Seth Vigdor
Week 12 has come and gone and there is one undefeated team remaining in the NFL and it’s the Carolina Panthers. Denver pulled the upset on the Patriots, Jimmy Graham’s season is over and the NFC East is as brutal as ever. Let’s take a look at the week in review.
Five key storylines from Week 12
1. Down go the Patriots
America rejoice! For one night, the New England Patriots were mortal. The Brock Osweiler led Denver Broncos took down Tom Brady and the Patriots in overtime 30-24. It was as exciting game as there gets and perhaps the God(s) were punishing Tom Brady for getting too over confident after posting a photo shopped photo of himself riding a Bronco on facebook. That was a big mistake. The Broncos led by Osweiler, who threw for one touchdown and one interception, played a hell of a game. Besides the one interception, Osweiler was able to just manage the game as was needed. The winning touchdown in overtime came from a C.J. Anderson run, one of his two touchdowns in the game. Not only did the Patriots lose the game, but Rob Gronkowski suffered a knee injury, though NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Patriots do not believe that the injury is serious. Former Bronco, Shannon Sharpe was certain to let Brady hear his thoughts after the game on twitter.
I guess Brady couldn't ride Thunder after all.Don't post that lame Facebook post. Take that horse kick in the butt back to Foxboro.🐴🐴 win
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 30, 2015
But, Sharpe wasn’t done just yet, as he asked Broncos fans to come up with creative memes and well, the internet never disappoints.
This one is in the lead. 😂😂😂"@nickthetool: @ShannonSharpe here's a meme for ya. pic.twitter.com/KP2909zl8b"
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 30, 2015
I've gotta get some sleep "@CesCedillo: @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/ZezoewFAt4"
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 30, 2015
I love this one. "@Gyeezy_: @ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/NyCxVWXWMg"
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 30, 2015
And one more for the road…
Pat fans. This is yours truly. I kill me. "@siglersbabymom: @ShannonSharpe just gonna leave this here. pic.twitter.com/gadCo8bzgf"
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 30, 2015
Bravo Sharpe and Denver fans. For one night only, we were all Bronco Nation.
2. Say it ain’t so, Jimmy!
The year of the injury continued on Sunday to take another big victim, this time it was Seahawks TE, Jimmy Graham. Graham’s season ended with a torn patellar tendon, that will require surgery. Pete Carroll had this to say about Graham:
“We’ve loved Jimmy Graham coming to our team and [are] very grateful that he’s been part of it. We’re going to miss the heck out of him the rest of the season. He’s been a fantastic addition. You saw him again today doing stuff, and he was going to have a huge day today if he was able to stay out there. So that’s unfortunate.”
It is a shame. The Seahawks were finally getting him involved in their offense (something they haven’t done this year) on Sunday against the Steelers. Before leaving the game, Graham had four receptions for 75 yards. Players like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse will need to step up big time in Graham’s absence. The Seahawks hung on and won 39-30 to bring their record to 6-5 on the year and more importantly stay in the playoff hunt. It’ll be interesting to see if the Graham loss brings the Seahawks together.
3. Your NFC East Champs, Washington?
Say it with me, folks. Washington has a chance to win the NFC East. Say it with me again. Washington has a chance to win the NFC East. Are you shittin’ me? The NFC East is an absolute mess! Washington took down the Giants 20-14 on Sunday, with a little assistance from Eli Manning and his three interceptions. Kirk Cousins led Washington as he was 20/29 for 302 yards and threw one touchdown. Washington held off a comeback attempt by the Giants, who fought back and were all witness to another insane Odell Beckham, Jr. catch.
https://vine.co/v/iaxYJm6z2e5
Unreal! It’s a shame that Beckham has to be on the Giants. He’s truly gifted.
Washington and the Giants are now tied for first place at 5-6 and wait for it Eagles fans…
Redskins beat the Giants now tied for first in NFC East at 5-6. 7-9 may win this pathetic division. #eagles still alive. @FOX29philly
— Iain Page (@IainPageTV) November 29, 2015
Unbelievable!!!
4. Tony Romo’s Season is Over –
A season that is over however is Tony Romo’s, who broke his collarbone AGAIN. But, don’t worry Cowboys Nation because Jerry Jones thinks that the risk of getting Romo back on the field to a then 2-7 team was worth it. Apparently, Romo actually repeated that crazy line.
Oh man. No. Romo. Tough man. Romo actually said he was still in danger of re-breaking collarbone for a few weeks but was willing risk it
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 27, 2015
Man, oh man are the Cowboys interesting to watch. Between them and the Eagles, who needs football when there’s so much drama unfolding with their organizations.
