NFL’s 93rd Season
The First Full Weekend
A lot has changed with Fantasy Football since it first started in September 1962. With many outlets now on the web for fantasy advice, getting up to date injury information and getting various weekly player rankings is just a click of your mouse away. The intent of my notes each week is to give you my view on some of the more subtle matchups each week. A correct tweak here or there to your weekly lineup is the difference between caring and not caring about December fantasy football .
Wrong Reporting On The Rookies
The big story line coming into week one is that we have 5 rookie QB’s starting this weekend, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Brandon Weedon, Russell Wilson, and Ryan Tannehill. This will be the most rookie quarterbacks ever to start on opening weekend in Pro Football history.
NFL Network reported that there were also 5 rookies who started opening day 1950.Once again NFL Network fails to properly grasp the history of this game before January 15, 1967, the date of Super Bowl I.
There was just one true rookie starting quarterback starting on opening day 1950, the Packers’ Tobin Rote. The other 4 NFLN has tabbed as rookies are Otto Graham of the Browns (he was in his 5th pro season in 1950), YA Tittle of the Baltimore Colts (he was in his third pro season in 1950), Frankie Albert, San Francisco 49ers (in his 5th season) and George Ratterman, of the New York Yanks (in his 4th professional season in 1950).
This was their first game played in the NFL, but each had starred in the rival All America Football Conference, a rival league from 1946-1949, which in part merged with the NFL in 1950. Saying these 4 were rookies in 1950 is just not correct. Such a statement would be on par with saying Joe Namath was a rookie in 1970, 2 seasons after winning Super Bowl III. 1970 was the first year of the NFL-AFL merger, Namath had been with the Jets in the AFL since 1965.
Jaguars-Vikings, watch the injury reports Sunday morning, if Jaguar rookie WR Justin Blackmon plays he will score a TD against the 26th ranked pass defense of the Vikings, the Vikings allowed more TD passes than any team in the NFL in 2011 with 34…Redskins-Saints, with WR Marques Colston hurting Lance Moore will be the go to wide receiver for Drew Brees Sunday…Bills-Jets, The Bills have not stopped the run since 1966, or the short pass since 1997, Jet third down back Bilal Powell is not a bad flex start if you need one…Rams-Lions…in the Lions last 8 games in 2011, WR Titus Young scored 8 or more fantasy points in 7 of them, Nate Burleson will get some points also Sunday against a terrible Ram pass defense…
Dolphins –Houston, it finally occurred to the Dolphins that they have no talent and will not make the flight to Houston, they will send RB Reggie Bush though to officially forfeit the game before the coin toss…49’ers-Packers, 49er run defense was the best in 2011, but by virtue of being the starting running back for the best offense in football, Packer RB Cedric Benson should get 70 yards and some goal line carries…Seahawks-Cardinals, no matter what Seahawk head coach Pete Carroll says, I think Marshawn Lynch will be limited at best Sunday, Seahawk RB Robert Turbin is a good start against a Cardinal run defense that allowed15 rushing touchdowns and 124 yards a game on the ground… Panthers-Buccaneers, Buccaneers just do not tackle, with Jonathan Stewart hurting RB DeAngelo Williams will have a big game, even with Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton around to steal short touchdown runs…
Steelers-Broncos, Bronco WR Eric Decker is Peyton Manning’s go to receiver…Bengals-Ravens, this is the worst secondary Marvin Lewis has had with the Bengals by far, WR Anquan Boldin has slowed but will have a big game Monday night…Chargers-Raiders… worthwhile fantasy wide receivers in Oakland have been at a premium since Tim Brown retired, but Rod Steator has a favorable match up against San Diego, who allowed 29 scoring throws in 2011…
