All in the Family: Season Recap & Playoff Preview

This year, BSB decided to sponsor a fantasy football league.  It is called All in the Family, and it’s not your standard fantasy football league.  There are six teams and Adrian Peterson is not on any of them.  That is because we don’t have a team of all Petersons.  The theme of the league is finding what last name is the most dominant.  One of BSB’s favorite contributors, Waters, has had a team in public leagues for almost a decade called The Dix, which consisted of nothing but players with the surname Johnson.  This year, Bry decided to challenge The Dix with the Jack-O’s – all Jacksons.  Doogan joined the challenge and took Jones (Football Jones & the Last-Name Crusade), and J jumped in with Smith (The Blacksmiths).  A late offseason expansion took the league to 6 teams, as Ina came in with Brown (Charlie Brown) and The Cuz joined with Williams (Big Willie Style).  The 13-game season has ended and we’re ready to start the playoffs.  I’ll start with a recap of the regular season and each team’s leaders and then, after that, I’ll preview the first week of playoff action.

Regular-Season Champion and First-Round Bye:  The Dix (11-2, 772 points)
The Dix, the preseason favorite did come through in the end, winning the inaugural regular season title at 11-2.  The team many thought would run the table and go undefeated lost those dreams early on and actually fell out of first place for a couple of weeks.  The loss came after two relatively easy wins over the Jack-O’s and The Jones Crusade, when Big Willie Style knocked off the favorites 50-46 to take sole possession of first place.  The Dix then rattled off three straight wins, including a thrilling 76-52 win in Rivalry Week over the Jack-O’s, but the streak was snapped in Week 7 by the Jones Crusade’s 65.5 – 65.1 win.  Week 8 was the turning point in the season.  The Dix were 5-2 and two full games behind the undefeated Big Willie Style, when The Dix dropped a league-record 81 points on Willie in a win.  They then went on to win their last 5 games to finish 11-2.  Big Willie Style lost two more, giving The Dix the first ever regular season title all to themselves.  The Dix get a bye in the playoffs this week and await the winner of the #4/5 game next week, as they will start their quest towards a championship.

From an individual standpoint, The Dix, as expected, were led by their three elite superstars, Chris Johnson, Calvin Johnson, and Andre Johnson.  But, as was not expected, they got a gigantic boost by Stevie Johnson.  They needed Stevie because they got nothing from Larry Johnson and very little from Josh Johnson because of how good Josh Freeman is. 

Their defense was led by a surprisingly good year from Chiefs linebacker, Derrick Johnson and a solid year from Carolina defensive end, Charles Johnson.  They got disappointingly low production from Ravens linebacker, Jarret Johnson and almost nothing from Redskins corner, D.J. Johnson.

#2 Seed and First-Round Bye:  Big Willie Style (10-3, 650 points)
It was a tale of two seasons for Willie this year.  A very late addition to the league, no one really thought they would be all that competitive, yet for the first half of the season, they looked like clearly the best team in the league.  They opened their season with a win over Charlie Brown and then squeeked out a Week Two win over the Black Smiths, setting up an unexpected showdown with The Dix.  Big Willie Style made the statement, beating The Dix and taking over first place.  They then went on to win their next four games by an average margin of victory of 30 points.  They sat at 7-0 and two games up on The Dix when the two teams played in Week Eight.  The Dix knocked them down a notch with an 81-60 victory.  Big Willie lost again (by 21) the next week to the Jack-O’s and fell back into a first-place tie with The Dix.  A win over the Jones Crusade set up another showdown in Week Eleven.  And, again, The Dix beat Willie – again, convincingly.  Seemingly reeling, Willie struggled, but won their last two games to finish 10-3, but they do not look very strong heading into the playoffs.  But, they do get the week off to rest up and get ready for a first-round matchup with the winner of the #3/6 game.

Like many championship teams of the past, Big Willie Style is good thanks to an elite defense and a lot of depth.  By far the best defense in the league, Big Willie’s defensive unit routinely outscores their opponents by a significant margin.  They are led with Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams, Texans defensive end, Mario Williams, and Bills d-tackle Kyle Williams.  But, their depth is what is incredible.  This year there were FOURTEEN defensive players named Williams that have scored double-digit fantasy points.  To put that in perspective, there were only two Jacksons. 

Now, while the defense always shows up, Willie’s offense has been up-and-down this year.  They started red-hot with Mike Williams, Mike Williams, Cadillac Williams, and Ricky Williams.  Now, while Cadillac and Ricky have started to regress, they have gotten some nice late-season production from old Cowboys receiver Roy Williams and new Redskins running back Keiland Williams.