5. The Philadelphia Gobblers
Speaking of the Eagles, they did on Thanksgiving what they do best and that’s play terrible football. They were so bad that a Lions players said that they made the Eagles “tap out.” That’s a damn shame! It’s a great observation though because this team has looked lifeless in the last two weeks. I just wonder each week if we’ve finally hit rock bottom and then the next week happens and I ponder the same question over and over gain. I’m afraid this may be a bottomless pit that we’re entering. Mark Sanchez sucks. Sam Bradford sucks. Chip Kelly sucks. Billy Davis sucks. You get my drift, right? Please put us Eagles fans out of our misery already.
Waiver Wire Watch (*Keep an eye on, **Time to consider it, *** MUST Grab)
Each week, I will supply you with a list of players that you should consider adding from the waiver wire. Above, I listed the three tiers of players they are. So let’s take a look at the guys that you should be paying attention to. To qualify as a Waiver Wire guy, I’ll only consider those players that are owned in less than 60% of Yahoo! leagues at the time of this writing.
***Doug Baldwin (SEA – WR) – 34% owned – Baldwin has been ballin’ out the last three weeks, so with Jimmy Graham out for the season, Baldwin should see even more balls thrown his way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKxzGWTNq14
***Tevin Coleman (ATL – RB) – 59% owned – Coleman had a killer fumble against the Vikings, otherwise he was pretty solid. With Devonta Freeman’s game status for next week up in the air, Coleman could see more work, making him a solid flex-play.
**Alfred Blue (HOU– RB) – 53% owned – You know what Blue is, but if you’re hurtin’ for a RB, he can be hit or miss guy for you. Proceed with caution.
**Alex Smith (KC– QB) – 26% owned – Smith has been very good lately. The problem is he doesn’t throw many touchdowns. If he does, it takes his fantasy points from the 15-18 range to the 21-24 range depending on your scoring settings. At this point of the year, I’ll definitely take that.
**Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ – QB) – 22% owned – Fitzpatrick had four touchdowns this week against the sad Dolphins. Next week he has a juicy matchup against the Giants. I’m looking for three touchdowns this week, so if that’s your thing and your QB is struggling, take a gamble.
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Here are Week 12’s Studs:
Quarterbacks
1. Matthew Stafford (DET vs. PHI) – Stafford was 27/38 for 337 yards and threw for five touchdowns against the Eagles. The Lions had the birds for Thanksgiving dinner. Gobble, gobble.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxUUqyQr1Hk
2. Russell Wilson (SEA vs. PIT) – Russ was 21/30 for 345 yards and threw for five touchdowns against the Steelers on Sunday. The Hawks kept their playoff hopes alive.
3. Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ vs. MIA) – Fitzpatrick had a monster day against the Dolphins, as he was 22/37 for 277 yards and had four touchdowns. He’s an intriguing streaming option next week against the Giants in the battle for NY.
4. Philip Rivers (SD vs. JAX) –Rivers got back to business on Sunday against the Jags. He was 29/43 for 300 yards and threw four touchdowns. That’s the Rivers that we’re all use to seeing.
Running Backs
1. C.J. Anderson (DEN vs. NE) – C.J. Anderson played hero on Sunday night against the Patriots as he had 15 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in OT. Where has this Anderson been all year? Maybe this is the start of something special.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ilf6lij1w
2. Adrian Peterson (MIN vs. ATL) –Peterson had another monster week with 29 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns against Atlanta. I’m not sure Atlanta will win another game this year at this rate.
3. Spencer Ware (KC vs. BUF) – This is two big weeks in a row for Ware as he had 19 carries for 114 yards and one touchdown. Should Charcandrick West miss anymore time, don’t hesitate to crank Ware up in your lineup.
Wide Receivers
1. Sammy Watkins (BUF vs. KC) –Every so often Sammy Watkins comes to play and this was one of those weeks. He had six receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. I’d love to say he could have two good games in a row, but I don’t have confidence in him.
2. Calvin Johnson (DET vs. PHI) – Megatron went nuts on the Eagles as he had eight receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns. It’s nice to see the Lions starting to turn things around, just not against my team.
3. Brandon Marshall (NYJ vs. MIA) –Marshall continued his great 2015 season with nine receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns against the Dolphins. My God, what the hell happened to Miami?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU9TDmXI8q0
4. Marcus Wheaton (PIT vs. SEA) –Wheaton was the star of the show for the Steelers on Sunday in a losing effort. He had nine receptions for 201 yards and one touchdown. Once thought to be a sleeper coming into the season, this effort showed that there is still hope for the kid.
