In both reality and fantasy, Aaron Rodgers' value is enhanced by his willingness to run, and his talent for doing it well. Everyone knows this. Rodgers entered the week as the top overall scorer at his position, thanks in part to the 284 rushing yards four TDs.
But there's downside risk associated with mobile quarterbacks, too. Rodgers was popped by Detroit linebacker Landon Johnson at the end of an 18-yard scramble on Sunday — legal hit, no slide — and his head smacked the turf. Rodgers was slow to get up following the hit, and he was eventually ruled out with a concussion. Watch the play here.
Not exactly the best news for Rodgers owners, not with the fantasy semifinals looming. This is actually his second concussion this season; he was dinged in the Week 5 loss at Washington, but managed to play the following week. You (and the Packers) might not get so lucky this time.
Matt Flynn did nothing of note in relief of Rodgers. In the third quarter, he directed an 8-play drive that ended in a 42-yard field goal. And … well … that was it. No additional scoring. Without Rodgers, the Packers offense managed to put up just three points against a two-win team. Green Bay travels to New England next week. Even with Rodgers behind center, that's obviously a rough match-up. If Flynn is at the controls, all bets are off regarding this offense.
These were a few of the QB-related postgame comments from head coach Mike McCarthy:
"We'll go through the normal protocol that every player goes through as far as a concussion. I don't have a status as to the level of the concussion he has. Anytime you lose your starting quarterback you have to adjust. I thought for the most part Matt Flynn did a good job. … It had nothing to do with who was playing quarterback as far as our lack of production on offense."
That last sentence might be a bit of an overreach, but you understand why he said it. The guy can't come out and say that next week's game is basically a guaranteed L, and he just hopes to keep everyone else healthy.
If your fake franchise has relied on Rodgers — and you somehow survived to see Week 15 — here are a few widely available alternatives, with their end-of-season schedules:
Jon Kitna, 31 percent owned (WAS, at ARI, at PHI)
David Garrard, 44 percent (at IND, WAS, at HOU)
Alex Smith, 19 percent (at SD, at STL, ARI)
Kerry Collins, 4 percent (HOU, at KC, at IND)
Jason Campbell, 11 percent (DEN, IND, at KC)
The best matchups in the week ahead clearly belong to the old-timers, Kitna and Collins. There's still a possibility that Tony Romo (33 percent owned) will return this year, although he wouldn't make an appearance until Week 16 at the earliest. I haven't listed QBs who are at least 50 percent owned, because you have to draw a line somewhere.
You'll notice that I haven't listed Flynn, either. It's unfair to portray him as inept — he's an NFL quarterback, after all, and he went 5-for-8 for 60 yards on the Pack's final drive. (Liked the 4th-and-1 call, but he overthrew it). He's not in the starting discussion for me, however, not on the road against an elite opponent in a must-win week. If you're a Rodgers owner, you're hitting the wire, looking outside the NFC North.
Fourth Quarter
• Christopher Ivory's day ended early due to a hamstring injury. In Ivory's absence, Pierre Thomas rushed for 39 yards on 12 carries. Not really an impressive YPC day for PT, but at least he's back in some capacity. The Saints cruised at home, beating the Rams 31-13. Marques Colston and Lance Moore did most of the damage, combining for 116 yards and three TDs. Robert Meachem was shutout, but it wasn't due to a lack of targets. The hands just weren't working properly. Sam Bradford saved his fantasy day (and ruined Steven Jackson's) with a late 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down.
Related: Check out the closing speed by Bradford right here. Or perhaps the non-speed by Roman Harper.
• Please take note: The Bears won the second half against New England, 7-3. Moral victory! Hooray! Take that, Patriots. (Ahem). Tom Brady was of course fantastic on Sunday, per his usual. The only negative thing you can possibly say about his day is that he remained in the game too long, unnecessarily risking injury. (In the second half, the Bears actually managed to get a few hits on him). Brady finished with 369 yards, going 27-for-40 with three TDs … in a blizzard, against the league's third-ranked defense. Incredible.
• Deon Butler snagged a late touchdown in Seattle's blowout loss to the Niners, but the catch was apparently his last of the year. He fractured his leg on the play. The Seahawks were already playing without the injured Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu. That receiving corps is cursed.
• It's hardly possible to lose a game in a more thorough manner than the Chiefs just did, as they were eviscerated by the Chargers, 31-0. They lost time-of-possession by more than 20 minutes, and they lost the total yardage battle 426 to 67. (Seriously: 67). Brodie Croyle passed for just 40 yards, three of which belonged to Dwayne Bowe. That was simply a complete disaster if you needed anything at all from KC's offense.
• Michael Crabtree, notably, was a dud on Sunday. One catch, one yard. That's it. And his quarterback passed for 255 yards and three scores.
• Just in case you thought a coaching change would fire up the Broncos, um … well, no. Not this week. Kyle Orton was uncommonly bad, finishing with just 166 yards, three interceptions, and a completion percentage of 46.3. He has the Oakland defense on deck, and Tim Tebow lurking on the sideline.
