Week 14 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start...

QBs
Tony Romo, Cowboys – Exploited the Giants secondary for 321 yards and 4 TDs without a turnover.
Matt Ryan, Falcons – Torched the Panthers for 320 yards and 4 TDs.
Tom Brady, Patriots – We’ll overlook the rare INT for the 357 passing yards and TD trifecta.
Mark Sanchez, Jets – Scored twice passing and twice rushing while throwing for 181 yards, though he also lost a fumble.
Philip Rivers, Chargers – Passed for 240 yards and 3 TDs, but fumbled once.
Eli Manning, Giants – Picked apart the Cowboys for 400 yards and 2 TDs, plus an INT.

RBs
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars – Scored 4 TDs while rushing for 85 yards and catching 6 passes for 51 yards.
Ryan Grant, Packers – Looked like his old self, with 85 rushing yards and a pair of TDs, plus a 13-yard reception.
Brandon Jacobs, Giants – Rumbled for 101 yards and 2 TDs.
LeSean McCoy, Eagles – Only totaled 71 yards, but added 2 TDs.
Shonn Greene, Jets – Ran for 129 yards and 1 TD, and caught 3 passes for 58 yards.

WRs
Marques Colston, Saints – Pulled down 7 balls for 105 yards and 2 TDs.
Julio Jones, Falcons – Made his 3 catches count, with 104 yards and 2 fourth-quarter scores.
Antonio Brown, Steelers – Reeled in 5 passes for 151 yards and a score.
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Brought down 7 passes for 149 yards and 1 TD.
Laurent Robinson, Cowboys – He turned 4 passes into 137 yards and a score.
Nate Washington, Titans – Caught 6 passes for 130 yards and a TD.
Hakeem Nicks, Giants – Failed to score, but turned 8 passes into 163 yards.

TEs
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Amassed 160 yards and 2 TDs on his 6 receptions.
Antonio Gates, Chargers – He turned 7 catches into 68 yards and 2 scores.

D/STs
Lions – Amassed 4 sacks, 6 turnovers and TDs on a fumble recovery and interception return.
Jaguars – Also scored twice (both times on fumbles) while notching 3 sacks and 6 total turnovers.
Eagles – Registered a whopping 9 sacks, 3 turnovers and a safety while holding Miami to 10 points.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs
Matt Hasselbeck, Titans – Passed for 44 yards before leaving with a calf injury.
Alex Smith, 49ers – Held to 175 yards without a score.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills – Threw 2 picks while passing for 176 yards without a score.

RBs
Daniel Thomas, Dolphins – Tallied a woeful 13 combined yards.
Maurice Morris, Lions – Only tallied 13 rushing yards before exiting injured.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots – Just 19 yards on the day.
Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – Held out of first half for disciplinary reasons, then managed just 19 yards on the night.
DeMarco Murray, Cowboys – Left early with a broken ankle after collecting just 25 rushing yards and a 6-yard pass.
Colts RBs – Donald Brown led the trio with 28 rushing yards, and his reception for minus-6 yards was the only one of the day for all of them
Peyton Hillis, Browns – Just 25 yards on Thursday night.
Beanie Wells, Cardinals – Ran into the 49ers’ brick wall with just 30 total yards.
Willis McGahee, Broncos – Marginalized with just 36 combined yards.
C.J. Spiller, Bills – Tallied a sparse 46 rushing and 10 receiving yards on 3 receptions.
Arian Foster, Texans – In the fantasy playoffs, we expect more than 41 rushing and 33 receiving yards on 4 catches, especially when a fumble is thrown in.
Chris Johnson, Titans – Limited to 23 rushing and 43 receiving yards on 5 catches.


WRs
Plaxico Burress, Jets – Managed to go without a catch in a 37-10 rout.
Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Caught a 13-yard pass.
Lance Moore, Saints – Just 4 receptions for 20 yards.
Greg Jennings, Packers – Had only 20 yards on his 2 catches before injuring his knee.
Calvin Johnson, Lions – Limited to 3 catches for 29 yards and an 11-yard run.
Eric Decker, Broncos – Only got to 33 yards on his 3 balls.
Mike Williams, Buccaneers – Held to 3 receptions for 35 yards.
Johnny Knox, Bears – His 3 receptions turned into 37 yards.

TEs
Dallas Clark, Colts – Returned to action to catch a 12-yarder.
Jason Witten, Cowboys – Took 3 balls to amass 12 yards.
Vernon Davis, 49ers – Held to a single 32-yard reception.

Week 14 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

Matt Schaub, QB, Texans – Notched 393 yards and 3 TDs, though he also tossed 2 costly INTs.
Michael Vick, QB, Eagles – Passed for 270 yards and 2 TDs, and ran for 16 yards and another score.
Tom Brady, QB, Patriots – Passed for 369 yards and 2 TDs, without any turnovers.
Kerry Collins, QB, Titans – Passed for 3 TDs and 244 yards.
Alex Smith, QB, 49ers – Threw for 255 yards and a TD trifecta.


Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders – Ran for 123 yards and 2 TDs, and caught 3 passes for 86 yards and a 3rd score.
Michael Turner, RB, Falcons – Rumbled for 112 yards and 3 TDs, plus a 12-yard catch.
Tim Hightower, RB, Cardinals – Ran for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
Chris Johnson, RB, Titans – Broke out of his slump with 111 rushing yards and 1 TD, plus 8 catches for 68 yards.
Ryan Torain, RB, Redskins – Ran for 172 yards and caught 2 passes for 10 more.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles – Caught only 4 passes, but took them for 210 yards and a highlight-reel TD.
Andre Johnson, WR, Texans – Came through big on Monday night, with 9 receptions for 140 yards and 2 TD beauties.
Pierre Garcon, WR, Colts – Caught 6 passes for 93 yards and 2 TDs.
Derrick Mason, WR, Ravens – Torched the Texans with 6 receptions for 78 yards and 2 scores.
Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers – His 4 catches produced 51 yards and 2 TDs.
Marques Colston, WR, Saints – Reeled in 5 passes for 46 yards and a pair of scores.
Deion Branch, WR, Patriots – Pulled down 8 passes for 151 yards and 1 TD.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys – Caught 7 balls for 69 yards and 2 scores.

Jay Feely, K, Cardinals – Kicked 4 field goals (23, 36, 48 and 55 yards), 4 extra points and ran for a TD on a fake field goal.

Steelers defense – Tallied 3 sacks, 3 INTs – 2 of which were returned for TDs - and held Cincinnati to 7 points.
Ravens defense/special teams – Amassed 2 sacks, 3 turnovers, and returned a kickoff and an INT for TDs.

This was a great week to play against…

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers – Passed for 46 yards and an INT and ran for 25 fateful yards before exiting with a concussion.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers – Played mistake-free, and TD-free, while passing for 258 yards.
Jay Cutler, QB, Bears – Bad Jay returned to pass for 152 yards, no TDs and 2 INTs.
Kyle Orton, QB, Broncos – Passed for 166 yards with 3 INTs and no TDs.
Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets – Threw for 216 yards and no TDs, plus 2 turnovers.


Beanie Wells, RB, Cardinals – Just 16 rushing yards.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings – 26 yards in the first week of the fantasy postseason? Ouch!
Tashard Choice, RB, Cowboys – Totaled 33 yards on the night.
Packers RBs – Brandon Jackson’s 28 total yards led the four rushers.
Chiefs RBs – Jamaal Charles ran for just 40 yards, which is a whole lot better than Thomas Jones’ 1 yard.
Dolphins RBs – Ronnie Brown ran for 55 yards (and fumbled) while Ricky Williams had 34.
Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals – Combined for 45 yards as a rusher and receiver.
Chris Ivory, RB, Saints – Took a hit with Pierre Thomas’ return and a bum hammy, running just 7 times for 47 yards.
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Jets – Ran for 49 yards and caught 2 passes for 5 yards.
Matt Forte, RB, Bears – Combined for 61 yards.
LeGarrette Blount, RB, Buccaneers – Just 68 rushing yards and lost a fumble.

Randy Moss, WR, Titans – Relegated to a spectator now.
Robert Meachem, WR, Saints – Posted a goose egg.
Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers – Caught a measly 1-yard pass.
Mario Manningham, WR, Giants – So did he, thanks to the return of Hakeem Nicks.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs – Shut down for a second straight week, with a 3-yard reception.
Davone Bess, WR, Dolphins – His pass went for 6 yards.
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles – Just one 11-yarder.
Steve Smith, WR, Giants – Returned to catch a 12-yard pass, then promptly left again with a hamstring injury.
Braylon Edwards, WR, Jets – His reception amounted to 17 yards.
Steve Breaston, WR, Cardinals – Netted 18 yards on 2 balls.
Mike Williams, WR, Buccaneers – His sole catch netted 15 yards.
Terrell Owens, WR, Bengals – Held to a single 22-yard reception.
Johnny Knox, WR, Bears – Caught 2 passes for 16 yards and lost a fumble.
Steve Smith, WR, Panthers – Just 17 yards on 2 catches.
Donald Driver, WR, Packers – His 2 receptions only went for 12 yards.
Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions – Limited to a 44-yard catch and a 13-yard run.
Brandon Lloyd, WR, Broncos – His 3 catches went for just 32 yards.
Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys – Ran for more yards (26) than he had on 2 passes (22).

Brent Celek, TE, Eagles – Held catchless Sunday night.

Week 14 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

Eli Manning, QB, Giants -- Passed for 391 yards and 3 TDs without an interception, but he fumbled twice.
Drew Brees, QB, Saints -- Threw for 296 yards and a trio of TDs.
Peyton Manning, QB, Colts -- Overcame 3 INTs with 220 passing yards and 4 TDs.

