|
Bye Weeks: N/A
Grab a Helmet
Bryce
Brown @ DAL: Two weeks ago, the leading point-getter at the
running back position was a guy, Marcel Reece, who didn’t even
play the position in college (he was a receiver) and isn’t even
officially listed as a tailback in the pros (he’s a fullback).
Last week, the leading point-getter was Mr. Brown, a guy who hadn’t
started at the position since high school and who scored a whopping
three touchdowns at the collegiate level. Am I wrong to wonder
what actually qualifies a player to carry the football regularly
in the NFL anymore? A 200-pound-ish frame, decent wheels, and
a pulse? Brown ran all over the Panthers Monday night (178 yards
and two scores) and looks to keep things going against a Dallas
defense that’s been reeling of late. Provided he doesn’t cough
up a couple more fumbles and end up standing next to Andy Reid
most of the day, he may do exactly that in Week 13.
Good news for Jennings: The Bills allow
150 rushing yds per game.
Rashad
Jennings @ BUF: The Jalen Parmele experiment was exceedingly
short-lived in Jacksonville (balky groin), so Jennings gets yet
another opportunity to carry the load in MJD’s absence. He wasn’t
very impressive in that role the first time around (hence, Parmele)
and, thus, it’s pretty tempting to just recommend a blanket sit
of Jags backs until the main man returns to the lineup. Here’s what
holds me back, however: Buffalo’s atrocious run defense. The Bills
are yielding five yards a carry and almost 150 per game. Plus, prior
to this season, Jennings was a fairly efficient back, averaging
over five yards a pop in his brief career. Now that Jacksonville
has a somewhat functional QB under center, I’m interested to see
what the former Liberty star can do. Keep him in mind if you’re
short on meal tickets this weekend and don’t forget – especially
if you’re in a PPR league – that he’s an above-average receiving
option out of the backfield.
C.J.
Spiller v. JAX: Speaking of Buffalo and above-average receiving
options out of the backfield, Spiller has excelled in that hybrid
role (part running back, part slot receiver) since entering the
league back in 2010. Luckily for his owners, Chan Gailey seems to
trust him more and more as just a running back carrying the rock
this season, rewarding Spiller with a career high in carries…and
counting. All Spiller’s done to reward Gailey, in turn, is average
an absurd 6.7 yards per tote, the best per-carry mark in the league
this season for all players (not just running backs). Indeed, if
he keeps up that torrid pace, Spiller could conceivably eclipse
the all-time mark for yards-per-carry in a single season by a running
back (6.402), most recently challenged by Jamaal Charles in 2010
and owned by none other than the greatest running back who ever
set cleats on a football field, Jim Brown (back in 1963). If you
didn’t know he’s been extra special this year, consider yourself
duly notified.
Grab a Gatorade
Michael
Turner v. NO: Spiller’s teammates may be really bad at slowing
down opposing ball carriers, but they aren’t technically the worst
such unit in the league. That distinction still falls to New Orleans’s
Saints, Turner’s opponent this weekend, a group that’s yielded
156.5 rushing yards per game to this point. That figure is actually
down from the stratosphere thanks to a three-game patch of significantly
stiffer defense that began in Week 10 against...you guessed it:
Turner and his Falcons. Atlanta’s main man (for now) managed a
mere 15 yards on 13 carries in that one, the third time in his
last four meetings with the Saints he’s failed to top even 50
yards. Add to that the fact he’s now clearly (and finally) sharing
the workload more evenly with sidekick Jacquizz Rodgers and you
can see why I’m not terribly high on Turner this weekend, despite
the seemingly juicy matchup. There’s always the chance he’ll score
(he has six TDs on the year) but if you’re looking for big yardage
on top of that, look elsewhere.
Knowshon
Moreno v. TB: What. The. Heck? John Fox channeled his inner
Shanahan last weekend, making an eleventh hour decision on Sunday
morning to start Moreno instead of rookie Ronnie Hillman against
the Chiefs, ostensibly because he trusted him more as a pass blocker.
This would be the same Knowshon Moreno not even deemed worthy
of A UNIFORM the preceding eight games (he’d been inactive since
Week 3). Sigh. This prognostication business is difficult enough,
I tell you, without having to account for the seeming whims and
last-minute hunches of the league’s various shot callers. Fortunately,
Coach Fox has committed to Moreno a bit earlier this week. Unfortunately
(for him and Moreno), the Broncos square off against Tampa’s stellar
stop unit, a miserly crew surrendering only 3.4 yards per carry
and 81.5 per game, best of show in both categories. Don’t get
overly excited about last week’s surprise star. He could be back
in street clothes before you know it.
DeAngelo
Williams @ KC: There’s a fair amount of buzz building
around Williams this week, one-third of Carolina’s three-headed
rushing attack. Jonathan Stewart is looking pretty iffy with a
bum ankle (what’s new?), so Williams, the thinking goes,
stands to gain more looks. There are three things wrong with this
line of thinking. First, even when he was unquestionably first
in line in Carolina, Williams rarely touched the ball more than
15 times a game. Here’s what he did with the 11 carries
he received this past Monday night: 21 yards. Second, the Panthers
still have Mike Tolbert in the mix. Though he hasn’t done
much of anything this year, wouldn’t he see an increase
in looks, as well? Finally…why are we even talking about
this? We all know who the Panthers’ best running back is.
He wears #1, can be seen routinely leaping into the end zone on
goal-line plays, and doesn’t even qualify at the position.
Don’t buy the DeAngelo Williams hype this week.
Wide Receivers 
|
