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Keyboard Quarterback: Saving Face
Authored by Andrew Perna - 26th December, 2007 - 7:09 am
Jeff Risdon was actually into fantasy football back in the early 90s and he has a lot to say about how it has changed over the years and infiltrated the mainstream.
With John Herrera standing to his right dressed in black and appearing not unlike an undertaker, Lane Kiffin sat down at the podium for Sunday's postgame news conference.
Baltimore wants Flacco to be their QB of the future. But the Ravens feel they have no choice but to start him now because Boller and Smith are unavailable. Wrong!
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There’s only one weekend of NFL action left for a majority of football fans around the world. Twenty teams will begin their offseason in less than a week, with the remaining twelve teams dreaming of a trip to the Super Bowl.
Parity, often talked about but not always achieved, has become the theme of the NFL over the last decade. However, the 2007 season didn’t do a very good job of embodying that – the Patriots (15-0) hosted the Dolphins (1-14) on Sunday.
The cream of the crop seems to be rather thick at the top, with teams like New England, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Green Bay looking strong from the early part of the season. Nothing is a ‘sure thing’ in sports any longer (see Appalachian State, the Rockies and the Dallas Mavericks), but seeing the six teams mentioned above in the win column each Sunday is a pretty strong bet. Their combined record is 74-16 this season.
After this weekend we’ll finally know the last two teams participating in the postseason, with Cleveland and Tennessee battling in the AFC and Washington, and Minnesota and New Orleans fighting for the NFC’s last Wild Card slot.
Just for the record, my money is on the Titans and the Vikings.
The Downs The First Down…One Win Away After taking care of the hapless Dolphins on Sunday, the Patriots are now just one win away from recording a perfect season. New England has been tested on a few occasions (against the Colts, Eagles and Ravens), but they’ve remained cool under pressure. The Giants, who have nothing to play for but their pride this weekend, don’t pose much of a threat. If the Patriots are able to notch a 16-0 record this Sunday, New England fans will have bragging rights for all of eternity.
The Second Down…Green Bay Slips The Packers certainly didn’t look like one of the NFC’s best teams during their embarrassing loss to the feeble Bears on Sunday. Two of Green Bay’s three losses have come at the hands of Chicago this season with the other coming against Dallas, and a banged up Brett Favre has slowed down after beginning the season at a feverish pace. Thankfully, the Packers will have a week to rest before hosting their first game of the playoffs.
The Third Down…Week 16 Playoff Battle You may have missed it, but the Redskins and Vikings took part in a battle of playoff insanity on Sunday night. Washington, who defeated Minnesota 32-21, took over possession of the NFC’s final Wild Card spot with the victory. The Redskins now sit in the driver’s seat, controlling their playoff destiny as they face the Cowboys in Week Seventeen. A win earns them a playoff spot while a loss could allow the Vikings, or Saints, to slip in ahead of the Redskins.
The Fourth Down…Eli’s Regression The Giants may have clinched a playoff berth in their win over the Bills on Sunday, but Eli Manning is still stuck in a slump of epic proportions. His numbers have decreased steadily each month this season, with his QB rating dropping from 81.9 in September all the way down to 58.6 in December. If New York is going to have any shot advancing past the first round of the playoffs, Eli is going to have to play like it’s Week One.
The ‘Who The Heck’ Statline of the Week… Giants’ running back Ahmad Bradshaw: 151 rushing yards and a touchdown against Buffalo.
My Keyboard Prediction for Week Seventeen New England @ N.Y. Giants, Saturday 8:15PM EST It’s not going to be easy for fans to see the game, but the Patriots will put the finishing touches on their historic season against the Giants on Saturday. Tom Brady will break the single-season touchdown record in the first half as the Pats put Eli and the Giants away early. Bill Belichick will shock the world and take his starters out to begin the second half, allowing the Giants to make the score look respectable.
The Keyboard Prediction: New England 38, N.Y. Giants 28
My Fantasy Diary…
All season you have been reading about The Drew Crew of the East Coast Pigskin League, but they were inactive over the holiday weekend after getting bounced out of the playoffs in Week Fifteen.
However, all hope was not lost. I was still able to take home two league titles and a second-place finish for the 2007 fantasy football season.
Of course, my wins came in Yahoo and FOX Sports public leagues, but I’ll take what I can get…
My Fantasy Football Record for the 2007 Season: League Titles: 2
Week Sixteen (Playoffs): 2-0
Eliminated From: 10 of 12 leagues
Week Fifteen (Playoffs): 2-2
Eliminated From: 8 of 12 leagues
Week Fourteen (Playoffs): 1-1
Week Fourteen (Regular Season): 5-2
Week Thirteen: 3-9
Week Twelve: 5-7
Week Eleven: 6-6
Week Ten: 4-8
Week Nine: 5-7
Week Eight: 6-6
Week Seven: 6-6
Week Six: 10-2
Week Five: 5-7
Week Four: 9-3
Week Three: 7-5
Week Two: 6–6
Week One: 8–4
Overall: 90 wins and 81 losses
