Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

The Conference Championships are over and done with as the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, both the No. 1 seeds, will represent their respective conferences in the Super Bowl. As per usual, with football being played, another batch of story lines need to be examined. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the legacies of two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.

Peyton Manning - A Football Savant

Tony Dungy’s departure from Indianapolis this off-season and all of the changes that resulted from it stirred up whispers among the NFL community as to whether the Colts could continue to play up to the Championship level that has come to be expected of them. Seeing as the team is currently finalizing plans for a trip to Miami and the Super Bowl, we think those whispers have been answered.

A big reason the Colts are still a Championship caliber club has to do with Peyton Manning. Manning earned an NFL record fourth MVP trophy this season. Yes, part of the reason the award was bestowed upon him had to do with his final stats as the QB threw for 4,500 yards, 33 TDs, and 16 INTs during the regular season; however, the bigger reason Manning took home the hardware is the fact that despite all the changes that occurred in Indy this past off-season, one thing stayed the same - he was the man behind the center, and that my friends is all the stability the Colts need. No player means as much to their team’s success than Manning does to the Colts. Take him out of the line-up, and there is no way we are discussing Indy as we head towards Super Bowl Sunday. In fact, without Manning, I’m not even sure we would have mentioned the Colts throughout the playoffs at all.

Manning is a special player with a God-given gift to read defenses much like Bobby Fisher was able to read chess boards. Sure, the Jets caused Manning some headaches and confusion during the first half of this past weekend’s AFC Championship Game, but as Manning has shown time and time again, it’s only a matter of time before he’s going to figure things out. And, that’s exactly what he did this past Sunday. With Darelle Revis blanketing stud wide out and Manning’s favorite target, Reggie Wayne, the Colts’ QB looked elsewhere to get the job done, leading to 100+ yard days for both rookie wide out, Austin Collie, and second-year man, Pierre Garcon and a 30 to 17 win for the Colts.

While it’s hard to feel sorry for anyone preparing for a trip to the Super Bowl, there is one man I wouldn’t want to be right now and that’s New Orleans Saints’ defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams. Because, really, at this point and time, is it even possible to shut Manning down?

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The Divisional Round has come to a close here in the NFL. As per usual, with football being played, another batch of story lines have come to be examined. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the success of the New York Jets, while also taking a look at Matt Leinart’s future.

With Identity Established, Jets Continue to Roll

A road match-up with the San Diego Chargers looked likely to bring the New York Jets impressive 2009 season to an end. After all, the Chargers’ were the hottest team in football going into the playoffs on the coat-tails of an 11-game winning streak marked by strong play on both sides of the football. But, what many failed to notice was that the Jets were playing some solid football of their own. After beginning the season 4-6 after ten games, the Jets caught fire, winning five of six to close out the year, earning them the final playoff spot among AFC teams.

Why the stark turnaround? Simple, New York discovered its identity. While rookie Mark Sanchez has shown he has the tools to be the franchise’s quarterback of the future, the Jets realized to win in the now, they would have to rely not on Sanchez’s arm, but on the legs of running backs, Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene, all the while letting their defense do the dirty work by holding opponents in check. No game exemplified this better than in Week 16 when the Jets handed the Indianapolis Colts their first loss of the regular season. Granted, many remember that contest for the decision of Colts’ head coach Jim Caldwell to rest his studs despite a chance at perfection, but in focusing on that side of the story, the play of the Jets went under the radar, perhaps a big reason they’ve been so undervalued here in the playoffs. Had we paid attention then, we may have foreseen the team’s current playoff run.

In securing a 29 to 15 win in that Week 16 contest, New York handed the ball off 44 times for a total of 202 yards, 105 gained by Jones and another 95 added by Greene. Sanchez, meanwhile, threw just 19 passes for 106 yards. Going up against Indy, a mere 106 passing yards wouldn’t seem like enough to get the job done, but when your defense holds the high-powered Colts, a unit that averaged 26 points per game this season, to just 14 points, you’re going to have a chance to win no matter what.

The Jets win over the Colts in Week 16 firmly entrenched their status as a smash mouth football team, an identity they have now ridden to four straight wins, including a shocking upset over the Chargers this past weekend. Going into Indy, can they make it five straight? A month ago it may have seemed unfathomable, but now it’s not such a stretch. Should the Jets take care of business yet again, Jim Caldwell may not regret giving up on the Colts’ chance at perfection, but he will curse not taking advantage of an opportunity to end the Jets’ season back in Week 16.

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Wild Card Weekend has come to a close here in the NFL. As per usual, with football being played, another batch of story lines have come to be examined. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing what Jermichael Finley’s big game means for next year’s fantasy draft and the Baltimore Ravens’ ground game.

