Legit Domination – Week 12 Wrap/Week 13 Preview

As is befitting the approach of a season's end, nearly all of the play-off contenders notched a win last week, with the sole exception of division-leader Rage Blackout. Aside from Courtney's loss to a charging NGC's Shamrock Shake squad, each of the top seven teams in the league won, leaving the bottom five squads crushed, heartbroken, and unable to make the play-offs. As a reminder, after this weekend's game we head into the PLAYOFFS, with the top two squads earning a first-round bye. Game on.


Shamrock Shake 160 (7-5) – Rage Blackout 110 (9-3)

With her play-off hopes on the line, the NGC drops a truck on the league leaders, rolling up the second highest score of the week. Shamrock's 160 point explosion came in large part from her two QBs – Eli Manning (21 pts, NYG) and Kyle Orton (31 pts, Den) – along with an impressive 39-point day from who-dat running back, Peyton Hillis (Cle). [BTW, did you know that Peyton Hillis used to be on Denver, before being traded away by Josh “Where's the frat party” McDaniels? Now you do.] Not content to let this game be at all close, another 24 poitns were added by the SD Chargers Defense. Nice. On the other side of the ledger, Rage's two quarterbacks both had underperforming 6-point days (Peyton Manning, Ind and Donovan McNabb, Was). The lone real bright-spot for Bongiolatti's team came from Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Pit), who put up a 21-point performance. Despite this loss, Courtney's team still control's its own destiny heading into the last week of the regular season.

Shamrock Bench: None of note
Rage Blackout Bench: TE Kevin Boss (13 pts, NYG)


Laser Sounds 142 (8-4) – Gin in the Gatorade 80 (3-8-1)

It finally happened. Jen Adams turned into the first fantasy corpse of the season. Her squad, Gin in the Gatorade, left in Tony "my shoulder's been busted for several weeks" Romo in as starting QB, we he exactly achieved his projected zero total points. Though Gin managed to make a decent showing based on 17 points from The Law Firm BenJarvus Green-Ellis (RB, NE) and 13-point days from Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jax) and Matt Pratter (K, Den). Zombie Gin's 80-points, while better than the Commish's day, didn't come close to besting Laser Sounds and his cornucopia of quarterbacks. (Note: See bench.) In the end, New Guy Josh posted his big score thanks to 30 points from Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB), a pair of 23-point days from running backs Arian Foster (Hou) and Fred Jackson (Buf), and four other players scoring in double digits. While the performance of his TE Aaron Hernandez (1 pt, TE, NE) remains troublesome, Laser Sounds seems to be peaking at the right time for the play-off push. The question becomes, though, who does Josh trust: Matt Ryan (QB, Atl) and his 11-point game or Sam "Put me in coach" Bradford?

Laser Bench: QB Sam Bradford (31 pts, Stl)
Gin Bench: QB Phillips Rivers (5 pts, SD); TE Brent Celek (11 pts,  Phi)

He's Heating Up. 166 (8-4) – Shananimals 102 (2-9-1)

Patch Eakin's squad heated up all over Shananimals face this week, as her 100+ day went unrewarded thanks to the eight-score day Eakin had. For the winners, the QBs dominated the day, with Tom Brady (NE) brining home 39 points of bacon on Turkey Day, and Matt Cassel (KC) contributing 35 points of his own. With 74 points already in the bank, all He's Heating Up needed to secure victory was a 23-point day from RB Jamaal Charles (KC) and a three other 10+ point days from lesser known players. For the heartbroken Shananimals, Jay Cuter pulled down 30-points (QB, Chi) and Ricky Williams (RB, Mia) bounced back for a 15-point performance. This was not near enough to wrest victory from the jaws of Eakin, however, as zeros were registered by Malcom Floyd (WR, SD) and Rob Bironas (K, Ten), and few other players on her squad came to play.

The Hot Bench: WR Hines Ward (12 pts, Pit)
Shananimals Bench: None of note


My Vick in a Box 112 (8-4) – Jager bombs 67 (2-9-1)

The defending champion of Legit Domination, one E. Matt Lamb, continued his brutal take down of the Commish, embarrassing Miller on the back of a 24-point night from namesake Mike Vick (QB, Phi) and a 19-point game from Michael Turner (RB, Atl). To be fair, the Bombs put up very little fight, with only two players bothering to crack double digits -- Drew Brees (17 pts, QB, NO) and Jacob Tamme (12 pts, TE, Ind). In fact, the Jager side was so bad, that Lamb easily overcame a -3-point performance on Thanksgivign Day by the Detroit defense to power to victory. In total, MViaB had six players in double digits, a great showing as his team get ready to charge headlong into the play-offs.

Whose Vick on the Bench: None of note
Jager bench: None of note

Get-er-Done 113 (7-5) – Shower Beer 86 (5-7)

Shower Beer got rick-rolled right out of playoff contention this week, as Cason overcame a zero-point day from Carson Palmer (QB, Cin) to somehow will his team to victory. Interestingly, it was a workman-like performance by the Get-er-done side, with only Wes Walker (WR, NE) breaking the 20-point barrier (21 pts). Instead of one or two mammoth days, Cason won thanks to having seven players in double-digits, including a 12-point day from Devin Hester (WR, Chi) and a surprise 13-point performance from Todd Heap (TE, Bal). For Shower beer, very little went right this week, as evidenced by Bond's best performance of the week – a 19-point game – came from his Kicker, Dan Carpenter (Mia). Fewer other good pieces of good news rolled in for Bond, though Matt Schaub (QB, Hou) did manage to have a 17-point performance, outdoing his predicted points by 5.

Get-er-Benched: None of note
Shower Bench: None of note

T.O.'s Bacon 117 (7-5) – Righteous Tugboat 64 (4-7-1)

Starting non-starter Colt McCoy (QB, Cle) was just the start of the bad news for Righteous Tugboat this week, and only two players cracked double digits, and both McCoy and Chris Johnson (RB, Ten) notched big old goose eggs. The only bright spot for the Tugger was probably Mike Tolbert (RB, SD), who stacked up 19 points as the Chargers rushed the Colts. For T.O.'s Bacon, the quarterback position was likewise problematic, as Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger combined for a total of nine points. Luckily for Bacon, who-dat running back Dwayne Bowe (KC) dropped a 37-point truck right on Righteous Duck's head. Damn. Only three other players broke the 9-point barrier for Ted, as the Minnesota D (10 pts), Andre Johnson (11 pts, WR, Hou) and Brandon Lloyd (19 pts WR, Den) provided enough stream to push the Canadian to victory. Whether or not a similar formula will work to power Ted into the play-offs this weekend reamins left to be seen.

Canadian Ted's Bench: None of note (though QB Rusty Smith had a -8-point day for Ten)
Righteously Tugging Bench: QB Chad Henne (20 pts, Mia)