This weekend the NFL offered a schedule full of intrigue and the results did not disappoint… as long as you are not a Tim Tebow fan.
There were some near surprises and full-fledged shockers. A few rookie quarterbacks came up aces this weekend and Toronto fans finally got to root for an NFL winner.
In Week 8’s marquee match-ups, Ben Roethlisberger outgunned Tom Brady and the Cowboys could not keep the Eagles on the ground.
Here’s a fantasy recap of the weekend that was in the NFL:
Manning dominates for 20-17 win over ‘Phins
Eli Manning’s career season continues as he racked up 349 passing yards and two touchdowns. Victor Cruz was at his best with 7 grabs for 99 yards with a touchdown, while the Giants rushing attack stalled yet again.
The ‘Phins kept things close in large part because of Reggie Bush who racked up 103 rushing yards on 15 carries. However, no Dolphins receiver had more than 55 yards receiving as the offense grew quiet at the end.
Schaub does it all in win over Jaguars
Despite another game without star wide out Andre Johnson, quarterback Matt Schaub lifted Houston with both a passing and rushing touchdown. Arian Foster picked up 112 rushing yards with a score, while three Houston receivers hauled in more than 50 yards.
The Jaguars struggled for the most part, though Maurice Jones-Drew was decent in fantasy leagues with 74 total yards with a touchdown.
Rice holds off Cardinals
After a slow start, Ray Rice caught fire with three touchdowns. Joe Flacco racked up 336 yards including 145 on seven passes to former Cardinals star Anquan Boldin. The star receiver is now on pace for 1200-plus yards this season.
The Cardinals kept it close because of special teams but it was another uneven performance from Kevin Kolb while Beanie Wells had a surprisingly heavy workload with 22 carries for 83 yards with a score.
Jackson helps Rams shock Saints
Even without quarterback Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson led the Rams to victory. In his best performance of the season, Jackson totaled 191 yards with two touchdowns. AJ Feeley was adequate, while Brandon Lloyd made himself at home with six grabs for 53 yards including a touchdown.
The Saints could not establish a rushing attack and Drew Brees threw two interceptions. The lone bright spot, Lance Moore, made seven grabs for 74 yards with a touchdown.
Ponder wins rookie battle with Newton
The Vikings suddenly have some hope and it has everything to do with a rededication to the ground game and the surprising play of a rookie quarterback. Christian Ponder racked up 236 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. Adrian Peterson looked like the best running back on the planet with two touchdowns and 162 total yards. Percy Harvin was also solid with 74 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers were solid, just not good enough. Cam Newton was his usual dynamic self with 290 passing yards with three touchdowns plus 53 rushing yards, though he did cough the ball up twice. The ground game went bust for the Panthers, while Steve Smith and Greg Olsen carried the receiving corps.
Titans defence shuts down Colts
The big new out of Tennessee is that again Javon Ringer outpaced Chris Johnson. It looks like we will have a timeshare moving forward with the hot hand getting the bulk of the handoffs.
Matt Hasselbeck was the one constant in this game, as he was solid with a touchdown and no interceptions. Nate Washington lived up to his billing as the team’s top target with two touchdowns, one on a rushing play and one on a more conventional reception. Damian Williams also chipped in with four grabs for 60 yards.
Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, and Austin Collie all had at least five receptions for 40-plus yards, but no Colts receivers found the end zone. The team’s leading rusher was oddly quarterback Curtis Painter with 79 yards but he also had two costly picks.
Lions bully Tebow
The Lions seemed to have a particular joy in humiliating Tim Tebow. The ex-Gators’ one-time rival Matthew Stafford was clearly the dominant former SEC quarterback. His three touchdowns made this a laugher. Maurice Morris was solid in the backfield with 58 rushing yards and a touchdown. Calvin Johnson had his usual dominant performance, while his rookie teammate Titus Young was also impressive with 66 yards and his first NFL score.
Here are the ugly numbers for Tebow this weekend: One fumble, one interception, seven sacks, and a 46 percent completion rate. Knowshon Moreno showed some promise with 69 rushing yards while Eric Decker put up some solid numbers in garbage time.
Toronto witnesses Bills dominance
The Bills defence pitched a shutout thanks to nine sacks and two interceptions. The offence was also impressive as Fred Jackson racked up 194 yards, Stevie Jackson hauled in six grabs for 57 yards and tight end Scott Chandler came away with another two touchdowns. The sleeper tight end now has six touchdowns through seven games.
The Redskins hardly made a blip on the fantasy radar. Tight end Fred Davis came away with eight grabs for 94 yards, while everyone else was of no fantasy relevance. Starting running back Ryan Torain was the biggest bust with just 20 yards.
Bengals keep winning
The Bengals are now 5-2 as rookie quarterback Andy Dalton tossed two touchdowns in a convincing win. Bernard Scott filled in for the suspended Cedric Benson with 76 rushing yards. Rising wide outs Jerome Simpson and AJ Green each scored touchdowns.
The Seahawks were grounded as Marshawn Lynch averaged just 1.5 yards per carry on 16 carries while also losing a fumble. With Tarvaris Jackson playing catch-up, Doug Baldwin, Sidney Rice, and Ben Obomanu each hauled in 70-plus yards.
49ers outmatch Browns
The 49ers defense was the top weapon, but Alex Smith again did his job protecting the ball while tossing a touchdown. Frank Gore was the big star with 134 rushing yards and a touchdown as well.
Colt McCoy did everything he could but it was not enough with Peyton Hillis out and Montario Hardesty also taking to the sideline with an injury of his own. The fantasy MVP was Joshua Cribbs with his second touchdown of the season, but the wide out does not get enough touches to be considered a legit fantasy option.
Steelers knock off Patriots
Ben Roethlisberger was outstanding against the Patriots with 365 passing yards and two touchdowns. Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown each hauled in 65-plus yards, while running back Rashard Mendenhall gathered 92 total yards of offense.
The Patriots were all about the pass, and only gave their running backs 11 carries to little impact. Tight end Rob Gronkowski led the team with 94 yards while everyone else was kept under 40 in a surprising turn of events.
Eagles pummel Cowboys
Everything finally came together for the Eagles as the offense matched the defense in brilliance. Michael Vick was nearly flawless as he completed 75 percent of his passes with two scores and no turnovers. While he rushed for 50 yards, the bigger story was LeSean McCoy who racked up 185 rushing yards and two more touchdowns. DeSean Jackson was surprisingly quiet while Brent Celek, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin all had big games.
For the Cowboys, a late couple of drives against prevent defenses made the statistics look better than they should have. Tony Romo barely completed 50 percent of his passes and Laurant Robinson, who was brilliant with 103 yards including the lone touchdown, was the only receiver to rack up at least 30 yards.