Tight End - To Wait or Not to Wait?

Like clock work, fantasy drafts over the past few years have played out the same over and over at the tight end position. Come the third and fourth rounds, you either acted fast nabbing one of the elite names like Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Dallas Clark, or Tony Gonzalez, or you waited until the late rounds, taking a flier on a couple of guys who you would hope could combine to get you by with at least some decent production from the position. Basically, it was a do-or-die scenario. Heading into 2010, though, it looks like all that has changed.

Yes, Gates, Witten, Clark, and Gonzalez all took up their usual spots in the top-10 in 2009, but things got a lot more crowded at the top as every member of the top-10 at the tight end position surpassed the 100 point mark. Whether a result of continued development (Visanthe Shiancoe and Greg Olsen), a return to form (Kellen Winslow and Heath Miller), finally putting it all together (Vernon Davis), or a larger role in the game plan (Brent Celek), the tight end position suddenly had a whole lot more to offer to fantasy owners. Even more so, if you consider that Owen Daniels, who had 78 points prior to going down with a season ending injury in week 8, and Jermichael Finley, who after finishing the season with four of five games of 70+ receiving yards, erupted for six catches for 159 yards in the Green Bay Packers - Arizona Cardinals’ contest this past Wild Card weekend, weren’t even among the top-10 at the position.

So, what does this influx of tight end talent mean for fantasy owners? It creates balance. No longer will you be forced to grab a tight end in rounds three or four to secure an elite option; however, at the same time, you shouldn’t wait until the end of your draft to grab a rag tag duo that you try to play the match-ups with. Play things smart in next year’s draft and look to grab a tight end in rounds five through seven. Doing so, should give you a solid tight end you can rely on on a weekly basis, while letting you load up on solid depth at the other skilled positions earlier on.

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Another week has come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, the end of the regular season. As per usual, with football being played, another batch of story lines have come to be examined. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing Chris Johnson’s 2,000 yard season, Vernon Davis putting it all together, and the hottest team in football, the San Diego Chargers.

The No. 1 Overall Pick for 2010…Chris Johnson

Debates are already swirling regarding this year’s NFL MVP. Should the award go to Peyton Manning, who helped guide the Indianapolis Colts through a trying year of transition to the playoffs on a 4,500 yard, 33 TD, and just 16 INT season? What about the veteran Brett Favre, who had one of the best season’s of his career, a career that has already held three MVP awards, with a 107.2 quarterback rating while propelling the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl contenders? Then, there’s Favre’s replacement in Green Bay to consider, Aaron Rodgers. After all, the Packers’ quarterback threw for 4,434 yards, tallied 35 total TDs and threw just 7 INTs despite being sacked an incredible 50 times, all the while helping the Packers secure a playoff spot. Or, Drew Brees? The Saints’ quarterback not only led the league in throwing TDs with 34, but also was the top dog when it came to quarterback rating with an impressive 109.6.

Yes, the choices are plentiful when discussing the NFL’s MVP, but when it comes to the MVP of the fantasy football world, the discussion begins and ends with one man, Tennessee Titans’ running back, Chris Johnson. With his 134 yards on the ground yesterday in the Titans’ win over the Seattle Seahawks, Johnson became just the sixth man in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing in a season, as Johnson finished the year with 2,006 rush yards.

What is going unnoticed by many football fans is that Johnson not only became the league’s sixth man to top 2,000 yards on the ground, but he also broke Marshall Faulk’s record for most total yards from scrimmage by a full 80 yards, outdoing Faulk’s 1999 total of 2,429 by finishing the season with 2,509 total yards from scrimmage. And, therein, lies the beauty of Chris Johnson. Not only can he thrash his way through defensive lines on each and every carry and break away from linebackers and secondaries with his blazing speed, but he’s a dual threat, regularly catching screen passes and working his way down the sidelines. Hauling in 50 passes on the season, Johnson averaged an amazing 10.1 yards per reception, which is something you just don’t see running backs do.

The Titans’ back also has a nose for the end zone. While many thought Johnson may struggle to match the 10 total TDs he had in his rookie season in 2008 due to the presence of LenDale White, a vulture of TDs, Johnson did even better, hitting pay dirt 16 times this year.

Without a doubt, the Titans’ back has cemented his place as the first pick in 2010 drafts.

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Another week has nearly come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, as per usual, has come another batch of story lines to examine. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the New England Patriots’ Passing Clinic, the continued maturation of Matt Moore, and a few other names fantasy owners should be familiar with for the 2010 season.

