Each week of games is another day in the classroom for fantasy football
2001. Study and you have a chance at passing the course at the end
of the semester. Fall asleep after closing the local bars and you
will receive an "F". Here is what we learned Week 9...
Chris Chandler Looks Awfully Good Right Now
Amazing what a professional quarterback can look like in relation
to chumps. With Doug Johnson and Michael Vick running the show,
the Falcons threw the ball 17 times completing seven for 55 yards.
They threw for only 55 yards against a mediocre Cowboys team. All
of their field position, except for one drive, was determined by
gaffes by the Dallas special teams. Darrien Gordon returned two
punts for 115 yards which helped produce 10 points and the Cowboys,
trying to act like a real football team, onside kicked the second
half kickoff -- this is like your little brother borrowing older
brother's aftershave to impress the hotties in the eighth grade
- and, of course, Atlanta recovered. That was the only way the Falcons
were going to move the ball. Left to the two chumps, they would
not have gotten beyond midfield. It says a lot about Atlanta's chances
when Ryan Leaf is the best QB on the field. The receivers on that
team should be welcoming Chandler back with open arms, even Shawn
Jefferson's family. He may not be the best QB in the game but he
is easily the best the Falcons will have for a few more years.
The Difference Between Green Bay & Chicago
Is The Passing Game
Change the QBs and the attitude about the passing game and there
would be little difference between the Bears and Packers. Both teams
play good defense -- there could be subtle differences with the
Packers able to rush the passer better - but the big difference
is on offense. Jim Miller is no Brett Favre. It is not an insult
it is fact. Favre is one of the best QBs to ever play the game and
Miller is average. The wide receivers are slightly better on the
Packers side of the ball - though I might take Marty Booker over
Bill Schroeder and Antonio Freeman - as Dez White and David Terrell
are not starting caliber, yet. In addition, the Packers not only
throw the ball down the field, they toss it in the red zone. The
Bears had 21 receptions by WRs or TEs and 14 went for less than
10 yards. They had no completions in the red zone. Now that type
of offense does two things. It allows more passes to be completed
and it makes it harder to score touchdowns. It is great to complete
passes but moving the ball two and three yards at a time means that
a high efficiency is needed to keep drives alive. Plus, once in
the red zone it becomes impossible to score. The Packers are the
better team but if Brett Favre traded sides the results may be different.
We Love Kickers
This is for one week only as Kris Brown went 5-for-6. The owners
with Paul Edinger and Phil Dawson concur.
Eric Moulds Is Free
Eric Moulds has had a miserable year. He is on a pace to record
56 receptions for fewer than 700 yards and score four touchdowns.
He has been healthy all season but for most of the year has played
with Rob Johnson at quarterback. Johnson playing in the West Coast
offense is like putting your Beagle in charge of the corporate finances.
His replacement, Alex Van Pelt - no relation to Lucy, Linus, or
Brad - is no superstar. He is a chunky guy with a short arm that
resembles your buddy Lou from college. He's not much better than
Lou either. The difference between Johnson and Van Pelt besides
the obvious physical and headdress differences is that Johnson is
likely to get sacked while Van Pelt will get rid of the ball. For
every seven passes Johnson has attempted he has been sacked once.
Van Pelt has been sacked only once in 55 pass attempts this season.
Being decisive is very important for the West Coast offense; Van
Pelt is decisive. If he can be accurate as well, Moulds will profit.
If not then play the defense against the Bills and get points off
of turnovers and touchdowns off of turnovers.
The Schedule Is On Detroit's Side
The Lions have played some close games the past few weeks only to
lose in the end. They now stand at 0-8. No team has gone 0-16 but
the Lions have a legitimate chance at history. The first stumbling
block is Week 10 against the Cardinals in Arizona. The Cardinals
are not much better so the Lions could mistakenly outscore the hapless
birds. This is a big pothole for the Lions corporate vehicle to
avoid. If they can get out of Arizona unscathed it will get much
easier as they have the Packers Thanksgiving and away games at Chicago
and Tampa. The next big hurdle for Mike McMahon, Larry Foster, and
Rueben Droughns is a home game against the Vikings. We figure the
Vikings will have totally imploded by then. At least one player,
if not a handful, will have brought a firearm to the game and taken
a few potshots at a teammate. So a depleted Vikings squad due to
homicides and arrest warrants could be vulnerable. After that potential
victory they play Pittsburgh and Chicago. Both of those teams probably
will be in the playoff hunt and the Lions can lie down like dogs.
If they have successfully maneuvered the previous detours to losses,
all that stands from them and mortality are the Dallas Cowboys.
This could be tough as the Cowboys have Ryan Leaf and Quincy Carter
at quarterback plus the inept Dave Campo guiding the ship. With
a home crowd urging them on, the Lions may be able to squeak out
a loss but will have to be at their worst. Tears, champagne, and
worldwide fame await them if they can avoid a win. It won't be easy
but if they keep their eye on the prize it is doable.
San Diego Is Done
It was a cute story but the Chargers run to the playoffs is over.
After nine weeks of football they stand at 5-4 but it is a rickety
5-4. They have lost two out of three and without the Ronney Jenkins/Doug
Flutie miracle would've made it three straight. Now the tough part
of the schedule is coming. They have Oakland twice - that includes
a pissed off Raiders at home Week 10 - so pencil in losses there.
They get Seattle twice and, at best, they may be able to pull off
one win. The other games are Arizona at home - probable win --,
Philly in Philly - death --, and the Chiefs in Kansas City. That
adds up to an optimistic 8-8. This will not be a great time to own
LaDainian Tomlinson, either, as Seattle and Oakland should give
him trouble and Philly is a coin flip. This may be a good time to
move his ass before the sheriff shows up to shut down the show.
Mark Bond can be found,
most days, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn, eating hot sausage sandwiches
topped with BBQ chips, chili, and coleslaw, slapping back Cuervo
shooters, and rambling on about those warm evenings spent with Janet
Reno. He is not related to James Bond but has the same air of sophistication
of Sean Connery. Mark is currently annoying his workmates at Jackpot
Sports, home of the first daily fantasy baseball game, the Reggie
Jackson Fantasy Baseball Challenge, plus weekly and seasonal Fantasy
Football games.
