Fourth & Forever: Best Read-Option Teams

Fourth & Forever: Best Read-Option Teams

The read-option is the new wildcat and the newly found play-action remix. Times have changed in the NFL. Pocket quarterbacks are too one-dimensional. Teams are looking for mobile quarterbacks, who can be a good pocket quarterback and a good running quarterback. Plug that into the offensive schemes and the defenses have to prepare for both situations. Add in a good running back and this team has just become more dynamic. To run the read-option to perfection, you need a good duo; running back and quarterback. To keep defenses unbalanced, the read-option shouldn't be used excessively, but moderately. Plus no one wants to have their quarterback repeatedly in harms way. I'm going to be taking a look at the top read-option teams based on what they will do this season.

Chip N Dales Rescue Rangers have landed in the city of "Brotherly Love". Last season, the Eagles didn't get any love. The offensive line was terrible, giving up an average of seven sacks a game. Starting quarterback Michael Vick missed six games because of injury. Starting running back LeSean McCoy missed four games because of a concussion. The line couldn't stop a bowl of cereal from hitting the ground. I explained it to the Pillsbury Doughboy and he couldn't stop laughing.  Vick kept getting pressured out the pocket. Andy Reid had fans standing outside the Eagles facility protesting his release, and eventually it happened after a 4-12 season. But with former Oregon coach Chip Kelly uptempo offense, this team is going to be explosive, coming in at number three. The offensive line is better, they drafted offensive tackle Lane Johnson with the fourth pick in this Aprils draft The 6 ft 7  tackle  will definitely help. I was reading an article on Bleacher Report about Kelly's Eagles. They ran 86 plays in their first pre-season game against the New England Patriots, while not winning the time of possession advantage. 86 plays in under 29 minutes compared to the Patriots who ran a total of 72 plays. With Kelly its all about running as many plays as possible and scoring in bunches. Wearing down defenses and making them pay for it. He uses a different type of read-option that can limit the quarterback from running down-field. Don't be surprised to see receivers in the back-field, this is a running team. He uses mis-directions with the running back and different formations with the offensive line to keep the defense guessing. Pulling line-men around to double team defensive line-men and getting to the second level at linebackers. With McCoy and Vick being able to run and make cuts in fashion, this could be the best rushing team in the league. Kelly's inside and outside zone read-option scheme is going to help them win, especially when the defense can't figure out if its a running or passing play.

The Seattle Seahawks come in at number two. This team runs the read-option like its no ones business. They are a running team with work-horse Marshawn Lynch leading the pack. The former Golden Bear has been on a tare with quarterback Russell Wilson running the team. Lynch ran for over 1700 yards last season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and totaling 14 touchdowns. 13 on the ground and one from the air. The Seahawks are a running team. Last year they ran the ball 54 percent of the time. Wilson, who was a rookie last season ran for five touchdowns and threw for 29. Having a quarterback rating of 100.3 in his first year makes him a big time threat moving forward. The more he develops, the better his team will become better. This Batman and Robin duo run Emerald city. Either one of them can be Batman, therefore teams just cant focus on one. Trying to plug the running lanes, leaves man to man coverage down-field. Faking the hand off to Lynch gets the defense leaning toward one side and Wilson lets it fly to receivers Sidney Rice or Golden Tate on the other side. Option two is Wilson him keeping the ball, going one way while Lynch has the defense chasing him. This team is unpredictable when it comes to scoring points. They averaged 25.8 ppg and 360.1 ypg. Feed the beast indeed!

