He fumbled in the first quarter. And then he spent the rest of the game playing like he was making up for it.
New England Patriots running back Rex Burkhead fumbled in the first quarter in a 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. Then he spent the rest of the game playing like he was making up for it.
He hasn’t seen huge usage in games this season, with five games of five touches or fewer. But over the last few weeks, he’s made the most of those carries and receptions. On Saturday, he led the team in receiving with 77 yards on four targets and four receptions. He also had five carries for 20 yards. One of Burkhead’s carries came on a 1-yard touchdown, when the running back endured what might have been the hardest hit of the game, a big blow from linebacker Lorenzo Alexander.
“I thought Rex’s touchdown was an outstanding run, showed great balance and made a nice catch on the play-action pass,” Belichick said during a postgame press conference at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. “He’s a good receiver, good runner, plays for us in the kicking game – I mean, he’s a solid four-down player.”
Running backs Sony Michel (21 carries, 96 yards) and James White (4 catches, 24 yards) also put together nice performances. And it would have been easy for the Patriots to go exclusively to them after Burkhead’s fumble. But New England must have intended to get the ball in his hands heading into the game. They didn’t abandon that game plan after one mistake.
“You got to put (the fumble) behind you and understand there is a lot more football to be played and understand you can really help the game out and turn the game into a positive,” Burkhead said at his locker after the game.
The Patriots are desperately searching for players to take the heat off Julian Edelman, who has carried the offense, sometimes single-handedly. Burkhead seems available to do just that, and perhaps he can contribute in the red zone, too, where he can serve as a multi-dimensional threat to aid with New England’s woes inside the 20-yard line.
Though this time, the Patriots offense has a familiar identity.
Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels and the New England Patriots offense have spent much of the last six weeks toiling over what they’re good at.
In early December, McDaniels listed three things: “Protecting the quarterback and not going backwards in the running game and trying to stay out of long-yardage situations to improve your chances on third down.”
Thrilling.
That doesn’t sound like a Tom Brady offense. That doesn’t sound like a Super Bowl-worthy offense. But during the team’s Week 16 win over the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots put together an impressive product. It became clear what they were working toward but had been too inefficient to accomplish.
New England is putting together the offense Brady ran in the early 2000s and, to some degree, the one the Patriots ran during the postseason last year. They want to run the ball and they want Brady to slice away at the defense in eight-yards chunks. That has required a level of precision which Brady and his pass-catchers weren’t attaining — hence Brady’s frustration. But in Week 16, receiver Julian Edelman and running back Rex Burkhead proved dangerous. When Edelman was in single coverage, he said he was licking his chops. When McDaniels saw the Bills pass-rush overcommitting, he deferred to Burkhead and the screen game. All the while, the Patriots hammered the ball with running back Michel (21 carries, 96 yards).
The problem is that the Patriots don’t have a bail-out player like they’ve had in year’s past. There’s no Rob Gronkowski to provide the big play in the event of an emergency. (Think about how crucial each of Gronk’s catches were in the Patriots’ games against the Chiefs and their Super Bowl win over the Rams.) In turn, there’s no room for error. Against good teams, the Patriots probably won’t win if Brady is completing 50% of their passes — they won’t win if Michel is averaging 3.3 yards per carry. The offense isn’t built that way.
The degree of difficulty for Brady, 42, might be at an all-time high in 2019.
“I think we’ve all seen Tom play a lot of his best football in the most critical games of the year, in the most critical situations in those games,” Bill Belichick said Saturday night after the team’s 24-17 win. “Nobody prepares harder than Tom does, and he was ready to go, got a lot of help from the running game, the offensive line, the receivers. But, as you said, he was on the money, he was sharp. Again, that’s what we need from everybody this time of year.”
Belichick rarely praises Brady like this. The coach is better know for comparing Brady’s throws to those of the quarterback at Foxborough High School. Surely, Belichick knows he’s asking a lot of his quarterback.
To give Brady some help, McDaniels is drawing up trick plays — to serve as the bail-out option in lieu of Gronk. New England has also needed to get inventive to get the ball in the hands of rookie N’Keal Harry, a physically gifted receiver who doesn’t seem to grasp the team’s playbook yet. McDaniel’s creative work also drew Belichick’s praise.