#3 Seed:  Football Jones & the Last-Name Crusade (6-7, 548 points)
The flip-side of the Big Willie Style story of a great first-half and a mediocre second half is The Jones Crusade.  The Crusade started off really slow, losing 5 of their first 6 games, with the only win coming over the then-winless Charlie Brown squad.  There were signs that this team was better than their record, though, as all their losses were close, including a near-upset of The Dix in Week 2.  But, in their Dix rematch, Jones stepped up to the plate and started to get the ball rolling to being one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.  They beat The Dix 65.5 – 65.1 in the closest game of the year and that catapulted them to a 5-2 record in their last 7 games, which was just enough (with the tiebreaker) to vault past the Jack-O’s into 3rd place.  That gives them a playoff date with last-place Charlie Brown in the first-round and allows them to avoid The Dix until the championship.

Jones and the Jack-O’s suffered the most from a late rule change which eliminated the “flex” position and limited lineups to just two running backs.  The Crusade had three dominant backs this year, having to choose each week between Maurice Jones-Drew, Thomas Jones, and Felix Jones.  And, to add to the pain inflicted by that rule, the Crusade struggled all year to find production from the wideout position.  James Jones in Green Bay and Jacoby Jones in Houston were okay, and Donald Jones of Buffalo has produced a little recently. 

The defense has been a lot better than many expected.  Despite the IR placement of Pacman Jones, the team has been very good this year.  Dhani Jones is one of the most productive linebackers in the league, while d-backs Sean Jones (Was), David Jones (Jax), and Nate Jones (Den) have been very good.  D-tackle Jason Jones of Tennessee has been above average.

#4 Seed:  Jack-O’s (6-7, 525 points)
The Jack-O’s were in one of the most enviable positions for much of the season.  When it looked like there were two elite teams (The Dix and Big Willie Style), the Jack-O’s looked like the best of the rest, as they went the first 7 weeks without a loss to anyone but the top two teams.  But, then Week Eight started their descent, as they only managed 30 points in a bad 33-30 loss to the Jones Crusade.  They rebounded nicely with a huge 54-33 win over Big Willie Style and then a 73-46 shellacking of the BlackSmiths.  But, the wheels came off, and it, again began with a matchup with the Jones Crusade.  Doogan’s squad dropped 72 on the Jack-O’s to start a 3-game winning streak for Jones and a 3-game losing streak for the Jack-O’s, allowing Jones to take the #3 seed.  Week Twelve was the lowpoint of the season for the Jack-O’s, as they only managed 16 points in a humiliating loss to Charlie Brown.  They came back and played well, but fell just short in Week Thirteen to The Dix.  For the record, that Week Thirteen game is under appeal, as both coaches agreed that Andre Johnson should have been suspended for the game, and it was his points that made the difference.  Either way, the result looks like it will stand, and the Jack-O’s are resigned to the #4-seed and a date with the BlackSmiths in the quarterfinals.

The Jack-O’s season is one more of who has not produced than of who has.  The team was founded on the premise that Vincent Jackson would continue to be a superstar and that there was a good chance that Tavaris Jackson would be one of the only starting QBs in the league.  Well, Tavaris has only played the better part of one game, and Vincent didn’t score a point all year.  However, this team has pressed on mainly riding the broad shoulders of superstars Stephen Jackson and DeSean Jackson.  The Jack-O’s have also received some great production from running backs Fred Jackson and Brandon Jackson.  The problem, though, is similar to that of the Jones Crusade, as the rule change forces Bry to choose between Steven, Fred, and Brandon at RB each week.  And, to make matters ever more frustrating, DeSean and Vincent (0 points all year) are the only two WRs named Jackson in the NFL, so every week they have gotten 0 points from TWO wide receiver spots and the TE spot.  That’s tough to overcome.

To make roster problems worse, the defense is in shambles.  As bad as the Vincent Jackson holdout was, the biggest offseason story of the year for the Jack-O’s was the league’s year-long suspension of Tampa Bay safety Tanard Jackson.  Tanard was the Jack-O’s best defensive player and they only had him for three games.  The defense was further crippled by the season-ending injury to Cleveland Browns starting linebacker, D’Qwell Jackson in Week Four.  The loss of the team’s only linebacker means that that position also gives them 0 points every week.  The two lone bright spots for the Jack-O’s defense this year are both very young players making the most of their playing time.  Texans rookie cornerback, Kareem Jackson has been the Jack-O’s best defensive player this year, while Lions second-year defensive end, Lawrence Jackson has been outstanding in the second half of the season.  The team is still waiting on former #3 overall draft pick Tyson Jackson to live up to the hype in Kansas City.

#5 Seed:  The BlackSmiths (4-9, 451 points)
An up-and-down season for the BlackSmiths started well enough.  Through eighst weeks, the BlackSmiths were a very respectable 4-4, which included close losses to Big Willie Style and the Jack-O’s.  But, the wheels completely fell off, starting with a bad 33-27 loss to the Jack-O’s in Week Nine.  They went on to lose their last 5 games to finish at 4-9 and limp into a first-round date with the Jack-O’s.

