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Dec 13, 2011

10 Things I Learned on Sunday: Week 14

Written by: James Burulcich
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Just when you thought you’ve seen everything that the NFL has to offer, it blesses us with new gifts for the holiday season. On Sunday, we watched five teams—the Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and New York Giants—achieve comeback victories of 12 or more points for the first time in the league’s history. The Denver Broncos seemingly walked on water in the fourth quarter and notched their sixth straight victory, this time over the Chicago Bears. Week 14 was certainly an incredible week of football. Here’s what I learned on Sunday:

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Dec 9, 2011

2011 Week 14 NFL Game-by-Game Previews

THE STORY: Aaron Rodgers proved last week just how difficult it will be to hand the Green Bay Packers their first loss. And with three of Green Bay's final four games at Lambeau Field, the 1972 Miami Dolphins' champagne may be on ice for a while. Rodgers and the NFC North champion Packers look to secure a first-round bye Sunday when they continue their pursuit of perfection against the visiting Oakland Raiders. The signature moment of Rodgers' other-worldly season came last week when he led the Packers to a last-second, 38-35 road win over the New York Giants - their 18th straight victory. The Raiders, who haven't reached the postseason since 2002, had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 34-14 loss to Miami. The loss dropped Oakland into a tie with Denver atop the AFC West.

TV: CBS, 4:15 p.m. ET. LINE: Packers -11, O/U 52.5

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (7-5): The Raiders trailed 13-0 before they recorded a first down last week. As a result, Oakland's fourth-ranked rushing attack (140.6 ypg) was a non-factor (14 carries, 46 yards). In fact, the Raiders running game also struggled the previous week (73 yards vs. Chicago). Prior to that, Michael Bush averaged nearly 121 yards in three contests while filling in for Darren McFadden (foot), who's expected to miss a sixth straight game. McFadden isn't the only one hurting. Carson Palmer's receiving corps has been decimated by injuries. Chaz Schilens (six catches, 89 yards vs. Miami) had been one of the only healthy receivers, but even he's dealing with a foot injury. Oakland is 27th in in the league in scoring defense (25.7 ppg), but it has the ability to pressure Rodgers (33 sacks, seventh in the league).

ABOUT THE PACKERS (12-0): Green Bay joined the 1998 Denver Broncos as the only defending Super Bowl champions to start 12-0 by surviving its closest call to date. That's because Rodgers' brilliance continues to mask the Packers' defensive deficiencies (31st, 397.8 ypg). After the Giants tied it with 58 seconds left, Rodgers needed just five plays to set Mason Crosby up for a 31-yard game-winning field goal. Rodgers was 28 of 46 for 369 yards and four touchdowns and has now thrown at least two scores in 12 straight games, one shy of tying the NFL record shared by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Green Bay leads the league with 23 interceptions and should have former Raider Charles Woodson available. Woodson (concussion) practiced Wednesday and is expected to face the team with which he spent the first eight years of his career.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Packers' winning streak is tied for the second longest in NFL history. The 2003-04 New England Patriots hold the record with 21 straight wins.

2. Raiders CB Chris Johnson left the team Wednesday to be with his family after his sister was shot and killed during a domestic dispute. He is expected to play on Sunday.

3. Green Bay will clinch a first-round bye with a win or a New Orleans loss.

PREDICTION: Packers 34, Raiders 20. Oakland may come out inspired after getting embarrassed, much like the Giants did, but Rodgers will shrug them off too.

WEEK 14 GAME-BY-GAME PREVIEWS (click to view)

Raiders at Packers	Browns at Steelers	Bills at Chargers	Giants at Cowboys
Rams at Seahawks	Bears at Broncos	Texans at Bengals	Falcons at Panthers
Patriots at Redskins	Vikings at Lions	Buccaneers at Jaguars	Colts at Ravens
Chiefs at Jets	Saints at Titans	Eagles at Dolphins	49ers at Cardinals

**BEAT THE BRUNO BOYS $350 WEEK 14 FREE CONTEST - TOP 20 PAID**

We’ve partnered with DraftStreet.com to provide our fans an opportunity to play WEEKLY salary cap fantasy football against the Bruno Boys Staff. Through the first nine weeks of the NFL season we have given away over $5,600 in cash prizes. This week, we are offering a $350 free roll in which the TOP 20 win prize money. Make sure to sign-up now for a chance to win money and take on the Bruno Boys… IT’S FREE!!

