Game Busts
Willis McGahee – Dang, I just spent all last week praising McGahee and then he drops a for sure 1st down reception on 4th down and then fumbles in a key spot. Hopefully this is just a momentary lapse and we’ll see McGahee shore up these gaffs going forward.
Ronnie Hillman is waiting in the wings, but he’ll have to really prove himself before Coach Fox and Manning allow him much playing time on an offense that is playing well as is.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Nine carries for 14 yards is about my expectation for Green-Ellis each week, but that’s because I’m a certified player-hater. He is very much a volume runner and needs goal line carries and leads. He got neither this week and was facing a tough Dolphins run defense. His backup Bernard Scott finally came back and outplayed him until he hurt his knee and had to leave, possibly for the season.
Jimmy Graham – Graham hurt his ankle early in the game and wasn’t the same afterward. With him hobbled, it became the Marques Colston show. Thankfully the Saints have a bye this week, which should help Graham heal up and with the number of targets he had coming into this game, I wouldn’t worry about him going forward.
Rob Gronkowski -- Gronk just had a down game. His hip was hurting, but he looked to be moving well. In the Patriots offense it’s always a little tough to predict who will be the main guys, but now that they have the running game clicking, we will have an even harder time deciphering Bill Belichick’s brain.
Jermichael Finley – The “stud” tight ends had a bad week and Finley has had such a bad career, it’s impossible to call him a stud or anything close to it. Mud maybe.
He hurt his shoulder and only played a half in which he caught three passes for 11 yards. His previous high in yardage this year was 60 and his only touchdown came in Week 1. He’s a #2 TE for the time being.
Chris Johnson – Well, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that CJsomethingK had 24 yards on 15 carries, but it really should be. When you watch Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson and today, Rashard Mendenhall, run, you’d think they were the guys who rushed for 2,000 yards in a season and never blew out their knees.
Johnson is no better than Daniel Thomas or BenJarvus Green-Ellis at this point. And those guys are below sea level on my running back list.
Cam Newton – Newton has been getting a lot of grief over his demeanor, but his play on the field was the problem this week. He went 12 of 29 for just 141 yards and no touchdowns. The Seahawks have been stifling good quarterbacks this season, but Newton looked horrid. The good news is that they get a bye to help get things back on track.
Marshawn Lynch – Lynch put up average numbers, rushing 21 times for 85 yards. The problem was that this matchup looked incredibly favorable for him. But he ran hard and the game just didn’t go his way.
It is a bit worrisome that Russell Wilson can’t move the offense that well, but the good news is that Lynch is the type of runner that doesn’t usually need the offense clicking in the passing game to produce. As long as Seattle continues to play defense well, Lynch should remain a RB1.
Numbers Game
1. The number of targets C.J. Spiller had against the 49ers.
2. The number of targets Jacquizz Rodgers had in comparison to four for Michael Turner.
3. The number of touchdowns Marques Colston had on 18 targets and nine receptions.
4. The number of targets and receptions Randall Cobb had for 84 yards and a touchdown.
5. The number of targets and receptions Ronnie Brown had for 47 yards receiving.
6. The number of targets Roddy White had after having 12 the week before.
7. The number of targets Trent Richardson had to go with his five receptions for 47 yards. His 20 receptions rank third for running backs behind Darren Sproles and Ray Rice.
8. The number of targets Josh Gordon had in which he caught two, both for touchdowns.
9. The number of targets and receptions Jordan Norwood had for 81 yards.
10. The number of yards Jackie Battle had on four carries against the Saints.
11. The number of yards Randy Moss had on one reception.
12. The number of completions Cam Newton had against the Seahawks.
13. The number of completions Joe Flacco had against the Chiefs on 27 attempts for 187 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Before Week 5 the Chiefs hadn’t kept an opposing quarterback under double-digit touchdown passes.
14. The number of rushing attempts Rashard Mendenhall had on his return from ACL surgery in which he converted into 81 yards and a touchdown.