The one thing that the BlackSmiths can hang their hat on this year is at the most important position in the sport – quarterback.  There have only been three quarterbacks in this fantasy league that have made a start in the NFL this season – and they are ALL named Smith.  The bad news for the BlackSmiths is that none of them are all that good, but in fantasy football, just having a QB is kind of a big deal.  Alex Smith started for the 49ers for the first half of the season and was good enough to put up okay fantasy numbers, but not okay enough to keep him job.  He was replaced by…you guessed it…Troy Smith, so the BlackSmiths didn’t miss a beat.  Rusty Smith started for the Titans for a week, but, fortunately for the BlackSmiths, he wasn’t needed in the lineup, as he put up NEGATIVE EIGHT points.  Their wide receiver corps has been hit hard by the injury bug this year, as both Steve Smith and Steve Smith have missed significant time with injuries, though it looks like they’re both healthy now.  The big surprise has been Brad Smith the quarterback-turned-RB-turned-WR that the Jets have used brilliantly this year.  The problem with this team is that they get absolutely nothing from the running back position now that Kevin Smith has found himself on IR.

The defense has been pretty good all year long, especially the defensive ends.  The Saints Will Smith (who, ironically, had his best game all year when playing against Big Willie Style) has been very good, as has Houston’s Antonio Smith and San Fran’s Justin Smith.  The team took a huge hit as Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith (the BlackSmiths leading scorer on defense) is now on IR.  Fortunately, they have the Jets Eric Smith, a solid backup to fill in.  Darryl Smith, the starting linebacker for Jacksonville, has been a stalwart on LB for this squad.

#6 Seed:  Charlie Brown (2-11, 351 points)
Charlie Brown looked like the league’s doormat, though 8 weeks, as they had lost all eight and were never within 10 points of victory.  Week Nine was seemingly their highlight, as they only lost by a single point against the Jones Crusade, but that momentum seemed gone, as they then took the worst beating of any team all year in Week Ten, as The Dix crushed them 83-28.  But, then, it happened.  Thanksgiving.  As Doogan aptly pointed out, Thanksgiving is the time when Charlie Brown shines.  Wins over the BlackSmiths and the Jack-O’s in the two weeks surrounding the great Charlie Brown holiday allowed the team to save face.  They even gave Big Willie Style a run for their money in Week Thirteen, losing by only a point.  Charlie Brown is playing their best right now at the right time, so watch out.

Charlie Brown has revolved around the fact that they have something that no one else in the league has – a kicker.  The Rams Josh Brown has been basically an automatic 10 points for Charlie that no one else can match.  Other than that, this team is pretty thin.  Ronnie Brown and Donald Brown are pretty much the whole offense, though WR Antonio Brown has scored a couple random touchdowns for the Steelers this year.

Aside from kicker, Charlie Brown may also have the best pair of d-backs in the league with Cleveland’s Sheldon Brown and Detroit’s C.C. Brown.  They also get some production from New Orleans DE Alex Brown and Carolina’s DE Everette Brown.  Their only available linebacker is a Raiders backup, Ricky Brown.

Quarterfinal Matchup:  #4 Jack-O’s vs. #5 BlackSmiths
In the first quarterfinal matchup, the BlackSmiths will try and snap a five-game losing streak by upsetting the Jack-O’s and ending their inaugural season.  The Jack-O’s are predicted to win this game 48-29, on the strength of their stars DeSean, Steven, and Fred (or Brandon, if Bry decides to play him instead).  Also, there is a good chance that Tavaris could play for Brett Favre, which might negate the QB advantage of the BlackSmiths.  The BlackSmiths will need a big day from their QB and their defense – where they have big advantages.  Fortunately for them, for the first time in a very long time, they have both Steves on the active roster this week.

The winner of this game will take on the regular-season champions, The Dix, in the semifinals.  The loser will play for 5th place next week.

Quarterfinal Matchup:  #3 Jones & the Last-Name Crusade vs. #6 Charlie Brown
In the other quarterfinal matchup, the hottest team in the league not name The Dix takes on a 2-11 Charlie Brown team that has been playing very well recently, nearly pulling off an upset of Big Willie Style last week for 3 in a row.  The Jones Crusade is favored to win this game 47-32, but the two player that played on Thursday night would adjust that prediction to 46-34, as the one Crusader did worse than predicted and Donald Jones had two more points than predicted.  This matchup should come down to whether Mo-Jo can put this team on his back come playoff time and carry them to victory.  Doogan has the big decision of second running back and, for now, he is going with Thomas Jones, but that can change.  To pull off the upset, Charlie Brown will need a good day from kicker Josh Brown and a BIG day from Dolphins star, Ronnie Brown.

The winner of this game will meet Big Willie Style in the semifinals, while the loser will play the loser of the other quarterfinal for 5th place.