Empty the Bench

By Brian Spencer

I’m faced with one of those difficult decisions that makes you look brilliant when it works and like a total maroon when it doesn’t: think a head coach going for it on 4th and 2 at their opponent’s 40-yard line late in the game, leading by a field goal.

Heading into this evening’s make-up match between the Eagles and Vikings, I hold a narrow 2.79 point lead over my opponent in our league’s Fantasy Football Super Bowl. (Though the rosters have obviously changed since these team previews were written, if you’re interested this is my team, and this is my opponent’s team.)

Here’s the catch though: his starters are all done. He can’t score anymore points… unless, that is, there’s a stat correction later this week that either takes points away from my team and/or adds points to his. The possibility isn’t that far-fetched; I’m sure it’s happened to somebody out there reading this, and in fact it happened to ETB’s very own Mr. Thell last year. He of course still brings it up through bitter, gritted teeth every chance he gets, and I have no interest in suffering the same fate.

That brings me to my ace in the hole: the Philadelphia Eagles Defense. At home against an anemic Vikings offense led by a “quarterback” in Joe Webb that was drafted as a receiver and has practiced all season long as a receiver until a few weeks ago, the Philly DEF is projected to rack up 14.57 points on the night. Logic says that sacks, turnovers, and very few points scored by the Vikings are in the cards… but what if they aren’t? This is the game we call football, after all: it’s unpredictable and stupid and mindnumbing and exhilarating and beautiful and maddening all at once. You truly never know what’s going to happen (unless you’re Vegas, in which case you know almost everything).

In passing, the casual NFL fan would probably say the Eagles field one of the league’s better defenses, and certainly one of the best in the NFC. They’d be kind of wrong. Though the Iggles do lead the NFC in interceptions with 23 (one behind the league-leading Patriots) and are fifth in their conference in sacks (35), they’re allowing over 24 points per, which puts them near the bottom of the NFC. In their last four games they’ve surrendered 113 points, or 28 per. Granted they were playing a number of high-powered offenses, but still… considering the stakes, it’s enough to give me pause.

What if the Vikings come out and control the clock behind a rested Adrian Peterson, limiting turnovers, avoiding sacks, and scoring a few touchdowns? What if Michael Vick throws a pick-six (or two), and/or what if LeSean McCoy fumbles the ball twice and Jared Allen returns one for a touchdown? Points scored by opposing defenses and specials teams still count against Team DEFs.

In our league, -3 points are assessed to a Team DEF when it allows 28 – 34 points, and – 5 when allowing 35 points or more. Could the Vikings put up, say, 31 points while not turning the ball over and not allowing any sacks? I don’t think so–I’m sure most people don’t think so–and that’s why I’m rolling with the Philly DEF. As SCLSU Mud Dogs said this morning, “Definitely play your defense: if your D ends up in the negatives vs. Joe Webb, then you don’t really deserve the title anyway.”

I’ll never hear the end of it if I bench the Philly DEF and lose later this week due to a stat correction; then again, same thing if I start ‘em and they fall flat on their face, finish in the red, and there are no changes to the current scoring. I’ve made my decision: tonight, I’m a hardcore fan of the Philadelphia Eagles defense. Kick some ass, boys.

**UPDATE** Like I said, this is pro football and you never know what’s going to happen: the Minnesota Vikings kicked off the game as 14-point underdogs and walked off the field as 10-point winners. The defense battered and bruised and confused Michael Vick all night long, while Joe Webb earned the “gamer” tag with a controlled, effective performance at quarterback (17-26 for 195 yards, 31 rushing yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs).

As for that Philly Defense? They had me worried there for a minute in the fourth quarter with the Vikings threatening to hang 30+ on the scoreboard, but 2 sacks and a fumble recovery were my saving grace. That, and the fact that apparently touchdowns scored by opposing defense don’t count against Team DEF in our league (Antoine Winfield scooped up a Vick fumble and took it into the endzone).

It’s been an up-and-down fantasy football season, as usual, but after 5 long years without a Fantasy Super Bowl win, I’m happy and fortunate to walk away from both of my highly competitive leagues this year as the league champ.

I clearly owe a thank you to the all-powerful fantasy gods.

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5. Fantasy Football – Week 12 Defense Rankings