Peer Pressure Works!

Another week, another game. And…talk about bizarre.

Remember in my preview, when I mentioned my opponent had Peyton Manning in the game, but would surely sub in Jake Delhomme, because Manning’s team isn’t playing this week? Well, he never did. In fact, he ALSO left in both of the defensive players from the Giants…therefore, wilfully taking 3 0’s on the week. To call this decision baffling is an understatement. Including the time it would have taken to log in to Yahoo, these changes would take up a minute and a half. Wow. So, yeah, it becomes clearer why this dude is 1-2.

Anyway, Rivers didn’t have a great game, but he’s competing with NOBODY, with Manning contributing as much as a mannequin (even the Kim Cattrall mannequin from the Mannequin movies. Actually, I’d kind of enjoy seeing Kim Cattrall get her fucking ribs caved in by a blindside hit from the linebacker…). So, yeah, win there. His running backs were awful, while mine turned in nice games. Steven Jackson had his best game of the year, by far, this week.

Receiver was another matter. He had MASSIVE games from Jennings, Coles and Owens. Boldin, Moss and Marshall countered well for me, except Boldin is now a HUGE concern. For some dumbfuck reason, the Arizona coaches had their starters in the game, down 21 points…with 27 seconds left. Boldin suffered a nasty back/head hit combo, and it is NEVER a good sign when a player leaves the field via ambulance on a spine board. So, yeah, I’d like to deliver a caning to the Cardinals coaching staff right now. On a lighter note, Tony Scheffler had one damn catch…I’m becoming rather discouraged with Tony, and may be making a move for a new tight end tomorrow (Oakland’s Zack Miller seems to have a nice rapport with his QB). LJ Smith, who is in as my rival’s tight end, is doubtful to play, and may end up supplying a fourth batch of jack shit for him.

He got 66 damn points from his KICKER. That would be infuriating, if it weren’t for my ludicrous 96 POINTS from Matt Prater. That’s nothing short of ridiculous…and shows the insane totals that can be reached when his MISSING a 28 yarder resulted in 2 points…for a MISS. Gotta love that. The only guy in this game to outscore Prater was Laveranues Coles, who beat him out by 1 point, and that was on a day where had had 8 catches for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Defensively, I’m very pleased. Good numbers from every defender but one (a second doesn’t play until tomorrow). Best game from the D so far this year. He also got solid numbers from his guys there, so that was a tie…except, again, he had two nothings for playing guys more likely to sip a mai tai than to hit a running back this week.

So, unbelievably, this may already be callable. He has LJ Smith, if he even PLAYS, going tonight, as well as Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman. The only guy I have left is Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison tomorrow night. Technically, he COULD still pick up 2 defenders from the 4 teams yet to play and sub them in, but he’s shown no willingness to do that so far, so I’m hardly worried about it happening. I’m up about…135 points as it is, and if he HAD played some of his bench guys, this would still be in play. I’m happy to probably be approaching 4-0, but the circumstances around it baffle the shit out of me.

MVP : Matt Prater. The KICKER. 96 points. Nuff said. (Not quite, actually, as I would like to complement Steven Jackson on a fantastic 61 point performance of his own).

LVP : Laron Landry. ONE GODDAMN TACKLE. ONE TACKLE. A competitive, smashmouth football game, and this little fairy has ONE TACKLE. Hell, I WATCHED this game, and didn’t even realize he was PLAYING until the second quarter, when the announcers mentioned his name for the first time to point out his MISTAKE. It was noting but screwups all day for this load of shit, including at least 2 instances where he seemed to be running AWAY from the ball. Fuck this loser. He is a LOCK to be thrown aside like the subhuman filth he is, tomorrow, and replaced. Fuck, I bet the damn WATERBOY made more plays than this pitiful eunuch. Blech.

UPDATE : Yeah, it’s pretty damn official, now, considering LJ Smith DID NOT play. I cannot state enough how strange it is that the other team owner left in a bunch of guys who weren’t playing due to bye weeks, and one (Smith) who was described as having maybe a 10% chance of suiting up for his game…and even if he HAD, to have odds that low for even playing, how effective could he have been? Odd…ESPECIALLY since he DID make a move to bring in a new defensive back the day I wrote up my preview…he didn’t have Quentin Jammer on his roster until that day. Yet, instead of subbing him in for Sammy Knight, he replaced a different, active player, and left in Bye Week boy…and then never did change the rest of hios Bye week specials out. Weird, weird, weird…but I’ll take it.