Staying in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers come in at number one. The combination of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, running back Frank Gore and that pistol formation offense are lethal. The Packers are still trying to figure out who had the ball, from that 45-31 NFC Divisional game. The reason why they run this offense to perfection is because of the playmakers on the team. A good quarterback, to go along with a good running back, with the addition of two full-backs or tight-end in the backfield in unheard of. When the play starts, one full-back block the defensive end, while the guard will pull leading the way, followed by the other full-back and Gore. In order to get to the running back, the defender has to get through the guard and full-back. Then Gore is not an easy target, he is big back, who can break tackles. If Kaepernick keeps the ball, he wants to get to the outside running lanes. For this to work the outside defender isn't blocked, in hopes of the defender biting the fake hand-off to Gore. The person who was suppose to block the end defender is blocking up-field. The defensive end or linebacker comes in and Kaepernick keeps it and has a ton of running room because the other defenders are drawn down-field to the decoy receivers. The formation gets defenders to check for the run and when they realize its a pass their man is open down-field. For instance tight-end Vernon Davis is a mismatch. His man doesn't commit to him and he's left open. Plus he ran a 4.3 at the Combine. He can run right past most linebackers. There is a ton of things that can be done to produce yards out of that formation. Kaepernick averaged 7.7 yards a carry and Gore averaged 4.8. Combined they ran for 20 touchdowns. Just imagine if Kaepernick played the whole season. If I was coach Jim Harbaugh I personally would have bought former quarterback Alex Smith a Christmas gift for getting hurt, but I guess giving him the boot works as well.

The reason why I didn't pick the Redskins in because I think Robert Griffin lll, is going to be used a different way this season. Coming off a ligaments injury, the Redskins are not going to let him loose. He might now run with the ball for awhile. Of course it will intimidate defenses, although I still see the Redskins easing him in slowly. This offense is good, but won't be as explosive. The teams I discussed earlier are going to be the most effective running the read-option. The Eagles are the firecracker team to keep an eye on in the NFC EAST. Kelly is going to have defenses sucking air in, trying to catch their breath. Michael Vick is going to reinvent himself in this offense. McCoy, who I picked in my fantasy league 10th overall is going to get me a ton of points. The more plays that are ran, increases my point value. "Rescue Rangers!" Russell Wilson has another year of training camp under his belt. He reads the defense well, scrambling moving the chains. Marshawn Lynch, will do what he does and that is moving the pile and eating Skittles on the sideline. This offensive is going to be that much better, when receiver Percy Harvin comes back from injury. The 49ers are the team to beat. Kaepernick had a full training camp with the number one offense and Vernon Davis is going to be used more, due to injuries to the receivers. That pistol just became modified. There ranked number one on power rankings for a reason, its not just because of the defense, although it helps.


 

Fourth & Forever: Previewing the NFC West

Johnny J

Rain or sun. Sun or rain. The NFC West is a division that is known for both. With two of the teams already projected to be at the NFC Championship game. Those teams are the San Fransico 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. Talk about a one-two punch! The Seahwaks are ranked first and the 49ers are next in line at number two. I'll tell you which one of these sophomore quarterbacks will help their team win the division. Also in the NFC West, are the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. These two teams are in the rebuilding stages and are missing key components to even think about the playoffs.  One is missing a good quarterback and the other one is missing a lead back. One of these teams will come in last place and it's my job to tell you which one.

When you think of the 49ers, names like Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice comes to mind. Heck I'll even throw Terrell Owens in there, just because he might sue if I don't. Colin Kaepernick was just added to that list after leading his team to Super Bowl XLVII last year. Not bad for someone who took over the starting job in the middle of the season in only his second year. Now in his third year, he is looking to the future. No I'm not talking about him signing with the Miami Dolphins. But him getting a full season underneath that 49ers' helmet. Mobile quarterbacks are more vulnerable to getting hurt than pocket quarterbacks. They're running right toward the defense, while pocket quarterbacks sit in the pocket and picks the defense apart. Kaepernick needs to be good at both. We know he can run, but what about being a good passer? With two of their top receivers starting the season on the Physically Unable to Perform-list (Pup-list)--Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham--others will have to step up. Players like Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis. Boldin is old and inconsistent and Davis, I heard, might move to wide receiver. Yes he is a mismatch with size, but he is mismatched with speed. So there is no help for Kaepernick, but old faithful, Frank Gore is still on the team. Another year is added for the nine-year veteran. He has to average more than 70 yards a game for this team to help Kaepernick or else the QB could find himself on the ground a lot--a coach's worst nightmare.Gore has only averaged approximately 70 yards per game the past three seasons.

