We forget each year how much it sucks to lose in the fantasy playoffs. Feels worse this year, I suppose because the NFL and fantasy football has been an especially valuable distraction in 2020, taking our minds away for a day or two from a year that has been not so great. If I'm projecting, apologies. I know there are a lot more important things going on. But win or lose, it's going to be tough for this season to come to an end, and for many that happened yesterday.
Bills at Broncos: This was a great one if you happened to be starting the best starting options -- Allen, Diggs, Fant -- and a tough one if you were facing most of the key Bills. I got lucky, but the guy in the other semifinal in one of my leagues was facing Allen, Diggs and Singletary, a particularly painful trio since Singletary didn't do much of anything until busting off a 51-yard touchdown run at the end of the game. Early Christmas present for that guy, and an 84-point deficit for another before Sunday even arrived. As for the game, congrats to the Bills, who have been putting up big offensive numbers all year long. Josh Allen will and should get some MVP votes. Denver got smacked around and if I'm being honest I thought there was a little running up the score going on (but maybe part of it was the Broncos laying down).
Panthers at Packers: The luck element of the fantasy playoffs rears its head again. If you started or faced Aaron Rodgers a week ago, it was a game-winning or losing performance, depending on which side you were one. Last night he came out guns a-blazing with touchdowns on three straight drives -- even letting Aaron Jones get in the end zone, so generous -- and then the offense put up one field goal after that. This was actually a losable game for Green Bay, but Carolina had a goal-line sequence destroyed by questionable play-calling and another stopped short too. Some of it is on the quarterback, and coming up short in the red zone has been a problem (certainly where Christian McCaffrey has been most missed). Those who faced Davante Adams also caught a break. Biggest game for DJ Moore, as anticipated.
49ers at Cowboys: The Elliott inactive made Tony Pollard a pretty much automatic start, and he delivered. Most noteworthy was the late, true garbage-time scores, like CeeDee Lamb bringing an onside kick back for a touchdown, and then Kendrick Bourne catching a Hail Mary. Those guys were probably in some playoff lineups somewhere, and those touchdowns were meaningful. Lots of offense from expected players, but also a couple of letdowns. Again, as usual, the Niners backfield was unpredictable and frustrating, with Raheem Mostert rushing for 68 yards in the first half but leaving with an ankle injury, which probably should have been predictable.
Seahawks at Football Team: Seattle offense disappointed against a good Washington defense. Touchdowns were by Carlos Hyde, who no one started, and Jacob Hollister, who few did. Like the Packers, the Seattle offense did enough to win but not enough to win fantasy matchups. Terry McLaurin was decent and Logan Thomas finished with monster numbers on 13 short catches. I guess some respect must be given to Dwayne Haskins for throwing for 295 yards. But it took him 55 attempts, the yards were meaningless, and the only touchdown was to J.D. McKissic. If you started him or Thomas you feel great, if you benched them you feel lousy, the joy of PPR.
Bears at Vikings:Big numbers from Montgomery and Cook. Montgomery was expected with the great matchup, Cook even better than the matchup suggested, though nobody presumably was benching Cook. Big yards for Justin Jefferson, a touchdown for Adam Thielen, so pretty much on point with both players. Allen Robinson a mild disappointment, with the Bears passing game not doing much during a career game from Montgomery (who's having a career month).
Patriots at Dolphins: Salvon Ahmed was with the Niners in August. Now he's carrying the Dolphins running game, one of a cast of thousands this season. Matt Breida also looked very good. Myles Gaskin will probably be back next week. Tua Tagovailoa ran in a couple of touchdowns in this one. And the Patriots got put out of everyone's misery including their own, since they certainly haven't been enjoying this season. Sony Michel turned in the expected stats, decent rushing yards but no touchdowns. Jakobi Meyers was the lone noteworthy Patriot player, their best receiver all season. Oh, and Nick Folk.
Jaguars at Ravens: Jaguars are really going quietly into that good night. All except for James Robinson, still tearing it up in fantasy lineups week after week (lousy rushing numbers, but caught 3 passes and a touchdown). Key Ravens -- Jackson, Dobbins, Andrews even Marquise Brown -- were solid. Dez Bryant touchdown!
