-Very quietly, my Buffalo Bills have gone 4-2 over their last six games (h/t Dan Carpenter). The Bills and Detroit Lions are both 4-10, even money at stake, who would you predict has the better record next year? I predicted in the preseason I would take the over on Detroit wins this year at 5 (thanks a lot Matthew Stafford). With Miami (away) and Minnesota (home) as their last two games and a push on five wins, would you back my play? The Bills have the Patriots and Jets as their last two games. Seeing as we're out of the Drew Bledsoe era, both of those teams will take Buffalo serious. Is there a stranger stat in football this year than the Dolphins being 1-6 at home and 6-1 away? The 6-1 away record is tied for tops in all of football.
-Drew Stanton, Mike Tolbert and now this week's winner of "worst dance" goes to…Steve Johnson! I call it the "not so serious jig."
-I've got four points from the "very broken record" department:
1. Arian Foster and Tashard Choice were both stuffed on runs up the middle on fourth and one. Mark Sanchez runs a naked bootleg for a TD (I get that it might not have worked with Troy Polamalu in the game) and Ray Rice gets a big-gain on a pitch off a fake fullback dive. The point that's been made over and over is that that the jumbo package is overrated on fourth and short. Speaking of the aforementioned Arian Foster and Ray Rice, they had two very different days.
2. Jamaal Charles had 11 carries for 126 yards while Thomas Jones had 22 carries for 62 yards. I could understand an even 11/11 split between the two but a 2:1 difference while the YPC were a 2:1 difference would mean there's a 4:1 difference there, I think. It comes down to way too much math for my liking and too much of the use of difference. I actually think that with the Chiefs running game they could be a sneaky team in the playoffs. I would like them better if Dexter McCluster evolves into a legit #2 WR; Chris Chambers isn't going to cut it.
3. If I'm Tom Coughlin, I would have announced after the game that Matt Dodge has been released, as of this moment. High snap or not, this guy has been screwing up all year in the kicking game as I've pointed out a few different times. His body was angled to kick to the right, yet the ball goes straight down the middle. It's totally unforgiveable. I'm pretty sure he's not the Giants player married to Coughlin's daughter, no? That being said, throw Michael Vick's name back in the MVP discussion. Not saying he's the winner but he needs to be in the discussion. How much does he earn in his next contract? I'm guessing it isn't going to be like Donovan McNabb's current one. Would the Vikings be a good fit for McNabb next year? How much better would the DeSean Jackson TD have been if Gus Johnson and not monotone Joe Buck been on the call? Was Jackson's run across the goal line brilliant as he made sure the clock would run out or was it showboating?
4. The Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski debacle at tight end is the same as the Lance Moore/Robert Meachem quandary at wide receiver.
-Kudos if you had the foresight to play Matt Spaeth, Jimmy Graham or Ed Dickson (I did a week too early).
-I feel bad for Austin Collie. Would it be surprising if he has to leave the game well before he should because of these concussions?
-The Bernard Hopkins fight I witnessed on Saturday reminded me why I'm an MMA fan.
-As a Lee Evans starter last week I feel your pain, Terrell Owens' owners.
-I'm sorry but an 18-game season is ridiculous. I'm fine with shortening the preseason, but don't replace those two weeks with two more regular season games.
-No Spoilers! Did not know this until recently, but in "real life" Dexter is married to his sister Debra. Unfortunately there are legit sources now stating that Michael C. Hall is divorcing from Jennifer Carpenter (the two aforementioned.) Not sure how this affects the show going forward.
-Excellent challenge by Norv Turner on the Alex Smith TD. I'm quite sure I've never used the words "excellent" and "Norv Turner" in the same sentence, ever. I'm pretty sure the chances of me using them again are slim.
-If you have kids over five-years-old and older and are looking for a good movie to give for the holidays, go with "Despicable Me." Best kids' movie I've seen since "Bedtime Stories." If you want a good laugh, my seven-year-old has asked for a surveillance camera to "catch Santa" in the act. Expect me doing something very strange with a ladder and bells come Friday night.
-Whoever wins the NFC West should forfeit their playoff spot and give it to the top NFC team who misses out on the Wildcard. All four teams in the NFC West lost this week and the top-2 teams in the division have both lost two in a row.
-Great call by the Packers to start the game with an on-sides kick. It's a brilliant move if you're on the road as a big underdog. The other play that isn't used enough in non-desperation times is the hook and ladder. It's another awesome play with the right personal and draw-up.
-If I gave you the choice of the Patriots, Atlanta and one other team (right now) vs. the field, who would you take to win the Super Bowl? The Patriots defense is what makes me wary of them being a legit contender.
-I don't follow it as much as I used to but I love that the Bowl season is upon us. Any bold predictions? I'm curious about the over/under for Auburn/Oregon game as it started at 76 and is down to 74. Is it me or it that interesting? Mark me down for the over.
-Sticking with college football, what is going on with the Ralph Friedgen/Mike Leach situation in Maryland? I've read that he (Leach) is in Florida and there are many schools there he could have gone to, so why Maryland?
-Overall worse defense in the NFL - Denver, Arizona or Houston? Don't discount the loss of Mario Williams; at times this year the Texans did have a pass-rush which is what got them back in the game against the Ravens.
-A small, sneak-peak into baseball. We did our auction draft for the fantastic RotoWire magazine last Tuesday and I'll share some (but not all) of my $1 pitcher picks – Justin Masterson, Homer Bailey and Bud Norris. Just a nibble as to who I like as sleepers; grab the magazine to find the full results.
-Peter Schoenke wrote a blog advocating for the use of Joe Webb as a #3 WR in Yahoo leagues. After this week's fantasy performances' by Tim Tebow, Matt Flynn and Rex Grossman, I'm totally on board with his thinking and Webb is probably worth more than a #3 WR start at this point.
-Worst play by a defender for the day - David Bruton (see #30 on the Marcel Reece TD).
-Quick, who's been a more productive fantasy WR overall in standard leagues, Jeremy Maclin or DeSean Jackson? What about PPR (hint, the answer is the same?)
-We do a fantasy playoff pool around here using all the players and teams with the caveat of using them only once. I'll elaborate more in the upcoming weeks and I'd encourage any and all to find a fantasy league once the playoffs begin.
-The New York Rangers must have been good this year; they only have one game in the upcoming weekly scoring period.
-I fully understand that backup/rookie QBs typically rely on their tight ends. However, I'm beginning to think Tony Romo needs to look at Jason Witten more. In roughly 5.5 games with Romo, Witten had 283 receiving yards (51.4 yards per game) and two TDS vs. 8.5 games with Kitna were he's had 628 receiving yards (73.8 yards per game) and five TDs.
-Have a fun and safe holiday, filled with fantasy cheer. My present to you? Quotes from the greatest holiday movie ever, move on if you're not a fan. Comments and criticism are always welcome:
"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"
"Grace? She passed away thirty years ago. The BLESSING!"
"Lotta sap in here! Mmmm... Looks great! Little full, lotta sap."
"If only I had that money Catherine and I gave to that TV preacher who was screwin' that hockey player."
"Yes officer, it seems my husband's been abducted. The man was, was wearing a blue leisure suit. Plates were from Kansas. He was a huge, beastly, bulging man."
"My cousin in-law, whose heart is bigger than his brain..."
"Oh Aunt Bethany, you shouldn't have done that.
Oh dear, did I break wind?
Jesus, did the room clear out, Bethany? Hell no, she means presents. You shouldn't have brought presents."
"Hey Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?
Bend over and I'll show you.
You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Griswold.
I wasn't talking to you."