“(McDaniels) does a great job of creating an advantage for us, whatever that is,” Belichick said. “There’s a number of ways to do it – formations is one thing, but there’s other things, as well. I think he does an excellent job of that.”
The Patritos’ stat sheet looked like a spray chart in Week 16. Brady completed passes to nine different players: four receivers, three running backs and two tight ends. Edelman is clearly the focal-point of the passing offense. Michel powers the rushing attack. But they won’t be enough to win games with consistency. Brady and McDaniels will need to feed the supporting cast, which had been underwhelming until this game — and, arguably, was still underwhelming in this game. Mohamed Sanu, who cost the Patriots a second-round pick at the trade deadline, had just three catches for 24 yards. He needs to take a bigger role. Harry got four touches for 49 yards, and drew two penalties, but he, too, needs to take a bigger role.
There’s more work for New England to do. But at least they’ve found an offensive identity which works against an elite defense in Buffalo. To this point, they’d lost to every playoff-bound AFC team on their schedule (Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs).
“I think one game doesn’t always necessarily lead to the next,” Brady said after the game, “so I think you just have to keep building week-to-week on some things that maybe we did good that worked out, and the things that didn’t, you kind of move on from them.”
The fine-tuning will continue. As good as the defense has been, New England needs balance. It seems they’ll only get it if Brady looks like Brady. For the first time in weeks, he did just that.
We take a look back at Georgia’s top ten games of the decade. The Bulldogs football team played in some classic games in the 2010s
Picking the ten best Georgia games of the decade is no easy task. The Bulldogs had many triumphs and their fair share of heart-breakers this decade. Georgia fans know the ups and downs of college football perhaps better than any other fan base.
The Bulldogs went 99-36 over this decade. The decade is split between the Mark Richt and Kirby Smart era. Smart went 43-12, while Richt went 56-24. The 2010s started with UGA’s first losing season since 1996: the ugly 6-7 2010 season. It’s been much better since then. Now, the team enters every season with college football playoff expectations.
I will only say it once: these are the best Georgia games of the decade, NOT the best Georgia wins. Unfortunately, Georgia has been on the losing side of some of these incredible games. They’ve won some barn-burners as well. Here we go:
10. September 28th, 2013: Georgia 44, LSU 41
The ninth-ranked Bulldogs knocked off the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers in Athens. The shoot out featured: Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Aaron Murray, Chris Conley, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Jeremy Hill.
Aaron Murray led Georgia on a clutch drive with the Dawgs trailing and completed a touchdown to Justin Scott-Wesley with under two-minutes to play. Georgia’s defense stepped up and shut down LSU on their final drive of the game, including a clutch Leonard Floyd sack.
Sep 28, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Michael Bennett (82) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley (86) in the second half against the LSU Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Georgia won 44-41. Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
9. September 10th, 2011: South Carolina 45, Georgia 42
Jadeveon Clowney and the 12th-ranked Gamecocks knocked off the unranked Bulldogs 45-42 in Athens. The game featured a back and forth final quarter, where the teams combined to score 39 total points. South Carolina got the last laugh when Clowney strip sacked Aaron Murray to score a late touchdown.
Was this the peak version of South Carolina? They were quite stacked back then, when they had Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Alshon Jeffery, and Marcus Lattimore. I’d say they were better without Stephen Garcia at the helm. Connor Shaw was much more consistent than Garcia and didn’t turn the football over as much.
September 10, 2011; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore (21) runs in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. South Carolina beat Georgia 45-42. Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Yards
TD
Jameis Winston
456 – 5
5
Drew Brees
249 – 1
6
Mitchell Trubisky
244 – 63
4
Deshaun Watson
292 – 44
3
Jimmy Garoppolo
349 – 1
4
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Austin Ekeler
213
1
Aaron Jones
192
1
Joe Mixon
186
1
Derrick Henry
109
2
Raheem Mostert
109
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
A.J. Brown
166
2
Emmanuel Sanders
192
2
Diontae Johnson
76
2
Michael Thomas
134
1
DeAndre Hopkins
132
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Noah Fant
113
1
Jared Cook
64
2
Travis Kelce
70
1
George Kittle
67
1
Tyler Higbee
116
0
Placekickers
XP
FG
Jason Sanders
0
7
Younghoe Koo
4
4
Randy Bullock
0
4
Robbie Gould
6
2
Harrison Butker
2
3
Defense
Sck – TO
TD
Steelers
5 – 3
1
Falcons
5 – 4
0
Broncos
3 – 3
1
Colts
1 – 4
1
Browns
2 – 1
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
WR Mike Evans – Hamstring
TE Jared Cook – Head
WR Devante Parker – Concussion
WR Albert Wilson – Concussion
RB Derrius Guice – MCL sprain
TE Ryan Griffin – ankle
TE Noah Fant – Foot
TE Mark Andrews – Knee
WR Calvin Ridley – Abdomen
QB Jameis Winston – Hand
QB Tom Brady – Elbow
TE Foster Moreau – Knee
RB Rashaad Penny – Knee
WR DJ Chark – Ankle
Chasing Ambulances
Well. After a few weeks of few injuries, the blue tent was busting at the seams on Sunday. Still a little early to say if these are serious or nothing, but enough of them are worth watching.
