FiOS Football - Week#15, Playoff Preview

On to the Semifinals in Winners, Losers Brackets

by Paul Pearson

If they had distributed March Madness-style bracket sheets for the FiOS Football playoffs, about half the players would have thrown their sheets into the trash by now. There was a major upset in the championship division, while the first round of the Toilet Bowl went exactly the way the seedings would dictate.

WINNERS BRACKET

Ann-Tics vs. Scarlet Eagles

Holding the eighth and final playoff berth, the 6-8 Eagles shocked the fantasy football world by upsetting the top-ranked Big O by a score of 161-153. Their reward is a semifinal date with the second-seeded Ann-Tics (12-2), who took care of business in a 114-81 victory over Pussy Galore and her Abrocats. The Chargers defense/special teams should give the Eagles an early lead on Thursday night, but Ahmad Bradshaw's injury late in his Monday night game against the Vikings has to be a concern. The Ann-Tics have Josh Freeman, who has a tasty matchup against the Detroit Lions, along with Adrian Peterson, who needs to step up his game against the Chicago Bears this Monday night. This will be a tight fantasy match, but Peterson's late production should give the Ann-Tics what they need to advance to the championship.

Scarlet Pack vs. Lovely & Talented

The third-seeded Pack (10-4) rode Peyton Manning's resurgence to a 95-75 win over the Bringers of Awesome last week, while the fourth-seeded Talented (also 10-4) had no trouble dispatching the Ninja Stars by a score of 93-55. Manning is facing something he usually avoids in December: a must-win situation. No worries about him sitting down this fantasy playoff season. And if that weren't enough, the Pack also has Peyton Hillis facing a Cincinnati Bengals team that's about to come apart at the seams. (That's right, TO, blaming the coaches is a good idea.) The Talented counter with a pair of Raiders (Jason Campbell and Darren McFadden) who should have no problem findings openings against the Denver Broncos. However, it's a different story for Mike Wallace, who gets a New York Jets defense that should have steam coming out of its ears by kickoff. The Pack should get enough points from its stars to get into the final.

TOILET BOWL

P Funk Tribe vs. Suckawoodz

By ending up ninth in the standings, the Tribe (4-8-1) earned a bye week in the first round. The 12th-seeded Suckawoodz (5-9) dismantled the NM Agency last week by a score of 118-80. Michael Vick is always a threat to put up video game numbers, but the Tribe has a decision to make in its running game: Shonn Greene against a red-hot Pittsburgh Steelers defense, or Tim Hightower against a Carolina Panthers team that may soon turn its attention to winning the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. The Suckawoodz will need their multiple San Diego Chargers, including Philip Rivers and Mike Tolbert, to get hot quickly Thursday night and build an insurmountable fantasy lead. Follow that up with Wes Welker shurgging off the cold conditions in Foxboro on Sunday night, and all signs point to the Suckawoodz pulling off the upset and playing next week for the title Best of the Worst.

To the victor go the spoils vs. Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes II

Perhaps it's fate that teams with two of the longest names in fantasy football meet in this game. The 10th-seeded Spoils (4-8-1) got to take last week off, and the 11th-seeded Shoes (4-9-1) got here by beating the WiFis and Bigger GBs by a score of 113-97. Matt Schaub of the Shoes has to be happy to have Baltimore in his rear-view mirror, and Michael Turner is as consistent a performer as you will find in the NFL this season. The Buccaneers defense/special teams are a question mark, since they're racking up injuries almost as quickly as they do tackles. The Spoils have to be happy with Brandon Jacobs, who found the end zone last week and would be the primary beneficiary if Ahmad Bradshaw's injury were to linger. Jay Cutler is never going to be a safe bet, but DeSean Jackson turned a short pass into a 91-yard touchdown last week. His potential gives the Spoils the slightest of edges in this Battle of the Monikers.