Still trying to make sense of those three Christmas games. In the opener, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of his offense seemed to be in control in the first half. But they ran the ball only 18 times against one of the league's worst run defenses. It was as if they were overconfident that their passing game would be enough. And it might have been if not for Tua's meltdown.
This is great news for those of you who are leaning on a Packer or two in Week 17. All the starters will be out there in a decent matchup against Minnesota. There's a lot to be concerned about with Aaron Jones. But if he's healthy, I'm not sure he can be easily benched. For all of A.J. Dillon's heroics, Jones has largely run better. We'll see how this shakes out.
And for Miami, now they head to New England. A brutal collapse for a team that was once 8-3. I'd be anxious about starting Tua as a top-14 QB, while Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson don't look like top-30 RB options. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the only guys I'd want to start. And keep tabs on the weather. As of now, it's not expected to be cold, but rain is in the forecast. If it's mixed with heavy winter winds, look out.
In the middle game, I thought both defenses would step up. Instead, it was just the Rams, who looked more like defending Super Bowl champs than at any other time this season. We can't overreact. The Broncos are more broken than they are. Russell Wilson keeps descending to lower rock-bottoms. Latavius Murray regressed as expected. But as good as the Rams' D can be, they'll face the Chargers on the road next. Negative game script could undo them.
And in the nightcap, for most of the game, Trace McSorley outplayed Tom Brady. Two weeks ago, Brock Purdy outplayed The Ancient One. Although Tampa Bay mounted a nice comeback, their season comes down to whether they beat Carolina next weekend and (possibly) beating Atlanta in Week 17.
The Bucs also lost another offensive lineman. All those times the team ran the ball on passing downs? It kind of made sense. Whereas Brady historically has been money on third-and-short, these days his passing game simply isn't as reliable. One of his interceptions was a weak, late throw to Mike Evans down the left sideline. Evans had to stop and come back, but was too late.
Brady's missed a lot of throws like this--passes he used to connect on more frequently. He's getting propped up by yards after the catch. Leonard Fournette and Chris Godwin are top 12 in the NFC. He's up to 671 pass attempts and might easily top Matthew Stafford's single-season record of 727. He's working really hard for minimal results. That's not a promising sign for him or hi receivers.
For tonight's game, I'm picking the Chargers 26-16. Nick Foles gets his turn at QB for the Colts. I'm sure Robert Griffin III will be next.
Honestly, I like Foles tonight. Matt Ryan averaged only about 11 fantasy points per game in his final four starts. Foles should be good for 14+. The rest depends on how the scoring opportunities break down. Will Foles throw, or will Indy capitalize on the Chargers' anemic run defense?
If you're starting Zack Moss or Deon Jackson, I gotta believe at least one will hit 12+ points. The problem is that this is a hot-hand backfield. So you're rolling the dice with either one, hoping he gets off to a good start.
Good luck if your fantasy fate hinges on tonight's results. And leave your predictions--and what you *need* to happen--below.
This is great news for those of you who are leaning on a Packer or two in Week 17. All the starters will be out there in a decent matchup against Minnesota. There's a lot to be concerned about with Aaron Jones. But if he's healthy, I'm not sure he can be easily benched. For all of A.J. Dillon's heroics, Jones has largely run better. We'll see how this shakes out.
And for Miami, now they head to New England. A brutal collapse for a team that was once 8-3. I'd be anxious about starting Tua as a top-14 QB, while Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson don't look like top-30 RB options. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the only guys I'd want to start. And keep tabs on the weather. As of now, it's not expected to be cold, but rain is in the forecast. If it's mixed with heavy winter winds, look out.
In the middle game, I thought both defenses would step up. Instead, it was just the Rams, who looked more like defending Super Bowl champs than at any other time this season. We can't overreact. The Broncos are more broken than they are. Russell Wilson keeps descending to lower rock-bottoms. Latavius Murray regressed as expected. But as good as the Rams' D can be, they'll face the Chargers on the road next. Negative game script could undo them.
And in the nightcap, for most of the game, Trace McSorley outplayed Tom Brady. Two weeks ago, Brock Purdy outplayed The Ancient One. Although Tampa Bay mounted a nice comeback, their season comes down to whether they beat Carolina next weekend and (possibly) beating Atlanta in Week 17.
The Bucs also lost another offensive lineman. All those times the team ran the ball on passing downs? It kind of made sense. Whereas Brady historically has been money on third-and-short, these days his passing game simply isn't as reliable. One of his interceptions was a weak, late throw to Mike Evans down the left sideline. Evans had to stop and come back, but was too late.
Brady's missed a lot of throws like this--passes he used to connect on more frequently. He's getting propped up by yards after the catch. Leonard Fournette and Chris Godwin are top 12 in the NFC. He's up to 671 pass attempts and might easily top Matthew Stafford's single-season record of 727. He's working really hard for minimal results. That's not a promising sign for him or hi receivers.
For tonight's game, I'm picking the Chargers 26-16. Nick Foles gets his turn at QB for the Colts. I'm sure Robert Griffin III will be next.
Honestly, I like Foles tonight. Matt Ryan averaged only about 11 fantasy points per game in his final four starts. Foles should be good for 14+. The rest depends on how the scoring opportunities break down. Will Foles throw, or will Indy capitalize on the Chargers' anemic run defense?
If you're starting Zack Moss or Deon Jackson, I gotta believe at least one will hit 12+ points. The problem is that this is a hot-hand backfield. So you're rolling the dice with either one, hoping he gets off to a good start.
Good luck if your fantasy fate hinges on tonight's results. And leave your predictions--and what you *need* to happen--below.