WR Mike Evans – He pulled lame at the end of his 61-yard touchdown catch. Hamstrings can be a tricky thing so his practices this week will be key. If he missed Week 15 at the Lions, Breshad Perriman would take his place and already ended with 70 yards and a score against the Colts this week. A worthy pickup for the Evans owners.
WR Devante Parker – Appeared to have a concussion and if he misses the tilt at the Giants this week, Isaiah Ford would step in. He took over on Sunday and became the leading receiver with 92 yards on six catches. Probably more of a Daily Play than a league championship start.
RB Derrius Guice – Appeared to sprain his MCL, Guice is hardly helping his injury-prone perception. Adrian Peterson would just step up the rushing yardage while Chris Thompson would handle the receiving as he just did when he caught seven passes for 43 yards.
TE Mark Andrews – Sprained his knee and could miss the tilt against the Jets this week. Hayden Hurst was the tight end that they drafted before they took Andrews in a later round last year. Hurst ended with 73 yards and a score on three catches as the leading receiver in the win over the Bills. Lamar Jackson loves his tight ends.
RB Rashaad Penny – Pulled up like he had a serious knee injury even though the tackle did not look bad. His absence would mostly lead to more Chris Carson and just a worthless dash of C.J. Prosise.
WR DJ Chark – Hobbled off at the end of the game, his ankle injury is not yet known to be serious. If he misses next week in Oakland, his targets would likely just be spread out among Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley and maybe Keelan Cole. But the Jags are playing with their hands in the air like they just don’t care. Except for Chark.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
WR Olamide Zaccheaus – The undrafted rookie out of Virginia just set the NFL record with his first NFL catch that went for a 93-yard touchdown, the longest first-catch touchdown ever. I speak on behalf of every sportswriter in the country when I say we should just refer to him as “OZ” to avoid constant misspellings and mispronunciations.
RB Joe Mixon – He started the year so slowly that he killed fantasy owners. But he’s improved over the season and turned in a season-best 146 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries plus caught three passes for 40 yards. He scored in five of the last seven games but only upped his yardage until after midseason.
WR Terry McLaurin – The rookie just scored for the first time since Week 6. His production suffered tremendously after the change to Dwayne Haskins but it is a positive sign that he scored and turned in four catches for 57 yards in the loss to the Packers. The next two games are at home versus the Eagles and Giants – the No. 29 and No. 30 defenses versus wideouts. At least there is hope.
QB Drew Lock – His debut only produced 134 passing yards and two scores versus the Chargers. His second outing was when he threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in Houston. Those were both wins. He completed 22-of-27 passes and connected with ten different receivers. He may not be the second incarnation of John Elway, but at least he’s pointed in the right direction playing with a team that has been stripped down.
WR Emmanuel Sanders – There’s just no other way to spin it. The 49ers offense is very good. Sanders ended with seven catches for 157 yards and one touchdown against the Saints. In the flurry of traded players, Sanders may be the most pleased with his new team regardless of the price of real estate in the Bay Area. He’s a 2020 free agent. He’ll be able to afford a house anywhere.
RB Alvin Kamara – It’s bad enough that he almost never scores, but he only ran for 25 yards on 13 carries versus the 49ers along with four catches for 18 yards. Latavius Murray accounted for 69 yards on his seven runs and gained 25 yards on his two receptions. That’s 43 vs. 94 total yards.
