Week 15 Recap: What We Saw

The weekly recaps are written by former Stanford kicker Derek Belch.

Like last year, every week this column will recap the week’s performances (good and bad), as well as analyze things that I think you should be made aware of moving forward. I’ve also added a new section this year, entitled “A Closer Look”, to point out a few things that go beyond the statistics. So focus up, make sure your boss isn’t looking over your shoulder, and enjoy.

In many leagues, yesterday was Semifinal Sunday, a day that’s even more important than championship weekend. Because if you don’t win this week, you don’t even have a shot to play for a title, ya know? Hopefully your weekend was better than mine, and if you were lucky enough to come out with a W, good luck next weekend! Here’s a recap of what transpired yesterday:

The Good

Ray Rice: Coming into Sunday’s game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he wanted to make a sincere effort to get the ball in Rice’s hands more. And Rice made coach Harbaugh glad he did, rushing for 153 yards and a touchdown on thirty one carries while also catching five passes for 80 yards and another score. It was the type of game we’ve been waiting for all year from Rice, who has been disappointing this year because of his (lack of) workload more than anything. Clearly, 36 touches was just what the fantasy doctor ordered. About frickin’ time!!

Michael Vick: While Ray Rice’s performance was certainly exceptional, it wasn’t even Sunday’s top output. That honor goes to (surprise, surprise) Vick, who single-handedly put both the Eagles and your fantasy team on his back in a come-from-behind effort against the New York Giants. Vick, who had thrown for less than 100 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception entering halftime, was an absolute beast in the second half both as a passer and a runner. When all was said and done, Vick completed 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns (plus the interception) and ran for one-hundred-thirty yards and a score on 10 carries. It was one of the best performances you will ever see from a quarterback in one half of football, and one that likely sent you into your league’s championship game.

Vincent Jackson: After departing due to injury on the second play of the game in week 12 against Indianapolis, prevailing opinion was that Jackson was faking to stick it to GM AJ Smith and sit out the rest of the year to avoid injury. Well, it looks like Jackson is A-OK after he flat-out dominated the 49ers on Thursday night to the tune of 112 yards and three touchdowns on five catches. What’s even more encouraging is how the Chargers used Jackson Thursday night, lining him up all over the field and throwing him the football at short, medium, and long distances. And Jackson, to his credit, didn’t show any ill-effects from sitting out nearly two-thirds of the season (due to contract disputes, in case you’ve been living under a rock this year); his long touchdown catch on the game’s opening drive was something straight out of last year’s 1167-yard, nine touchdown campaign.

Rex Grossman: Yes, that Rex Grossman. After being announced as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys Thursday afternoon, pundits and gamblers alike predicted the Cowboys would roll to victory when they hosted Grossman and the Redskins. And through the first two quarters, it looked like that’s exactly what was going to happen, as Dallas led 20 to 7 and Grossman had already thrown two interceptions. But give Grossman, who was making his first start since 2008, credit for hanging in there and not panicking. In the second half, he threw two touchdowns to Santana Moss (eight catches for 72 yards and the scores touchdowns) and one to Chris Cooley (who finished with five catches for 62 yards). Overall, Grossman threw for 322 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. I’ve never been a Rex Grossman fan (I mean who really has????), but if you don’t have any other options next week, a matchup against Jacksonville wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Cedric Benson: Benson has quietly put together a respectable second half to the 2010 season, and Sunday’s 31 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown came at the perfect time. I suppose you could make the argument that Benson should have put up this type of game against a Cleveland rush defense that has surrendered some big rushing performances in the second half of the season, but there are big-time fantasy options that fall short of expectations every week against plum matchups. Benson’s matchup next week against the Chargers isn’t ideal, but in what’s sure to be a cold-weather game, you have to keep rolling with him.

The Bad

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw: If these two backs were one person, 31 carries for 100 yards and two catches for 14 yards wouldn’t have been horrible by any means. But as individuals, 12 carries for 34 yards (Jacobs) and 19 carries for 66 yards and two catches for 14 yards (Bradshaw) didn’t exactly do the job. It’s certainly worth noting that Bradshaw continues to receive more carries than Jacobs, despite his “backup” role on the depth chart. With a road trip to Green Bay next week, however, I’m not sure either guy is worth using.