The Seahawks have a solid squad. They have all three phases locked: Offense, defense, and special teams. Not to mention one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL. Loud is an understatement as they've always been at the top of the league in forcing false starts at home.The Seahawks have great, young talent in second-year quarterback Russell Wilson. He beat out projected starter Matt Flynn, who was shipped down the coast to Oakland. Wilson is also a mobile quarterback, but unlike Kap, Wilson has pocket awareness. His strength is knowing how much time he has before the pocket collapses and then committing to tucking the ball and running it or letting it fly. Oh, he has another weapon in versatile receiver, Percy Harvin, who can set up as a receiver or in the backfield. Did I mention he runs back kick and punt returns? He can put up enticing yards from scrimmage every year. Russell also has a beast running back. "Beast Mode," Marshawn Lynch, if healthy, can steam roll over people with his brute strength. Who hasn't heard of him yet? Then he is rewarded with a bag of skittles for his efforts. On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks have three people in the starting secondary over 6-3: Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, and Kam Chancellor. More like "Ball-hawks!" They either pick off the pass, bat it down, or draw a flag ("Fail-Mary" refs, where are you?). The flag rarely comes out. They were sixth in INTs. The Seahawks will win this division.

St. Louis might be the best third place team in the NFL. With a struggling quarterback in Sam Bradford and a running back who is not starter material, the Rams are playing for third place. Darryl Richardson has the job of filling former running back, Steven Jackson's shoes. Congratulation kid, you have been promoted. All you have to do is run the ball down the opponent's throat. Oh wait, you're not a power runner, you are more like a sprinter/open-field runner. A seventh round pick, he weights under 200 pounds. He will be hit and tackled for a loss at the line of scrimmage, consistently. That will continue to chew on Bradford's confidence, who I believe lost it when he signed his contract. Since he came into the league in 2010, he has been sacked a total of 105 times and has had 17 fumbles. Either the offensive line is terrible or the quarterback holds the ball for too long. I think both sides play a part. Receiver Danny Amendola was Bradford's best option until he broke his collarbone. After that he didn't have any other playmakers with good hands. When you lack confidence, you tend to hold on to the ball a second or two later, then you end up on the ground. Then they kept giving the ball to Jackson to try and figure something out. He did get over 1000 yards, but not because of the line. He used his strength and heart to help push the line. Draft pick receiver Tavon Austin should be a playmaker. He had 29 touchdowns and over 3000 yards receiving at West Virgina. I give this team third place, just because Jeff Fisher is a god coach with good instincts. A third place ribbon for your squad coach.

Do you remember when the Cardinals reached the Super Bowl in 2008, with aging quarterback wonder Kurt Warner? It doesn't seem that long ago, although with the Cardinals not reaching the playoffs since Warner retired in 2009, it does feel like a lifetime ago. They never recovered.  They tried to replenish the team by trying out seven quarterbacks since then. The've become the first team to lose 700 total games as a franchise last season. Carson Palmer will be the eighth quarterback starting for the red and white deserted--err--sorry, I mean't "desert team." Palmer has a good arm, but bad awareness for secondary defenders downfield. In other words, he throws a lot of INTs. He already had a change of scenery, so a fresh start isn't his problem, but it's his desire to play. Remember, he quit on the Bengals. Once a quitter always a quitter. He's not dedicated, although he does have a elite receiver in Larry Fitzgerald who rarely drops passes. In 2011 he dropped one pass in 150 targets. The man with the golden hands. Now with Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield. The Cardinals have a power runner who should help their 31st ranked offense this year. Mendenhall is not a flashy guy, but he does the dirty work that needs to be done. A number two receiver in sight? I don't see one, so this trigger happy turnover guy should be targeting Fitzgerald like Jay Cutler does Brandon Marshall. On the other side, their defense is decent. They have Pro Bowler, Darnell Dockett on the line. He is 31, but can still play at a high level. Then you have cheater violating the league substance abuse policy in Darryl Washington. When he comes back, he will definitely give that defense a spark. Oh the secondary is fully loaded. Cornerback Patrick Peterson and third round pick Tyrann Mathieu on the corners and Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes super safety duo at the end of the defense. A lot of INTs, I say. Just stay away from the paraphernalia Mathieu.

