2009 fantasy recap, week #4

This week’s NFL slate featured the comeback that everyone – everyone! – has been fearing for the last two years. It was a beloved hero seemingly turning on his back on his loyal fans. It was a record-setting QB who felt shunned by the franchise he loved and forced into enemy territory. It was the ultimate act of traitorism, a modern day Benedict Arnold on the football field.

I’m talking, of course, about Kyle Boller playing in his home state of California against the team he grew up rooting for, the San Francisco 49ers.

As you know before Boller set the record for all-time passing yards for the Baltimore Ravens, he was a stand-out star at William Hart High School in Newhall, Calif., and a hero with the California Golden Bears in college. But the 49ers ignored him in the 2003 draft, ruining his chance of a dream pro career in front of his family and hometown fans.

This weekend, now as a member of the St. Louis Rams, Boller finally had his chance at revenge, but came up just short as the 49ers won 35-0. But Boller’s 108 passing yards and two turnovers were the talk of the NFL, a less-than-triumphant return that divided the nation and left many wondering if it spoiled Boller’s legacy.

Regardless, this kind of on-field drama doesn’t come around often in the NFL, and deserved all the attention it got. It’s just a shame that Boller’s vindication/revenge plotline overshadowed the rest of the league. I think the Vikings QB had some sort of comeback this week too, but you didn’t hear anything about it.

QB: David Garrard, 32.72 pts – started by Champ Mike
RB: Rashard Mendenhall, 32.23 pts – started by Heidi
WR: NY Steve Smith, 31.93 pts – started by New Mike
TE: Antonio Gates, 29.27 pts – started by Heidi
K: Josh Scobee, 15.00 pts – sitting on the wire
DEF: San Francisco, 44.00 pts – sitting on the wire
D: Jared Allen, 20.00 pts – sitting on the wire

By “sitting on the wire” I of course mean "already picked up by Paul for his team." You snooze, you lose, kids.

And if you had Rashard Mendenall and the other Steve Smith as the top performers of the week, you and I are planning a trip to Vegas.

Special defense edition
3rd place: Ryan Mundy, -1.50 pts – sitting on the wire
2nd place: Tennessee, -2.00 pts – started by Joanna
1st place: Detroit, -4.00 pts – sitting on the wire

Tennessee and Detroit are among the worst defenses of the year (4th and 3rd worst, to be exact). The only ones worse? Carolina, with 17 pts on the year, and St. Louis, with 15 pts in four games.

** Denver is on pace to allow only 104 pts this season (26 pts through four games.) Conversely, St. Louis is only on pace to score 96 pts this season (24 pts through four games).

** Saints S Darren Sharper is on pace for 8 defensive TDs this year, which would be an NFL record. Bills WR Terrell Owens is on pace for just four TDs this year, which would be a record low for him.

** Oakland is on pace to record 1,504 more punting yards than yards of offense on the season (834 offensive yards vs 1,210 punting yards through four games)

** Steelers WR Hines Ward is on pace for 104 catches and 1,420 receiving yards this year (26 catches and 355 yards in four games) … but no TDs.

** Denver RB Correll Buckhalter is on pace to rush for 1,068 yards (267 though four games), or 650 yards more than Eagles RB Brian Westbrook.

On Saturday night ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit described Florida State as “the USC of college football in the 1990s.”

Kirk Herbstreit, ladies and gentlemen; He’s the Joe Theismann of football analysts.

Eagles regular season wins since 1/1/2007: 19
Phillies regular season wins since 1/1/2007: 274

Eagles division titles since 1/1/2007: 0
Phillies division titles since 1/1/2007: 3

Eagles post-season wins since 1/1/2007: 2
Phillies post-season wins since 1/1/2007: 11

Eagles ties since 1/1/2007: 1
Phillies ties since 1/1/2007: 0

As the Eagles prepare for Tampa Bay and the Phillies prepare for Colorado, remember who really loves you, and who really needs your support this week.

It's the Phils, OK? Do I have to spell everything out for you?

A lot of folks down in Dallas are wondering how the 4-0 Broncos could have upset that vaunted Cowboys offense after they led 10-0 early in the game. And a lot of the blame falls on the shoulders of Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett, the man who should have been focused on unraveling Brian Dawkins and that Denver secondary.

But Garrett’s boys seemed distracted all game, and just looking at his name shows why:

Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett
-- I was rooting for Favre (lad can jet!) so Broncos stole day --

Geez, was there anyone who wasn’t sucked in by that stupid Favre-vs-Packers game? C’mon!

Click on the image to see it larger.

Another week, another new leader – this week it’s the newbie, who has been hanging around in second for a while now. Meanwhile, last week’s leader Anthony sets the record for the quickest nose dive out of the top spot, dropping way back into the second-tier of teams.

Neal managed to field almost a whole team this week (he still started an injured WR and an inactive K), so the “Andy Reid Blown Call of the Week” award instead drops to Jim, who started two players on a bye this week -- a bold strategy that ultimately did not work. Honorable mention goes to ARBCWer for life Jeff, who left a player slot open for unknown reasons.

** Bad week for Dad – he dropped three more games, and now sits five behind in our annual battle for pride.

** I'm watching the Tigers-Twins play-in game, and the go-ahead run just got thrown out at home to end the 10th inning. This is too awesome.

** If you look up "respect" in the Google dictionary, it says "not scheduling the two reigning NL champions to ridiculous early afternoon and late evening first-round games so the Yankees can have more exposure." Go ahead, look it up.