Maurice Jones-Drew: And the streak is over. Coming into Sunday’s game against Indianapolis, MJD had rushed for 100 yards or more in six straight games… and the Colts are one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses. Due to being down by two for most of the game, however, Jones-Drew could muster only 46 yards on 15 carries. In a week when you needed it most, it was Jones-Drew’s worst performance since week 6. Ouch.

LeSean McCoy: Another guy who has been absolutely on fire, McCoy was held in check due to a lack of touches, as the Eagles trailed by three scores for most of the game. And unfortunately, that amazing comeback by Michael Vick was pretty much by Vick and only Vick, as McCoy received only ten carries and caught four passes the entire game. While he could only convert his four receptions into 13 yards, McCoy was effective again as a runner, gaining 64 yards. The Eagles host Minnesota next week, who, despite allowing just over 100 yards per game on the ground, have given up a few big games to running backs this season. McCoy is certainly capable of being another.

Arian Foster: You were worried I forgot about him, weren’t you? Fantasy’s top running back couldn’t have done much worse in a more critical time, as he gained only 15 yards on 11 carries against a Tennessee defense that was certainly capable of being carved up. He did catch six passes for 46 yards, but it was hardly enough to give you what you needed to pull off a victory. If you were lucky enough to survive yesterday and advance to the finals, however, the following news certainly won’t make you happy: Foster left yesterday’s game with an ankle injury that prevented him from coming back in. Keep your fingers crossed.

Reggie Wayne: A week after posting back-to-back big games, Wayne struggled to the tune of five catches for 34 yards against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Instead, Austin Collie dominated for eight catches, 87 yards, and two touchdowns before exiting with this third concussion of the season. With Collie out in the four games prior to Sunday, Wayne went over 100 yards receiving three times. With must-win games remaining against Oakland and Tennessee, I fully expect Wayne to finish the season strong.

All Raven Receivers: With Ray Rice stealing the show Sunday, there weren’t very many yards to go around for the rest of the Baltimore offense. Derrick Mason caught only one pass for 42 yards, Anquan Boldin had once catch for two yards, and TJ Houshmandzadeh had one for 15 yards. Maybe the Ravens passing game will be able to be trusted on a more consistent basis next year.

Beyond the Numbers

Roddy White finally found the endzone again Sunday, catching seven passes for 65 yards and a score. But count me among those who don’t like what they’re as far as how White has been used in recent weeks. I’m not sure if White’s knee is worse than we’re being told or defenses are just learning to play him a little better, but White is rarely being targeted downfield. Instead, Michael Jenkins (3 catches for 48 yards and a score) and Harry Douglas (one catch for 10 yards) are the ones being targeted on most deep passes that Matt Ryan (174 yards, 3 TDs, 1 interception Sunday) attempts. White, however, has a chance to make amends for a month of pedestrian efforts next week when the Falcons host the Saints on Monday night football… If you missed DeSean Jackson’s punt return as time expired yesterday in New York, make sure you watch the highlights tonight. Jackson fumbled the punt, calmly picked it up, found a crease in the coverage team, and was gone. While Jackson only caught three passes for 52 yards Sunday, his punt return put him in double digits for the second week in a row. Jackson’s overall numbers are still dependent on the big play, but Sunday showed that Jackson can get that play in a lot of different ways… Mike Wallace recorded his second-highest single-game catch total of the season Sunday, hauling in 7 passes for 102 yards against Darrelle Revis and the New York Jets. It was the third straight game in which Wallace has caught five or more passes. Coach Mike Tomlin has been adamant that Wallace get more involved in the passing game than simply the deep ball, and that’s exactly what’s happened in recent weeks. With Carolina and Cleveland to finish the season, Wallace should be able to get into the endzone for the first time since week 11… Sometimes, the numbers tell the entire story. Since Michael Vick’s healthy return to the lineup, Eagles’ wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has been the most targeted member of the Philadelphia passing attack. Maclin was targeted 11 times Sunday, catching seven of those passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Maclin does a good job of finding holes in the defense when Vick’s protection breaks down, which is quite often… Ryan Torain posted another solid game Sunday, totaling 101 yards and a receiving touchdown on 11 carries (for 53 yards) and 5 catches (for 48 yards). Since coming back from an injured hamstring that caused him to miss four games, Torain has looked fast and powerful. Like we wrote last week, he is clearly the guy Mike Shanahan wants running the football, as backup Keiland Williams received only one carry Sunday… Tampa Bay has shut down their fair share of big-name receivers this season, but that was hardly the case Sunday against Detroit, when Calvin Johnson feasted on the Bucs secondary for 10 catches and 152 yards, on 12 targets. Of course, Aquib Talib was out of the game on injured reserve, but Tampa still has good enough players to at least slow Johnson down. Johnson, however, didn’t catch only two passes that came his way. Give third string quarterback Drew Stanton (252 pass yards and a touchdown Sunday) a lot of credit for putting the ball in the right spot, of course, but it also shows how open Johnson was on a consistent basis.