So I expect to see the Seahawks back in the fold of going deep in the playoffs, unless they meet the Packers, which will result in a loss. I'm not really a big Pete Carroll fan, but he has a solid grip on this team. The team feeds off his energy and they produce. They run, run, until you stop the beast, then when you  look up it's  play-action time. That's how they get opponents to bite the run every time. Then comes the long bomb to receiver Sidney Rice. The 49ers will be fighting for a wild-card spot, just because they are going to get off to a slow start with no receivers. It will be great to see how these mobile quarterbacks will avoid injuries throughout the season. The Rams need to put playmakers around Bradford. He doesn't have anybody but rookie "I-need-to-prove-myself" Austin. I expect him to be sacked even more this season. Richardson is not the guy to replace Jackson. Their running game will go nowhere. The Cardinals' defense will keep them in games. Palmer is not the answer. Having a guy prone to turnovers is a slight upgrade over Kevin Kolb, who threw a total of 28 touchdowns and 25 INTs in two seasons for Arizona. That sounds like Palmer's numbers. Rain or sun. Sun or rain. The NFC West will be a battle of two teams.

SO LONG 2012 NFL SEASON!

Seahawks at Bears Kickoff
(photo courtesy of Ed Mancia)

Felipe M

With the Super Bowl behind us, we asked our sports’ panel to list three things they will mis about the 2012 NFL Season. 

Johnny J wrote: 

• I will miss the excitement of the game. Waking up on Monday morning just to think about Monday night--Monday Night Football that is. Not just for the 2012 season, but every season!
• I will miss playing Fantasy Football every week. I was projected in 2012 to win the whole thing and with my top three picks hurt in the playoffs, I fell apart. I miss seeing my players get hurt; it was like a routine every week: Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy and Jordy Nelson. I miss seeing them on the sideline a lot.  I'm already thinking about whom I can select with the 10th pick in my fantasy league next season. This sucks...football don't leave me!
• I'm going to miss the excitement about the rookie quarterbacks. This was the best bunch of rookie quarterbacks in awhile. It was just amazing to see them develop so quickly and they all fitted perfectly in their respective teams’ system. Pocket quarterback or mobile quarterback? Either way Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson were playoff bound.

C. McLain had more, succinct responses: 

Bears at Cowboys where Jon Gruden must have used
the word "gunslinger" a million times in this telecast.
(photo courtesy of Ed Mancia)

• The “C’mon Man” segment seen on Monday Night Countdown.
• Five of the NFL’s finest football analysts’ favorite words: “Hit him in the mouth!”
• And last but not least... Football! Let’s be honest: it’s one of the, if not the, best sport to watch.

Didn't realize that people are that devoted to Monday Night Football. Josh C,on the other hand, is all about TNF: Thursday Night Football:

• I am going to miss the Thursday night games.  Thursday night is the night of our bowling league.  The Thursday games gave us a reason to gather early at the sports’ bar adjacent to the bowling alley.  At least one of us would usually start a player from the Thursday night game in the fantasy league that we are in together.  We then have bragging rights and fuel to be able to shove in the faces of our teammates.  Outside of football, we have the Sacramento Kings (for now) and San Jose Sharks (when the NHL is not undergoing a work-stoppage) games, but they're just not the same.
• I will miss my fantasy teams and having something to look forward to on Sundays.  My fantasy teams were mostly dominant this year and watching the players that I pegged as "sleepers" and seeing if they panned out on Sundays.  Watching my "one-week flier" go off against a predicted, favorable opponent is always an exhilarating experience.
• I'm going to miss highlights of the "Young Running QBs.”  From RGIII, to Russell Wilson, to Colin Kaepernick, these guys were exciting to watch and gave us a reason to tune in not only to the games themselves, but to NFL Red Zone and highlights’ shows to see what spectacular feats they were able to pull off on any given week.  In addition to the rookies, I saw the writing on the wall for quite a few NFL records to be broken this season earlier in the year.  Checking on those records and tracking the progress/pace of a record breaking season was an enjoyable task for me (from Drew Brees, to Calvin Johnson a.k.a. “Megatron,” to Adrian Peterson, etc....).

(Peterson, reportedly, was playing with a sports hernia along with a rehabbed knee.  Ouch! I definitely appreciate his effort this season--Ed). 