WR Robby Anderson – His first ten games contained just one score and one decent yardage effort. These last three weeks had him score in Washington, then gain 86 yards and score on the Raiders in Week 12. The last two games were both seven catches for over 100 yards each and a score versus Miami on Sunday.
WR Mike Williams – He only caught two passes in the win over the Jaguars, but he gained 63 yards and scored a 44-yard touchdown. Despite scoring ten times in 2018 as the No. 3 receiver, it was his first score since Week 17 of last year.
The Jaguars – Their 35-point loss to the visiting Chargers smacked of a team that has given up and is just going through the motions. That should help the Raiders and Falcons as they host the team with the missing defense.
RB David Johnson – He’s been a nonfactor after leaving in Week 7 and returning in Week 10. But he came up with 19 yards on three runs and added two catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Steelers. Kenyan Drake only ran for 37 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards in that game. Johnson isn’t dead, but he is still too big of a risk to rely on.
RB Sony Michel – He was moderately productive in the first half of the year and scored six times. Since Week 9, he’s never scored, has no role as a receiver and just faced the No. 32 defense versus running backs. He gained eight yards on five rushes. Granted, the Pats were trailing but even Rex Burkhead gained 15 yards on seven carries. Michel bears almost no resemblance to 2018 and yet he’s one of the few Patriots that isn’t on the injury report.
QB Tom Brady – He finally turned in high production in Week 13 when he passed for 326 yards and three scores. But in Week 14, he was back to his less effective ways. Brady only managed 169 yards and one score with one interception against the visiting Chiefs. His 63.3 QB Rating was the lowest of the year although he’s been stuck at sub-90 QBR for the last six games.
WR A.J. Brown – The rookie was already impressive but since turning to Ryan Tannehill, Brown’s production has spiked. He turned in a season-best 153 yards and two scores on five catches in the win over the Raiders. And that was two weeks after he posted 135 yards and a touchdown on the Jaguars in Week 12. Tannehill also produced a season-best with 391 yards and three scores. His first read is Brown.
RB DeAndre Washington – He subbed for the inactive Josh Jacobs. The Raiders No. 2 back ran for 53 yards and one score on 14 carries and added six catches for 43 yards in the loss to the Titans. Jalen Richard only totaled 46 yards. Hosting the Jaguars for Week 15 could make him at least a daily play if Jacobs remains out.
WR Robert Woods – He finally caught a touchdown for the first time this year. But his seven catches for 98 yards made it four straight starts that resulted in 95 yards or more. Remember Brandin Cooks? You can stop now.
Huddle player of the week
Jameis Winston – Just in time for Christmas, the NFL gives fantasy football Jameis Winston. He not only threw for 456 yards and four touchdowns. He not only rushed in a touchdown. But he also tossed three interceptions to help the Colts remain motivated in the game. He’s a gift that keeps on giving – to everyone.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
Bill O’Brien finally got his win over Bill Belichick.
The Houston Texans had five straight losses against Belichick under O’Brien, who served as the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2011. Finally, the mentee surpassed the mentor — at least for the night. The Texans beat the Patriots, 28-22. New England’s offense sputtered until late in the game when the Texans started to get complacent — and the Patriots nearly made Houston pay. While the Patriots’ playoff picture isn’t grim, it is certainly growing more complicated with the Baltimore Ravens (10-2) and even the Buffalo Bills (9-3) looking impressive.
Here are the winners and losers from Belichick’s embarrassing loss to the Texans in Week 13 at NRG Stadium on Sunday night.
Winner: James White, RB
He proved to be the Patriots’ most trustworthy option when they fell into a deep hole. He began to gash the defense as a runner and as a pass-catcher. He faced a cornerback in coverage, which at first proved a smart game planning move by Houston. But that meant that, for the most part, the Texans were forced to take a linebacker off the field when White was in the game. That surely helped on White’s 14 carries for 79 yards. With less weight on defense, White seemed to find space in the middle of the defense.
But he also did what he does best. He had eight catches for 98 yards and two touchdown. White was the best and most reliable pass catcher for New England on Sunday in an otherwise rough performance.
Loser: Tom Brady, QB
While trailing 11 points at halftime, Brady had a quarterback rating of 28.8.