Please use this link to enter: Week 14 $350 Contest (click to register)

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Dec 9, 2011

2011 Fantasy Football Roundtable Part II: Week 14 Predictions

Written by: Jimbo Jones
Staff Contributor: Ryan Czopek
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Welcome to the 2011 Fantasy Football Roundtable Part II: Week 14 Predictions featuring Who’ll Have the Better Fantasy Week?, Who Would You Rather Start? and Over/Under predictions about fantasy-relevant players by Bruno Boys staff writers Jimbo Jones and Ryan Czopek. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are Jimbo Jones’ and Ryan Czopek’s—they may or may not be in agreement with the official position of Bruno Boys Fantasy Football. Our goal is to provide readers with additional insights and perspectives on hot topics in fantasy football as well as the week’s most talked about players.

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Dec 9, 2011

2011 Fantasy Football Roundtable Part I: Week 14

Written by: Jimbo Jones
Staff Contributor: Ryan Czopek
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Welcome to the Week 14 edition of the 2011 Fantasy Football Roundtable, our two-part weekly article offering fantasy insights and predictions. Bruno Boys writer Jimbo “Waiver Wire” Jones is joined each week by another member of the team to discuss burning questions and hot topics on the minds of fantasy football owners, offer opinions on the players who flashed or crashed the previous week and make predictions about which players will deliver for their fantasy owners and which ones won’t. Bruno Boys Ryan Czopek mixes it up with Jimbo Jones in Week 14.

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Dec 7, 2011

Touch Me, Baby: Week 13 Targets and Touches Report

- Written by Lane Rizzardini
- Edited by Marc Caviglia

Here it is, playoff time, the best time of any sporting season, even the fake kind. All the sleepless nights waiting for the waiver period to start, all the bantering back and forth for that perfect trade, all the work you’ve done has led you to this. At this point it’s just you and your roster as the waiver wire has likely been picked clean of reliable talent, but the savvy manager is always looking for that edge, that extra information that will make your roster decisions turn to gold.

Yup, we’re talkin’ fantasy football playoffs this week and from now on, so let’s get into it.

