IDP General Admission
Posted 10/16 by Dave Baker, Exclusive to Footballguys.com
Some NFL losses are definitely harder than others. The Bears loss to Atlanta Sunday was one of those rough ones, especially if you're a fan of the Bears. Kicking off with a one-point lead and 11 seconds remaining usually means the kicking team is assured a win. Not this time. A squib kick only went to the opposing 34-yard line and was returned 10 yards. With six seconds now on the clock, the Bears inexplicably allowed a 25-yard corner route to stop the clock with one second remaining, whereby a Jason Elam field goal left the Bears and their fans looking like a deer in headlights. So who was to blame for this nightmarish ending?
While there was enough blame to go around, such as Lovie Smith for the squib kick, defensive coordinator Bob Babich for the play call, safety Mike Brown for failing to make the play on the ball, or even the game clock operator, the one player that seemed at most direct fault was cornerback Marcus Hamilton. The problem here is that even some diehard Bears fans were wondering, who is Marcus Hamilton, and why was he in the game on such a crucial play?
Hamilton was a 7th round draft choice in the 2007 NFL draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then was promptly sent to the team's practice squad. He was promoted from the practice squad this year in week three, interestingly for their game against the Bears, and was waived shortly immediately thereafter. Two days after the game, the Bears claimed him off waivers...
Fast forward to Sunday and the Bears were suddenly faced with a crippled secondary. Nathan Vasher missed his second straight game due to a wrist injury. Charles Tillman, who had 7-0 tackles in the first half, sat out the second half with nagging shoulder issues. Trumaine McBride left the game with a shoulder injury and Danieal Manning pulled a hamstring. That left the inexperienced Hamilton in the game and the Bears with a loss...
The play call for the Bears in that crucial moment was a "Loose 2", a variation within their Tampa 2 defense. That should have meant Hamilton played a bit deeper to alter the pass in any possible corner route. Instead, Hamilton shockingly bit on a possible short pass to Jerious Norwood in the flat and Brown could not recover to make the play on the ball. A big mistake, sure, but it took several injuries and odd circumstances to place Hamilton there at that moment. It's unlikely either he or Bears fans will forget about it anytime soon...
Oft mentioned in this column, Colts DE Robert Mathis did not start Sunday against the Ravens, but he sure made an impact. Making an impact on the field is a pattern Mathis has formed in his NFL career, usually by causing fumbles and sacking quarterbacks. Mathis had 6-0 tackles, a forced and recovered fumble and was all over Ravens' QB Matt Flacco for three sacks...
As long as the Colts offense can generate points early on and obtain a nice lead, look for Mathis to remain one of the most productive ends for IDP owners, even coming off the bench...
It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was writing about Vikings DT Kevin Williams and how his production from early on in his career had all but vanished. His fantasy production dipped by more than 50% from 2004 to 2005. He had 21.5 sacks after his first two seasons, but in the three seasons since he only had 10.5 total sacks. He had 52-17 tackles in 2004 but only 31-10 the following year and since then he has not even reached those numbers...
While there were several reported reasons for his drop in numbers, with theories ranging from off field issues to nagging injuries, many in the know felt that Williams remained just as impactful and talented on the football field, even with the decreased stats. And this is further evidenced by his Pro Bowl selections the last two seasons. Regardless, those in the IDP community had almost universally disregarded Williams as a viable option, even in DT must-start leagues, saving a roster spot as a backup DT at best...
The basic reason for Williams' downfall as the top DT in the game revolves around double teams. For the most part, Williams has faced double teams almost every time the ball is snapped. While this is not uncommon for many defensive linemen, Williams seemed to always get special attention. That is, until Sunday in their game against the Detroit Lions. Facing one-on-one matchups for most of the game, Williams exploded with 8-0 tackles and four sacks. The four sacks are the most by any Viking in almost 20 years...
Williams now has six sacks on the season, or only one less than the previous two seasons combined. But more importantly, he has 22-7 tackles and other than his week two shutout against the Colts, Williams is gathering solid tackle numbers every game. Is Williams a different player this year, or is it simply a byproduct of the overall improved Vikings defense, including the important addition of All-Pro end Jared Allen? While the answer is likely the latter, does it matter to IDP owners? Right now it shouldn't, as Williams looks like a good play for the duration of 2008, especially if you must start a DT every week...
With offensive production led by QB Drew Brees and RB Reggie Bush (as well as WR Marques Colston when he's healthy), I remain a little surprised that Saints DE Will Smith has not been the recipient of more sacks. His sack totals increased steadily from his rookie season until he had ten sacks in the 2006 campaign, and I called for a breakout 2007 for Smith. Instead, he only had 6.5 sacks last year. The good news for Smith is that he had a career-high 66 total tackles and he had five of his sacks in the second half of the year...
With two sacks so far, it's too early to call whether Smith can approach double-digit sacks this year. But with an offense that could cause early and big leads, Smith should have plenty of opportunities to get to the passer. While his forte might be greater in run support, Smith is versatile and there is seemingly no reason he could not see top end production from here forward...
It was no secret that Green Bay free safety Nick Collins struggled a bit last year. He missed three games due to a knee injury and his play was inconsistent throughout. There were offseason rumblings about Collins losing the starting gig to Aaron Rouse this year after an impressive rookie season for the third round draft choice out of Virginia Tech. But Collins held on and is now putting up some solid numbers. He led the Packers with 6-0 tackles in their victory Sunday over the Seahawks and with three interceptions after six games, Collins has already tied his career high despite some persistent back problems...
Collins attributes his success to several factors. He studies film regularly with veterans Charles Woodson and Al Harris and credited Woodson in a Pro Football Weekly interview with being an essential mentor and big brother type. His reputation as someone who takes constant notes in preparation for that week's opponents has certainly helped Collins. While I doubt he can keep up this pace, I've noticed Collins on several waiver wires this year and he could be a valuable addition to your IDP roster...
Cleveland LB D'Qwell Jackson had another nice game Sunday, leading the team with 8-2 tackles in their impressive win over the Giants. It was the third game out of five this season with double-digit tackles. The biggest issue revolving around the former second round draft pick out of Maryland is his health. Although he has only technically missed three games his first two seasons, nagging injuries have been persistent. As long as he can remain healthy, there's no reason he shouldn't end up as a top 20 IDP LB...
Until next week...
Please e-mail me with any comments or suggestions at baker@footballguys.com.