The quarterback told his receivers in the first quarter on the sideline that he needed them to be faster, quicker and more explosive. It was clear they weren’t separating well downfield. In the second half, the story was similar until late in the game when Brady padded his stats in a big way (24/47, 326 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT). Only Julian Edelman began to find space (6 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD). The rest of the receivers — Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry — proved fairly unreliable at the most important moments.
Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was clearly one step ahead of Brady while doing what no one has had the sense to do so far this season. Crennel treated White like a receiver by putting a cornerback on him for the first three quarters. Crennel also put a double team on Edelman in the first half.
Even with White and Edelman stepping up in the second half against slackened coverage, Brady looked fairly helpless. He hasn’t been able to elevate the game of his supporting cast in 2019 — and that’s an alarming sentiment considering Brady’s age.
Thanksgiving week is upon us, and in our fantasy football universe, that means the end of the regular season and the fantasy playoffs are nigh.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Thanksgiving week is upon us, and in our fantasy football universe, that means the end of the regular season and the fantasy playoffs are nigh.
And with only one more weekend of play – and only two more waiver-claim periods – remaining in the majority of leagues before the postseason kicks off, it’s time to take stock of the fringe starters and streamers at each of the five main fantasy positions (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and team defense) who are trending in the right directions while also owning favorable postseason slates, according to one of most useful and invaluable resources at your disposal as a Huddle member: the fantasy Strength of Schedule tool.
As a bonus, we’ll point out one potential starter at each of the five positions with a decidedly unfavorable fantasy postseason schedule to be very wary of. (Note: To correlate with the majority of leagues, we’re treating Weeks 14-16 as the fantasy postseason, and we’re utilizing non-point-per-reception Huddle Performance scoring).
QUARTERBACK
Ryan Tannehill (Titans)
Stat to know: Since taking over from Marcus Mariota as Tennessee’s starter in Week 7, Tannehill has been nothing less than fantasy’s third-best QB with 133.9 points and 13 total touchdowns, including three rushing, in five games through Sunday.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at Oakland, vs. Houston, vs. New Orleans. With the Titans owning the easiest fantasy postseason QB schedule, all three of Tennessee’s foes rank in the league’s top half in terms of most points surrendered to opposing quarterbacks, including the Raiders and Texans who are among the six most charitable.
Quick thought: Most were only expecting a slight improvement over Mariota, but Tannehill has gone above and beyond, topping 20 or more fantasy points with multiple TDs in all five of his starts and should be starting until further notice, regardless of matchup.
Baker Mayfield (Browns)
Stat to know: The Cleveland sophomore has passed for multiple TDs in each of his last three games after failing to do so even once in his first eight contests.
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Cincinnati, at Arizona, vs. Baltimore. The Ravens’ rapidly improved D will be tough in Week 16, but Mayfield can definitely extend his roll with tasty plus-matchups against the Bengals and Cards in Weeks 14 and 15.
Quick thought: Drafted as a QB1 following a strong second half of his rookie season, Mayfield likely was found on more waiver wires than starting lineups after tossing only seven TD passes and 12 interceptions over his first eight games, but it’s been a seven-to-one ratio since with a rushing TD thrown in. Ride the wave of redemption.
Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
Stat to know: Winston has thrown for at least 300 yards and a TD in eight of his last nine games, including six straight.
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Indianapolis, at Detroit, vs. Houston. If Winston’s impressive numbers weren’t enough, the Bucs own the seventh most-favorable fantasy QB playoff itinerary with no minus-matchups.
Quick thought: Even with Winston continuing to pace the league in interceptions with 20 after tossing six over his last two outings, he’s more than making up for it with the help of two elite wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and hasn’t finished with fewer than 19.5 fantasy points in a game since Week 3.
QB to be wary of: Josh Allen (Bills) – Coming out of Sunday and his third straight 22.5-point-plus game, the second-year Allen ranks sixth among fantasy QBs in terms of total points, but the Bills have famously feasted on one of the league’s easiest schedules so far. However, looking forward, the Bills’ fantasy QB postseason slate ranks as the second-most unfavorable in the league with matchups against the Ravens, Steelers and Patriots awaiting.
RUNNING BACK
Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)
Stat to know: In the two games since the Broncos’ bye in Week 10, Lindsay has been instilled as the team’s clear lead back, logging 32 touches to Royce Freeman’s 13 and out snapping him 78-51.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at Houston, at Kansas City, vs. Detroit. With two very favorable matchups (K.C. and the Lions) and another green-light game (vs. the Texans), it projects as the easiest fantasy RB playoff itinerary in the league.
