5. Giants finally win a game/Are the Falcons done?:

They started the season with 5 straight wins cementing them as a top NFC power, then lost their next 4 games and looking like a self destructing team. Finally the New York Giants reached back into the win column in Week 11 after defeating the Atlanta Falcons. The win didn’t come without an accelerated heart rate for the Giants fans though as they game went into the proverbial overtime.

The Giants/Falcons game as I wrote it in my Week 11 preview blog was going to be a very important game for both teams when it comes playing in January. The Falcons (5-5) have all but sealed up their fate for the season as they will more then likely miss the playoffs…at best they will be a Wild Card team if they start to catch fire now. It’s sad to see as the Falcons were a team that I truly believe would be a favorite in the NFC.

4. Steelers & Bengals lose shocking games:

When it came to picking games in Week 11 I only missed two games. The two games I missed were Steelers/Chiefs & Bengals/Raiders. THOSE WERE THE TWO GAMES THAT SEEMED LIKE LOCKS! Who would have ever thought that the two AFC North powerhouses would lose in Week 11 to teams that are fighting for the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft!

Both of these teams gave the wins away as the Steelers let Chris Chambers catch a ball and basically walk to the end zone, it was pathetic the way the once supreme Steelers defense allowed a player who’s more concerned with his love life set up a score. It wasn’t as pathetic as the way the Bengals gave the game to the Raiders by returning a ball out of the end zone and letting a Raiders defender just slap the ball out of their hands. I’m pretty sure who ever caused the fumble for the Raiders was playing for the UFL last week, that or he was calling bingo. It was one of the two at least.

3. New England gets a revenge win against the Jets:

In the “who didn’t see that coming” column of this week’s blog the New England Patriots welcomed the New York Jets to New England by reminding them that they were the New England Patriots. You know that team you BEAT in Week 2? Or that team that made a mistake in Week 10 against Indy that caused one of the best comebacks in primetime since Whitney Houston at the AMA awards? (Well Whitney’s comeback wasn’t the impressive but I couldn’t think of anything else)

The New England Patriots started to get the plastic wrapping and champagne bottles ready for the celebration of another AFC East Division crown as they continue to pull further away from the once competitive division. All that is truly left standing is the Miami Dolphins and no telling if the defending divisional champs can make another run at the crown. What people are forgetting right now is that this Patriots teams is pissed, they aren’t the top dog in the NFL right now and are going to do everything from here on out who “runs the NFL.” Watch out folks.

2. Welcome back Ricky Williams to the NFL:

People have fallen in love lately with the comeback story of Vince Young the last four weeks and how couldn’t you after the way VY has played week after week since getting the starting role back. Well we may be on the verge of another amazing comeback story as Ricky Williams had an absolute huge game against the Carolina Panthers on a game not many watched because they didn’t have Direct TV. Either way Ricky Williams reminded us (especially Mike Ditka) of what could have been when he first entered the NFL.

I don’t know if Tony Soprano offered Ricky some of the stickiest of ickiest if he could take this Dolphins team back to the playoffs now that Ronnie Brown is on the IR. But Ricky was heavily motivated scoring two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. He was “smoking” the Carolina Panthers after Thursday’s game was all said and done! (Enter wacky morning zoo effects here) Either way welcome back Ricky Williams, please keep it going…you’re on my fantasy football team.

1. Lions vs. Browns = Best Game in Week 11:

In the most prolific game in the 2009-2010 NFL Season that wasn’t shown on TV the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions played for the opportunity to have the #1 draft pick in April. It was a loser takes all battle. A game that without questions was the best game in the entire Week 11, not because of who was playing (seriously what did you think I was smoking?) but because of the way both teams played.

It’s no question that both of these teams are desperate for a win. You would be two if you hadn’t seen a win since the last meteor shower but that’s what it is like when it comes to be a Brown or Lion player and now it’s even safer to say that the Cleveland Browns are by far the worst franchise in all of football right now. The reason being is their lack of head coach in Eric Mangini who comes from the very lackluster Bill Belichick’s School of Hard Knocks. It looks like Eric will eventually join the list of “students” dismissed from their jobs (again in Eric’s case) just like Romeo Crennel and soon to be Charlie Weis.

The most positive thing that came out of this win was that the stars must have been aligned as Brady Quinn played like most people thought he would in the NFL and Matt Stafford became an iconic hero in Detroit as he won the game on an actual separated left shoulder. I think it would have been cooler if it was on his throwing arm but that’s me. Either way Browns/Lions was the best game in the NFL in Week 11 and the Lions won. It was nice to see for once.

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This week in Studs and Duds it features both young guns that showed tons of promise and has the old guys still showing that they can get it done for a fantasy team.

STUDS:
Matthew Stafford: I know it was against the awful Browns defense but he still became the youngest player in NFL history to throw for 5 TDs. If Drew Brees did this we would be raving about him, so I think Stafford should be praised. He did turn the ball over 3 times but 422 yards and 5 TDs will put anyone in the top of the Studs category for any week. That and him being a complete beast by staying in the game and making the game winning throw with a separated shoulder. That wins my respect and hopefully the respect from his fans and teammates.

