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KQ: Do You Believe In Miracles?
Authored by Andrew Perna - 6th November, 2008 - 9:28 am
Playoff-bound teams and impersonators alike were able to pad their records at an astounding rate this season against the likes of Detroit, Kansas City, and St. Louis.
Between Lane Kiffin at Tennessee and openings at Clemson, Washington, Syracuse, Mississippi State and Purdue, there are fertile jobs out there.
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With the Chargers and Saints, two of the most influential teams in fantasy football, off in Week 9, it was a tough battle for quite a few owners.
Drew Brees and Philip Rivers have been the top-two quarterbacks in all of fantasy football this season, with Kurt Warner a close third.
In addition, elite players like LaDainian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers, Devery Henderson, Marques Colston, and Antonio Gates joined their quarterbacks on the sidelines this past weekend.
Things could be similar this weekend with fantasy studs from both Dallas and Washington on their byes, but personally, Week 9 was set up to be a tough one for my team The Drew Crew.
Scroll down a little bit for this week’s Fantasy Diary.
The Downs First Down…Titans Go 8-0 I have been waiting all season for the Titans to post their first loss, but midway through it still hasn’t happened. I truly feel as though the Bears have a decent shot at handing Tennessee their first defeat this Sunday at Soldier Field, but Kerry Collins and Co. have yet to hiccup in 2008.
The Titans have a rough slate coming up, with the Jaguars and Jets following the Bears before the NFL’s special Thanksgiving schedule. Regardless of how the season ends, Jeff Fisher should be Coach of the Year. Hands down.
Second Down…Falcons Embarrass Raiders Atlanta handed Oakland an epic beat down on Sunday, defeating them 24-0. Matt Ryan continues to impress in his rookie season, while JaMarcus Russell, really a rookie himself, struggles mightily. I wouldn’t credit Ryan for all of his success and Russell for all his struggles. The Falcons and Raiders are simply at opposite ends of the spectrum right now.
Things probably won’t change for the Raiders this weekend against the Panthers, while the Falcons have a big divisional battle against the Saints coming up.
Third Down…Jets Are Dangerous I wasn’t impressed with the Jets earlier this season, but I’d consider them to be a very dangerous team heading into the second half of the year. Brett Favre is 93-for-139 with three touchdowns and eight interceptions in the team’s last four games, but New York won three of those contests.
Eric Mangini has his team playing tough defense, and Thomas Jones has really come into his own with Favre keeping opposing teams honest. They will have a good chance to extend their hot streak this weekend against the lowly Rams.
Fourth Down…Colts Stay Alive A loss to the Patriots on Sunday night would have probably ended the Colts’ playoff chances, but for the moment, they remain alive thanks to a clutch performance. Tony Dungy had his defense tight, and Peyton Manning looked more comfortable than he has so far this season.
They have an even tougher matchup against the Steelers this weekend, which is still an important game for Indianapolis. At this point, nearly every game is a must-win for the former Super Bowl champions.
The ‘Who The Heck’ Statline of the Week… Jamaal Charles, Kansas City RB: 106 rushing yards.
Keyboard Prediction for Week Ten N.Y. Giants @ Philadelphia, Sunday 8:15PM EST
This one is tough to call, especially with the game taking place at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia. The Giants are red-hot, but the Eagles have quietly won three-straight. Both teams feature aggressive defenses, with each ranking in the top-four in sacks through the season’s first nine weeks.
I think New York is more cohesive at this point, even with Plaxico Burress causing some drama on the inside. The Eagles have been solid this season, but have turned in more disappointing performances than the defending-champions have this fall. That gives them an advantage in this key NFC East battle.
The Keyboard Prediction: N.Y .Giants 28, Philadelphia 24
Season Record: 4-5
My Fantasy Diary:
Week 9 was supposed to be a horrible one for The Drew Crew, especially with Philip Rivers and Chris Chambers having the week off. In addition, I swung a trade last week, trading Marques Colston and Kevin Curtis for Ryan Grant and Chad Johnson.
Ultimately, I left both on the bench.
I picked up, and started, Jeff Garcia against the Chiefs to replace Rivers, who had started eight-straight weeks for me. He turned in 339 yards and a touchdown, good enough for 25 points. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more.
Thomas Jones, for what seems like the eightieth-straight week, turned in an awesome performance. He posted more than 100 total yards and a touchdown. Bernard Berrian may have only caught two passes, but he hauled in 104 yards and a score for the Vikings.
Joseph Addai (42 total yards) and Dallas Clark (63 yards) turned in below-average performances, but Santonio Holmes (30 yards and a touchdown), Mason Crosby (10 points) and the Philadelphia defense (7 PA, 233 yards and four sacks) picked up the slack.
Even more impressive than the 106 points I scored, was who I defeated in the process. The High Strokers suffered their first loss of the season against The Drew Crew, quite a point of pride for yours truly.
Week 10 will be another difficult one, with the Big Bulls (7-2) battling my Drew Crew (6-3).
The Bulls bring Kurt Warner, Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall to the table. It could be a tough one.
Week One Record: 4-1 Week Two Record: 4-1 Week Three Record: 1-4 Week Four Record: 3-2 Week Five Record: 2-3 Week Six Record: 4-1 Week Seven Record: 3-2 Week Eight Record: 4-1 Week Nine Record: 3-2 Season Record: 28-17 (.622)
Top Ten Fantasy Starters At Each Position For Week Ten Based On Prior Week Performance And Matchups
Bye Week Advisory: Cincinnati, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Washington
Quarterbacks 1. Drew Brees, New Orleans
2. Philip Rivers, San Diego
3. Kurt Warner, Arizona
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
5. Jay Cutler, Denver
6. Brett Favre, N.Y. Jets
7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta
8. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
9. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
10. Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
Running Backs 1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
2. Frank Gore, San Francisco
3. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
4. Matt Forte, Chicago
5. Michael Turner, Atlanta
6. Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants
7. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
8. Chris Johnson, Tennessee
9. Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets
10. Ronnie Brown, Miami
Wide Receivers 1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
2. Roddy White, Atlanta
3. Andre Johnson, Houston
4. Greg Jennings, Green Bay
5. Anquan Boldin, Arizona
6. Lee Evans, Buffalo
7. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
8. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota
9. Steve Smith, Carolina
10. Calvin Johnson, Detroit
Tight Ends 1. Antonio Gates, San Diego
2. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City
3. Owen Daniels, Houston
4. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
5. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
6. Tony Scheffler, Denver (injury-risk)
7. Anthony Fasano, Miami
8. Greg Olson, Chicago
9. Kevin Boss, N.Y. Giants (injury-risk)
10. Brent Celek, Philadelphia
Kickers 1. Rob Bironas, Tennessee
2. John Carney, N.Y. Giants
3. David Akers, Philadelphia
4. Rian Lindell, Buffalo
5. Jason Elam, Atlanta
6. Mason Crosby, Green Bay
7. Stephen Gostkowski, New England
8. John Kasay, Carolina
9. Robbie Gould, Chicago
10. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
Defense/Special Teams 1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New York Giants
4. Chicago Bears
5. Tennessee Titans
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. New York Jets
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Miami Dolphins