• Chad Henne and Mark Sanchez staged a bad-quarterbacking duel for the ages in New York, combining on a 22-for-62 performance. Sorry to anyone who suffered through that thing, particularly if you had a rooting interest in the Jets (or a fantasy interest in anyone). The game's only touchdown was scored when Brandon Marshall somehow found himself covered by a linebacker. Might wanna bury this week's game ball next to last week's game ball, Coach Ryan.
Early waiver plays for Week 15…
QB Jon Kitna vs. WAS (31 percent owned)
QB Kerry Collins vs. HOU (4 percent)
RB Ryan Torain at DAL (44 percent)
RB Tim Hightower at CAR (45 percent)
RB Javarris James vs. JAC (6 percent)
RB Anthony Dixon at SD (14 percent)
WR Nate Washington vs. HOU (42 percent)
WR Mike Williams vs. ATL (36 percent)
WR Josh Morgan at SD (2 percent)
WR Louis Murphy vs. DEN (7 percent)
WR Arrelious Benn vs. DET (4 percent)
Posted at 10:20 pm ET
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• Well, I can assure you that the weather in Chicago is every bit as bad as advertised. Honestly, it is. High winds, endless snow, falling temperature. At one point in the first half, Logan Mankins actually stuffed Danny Woodhead inside a dead tauntaun just to keep the li'l fella warm.
But still, the Patriots cannot be stopped. Or even inconvenienced. Tom Brady directed first half touchdown drives of 85, 87 and 80 yards (so much for this being a game of field position), and Gary Grayton returned a Johnny Knox fumble for another score. And somehow, Shayne Graham has managed to kick two field goals in impossible conditions. Julian Edelman had a long punt return TD negated by a holding penalty, too. And the half ended on a 59-yard Deion Branch touchdown reception. Of course it did. Not sure if this is Bear weather, but it's clearly Patriot weather. New England's offense outgained Chicago by 240 yards in the first half.
• Apparently someone reminded the Niners that they have one of the NFL's all-time receiving RBs in the backfield. Brian Westbrook mysteriously went without a reception in Weeks 12 and 13, but he's caught five passes for 82 yards in the first half against Seattle. Note the vicious stiff-arm on his 62-yard score. San Francisco QB Alex Smith has actually missed a few throws, but he's posted a monster stat line through two quarters (13-for-20, 195 yards, 3 TDs).
• The Chargers are rolling at home against the Brodie Croyle-led Chiefs, to no one's surprise. Malcom Floyd hauled in a pair of first half touchdown passes, and Vincent Jackson finally made an appearance in a box score. Mike Tolbert walked into the end zone on an 8-yard score. Ryan Mathews is involved, though he hasn't yet done anything to impress the fantasy community. Kevin Acee gave us a dead-on perfect scouting report on the rookie in this tweet.
• Mark Sanchez makes enough mistakes on his own, Santonio. He doesn't need an assist from you or anyone else. This drop is as bad as it gets.
• The Feelys are dominating the Haushkas in Arizona, 16-3. (No Prater. Inactive, groin). Check out the wheels on Jay. That's a kicker, getting the edge, breaking the plane. Outstanding. We all thought that Kyle Orton hit rock bottom in Week 13, but apparently not. He's just 10-for-21 with 91 yards and two picks. The enormous John Skelton hasn't been much better (although his receivers haven't helped), but at least he hasn't turned the ball over.
• Pierre Thomas made his return to the New Orleans backfield just in time, because it sounds like Christopher Ivory may have tweaked a hamstring. That's trouble. Doesn't help my fantasy portfolio in any way.
Posted at 6:15 pm ET
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• If you started Michael Turner on Sunday, then your fantasy team will probably survive to see Week 15. The Burner steamrolled Carolina's defense on Sunday, rushing for 112 yards and three TDs on 28 carries. The Panthers entered the day ranked 27th against the run (133.1 YPG), so Turner's big day wasn't completely unexpected. There's a decent chance he'll carry a few imaginary teams into championship week, because the Seahawks are on deck. Seattle's defense has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs over the past five weeks.
• It's worth noting that Carolina's backfield actually delivered a respectable performance against Atlanta's D, as Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson combined for 203 rushing yards and one TD. (J-Stew had a 2-to-1 edge in carries; Goodson had the score … and it was sensational). The Panthers face Arizona in Week 15. If you're ever going to be tied to the Carolina offense, that's the time.
• Darren McFadden was spectacular on Sunday afternoon, in a losing effort at Jacksonville. He finished with 209 total yards and three touchdowns on just 19 touches. An utterly dominant performance. The first TD was tremendous, and each subsequent score was better than the last. He showcased every skill you'd want in a featured back, including a devastating stiff-arm. Highlight here.
• And still, the Raiders lost. Maurice Jones-Drew topped 100 rushing yards for the sixth straight week, and his 30-yard TD late in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner. Rashad Jennings joined MJD in triple-digits, needing just five carries to reach 109 yards. While he did most of his fantasy damage on a 74-yard score, Jennings was also brought down just inches short of the goal line early in the second quarter. That play setup David Garrard's 1-yard TD flip to tight end Marcedes Lewis.
