk
41 = Isabella
09 = KeeSean
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
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
- R.C. Fischer
- FFM
2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 12 Game Analysis: Texans 41, Lions 25
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.
All you need to know here is the Lions, coming off getting shut out by the Panthers, playing at home on Thanksgiving (which is supposed to mean some magical turkey-based powers are activated), the Lions laid another egg – and thus the head coach and GM were fired on Saturday.
If you are keeping score at home…that’s three head coaches fired early this 2020 season – HOU, ATL, and DET. What do they all have in common? Ex-Patriot guys who breathed Belichick farts for a few years and thus were considered great head coaching and GM prospects for the NFL.
No business could be any bigger/more in the spotlight day-to-day than the NFL…and yet no business mismanaging themselves more than the NFL. Ex-Pats’ Bill O’Brien…gone. Matt Patricia…gone. GM Bob Quinn, DET…gone. GM Thomas Dimitroff, ATL…gone.
Brian Flores, if I were you…I’d ‘rent not own’. You know what I mean?
Next coaching tree about to get exposed/chopped down, but no one will ever admit it is…the Andy Reid tree. Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy will be gone soon. But good luck to whatever sucker, I mean billion-dollar franchise hires Eric Bieniemy as their head coach. I mean, what would Patrick Mahomes be if not for Bieniemy?
It won’t be long before there is a bidding war for that Belichick offspring coach with the mullet. I don’t even know his name. It doesn’t even matter. He’ll be hired based upon submission to a DNA test. I mean, how did he get his current job?
Where was I?
Oh, yeah…the Texans suck, corrupted by their ex-Patriot loving management team (and the interim coach is an ex-Pat too) – but they were 10x better than the Lions’ ex-Patriot ways this week. The Lions got out to an impressive 7-0 lead on the first drive, and then got outscored 41-10 over the next 48 minutes of play.
Houston is now (4-7) and all I even care about is – can they get to 8 wins and pay off my ‘over’ 7.5 wins preseason bet? That notion was all but dead, but three wins in their last 4 games has hope springing eternal. If I can get them to split (worst case) with their two Indy games ahead, I might pull this off…at least I have a chance.
Detroit now turns to the only coach worse than Matt Patricia…O-C Darrell Bevell. Truly, arguably, the single worst football mind in the NFL…now that Norv Turner is out of coaching. Hold on, Anthony Lynn is calling me…
Bevell is the worst – terrible offensive mind that is all about running the ball. Players don’t like him…just ask all the former Seattle players from the Seahawks’ Super Bowl era. It will be good/normal for Swift and AP, and down/normal for Stafford and the passing game. Kenny Golladay should milk his injury and stay away from all this. The Lions likely won’t win another game this year…unless they surprise Chicago Week 13 due to confusion on no tape of Bevell ‘in charge’ of a game, and Nagy trying to claim top prize in the ‘worst coach’ sweepstakes…plus, the Bears are as bad as the Lions, almost.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- How will the new head coach for Detroit affect the running game? Likely, no different than where they were.
D’Andre Swift (DNP) will be the lead and Adrian Peterson (15-55-2) and Kerryon Johnson (11-46-0, 4-52-0/4) will still suck/be useless as backups and get a few touches here and there. Why the Lions do not cut Peterson and allow him to go to a contender, and free up touches for younger guys, is baffling…and then is absolutely not baffling because the NFL is the worst run business you know of.
Jonathan Williams (1-5-0, 4-21-0/4) came out of nowhere/the practice squad to get some work in this game. Williams filled in for injured Marlon Mack last year for two back-to-back games, where he ran for 100+ yards in back-to-back games – and that got him unsigned in the offseason and buried on the Lions practice squad. If you think they’ll give him more touches ahead of AP or after releasing AP…you’re out of your mind.
Also, note…this was kinda the Kerryon Johnson stat line I was hoping for as a my ‘gut feeling’ play of the week. Always a week too early for me it seems…
-- Matt Stafford (28-42 for 295 yards, 1 TD/1 INT) has had a useless season, and the switch in HC will do nothing for him. The same offense and flow, or more running is on tap ahead. And that goes for all the related weapons.
Garbage time points in constant deficit might be possible, but that’s not really happened much so far in this losing season.
-- Deshaun Watson (17-25 for 318 yards, 4 TDs/0 INTs) has been straight fire for the 6 games…15 TDs/0 INT in his past six with four 300+ yard passing games.
His sweet run has come against the #26, #13, #29, #19, #15, #23 pass defenses (yards per game) in the league…with many of them missing top defenders for that specific game.
I’m not trying to undercut/downplay the DeShaun run, but I am. If he rolls it up against IND-CHI-IND #5-10-5 in pass yards allowed per game) the next three weeks, then I’ll think a real change has occurred.
-- Part of what is helping Deshaun is the fact that the Texans cannot run the ball. Houston is 2nd worst in the NFL in rushing yards per game, only the Bears are worse.
If you think the run game turns up with David Johnson back next week…for that IND-CHI-IND stretch, you’re sadly mistaken. That’s the #3-14-3 run defenses (by yards per game) to face in the league. It’s also #3-8-3 in yards per carry allowed.
-- My Jordan Akins (0-0-0/2, 1-4-0) enthusiasm was greeted with a turkey leg to the cranium…his best play was a 1st-down conversion run as a fullback.
Akins did have two TDs in his hands, which would’ve gotten him a 15+ point day but he had his longer TD pass/catch knocked out of his hands in the end zone as he grabbed it. And the second one he was wide open in the end zone and Watson threw it a yard to high and a yard to far away…and Akins could only get fingertips on it.
Akins faces the great Indy defense against the TE in two of the next 3 weeks, if you want to drop for something else…feel free in that span.
-- What else won’t help Akins ahead…Kahale Warring (0-0-0/1) is active, finally. The Texans need to see what they got here. His one route this game, it was early on…and all I can say with this one flash of NFL time, this one target (two routes) to look at – those are some REALLY fast feet for a tight end.
Warring played two snaps early (1st series), got a target on one of them…then I can’t remember when he was in for his other two snaps played.
The Texans need to push Warring, to see what they have…which means they won’t.
Deeper Dynasty rosters…time to stash on him if you’re interested. He may get more time and attention from here on in. Now, that he is finally playing in an NFL game we can start to assess and compare, etc. My first brief look here – interest piqued again, but I need to see more tape to get a better feel. He’s barely played against NFL competition in two years.
-- The Texans defense is bad, BUT…
Held last three opponents to 20 points or less…well, not this game but subtract out a garbage time TD allowed 4th-quarter and you’re there…they otherwise shut down Detroit after the Lions scored right away to start the game.
Week 14 at CHI…maybe not the worst DST option in the world?
Week 16 hosting Cincy…is that a possible-legit title game DST option?
Just sayin’, just looking ahead…trying to find hope…
Snap Counts of Interest:
39 = Kerryon
22 = AP
21 = Jon Williams
68 = Marvin
39 = Sanu
25 = Agnew
25 = Cephus
42 = Duke J
10 = Prosise
04 = Scottie Phillips
30 = Ph Brown
28 = Fells
26 = Akins
04 = Warring
