Week 13 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some random thoughts and observations about Week 13 as I continue to wonder why some people still have a thing about Gardner Minshew.

Look, here’s the thing about Minshew. He’s a decent backup QB. But that’s all he is, OK? People really need to stop thinking he’s anything more than that.

ESPECIALLY Eagles fans.

And ESPECIALLY Eagles fans this week during their bye.

Do you hear me?

I get it. You’re all giddy. He played all right yesterday against the worst team in football. He has a moustache. He looks like Uncle Rico. He’s a walking Twitter Gif. It’s all fun. Woo Hoo. But there is no quarterback controversy in Philadelphia among people with an IQ in double digits. There just isn’t.

The only people who believe there’s a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia right now are those who believe the Eagles would’ve lost to the Jets if Jalen Hurts was the starting QB. And if you believe that well with a due respect, you’re a monumental idiot. Hurts could have his limbs surgically removed and he still would beat the Jets.

The Eagles didn’t win on Sunday because Minshew was the QB. They won on Sunday because they played the Jets, and the Jets are horrible. Don’t believe me? Sam Darnold beat them this season.

SAM DARNOLD.

If you don’t understand that you might as well exit the conversation now.

So please let’s not start a QB controversy in Philadelphia that doesn’t exist because it’s just going to make everyone dumber who will be exposed to it. Thank you.

Miles Sanders topped 140 yards on Sunday, got vultured for a touchdown and then got hurt. That’s pretty much the complete 2021 Miles Sanders Experience.

On behalf of everyone who started Dallas Goedert anywhere on Sunday we want to thank the Jets for their first-half decision not to cover him. Brilliant I say. Absolutely brilliant.

The good news for the Jets on Sunday? We found out Zach Wilson doesn’t kill Elijah Moore after all.

Taysom Hill, 100 yards rushing, two TD passes and four interceptions. QB1. The Taysom Hill Experience in a nutshell.

The Saints’ defense is starting to get a bit of a pulse. If Al Kamara can return in Week 14 and Hill can cut back on the mistakes maybe, just maybe, New Orleans can make a run. The schedule definitely lightens up.

Look folks, we all can see Zeke Elliott is hurt. Everyone can see it. The Cowboys know it too, but they simply don’t want to make the obvious move and give Tony Pollard more touches. I’m not saying they need to make him their lead back because that’s obviously not going to happen, but they only gave him nine touches against the Saints when he obviously should be getting at least 15 a game.

We’re 13 weeks into the season so we’re all screaming into the void at this point. The stats and eyeball tests all say the same thing, but the Cowboys refuse to acknowledge reality. So, we’ll all just sit here and watch Zeke slog his way to 40-50 yards a game and the occasional touchdown while Pollard looks dynamic with the 10-11 touches or so he gets every week.

Yay.

At this point can we all just agree Tom Brady is gonna play until he’s 60?

I’m not gonna tell the Bucs what to do in the offseason but if they don’t sign Chris Godwin to whatever deal he wants they’re insane. OK I’m pretty sure I just told them what to do.

I really … like REALLY … wanna see Russ Gage on a good team some day before his career is over.

I’m not sure who started the whole Andy Dalton is better for Darnell Mooney than Justin Fields narrative but hopefully he shut the hell up after Sunday’s debacle. It was never true to begin with – The majority of Mooney’s double-digit fantasy games this season have come when Fields started – and the Bears’ best offensive games this season have come when Fields has started.

Matt Nagy punting at midfield down 14 and phasing Mooney out of the game plan for the bulk of Sunday’s game was pretty much going Full Nagy. This is your reminder to never go Full Nagy.

So, Kyler Murray’s back and that’s not good news for the rest of the NFC.

Things I regret about the 2021 fantasy season Part 1: Not listening to my own preseason advice and getting more shares of James Conner. I Tweeted about what a great value he was throughout the drafting season and hyped him up on our Sirius show repeatedly and then didn’t target him as aggressively as I should have. Granted I didn’t see him scoring 8,000 touchdowns this season, but I definitely hyped him up as having double-digit TD upside. I laid it all out throughout the preseason and then didn’t listen to myself in enough leagues.

Idiot.

Speaking of guys who are back, welcome back Mike Williams. That’s more like it. Now keep it going. The fantasy playoffs are just around the corner.

Stay healthy Austin Ekeler. You are having such a fantastic season. We do not want to lose you too.

Be honest – Who throws a prettier ball: Taysom Hill or Keenan Allen?

Figures an injury would be the thing that would stop Adam Thielen from scoring touchdowns.

If we’re being honest, the Vikings really should’ve lost the last time they played the Lions. So, Sunday was poetic justice.

And probably the end for Mike Zimmer.

With Thielen out for a few weeks at least, how many receptions we giving Justin Jefferson a game now – 15? 20? 25? 30?

