As Top Two Relax, Four Teams Seek Semifinal Bids
by Paul Pearson
Thirteen weeks of waiver choices, lineup switches and guesses about everything from wind speed to injured metatarsals have all come down to this. Six of the teams in the Touchdown Sportswear Fantasy Football League have earned the right to play in the playoff tournament, while eight others are reduced to playing for pride (or whatever cliche you want to insert for teams that lost too frequently).
QUARTERFINALS
The two division winners (the 11-2 Tyler's Tornados of the Unitas Division and the 10-3 Chelsea's Chumps) can enjoy their bye weeks however they choose. Four other teams are fighting for the right to meet them in the semifinals.
Tailgaters vs. Let It Bleed
The 10-3 Tailgaters came one game short of a division title and have to settle for the third playoff seed. The Bleeders lucked their way into the sixth and final playoff berth with a 7-5-1 record. Any team starting Michael Vick and Brian Urlacher these days has to be considered dangerous. And the Bleeders are hoping Rashard Mendenhall has an easier day this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Tailgaters are stacked at just about every position. Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson are both making cases for the MVP award. Calvin Johnson could find the end zone blindfolded, and the defense features Brian Cushing and Paul Posluszny. It all adds up to a victory for the Tailgaters.
BullRiders vs. LandSharks
A pair of 8-5 teams sit next to each other in the Unitas Division standings. The fourth-seeded BullRiders will get early points Thursday night from Jacob Tamme and Dwight Freeney, but they are hoping Dwayne Bowe can get the damn ball this week. Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded LandSharks feature Defensive Rookie of the Year shoo-in Ndamukong Suh and the surprising Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson. (Buffalo fans just wish he'd lose the "dropped balls" portion of his "surprising" resume.) At the quarterback position, the LandSharks have Matt Ryan lining up against the toothless Carolina Panthers. The BullRiders have Jay Cutler, who has been hot lately but faces a New England Patriots defense that just made Mark Sanchez look like an idiot. The LandSharks have the slight edge here.
CONSOLATION ROUND
2 Shorts and a Long vs. Ying Yang Twins
The 7-5-1 Shorts came up just short of the postseason and ended up seventh in the standings. The 2-11 Twins were eliminated from the playoffs a long time ago and sit in the league's basement. Peyton Hillis and Charles Woodson have been bright spots for the Twins, but there's not much else here on this roster. The Shorts can call on Drew Brees, Reggie Wayne and the suddenly-a-factor-again Sidney Rice, who doesn't care who's getting him the ball. The Shorts should win in a walk.
Underdawgs vs. Malignant Apathy
The 5-7-1 Dawgs gave up a league-high 1,819 points to their opponents on their way to eighth place. The 13th-seeded Apathys finished last in the Butkus Division with a 3-10 record. Julius Peppers have found rejuvenation with the Chicago Bears, but Peyton Manning's game has gone south in a hurry. The Dawgs have Steven Jackson and Greg Jennings scoring touchdowns and Terrell Thomas stopping them. The Dawgs should have no trouble prevailing in this one.
Sirius Contenders vs. Hoffman Team
The 5-8 Contenders wound up in ninth place in the league standings. Two ties kept the 3-8-2 Hoffmans out of the division cellar but left them in 12th place. Santonio Holmes and Mike Tolbert are always threats to score for the Hoffmans. The Contenders counter with Ray Rice and DeSean Jackson. The wild card in this matchup is Terrell Owens of the Contenders. He certainly has supplanted Chad Ochocinco as the primary Bengals receiver, but he'll get lots of attention from the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Look for an upset by the Hoffmans.
Wasted Draft Picks vs. Cougars
This matchup features a pair of 5-8 squads. The 10th-seeded Picks get to start Joe Flacco Monday night against the Houston Texans. The 11th-seeded Cougars have to be disappointed in Mark Sanchez's week 13 and Larry Fitzgerald's entire season. Knowshon Moreno and Jamaal Charles can help ease the Cougars' pain, but they can't stop Miles Austin from putting up points for the Picks. This one won't be decided until Monday night, and Flacco has the arm to deliver a Picks victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment