NFL Week 13 Recap: Weather Wreaking Havoc

Thirteen weeks of football are nearly in the books, and hopefully, your season is still alive. However, if your fantasy players have received earlier tee times than you'd like and you're toast for 2008, remember, it doesn't mean you can stop paying attention.

The best way to ensure that your 2009 season lasts longer than this one is to pay attention to the trends that emerge over these final weeks of the season, preparing you for your 2009 fantasy draft.

A great way to do that is to simply tune into the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football each and every day. With that being said, let's take a look at the Week 13 Weekly Words.

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McNabb Gives Thanks for Starting Job

After being benched by head coach, Andy Reid, in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 12 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Donovan McNabb, bounced back in a big way in a Week 13 Thanksgiving Day special.

Facing an Arizona Cardinals’ defense that has yielded some big games to opposing quarterbacks, including Brett Favre’s 289-yard, six TD performance, McNabb took advantage of the situation to prove that he’s not done yet.

Helping to lead the Eagles to a win, McNabb atoned for his nine and minus-four point outings in Weeks 11 and 12, with a stellar 260-yard and four TD performance. That gave him his best fantasy day of the season with 28 points.

That number will probably stay as McNabb’s tops for 2008. The quarterback’s remaining games are all against teams ranked in the top 20 against the pass, including three in the top 11 (the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Dallas Cowboys).

Still, this bounce back performance will not only give McNabb some job security, but it should also provide him with the confidence he’ll need to put up some solid outings in these tough matchups.

Check back with the Bruno Boys each and every week to see just where McNabb stacks up among the quarterbacks because while his starting job is safe in the NFL, it may not be when it comes to your fantasy line-up.

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The Hot Hands

Heading into the season, neither Thomas Jones nor DeAngelo Williams were expected to be putting up the points these two are tallying week in and week out. Their respective average draft positions of 45th and 87th exemplify this.

At the time, those draft positions were justifiable. After all, Jones had scored just two total TDs in 2007, while it was widely believed that Williams would give way to rookie running back, Jonathan Stewart.

Ask fantasy owners now, and I guarantee nearly 100 percent would be willing to have a do over and use their fourth-round selection and eighth-round selection to snag this pair of runners. And, who could blame them? The two are performing like first-round selections.

Since Week Five, Jones and Williams have been on fire. Combined, the two have totaled 15 double-digit performances in 16 games during that span.

The lone hiccup was a two-point effort by Williams against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Not only are they putting up double digits, but also the two are putting up high double-digit outings.

In his last eight games, Williams has finished in the top 10 for fantasy running backs six times, while Jones has done the same five times. The latest top 10 appearances for both being in Week 13 as Williams went for 32 against the Green Bay Packers and Jones went for 27 against the Denver Broncos. 

No doubt about it, if you want to secure either of these runners in your 2009 draft, the price is going to be a lot higher than a 45th and 87th selection.

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Weather Wreaking Havoc

There have been some bad weather games this season, including that bizarre 11-10 Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the San Diego Chargers played in the snow in Week 11.

However, Week 13 marked the first time this season that we’ve seen bad weather pretty much across the board.  That weather turned what looked like good matchups on paper into poor performances in real life.

These include, but are not limited to, Peyton Manning’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns, in which he finished with one fantasy point, and Brett Favre’s battle with the Denver Broncos, in which he tallied just seven fantasy points.

Week 13 was indeed a wake-up call, a reminder that we’ve hit that point of the fantasy football season where it’s no longer enough to just examine a player’s matchup. It’s crunch time and the season dictates that you put in even more effort. 

Be sure when setting your lineup, you’re also taking into consideration not only who a guy is playing, but also where his game will take place. Dome and warm weather areas will be your friends, and could be the key to leading you to fantasy glory.

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NFL Week 13 Recap: Weather Wreaking Havoc