Ricky Williams: Every pothead’s favorite player because he proves that he is still a very good running back even when he took time off to go smoke in the mountains. And there’s nothing better for a pothead then to prove he’s still useful after being stoned for years. Williams single handedly won a huge game against the Panthers who everyone thought was going to win. Looks like he is going to pick up where Ronnie Brown left off and the wildcat will still confuse defensive coordinators across the NFL. Owners who held onto Williams all year long are going to find a solid fantasy starter for playoff time.

Brett Favre: I hate this man but he continues to not disappoint his fans and fantasy owners. He was 22 for 25 and had 4 TDs on Sunday. He has dismantled defenses and his totals are 21 TDs and 3 INTs. He is not only now a frontrunner for the MVP, but he is a very solid starting QB for a fantasy team where he was probably drafted as a backup. I’m not sure if Favre will continue the numbers or even have to continue them, but one thing is for sure, Favre is back.
Other Notables: TO, Sidney Rice, Eli Manning, and my boy Matt Schaub

DUDS:
Tony Romo: What is wrong with the Cowboys offense? They look awful until the last two minutes of the game. Romo only had 8 points against a Redskins pass defense that has been torn apart in previous weeks. He had only 158 yards, a TD, and an INT against the Redskins who gave up double digit points to Captain Neckbeard, Kyle Orton, in a single half. It seems that Romo and the Cowboys offense go up, then down all year long. Hopefully for Romo’s fantasy owners, the down period for the offense is over and he hooks up with Miles Austin again to get it going.

Adrian Peterson: Before all you AP lovers out there who have him carrying your team start yelling at the computer screen, answer this. Were you disappointed with AP getting only 82 yards on 24 carries against the Seahawks defense? I’m going to guess most of you are. When a usual stud like AP goes against the injured Seahawks defense in Minnesota he should at the very least put up double digit points. I’m not worried that AP will bounce back against my Bears next week and probably make me eat my own words, but still, AP should’ve been better than 9 points this week.

Vincent Jackson: Where has he been the past two weeks? A total of 5 catches for 56 yards in those two weeks is not the stud wide receiver that he was 3 weeks ago. Fantasy owners have got to be disappointed that Jackson has been in this mini slump. Heading into the playoffs Jackson has to have a big game against the Chiefs this week. Rivers had a very average game last week but he still should be hooking up with his favorite target all the time.

Other Notables: All Cowboys pass catchers, Roddy White, Broncos Offense, and Mark Sanchize.

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It is official, even the NFL hates Eric Mangini. Check out the highlights of a shootout between the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns in NFL Week 11. Matthew Stafford of the Lions attempts a typical desperation Hail Mary pass with a very untypical result. The refs call pass interference in the end zone on the Cleveland Browns and give the Lions the ball with 0:00 left on the clock for one play at the one-yard line. Matthew Stafford completed a touchdown to Brandon Pettigrew for the win in a 38-37 thriller.

The pass is only part of the story. Stafford was nailed as he threw the pass and went to the sidelines. Stafford showed a ton of courage running back onto the field bad shoulder and all, taking the snap, and completing the pass. After completing the pass, Stafford went back to the sidelines and looked to be in excruciating pain. Not only was Matthew Stafford clutch, but he was truly an NFL warrior. For Lions fans, this was a Motown Miracle. The Lions improve to a whopping 2-8 while the Browns fall to 1-9.

The other story here is the continued bad luck of Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns. It is commonplace to see a number of NFL teams attempt a ridiculous long pass as the clock winds down with hopes of getting a pass interference call in the end zone. It is extremely rare for a team to ever get that call. Not only is Eric Mangini hated by his team and its fans, but it appears that the entire NFL has it out for the coach as well.

It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

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There is nothing meaningless about the NFL pre season when it comes to Fantasy Football. This is a great chance to look at players coming off injury, how players look with their new teammates, and scout how rookies will fare. Here is what I took away from this past NFL pre season.

Tom Brady will be fine. Brady was the highest drafted quarterback in some fantasy leagues. Those owners who hitched their season on Brady rarely ever recovered after he went down. The big question going into this season was whether Brady would be whether Brady would be back to form or not. Most quarterbacks aren’t back to form until their second season. Tom Brady looks like an exception to the rule.

I watched Brady twice and he looked great. His timing was perfect with his receivers, which allows Randy Moss to hold his fantasy value. It looks as if Belichick is going to continue his pass-heavy offense. I loved the fact that Brady took some hits. It shows his durability and answers any questions about whether he will be a fragile player. The last thing anyone wants is to get burnt twice in two seasons by the same player. I say draft Tom Brady high with confidence.

As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I found the pre season very telling. The team went from a pre season Super Bowl favorite to a big question mark. The offensive line looked bad, and Jason Peters looked like a turnstile. I would be very cautious about drafting Donovan McNabb. I can’t see him putting up 2008 numbers with this line. The irony is that he probably has his best set of receivers overall since playing in the NFL.

Personally, I think his value drops huge due to the Michael Vick factor. Andy Reid has been running Vick in and out of the game this pre season. Is Vick going to come in the game in red zone situations? How will this impact McNabb? Who wants a starting quarterback that is going to be pulled every time his team is within scoring? Before pre season I loved McNabb. Post-pre season, I would stay far away from him.

