2008 Fantasy Football Week 16 Fantasy Recap
Week 16 Top Performers
1) DeAngelo Williams- RB Carolina Panthers
- 24 carries, 108 yards, 4 touchdowns
2) Philip Rivers- QB San Diego Chargers
- 21 of 31 (67.7%), 287 yards, 4 touchdowns
- 3 carries, -3 yards
3) Peyton Manning- QB Indianapolis Colts
- 29 of 34 (85.3%), 364 yards, 3 touchdowns
- 2 carries, 1 yard
Indianapolis Colts 31 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 24
QB Peyton Manning
- 29 of 34, 364 yards, 3 touchdowns
- 2 carries, 1 yard
Manning kept his teams’ playoff hopes alive Thursday night by tearing up the Jags, completing 85 percent of his passes, surpassing 350 yards, and throwing three touchdowns to three different players (Wayne, Clark, Rhodes).
RB Maurice Jones-Drew
- 20 carries, 91 yards
- 7 receptions, 71 yards
Though he didn’t have a touchdown, Jones-Drew led the Jags in rushing and was second on the team in receiving. He combined for 162 yards.
Baltimore Ravens 33 @ Dallas Cowboys 24
RB Le’Ron McClain
- 22 carries, 139 yards, 1 touchdown
- 1 reception, 4 yards
McClain continues to excel as the number one rusher on the Ravens, posting up 139 yards and a late 82-yard touchdown run during Saturday’s late night game.
RB Tashard Choice
- 17 carries, 90 yards, 1 touchdown
- 7 receptions, 25 yards
Choice has now scored in two straight games, and he has combined for 269 yards over the last three. Even with Marion Barber in the picture, Tashard seems to be the right “Choice” for Dallas.
Cincinnati Bengals 14 @ Cleveland Browns 0
RB Cedric Benson
- 38 carries, 171 yards, FL
Despite the Bengals’ defense controlling this shutout, Benson controlled the offense. He carried the ball an eye-opening 38 times for a foreseeable 171 yards.
RB Jamal Lewis
- 16 carries, 76 yards
The Browns were just plain awful this game. Lewis had the best performance, only running for 76 yards on just 16 rushes.
New Orleans Saints 42 @ Detroit Lions 7
QB Drew Brees
- 30 of 40, 351 yards, 2 touchdowns
- 3 carries, -3 yards
During the blowout, Brees was tremendous, as expected. He threw two touchdowns, each going to top target Marques Colston, while passing for over 350 yards.
RB Kevin Smith
- 24 carries, 111 yards, 1 touchdown
Even though they are winless, the Detroit Lions have found a great sensation in rookie tailback Kevin Smith. He topped the century mark for the second time this season, as well as scoring on a goal line dive play.
Miami Dolphins 38 @ Kansas City Chiefs 31
QB Chad Pennington
- 26 of 34, 235 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
- 2 carries, -2 yards
Pennington led the Dolphins to their 10 th win of the season. He threw three TD’s (2 to TE Anthony Fasano) and completed 26 passes for 235 yards.
QB Tyler Thigpen
- 20 of 41, 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
- 6 carries, 57 yards, 1 rushing touchdown
Regardless of the three picks and 21 incompletions, Thigpen combined for 377 total yards and three touchdowns (two passing and one on the ground).
Arizona Cardinals 7 @ New England Patriots 47
WR Larry Fitzgerald
- 3 receptions, 101 yards, 1 touchdown
The Cardinals continue to disappoint, losing by 40 points to the Pats. Though they struggled on offense, Fitzgerald broke loose late, connecting with backup QB Matt Leinart on a 78-yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately, he only caught three balls.
QB Matt Cassel
- 20 of 36, 345 yards, 3 touchdowns
- 2 carries, 19 yards
Cassel was stunning once again, throwing for 345 yards and 3 scores in snowy conditions. He added 19 yards on the ground, as well.
San Francisco 49ers 17 @ St. Louis Rams 16
WR Isaac Bruce
- 7 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown
In the final 5 minutes of the game, Shaun Hill threw passing touchdowns to Bruce and teammate Josh Morgan. In his first trip back to St. Louis since coming to San Fran, Bruce led the 49ers receivers with 7 catches and 71 yards and a score.
RB Steven Jackson
- 32 carries, 108 yards
- 2 receptions, 11 yards
While topping 100 yards on the ground and adding 11 yards on 2 catches, Jackson combined for 119 yards, but didn’t score.
Pittsburgh Steelers 14 @ Tennessee Titans 31
QB Ben Roethlisberger
- 26 of 40, 331 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
- 3 carries, 14 yards
In a surprisingly big loss, the Steelers’ offense was led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Passing for over 330 yards on 26 completions, Big Ben added two TD’s and two picks, as well as running the ball three times for 14 yards.
WR Justin Gage
- 5 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
In an important win, Justin Gage took advantage of Kerry Collins’ good performance, towering all Tennessee receivers by topping 100 yards and also scoring on a nice 34-yard touchdown pass.
San Diego Chargers 41 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
QB Philip Rivers
- 21 of 31, 287 yards, 4 touchdowns
- 3 carries, -3 yards
Rivers was prominent, throwing four touchdowns on 278 yards against an inconsistent Tampa Bay defense.
