Fantasy Football Collective

 

Welcome to Fantasy Football Rant, week Two edition.

 

Hi, My name is Rob (Hi Rob), and I’m a Fantasy Footbahollic.

 

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for the NFL, and with months and months of pre-season excitement and anticipation, it certainly hasn’t disappointed. There have been storylines, and side storylines, injuries and unretirements. Rookie super-stars in the making, old fogy superstars that are still getting it done.

 

And, after two weeks of the season, the talking heads are actually starting to talk about someone other than Brett Favre! Hallelujah!

 

Speaking of Brady, I think I’ve discovered the real reason for his injury. And, in true headline-hogging fashion, I think a partial reason no-one saw it coming was because of Madden-Cover Boy Favre.

 

Well, the Madden curse appears to have been broken…. Or… has it just been cheated?

 

Sure, it’s only week one, so there’s plenty of time for EA Sports Madden 09 to catch up to Favre (See; Vince Young 2008 (injured quadricepts), Shaun Alexander 2007 (broken left foot), Donovan McNabb 2006 (sports hernia), Ray Lewis 2005 (torn right hamstring), Michael Vick 2004 (fractured right fibula), Marshall Faulk 2003 (ankle injury), Daunte Culpepper 2002 (knee injury).

 

My take? The cover of Madden 09 WASN’T supposed to be Favre. Sure, he was great last year, but the only reason he was on the cover was his (cough) “retirement” (cough cough). I think we can all pick a QB performance from 2007 that was better. Need a hint? How about a perfect regular season, and a record setting 50 touchdown passes. OH YEAH. Him! But then, Mr. Tearful Goodbyes retires, and of course, the Madden love-in is on. And you know Madden loves him some Favre. The cover should have been Brady. Ergo, and ipso facto, torn ACL/MCL, and Favre skips the curse. Well played, Monsieur Favre.

 

My favorite story no one had written about yet is how if Favre had waited until after week one, he would have been the main candidate everyone would be talking about to take the Patriot’s QB job. But then again, Favre would probably just hate all of that attention. But then of course, I was watching NFL Network while writing a portion of this column, and Adam Scheffler mentioned the exact same thing. Curse you Scheffler!!

 

Since we’re on the topic, and I don’t want to break what seems to be a journalistic rule of mentioning Brett Favre at least 10 times in every NFL-Related column… I better get the old fogey part of the column out of the way.

 

"If you’re too old to cut the mustard, but you can still lick the jar."

- Carmen, in "The Colour of Money".

 

Check out the old farts that can still get it done! Brett Favre has actually looked really good in a Jets jersey (block your eyes if you’re a Packer fan). In week one, despite a whole new book of tricks for an old dog, he looked great, showing some real chemistry with WR Jericho Cotchery getting his first win (ok, half a win, it was Miami). In week two, he connected with WR Laveranues Coles for 72 yards. Ok, it was a loss, but it was the Patriots, so I still think he put on a pretty good performance.

 

And then, there’s Kurt Warner. Holy cow. Check out the stats on the grey beard! In week 2, he went 19-of-24 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns! If you’re keeping score, (and I know you are, because if you’re reading this you’re a Fantasy Footballaholic), that’s 38-of-54 passes for 558 yards and 4 touchdowns in two weeks! In NFL.com fantasy football, that places him as the 4th best point earner of any player. If you’re a Warner-owner (like this columnist) I don’t know whether to rejoice at my Waiver-wire skills of picking him up after Leinart was announced the un-starter, or whether it’s time to “sell high”. Let’s remember these numbers are against the 49ers and the Dolphins. Although, he did a much better job against the Dolphins than the aforementioned Brett Favre.

 

Next week’s QB start of the week? Whoever is playing against the Dolphins.

Welcome to the NFL – Matt Cassel!

 

Who invited Death from “The Family Guy” into the Seattle Seahawks locker room? I picture him with his little black robe, tucked under his Seattle Seahawk helmet, as sort of a  cross between the Grim Reaper and that Puddy character from Seinfeld who’s always looking for the high-five (Puddy). Unbeknownst to them, each week a different Seahawk player comes up to him and gets a high-five, and then they’re out for the season.

Preseason -

Death: Hey Engram, Branch! It’s only pre-season.. wanna go shoot some pool? Cool. High-five.

Engram/Branch: Sure. Sounds good. Snap. Crackle. Pop.

 

Week One -

Death: Hey Burlesson! Nice play.. high five!

Burlesson: Thanks Death! (high fives him), ow! My knee!

 

Week Two -

Death: Hey Wallace, I heard you’re playing received this week instead of backup QB… and you, you’re that new kid, Payne right? Hey. Good luck out there boys. High-five.

Wallace/Payne: Thud. Thud.

 

And what about the running back rookies? Hopefully you had a couple of them in your draft, or on the Waiver Wire before they went off. Forte looks like hbe’ll be great week in and week out, as does Johnson, Stewart, and McFadden if Fargas stays out, others look to be fine bye-week replacements like Felix Jones, Tim Hightower, Steve Slaton and Ray Rice, Pierre Thomas and Kevin Smith. You know what sucks more than NOT drafting one or more of these rookie RB’s? Drafting Rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. He seems to be the only rookie RB you aren’t seeing on any score sheet these days. I guess he doesn’t have the trust of his coaches, but man, he really seems like the only rookie RB to miss the boat so far.

 

All Points Bulletin – Be on the look out for the entire Cincinnati Bengals offense, the Minnesota Vikings passing game, the Miami Dolphins defense, and any sightings of and NFL franchise in the Michigan area.

 

Quote from the Florida Licensing Office – “Sorry Mister Cinco, it takes 60-90 days to change your name again, even if it’s a “change” to your previous name.”

 

 

Have a good week in Fantasy Football.

 

Author – Rob Pashko, FFootball Collective.

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