Football Daily Dose: Dose: Romo On The Shelf Again
Thursday’s three-game slate forked over a heaping pile of fantasy action that included huge performances, disappearing acts, and yet another devastating injury that will shape the upcoming fantasy playoffs. Clean out those leftovers from the fridge and saddle up for a breakdown of Thursday’s games and other news from around the NFL in Friday’s Daily Dose.
Detroit 45, Philadelphia 14
Detroit is now in the midst of a three-game winning streak after topping Philadelphia in the early game on Thursday. After their Week 9 bye, the Lions are now 3-0 while allowing just 14.3 points per game and have looked impressive on the defensive side of the ball. The Detroit offense was led by none other than Megatron himself on Thursday, as Calvin Johnson snagged eight of 14 targets for 93 yards and a three-pack of touchdowns. Matthew Stafford threw five scores on the day in his best performance since Week 6, and undercover PPR star Theo Riddick caught five passes for 62 yards and a score in the blowout win. The Detroit offense is not without warts, but this group is trending in the right direction and has a nice remaining schedule outside of a Week 14 trip to St. Louis.
On the other side of the coin, the Philadelphia Eagles lost their third consecutive game and have allowed opposing passers to combine for 583 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and zero interceptions over the last two weeks in a truly awful display of defense. The Philadelphia running game stalled on Thursday, as DeMarco Murray managed only 30 yards on 14 carries and didn’t receive a target in the passing game. With no reliable option at quarterback, the Philadelphia offense will have trouble producing any fantasy goodness moving forward.
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Carolina 33, Dallas 14
Thursday’s second blowout took place in Dallas, as the Carolina Panther handled the Cowboys 33-14 to move to 11-0 on the season. The Panthers rode their defense and running attack in this game, as two early defensive scores set the table for Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart to safely run the Carolina offense as the clock ticked down. Newton was 16/27 for 183 yards with a rushing score, while Stewart totaled 77 yards on 24 touches. The Panthers have a cushy Week 13 matchup ahead as they travel to New Orleans.
The worst news of the day came from the Cowboys sideline, as quarterback Tony Romo is expected to miss the remainder of the season after re-injuring his collarbone. Romo had a rough day before the injury with three interceptions, but his presence will certainly be missed in the Dallas offense. All Dallas receiving options will receive a downgrade for the rest of the season with Matt Cassel under center, and the Cowboys running backs will likely see heavy usage as they did prior to Romo’s return. Dallas’ leading fantasy contributor on Thursday was Darren McFadden, who tallied 56 total yards on 14 touches but struggled on the ground with just 11 yards on 10 carries. Cole Beasley also chipped in with 44 yards and a score, but will be sent back into the waiver wire abyss with Romo out again.
Chicago 17, Green Bay 13
The Bears kept their solid defensive play rolling on Thursday as they held on to beat Green Bay 17-13. The Chicago defense has now allowed 16.4 points per game over the last five weeks and has vastly improved after a tough start to the 2015 season. The backfields were the biggest points of fantasy intrigue in this game, with fantasy owners eagerly waiting to see how Matt Forte would be used upon his return, and whether Eddie Lacy’s Week 11 revival was for real.
On the Chicago side, touches were split nearly evenly on Thursday between Matt Forte and rookie Jeremy Langford. The production was almost identical as well, with Langford stacking up 53 total yards on 13 touches and Forte registering 53 total yards on 16 touches. With a forgiving schedule upcoming for Chicago, both of these running backs will have a chance to contribute, but it is safe to consider Forte the 1A to Langford’s 1B at the moment with a gravy matchup against San Francisco waiting in Week 13.
Eddie Lacy is back. Yes, the fantasy world’s favorite punching bag has now racked up back-to-back 100-yard performances and appears to be in command of the Green Bay backfield once again. Lacy ran for 105 yards on Thursday and added 34 yards and a score in the receiving game as he was the lone bright spot among the Green Bay skill players. James Starks received just 11 touches on the night, and Lacy looks ready to fall back into his fantasy RB1 role for the stretch run. A Week 13 matchup at Detroit is up next for Green Bay.
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Injury Quick Slants
The Atlanta Falcons are preparing as if Devonta Freeman (concussion) will not be ready for Week 12, making Tevin Coleman a safe bet for volume this week in coach Dan Quinn’s backfield. … Frank Gore (knee, quad) was a full participant in practice on Thursday and now has a shot to play in Week 12 after missing practice on Wednesday. Keep Ahmad Bradshaw close in case of emergency. … PPR machine Danny Amendola (knee) was limited in practice on Thursday, and will be worth watching over the weekend as Sunday’s kickoff draws near. Amendola could end up being a game-time decision, which will be tough for fantasy owners as New England plays on Sunday night. … Charcandrick West (hamstring) did not practice on Thursday, leaving Spencer Ware as the favorite to handle running back duties for Kansas City this week. Official news on the status of West’s troublesome hamstring should be announced on Friday, but Ware will likely get a shot to produce for fantasy owners who claimed him from the waiver wire. … Seattle coach Pete Carroll reportedly thinks Marshawn Lynch (sports-hernia surgery) will return at some point this season, but Lynch is tentatively expected to miss about a month of action. Betting on Lynch to return before the end of the fantasy playoffs is a dicey proposition, making Thomas Rawls a crucial fantasy asset down the stretch. … Emmanuel Sanders (ankle) was limited for a second-straight day and should be in line to start in Week 12, but more news should surface in coming days on Sanders’ Sunday status. … Peyton Manning (foot) will miss “at least three weeks,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. In the meantime, Brock Osweiler will continue to start and gets his second opportunity of the season this week against New England. … Kendall Wright (knee) is practicing normally this week and will hit the playing field this week for the first time since Week 8. … Tyrod Taylor (shoulder) improved his Week 12 stock on Thursday by throwing in practice, which puts him tentatively on track to suit up at Kansas City on Sunday. … Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring issue and should be dumped to the waiver wire in all fantasy leagues, as the Falcons signed K Shayne Graham on Thursday.
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