Box Score Tonight: Week Twelve/Late Games Edition

I'm going to skip the early games for now because a) I need a chance to talk about the only game I saw in full today and b) I'm taking a break studying and only want to talk about 3 games. I feel like I'll be taking a lot of "breaks" during this finals season so maybe all five of you loyal fans will get lucky and get your BST fix. I'll go get your tourniquet. We'll begin just as soon as I turn my traditional beginning of the year losing streak around to win the rest of my games and make the playoffs.

- The Bears are now legitimate threat in the NFC by soundly defeating the Eagles 31-26. Don't let that close score fool you, the Bears throughly dominated all three aspects of this game.
- Since there are not a lot of late games, I'm a Bears homer, and this was the only game I saw in full, I will be spending a little extra time of this game and this team.
- Lovie Smith is officially out of the "Guaranteed To Get Fired Group" and bypassed the "Tipping the Tightrope" group and is borderline between "Playoff or Bust" or "Neutral". I personally think Lovie Smith is a bad coach and no matter happens he should be fired. I just don't think that happens after this win and how this season has turned out so far.
- Like most new Bears things, I was extremely cynical about hiring Mike Martz as our offensive coordinator but I love him and want him as the offensive coordinator for life. Finally this organization has somebody who actually understands how an offense should work! I love his pass happy style and he's actually running the ball as well.
- Speaking of the offense, let's talk about Cutler, Forte, and crew. Jay Cutler has a bit of "Rex Grossman" in him in the sense that he can be Bad Jay in some games and Good Jay in others. But never ever EVER compare him to sexy Rexy. Cutler is right now an infinitely superior quarterback than Grossman ever will be and ever was. I've seen some of my friends complain about Cutler on their Facebook status and such and it's ridiculous. He is a franchise quarterback and an amazing talent and I will continue to sing his praises when he's being Bad Jay (in fact I did last year).
- Cutler's numbers on the day: 247 yards, 4 TDs, no INTs, and a near perfect passer rating of 146.2. And he looked great as well, made great decisions, and ran the ball effectively and when he needed to.
- Earl Bennett gets 2 TDs, and Johnny Knox and Greg Olson each get one as well. Hester led all Bears receivers with 86 yards. Knox, Hester, and Bennett each got similar targets (5-6) and Olson continues to not get many looks (1 target today) but makes the most of it.
- Matt Forte looks like his rookie self gaining 117 yards on 14 carries (8.4 YPC). Chester Taylor gets -3 yards on 6 carries. I still think he needs to be in for drives at a time and not just sporadic plays. As happy as I am about an overall effective running and how Martz is committed to the run this year (especially since Chicago's bye) he needs to use his backs like Kansas City is (maybe not as many attempts though).
- I was watching this game with my brother, my girlfriend, and a friend of mine and I said that the Bears will guarantee be the first team that intercepts a Mike Vick pass. I then went even bolder and said DJ Moore will be the one who does it. Well, I was half right as safety Chris Harris intercepts a red zone pass from Vick. I'm very upset I did not tweet my prediction or make that my Facebook status as proof that I (half) called the Vick INT.
- Vick's numbers on the day: 333 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 94.2 passer rating, 9 carries, 44 yards. His receiver missed a lot of key catches that were great throws by Vick and he still looked like a legit MVP candidate. As much as I love Rivers and will continue to praise him for MVP, I will not be upset (well, THAT upset) if Vick gets it. But the Bears had a great 4 man rush on Vick and showed why they are the #1 defense in fantasy against opposing quarterbacks.
- Brent Celek is finally back in action (somewhat) and is not officially dead: 3 receptions (8 targets) for 50 yards and a TD. My 2008 Madden MVP Jason Avant led all Philly receivers with 83 yards (8 for 9). Jeremy Maclin (4 for 6) only gets 47 yards and DeSean Jackson has an awful day: 2 for 5 with only 26 yards.
- LeSean McCoy pulls out his inner Brian Westbrook: 53 yards on 10 carries (5.3 YPC) and 8 for 9 with 67 receiving yards
- The Rams actually win a game away defeating the Broncos 36-33. Their crappy D almost gave up a 33-13 lead allowing 3 TD passes in the 4th quarter.