What am I going to miss the most about the 2012 NFL season?  Well....

I don't know, without the ability to watch all
the NFL games, this is basically an
over-glorified dinner plate.
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

• For the first time in my life, I had (free) access to NFL Sunday Ticket as well as NFL Red Zone.  It was everything I have ever dreamed of!  Being able to watch whatever football game you want is a luxury that every hardcore, NFL fan should have access to.  It is definitely beyond celestial.
• Watching Peyton Manning play after being out for the entire 2011 season.  Watching him orchestrate an offense never gets old.
• Joe Flacco finally establishing himself as one of the game's "elite."
• Watching the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys self-destruct in 2012.  I could watch those two teams continue to muck it up every year.  
• And no Tim Tebow phenomenon?  Imagine that!
• Miami Dolphins on HBO's Hard Knocks to kick off training camp and watching a promising young QB in Ryan Tannehill take over that position (I swear, he reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger when he was a rookie).   
• Watching Russell Wilson after I had picked him up in my fantasy football league, en route to a championship.  
• Eating all the pizza, wings, eggrolls, etc. and drinking all the beer and shots I could handle every Sunday!
• Most importantly, watching the Bears' first 8-9 games of the season.  Everything seemed to be clicking on all cylinders this year, especially that defense.  The signature game came against the Tennessee Titans where they put up 50+ points and forced--like--20 turnovers, mostly by Charles Tillman's "Peanut Punch" maneuver. 
• Tillman also had a great game against Calvin Johnson, making him a non-factor in the Week 7 match-up against the Detroit Lions.  He pretty much guaranteed himself a spot in the Pro Bowl after that game.  

More NFL is available here. 

Braggin' Rights 2012: Felipe Wins a Fantasy Football Title

I am the Champion!
I AM THE CHAMPION!
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

Felipe M

The following is a recap of my 2012 Championship-winning fantasy football team, Baraka Obama from a universal point of view.  The hope is that fantasy football owners would be able to relate. 

Despite the fact that I missed my league's draft this year, I was pretty confident of my team's chances when I saw what the draft-bot did in my absence.  However,what looked to be a stacked team after the draft, was turning into a frustrating, 4-3 bunch after a Week 7 (midway point of the 13 game regular season) collapse at the hands of a lesser team (vs. Domination) who happened to have the Bears' defense complete the comeback victory on a Monday Night game vs. the Lions when they were running on all cylinders. 

Struggling with mediocre Quarterbacks, an overworked running corps, underachieving WRs, and a revolving door at Defense, the team entered the 2nd half of the season with virtually no shot at the Division title (team MacAttack was running away with that honor and looked to be the season-long favorite to win-it-all) and their playoff hopes dwindling.  What happened in the next 6 weeks of the regular season finished off one of the wildest regular seasons anyone could ever imagine. 

I will now divide my team into their respective positions and split the season into three parts in terms of roster during those portions of the season.  Let's look at the QBs to kick things off:

QUARTERBACKS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Phil Rivers>>>Phil Rivers>>>> Russell Wilson
2. Sam Bradford>>> Brandon Weeden >>>>Sam Bradford
3. N/A>>> N/A>>> Phil Rivers

In 2009, I had won a championship with Phil Rivers so when I saw that he was on my team, I was pretty satisfied that the draft-bot was smart enough to select him in the 7th round after it had filled out my RB and WRs slots first.  I knew that Rivers' arrow was going down, but was hoping that veteran guile would make up for a lack of weapons in San Diego.  After 7 games, I quickly found out that the 2009 Rivers would not be available this season and instead I got stuck with an inconsistent QB who seemed to throw more INTs than TDs and was looking to run for his life more often than looking for open receivers. 

Even worse was the backup QB position which it seemed that I was constantly holding open auditions for that slot. Even worse, it also seemed that every QB I wanted to insert for backup was getting hurt the following week: Alex Smith and Jake Locker were the other QBs that made a cameo on my team only to be cut the following week due to injuries.