QB Jeff Garcia
- 21 of 35, 232 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
- 6 carries, 45 yards, 1 rushing touchdown
In a hurtful loss, Garcia played his heart out, throwing for 232 yards, a score, and two interceptions. He also led the Bucs’ run game with 45 yards and a rushing score.
Buffalo Bills 30 @ Denver Broncos 23
RB Fred Jackson
- 10 carries, 43 yards, 1 touchdown
- 3 receptions, 70 yards
Jackson, backing up Marshawn Lynch, led the Bills in rushing and was second in receiving yards. Jackson and Lynch combined for 77 rushing yards and 2 scores in the win.
QB Jay Cutler
- 25 of 45, 359 yards, 1 interception
- 8 carries, 30 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Cutler did have an interception and no passing touchdowns, but he rushed for 2 scores and 30 yards on 8 runs, as well as surpassing 350 yards via the air.
Houston Texans 16 @ Oakland Raiders 27
TE Owen Daniels
- 7 receptions, 111 yards
Happy with Matt Schaub back under center, Owen Daniels was atop the Texans receiving core with 7 grabs and 111 yards in the loss.
QB Jamarcus Russell
- 18 of 25, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns
While leading the Raiders to just their 4 th victory on the year, Jamarcus Russell showed his talent by connecting on 18 of 25 passes for just over 235 yards and two passing touchdowns.
New York Jets 3 @ Seattle Seahawks 13
WR Jerricho Cotchery
- 6 receptions, 81 yards
The Jets didn’t have much offensive production, but on top of the list was Jerricho Cotchery, leading the Jets in receptions and receiving yards.
QB Seneca Wallace
- 18 of 25, 175 yards, 1 touchdown
- 3 carries -3 yards
Wallace had a decent game, throwing one touchdown to tight end John Carlson with no interceptions. He threw for only 175 yards on 18 completions, but led the Seahawks to success.
Atlanta Falcons 24 @ Minnesota Vikings 17
RB Michael Turner
- 19 carries, 70 yards, 1 touchdown
With the playoffs approaching, both teams needed a win. Turner helped carry the Falcons over the Vikings by rushing for 70 yards and scoring on an early 1-yard gain. He was quiet in the receiving category.
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
- 7 receptions, 136 yards, 2 touchdowns
Shiancoe can be unpredictable, but when he comes out to play, he puts up big numbers. Despite the loss, Visanthe caught 7 passes for a career-high 136 yards. He also added two scores to make his season total a career-high seven.
Philadelphia Eagles 3 @ Washington Redskins 10
RB Brian Westbrook
- 12 carries, 45 yards
- 6 receptions, 71 yards
Leading the Eagles in both rushing and receiving, Westbrook combined for 116 yards on 18 touches, but couldn’t find the end zone.
RB Clinton Portis
- 22 carries, 70 yards 1 touchdown
- 1 reception, 11 yards
Sneakily, Portis and Redskins put down the Philadelphia Eagles. Portis finally played good, rushing for 70 yards and adding a goal-line touchdown in the 3 rd quarter.
Carolina Panthers 28 @ New York Giants 34 (OT)
RB DeAngelo Williams
- 24 carries, 108 yards, 4 touchdowns
Carolina’s offensive line has officially proved they can provide nice holes against solid D-line teams. Williams scored four times on the ground against the Giants, scoring all four touchdowns for the Panthers. Just look at his stats from the past 8 games: 145 carries, 923 yards, 16 touchdowns, while rushing for over 100 yards in 6 of the 8, and scoring at least one TD in each game. That’s averaging 18 carries, 115.4 yards, and 2 touchdowns PER GAME over the span!
RB’s Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward
Jacobs- 24 carries, 87 yards, 3 touchdowns (1 receptions, 5 yards)
Ward- 15 carries, 215 yards (1 reception, -5 yards)
Thanks to a stellar running performance and John Kasay shanking a game-winning field goal, the Giants pulled away with an overtime win. Jacobs and Ward combined for 302 yards and three touchdowns. Derrick Ward had a career game rushing for 215 yards, while Jacobs plowed through the rugged Panthers’ D-line for three short scores.
Green Bay Packers 17 @ Chicago Bears 20 (OT)
QB Aaron Rodgers
- 24 of 39, 260 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
- 2 carries, -6 yards
Rodgers looked good in the first half, throwing two touchdowns on 176 yards and a pick, and helped the Packers grab a 14-3 lead. The Pack kept the ball on the ground and ran the clock in the second half, with Rodgers only completing 8 passes for 84 yards. Unfortunately, Green Bay was harmed by a crucial blocked kick and fell to defeat in overtime.
RB Matt Forte
- 23 carries, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
- 2 receptions, 28 yards
If you want clutch and a game-saver, then we could talk about Alex Brown blocking a 38-yard field goal attempt with 18 seconds left in the game, but this is about offensive performances. Forte scored late in the 4 th quarter on a game-tying 3-yard run, followed by a blocked field goal attempt, followed by a must-needed Bears win in overtime. The rookie back led the Bears’ offense scoring for the second straight game and totaling 101 yards. Forte made multiple key plays for Bears, and could very most be their key offensive player in 2008.
By Tony Falcioni & Brian Chmielewski
ProFootball-fans.com Fantasy Football correspondant
Fans can contact Brian via email at bchmfantasybaseball @ yahoo.com