Archives for November 2018

Fantasy Fact or Fiction – Expect Cam Newton to Bounce Back

Below are several fantasy players whose production stuck out in Week 10 in either a positive or negative manner. Let’s examine if that trend will keep up or if it was just a blip on the radar.

Nick Chubb

Week 9 Stat Line: 20 Rushes For 176 Yards And 1 Touchdown, 3 Receptions For 33 Yards And 1 Touchdown

Fact or Fiction? Fact

Of course, much of this production came on one very long run, but Chubb is an excellent running back prospect. While he isn’t an accomplished receiver, with his athletic abilities, Chubb should quickly improve in this area. He obviously has long speed, but also is physical and excellent after contact. But Chubb is a two-down back and will be fed a ton if Cleveland can keep their remaining games close. That makes Chubb a bit game script dependent, which is always worrisome, but this is a guy you shouldn’t have concerns about inserting him in your lineup from this point on. The Browns are on bye in Week 11, but return to a sweet matchup against Cincinnati.

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Keys to Consider about NFL’s Location switch of Rams-Chiefs

The NFL often doesn’t do the right thing. Or, if it does end up on the correct side of common sense and kindness, it takes a while.

Remember the whole custom cleat fiasco of a couple of years ago the league finally got right after it stumbled over itself and created a public relation disaster? The league was heading down that familiar rabbit hole again, but Tuesday it saved itself.

The premier game of this NFL season, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, will be played in L.A. on Monday Night and not in Mexico City. The playing field in Mexico City is clearly unplayable and there were reports of players from both teams not being comfortable with the conditions.

Now, that the game will be played in Los Angeles, here are some keys to consider:

Rams may have bigger hassle than Chiefs: The Rams are the home team, but they are the team that has to scramble right away. The Rams flew to Colorado Springs, Colorado on Monday to acclimate for the intense altitude of Mexico City. The Rams will stay away from home because they are already immersed in the work week. Thus, they have unneeded travel. It will be a very hectic and tiresome week of the Rams. NFL coaches and players are creatures of habit. The Rams’ week has been pushed into upheaval for the second straight week. Last week, practice was affected by the fires near their facility. The Chiefs will have to adjust some, but their travel plans will not be altered and frankly, the Chiefs would likely very much rather play in L.A. than in Mexico City even if it’s a true Rams’ home game.

Mexico needs to be reconsidered: The NFL loves its international presence. That’s why there are going to more games in London. It ii a cash cow for the league. The NFL has been a huge success the past two years in Mexico City. But the stadium is subpar and there have been some complications. The folks in charge of the stadium knew this game was coming and it allowed other events to ruin the field without any urgency to fix it. Unless an alternate site is arranged, the NFL may have to halt or postpone future plans to play in Mexico City. In the end, the Rams-Chiefs will meet Monday in a safe environment for the players, but getting to this point has been an unnecessary hassle.

Dee Ford Is This Year’s Demarcus Lawrence

Dee Ford is following in Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence’s footsteps. The Kansas City Chiefs’ outside linebacker has Lawrence’s impeccable timing.

Ford is an edge rusher having a breakout season with an expiring contract following an injury plagued year.

Lawrence’s 6.5 sacks in the first three games of the 2017 season resulted in him being named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. Limited to nine games in 2016 because of a four-game suspension under the NFL’s substance abuse policy and a back injury that required surgery, the 2014 second round pick (34th overall) had one sack in 2016. It was the second straight offseason where Lawrence had back surgery.

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Steelers Getting Vintage Play by Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger put on a show in front of a national audience as the Steelers dismantled Carolina 52-21 in Week 10. Roethlisberger threw just three incompletions while racking up 328 yards through the air and five touchdowns. Any time you throw more touchdowns than incompletions that is a pretty good day at the office. It was clearly one of the best performances in Roethlisberger’s Hall of Fame career.

Roethlisberger has always been a supreme talent. He is one of the best passers of the football in the history of the game. Clearly, he is a big, strong quarterback and has an outstanding career highlight tape of extended plays with sheer physicality that leads to playmaking that most quarterbacks just wouldn’t have even attempted.

But as Roethlisberger aged, the Steelers realized that he had to change his style of play. Bruce Arians is an excellent offensive coordinator, but his scheme puts his quarterback in jeopardy. Just ask Carson Palmer and Andrew Luck. Arians loves to push the ball deep downfield and therefore, in his longer developing passing plays, his quarterback takes a lot of hits. You mix that scheme with Roethlisberger’s nature of extending plays and what was a much lesser offensive line back then and it is easy to see why the Steelers organization would be concerned for his long-term prognosis.

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Coaching Hot Seat is Real and Needs to Slow Down

We can feel coaching hot seats simmer every Monday.

Tampa Bay coach Dirk Koetter took over the play-calling and ended up producing only three points in a 16-3 loss to the Washington Redskins. Today, Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis fired defensive coordinator Teryl Austin after three bad defensive performances and he plans to take over the defensive play-calling.

Last week, the Detroit Lions fired special teams coach Joe Marciano. Earlier this year, offensive coordinators Mike McCoy (Arizona) and Todd Haley (Cleveland), defensive coordinator Mike Smith (Tampa Bay) and offensive line coach Paul Alexander (Dallas Cowboys) were first. Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns was the first head coach fired.

Since the start of free agency in the early 1990s, an average of seven coaches get fired every year. It’s the impatience of owners, and I think seven is much too many. When you keep firing that many coaches, it gets more difficult to find replacements.

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Monday Morning MD — Better Teams Deal with Injuries Better

We’re 10 weeks into the season, so, no team is healthy. Yet, it is the teams that can compensate for injuries that will prevail down the stretch. A good example of this is there were several teams with multiple starting offensive linemen out. Some went on to find ways to win, while others floundered.

The Redskins had four out of five starters injured with three not playing and two done for the year last week. Washington started a player they just signed off the street this week. Yet they found a way. They only put up 13 offensively generated points, but the defense stepped up big. The Buccaneers gained over 500 yards but were minus three on turnovers and with five red zone appearances, only came away with three points. Add to that two missed field goals and the Redskins prevailed by allowing a paltry three points.

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New York Giants are Wasting Special Talents of Odell Beckham Jr

With all the respect in the world to Adam Thielen, Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas and the other wide receivers across the NFL having terrific seasons, the guy at this position that looks better on tape than any other is Odell Beckham. Statistically, Beckham isn’t having a poor year by anyone’s standards, but his tape evaluation is far greater than his stat line of 61 receptions on 91 targets for 785 yards, but only two touchdowns.

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Fantasy Saturday — Will Chiefs Lose Firepower

Fantasy Injury Impact

Washington at Tampa Bay

Washington’s Decimated Offensive Line

Even with a healthy offensive line, which Washington’s certainly is not, the Redskins offense had to play a certain way. This is a team that can’t afford to get down by multiple scores because they need to run the ball in a very traditional fashion with Adrian Peterson. Alex Smith isn’t a risk taker and this group of receivers is really lackluster. Chris Thompson is also unlikely to play, which not only put more on Peterson’s shoulders but also gives Smith one less weapon to use to keep up with an excellent Buccaneers offense. The Bucs score points on everyone and should do so once again at home in this matchup. As a result, Washington is likely to move away from Peterson sooner than later and even though the Buccaneers defensive line is not a high-end unit, there are some very talented players in the group. Not only is Peterson a poor start this week, but Smith and company are unlikely to rack up fantasy points in the passing game even while trying to keep up with Tampa Bay. The wheels might be off of Washington’s offense.

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Dr. Chao Friday – Interesting QB Injury Storylines Developing

Preparing you for Week 10 injury news as it pertains to your fantasy needs:

Dez Bryant wasn’t going to play this week but at this point his season and, possibly, career is done. He tore his Achilles on the last play of practice. It could take him up to a year to get to be himself again and that does not bode well for an older WR.

The rest of the Friday Fantasy injury news thankfully is not nearly as bleak:

Sam Darnold is listed as doubtful but in reality is out this game and was seen with a boot on his foot. I don’t see this as a long-term injury but rather a chance for the promising rookie to catch his breath from information overload that all rookie QBs go through.

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Sadly Dez Bryant Injury Report was Predictable

The news that Dez Bryant apparently blew out his Achilles tendon should have sent shivers around the league, but it shouldn’t be a surprise.

If you study the first couple days of OTAs, minicamp and training camp, players tear ACLs and Achilles tendon. That’s been history and it can be anticipated.

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