- Kyle Orton will never be better than Jay Cutler, unless he is in the better system. I like Kyle Orton and I'm sure fantasy players do as well: 347 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 110.5 passer rating. I don't understand why Josh McDaniels had to throw a shit fit to get Matt Cassel and diss Jay Cutler. If Kyle Orton can look this good in this system then Jay Cutler absolutely would have looked this good and there was no need to waste draft picks trying to get Cassel (as awesome as he looks this year and is).
- I don't know what Brandon Llyod's catch rate is but I can't imagine it's that good considering I feel like I've seen a lot of these type of games from him: 4 receptions but 10 targets. But, hey, he led all Broncos receivers in yards (76) and caught 2 more TDs. Eddie Royal comes back to life, back, back, to life (Ursher!) catching 6 of his 9 targets for 74 yards and a TD. Jabar Gaffney has an alright day and a poor fantasy day: 3 for 6 with 59 receiving yards.
- Knowshown Moreno must have a magnet attached to himself that leads directly to the end zone but he's been en fuego with TDs recently. He gets a rushing one this weekend. He also pulls out his inner Brian Westbrook: 12 carries for 56 yards (4.7 YPC) and 6 receptions (9 targets) for 63 yards.
- I've praised Sam Bradford so for those of you still reading this BST should know my opinion of him. This game only helps him: 308 yards, 3 TDs, no INTs, 113.3 passer rating.
- Illinois Jerk Off Alert: Michael Hoomanawanui catches a 36 yards TD pass (his 2nd in the past two games) and his lone target. Some white dude named Billy Bajema who claims he's in the NFL and a TE for the Rams gets Bradford's other two TDs.
- For fantasy purpose you still can't trust any Rams receiver. Danny Amendola, Laurent Robinson, and Danario Alexander each get 4 receptions. Amendola gets 7 targets and the other two get 6. Alexander wins the Least Crappy Rams Wide Out award today leading all St. Louis receivers with 95 yards.
- Steven Jackson had an awful game with his 2.5 YPC on 29 carries. For those of you who can't do the math, that's only 72 yards. A guy of Jackson's status should EASILY be getting 100+ yards when he gets 29 carries. Back up Kenneth Darby gets the lone rushing TD.
- The Ravens defeat the Buccaneers in Baltimore 17-10. This game doesn't and shouldn't tell you anything about either team by THAT score.
- Joe Flacco continues to make strides but still is being a jerk and not throwing for the yards like I predicted. I blame Anquan Boldin (seriously). Remember the time we convinced Andre that Asian guy was Anquan Boldin? Flacco gets 289 yards, 2 TDs, an INT, with a 103.2 passer rating. Boldin has another crappy day. He caught 3 of his 4 targets but only for 27 yards. You should not be starting him in fantasy leagues unless you're in a crazy deep league.
- Todd Heap and Derrick Mason pull up the slack today. Heap's numbers (2 for 4, 79 yards and TD) by a crazy good 65 yard TD pass. Derrick Mason by far led all Ravens in yards (87), targets (13), and receptions (8).
- It's hard to criticize a man who has a 4.5 YPC and gets 20 carries in a game but here I go. Ray Rice only gets 85 rushing yards and no TDs. If for some reason you have Willis McGahee on your fantasy team and you don't own Rice, you're dumb. Drop him. He gets 9 yards on 3 carries.
- Josh Freeman scores another TD in the 4th quarter. Too bad he didn't throw another one within the last three minutes. He throws numbers like we thought he would in the beginning of the year: 162 yards, 1 TD, no INTs, 67.6 passer rating. To his credit though, he's cut the interceptions WAY down.
- Since I only tend to give offensive players credit, I'll give a huge shout out to Aquib Talib, corner back for the Bucs. He got a 25 yard INT and is a top five corner in the game this year.
- TE Kellen Winslow led all Bucs receivers in yards (44), targets (9), and touchdowns (1). He had four catches which was second to Cadillac's 5. Mike Williams went back to his drinking ways as he only catches two of his 7 targets for 20 yards.
- I think I may have not listed Mike Williams in my ROTY odds. I'll go back and fix that.
- LaGarrette Blount is still getting the main workload (13 carries to Cadillac's 4) but only gets 55 yards with them. I guess a 4.2 YPC is average to above average though.
- Illinois Jerk Off Alert: Arrelious Benn goes 3 for 6 with 9 yards. Oskee Wow Wow.
- I should talk about San Diego defeating Indy (like I predicted) but I'll save it for another time.

And we... are... OUT!

Damn was this post unnecessarily long