I've never thought that fantasy football does a great job of mirroring the real game. We can't stop our opponent from scoring, our players don't know or care that they're on a pretend team together and the schedule has more to do with a fantasy team's success than any other variable.
But there's one important similarity between both games: They often lose playoff games for the same reasons.
In addition to playoff fantasy football, the NFL postseason is a time for fans to watch the best of the best battle for Super Bowl berths. And if your favorite team is playing, you might even put away your fantasy cap and simply be a fan, like in the old days. But we are still fantasy managers, and we can't help but relate when we see teams fall short of their goal. We've all entered the day with playoff hopes, only to see them snuffed out for one reason or another. And those reasons are often the same ones that derail the real teams.
Like the Chargers, we've all had a player underperform when it mattered the most. Justin Herbert threw more interceptions on Saturday (four) than he did the entire season (three). The loss wasn't all on him, of course. He wasn't getting much help outside of Ladd McConkey. But it was probably his worst game of the year, and it came at the very worst time.
As a fantasy manager, I've been there and so have you. A guy plays great, until he doesn’t. Right when you need him to go off, he goes away and it costs you points. Those fantasy teams had other players in the lineup, of course. But like the Chargers, if your star player is having an off night, it's going to tough to win. Instead, you end up hoping for a turnaround that never comes. And then you spend all offseason wondering why it had to happen on that particular day. Like I said, we've all been there. And like a fantasy team that suffered a tough loss, the Chargers will see better days ahead.
Then there are times where your opponent doesn't have their best game, but you can't capitalize. The Packers were hanging around, but the Eagles did just enough to get the victory. It felt like Green Bay had a shot and even pulled within six early in the fourth quarter. I've had games where my opponent was favored and their guys weren't doing great, but my guys needed a better game themselves and I didn't get it. My team wasn't blown out and my opponent didn't have a great day, and I still lost. If my team had risen to the occasion, I could have won. But mediocre wasn't good enough, and my season ended. Packers' fans probably feel that way right now.
And then sometimes you simply play a superior team. One of the interesting (and often frustrating) things about fantasy football is that the best team doesn't always win. If your players get hot for a couple weeks, you can win a title. If a great team goes flat for even one week, they're eliminated. So all playoff teams can go into a matchup with a fair amount of optimism.
But in many of those games, the better team shows that it's better, and the matchup isn't really competitive. I'm sure the Broncos went into their game Sunday believing they could win. They even proved it on their first drive and took an early lead. But then reality set in, and the Bills proved whey they earned the second seed in the conference. Buffalo dominated the clock in the first half, and the scoreboard in the second. They were the better team, and it showed. Baltimore was clearly better than Pittsburgh as well. Denver can still feel good about their season and their future, but they know they were outclassed. Pittsburgh was just outclassed and enters the offseason with plenty of question marks. Sometimes those things happen, and that early optimism gives way to sound defeat. The better team wins.
You can lose even if you’re not sure who the better team was. Tampa Bay and Washington could play 10 times, and probably split the series. They’re both pretty good. But on that night, doink and all, the Commanders came out on top. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but a play here or there could have changed everything. We can look at the stats every weekend and relate to that feeling.
Then you have the Vikings and the Rams. Maybe you’re sure you have the better fantasy team, but you get beat so soundly you wonder if you were wrong. Maybe the whole season was a charade. Nothing makes sense. You’re cruising along all season, then crash and burn at the end, making you question everything. That happens, too.
Okay, so what about the real upset, where the inferior team rises up and defeats the clear favorite? We didn’t see that in Wildcard Weekend. Sure, but remember that your league has maybe four fantasy games before the championship. The NFL will have 12. Give it time. You might see it next weekend. But whatever happens, enjoy the games and have a little sympathy for NFL franchises who watch their season go out on the wrong note. You know exactly how it feels, after all.
Which NFL team should feel the worst about the way they lost? What’s the worst way to lose a fantasy playoff game? Which team mirrors your own? Share your thoughts below.