Bucs at Falcons: Very much a Falcons game. Playing well early, taking a good-sized lead, blowing it. Changing the coach hasn't really changed that, though I guess they've been playing better on defense. Anyway, nice game for Calvin Ridley, touchdowns for Russell Gage and Hayden Hurst too. But they couldn't hold the lead and Tom Brady brought the Patriots, er Bucs, all the way back for the win. Good games for the various Bucs receivers. Rock bottom for Todd Gurley, who no one should have been starting, particularly this week.
Lions at Titans: Pretty sure I was cool on Ryan Tannehill this week. Apologies. I expected all Derrick Henry all the time, and of course Henry did have a big day, but Tannehill was even bigger, including a couple of rushing scores on that little quarterback keeper play that they've been doing a lot lately but nobody seems to see it coming. Touchdowns for Brown and Davis, the startable receivers. Matthew Stafford manned up and had a big game, with Marvin Jones the main beneficiary; D'Andre Swift was also very good with a couple of scores. Derrick Henry in play for a 2,000-yard season, if the Titans make the effort.
Texans at Colts: Entertaining game, with neither quarterback hurting you if you started them. David Johnson in a full-time role looked like the kind of player we thought he could be all season, with particularly huge numbers in the passing game (11 for 106). Guy is a really good player, what took them so long. Most Texans receivers solid or better, sadly Zach Pascal -- the Colt least likely to be started -- was best. Jonathan Taylor went for 80-plus and a touchdown.
Eagles at Cardinals: The idea that a league-winning quarterback was just sitting out there on waivers in most leagues just a couple of weeks ago is hard to believe. But Jalen Hurts put up monster numbers yesterday, and if you started him, congratulations, he was probably a big part of you getting a win. I still do not understand what the Eagles coaching staff is thinking with some of these plays near the goal line where they snap the ball to the quarterback, he shuffles his feet and then runs straight into the line to get blasted. But at least they have a better chance of working with Hurts than Wentz. Big takeaway for me personally from this game, aside from the huge Kyler Murray game, was the frustration of having started Kenyan Drake in several spots, only to have Chase Edmonds, a supposed game-time decision who would be very limited, dramatically outperform him. Thanks, Cardinals.
Jets at Rams: Well, you don't need to hear about my Survivor Pool anymore. I did think about the possibility of the Rams looking past this game to a big matchup with Seattle next week. And of course Jared Goff seems to lay a huge egg once every month or so. But I still didn't really conceive the Rams would play poorly enough to lose this one. But they did, every Ram you might reasonably have started let you down, and the Jets won their way out of the 0-16 club and probably a chance to draft Trevor Lawrence. I'm still pretty sick about it so I'm just going to move on.
Kansas City at Saints: This was a pretty good game, with the Saints defense at least making things a little tough on Patrick Mahomes and company, but the Saints starting out really slow while binging Drew Brees back from massive internal injuries. Ultimately you got good numbers from most of the players you should have been starting. I don't see how anyone is going to beat Kansas City this year, but I suppose other teams have looked unbeatable in mid-December but still lost. Clyde Edwards-Helarie was helped to the locker room after an ugly leg/hip injury, and I think it's safe to say we won't see him until the playoffs, if them. LeVeon Bell landing on his feet by going from the Jets to possibly starting for the Super Bowl champs.
Browns at Giants: This game was lost early by the Giants, I think, when they passed up a couple of short field goals in a defensive struggle in favor of a fake field goal (passing to an immobile lineman) and then trying to convert a fourth-and-short with an up-the-middle run. I guess I admire the aggressiveness, but other than the element of surprise neither play had much going for it. Neither did the Giants passing game with Colt McCoy in the lineup -- you know things are bad when you're saying, New York really needs to get Daniel Jones back in the lineup. Browns did enough on offense to win, which wasn't hard.
Monday, Monday: Not to belabor it but was a lousy choice for the Week 15 Monday night. Doesn't even impact as many fantasy playoff games as you might hope for, since most Bengals are unusable and there really aren't that many choice Steelers. I'm up a point and a half in a playoff semi where my opponent has James Conner left, so basically I need Conner to limp off with an injury before rushing for 15 yards. Because it's Conner, this is not an impossible scenario, but realistically I'm toast. Since I have to pick a score I'll go with Steelers 27, Bengals 13. But this is a week when the Jets beat the Rams, so clearly nothing is certain.