By Jayson Patel
Staff Writer
Jayson Patel
Hello, and welcome to another edition of The Beej Knows Best. Week 12 is coming, and there are a few notable player absences and presences that were completely unexpected at the beginning of this 2014 campaign.
Ray Rice is out indefinitely. Adrian Peterson has been banned for the rest of the season, at the least. Johnny Manziel hasn't gotten a snap at quarterback. Meanwhile, Josh Gordon is about to play his first game, and apparently is stronger than ever. Up until his most recent injury, Ahmad Bradshaw was one of the most valuable players on the Colts, save for Andrew Luck. In a draft where Jadeveon Clowney was supposed to be the next big NFL superstar, third round selection Chris Borland has emerged as a force to be reckoned with out in San Francisco. The point is, sometimes these things are a crapshoot. Teams come into each NFL season with a plan, and can be pleasantly surprised or furiously disappointed with their results. Stuff happens. Why am I discussing this, you ask? Because I've finally come to terms with the fact that my 3-8 fantasy football team is just finished this season. Am I upset about Rashad Jennings, A.J. Green and Jimmy Graham's constant flow of injuries? Am I frustrated that Matt Stafford has been as consistent as a hormonal teenager girl this season? Am I disappointed that I've lost games by 5.5, 3.6 and 5.8 points this season? No. I've come to terms with things. My Jets have been horrible, and my fantasy team only slightly better. But, this is a sport of inches, and this year, I've come up short. So what do I have left? What can I hang my hat on, the one shimmer of sunlight in a season of ominous clouds and torrential downpours? My picks, of course! And, without any other distractions, I pledge that this will be my best week yet. So if you have any leftover cash before Thanksgiving, when you will obviously restock, um I mean, spend quality time with family and friends, read the ink underneath and throw it on these recommendations. Black Friday is around the corner. And whether it's that new 60 inch TV, or the new winter coat, or the new iPhone, you've earned it. And hey, if you have some leftover change, feel free to throw it my way. I accept cash, check, Venmo or Snapcash. Scratch that last one actually. I mean, that can't be safe, can it? It's just cash, check or Venmo. Cheers. (Home teams in CAPS) Detroit Lions at New England Patriots (-6.5) I think the league hasn't fully adjusted to how good Tom Brady is this season. I've mentioned it before, but it's truly remarkable; 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions since everyone wrote him and the Patriots off after their pathetic Week Four loss against the Chiefs. Rob Gronkowski is easily the best tight end in the league, and is a top-five offensive weapon in the league as well. The defense is clicking on all cylinders. The Lions are at 7-3, but their offense has been sputtering without Calvin Johnson being Megatron. Six and a half points is generous, and quite frankly, unfair. – especially considering the game is in New England. One thing to note: New England has also won their last six games. Take the Patriots. NEW ENGLAND 41 Detroit 17St. Louis Rams at San Diego Chargers (-6.5) The Rams shocked me and perhaps the rest of the NFL world when they decided to go with Shaun Hill at quarterback last week instead of riding the season out with Austin Davis to see if he could be a winner for them. Short run, it turned out to be a good move, as they got the win against the Broncos. San Diego won a snoozefest against the Raiders last week, 13-6. I am finding it very difficult to peg the Chargers this year. I didn't think they could make the playoffs earlier on, and I really like the way Jeff Fisher has coached the Rams this season. That combination is enough to convince me to take the points. St. Louis 24 SAN DIEGO 17Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos (-7) I know this might be difficult to hear, especially if you had placed your eggs in the Denver basket against St. Louis and New England over the past three weeks. But the Broncos are going to be okay. The Dolphins have been playing fantastically the past few weeks. They are 4-1 over the past five weeks, and many pundits are penciling them in for one of the two wild card positions. Ryan Tannehill has minimized his mistakes, and Joe Philbin has done a phenomenal job with this defense. They rank second in opponent passing yards and eighth in opponent rushing yards. None of this matters anymore. Manning and Brady are fighting for home field advantage, because the AFC Championship will most certainly be a matchup of these two legends. As confident as I am in Brady this week, I am equally confident in Manning. Peyton Manning, that is. Who knows what's even going on inside Eli's head? DENVER 38 Miami 20 (Spread in BOLD) Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons (-3) Tennessee Titans at Philadelphia Eagles (-11) Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (+10) Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (-13.5) Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-1) New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears (-5.5) Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5) Washington Redskins at San Francisco 49ers (-8) Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (+3) Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints (-3) – By Jayson Patel, Staff Writer