15. The number of targets Julio Jones had for 10 receptions, 94 yards and a touchdown.
16. The number of points the Philadelphia Eagles are averaging per game.
17. The number of receiving yards Mike Wallace had.
18. The number of receiving yards Vontae Leach had.
19. The longest run BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ has over the last 22 games.
20. The number of targets Reggie Wayne had for 13 receptions, 212 yards and a touchdown.
Early Waiver Look
QB: Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder
RB: Jahvid Best, David Wilson, Pierre Thomas, Brandon Bolden, Ronnie Hillman
WR: Randall Cobb, Jordan Norwood, Josh Gordon
TE: Dwayne Allen
D/ST: Patriots, Minnesota
Awards
Fantasy MVP of Week 5: Marques Colston
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 5: Andrew Luck
Fantasy Rookie of Week 5: Andrew Luck
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 5: Marshawn Lynch
Fantasy Fluke of Week 5: Michael Crabtree
Stats and What Not
San Francisco's 621 yards of total offense broke the franchise record for most yards in a game.
The Buffalo Bills are the first team to give up 550+ yards in back-to-back games since the 1950 New York Yankees.
Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs are the first pair of teammates in NFL history to both return interceptions for touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons have never gone 5-0 until this season.
Tony Gonzalez has 99 touchdown receptions, but a touchdown reception against Dallas ain’t one. But he’ll get a chance to rectify that Week 9 in Atlanta.
Jamaal Charles has two games this season with 30 or more carries. He had never topped 30 carries in a game before this season.
Chris Johnson has only topped 25 yards rushing in one of five games this season.
Drew Brees has now thrown a touchdown in 48 straight games, breaking Johnny Unitas’ record of 47 that had lasted for 52 years. This, added to his record for most passing yards in a single season and a Super Bowl MVP have elevated Brees to a statistical greatness, once only held by Dan Marino.
In the age of fantasy football, numbers are king and Drew Brees is a walking record book. If you check out his NFL Records section on Wikipedia, you’ll get eyestrain before finishing.
I’m not going to argue that he is the best of all time, because I don’t believe that, but I do believe in consistency and numbers and Brees has exceled at both. And really, I see no reason for him to slow down anytime soon. By the time he hangs up his pads, he could be hoarding more records than Lester Bangs.
On his record-breaking night, he also threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns while getting the Saints first win on the season. And this came without Lance Moore and Jimmy Graham for the most part. He has a lot of skilled players around him, but he elevates everyone around him. It will be fun watching him chase more records in the years to come.
Game Balls
Andrew Luck – Luck becomes only the second rookie quarterback to have three 300+ yard passing games out of his first four starts. Oh, and in doing so, he beat last year’s MVP, Aaron Rodgers. This game is a weird one, but you can’t mark this as a fluke in any way. Luck took hit after hit and kept on coming.
Reggie Wayne – But the real star of the Colts upset over the Packers was Reggie Wayne. Left for dead by some, Wayne has risen from the ashes of old age with Luck chucking the ball his way.
His 212 yards was a career high and he had a pretty good quarterback back in the day. What was his name? Curtis something, anyway, Wayne is easily the focal point of this offense with an amazing 60 targets through four games. That’s 15 targets per game! There’s really no reason his numbers won’t stay consistent with those kinds of opportunities.
Ahmad Bradshaw – 30 carries for 200 yards will satisfy even the most OCD of statisticians and the fantasy players who read what they say. Bradshaw beat his career high of 151 rushing yards that he set in 2007, his rookie season.
Last year he topped 100 yards only once and this is only his third 100+ yard game in 25 games. I don’t doubt his ability at all. He runs hard and mean and elusive when he needs to be. But he just hasn’t been able to hold up well physically. His highest total attempts in any game of his career were 26 and he hit 30 today with Andre Brown getting a concussion. I’d look to sell high.
Percy Harvin – It was only a matter of time before Percy Harvin started getting into the end zone. He is easily one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, and he is finally getting the touches that such a player deserves.
This week he showed his ability to run with a nice 10-yard touchdown scamper after a catch and another touchdown on a four-yard rush. Each time he showed power and elusiveness.
Brandon Marshall – Not since 1999 have the Bears had a wide receiver have back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games until this Sunday. What the? I knew the Bears passing history was laughable, but that’s pitiful. Anyway, he did it, and after his clunker in Green bay, he’s gotten right back on track.
