The QB situation in the 49ers locker room, Shawne Merriman's shameless attention grab, why the Panthers could runaway with the NFC South and BCS predictions.
If Favre comes back, he better stick it out for a full season whether he starts, is a back-up, or gets benched several games into the season.
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Things in the NFL are getting intense. Records are being broken, seasons are being ruined, and jobs are being lost. In week fourteen several teams’ playoff hopes were officially extinguished, while a handful of teams tired their hardest to keep those same hopes alive. The San Diego Chargers locked up the AFC West title, joining the Chicago Bears as the only teams to have clinched their division with three weeks to go.
My normal Sunday football viewing wasn’t typical this weekend, but my fantasy struggles were par for the course. After rejoicing in having made the playoffs in more than half of my nine fantasy football leagues, I was sent packing in three of the five leagues. Heading into week fifteen I only have two contending teams to manage and root for, I miss the fantasy season already.
Week Fourteen Highs Tomlinson Breaks TD Record Not only did LaDainian lead the Chargers to the AFC West title on Sunday, but he also scored three rushing touchdowns against the Denver defense to break Shaun Alexander’s single-season record. Tomlinson has 29 touchdowns this season, with three games remaining on San Diego’s schedule. At the rate L.T. has been scoring this season he could push the record into the mid-thirties.
Jacksonville Runs Over Indianapolis Week fourteen in the NFL was the week of the rush. Hours before L.T. broke the single-season touchdown record, the Jaguars ran for 375 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. The win put the Jags in a tie with the Cincinnati Bengals for the two AFC wild-card spots. Jacksonville’s rushing attack was paced by rookie Maurice Jones-Drew (166 yards), veteran Fred Taylor (131), and benchwarmer Alvin Pearman (71).
Saints Brees Past Cowboys Many tabbed the Sunday night match-up between Dallas and New Orleans as the battle between the two best teams in the NFC, with intentional disrespect to the Chicago Bears. After the Saints put the finishing touches on their 42-17 dismantling of the NFC East-leading Cowboys, it looks as though New Orleans is head-and-shoulders above all competition. Drew Brees finished with 384 yards and five touchdown passes for the 9-4 Saints.
Week Fourteen Lows Patriots Get Hammered Tom Brady and the New England Patriots don’t look like their normal end-of-the-season selves in 2006, and nothing proved that more than the 21-0 spanking the Miami Dolphins put on the Pats Sunday. Brady finished with just 78 passing yards against an improving Miami defense, while Miami’s offense created more points than needed. Not only has New England lost their grip on home-field advantage in the competitive AFC, but the Jets still have an outside shot at taking the division.
The Young-less Texans Not only did the Houston Texans pass on Reggie Bush in this springs’ NFL Draft, but they also pasted on Houston native and Texas Longhorn legend Vince Young. Young made sure the Texans tasted the flavor of defeat after he led Tennessee to another thrilling victory. The Titans are now 6-7, and have won four straight games. Vince did it this time on a thrilling 39-yard touchdown run in overtime.
Chiefs Falling The AFC wild-card race is too close for Kansas City to be dropping games like they have in recent weeks. Last week they lost to the lowly Browns in overtime, and this week they struggled mightily against a tough Baltimore defense. The Chiefs didn’t score until late in the third quarter, and at 7-6 they stand behind the Bengals, Jaguars, and Jets in the wild-card hunt. Herm Edwards’ men can do better than that.
Andrew’s Believe it or Not LaDainian Tomlinson is averaging 2.23 touchdowns per game this season.
Jaguars’ rookie Maurice Jones-Drew scored three more touchdowns than the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Tom Brady threw for only 78 more passing yards than I did in week fourteen.
The Detroit Lions rushed for -3 yards in their 30-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Eagles’ back-up quarterback Jeff Garcia threw more touchdown passes in week fourteen than Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, and Tom Brady combined.
Rookie quarterback Vince Young has led the Titans to more comeback victories this season than the Lions and Raiders have won period.
After the New York Giants won their game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday there were zero derogatory remarks by a Giants about one of their coaches or teammates.
Week Fifteen Viewer’s Guide 49ers-Seahawks, Thursday 8:30PM EST A win over San Francisco would give Seattle the NFC West title with two games left on their schedule. Not bad for a team that lost both Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander for extended periods of time this season.
Cowboys-Falcons, Saturday 8:00PM EST This special Saturday night match-up is huge for both of these NFC heavyweights. Dallas needs a win in order to keep the surging Giants and Eagles at bay in the NFC East, and Atlanta needs a win in order to improve their current wild-card standing.
Jaguars-Titans, Sunday 1:00PM EST Jacksonville can keep the pressure on the Colts with a win over Tennessee before Indianapolis faces Cincinnati on Monday night. Vince Young and the Titans have other plans as they try to sneak into the AFC wild-card picture.
Eagles-Giants, Sunday 4:15PM EST A few weeks ago when the Giants were struggling and Donovan McNabb went down for the season it looked as though this NFC East match-up would lack its usual tension. With both teams deadlocked at 7-6 and a playoff spot on the line, this storied rivalry will live up to all the billing.
Chiefs-Chargers, Sunday 8:15PM EST Kansas City will look to remain in the AFC wild-card race, as the Chargers continue to steamroll towards the playoffs. With a first round-bye in mind San Diego will look to ride LaDainian “Jesus in Cleats” Tomlinson to another division victory.
Bengals-Colts, Monday 8:30PM EST Cincinnati is as hot as they have been all season, while the Colts are as cold as they have been in recent years. If Tony Dungy isn’t able to get Indianapolis’s defensive problems solved before Monday this one could get out of hand. (somehow I think the Colts will come to play in this one.)
My Fantasy Diary… Last week I talked about my promising postseason opportunities with five of my nine teams qualifying for the fantasy playoffs. I even went as far as to highlight the three playoff battles I was focusing the hardest on. Well, of my five playoff squads only two are still in contention, and of the leagues I highlighted last week – none are alive.
That’s right. All three of the teams I discussed last week lost in the first round of the playoffs this weekend. Overall, with some leagues still in the regular season, I finished week fourteen with a 4-5 record, leaving just my FOX Public team and my Indy Sports Fans League team left in the hunt for a title.
In the most important of my playoff battles, the Nichols College League, I lost 135-78 to Dan Davis and his Soviet Union Communists. Yup, my Italian Stallions only mustered 78 points against Dan and his Communist Clan. His quarterback, Drew Brees, rose up and dumped fecal matter all over my entire roster. Brees’ 45 points, along with double-digits from all but one of his players, creamed my feeble squad. Maurice Jones-Drew very nearly willed my team to victory with his 35-point effort, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
In fact, heading into the four o’clock games this Sunday my chances were looking pretty good. Only three of my players, Jones-Drew, L.J. Smith and the Pittsburgh Defense, had played and I had 50 points to show for it. The rest of my team, which included studs like Tony Romo, Shaun Alexander, and Anquan Boldin, only got me 28 points combined as I stumbled out of contention.
If that wasn’t bad enough I suffered another humiliating defeat at the hands of fellow writer Jeff Risdon in the RealGM Writer’s League. He beat me 90-62, on the back of Jones-Drew and the Atlanta Defense. Larry Johnson let me down with just six points and I bowed out of yet another league.
I’ll continue to compete in consolation brackets, but I’ll focus hard on my two remaining championship contenders. My Riverside Pacers of the Indy Sports Fans League had the number one seed and put up an impressive 103 points in week fourteen. LaDainian Tomlinson has gotten me this far, maybe he’ll help make my fantasy dreams become reality.
