The best tradition in college football, the Army/Navy game, takes place on 12/9 at 3:30 PM at the Linc. Ahead of the game, Navy released this jersey which is absolute fire. I have no preference when it comes to the game and respect both branches easily but tell me Navy is going to lose in these jerseys and I’ll laugh you out of the building. These are easily the best jerseys in college football and it’s a shame that they will only wear them for one game.
Army is coming into this game at 8-3, superior to Navy’s 6-5 record and both teams LOVE to run the ball (Army coming in hot with 335 passing yards on the whole year). The game may not be great but the tradition is awesome and atleast we will get to see these jerseys in action. Bet the farm on Navy.
Geno Smith everybody. What a fantastic idea by Coach McAdoo. As if he wasn’t digging his grave already, he goes and makes Geno Smith the starting QB.
Manning was given the option of starting against the Raiders to keep the streak alive, but declined.
“Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play,” Manning said. “My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them. Starting just to keep the streak going and knowing you won’t finish the game and have a chance to win it is pointless to me, and it tarnishes the streak. Like I always have, I will be ready to play if and when I am needed. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can.”
Have to give credit to Eli here. The Giants only have two wins and have severely under-performed and Eli takes some of the brunt of that. I totally understand why he wouldn’t want to be benched mid-game and would rather just let the other two play to save face. Have to wonder here if this is the last time we see Eli in a Giants uniform, with rumors swirling that Coughlin would like to have him back in Jacksonville.
Giants GM Jerry Reese on the benching of Eli Manning: "This is not a statement about anything other than we are 2-9, and we have to do what is best for the organization moving forward."
Sounds like the Giants are ready to move on without him if they see any promise from either of these back-ups (they won’t). Manning finishes 87 games short of Brett Favre’s all-time QB starts in a row streak at 210.
Week 12 is officially in the books and although the week wasn’t full of crazy endings, it still was very entertaining. There were a few players in particular that busted out and hopefully won you your match up this week.
The top 2 QBs this week were Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers.
Big Ben threw for 351 yards, 4 touchdowns and ran for 25 yards. Although he threw 2 interceptions, he still managed to put up 38 points in most leagues.
Philip Rivers and the Chargers lit up the Cowboys on thanksgiving, throwing for 434 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rivers put up an average of 35 points.
Hats off to Josh McCown, he threw for over 300 yards and 3 scores. Not to shabby for a 38 year old journey-man QB.
The top 2 RBs this week were Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams.
Kamara had his best performance of the season and as usual, he did it on the ground and through the air. He rushed 5 times for 87 yards and a TD, he also caught 6 balls for 101 yards and a TD. Kamara put up an average of 36 points.
Jamaal Williams came out of nowhere and did his best to help his Packers beat the Steelers but fell a little short. He rushed 21 times for 66 yards and a TD, he also caught 4 balls for 69 yards and a TD. Williams put up an average of 28 points.
Shout out to the owners that played Rex Burkhead over Dion Lewis. Dion has been getting most of the national media love, but Rex had a big day, scoring 2 TD’s and racking up 19 points.
The top 2 WRs this week were Julio Jones and Antonio Brown.
Julio played out of his mind catching 12 balls for 253 yards and 2 TD’s and rushing once for 15 yards. He was a man amongst boys yesterday and overall had the best fantasy week putting up 50 points.
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before — Antonio Brown caught 10 balls for 169 yards and a TD. It feels like he puts up these numbers every single week. Brown put up an average of 40 points.
Robbie Anderson came up a few points short of Antonio this week, but I feel compelled to congratulate all of the owners that started him this week. It was a risky move but he payed off by putting up an average of 32 points.
The top 2 TEs this week were Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski.
Ertz had one of his better games this year catching 10 passes for 103 yards and a TD. The Eagles blew out the pathetic Bears and it was partly because of the Wenz-Ertz connection. Ertz has finally become the fantasy player we thought he would be, if you have him as your TE, you are sitting pretty. He put up an average of 26 points.
Gronk had himself a day, catching 5 passes for 82 yards and a 2 TD’S. As usual, he helped carry the Patriots to another win and blowout against the Dolphins. Gronk put up an average of 22 points.