Quick Hits

After two straight weeks of throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, Eli Manning finally put it all together Sunday, completing 23 of 39 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Manning, of course, still threw an interception (he hasn’t thrown one in only four games this season), but his four touchdowns more than made up for it. With Hakeem Nicks back and looking to be 100%, Manning should be able to put up solid numbers these next two weeks against Green Bay and Washington. Of course, he could also throw four picks next week against a stingy Packers unit that did a pretty good job of slowing down Tom Brady last night… Jon Kitna delivered yet again Sunday, throwing for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against Washington. Since week 10, Kitna has thrown eleven touchdowns to only four interceptions, and looks to be more and more comfortable in the offense every week. Unfortunately for Kitna, the season is almost over, and there are still rumors that Tony Romo may be making a comeback. As long as Kitna is in there, Jason Witten is an automatic start. Witten caught 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown Sunday, the third time in his past four games that he’s caught seven or more passes, and the third consecutive game that he’s scored a touchdown… Welcome to the NFL, Tim Tebow. With Kyle Orton slowed due to injury and the entire Broncos team an absolute mess, Tebow got his chance to show what he can do against an NFL defense Sunday when he got his first start against the Oakland Raiders. Tebow came out hot, scoring on his own 40 yard touchdown run and then on a 33 yard pass to Brandon Lloyd in the first quarter. But things slowed down from there, and when the game was over Tebow completed only eight of sixteen passes for 138 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. As a runner, he carried 8 times for 78 yards and that aforementioned score. Tebow certainly did some good things Sunday, but he also made a lot of mistakes and will certainly have to improve if he’s going to succeed at this position long-term… Mario Manningham took advantage of extra defensive attention on Hakeem Nicks Sunday and hauled in 8 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Manningham was targeted 12 times, most on the team, and three more than Nicks… Jamaal Charles ran for 126 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries Sunday, but it certainly could have been better. Charles broke off an 80 yard run in the fourth quarter but was tackled at the two yard line. Of course, Thomas Jones punched it in on the very next play… Chris Johnson finally posted back-to-back big games, rushing for 130 yards and a score on 24 carries Sunday against the Texans. Johnson topped 100 yards and scored last week as well, and will look to go over 100 yards in three straight games for the first time this season when the Titans travel to Kansas City next weekend… Colt McCoy returned to the Browns’ starting lineup Sunday on the road at Cincinnati and showed again why he’s the future of the Browns’ quarterback plans. McCoy completed 19 of 25 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. A nice, efficient day from the rookie, who has thrown five touchdowns and three interceptions in his six starts this season… LeGarrette Blount did Sunday against Detroit what many owners were hoping he’d do last week against Washington, turning just 15 carries into 110 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Buccaneers host the Seahawks next weekend, in what should be another big day for Blount… Mike Sims-Walker caught only four passes Sunday, but two went for what matters most: touchdowns. While Sims-Walker has caught at least one touchdown in two straight games, he hasn’t topped 50 receiving yards since week 8… Rashard Mendenhall carried 17 times for 100 yards and a score Sunday, making him the first running back since 2008 to top 100 yards against the Jets. Although the Steelers have already clinched a playoff berth, they still need to win to secure an AFC North title and a possible 2 seed in the playoffs. Thus, a home matchup against Carolina next week should yield big points for you on championship Sunday.

Looking Ahead

Wow, were my predictions bad last week! But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. With championship Sunday in many leagues next weekend, here’s what I’ll be looking forward to:

Carolina at Pittsburgh: If Pittsburgh’s offense doesn’t score 30+ points in this game, I will be absolutely shocked.

Minnesota at Philadelphia: I know Minnesota historically is very good defensively, but I see a vulnerable group this year that’s going to have real trouble containing Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, and DeSean Jackson

Seattle at Tampa Bay: The Bucs should do to Seattle what they were supposed to do to Detroit. As in, blow out.

Indianapolis at Oakland: Can Oakland spoil Indy’s season? If Darren McFadden and that Oakland running game have anything to do with it, yes.