Buc Ball
I try to watch one game on Shortcuts every Monday evening before the game starts. For some reason, this week I chose the field goal fest between the Bucs and the Vikings. My big takeaway was that Warrick Dunn, Jeff Garcia, and Antonio Bryant are all going to be sneaky matchups over the next month.
No coach gets more production out of less than Jon Gruden. Every Garcia completion seems like a small miracle, an escape from disaster, but he's averaged 280 yards-per-start and 7.38 YPA since re-entering the starting lineup. Warrick Dunn was on pace for 1,000 total yards before Earnest Graham's injury and looks reborn. It's hard to believe how well he's playing. He made a lot of defenders miss against Minnesota with spin moves and lateral cuts. Throwing to running backs is a huge part of the Tampa offense and Dunn will catch a lot of passes. He gets Detroit and New Orleans in the next two weeks. San Diego looms in Week 16 as another choice matchup.
Dunn's biggest downside is that Clifton Smith and B.J. Askew may steal goal line touches. Don't expect Cadillac Williams to make a big impact, if any. Antonio Bryant is also on pace for 1,000 yards. Garcia's inability to throw deep hurts Bryant, but he's making athletic plays after the catch. Joey Galloway is a non-factor and Bryant looks like a steady WR3 with all the good matchups coming up.
Comments
I am commissioner of my league and a guy in the league playing the Steelers D lost by 4 points. The last TD would've given him the win. Do I count it or not?
Posted by: b roo | November 18, 2008 12:06 PM
Who's the guy to own-- Clifton Smith Or Askew?
I owned Graham and not Dunn, argh.
Posted by: Fredex | November 18, 2008 12:37 PM
b roo - no, you don't count it. You can't grant point to a manager for a touchdown that his player didn't get credit for.
Posted by: r boo | November 18, 2008 12:46 PM
You can't count the TD, just like you can't give credit for a TD when the refs say someone was out of bounds on a TD reception when they clearly weren't, or if they incorrectly called pass interference etc. You go with what the refs decide. If the other guy can't figure that out then they are a sore loser, or perhaps even an idiot.
Posted by: Jesse | November 18, 2008 12:55 PM
I own Graham(RIP), Dunn, Garcia, and Bryant. Everytime I expect Bryant to have a big game, he burns me a mediocre perfromance. Is this the game that I can play Garcia and Bryant(and maybe even Dunn if i have the stones to play all 3) and actually get a good outcome?
Posted by: Bucs | November 18, 2008 01:46 PM
I saw the more players you can put in the lineup vs. Detroit, the better.
Then again, I'd have said that about the Eagles vs. Bengals before Sunday.
I'm in a position where I'm thin right now at RB2. I have Sammy Morris vs. Miami or a Clifton Smith/Askew choice vs. the Lions if I can figure out what the pecking order will look like before Sunday.
Or, I guess Fred Taylor if I want 50 combined rushing/receiving yards.
Posted by: Fredex | November 18, 2008 02:09 PM
You can't count the TD if the league didn't. As for Smith/Askew - I can't imagine then having real value. I'd look elsewhere.
Posted by: Gregg | November 18, 2008 05:16 PM