**Stat Note: the stat referred to as “Plays” is found by calculating (Carries + Targets)/Total Team Plays**

Running Backs Touches & Targets

	Players	Team	Plays	Carries	Carry%	Season Carry%	Targets	Receptions	Target%	Season Targets	Season Target %	RZ Plays
1	Arian Foster	HOU	35	31	70.50%	52%	4	3	16%	58	17%	7
2	Ray Rice	BAL	32	29	53%	61%	3	2	13%	82	19%	5
3	Toby Gerhart	MIN	29	21	70%	19%	8	8	17%	18	5%	2
4	Roy Helu	WAS	29	23	100%	35%	6	4	13%	51	11%	5
5	Maurice Jones-Drew	JAC	28	20	64.50%	67%	8	6	24%	44	12.50%	3
6	Shonn Greene	NYJ	26	22	73%	57%	4	3	12.50%	28	7%	7
7	Reggie Bush	MIA	24	22	50%	44%	2	0	8%	42	12%	3
8	Chris Johnson	TEN	24	23	74%	70%	1	1	4%	54	13%	3
9	LeSean McCoy	PHI	22	17	68%	63%	5	4	17%	59	14%	6
10	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	22	22	67%	63%	0	0	0%	31	8%	1
11	Beanie Wells	ARI	21	20	80%	69%	1	1	4%	11	3%	2
12	Frank Gore	SFO	21	21	62%	60.50%	0	0	0%	25	8%	6
13	C.J. Spiller	BUF	20	14	61%	17%	6	3	13%	15	3.50%	2
14	Willis McGahee	DEN	20	20	62.50%	46%	0	0	0%	17	5%	0
15	Maurice Morris	DET	19	12	54.50%	24%	7	5	16%	33	7%	4
16	Mark Ingram	NOS	17	16	69.50%	39.50%	1	0	3%	13	3%	1
17	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	16	14	36%	32%	2	2	9%	45	11%	2
18	Ahmad Bradshaw	NYG	16	11	55%	40%	5	2	12.50%	34	8%	3
19	Ricky Williams	BAL	16	16	29%	24%	0	0	0%	15	3.50%	2
20	Rashard Mendenhall	PIT	16	16	69.50%	52%	0	0	0%	22	5%	3
21	Michael Bush	OAK	16	10	71.50%	47%	6	3	15%	30	8%	0
22	Thomas Jones	KCC	16	16	43%	29%	0	0	0%	5	1%	1
23	Ryan Mathews	SDC	16	13	50%	52%	3	3	11%	47	10.50%	1
24	Marion Barber	CHI	15	14	58%	24%	1	0	4%	5	1%	3
25	Donald Brown	IND	15	14	45%	32%	1	1	3%	12	3%	4
26	Dexter McCluster	KCC	14	9	24%	24.50%	5	4	16%	47	13%	0
27	Joseph Addai	IND	14	13	42%	28%	1	1	3%	17	4%	3
28	Michael Turner	ATL	14	14	78%	69%	0	0	0%	18	4%	1
29	Ryan Grant	GBP	14	13	46.50%	30%	1	1	2%	13	3%	1
30	Peyton Hillis	CLE	14	12	70.50%	29%	2	1	5.50%	23	5%	1
31	Cedric Benson	CIN	13	13	59%	60%	0	0	0%	14	3.50%	3
32	LeGarrette Blount	TBB	13	11	41%	54%	2	0	7.50%	19	4%	0
33	Kevin Smith	DET	13	6	27%	12%	7	6	16%	16	3%	2
34	Daniel Thomas	MIA	13	13	29.50%	38%	0	0	0%	12	3%	0
35	DeMarco Murray	DAL	12	12	60%	51%	0	0	0%	34	8%	0
36	Brandon Saine	GBP	12	6	21.50%	2.50%	6	4	13%	7	2%	2
37	Steven Jackson	STL	11	10	43.50%	62%	1	1	4.50%	38	9%	0
38	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	11	11	28%	36%	0	0	0%	17	4%	2
39	Jackie Battle	KCC	11	11	30%	31%	0	0	0%	9	2.50%	2
40	Ben Tate	HOU	11	11	25%	32%	0	0	0%	10	3%	1

Running Back Notes:

1. With James Starks out with an ankle injury, Brandon Saine took on the second half of the Green Bay Packers rushing attack, recording 16 yards on six carries for a pitiful 2.7 yards per carry. He fared better in the passing game with 29 yards on four catches as the better passing back between he and Ryan Grant, but it is clear he is not ready for a big workload yet. Barring you’re in a very deep PPR league and in desperate need for a running back, Saine can be left on waivers for the playoff run, especially with Starks projected to come back Week 15.

2. Dexter McCluster appeared to have a great game Sunday, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown on 14 plays. If you watched the game though, you know the touchdown came on a fluky 38-yard Hail Mary pass at the end of the half, something that doesn’t exactly scream reliable value. Still, he flashed some excellent speed and acceleration as he was able to get into space multiple times, leading to an impressive 6.8 yards per carry average. He’s still too dicey to use in most leagues due to his three-way timeshare and limited experience, but he’s got talent that is worth watching for the future.

3. Kevin Smith was looking like a big contributor after his Week 11 explosion, but an ankle injury quickly derailed his surge, bringing Maurice Morris back into the picture. Smith still played in Week 13 and even scored a touchdown but fell to the ground in a heap untouched during the contest, leaving his status for Week 14 and the future unknown. Morris will likely be carrying the load the rest of the way and despite his deficiencies as a runner (2.3 yards per carry in Week 13) is useful in PPR leagues as a skilled pass catcher in a pass-happy offense.