I’ve never been a big Tua Tagovailoa fantasy guy. He’s just never wowed me. I decided to back him on Sunday for three main reasons. The matchup wasn’t daunting vs. a middling Giants’ defense, Miami can’t run for chit, and he had his Top 3 weapons with DeVante Parker back. He proceeded to Full Meh on me and show me why I never back him. He wasn’t terrible. 244 and 2. Decent numbers to be sure. He just was … meh. Boring. Solid. OK. No upside. Perfectly capable.

That’s pretty much who he is as a fantasy QB. The kind of guy who probably won’t kill you if you start him but also the kind of guy who will never win any weeks for you. No real upside. So … meh.

And yeah, that’ll be the last time I back him. Learned my lesson.

Dear Frank Reich: The whole T.Y. Hilton vs. the Texans narrative only works if you put T.Y. Hilton on the field vs. the Texans. It’s very difficult for him to do well if he’s standing next to you on the sidelines for the whole damn game. Chit ain’t complicated.

I fully expected Jon Taylor to do his thing against Houston on Sunday. The matchup was obviously fantastic for him. But I thought Reich would throw Hilton a bone given how Hilton absolutely destroys the Texans historically. Hilton, though, barely played in the game and only caught two passes and so that narrative has now been destroyed forever thanks to the giant empty void within Frank Reich where his heart should reside.

The 49ers lost to Seattle on Sunday without Deebo Samuel, and the only reason Samuel didn’t play is because is he was hurt. Why was he hurt? Because last week head coach Kyle Shanahan had to prove he was the smartest guy in town and played Samuel at RB too often (Reminder: Samuel is a WR, not a RB). Hopefully Samuel can return in Week 14 and even more importantly let’s hope Shanahan learned his lesson and doesn’t put his best player at risk again.

Adrian Peterson vs. Zeke Elliott: Who wins a lumber off?

Peterson rushed 11 times for 16 yards on Sunday and for Seattle this counts as progress in the backfield. Man does this team miss Chris Carson.

On the plus side for Washington, Antonio Gibson is really revving up and he had another good game on Sunday as the offense is now revolving around him. On the negative side, Taylor Heinicke really underwhelmed in a plus matchup despite throwing two TDs. He failed to top 200 yards against a bad defense and Heinicke’s inability to make plays downfield crushed Terry McLaurin, who was held under 60 yards receiving for the sixth time in his last eight games.

MUCH worse for the WFT was the season ending injury to Logan Thomas who was having a good day in the win over the Raiders. With Thomas done and McLaurin struggling due to Heinicke’s issues, WFT is likely going to lean on Gibson even more the rest of the way. He looks like a potential league winner.

Things I regret about the 2021 fantasy season Part 2: I really thought Trevor Lawrence would be this year’s Joe Burrow (minus the season ending injury). In other words, I thought Lawrence would be on a terrible team and forced to throw a ton and end up putting up QB2 numbers. But Lawrence just looks lost. Granted, Urban Meyer is in way over his head as an NFL head coach and that hasn’t helped but Lawrence doesn’t look like he has a feel for the game right now either.

It’s December and I don’t see him making the necessary adjustments I’d like to see a rookie make at this time of the season. I’m not writing him off by any means, but this looks like a lost season, and he is certainly someone I missed on horribly with my preseason analysis.

Dear Van Jefferson: You need to watch Dionte Johnson and learn from him. He’s worked hard at not dropping so many passes and he’s removed it as a weakness in his game. You can learn from that. If you stop dropping so many passes your future is going to be really bright.

The Jaguars tried to cover Cooper Kupp with a linebacker on one of his routes on Sunday. No really that was an actual defensive play call they dialed up.

Honest.

No really.

I’m pretty sure Kupp is still laughing at them.

Speaking of Dionte – Is there a more underrated WR in the game right now than this guy? I don’t think so. His TD drop on Sunday was shocking because it’s so rare this season to see him drop a pass. That’s how much improvement he’s made in that aspect of his game. He then went on to ball the F out against Baltimore catching not one but two touchdowns, including the game winner on an absolutely insane route run near the end zone in the final minute.

Outstanding route runner. Terrific after the catch (remember he used to be a return man when he first came into the league) and now blessed with great hands. Total package WR. And yes, a Top 10 WR. Folks, please stop asking me if you should start him each week. He’s Dionte F’n Johnson. If he’s on your roster you know what to do.

I realize Ted Bridgewater is a below average QB but if you are an NFL team with Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy and you can’t figure out a way for them to catch more than six passes combined the problem goes far beyond who your QB is.

The Chiefs have a five-game winning streak primarily because of their defense, not Pat Mahomes. Just like everyone predicted.

And finally, if you started Pat Mahomes, Joe Mixon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Tyreek Hill, Darnell Mooney, Brandon Aiyuk and Travis Kelce you clearly deserved to lose to the team that started Jared Goff, Kenneth Gainwell, Travis Homer, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Deonte Harris, Jalen Guyton and Ryan Griffin. Do you not look at my rankings each week? What the hell is wrong with you people?