Week 7 Recap: The Big House

By Sam Spiegelman


Ron Mexico’s Pit Bulls (3-4) 93 vs. Calbears aka Team Gunze (3-4) 126

The all-rebound team, Calbears, plain and simple. Can’t you see it? Thomas Jones, The Burner, Greg “Don’t call me Peter” Jennings, Steve Johnson and T.O. – don’t tell me you weren’t ready to quit on these guys at any point in your life. Jones continues to make his mark on this dynamic Chiefs offense; The Burner came up huge after flailing for the first few weeks, scoring twice and topping 120 yards against a solid rush defense; Jennings reemerged as an Aaron Rodgers favorite; I’m sure Steve Johnson has come back from something, I mean, he’s Steve Johnson and Owens, well, you know that story. All in all, an overall team effort propelled the 30-point victory of Ron Mexico, who I am sure is wondering why his team will not be making the playoffs. Losing Dallas Clark for the season, DeAngelo Williams and Marques Colston disappointing – I know the story. But hope is not all lost – take a gander at Tony Moeaki, Jermaine Greshman, Owen Daniels or Brandon Pettigew as tight end fill-ins, or even Todd Heap when he’s healthy. While hovering around .500, you’re not out of anything…yet.

Ben Riback (4-3) 57 vs. Buttercup (3-4) 81

I’m going out on a limb when I say this, but it is usually not a good sign when your bench is outscoring your starting lineup. Two doughnuts and a combined seven points from your running backs – that’s usually not the right ingredients to winning games. However, it seems to be just a blip on the radar. Why you opted to bench Ochocinco for Roy Williams is beyond me; the dude promised a big game – don’t you trust your players? Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back, and your RB2 situation should resolve itself depending on Joseph Addai’s health. Please, do not get too excited with Carson Palmer scoring 28 – you do not want to make a mistake there. However, he did outscore both of Buttercup’s QBs. But Buttercup was able to get the win Sunday and that’s all that counts. A well-rounded effort combined for 81 points. I can’t comprehend using Ryan Mathews over Ryan Torrain, or even King Felix for that matter – can’t you read my lips? B-U-S-T. I think moving one of your RBs (maybe Mathews if anyone is down) would a better wideout could do your team so good and get your out of this 3-4 blunder.

Old School (2-5) 94 vs. Boom Goes The Dynamite (2-5) 117

The streak continued for Old School, as even a 40-point effort from one Kenneth Britt couldn’t help from getting plowed by a fellow 2-5 team in BGTD. Every single player scored in double-digits (except for Donald Driver, injury). You can’t ask for more than that. I love the team BGTD puts on each week, but I can’t help but wonder if you’re just a move away from taking this team to another level. A more dynamic, more consistent wideout would be the catalyst; you may want to sell high. For Old School, no one is buying what you’re selling. Your team is a pillar of the all-disappointment team in 2010. Ray Rice and Miles Austin lead the way and it is not looking much brighter. Rice seems to fade more and more each week, yielding carries to Willis McGahee. Stone Cold Miles Austin takes an even bigger hit with Tony Romo going down because trust me, Jon Kitna is not the solution for his fantasy illness.

Pain Curve (5-2) 105 vs. Paydirt (3-4) 75

It’s like you even needs to Antonio Gates to come into the game just to catch a touchdown; were you just rubbing it in, Pain Curve? Double-digit efforts from Gates, Matty Ice, Maurice Jones-Drew and Anquan Boldin helped the team to top the century mark, earning the fifth win on the year and putting the team in excellent postseason position. Despite having probably the most up-and-down running back tandem in the history of fantasy football, I can’t say I hate the team. The loss of Malcolm in the Middle Floyd for a few weeks might be a thorn in the side, but that’s nothing a surplus of talent can’t fix (see: Cedric Benson). Perhaps someone interested would be Paydirt, who relies on the Cadillac and the Law Firm to carry his team. Unfortunately, Peyton took the week off and couldn’t bail you out. Lucky scores from Cadillac and Mario Manningham made the game a little more competitive, but this was a one-way matchup. What’s encouraging is Matt Moore back at QB in Carolina, which may provide you with an adequate complement to Reggie Wayne and Dexter McCluster. Put the team on Peyton’s back; see what happens.

Lights Out (6-1) 110 vs. THE SHOCKER (4-3) 75

A three-game winning streak for Lights Out continued Sunday as he was able to snatch his fourth straight en route to a commanding 6-1 start, basically cementing his status in the playoffs. Despite losing his starting quarterback in the process, that little thing I mention here and then –depth – finally comes to surface. Using Big Ben instead of Romo, and likely Aaron Hernandez in place of Jason Witten, will be a quick fix. Ahmad Bradshaw’s surge this season as proved invaluable, as he is now the NFL’s top rusher. And while we’re on the topic of Giants, Hakeem the Dream rebounded big time. He and Roddy White make a dynamic duo at wide receiver. Lights out looks light out midway through the season; just ask THE SHOCKER. Kevin Kolb came up small, just ask Andy Reid. And other than All Day and a lucky guess in Davone Bess, he was your leading scorer. Fortunately, getting Stump the Schaub and Arian Foster back for Week 8 will be a much needed boost. Two areas that concern me: Fitz and tight end. Greg Olsen has been on vacation since like Week 2, and Fitz isn’t exactly dominating with Max Hall at quarterback. I hate to say this but Lee Evans is looking mighty appealing right now.