An honorable mention is Kyle Rudolph, he caught 4 passes for 63 yards and 2 TD’s. It was a big TD week for Tight-ends, so no matter who you started they probably did well.
Office Chatter’s premier (and only) fantasy football podcast has its second episode. The guys talk about the Woods injury, what to do with the Cowboys running backs, and the potential waiver savior of week 11. Since it was a slow fantasy week, we finish up with our personal busts of the year (and why David Johnson does not count) and our sleeper starts of the week.
Andddddddddddddddd it moved. Seriously though. All along there was always this notion that it was too good to be true. This was an annual thing, I had seen it before. Josh Gordon post rehab, clear mind, clear blood stream. It was always for not. Generally ending in an indefinite suspension. Last week, when Hue Jackson announced Josh was on course to practice on 11/22, I almost didn’t believe him. The mentality I took each year was let me see it, and I’ll believe it. Well today, my wish was granted. Josh returned to the practice field for the first time since training camp in 2015-16. All I needed was visual confirmation.
Hard to really judge what kind of shape he’s in considering I’m a disgusting slob, but that looked pretty good! Seems to be the general reaction from the team after today. Hue Jackson was quoted in saying, ” He’s something. It was a good first day….”. The sounds coming from the media, and coaches echo what I have been saying about this guy. Dude is a natural talent. The rumblings from the beat writers that troll this team are that Josh was easily the best receiver on the field in practice. It’s just practice but, my god am I excited to have a real offensive weapon to watch!!
Say what you want, but today was a win for the Browns. They get a guy back who could be a massive difference maker. Hopefully Josh is the spark the offense needs. Josh coming back should take some pressure off Kizer in the 5 or so games he is eligible to play. He forces defenses to devote extra man power in stopping him, leading to other wide receivers being open, or more opportunities to run the ball.
Josh is eligible to play in his first game next week against the San Diego Chargers. The remaining schedule looks like so:
Week 13: @
Week 14:
Week 15:
Week 16: @
Week 17: @
It’s so great to have Josh back for the playoff push. You heard me:
The Cleveland Browns are 0-10 but they can still make the playoffs.
In all seriousness, this is not the easiest slate of games especially since we suck. Hopefully Josh can help bring us a few wins. We’re getting into, “JUST ONE WIN PLEASE” territory. I’ll say Josh brings the Browns 3 wins. Gordon, Coleman, Duke, Crowell, Njoku, Devalve is a unit of skilled offensive players that should be able to win 1 or 2. Lets get rolling.
Welcome to one of the biggest weekends in college football- RIVALRY WEEK. This week brings us some great matchups that include playoff implications. Let’s dive right in to some of the big-time matchups:
5- USF (9-1) @ #15 UCF (10-0)
It’s the battle of some lesser-known Florida teams. UCF is playing at home trying to remain undefeated. If they can win this week and remain undefeated, do they deserve a playoff spot? The answer is no. One player to watch, however, is Shaquem Griffin, who is the reigning AAC defender of the year. Did I mention he only has one hand? I’m taking UCF to remain undefeated.
4- #8 Notre Dame (9-2) @ #21 Stanford (8-3)
While this game will not have any direct impact on the CFP race, it will have an impact on the Pac-12 championship. If Stanford can pull out a win at home, this will hurt the resumes of teams such as Miami and Georgia, who were able to beat Notre Dame. Stanford can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 championship with a Washington win over Washington State. It will be a close game, but the Irish pull out a close one.
3- #3 Clemson (10-1) @ #24 South Carolina (8-3)
This game will be a big test for Clemson, battling against in-state rival South Carolina. With one loss already to Syracuse, Clemson cannot afford to lose again if they hope to make the playoff. From the outside, there will be a lot of South Carolina fans around the country. Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Auburn are playoff hopeful would all greatly benefit from a Clemson loss. Going to be a tough environment on Saturday, Go Gamecocks!
2- #9 Ohio State (9-2) @ Michigan (8-3)
Huge Big Ten matchup to finish off the season. Michigan, one of the most disappointing teams all season, could crush Ohio State’s slim playoff hopes with a win in the Big House. If Ohio State loses and then goes on to beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, say goodbye to a Big Ten team in the playoff. Ohio State comes out on top in this one.