4. LeGarrette Blount was considered a high-upside start leading up to Week 13 in his matchup against the Carolina Panthers woeful rush defense. He promptly fell on his face, totaling 19 yards on 11 carries as the Panthers stacked the box with Josh Johnson filling in for starter Josh Freeman. It’s not all Johnson’s fault though, as one problem with Blount from a fantasy perspective is his complete lack of ability in the passing game which always threatens to shut off his fantasy value should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fall behind early. This is something to be wary of when considering how to use Blount during the fantasy playoffs, but in Week 14 he should be safe as the terrible Jacksonville Jaguars offense doesn’t figure to be much of a threat to score a lot early, meaning Blount should stay involved in the offense all game.

5. We’re tired of talking about the Washington Redskins offense, but at this point there aren’t a lot of uncertain rushing situations out there, and Mike Shanahan’s backfield decisions are always simultaneously the most frustrating and fascinating stories of the year. So here we are again, discussing whether Roy Helu’s recent 208 yard, two touchdown surge over the past two weeks is legit or not. Considering his play totals and that the only other guy receiving touches is former practice squad dummy Evan Royster you could assume this is a pretty safe situation but again, we’re talking about Mike Shanahan here. If you really need some upside to pull out a victory over the next few weeks go ahead and use him, but be warned you never know what Shanahan will do.

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Dec 6, 2011

10 Things I Learned on Sunday: Week 13

Written by: James Burulcich
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Are you ready for your fantasy playoffs? Many leagues start their playoffs next week and Week 13 was a make or break one for a lot of fantasy owners. I hope you benefited from some of the explosive games had by players such as Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Ray Rice, Hakeem Nicks, Percy Harvin and Rob Gronkowski to name a few. There were also surprising performances from guys who were either on your bench or your league’s waiver wire including Shonn Greene, Pierre Garcon, Demaryius Thomas and Dexter McCluster and Curtis Painter’s backup, Dan Orlovsky. Here are a few things I learned on Sunday.

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Dec 5, 2011

2011 NFL Week 13 Recap: Chargers 38, Jaguars 14

Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes as the visiting San Diego Chargers kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with a 38-14 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.

The Chargers (5-7) scored the final 28 points to snap a six-game losing streak and pull within two games of co-AFC West leaders Denver and San Diego.

Rivers finished 22 of 28 for 294 yards to spark a quick-strike offense that produced three touchdowns in a span of 4 minutes, 22 seconds bridging the halftime break to blow the game open.

He threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final 86 seconds of the first half, hooking up with Vincent Brown for 22 yards and finding Vincent Jackson for 35 yards to send the Chargers into the intermission with a 24-14 lead.

San Diego put the game away on its opening drive of the second half when Rivers connected with Malcom Floyd on a 52-yard scoring strike down the right sideline.

Even with plenty of time left, that was too much of a deficit to overcome for rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars, who entered the weekend as the league's lowest-scoring team.

Ryan Mathews rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown and Mike Tolbert had a 13-yard scoring run as the Chargers won for the first time since a 29-24 victory at Denver on Oct. 9.

The loss capped a turbulent week for Jacksonville (3-9), which fired Jack Del Rio last Tuesday and announced the team was being sold on the same day.

The Jaguars did show flashes in the second quarter as Gabbert led two long scoring drives, tossing a pair of short TD passes to Maurice Jones-Drew and Cecil Shorts to give the Jaguars a 14-10 lead.

Jones-Drew accounted for the bulk of Jacksonville's offense by rushing for 97 yards and catching six passes for 91 more.

Gabbert wound up 19 of 33 for 195 yards with two TDs and one interception.

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Dec 4, 2011

2011 NFL Week 13 Recap: Saints 31, Lions 17

Drew Brees threw for 342 yards and three touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints extended their winning streak to four games with a xx-xx victory over the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

Brees went over 4,000 yards for the sixth consecutive season to help New Orleans (9-3) improve to 6-0 at home and open a two-game lead over the Atlanta Falcons atop the NFC South.

Despite a season-high 408 yards from Matthew Stafford, Detroit (7-5) lost for the fifth time in seven games, enabling Green Bay to clinch the NFC North title.

