Another Bad Creation (5-2)Our defending champs are poised atop the division and in a good place to defend their title. They haven’t exactly been doing it in grand style though, as they seem to be playing down to the level of their competition quite often, and have faced one of the easier schedules in the league so far. Still, with only three winning teams left on the schedule, a postseason spot should be within easy reach for them.
Playoff hero Kirk Cousins again leads this team in scoring, and he’s relied on Jordan Reed and Stefon Diggs to generate a passing game — to hit-and-miss results. The actual best receivers on this team have more likely been Michael Thomas and Terrelle Pryor, who have been much steadier, albeit slower to get into ABC’s lineup. The big question for ABC seems to be at running back, where TJ Yeldon and Jeremy Langford has floundered. Perhaps two good weeks from Jacquizz Rodgers will be enough to steady the backfield, but it’ll be hard for ABC to advance far if Rodgers suddenly takes a dive. Can the champs repeat? I guess we’ll find out soon!
P Funk All Stars (5-2)
Having already doubled last year’s win total, and then some, P Funk started the season 3-1 and is suddenly in contention for a playoff spot. The David Carr to Amari Cooper connection has been fruitful so far, although Carr has been slipping a bit recently. At least Tavon Austin has finally figured out how to use his multiple talents in a big way, and is third on this team in scoring. The problem is, DeVante Parker hasn’t really lived up to preseason hype, and there’s also been a hole at running back.
The good news is, James White has been picking up steam ever since Tom Brady returned, and he’ll likely take the starting gig from Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, neither of whom can find much consistency. 2016 #2 overall pick Laquon Treadwell has been an absolute non-factor — as is Ameer Abdullah, who is back on IR — but P Funk can afford to wait on him. Paolo’s team has a two game lead on any wild card chase, so should get into the postseason, but he’ll need his Raiders twosome to step it up over the back half of the season.
Jedi Knights (3-4)As the top scoring team in the division, Jedi should have more than three wins. However, they’ve been pounded by one of the tougher schedules in the league, and actually have a higher PA than PF. WK7’s 1.5 point loss to P Funk dropped them behind in the division chase and now they’ll have to play catch up. Still, last year’s division winner shouldn’t be counted out as there’s still hope yet.
Interestingly, this is one of the few teams not led in points by a quarterback. Eli Manning has been erratic all season so it’s TY Hilton who have led this team in points. Even TE Greg Olsen, who has been simply amazing, outranks Manning in total points scored. Emmanuel Sanders has been perfect as a third receiver and he’s been a steady source of catches and yards. The run game though, is troubled. Danny Woodhead was lost for the season early on, and although Matt Asiata has been better recently, 55 yard weeks aren’t likely to move the needle much. If Chris Washington can take over in the backfield for the Redskins, that would really help out the Knights’ playoff chances. Strangely, Marshawn Lynch is still on this roster. Does Chris know something we don’t about Beast Mode’s (un)retirement plans?
Original Salt (1-6)
Our 2014 champions are back in the cellar. After accruing just three wins last year, it’s possible Original Salt doesn’t even get there this season. They’re averaging a league worst 59.9 ppg, and their lone win came against one of the other worst teams in the league. With Ben Roethlisberger hitting the sidelines for awhile, Reno’s team can book a suite for the Toilet Bowl right now. Also confusing, why did 2016 #3 overall pick, Jonathan Stewart, get cut three weeks ago, and just returned to the field last week for two touchdowns?
There are a few bright spots for this team though. Old hand Anquan Boldin has been better than excited, while Matt Forte started off the season very hot. And now Spencer Ware seems to have taken charge of the backfield in Kansas City, and has put up excellent numbers recently. Plus, there’s a chance Isaiah Crowell will serve as a nice RB2 down the stretch, giving OS a good running game. Beyond those guys though, there’s not a whole lot to look forward to the rest of the way. Maybe if Big Ben can return soon, OS will vie for a Toilet Bowl win and a number one overall pick?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment