Reaction to Week 16: We are well past the home stretch at this point, but after all these holiday goodies, we need to do a little stretching. Is anyone even reading this? Let’s see how I did with last week’s sitters. For QB, I said to sit Jordan Love and Lamar Jackson. Love had 219 yards passing, 12 yards rushing, and 3 TDs. I was wrong to sit him. In his game, Jackson had 252 yards passing, 45 yards rushing, and 3 TDs. Sadly, I was wrong to sit him too. At RB, I said to sit James Conner and Ty Chandler. Chandler had only 17 yards rushing, but he did manage a TD. Just below projections, so I was still right to sit him. Meanwhile, Conner had 45 yards rushing, 67 yards receiving, and a TD, which puts me back to being wrong again. At WR, I said to sit Terry McLaurin and Davante Adams. McLaurin got 50 yards receiving and nothing else. I was right to sit him. Adams had only 1 catch for 4 yards and no score. I was right to sit him too. At TE, I said to sit Dallas Goedert and Dalton Schultz. Schultz ended up with 61 yards receiving and nothing else, so I continue to be right to sit someone. Goedert did better with 71 yards receiving, but he also did not get a score so I was right to sit him too. This feels nice. For the team defenses, I said to sit the Ravens and the Vikings. The Vikes lost, gave up 30 points, and had 1 sack along with a fumble recovery. Not enough, I was right here too. Then there is the Ravens. The gross Ravens who won, gave up only 19 points and had 4 sacks with 5 picks. Sitting them was not the best choice, but it is still better than actually cheering for them.
Week 17 brings us to the next to last games of the season. For some, your championships, for others, just another week, and for the rest of you, you are done and not reading this anymore. For those of us who are still playing, let’s see who we should sit in this pivotal week.
QB:
Jake Browning: Was gonna bench him against the Chiefs solid secondary anyway, but I am for sure going to after he looked against Pittsburgh last week. Hopefully, who you benched to start playing him has a better matchup.
Tua Tagovailoa: Dare you? If possible, I would bench him against the Ravens who made Purdy look bad last week. The Ravens are 4th in INTs and lead the league in team sacks. Not the kind of pressure you want your QB to avoid.
RB:
James Cook: He has done well recently, and he did well the last time up against the Pats, but their team D is better now than then. The Pats rush D has the best, and by the best, I mean the lowest ypc. Don’t think the volume usage for Cook will be there to make up for this.
Derrick Henry: He was held to 9 yards on 16 rushes by the Texans the last time these 2 teams played. He might not do that bad this time, but he will still be held down by the Texans, who have the 2nd best, and by 2nd best I mean the next to lowest ypc against them.
WR:
Calvin Ridley: I was right to start him last week, but he is back on the bench this week against a Panthers team that has allowed the fewest passing yards through today.
Chris Godwin: The last time out against the Saints, he had the better game between him and Evans. I say it switches this time, and Evans has the game while Godwin is on the outside looking in.
TE:
Evan Engram: 3 of the last 4 weeks he has done well. This week he has a Panthers D that is bottom 3, and when I say bottom I mean in a good way, in catches allowed to the position.
Dalton Schultz: He has been average since his injury return. He has a Titans D that is, statistically, one of the best against the position. Not a favorable matchup.
Defense:
Saints: They have been matchup dependent all year. On the road to an above average offense in Tampa is not a matchup I like fo them, especially in such a meaningful game for both.
Patriots: Yes, their D is good, but the Bills are playing well right now. Not enough fire power by the Pats offense to overcome what the Bills offense will inevitably do.
By Brooksie on December 30, 2023