It’s another multi-week update this time. In case your decision tree for reading this goes something like “why would I read 500+ words when I don’t even know if he’s still got a team at this point?” I’ll cut the drama - I won my 1st round game. 
Now, how did that happen?
For starters, I made some correct decisions for once in my fantasy life. In week 12, I didn’t really make any roster moves, other than deciding who should start and who should sit. Those decisions play out in three key areas: QB, RB, and Defense. Cutler was facing Oakland which, despite being an awful team, doesn’t actually have that bad of a secondary, so I went with Peyton Manning instead; Manning out-scored Cutler 20-6 over a tough San Diego defense. Running back is a pretty tough bunch to choose between, but out of Brandon Jacobs (at Arizona), Maurice Jones-Drew (vs. the Vikings), LaDanian Tomlinson (vs Indy) and DeAngelo Williams (at Atlanta), I went with LT and Williams. Well, Jacobs was a late scratch for his knee and Jones-Drew tied my lower back (LT), so win #2. Finally, I had Chicago at St. Louis and Pittsburgh hosting the Bengals. Normally I’d take the home team, but Bengals/Steelers is a divisional game and I just figured that the Rams were going to bad, home or away. Sure enough, the Bears D outscored Pittsburgh 20-7. That week my opponent put up 107 points (that’s a lot even if this league), but thanks to a rare swath of sound judgement I managed 119 for a solid victory.
The win put me at 6-6 and, thanks to a very bunched league, within reach of the #2 seed! It would take a victory with a *lot* of points (to cover a potential tie-breaker) and a loss by a 6-5-1 team. Conceivable, but tough.
Well, remember those great decisions I made in week #12? Yeah, reverse that *entirely* and you’ve got my week #13. Here are my key decision points that week:
- Peyton (at Cleveland) over Cutler (at the Jets). *sigh* Manning scored 1 whole point, vs. Jay Cutler’s 24.
- I played LaDanian Tomlinson (12 points) and Jones-Drew (4!), over Brandon Jacobs’ 13 and DeAngelo Williams’ 32(!).
- Chicago - 3. Pittsburgh - 19. No bonus points for guessing which one I started.
Essentially, I had three things go right for me. 1) My receivers went for 29, including 15 from (ugh) Terrell Owens. 2) Jason Whiten got healthy on Thanksgiving, scoring 17. 3) I played the worst team in the league, decimated by injuries (hello, Tom Brady). I win the futility bowl, 75-64. My tie-breaker scenarios don’t pan out, so I’m the fourth seed in a 6 team league. BUT! I do finish with a winning record, 7-6.
Tomorrow, how my 1st playoff game went.
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