• Graham Gano didn't actually have an opportunity to blow the game-tying PAT against Tampa Bay, because the snap went through the hands of holder Hunter Smith. But Gano was no lock to hit that thing, not the way he was kicking. Donovan McNabb connected with Santana Moss for a fourth-down TD with just 0:09 on the clock, setting up the missed XP. On the game's previous play, tight end Fred Davis whiffed on a catch in the back of the end zone.
• OK, so Ryan Torain didn't quite reach 200 yards. But he threatened. Torain finished with 182 total yards on 26 touches, clearly reasserting his position atop the Shanahan backfield hierarchy. For now. Unless Tatum Bell can be located.
• Carson Palmer's stat line was awful (178 yards, 3 sacks, 3 INTs), but it doesn't begin to tell the of his ineptitude. Two of his picks were returned for scores by Pittsburgh's defense, and that was the difference in the game. The Steelers offense never reached the end zone.
• Drew Stanton's special brand of awful was just slightly better than Matt Flynn's brand of awful on Sunday. The Lions edged the Pack in an ugly game, 7-3. We should note that Detroit's defensive front owned the Green Bay line, registering four sacks. You shouldn't expect clarity on the Aaron Rodgers concussion situation until late in the week; we'll browse the replacement options in the fourth quarter.
Posted at 4:50 pm ET
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INACTIVES for the late games include Mike Williams (SEA), Ben Obomanu, and, somewhat surprisingly, Antonio Gates. Take evasive action, quickly. Randy McMichael is Plan B for the Chargers at tight end.
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• Ryan Torain finally returned to action for Washington in Week 14, and he's done so with authority. Torain's first carry went for 54 yards; check out the ridiculous running lane that opened for him. Tampa Bay's run defense is user-friendly on its best days … and this is clearly not one of its best days. Torain should cruise past 200 yards this week. He needed only seven carries to reach triple-digits, and he managed set his career high in rushing yards after 12 carries. At the break, he'd rushed 18 times for 158.
• Aaron Rodgers threw a first-half interception at Detroit that was entirely the fault of his intended target, Greg Jennings. Perfectly thrown pass, imperfectly received. The football popped into the arms of Amari Spievey. That's the first INT for Rodgers since Week 7. Brutal moment for Jennings/Rodgers owners.
But that was far from the worst moment. Landon Johnson delivered a shot (legal) on Rodgers at the end of an 18-yard scramble, and the Green Bay QB is reportedly concussed, done for the day. Matt Flynn is in the game, looking terrified. Rodgers was clearly dazed. He's obviously no lock to play in Week 15.
• If you haven't yet seen FOX's video of the Metrodome roof collapse, check it out right here. That's insane. The Giants-Vikes game has been rescheduled for 7:20 pm on Monday night, in Detroit. Yup: Detroit. Free general admission tickets will be available at the Ford Field box office at 9:00 am ET on Monday. Go get 'em, America.
• Troy Polamalu may have wrapped up the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award when he vaulted over the goal line on this pick six. That guy has some skills. He and kicker Shaun Suisham handled all the scoring in the first half for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger (rhinoplasty) is looking like an extra in Clueless. He's accomplished little in the first two quarters (99 yards, no TDs), not that you were expecting much after the recent pair of dud performances. He's clearly hurting, too.
• Bucs rookie receiver Arrelious Benn is the unrivaled master of the long reception that doesn't quite result in a TD. He hauled in a 64-yard non-score against the Redskins. File away the name for next year's draft.
• Jason Campbell is off to a terrific start at Jacksonville, throwing for 204 yards and two scores in the first half. Darren McFadden accounted for 67 of those yards on this sensational early TD. That'd be 4.33-speed in action right there.
• Not today's MVP: Graham Gano. He's missed a pair of early layup field goals for Washington (34, 24). That's a team that really can't afford to give away scoring chances. Weather conditions obviously didn't help, but c'mon. That second attempt was a tap-in. Gano barely converted a third field goal try, late in the half.
• Also not today's MVP: Drew Stanton. What a mess. At the 9:44 mark in the second quarter, he'd completed two passes to Detroit receivers and two to Green Bay DBs. Look at this nonsense. And the first INT was actually much worse.
Posted at 2:45 pm ET
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Pregame
As feared, we're dealing with a significant weather event this week, and it's creating problems for your fake football team. In Chicago, the snow is piling up at Soldier Field, and we're expecting sustained winds of 30 mph or so at kickoff. So that's less than ideal. Things are looking messy in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, too. You can find all the gameday forecasts right here, via Weather.com. If you need me for anything, I'll be outside shoveling.
Conditions are particularly ugly in Minneapolis, where the roof of the Metrodome actually collapsed early on Sunday morning due to snow accumulation. (Dome photo here). As of this writing, we still don't know when the Giants-Vikes game will be played, nor where it will be played. The league is reportedly "exploring alternatives." Please stay tuned. This is really a week unlike any other.
We urge you to check out Fantasy Football Live beginning at noon ET for up to the minute coverage of weather and traffic, plus local school closings. We've got it all covered. No need to seek out alternatives.
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Photos via Getty Images (snowmen, Torain, Feely) and US Presswire (Turner, Brady, Rodgers)
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