The NFL is such a week to week league that it should surprise no one that the Eagles went from losing at home against Arizona's backup quarterback to winning in New York with theirs. Of course, John Skelton was no ordinary backup - he was pushing Kevin Kolb for the starting job - that is, until Skelton was demoted to third string mid-game in San Francisco behind Richard Bartel.
The Giants simply cannot run block, and at this point every run call is a wasted play. Brandon Jacobs got 21 yards on 12 carries last night, and the Giants fell to last in the NFL with 3.2 YPC. Ahmad Bradshaw might return any week now, but I'm not sure how much it's going to matter.
Victor Cruz moves very well with the ball and when he's focused actually has good hands. Somehow he's supplanted Hakeem Nicks as the team's top target, though Nicks is still getting back up to speed after an injury.
Say what you want about Tim Tebow, but I don't hear anyone arguing that the Broncos would have won four their last five with Kyle Orton. That he drove 95 yards for a game-winning score against one of the league's best defenses has to be a data point in his favor, no matter how ugly the rest of the game was. And remember that while the league has yet to adjust to him, he's only made a handful of NFL starts, and the team hasn't by any means been built around his style of play.
Despite being just 5-11, 195 Percy Harvin is one of the NFL's toughest runners. He led all receivers in broken tackles during his rookie year and last year was second in yards after the catch. He's had trouble staying healthy and isn't known for his route running, but could be big down the stretch as a runner and receiver, especially with Adrian Peterson out.
Week 11 saw more scrubs post big numbers than anytime in recent memory. Kevin Smith scored 3 TDs and had 201 total yards, Jerome Simpson had 152 yards receiving, Nate Washington went for 115 and two scores, Jabar Gaffney had 115 yards receiving, Chris Ogbonnaya had 115 yards and a score and Andy Dalton led all passers with 373 yards through the air. Of course, I used Calvin Johnson as my "stud" pick in Yahoo!'s Fantasy Football Live Guru contest, and somehow he couldn't score one of Detroit's seven touchdowns. The two Smiths are the most likely to keep it up as Kevin is just 24 years old and healthy again, while Torrey is the Ravens only deep threat and big play guy in the passing game.
While Kris Jenkins eloquently described the physical punishment to which NFL players are subjected, he neglected to mention the anguish sports bettors and fantasy players suffer on a regular basis. And while players like Jenkins typically have careers of a decade or less, the hard luck gambler is usually in it for life.
The Bucs looked like last year's team in Green Bay, with Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams all making plays throughout the game. I've speculated that maybe the lockout hurt that trio as they're all young and not as used to playing with each other as many veteran players, and if that were the case, you'd expect them to be more in sync in the second half.
Philip Rivers' last interception - when he tossed the ball into coverage while appearing to want to throw it away - would have defied belief had he not made similarly inexplicable decisions all year long. Many have speculated as to why Rivers isn't himself this year (undisclosed injury, personal problems, loss of Darren Sproles and injuries to Antonio Gates, e.g.). but it's clear to me Norv Turner's soul is now operating Rivers' body.
That Mike Shanahan started Ryan Torain again after a 10-carry, 20-yard performance at Roy Helu, Jr.'s expense is bordering on coaching malpractice. When you're winning Super Bowls and finding diamonds in the rough on a regular basis, you can do the illogical and deserve some slack. When you haven't won in years, and your team is a doormat, it's time to start the younger, more explosive player who might establish himself as key member of your next winning team. Starting Torain again this week would be akin to giving Graham Gano a contract extension.
Maybe the Seahawks' defense is underrated, but why has Sam Bradford (4.5 YPA Sunday) not developed at all? He's in danger of going down the David Carr career path.
Aaron Rodgers has 31 TD passes and two TD runs, and there's a still a week to go in November. He's on pace for 50 TD passes, 5072 passing yards, three TD runs and 282 rushing yards. Barring injury, he'll be the No. 1 overall pick in a lot of leagues next year, and even though I like to wait on QBs, I can't argue against it. Only Arian Foster and Calvin Johnson would merit consideration in his stead.