Brees' third TD pass, a 6-yarder to Darren Sproles with 9:44 to play, blunted a comeback attempt by the Lions, who had erased a pair of 17-point deficits and pulled within 24-17 early in the fourth quarter.

During the Saints' four-game winning streak, Brees has thrown 11 scoring passes and been intercepted only once to reach 30 touchdown passes for the fourth season in a row.

Brees extended his own NFL record by completing at least 20 passes for the 32nd consecutive game and threw a TD pass in his 39th straight game to move within eight of tying Johnny Unitas' all-time record.

The Lions repeatedly killed themselves with penalties, committing 11 for 107 yards. They were also forced to play without star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who served the first of a two-game suspension for stomping on a Packers player on Thanksgiving Day.

Detroit fell into a 17-0 hole midway through the second quarter as Brees led a nine-play 97 yard drive capped by rookie Mark Ingram's 14-yard run and followed it with a 67-yard strike to Bobby Meachem on New Orleans' next possession.

Kevin Smith's 2-yard run capped an 80-yard drive to cut the deficit to 17-7 with 2:28 left in the half, but Brees responded by driving the Saints 80 yards before hitting Lance Moore between defenders in the end zone for a 24-7 halftime advantage.

Brees was 17 of 22 for 252 yards and two touchdowns in the opening 30 minutes.

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Dec 4, 2011

2011 NFL Week 13 Recap: Packers 38, Giants 35

Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns, Mason Crosby kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired and the Green Bay Packers kept their perfect season alive with a 38-35 victory over the host New York Giants on Sunday.

Clay Matthews returned an interception 38 yards for a score and Greg Jennings had a touchdown catch for the Packers (12-0), who have won 18 straight and clinched a playoff berth.

Green Bay survived a huge scare from a Giants' team that has a history of knocking off unbeaten teams. The Packers will win the NFC North title if Detroit loses at New Orleans on Sunday night.

New York was trying to end a perfect season for the second time in four years. The Giants (6-6) knocked off the 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

They nearly did it again. Eli Manning's second touchdown to Hakeem Nicks drew New York to within 35-33 with 1:02 left, and the Giants tied the game when D.J. Ware ran in for the two-point conversion.

Green Bay got the ball with 58 seconds left and Rodgers needed just two plays to get the Packers in field goal range. Rodgers hit Jermichael Finley for 24 yards and then hooked up with Jordy Nelson for 27 more.

Three plays later, Crosby split the uprights and sent the Giants to their fourth straight loss.

It was a spirited effort from a Giants team that was embarrassed by New Orleans 49-24 just six days ago.

Lawrence Tynes' 50-yard field goal pulled New York within 28-27 with just under 11 minutes left. Rodgers responded with his second touchdown to Donald Driver - a 7-yard strike that gave Green Bay a 35-27 lead with 3:34 to play.

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Dec 4, 2011

2011 NFL Week 13 Recap: Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13 (OT)

Kevin Kolb threw a 52-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling in overtime to lift the Arizona Cardinals to a 19-13 victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Beanie Wells rushed for 67 yards and a score and Kolb finished 16 of 25 for 247 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals (5-7), who have won back-to-back games.

The Cowboys (7-5) had a four-game winning streak snapped remained atop the NFC East.

Arizona won the toss in overtime and needed five plays for the score. The Cardinals drew a first down on the drive when Dallas cornerback Terrence Newman was called for pass interference on second-and-19.

Kolb picked on Newman for another first down pass to Andre Roberts before unloading the touchdown pass to Stephens-Howling.

It was a defensive battle through most of regulation, with each team managing only one touchdown. The Cardinals tied at 13-13 early in the fourth quarter when Wells capped a 79-yard drive with a 4-yard run.

The Cowboys were driving for the win but could only make it to the Arizona 31-yard line with two seconds to play. Dan Bailey came up short on a 49-yard field goal attempt, forcing overtime.

Tony Romo threw for 299 yards and a touchdown but Dallas rookie running back DeMarco Murray was held to 38 yards on 12 carries.