5. Doug Baldwin (SEA vs. PIT) –Dougie B. had a monster of a game against the Steelers. He had six receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns. With Jimmy Graham done for the season, Baldwin could see his stock rise in Seattle.
Tight Ends
1. Julius Thomas (JAX vs. SD) –It’s funny that I predicted a few weeks back that Thomas would remain on my dud list for the rest of the season. What’s he done since? He’s done exactly what he should’ve been doing from the jump in Jacksonville. He had nine receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown against San Diego. He’s starting to feel it now.
2. Antonio Gates (SD vs. JAX)– Not to be outdone by Thomas, Gates had four receptions for 53 yards and grabbed two touchdowns. He and Rivers looked to have patched things up…for now.
Defense
Carolina Panthers (vs. DAL) – The Panthers remained the league’s only unbeaten team as they mauled the Cowboys. Their D had three interceptions, and two touchdowns for 23 fantasy points. Love it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39s57pYcgsU
Kickers
Graham Gano (CAR vs. DAL) – In my weekly preview I said that Gano would have between 13-18 fantasy points against the Cowboys. How did he do? He was 4/5 for FGA and added three XPM for 18 fantasy points. Boom!
…
Here are Week 12’s Duds:
Quarterbacks
1. Matt Ryan (ATL vs. MIN) –The Falcons and Matt Ryan have been stinking up the joint for weeks. Ryan was 22/31 for 231 yards, to go with one touchdown and two interceptions. No wonder they suck now.
2. Mark Sanchez (PHI vs. DET) –The Sanchize was 19/27 for 199 yards and threw for two touchdowns. Go away!
3. Eli Manning (NYG vs. WAS) –Manning was 26/51 for 321 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. That’s the Eli that Philly knows and loves.
Running Backs
1. Todd Gurley (STL vs. CIN) –Gurley had nine carries for 19 yards against the Bengals. The Rams never even had a chance in this one. All is forgiven.
2. Lamar Miller (MIA vs. NYJ) – Ha! Miller had five carries for two yards. Jeeeeeeezzzz!!!!!
3. DeMarco Murray (PHI vs. DET) –DeMarco had 14 carries for 30 yards in the blowout loss to the Lions. I just want the guy to run the ball downfield and not to the sideline. Is that too much to ask?
Wide Receivers
1. Dez Bryant (DAL vs. CAR) –Dez had two receptions for 26 yards. Throw up the X if you’re down with that!
2. DeAndre Hopkins (HOU vs. NO) –Hopkins had five receptions for 36 yards against Houston. This was hardly the outing I expected from him against the softer than tushy tissue Saints defense.
3. Stefon Diggs (MIN vs. ATL) –Diggs has gone absolutely cold the last few weeks. He had four receptions for 31 yards against the Falcons. The Vikings won again, so I guess that’s all that matters.
Tight Ends
1. Charles Clay (BUF vs. KC) –Clay had five receptions for 31 yards. That’s not enough to get the job done.
2. Jordan Cameron (MIA vs. NYJ) –JC had two receptions for 13 yards. Cameron stinks! He’s reaching Coby Fleener status to me. That is all.
Defense
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. DET) – The Eagles gave up 45 points to the Lions, which was good for -4 fantasy points. Billy Davis needs to be fired… immediately!
Kickers
Caleb Sturgis (PHI vs. DET) – Here’s another Eagle, what a shock. The Birds got killed, so it didn’t matter, but Sturgis missed his one FG attempt. He had one fantasy point. What’s the point of being a kicker if you can’t make field goals?
…
Here’s a brief look at the results of Week 12 in the PhillyInfluencer.com Fantasy Football league:
I kept my momentum going this week with my fourth win in a row, thus keeping my slim playoff hopes alive, as we enter the final week of the regular season. 215 Sean (@Sean_Brace) took care of business as well this week with a win against Team 34 1/2, 132-93. Cunning Stunts (@nickpiccone) had a much needed win against Victorious Secret, however it’s a little too late for Nick. Lastly, Minitron’s Juice Stand (@Anthony_DiBona) kept rolling along, as he makes his push for the playoffs, with a 123-91 victory over Team Marino. With one week left to go in the regular season, who will make it to the PhillyInfluencer.com Fantasy Football dance? Stay tuned…
You can stay up to date with everything Fantasy Football related by following me on Twitter(@ViggieSmalls765) and Instagram. I’ll be available on Twitter for upcoming Twitter Chats and to give out advice to help guide you through your fantasy season.