As long as the Bears can hold some semblance of an offensive line together, Marshall is going to continue to see the bulk of the targets week in and week out.
Trent Richardson – Richardson is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch. His speed and power just pop out to anyone watching. He finished the day with 128 total yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and five receptions, but it seemed like he was underutilized. I may be biased, but Richardson needs to touch the ball 25-30 times for the Browns to have a legitimate chance at winning games.
Peyton Manning/Demaryius Thomas – Old Man Manning finished with a stout line of 345 yards and three touchdowns with many of those yards going to Thomas, who finished with 188 on nine catches. That put him at 513 yards for the season, just one yard behind current leader, Brian Hartline. Manning and Thomas are becoming quite the duo and I can only see it improving as they learn each other’s nuances.
Manning is right back in elite statville, with 301 yards passing a game (tied for 3rd), 11 touchdowns (4th), and a 101.2 passer rating (5th).
Alex Smith – So if Smith continues playing anywhere near the level he was at against Buffalo on Sunday, the 49ers are going to be hard to stop. He was an incredibly efficient 18 of 24 for 303 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding 3 rushing attempts for 49 yards.
So now, three of his five games have been fantasy startable, but this game was his only difference making fantasy game. He has these kinds of games in him, which is great for 49ers fans, but he’s still hit and miss in fantasy.
Tony Gonzalez – Gonzo is still going Gonzo, now in his, 17th season? Wow, he’s what, 54? Anyway, he’s old. And yet, he leads the league in receptions. And he doesn't just lead tight ends, but all receivers, with 39. He is on pace for 125 receptions, 1,242 yards and 13 touchdowns. His highs are 102 receptions for 1,258 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of course those happened 8 and 13 years ago.
Marques Colston – While Drew Brees was breaking Johnny U’s record; Colston was hauling in nine passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns. That was his 11th multi-touchdown game and his second three-touchdown game. He’s not that fast and he’s always gimping around, but he produces and produces consistently and well.
Alfred Morris – Yeah, I was wrong about Morris, just plain old-fashioned, crispy fried-crow-eating wrong. I didn’t want to see it, but the dude’s feet are deft and he can find running lanes like nobody’s business. Is he Ray Rice or Jamaal Charles? No, but he fits Shanahan’s scheme perfectly and as long as RGIII is coherent, the defense will always feel a bit off balance, which will lend itself to Morris’ attacking style.
Ryan Mathews – He had 139 total yards and a touchdown on 18 touches. It was almost impossible to take him off the field, the way he was playing, but Norv Turner found ways near the goal line and when the Chargers were in hurry up, trying to get down the field to tie the game, you know, when you need your backups in.
Game Busts
Willis McGahee – Dang, I just spent all last week praising McGahee and then he drops a for sure 1st down reception on 4th down and then fumbles in a key spot. Hopefully this is just a momentary lapse and we’ll see McGahee shore up these gaffs going forward.
Ronnie Hillman is waiting in the wings, but he’ll have to really prove himself before Coach Fox and Manning allow him much playing time on an offense that is playing well as is.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Nine carries for 14 yards is about my expectation for Green-Ellis each week, but that’s because I’m a certified player-hater. He is very much a volume runner and needs goal line carries and leads. He got neither this week and was facing a tough Dolphins run defense. His backup Bernard Scott finally came back and outplayed him until he hurt his knee and had to leave, possibly for the season.
Jimmy Graham – Graham hurt his ankle early in the game and wasn’t the same afterward. With him hobbled, it became the Marques Colston show. Thankfully the Saints have a bye this week, which should help Graham heal up and with the number of targets he had coming into this game, I wouldn’t worry about him going forward.
Rob Gronkowski -- Gronk just had a down game. His hip was hurting, but he looked to be moving well. In the Patriots offense it’s always a little tough to predict who will be the main guys, but now that they have the running game clicking, we will have an even harder time deciphering Bill Belichick’s brain.
Jermichael Finley – The “stud” tight ends had a bad week and Finley has had such a bad career, it’s impossible to call him a stud or anything close to it. Mud maybe.
