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| Authored by Andrew Perna - 25th September, 2007 - 8:02 am
 The old saying goes, ?You can?t have your cake and eat it too.?
I learned the true meaning of that clich? in Week Three of the NFL season. The week started on a high, with my Eagles finally posting a victory (more on that later), but ended with the first hint of fantasy disappointment I?ve experienced this season. If those three sentences don?t entice you into reading the rest of this week?s Keyboard Quarterback, I don?t know what will?
The Downs
The First Down?Where Are The Rams?
The St. Louis Rams are looking downright awful this season. Their once-potent offense has been anemic, and they are digging themselves a hole in the competitive NFC West. Marc Bulger threw three interceptions against the Buccaneers secondary on Sunday and Stephen Jackson has yet to find the end zone this season. Now St. Louis will be without Jackson for an extended period of time. Things won?t get easier for the Rams next week as they travel to Dallas to play the undefeated Cowboys. What was once ?The Greatest Show on Turf? is now a shell of its former self.
The Second Down?E-A-G-L-E-S!
Just when I thought my Eagles were done, they have drawn me back in. Philadelphia trounced the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday, 56-21. Donovan McNabb went 21-for-26 with 381 yards and four touchdowns. McNabb hooked up with Kevin Curtis for three of those scores, en route to a 221-yard performance from Curtis. Brian Westbrook came to the party as well, scoring three times and enjoying well over 200 yards on the ground and through the air. The Eagles will look to continue their transformation against a weak Giants? defense next week.
The Third Down?The Pack Are Back
How bad do I look right now? About sixteen months ago I wrote a column begging Brett Favre to hang up his cleats and call it a career. He was coming off a dismal 2005 season, and wouldn?t end up fairing much better in 2006. That was all before this season?s resurgence. Green Bay is now 3-0, having beaten the Eagles, Giants and Chargers (Not exactly dead fish). Favre exploded for 369 yards and three touchdowns this weekend, making history in the process. His final strike was the 420th touchdown pass of his career, tying Dan Marino for the most all-time.
The Fourth Down?Eli Strikes Back
His final statistics didn?t look all too impressive, but Giants? quarterback Eli Manning led New York to an impressive comeback victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Down 17-3 at the half, Manning came out firing in the third quarter helping the Giants score 21 unanswered points en route to a 24-17 victory, their first of the season. Eli connected with Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score with 5:32 left in the fourth, and the New York defense stopped Washington at the goal line in the final seconds. Peyton?s Little Brother looked like a completely different guy in the second half. Giant fans are hoping his play transfers over to New York?s game against the Eagles this Sunday night.
The ?Who The Heck? Statline of the Week?
Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham: 8 rushes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
The Keyboard Prediction for Week Four
All the Eagles needed to clear up their offensive problems was a date with the Lions, who can sling with the best of them, but have broken down on defense. The Bears will meet the Lions in Week Four, giving Rex Grossman (if he?s still the starter) the chance to sling it with Detroit?s Jon Kitna. Rex may not be able to put up the four touchdowns Donovan McNabb did, but even one would be impressive at this point.
My Fantasy Diary?
Week Three of the fantasy football season started early for me, as The Drew Crew completed the first trade of the 2007 ECPL season with My Little Ponies.
I offered to give the Ponies wide receiver Brandon Marshall in exchange for Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams. I wanted add Williams to corner the market on the Carolina running game (I have DeShaun Foster as well) and didn?t see myself starting Marshall with Javon Walker, Anquan Boldin and Santana Moss ahead of him on my depth chart.
The Ponies agreed on the trade, and it was approved by the league before Week Three began. Ultimately we both kept our new acquisitions on the bench. Not a bad move by me, but a tough one for the Ponies. Marshall posted 133 receiving yards, better than both of the Ponies starting wide outs.
With my Eagles on the way to posting their first victory of the season and The Drew Crew starting off extremely strong, I was sitting pretty. Joseph Addai and Willie Parker, quickly becoming my favorite running backs in all of football, were peeling off yards at an impressive pace. Combined they would contribute two touchdowns and over two hundred yards for The Crew this week. Add their efforts to Benjamin Watson?s, he scored a touchdown for the third straight week, and it looked as though I had another victory wrapped up.
Steven Jackson rushed for 115 yards for my opponent, The High Strokers, but Hines Ward scored less than a point ? allowing me to take a 45 to 18 lead heading into 4:15 games.
The Strokers would improve, getting 140 yards and two touchdowns from Braylon Edwards and Alge Crumpler. Not to mention the nine points the Panthers defense added to his afternoon total. Without even taking the rest of my late afternoon players into account, I was only trailing 53 to 46.
So with Eli Manning, Santana Moss and Javon Walker set to do battle it was guaranteed that I would take a comfortable lead into Monday Night?s action, right?
Wrong.
Walker, who I thought was Jay Cutler?s bosom buddy, notched just ten receiving yards against the Jaguars. This stung twice. Not only had Walker turned in a poor effort, but I had just traded Denver?s other wide receiver, Marshall, whom Cutler had an affair with against Jacksonville.
The Crew would be okay though, I still had Manning and Moss. I started Moss against the porous Giants? defense because of the matchup, and the nice game he had against the Eagles in Week Two. I felt comfortable benching Boldin against Baltimore, because they?re one of the league?s top defenses. I?d be rewarded for my savvy move, right?
Wrong once again.
Boldin totaled 181 yards and grabbed two scores against the Ravens, while Moss went scoreless with 82 yards. What was I thinking? I never bench my studs. Never. Instead I overanalyzed. Moss had a favorable matchup, Boldin had a tough one. I thought I was about to pull off the coaching move of the century, but in actuality I cost myself a chance to go 3-0. What an idiot.
Combine all of that with Eli Manning?s bland outing against the Redskins defense, and I was nursing a tight 21-point lead heading into the remaining two games of the week. Normally that wouldn?t be a bad position to be in, but The High Strokers still had Dallas kicker Nick Folk, Vince Young and Reggie Bush to play.
Keeping Boldin in my starting lineup would have given me a 46-point lead, much more secure than the skimpy lead I was sweating over. Cowboys? kicker Nick Folk added to my indigestion with two field goals and four extra points, good enough for ten points. That cut my lead to 11 heading into Monday Night Football.
Watching ESPN?s Monday Night Countdown I was popping Tums hoping to hear that both Vince Young and Reggie Bush were inactive for the Titans-Saints game. Not only did both Young and Bush avoid a pre-game injury, but the bottle of Tums I consumed would keep me burping until Thanksgiving.
Just moments into the second quarter I began writing a ?thank you? card to Young. Reggie hadn?t done much of anything for the Strokers (yet), but Vince had secured my fate in Week Three with a touchdown strike to Brandon Jones. The Drew Crew had fallen to 2-1.
Add in Bush?s touchdowns to end the second and begin the third quarter, and I was officially cooked. The High Strokers, previously 0-2, were going to record their first win of the season against an undefeated team. As owner and general manager of The Crew, I?m embarrassed.
Ultimately, I can?t complain because I should have lost last week. And in the end starting Boldin over Moss wouldn?t have given me the win anyway. It still hurts though, and I?m already studying the waiver wire in hopes of getting my team back on the right track. It may sound sick, but this is why I love fantasy football.
My Fantasy Football Record for the 2007 Season:
Week Three: 7-5
Week Two: 6?6
Week One: 8?4
Overall: 21 wins and 15 losses
Predictions, Fantasy Stories, or Rambles? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