Quick thought: The Broncos’ offense, as a whole, is among the league’s worst but you can bank on Lindsay to keep running with fearlessness, and he’s gained at least 60 total yards in every game but one this season with five rushing scores.
Sony Michel (Patriots)
Stat to know: Michel has largely underwhelmed this season, but in each of the Pats’ 10 wins this season, he’s totaled at least 12 touches and/or scored a TD, averaging 10.04 fantasy points per contest.
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Kansas City, at Cincinnati, vs. Buffalo. The Patriots possess the third-friendliest fantasy playoff running back schedule with K.C. and Cincy both ranking among the five teams allowing the most RB fantasy points per game.
Quick thought: Even though Michel hasn’t scored a TD since Week 7, he remains the team’s clear lead back, accounting for 20 of the team’s 25 running-back rushes in Sunday’s win over Dallas. Similar to last postseason when he averaged a whopping 23.6 rushing attempts per game, the Pats could once again lean heavily on Michel down the stretch with Tom Brady and the passing game currently struggling.
Kareem Hunt (Browns)
Stat to know: Since debuting for Cleveland in Week 10 following the end of his eight-game suspension, Hunt only has 9.9 fewer PPR points than lead back Nick Chubb and ranks second on the team with 15 receptions over those three contests.
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Cincinnati, at Arizona, vs. Baltimore. The Browns have the seventh most-favorable fantasy RB playoff schedule.
Quick thought: Of course everyone is still going to be starting Chubb, but don’t overlook Hunt as a RB2/flex play, particularly in PPR leagues.
Running back to be wary of: Bo Scarbrough (Lions) – Scarbrough has rushed for 153 yards and a TD on 32 carries in two games since making his Detroit debut in Week 11, but the Lions own fantasy’s second-toughest fantasy playoff RB slate with matchups against the Vikings, Bucs and Broncos – all of whom rank among the 13 teams surrendering the fewest fantasy points to opposing backs.
WIDE RECEIVER
D.J. Moore (Panthers)
Stat to know: Since Week 9, no player has been targeted more than Carolina’s Moore (45 in four games) and only Saints stud wideout Michael Thomas (31) has caught more passes than Moore’s 30 during that stretch.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at Atlanta, vs. Seattle, at Indianapolis. None of three matchups are daunting in the least, making for the ninth-easiest fantasy WR slate.
Quick thought: Moore is sixth among wideouts in both targets (103) and receptions (68) on the season and has emerged as a must-start WR2 – even with uneven QB Kyle Allen at the helm.
DeVante Parker (Dolphins)
Stat to know: Since Ryan Fitzpatrick was reinstated as Miami’s starting quarterback in Week 6, Parker has totaled the 11th-most fantasy points (PPR) among all wide receivers, reeling in 36-of-59 targets for 494 yards and three TDs.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at N.Y. Jets, at N.Y. Giants, vs. Cincinnati. This trio of opponents comprises the fourth-easiest fantasy wideout playoff schedule.
Quick thought: Parker has averaged 9.2 targets and 5.5 receptions with at least 11.9 PPR points over his last six games as the top target on a team that’s going to have to continue to pass early and often in an attempt to keep up with one of the league’s worst defenses.
Terry McLaurin (Redskins)
Stat to know: The talented rookie was tied for third among all wideouts Sunday with a season-high 12 targets, and his 638 receiving yards on the season are 393 more than any other Washington wide receiver or tight end.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at Green Bay, vs. Philadelphia, vs. N.Y. Giants. It’s the sixth easiest fantasy WR playoff slate, with the Week 15 and 16 matchups against the division-rival Eagles and Giants looking particularly promising.
Quick thought: Fellow rookie (and McLaurin’s Ohio State teammate) Dwayne Haskins is learning on the fly, and with Washington figuring to have to air it out frequently to try to keep up on the scoreboard, McLaurin looks to be a solid WR3/flex option.
Wide receiver to be wary of: Allen Robinson (Bears) – After catching only 11 passes for 107 yards and no TDs over the previous three weeks, Robinson came up big Sunday against the Giants, snaring six passes for a season-high 131 yards and a TD. It’s exactly what any team’s No. 1 wide receiver should do against one of the league’s worst secondaries, but the matchups for Robinson and struggling Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky will be infinitely tougher in the fantasy postseason with the Cowboys, Packers and Chiefs on the docket, making for the third-toughest fantasy wide receiver itinerary.