Everyone loves a sleeper rookie quarterback. This is where Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford come into play. Sanchez was hot and cold in the pre season. I do think he is worthy of a backup slot. The plus in Sanchez is that Dustin Keller looks like a great tight end for fantasy football. Sanchez looked for him first and I foresee a Witten-Romo relationship here in the future. Matt Stafford was unimpressive and wouldn’t make my fantasy team. If you were going to take a flier on one, I’d take Sanchez. No way would I take him as my starter.

The Buffalo Bills offense had a ton of potential with T.O. in the mix. Lee Evans could see his numbers increase greatly with Owens double-covered. I love the no-huddle offense when it comes to receivers. However, this offense is in shambles. The offensive coordinator was recently fired and made some telling statements. He said that the Bills want to run a very conservative offense. This and Owens’ “toe injury” makes T.O. drop on my list of wide receivers. I don’t even know if I’d take him as a second receiver at this point. As for Lee Evans, fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me.

The pre season gave FF players great scouting opportunities for new players on new teams. There are a ton of implications with Brett Favre joining the Vikings, T.J. Houshmandzadeh joining the Seahawks, and Jay Cutler joining the Chicago Bears. These players, the players around them, and former teammates are all impacted with the new moves. Fantasy players have some new things to think about going into this season and their drafts.

Jay Cutler was a fantasy goldmine at times last season. However, one player does not make a team. Unless Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal went with Cutler to Chicago, he won’t have the same stats. Orlando Pace looks terrible on the line which makes me very cautious about Cutler. Teams have gotten great pressure on Chicago by blitzing Pace in the pre season. Matt Forte is also going to get red zone carries, which will take scoring opportunities away from Cutler. I saw enough I needed to see this pre season to tell you that Jay Cutler will be a fantasy bust in most leagues.

Cutler’s departure in Denver also impacts Marshall and Royal greatly. Between the new quarterback and off season problems, I’d stay clear of Marshall. He doesn’t have anyone throwing to him to get last season’s numbers. It is also conceivable that a T.O. situation arises where Marshall is suspended, not traded, and off the field for a great part of the season. This makes Eddie Royal an intriguing player. Royal could be the number one this season. He is worth the risk as a late-round draft pick for that reason. As for Marshall, you have no idea who is going to be throwing to him if he is traded so draft lower with caution.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is fitting in nicely with the Seahawks. Quietly, he has had a great pre season. Matt Hasslebeck is also a sleeper in waiting with his new weapon and his tight end. Houshmandzadeh’s departure also allows Chad Ocho Cinko’s stock to rise, along with Chris Henry. T.J. and Ocho have gone late in most of my drafts. These guys are definite bargains in their average draft spots. I may also roll the dice with Hasslebeck as your starting quarterback. There is a ton of upside if he can stay healthy which is a big if.

This brings us to the Minnesota soap opera known as the Vikings. We only got to see Brett Favre play two games so there isn’t much to go on. He looked horrendous in the first game and decent in the second. I did takeaway that Percy Harvin is going to be Favre’s guy. Favre loves to lock in one receiver and he was looking for him all game in the Houston game. Although, Harvin dropping a touchdown pass makes me wonder how patient Favre will be with him throughout the season.

At the same time, the new quarterback also impacts the stock of Bernard Berrian in my opinion. You may be able to get him late, but I don’t think he is going to put up any consistent numbers. Berrian will turn out to be a waste of a roster spot with Favre under center. Favre also loves the tight end which makes Visanthe Shiancoe a fantasy commodity. He went to Shiancoe in the end zone for a touchdown in the Houston game and I’d expect plenty more of that during the season.

Other quick hits –
Jason Campbell could be a top fantasy quarterback this season
Peyton Manning is back to season form
Eli Manning needs a receiver, thus making him barely worthy of a draft pick.
The Saints offense will continue to produce big numbers.
Tony Romo is going to struggle with fantasy numbers without T.O.
DeSean Jackson is a starting fantasy wide receiver in my opinion.
LaDainian Tomlinson could be a huge problem this season for fantasy owners, while Larry Johnson could be back.
Vincent Jackson is going to have a huge year.
Stay away from anyone on the Denver Broncos offense.
Matt Ryan will continue to be a solid fantasy quarterback and will involve Tony Gonzalez in the offense.
Rex Ryan is will have a very aggressive defense in New York which makes the Jets a draftable defense.
Torry Holt will have a solid season in Jacksoville.
Nate Washington is a deep ball threat in Tennessee and will have big fantasy numbers this season.

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It is being reported that the Detroit Lions will draft Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. It is always risky taking a quarterback with the first overall pick. Especially when you are going to give him a $78 million contract, $41.8 million guaranteed. In this case, I think Stafford is a great pick for the Lions. I loved him in college. Check out just a few highlights from his 2008 season.

Click here to order a 2009 Press Pass Football Card # 7 Matthew Stafford QB – Georgia (RC – Rookie Card) NFL Trading Card in Screwdown Case.