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans -- Continued his assault on the Fantasy MVP crown, combining for 186 yards and 3 TDs.
Ray Rice, RB, Ravens -- His monster game generated 166 rushing yards and a score, plus 4 receptions for 53 yards, before being pulled early due to the blowout.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs -- Gained 143 rushing yards and a TD, and caught 7 passes for 38 yards.
Frank Gore, RB, 49ers – Compiled 167 yards and a TD on the ground, plus 2 catches for 10 yards.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings -- Ran for 92 yards and 2 TDs, plus 3 receptions for 40 yards.
Ryan Grant, RB, Packers -- Raced for 137 yards and a pair of scores.
Thomas Jones, RB, Jets -- Rumbled for 99 yards and 2 TDs.
Quinton Ganther, RB, Redskins -- Made the most of his first start, combining for 93 yards and a pair of scores.
Reggie Bush, RB, Saints -- Ran for 33 yards and hauled in 6 receptions for 46 yards and 2 TDs.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Broncos -- Set a new NFL record with 21 receptions for 200 yards and a pair of TDs.
Andre Johnson, WR, Texans -- Also had a huge day with 11 catches for 193 yards and 2 TDs.
DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles -- Mr. Big Play did it again, twice, scoring on a 60-yard pass and a 72-yard punt return, to go with his 178 receiving yards.

Dallas Clark, TE, Colts -- His 5 catches generated 43 yards and three of Manning’s TD strikes.

Eagles defense/special teams -- Gave up 38 points, but scored on a fumble return and punt return, recovered four fumbles and sacked Eli three times.
Titans defense -- Notched 5 INTs, 1 sack, a defensive touchdown and held the Rams to 7 points.
Texans defense -- Amassed 3 sacks, an interception and return TD, while holding the Seahawks to 7 points.

This was a great week to play against…

Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals – Picked a terrible time for his worst game of the season, offsetting all his 178 passing yards with 2 INTs and a fumble, with no TDs. Dammit.
David Garrard, QB, Jaguars -- Limited to 139 passing and 26 rushing yards.
Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Raiders -- Against the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense, held to 153 yards without a score before leaving with an injury.
Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals -- Continued his disappointing season with just 94 passing yards and a lone TD.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers -- Threw for only 180 yards and failed to complete a TD pass for the first time this season.
Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs -- Passed for 224 yards, 0 TDs and 4 INTs.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers -- Grounded by high winds and the Browns secondary with just 201 passing yards.
Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs -- Tossed 2 INTs and only amassed 84 passing yards.

Jerome Harrison, RB, Browns -- Just 9 yards rushing with 2 catches for 10 yards.
Chris Brown, RB, Texans -- Took a back seat to Ryan Moats, gaining just 7 yards on 3 carries.
Tim Hightower, RB, Cardinals – Fumbled early, limiting his overall production to 3 rushing and 13 receiving yards on 2 catches.
Cadillac Williams, RB, Buccaneers -- Grounded with 14 total yards.
Correll Buckhalter, RB, Broncos -- Held to 19 rushing yards.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers -- Just 29 yards rushing for the day.
Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks -- Only 39 yards on the ground.
Steven Jackson, RB, Rams -- Rushed for a meager 47 yards and only caught 2 passes for 6 yards.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Steelers -- Inexplicably held to 53 rushing yards plus one 17-yard catch.

Randy Moss, WR, Patriots -- His 16-yard catch was negated by a fumble, leaving him with a goose egg.
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles -- Didn’t make a catch before leaving with an injury.
Mike Sims-Walker, WR, Jaguars -- His solo reception went for 6 yards.
Louis Murphy, WR, Raiders -- Just a measly 8-yarder on the day.
Lee Evans, WR, Bills -- Had one 11-yard reception.
Donald Driver, WR, Packers -- Took 2 catches to get to 11 yards.
Mario Manningham, WR, Giants -- His 2 grabs went for 16 yards.
Davone Bess, WR, Dolphins -- Last week’s hero had just 3 receptions for 22 yards.
Chris Chambers, WR, Chiefs -- Held to 11 yards on 2 catches.
Donnie Avery, WR, Rams -- Only 2 balls for 14 yards.
Antonio Bryant, WR, Buccaneers -- Limited to 2 receptions for 22 yards.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals – So was he.
Hines Ward, WR, Steelers -- His 4 catches went for 21 yards.
Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Jets -- Brought down one 26-yarder.
Pierre Garcon, WR, Colts -- Only 39 yards on 2 catches.
Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions -- Just 37 yards on 4 balls.
Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts -- His 4 balls produced a mediocre 43 yards.
Anquan Boldin, WR, Cardinals – Took 5 catches to reach 40 yards, plus a fumble.

I didn’t see that coming…

Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens -- Scored twice in garbage time while amassing 76 rushing yards.
Fred Davis, TE, Redskins -- Caught 3 passes for 50 yards and 2 TDs.