1- #1 Alabama (11-0) @ #6 Auburn (9-2)
The game everyone has been waiting for- The Iron Bowl. Alabama has taken a lot of heat this year for having a soft schedule, and didn’t look too hot in one of their tougher matchups against Mississippi State a couple weeks ago. Auburn, who is coming in with two losses already, will make the playoffs if they can pull off the win. After two close losses against Clemson and LSU on the road earlier in the season, Auburn blew the doors off top-ranked Georgia and looks to continue that momentum against ‘Bama. I see Auburn winning this one in a close game at home. If Alabama loses, are they out? Would need some assistance from the rest of the country if they can’t get it done come Saturday.
It’s that time of year, the temperature is getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and most importantly, it’s almost Fantasy Football Playoffs time. At this point, you should know if you are in the running to make playoffs, and I have a few pointers from lessons learned that are important to remember as you prepare your army for battle.
#1: Don’t Get Cute
Every year I see people try to out-think the playoffs, and it hurts them in the end. You need to Start your Studs, and rely on their talent. Do not over-weigh the match-ups. Here is a prime example. I have Tom Brady as my starting Quarterback. I do not love his match-up against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, but there is no chance that I am sitting the greatest quarterback of all time to dodge that match up. I will be enraged if I lose because of a streaming Quarterback such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jay Cutler, or Tyrod Taylor (I actually think Tyrod is a great streaming option, but he is not a better QB than Tom Brady). If I’m going to lose, I’m going to do it with my best players.
#2: Have a Plan
You at this point should know who is reliable, who you want to ride through the playoffs, and who is the next man up. Depth of people who are mediocre as long term investments or name value only are no longer valuable. Play your studs and handcuff them where you can.
There is a caveat to this, and that is if you have been streaming options week to week. As an example, I have not had a consistent and reliable second running back all year, every week I piece together the best option I can. This is not an ideal situation, but is sometimes what you must do to give yourself the best chance to win any week. If this is the case, it is even more important have a rough-plan for the playoff weeks so you don’t get stuck in a bad situation during the most important weeks!
#3: Cheer Loud
Fantasy is a hard thing to win every week, so if you are running in the playoffs, congratulations! This means that you have a team that can win in any given week, and that’s all you need in the playoffs, a few wins. At this point, you’ve set up your team as best as you can, now you just need a little luck.
Fantasy playoffs are an exciting precursor to the actual NFL playoffs. If you are in the playoffs, Don’t Get Cute, Have a Plan, Cheer Loud, and good luck!
Oh dear lord. I can’t really tell if I have a gut feeling, or reaction to this news. I’m numb at this point. La Canfora Reports, “Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s interest in having Peyton Manning join his franchise in a prominent team president/top executive role is very strong and sincere, league sources said, with the owner desperate to find ways to put a winning football operations and coaching staff together. The Browns are winless this season and have just one victory since the start of the 2016 season, when coach Hue Jackson was paired with general manager Sashi Brown, and Haslam is hoping his long relationship with Manning can lead him to Cleveland.”
I think I should probably be excited by this potential move, but I’m not. I’m more or less thinking of ways it would fail. A lot of the time, the ol’ player turned front office executive fails miserably no matter the franchise. Peyton would certainly bring a healthy resume on the field, but it’s as an executive that he’s done absolutely nothing. That worries me. I would hope that Peyton would not be diving head first into GM duties. I would feel more comfortable with him as “Director of Football Operations”, or some other bull shit label. Give him a position where he has input on personnel decisions. I have zero doubt in my my mind that Manning knows what it takes to win, and the qualities winning teams need to possess. His input would be extremely beneficial. As long as he wouldn’t have final say on roster decisions.
Last week, it was Mike Singletary coming into Cleveland with interview binders and now we got the goober Peyton himself rumored to be on his way. It’s well known that Browns Owner, Jimmy Haslam is a prominent booster for the University of Tennesse. While his relationship goes way ack, and brings some validity to this rumor, I think there is less than zero percent chance he would come here. I would feel so much better about the QB, but this just seems so outlandish. I doubt Peyton is going to leave his cushy advertisement gigs, to have his named tarnished in Turd Brown.
Office Chatter 