Coming into the season, Calvin Johnson was the consensus first wide receiver off the board. Most pundits – including myself though I don’t like calling myself a pundit…feels like I’m calling myself a dirty word – had Calvin in their top 5 overall and coming into tonight, there was still good reason for that type of stature despite the missing touchdowns. And even after tonight’s bad performance in which he only nabbed 3 receptions for 34 yards – albeit on 11 targets – Calvin is still on pace for another 100 reception campaign and 1575 yards receiving. Of course, for the owners who were looking at his past seasons of 12 and 16 touchdowns from 2010 thru 2011 are surely wondering if the Madden Curse is real. Well it is but doesn’t really apply to your season CJ owners as I’m sure Peyton Hillis drafters circa 2011 can attest to. Calvin’s lack of touchdowns has less to do with him and more to do with a team in the Detroit Lions just not playing to their level of ability. It’s hard to say if/when a team might get their mojo back – well, unless you’re the Jaguars…looks like it’ll be awhile – but if the Calvin owner is a seller, I’m still a buyer. Touchdowns are like teenagers. They smell bad and don’t come out of their room for days while playing Halo 3? No, random person I made up to make a joke, they’re like teenagers because they’re fickle. Coming into tonight, the leading touchdown receiver in the NFL was James Jones. Now if you had the odds on that in Vegas, I’d say you cheated and that your name was Marty McFly. In truth, I can’t promise you 10 touchdowns from Calvin the rest of the way but I can say he’s been better than many people want to believe. And with that, we must go back to the future! Er, I mean we must go back to other fantasy football news…
Matthew Stafford – Hi everyone, my name is Matthew and I have chronic disappointment syndrome. Sure, he’s still getting the yardage at a decent clip as he’s on pace for nearly 4700 on the year. Sure part two, the revenge of the deodorant, he’s also on pace for only 16 interceptions like last year. However, he’s also on pace for a ghastly 13 touchdown passes which is just a few short of his 41 from last year. Some of the blame of this year does rest on his shoulders but he’s also had multiple dropped passes and the defense/special teams have forced the Lions to be more one-dimensional than they’d probably like to be. Overall, his schedule moving forward is going to do him no favors. If he’s going to turn around his season, he’s going to have to do it on his own.
Mikel LeShoure – Looked good running the ball and probably would’ve settled into a much better night if the Lions didn’t have to go to the air for most of the second half. Though he was one of the three Detroit players to lose a fumble on the night, people in PPR leagues would find it hard to hate a 63 yard performance that came with 20 yards on 6 receptions as your flex play for the night. Wait, he was your flex play and not your RB1, right? I’m still not so sure about LeShoure but I’m sure he’s LeStarter which is more than I can say for Kevin Smith. Seriously, if I were him on the sidelines, all I’d do is eat cans of refried beans before the game and stand next to Schwartz the whole time.
Jay Cutler – This pretty much sums up Jay and why the Bears struggled. Yes, you just heard he thought the Bears were playing well on offense when he came out. Look, I know he was hurt but he wasn’t setting the world on fire before going down. Truthfully, Detroit had no business being that close at the end of the game let alone at the half. No, this has nothing to do with fantasy sports, per se, but the score was 13-7 and one of the touchdowns was scored by a guy named Ryan Broyles. No, I’m not going to talk about him any more than here. Overall, I’m glad Cutler wasn’t seriously hurt on the Suh-mo slam but I think it hurt his head more than his rib if he thought the Bears were rolling.
Matt Forte – Did exactly what his owners (should’ve) expected: 22 carries for 96 yards to go with 3 receptions and 0 touchdowns to go with 0 touchdown opportunities. The Bears were down on the 5 and threw the ball three times. Apparently the Bears don’t even want to give Michael Bush a shot either. I was surprised they didn’t call a flea flicker down there on that drive. But more on Forte, he’s looking good for a guy coming off an ankle injury. Here’s to continued health to his owners and continued scotch for my liver.
Chicago Bears D/ST – This is the second time I’ve covered a game in which the Bears defensively dominated the night. Six fumbles, three of which were recovered, many near interceptions and one real one. If the Bears offense had put a bit more pressure on Detroit’s offense, we might’ve seen even more of a lop-sided game. Even though the end line was 13-7, the game felt like it was out of reach by the end of the first half. If I were a Bears fan, I’d be ecstatic. Instead, I’m a fantasy writer and looking for bread crumbs. Thanks Bears defense!
Titus Young – He didn’t get the touchdown but was about 50 yards of the drive that scored it as he finished the night with 81 yards on 6 receptions. He seemed to step up after Nate Burleson went down with a broken right leg. I liked Titus coming into the season and he disappointed and fell down the WR chart. With this performance and Nate’s situation, Young looks like a good WR pick up if you’re in need. You can read that last sentence as ‘if you’re one of those people who still own Andrew Hawkins, now would be a good time not to own Andrew Hawkins’.
Joique Bell – Is only here for ridicule. Internet friends, here’s what needs to happen. Let the video run normal up until he gets his hands on the ball. Then put it in slow motion and set it to R. Kelly’s ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ song. I’ve checked, www.joiquebellflies.com is not taken. I won’t ask for royalties but a mention would be nice.