It wasn't until December 5th that I received a gift when Russell Wilson was scooped up by me after another team cut him.  During that time, I was looking to make a trade for a QB, getting offered Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, and Mike Vick. However, as I shall explain later, my running backs were the heart and soul of my 2012 team and decided that I couldn't afford to trade any of them for QBs with tough upcoming schedules and inconsistent play. 

Wilson's arrow looked to be going up so I went ahead and rolled the dice with him and inserted him into my playoff lineup.  The move would obviously payoff as Wilson made plays with both his arm and his legs: in three games started at QB, Wilson passed for 6 TDs and ran in another 3 TDs while only committing 2 turnovers.  Conversely, Rivers passed for 18 TDs, but was accounted for 20 total turnovers in 12 starts for the club.  I mockingly referred to Wilson as the second coming of Seneca Wallace (the former Iowa St. product who also played for the Seahawks back in 2009) throughout the year, but Wilson came up big in the clutch and without a doubt, was the X-factor my team needed to win the championship.  

RUNNING BACKS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Ray Rice>>> Ray Rice>>>Ray Rice
2. Trent Richardson>>>Trent Richardson>>>Trent Richardson
3. Adrian Peterson>>>Adrian Peterson>>>Adrian Peterson
4. Steven Ridley>>>Steven Ridley>>>Steven Ridley
5. David Wilson>>>N/A>>>N/A

As I mentioned before, the heart and soul of this team were my running backs.  Despite the fact that I did not attend the draft, no owner was willing to take a chance on Adrian Peterson as he lasted into the 3rd round. Had I attended, I would have snatched him up in the 2nd round.  Combined with Ray Rice, I had a dream backfield.  What I did not expect was Trent Richardson making the squad as my #2 running back. I was not too high on Richardson (especially when legend Jim Brown publicly criticized the Browns for selecting what amounts to be an "ordinary" player), but I was still excited about Richardson because of the opportunity he would get in Cleveland as the feature back.

Already possessed with a "Trio" of featured backs, the draft-bot selected Steven Ridley and David Wilson whose role on their respective teams were up in the air.  I immediately cut Wilson and held on to Ridley hoping that he can step in admirably during bye weeks, but his job was always in jeopardy. Nevertheless, Ridley survived the entire year on my squad, playing in four games and rushing for 348 yards and rushing for 3 TDs.

The "Trio" would finish the season accumulating 1,547 total yards  and averaged approximately 9 TDs among the three of them. In 41 games played, the "Trio" went on to average 113.2 total yards per game.  Adrian Peterson, without a doubt, is the MVP of the year, Ray Rice proved once again why he is still a dual threat, and Trent Richardson did indeed leave a mark in Cleveland and proved to be anything, but "ordinary."

WIDE RECEIVERS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Steve Smith>>>Steve Smith>>>Steve Smith
2. Demaryius Thomas>>>Demaryius Thomas>>>Demaryius Thomas
3. Percy Harvin>>>Percy Harvin>>>Mike Williams
4. Robert Meachem>>>Mike Williams>>>Josh Gordon
5. Mike Williams>>>Josh Gordon>>>Chris Givens
6. Davone Bess>>>Chris Givens>>>N/A

Steve Smith being selected as my #1 WR was not what I was hoping for, but I expected him to have a bounce back year in Carolina. I was very excited about Demaryius Thomas and Percy Harvin, but questions still remained if they could emerge as #1's themselves.  Mike Williams, despite the presence of Vincent Jackson in Tampa, was a pleasant surprise and eventually emerged as the team's 2nd best WR.  

Nevertheless, as much as my young corps had upside, it was even more frustrating to see them produce pedestrian numbers sometimes.  It could be because all the other teams had elite WRs or because my running game was carrying the squad, but in the end, my receiving corps did a solid job contributing to this Championship squad. 

Thomas was clearly the best WR accumulating 1,312 yards with 9 TDs, but it was frustrating to see Eric Decker steal his touches.  Nevertheless, Thomas did indeed emerge as the #1 receiver I was looking for.

On the other hand, Harvin once again solidified his reputation as being a fragile player as he only played in 8 games for my team (675 total yards and scored 4 total TDs in that span). Smith and Williams finished with 930+ receiving yards each. 

