1st and 10 - Week 7 Awards

by Sam Spiegelman

Biggest Kahuna
Owen Daniels and Dustin Keller maxin’ and relaxin’ on their bye weeks, so waiver wire fill-in Todd Heap was inserted into the starting lineup. Two touchdowns later, Liveness was handsomely rewarded. The 22-plus-point effort by the Ravens tight end was an example of excellent scouting, as well as taking a little bit of a chance. Heap’s status was up in the air after suffering a concussion the week previous, and even in the middle of his game versus the Buffalo Bills Heap was removed because he lost his head (not literally, please). So while it wasn’t the biggest leap on the week, it was definitely a move involving a little bit of smarts and a little bit of chance. Well done.

Sleeping on the Couch
What was going in your head, Stormtroopers, when you decided to start Brandon Lloyd ahead of Greg Jennings? Are you dyslexic or something? Top-10 wideout versus Brandon Lloyd, favor Lloyd? Come on man. Jennings is the top wide receivers on an Aaron Rodgers pass-first offense in Green Bay. I know Lloyd was off to a hot start, but you knew that sooner or later he was going to get revealed. And he did – Week 6. There was no reason to keep him in your lineup after that, especially over a stud like Jennings. I hope you like stiff couches.

You did what? Don’t try it again!
So this week it may not have made too much of a different, but going forward I would not recommend to use Jabar Gaffney instead of Steve Smith. It was understandable with Smith was hobbled and had Jimmy Clausen trying to emulate a quarterback for a while, but when healthy and with a decent signal-caller lining up behind center, he’s a wideout you start each week. With the array of wide receivers you have, Smith may have to fill in alongside Megatron or Santonio Holmes – Stone Cold Miles Austin has got to ride the pine.

Trick or Treat?
In honor of Halloween, I want to provide you with some advice on who in your lineup is tricking you, where you could be treated instead. Wes Welker has been an excellent Patriot – fast, steady hands, reliable, but he’s lost without a legitimate Randy Moss-esque threat in the offense. No, Deon Branch does not count either. Going forward, I’d like to see Mike Williams or Terrell Owens crack Welker’s roster spot. Both seem to be enjoying their role in their offenses, and until I see something different from Welker and the Pats, I’d keep him down and out.