Patriots’ Passing Perfection

Had you blinked on Sunday, you may have missed the New England Patriots’ utter dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with the Patriots lighting up the scoreboard for 35 points, the game took a mere two and a half hours. That, though, was all the Patriots needed to send a message to the rest of the AFC that their passing game is back on track. Sure some critics may argue that the Jaguars pose little in the realm of pass defense, ranking 27th in the league prior to Sunday’s action, but even the top-rated New York Jets’ pass defense would have had trouble slowing down the Pats in week 16.

Looking like his 2007 record-breaking self, quarterback Tom Brady was succinct in slicing up the Jags’ secondary as he completed 23 of his 26 pass attempts for 267 yards and four TDs with no interceptions, numbers that translate to a lofty QB rating of 149.0. The key to Brady’s success on Sunday? Rather than force anything, the Patriots’ quarterback took what the defense gave him, which often times was an open Wes Welker as the receiver hauled in 13 of Brady’s passes for 138 yards receiving. The quarterback, though, didn’t forget about his other weapon in Randy Moss. Sure, he and Moss connected on just four throws for 45 yards, but three of those completions were in the end zone.

A potent Patriot’s passing attack just in time for the playoffs could mean bad things for the rest of the AFC.

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Another week has nearly come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, as per usual, has come another batch of story lines to examine. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the Dallas Cowboys’ big Saturday Night Win, the unbelievable play of a Cleveland Browns’ back, Andre Johnson being Andre Johnson, and the return of JaMarcus Russell.

Big Win Ends Dallas’ December Woes

On paper, it looked like a sure win for the New Orleans Saints. After all, the Saints stood at a perfect 13-0 on the year and coming to town were the Dallas Cowboys, a team notorious for their December woes. But, as they say, “That’s why they play the game!”

Utilizing a balanced attack that saw them throw the ball 34 times while rushing it on the ground 36 times, the Cowboys dominated Saturday Night’s affair for three quarters of play, taking a 24 to 3 lead into the fourth quarter. Granted, Dallas almost experienced another December melt down. Their defense, which had played tough all game, allowed two touchdowns to Drew Brees and Co., making it a 24 to 17 game. Then, with a 7-point lead, kicker Nick Folk missed a chip shot field goal that would have made it a two possession game right before the two minute warning. Luckily for the Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware decided to tough out the neck injury he suffered in week 14 as the Cowboys’ line-man got in on Drew Brees on the Saints final drive of the game, knocking the ball loose, which was recovered by his teammate Jay Ratliff, securing a big win for Big D.

For as much as the Cowboys’ December struggles have been documented the past few weeks, it is now time to give Tony Romo the credit he deserves. Outplaying Brees on the night, Romo completed 22 of his 34 passes for 312 yards and a TD with no interceptions. For those keeping track, Romo has now thrown for 953 yards, 6 TDs, and no interceptions in Dallas’ three December games. Throw in his last November outing, and Romo’s numbers are an astounding 1,262 passing yards, 8 TDs and no interceptions over the Cowboys’ last four contests. Romo is putting it all together at the perfect time for both the Cowboys and his fantasy owners.

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Another week has nearly come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, as per usual, has come another batch of story lines to examine. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the big day for Brandon Marshall, the continued emergence of Jamaal Charles, Quinton Ganther’s debut as the Redskins’ starting running back, and the bounce back game of Adrian Peterson.

Blackjack for Brandon

You have to feel some for Houston Texans’ wide receiver, Andre Johnson. After all, you post 193 yards and 2 TDs on 11 catches, and you expect to be the talk of the town, but it’s Denver Broncos’ wide receiver Brandon Marshall that’s stealing the spot light.

Many fantasy owners were shocked to hear that Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons saw 20 passes come his way in the team’s week 14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Well, those owners are going to be even more taken aback by Marshall’s stat line from this week. Not only did the Broncos’ receiver see 20+ balls come his way in week 15, but he hauled in 21 of those passes for an incredible 200 yards and 2 scores. The 21 receptions were an NFL record, breaking the mark of 20 previously held by Terrell Owens.

Marshall was simply unstoppable on Sunday, and nearly, led his team to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts’ single-handedly. Denver’s comeback came up just short, though, as Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark, who had 3 TDs on the day, were ultimately too much for Denver to handle. Still, no one can fault Marshall for a lack of effort as the Broncos’ wide receiver did all he could in this one.

For all of the problems that have plagued Marshall throughout his career, this game is a testimonial to how good of a player he can be and shows fantasy owners why it’s worth dealing with some of the headaches that come with owning Marshall.

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Another week has nearly come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, as per usual, has come another batch of story lines to examine. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing Bruce Gradkowski’s big win in Pittsburgh, the New Orleans Saints’ miracle in Washington, and Michael Vick’s return to the Georgia Dome.

