After a 9-7 Week 17 against the spread, my 129-118-9 season record means there's a new RotoWire Staff Picks champion. Like Matthew McConaughey's character in "Two For The Money," all I do is work out and pick winners. Only I don't work out.
It's tough to find fault with Tom Brady's 2007 season, but it is a little crazy to think how long it took him to beat Peyton Manning's TD record after throwing 30 scores over the first half of the season. Manning, who did have the benefit of playing in a dome, did not have the NFL's most gifted receiver (Randy Moss) at his disposal and also sat out all of Week 17 during his record-setting performance…New England didn't just go 16-0 this season, they did so winning on the road against the NFL's next two best teams (Indianapolis and Dallas)…Since I'm all about upside, I'll be the sucker drafting Brandon Jacobs way too early next season. The more I think about it, the more I'm feeling him as a first round pick.
Few probably watched it, but the Seattle/Atlanta game was actually one of the best of the season…Chris Redman quietly put up 7.5 YPA or more in three of his four starts this year…If Roddy White ends up on your fantasy team next year, you won't be sorry.
I was surprised to find out the Saints' secondary was even worse than Kyle Orton at quarterback…Drew Brees completed more passes in a season than any other QB in the history of the NFL this year…Here are Brees' stats in the red zone for the 2007 season: 23:0 TD:INT ratio and zero sacks. That's pretty solid...The Bears' defensive line was banged up, but do not underestimate just how good Pierre Thomas was Sunday. Unless you can nab an Adrian Peterson type, it's next to insane to spend an early draft pick on a running back. I'd honestly rather Thomas starting in my backfield than I would Reggie Bush.
Hide the women and children when Chris Weinke steps onto a football field. Words can't describe how poorly he played against a terrible Browns' secondary Sunday…The Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn saga is an interesting development…Forget Rookie of the Year. Patrick Willis is the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.
Brandon Jackson looked halfway decent Sunday, and only 16 weeks too late…Ryan Grant is going to be one of the more debatable fantasy players entering next season…I'm not sure if Mike Martz is a really good or a really bad offensive coordinator.
I'm going to be sure to draft Ron Dayne next year and stash him. There hasn't been a better fantasy running back over the last few weeks of each season over the last two years…Jacksonville might very well go into Pittsburgh and win again this week, but the stats say the Steelers come out on top.
The Ravens were inches away from becoming the only team to beat New England and lose to Miami during the 2007 season…I love how every move the Dolphins make now seems like life-or-death because Bill Parcells is running the show. Is there a more overrated person in all of sports?
The Eagles are playing some of the better football right now, and I'd argue they'd beat the Redskins regardless of venue. They had the hardest schedule in the NFL this season…Where do you take Marshawn Lynch in fantasy leagues next year? I hate drafting RBs who play with poor quarterbacks.
It's been beaten to death, but why did John Fox give so many more carries to DeShaun Foster instead of DeAngelo Williams this year? I liked the version of Foster more when he was explosive and always hurt…The Panthers really hit a home run by selecting Jon Beason with the 25th pick in last year's draft.
Troy Smith, NFL quarterback? I still doubt it, but he has looked more competent than I expected…Reason No. 3,867 why RBs are the most fungible position in football: Cory Ross.
It seems to me Terrell Owens is awfully important to this Dallas offense…Clinton Portis definitely exceeded my expectations this year. Imagine what he would have done if seemingly every member of the Redskins offensive line didn't get hurt…Washington became just the fourth team ever to reach the playoffs after a 5-7 start.
I get that theoretically it's better to focus on the future than smaller short-term goals, but in my estimation, you'd have to be brain-dead to hand Matt Leinart the starting QB role over Kurt Warner next season…Put a fork in Edgerrin James, he's done…It's safe to say Marc Bulger didn't have a very successful 2007 season.
What Brandon Marshall did as a sophomore is underrated. Cutler to Marshall is the new Montana to Rice…Speaking of which, there is not a better quarterback to target in fantasy leagues next year than Jay Cutler…Chester Taylor's 2007 season was one of the most underrated in the NFL…Maybe Adrian Peterson's lackluster finish to the year will allow him to slip in next year's fantasy drafts. Instead of going No. 1, maybe he'll fall all the way to No. 2.
After JaMarcus Russell's first pass of the game Sunday turned out to be one of the worst of the 2007 season, he actually put together a solid performance…The Raiders have a very good running game…While he's never broken out as some expected, mainly because LaDainian Tomlinson is as durable as they come, it will be interesting to see where Michael Turner ends up during the offseason.
The Brodie Croyle versus Kellen Clemens matchup Sunday was about as ugly as it gets…All of a sudden, Chad Pennington doesn't look so bad. And neither does Damon Huard…D'Brickashaw Ferguson has quietly become one of the bigger draft day busts in recent memory. He allowed the second most sacks in the NFL this season. Only Jeff Backus allowed more, and at least he had the excuse of playing for pass-happy Detroit.
Is it just me, or did the Colts' offense drop off after Peyton Manning exited?...It's Craphonso Thorpe's world, and the rest of us are just paying rent…Marvin Harrison apparently suffered the worst bruise in the history of bruises.