Givens and Gordon are interesting because it seemed like they were able to survive on my squad for most of the season as role players.  Givens played 3 games, gained 263 yards and scored 2 TDs. Gordon played 7 games and gained 394 yards and also caught 2 TD passes.

TIGHT ENDS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Brandon Pettigrew>>>Brandon Pettigrew>>>Greg Olsen
2. Coby Fleener>>>N/A>>>N/A

Brandon Pettigrew was a disappointment, but with a famine of TEs available in free agency, I was stuck with him for the majority of the year (491 yards; 2 TDs in 10 games played).  It wasn't until someone cut Greg Olsen and was welcomed with open arms on November 14th did I finally feel good about the position.  Even though both players ended the year with similar numbers on my team, the fact that Olsen was more likely to get more targets and had the ability to make big plays was the peace of mind I was looking for.  Pettigrew also was credited for losing two fumbles, so at least Olsen would be able to secure the ball and not lose any more points for my team. A Pettigrew injury sealed his fate and was cut from the team, making Olsen the sole TE on the club.  

KICKERS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1.  John Kasay>>>Phil Dawson>>>Shayne Graham
2. Garrett Hartley>>>Justin Tucker>>>Matt Bryant

All that matters is that Shayne Graham scored 19 points in the Championship Game.

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Patrick Peterson>>>Lance Briggs>>>Paul Posluszny
2. Ray Lewis>>>Patrick Willis>>>Jerod Mayo

Nothing is more frustrating than having to insert a defensive player into your starting lineup. Jerod Mayo played the most games at that spot this season, but when it was time for the playoffs, I went with tackles machine, Paul Posluszny.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS (DRAFT, WEEK 7, FINAL ROSTER)

1. Seattle>>>Minnesota>>>Carolina
2. Dallas>>>Kansas City>>Cincinnati 
3. Denver>>>San Diego>>>Washington
4. N/A>>>Tampa>>>N/A

In retrospect, I should have stuck with the Seahawks, but I wasn't very confident in that defense. They would emerge as one of the most physical and unforgiving defenses in the league, but that's neither here nor there.  The Vikings carried me mostly around the midway point of the season, but cut them when the matchups got too hot for them. Despite the carousel at the position, the Bengals emerged as a solid group and carried me throughout the 2nd half until I switched out in the Championship game and went with the Panthers' defense, which proved to be unnecessary because the Bengals took care of Pittsburgh during Championship week. 

RESULTS

My team was able to surge into the 2nd half with a 5-1 record and finished the season with the most Points For in the league with 1,794.24. Was also awarded a bye week despite finishing in 2nd place in the division to MacAttack, who also got the bye week, finishing the year with the best record. MacAttack also proved to be the biggest challenge on my quest to the title, led by:

• Tom Brady
• Dez Bryant
• We Welker
• Doug Martin
• Eric Decker (grrrr!)
• David Wilson (so like that team to pick up my trash!)
• C.J. Spiller

After taking care of DaRocks (183.50-128.86) in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, I was game-planning for my next opponent, which seemed to be the pesky MacAttack.  However, MacAttack would be upset in the Divisional Round to VictorysAddiction2ME. MacAttack had Chris Johnson, Alfred Morris and Dennis Pitta on the bench who had big games during the Divisional Round. Had they gone with any of those players, MacAttack would have won and would've had a good chance at winning the Championship Game.  Instead, the best team in terms of Win-Loss record gave one of their worst performances of the year at the wrong time and VA2M did enough to win and punch their ticket into the Championship Game.

In the Final, VA2M got off to a quick start and even was able to pad his lead early on in the second half of the game.  However, big performances by Thomas, Rice, and Wilson sealed the game for my squad, with the final score 150.24-105.80.  MacAttack would go on to win the 3rd place game, 162.68-137.60, trying to take out his frustration on DaRocks.  Of course, had my team and MacAttack played in the final with our rosters intact, I would be writing about a different story, but as it goes, I patiently await my trophy which was earned because of patience, perseverance, and plain-ole-luck.

To paraphrase Steve Young, "No one can ever take this away from me. NO ONE!"

To read about another fantasy sport--basketball--click here.

Feel free to share your 2012 fantasy football results on the comments section of this article.