He hurt his shoulder and only played a half in which he caught three passes for 11 yards. His previous high in yardage this year was 60 and his only touchdown came in Week 1. He’s a #2 TE for the time being.
Chris Johnson – Well, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that CJsomethingK had 24 yards on 15 carries, but it really should be. When you watch Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson and today, Rashard Mendenhall, run, you’d think they were the guys who rushed for 2,000 yards in a season and never blew out their knees.
Johnson is no better than Daniel Thomas or BenJarvus Green-Ellis at this point. And those guys are below sea level on my running back list.
Cam Newton – Newton has been getting a lot of grief over his demeanor, but his play on the field was the problem this week. He went 12 of 29 for just 141 yards and no touchdowns. The Seahawks have been stifling good quarterbacks this season, but Newton looked horrid. The good news is that they get a bye to help get things back on track.
Marshawn Lynch – Lynch put up average numbers, rushing 21 times for 85 yards. The problem was that this matchup looked incredibly favorable for him. But he ran hard and the game just didn’t go his way.
It is a bit worrisome that Russell Wilson can’t move the offense that well, but the good news is that Lynch is the type of runner that doesn’t usually need the offense clicking in the passing game to produce. As long as Seattle continues to play defense well, Lynch should remain a RB1.
Numbers Game
1. The number of targets C.J. Spiller had against the 49ers.
2. The number of targets Jacquizz Rodgers had in comparison to four for Michael Turner.
3. The number of touchdowns Marques Colston had on 18 targets and nine receptions.
4. The number of targets and receptions Randall Cobb had for 84 yards and a touchdown.
5. The number of targets and receptions Ronnie Brown had for 47 yards receiving.
6. The number of targets Roddy White had after having 12 the week before.
7. The number of targets Trent Richardson had to go with his five receptions for 47 yards. His 20 receptions rank third for running backs behind Darren Sproles and Ray Rice.
8. The number of targets Josh Gordon had in which he caught two, both for touchdowns.
9. The number of targets and receptions Jordan Norwood had for 81 yards.
10. The number of yards Jackie Battle had on four carries against the Saints.
11. The number of yards Randy Moss had on one reception.
12. The number of completions Cam Newton had against the Seahawks.
13. The number of completions Joe Flacco had against the Chiefs on 27 attempts for 187 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Before Week 5 the Chiefs hadn’t kept an opposing quarterback under double-digit touchdown passes.
14. The number of rushing attempts Rashard Mendenhall had on his return from ACL surgery in which he converted into 81 yards and a touchdown.
15. The number of targets Julio Jones had for 10 receptions, 94 yards and a touchdown.
16. The number of points the Philadelphia Eagles are averaging per game.
17. The number of receiving yards Mike Wallace had.
18. The number of receiving yards Vontae Leach had.
19. The longest run BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ has over the last 22 games.
20. The number of targets Reggie Wayne had for 13 receptions, 212 yards and a touchdown.
Early Waiver Look
QB: Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder
RB: Jahvid Best, David Wilson, Pierre Thomas, Brandon Bolden, Ronnie Hillman
WR: Randall Cobb, Jordan Norwood, Josh Gordon
TE: Dwayne Allen
D/ST: Patriots, Minnesota
Awards
Fantasy MVP of Week 5: Marques Colston
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 5: Andrew Luck
Fantasy Rookie of Week 5: Andrew Luck
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 5: Marshawn Lynch
Fantasy Fluke of Week 5: Michael Crabtree
Stats and What Not
San Francisco's 621 yards of total offense broke the franchise record for most yards in a game.
The Buffalo Bills are the first team to give up 550+ yards in back-to-back games since the 1950 New York Yankees.
Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs are the first pair of teammates in NFL history to both return interceptions for touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons have never gone 5-0 until this season.
Tony Gonzalez has 99 touchdown receptions, but a touchdown reception against Dallas ain’t one. But he’ll get a chance to rectify that Week 9 in Atlanta.
Jamaal Charles has two games this season with 30 or more carries. He had never topped 30 carries in a game before this season.
Chris Johnson has only topped 25 yards rushing in one of five games this season.