TIGHT END
Jacob Hollister (Seahawks)
Stat to know: In three games since Week 9, Hollister has caught 14-of-20 targets for 121 yards and three TDs, while averaging 14.7 PPR points per outing – the seventh-best average at the position.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at L.A. Rams, at Carolina, vs. Arizona. This projects to be the second-easiest playoff schedule for tight ends, and playing a TE against the Cardinals is a sure-fire winning fantasy strategy in any game, let alone in fantasy championship week.
Quick thought: Tight end is so thin that matchups don’t matter as much once you latch on to a reliable one, but they certainly can point you in the right direction if you’re deciding between similar options at the position in shallower leagues.
Kyle Rudolph/Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings)
Stat to know: Minnesota had a bye in Week 12, but in the five previous weeks (7 through 11), Rudolph and the rookie Smith both ranked among the top 12 tight ends in terms of total fantasy points (PPR), combining for 40 receptions (20 apiece) for 347 yards and six TDs (five for Rudolph) on 48 targets (24 each).
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Detroit, at L.A. Chargers, vs. Green Bay. It’s the sixth-easiest projected schedule for tight ends.
Quick thought: The Minnesota tight ends’ spike in production has coincided directly with the hamstring-injury absence of WR Adam Thielen, who could be returning in Week 13. It’s also coincided with a 4-1 run for the Vikings, who are now tied for the NFC North lead, and it’s worked so well that it’s hard to imagine Minnesota not keeping them involved in the offense.
Tight end to be wary of: Mike Gesicki (Dolphins) – The second-year Miami tight caught his first NFL TD pass Sunday and has posted a 16-169-1 combined stat line on 19 targets over his last four games. However, the third most unfavorable projected fantasy tight end schedule looms in the playoffs, so keep that in mind if you’re weighing Gesicki against similar options at the position.
TEAM DEFENSE
Houston Texans
Stat to know: Coming out of Sunday, the J.J. Watt/Jadeveon Clowney-less Texans rank 26th among fantasy defenses on the season and rank 28th with 23 sacks in 11 games.
Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Denver, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay
Quick thought: Unless you have one of the elite fantasy defenses (i.e. Patriots, 49ers and Steelers), it’s all about the matchups, and the Texans possess the second-most favorable fantasy postseason slate, which includes a game against the always-charitable Winston on championship weekend.
Baltimore Ravens
Stat to know: Entering Monday night’s game against the Rams, the Ravens had come away with two or more turnovers in five of their six previous games while allowing an average of 16 points during that stretch. Even more impressive, Baltimore had scored five defensive TDs over their last four games heading into Week 12.
Fantasy postseason schedule: at Buffalo, vs. N.Y. Jets, at Cleveland
Quick thought: The Week 15 home game against the Jets is the only extremely-favorable matchup during the stretch, but it’s not hard to imagine the Bills and Browns and their young QBs pressing and struggling to keep up with Lamar Jackson and the league’s hottest offense in the other two games.
Team D to be wary of: Chicago Bears – Chicago was fantasy’s defense to own in 2018, but as is the annual lesson that’s so tough to learn, one season’s gem is the next season’s most overdrafted and underwhelming fantasy defense as the Bears currently rank 19th overall at the position. And now looms a fantasy-playoff stretch with not one, not two but three negative matchups in the Cowboys, Packers and Chiefs? No, and thanks.
Sony Michel has had a rough season, but the RB played a crucial role in the game.
The New England Patriots have relied heavily upon cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Jamie Collins and receiver Julian Edelman through 12 weeks of the NFL season. And those players were once again stellar in a 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. But the Patriots enjoyed a pleasant surprise: running back Sony Michel began to power through an inefficient funk in 2019.
Michel entered the game at 3.3 yards per attempt, but managed 20 carries for 85 yards (4.3 ypc). Those figures, while humble compared to what he did during the playoffs after the 2019 season, were crucial while the Patriots passing offense struggled early in the game. Tom Brady finished completing 17 of 37 for 190 yards and a touchdown, but he took six quarterback hits and resorted to throwaways often. The veteran quarterback had to rely upon his rookie receivers, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry, after Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) were ruled out before the game.
