Five Burning Questions
Just in time for a month before Thanksgiving, this is going to be a very special Christmas in November edition of Five Burning Questions! After all, If Wal-Mart can be ready for Christmas by mid-October, so can I. How will it be different than any other installment of this series? Aside from bad regular jokes becoming bad Christmas jokes, it won’t be.
1.) Why did the Browns’ running backs move to Santa’s naughty list?
Because Alex Mack is hurt.
It seems crazy that one injury would conspire so strongly to derail one of the league’s more effective running games, but it seems that is the case. Before Mack went down, Cleveland was pounding out 4.79 YPC. Since he broke his fibula, all they’ve managed is a Chris Johnson-esque 1.96 YPC. None of Ben Tate (31 carries for 62 yards), Isaiah Crowell (8/19), or Terrance West (12/19) have been able to get anything going without their stud center in the lineup.
For the purposes of the rest of 2014, I think it is pretty fair to expect this to level off, with Tate and whoever his backup is that week putting up solid, if not quite pre-Mack injury numbers. When an offensive lineman goes down, it often take a few games for things to come together. Hopefully that’s all Cleveland needs.
2.) Who is your favorite elf in the NFL?
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It has to be the 5’10”, 190 pound Antonio Brown.
I recently made a significant mid-season update to my wide receiver ranks here on DLF. In them, Brown moved up from a way-too-low 12th to sixth, jumping Dez Bryant, Randall Cobb and Alshon Jeffery among others. I know he is small and small receivers theoretically can’t score touchdowns, but Brown’s outstanding consistency and 15 scores in his last 22 games are impossible to ignore. How consistent is Santa’s favorite elf? He has logged double digit PPR fantasy points in his last 24 games and in 45 of 54 games dating back to 2011.
At only 26 years old and with Calvin Johnson approaching 30 and working his way through an injury for the second straight year, I am strongly considering bumping Brown one more spot to my WR4.
3.) Which is worse: Cam Newton or fake Christmas trees?
The only excuse for not getting a real tree is if you or a child is deathly allergic to pine needles. Otherwise, you are basically no better at life than Matt Schaub is at throwing footballs. Apparently Cam isn’t far behind.
I know the Panthers can’t run, catch, block, or play defense, but Cam still has to play better. Thursday night’s showing was Schaub-level bad, as he showed throwing accuracy on par with a drunk senior citizen chucking softballs at lead milk bottles at the county fair. The Panthers’ second half schedule has more marshmallows than a Boy Scout campfire, but that won’t really matter if Newton is throwing the ball 10 feet over his receiver’s heads.
Because there is a decent chance your team is in trouble if you have been running Newton out there, it is probably wise to look towards next year and beyond. It hasn’t been a huge secret that Cam needs to run the ball to be an elite fantasy option. This season has really solidified that. If anything, I think it is a bit of a wake up call on his long-term dynasty prospects.
The chasm between the top tier (Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck) and the second tier, which is where Cam resides, has widened immeasurably this season. Once a consideration to be in that top group, Newton is world’s away from being on their level.
4.) Can the Seahawks get out of their funk against the Raiders?
As I mentioned in the open, the build-up to Christmas begins around Halloween. As much as I may scoff at Lowes putting out their Christmas displays two weeks ago, I still walk through them every time I stop in for something. I can’t help it, I’m an addict. After more than ten weeks of lights, trees, decorations and music, by the time Christmas Eve hits, I am a powder keg of holiday cheer, ready to explode in a burst of wrapping paper and bows. 36 hours later I wake up on the 26th and it is all over. There is no day more depressing than the day after the best day of the year.
In the surprise of the 2014 season, the Seattle Seahawks have been stuck on December 26th for nearly two months now. Before the losses to Dallas and St. Louis, there was a less than dominating win against Washington and a loss to San Diego. The squeaker over a very bleh Panthers last week was just the latest in a string of disappointing showings.
To answer the Burning Question, while I think they can get out of their funk this week in a tasty matchup, I’m not sure they will. My fear is that this is less of a funk and more of a Seattle isn’t that good sort of thing. Beating up on the league’s resident whipping post won’t really solve that.
5.) Is DeMarco Murray’s workload a new bike or a lump of coal?
It is readily apparent the Cowboys are intent on feeding Murray 29 times a game until they have to put him on a stretcher. The latest Tony Romo injury means they may have to lean even harder on their stud running back. While Murray’s current 464 touch pace is absolutely fantastic for this season, it terrifies me for what 2015 will be like.
A quick look at recent history shows us only four players have hit the 450 touch mark since 2000: LaDanian Tomlinson, Eddie George, Edgerrin James and Larry Johnson. Here are their stats the season they reached 450 and the season after:
Aside from LT, things are not pretty. Even including Tomlinson, the full season numbers fall off a cumulative 39.7% with the per-game averages dipping 16.1%.
The good news is aside from Johnson’s historic post-2006 implosion, all three other backs posted multiple very good fantasy seasons after climbing the 450 touch mountain. This all leads me to my advice for Murray owners: Ride him to the playoffs, trade him away in the off-season, then trade for him either during or after the 2015 campaign.
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- How to Win Without Watching Football - July 22, 2021
- 2018 Summer Sleeper: Chicago Bears - July 9, 2018
- NFL Draft Aftermath: Winners and Losers from the AFC North - June 18, 2018