Defending Champs Can’t Defend Against Gradkowski

When the Oakland Raiders finally made the switch from JaMarcus Russell to Bruce Gradkowski prior to week 11, everyone knew that the move would be for the better. After all, Russell didn’t set the bar all that high, completing just 46.8% of his passes for 1,046 yards, 2 TDs, and 9 INTs. Still, no one could have expected things to go this well.

Sitting at just 2-7 when Gradkowski was given the reins, the team has won two of its last three, and those wins didn’t come against the likes of the Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions. Rather, the Raiders have gone toe to toe with the big boys, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in week 11 and the defending Super Bowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, this past weekend.

The play of Gradkowski is a big reason why the Raiders have been rejuvenated. In his three starts, Gradkowski has thrown for 691 yards, 6 TDs, and just 1 INT, and fantasy owners are taking notice. Not only has Gradkowski posted three straight double digit performances, but he’s improved in each of his three contests, going for 11 fantasy points in week 11 to 13 in week 12 to 26 this past Sunday. Granted, it will be hard for Gradkowski to live up to the 26 points he tallied in week 13 come week 14, but fantasy owners have to be impressed enough with the way he handle the team’s game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, a drive in which he hooked up with rookie wide receiver, Louis Murphy, for the game-winning TD, to give the Raiders’ QB a shot at being their back-up. Who knows, perhaps Gradkowski can revive fantasy teams much like he has the Raiders!

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It has become a tradition here at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football that in my Weekly Words column following Thanksgiving week, I reflect back on what I am thankful for from the current NFL season, so without any further ado, let’s get to it.

I’M THANKFUL…

...Ricky Williams put down the bong long enough to allow us all, once again, to marvel at his talents. (On a side note, I’m sure all of those Ricky Williams’ owners out there in Bruno Boys Nation are thankful for the injury to Ronnie Brown. After all, Williams has amassed 45 fantasy points in the two weeks since Brown went down).

...that going into week twelve’s Monday Night game, we have two undefeated teams to track with both the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints staying out of the loss column. It’s no coincidence that these two teams are manned by two of the best quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, in the NFL. You just don’t win consistently with a bad quarterback under center.

...for Bill Belichick going for it on 4th and 2. A couple of quick points here: 1) Should Belichick not have gone for it, the statement above may not be true. 2) Whether you were for the call or not, as a sports fan, you have to love the bar room debates that resulted from it.

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Another week has nearly come to a close here in the NFL, and with it, as per usual, has come another batch of story lines to examine. In Whooley’s Weekly Words, I, Bruno Boys Whooley, tackle just a few of the more interesting items to catch my eye from the weekend. This week, I’ll be discussing the shootout in Detroit, Ricky Williams’ rise among fantasy RBs, and the continued consistency of Jerricho Cotchery.

Motor City Magic

One of my new favorite bands, Wolf Parade, has a lyric that goes as follows, “Oh rust it just right in the light. It’s gold, it’s gold,” essentially highlighting the idea that there is a glimmer of beauty in all things, no matter how ugly. This idea was reaffirmed this past weekend when the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions matched up.

While the two squads have been barren this season when it comes to fantasy options, week 11 was a different story. Heading into Sunday’s action, the two teams had allowed a combined 54.3 points per game and an astounding 780.3 yards per contest, resulting in a perfect storm of defensive futility that yielded 10 double digit fantasy performances as the Lions edged the Browns 38 to 37.

Leading the offensive charge was Lions’ rookie quarterback, Matthew Stafford, who had the best game of his career, going for 422 passing yards, 5 TDs, and 2 INTs, good for 32 fantasy points. Stafford’s strong outing, also, meant good things for wide out, Calvin Johnson, who posted 22 fantasy points on 161 yards receiving and a score, tight end, Brandon Pettigrew, who notched 13 fantasy points thanks to a 72 yard and 1 TD day, and running back, Kevin Smith, who despite just 45 yards rushing was able to reach the 20 point fantasy mark by hauling in 4 catches for 105 yards and a score.

As for the Browns, they, also, got strong quarterback play, something that they haven’t seen since the franchise was reborn, as Brady Quinn threw for 304 passing yards and 4 TDs, leading to a 28 point day for the Browns’ QB. Joining in the double digit festivities for Cleveland were wide receivers, Mohamed Massaquoi (17 fantasy points), Chansi Stuckey (13), Josh Cribbs (10), running back, Jamal Lewis (10), and kicker Phil Dawson (10).

Unfortunately, many of these double digit performances were wasted as the only guys guaranteed to be in fantasy line-ups for this contest were Megatron, Kevin Smith, and possibly, the soon-to-be retired Lewis, which lends itself to an important lesson - When bad defenses match-up, a high-scoring affair will ensue, leading to strong fantasy options no matter the teams involved.

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