The Cowboys knew the Patriots wanted to run the ball. Dallas could clearly see that New England had issues running the ball throughout the season. And yet Michel put together a solid performance.
“Sony’s played well all year. I think he’s played well all year,” Bill Belichick said during a postgame press conference. “They’re a tough defense, they’re hard to run against. We chipped away and hammered out a few runs, but they got us a few times, too. So, a couple big runs at the end. That was obviously key in the final outcome of the game.”
Michel managed a role as a closer in the fourth quarter. On a second-and-5 with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots needed just one more first-down to drain the clock. That’s when Michel burst off a 12-yard run, which effectively ended the game. Michel managed that run behind left tackle Isaiah Wynn, who returned from injured reserve in Week 12. Wynn and Michel played together at Georgia, and joined the NFL together as Patriots’ first-round picks in 2018.
“He’s another piece to the puzzle,” Michel said of Wynn after the game. “He helps this team. He helps this offense try to accomplish the goal that we want to accomplish.”
That goal — presumably a Super Bowl win — will be easier if the offense continues to improve. That will surely start with Michel and the running game, which needs to make Brady’s life easier.
Here are five takeaways from the Patriots — win over the Cowboys.
The New England Patriots improve to 10-1 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 13-9 in a bad weather, sloppy game.
Offensively, the Patriots did just enough to squeak by with Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett missing from the lineup. Defensively, this unit showed up once again and slowed down the NFL’s most productive offense. The Patriots had an up-and-down performance from the special teams unit — but, Matthew Slater’s blocked punt changed the momentum of the game.
New England’s offensive line showed improvement with the addition of Isaiah Wynn and they’ll look better when the receiving corps regains their health. The Patriots aren’t the orthodox 10-1 team, but the defensive talent and coaching is keeping this team afloat.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
Young receivers make necessary plays for a victory
Without Sanu and Dorsett in the lineup, the Patriots had a dire need for their young receivers to step up and make plays.
The only active receivers heading into the game were Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater. Considering the fact that Slater doesn’t play offensive snaps, Tom Brady had very few offensive options to work with. Fortunately for New England, the young guys stepped up and made enough plays for a win.
Harry kicked off the day with a ten-yard back-shoulder touchdown catch — which was the only touchdown of the day. He recorded his first NFL touchdown and showed the ability to highpoint the ball and make impactful plays in the redzone. Meyers, an undrafted rookie, was able to pull in four catches for 72 yards. Brady’s trust was primarily in Meyers and Edelman, and both receivers accounted for 21 targets.
Five sleepers to start and five starters to bench in fantasy football Week 12.
It’s crunch time in fantasy football.
A little scouting and you can avoid a crucial late-season loss or do just enough to cross the finish line with a win this week. We’ve got you covered with a quick scouting report to help you out.
Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in fantasy football Week 12:
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Starts
QB Matt Ryan
After two decent games on the road from him the past two weeks, Matt Ryan and the Falcons return home. There he’s going to meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s a few reasons to go with Ryan in Week 12. First, his team is on an unforeseen two-game winning streak. That could continue because of him. The Falcons’ backfield is banged up, but the Bucs also sport the second-best run defense in the NFL. In addition, they have the second-worst pass defense. Do the math.
RB Phillip Lindsay
Phillip Lindsay has been steady as she goes over the past few weeks. He’s had outings of 59, 92, and 67 yards in his past three games, respectively, with a touchdown coming in the 92-yard outing. But having said that, the Bills defense is a formidable one, but not against the run. The third-best defense overall in Buffalo is actually 18th against the run and only slowed down their opponent last week because the Dolphins are the Dolphins.
Georgia football produces great running backs. A look at how 11 of the best did in college and the NFL.
Georgia has had more than its share of elite running backs and they went on to become high NFL Draft picks and had strong careers in the pros.
Sony Michel
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Sony Michel was impressive enough for Bill Belichick to use a New England Patriots first-round pick on the RB. One of the most amazing nuggets in Georgia football history is Michel, Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley all were on the team in the same season, 2014. That year, Michel had 64 carries for 410 yards. He surged over the 1,000-yard mark as a sophomore and wound up with 3,631 yards on a 6.1 yard per carry average in four seasons. Michel is approaching the 1,500-yard mark as a pro.
