Turkey Day has come and passed. The NFL Network's schedule of live televised games kicked off and continues still with many cable providers refusing to come to an agreement. Still the beat goes on, and the crazy world of the NFL continues to get wackier by the week. If anyone claims they've got it figured out, they're lying. But we can give you the lowdown on some of the numerical ins and outs from Week 12 and a little insight into Week 13.
5 - The name of the fantasy game is touchdowns. And Tony Romo was the man this week, posting a fiver in front of the big Thanksgiving audience at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some say that this new Cowboys starting quarterback is due to have a bad game, but he's got Dallas looking like the new team to beat in the NFC.
3 vs. 4 - Touchdowns Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Joseph Addai had in the first 11 games of the season compared to the number of TDs he posted in Week 12. If you went to sleep early Sunday night behind in your fantasy league with Joseph Addai yet to play, you woke up pleasantly surprised. On the flip side, if you went to sleep thinking you might have had a fairly secure lead, Addai slapped you into fantasy football reality with his 171 yards on the ground, 37 yards receiving, and, oh yeah, those four scores.
4 - Number of touchdowns Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams has this season. The often-audible wideout is second in the NFL only to Chad Johnson with 993 yards receiving, but he's found paydirt just four times. And he's been skunked in his last three contests. He's got one tough game in New England this weekend. Will Williams step up his game for against the tough Patriots defense and finally find that end zone?
19 - The number of interceptions thrown by Ben Roethlisberger this season. The youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl is having a rough celebratory go in 2006. With two more picks this weekend, that new total is tops in the league. Big Ben couldn't muster any magic against the brutal Baltimore defense Sunday, which sacked Roethlisberger nine times and killed any hopes the Steelers have of a repeat Super Bowl run.
40 - Rushing attempts by Shaun Alexander Monday night in a snowy Qwest Field in Seattle. In his second game back after suffering a broken foot, last season's offensive MVP looked like his old self, rumbling and cutting for 201 commanding yards. He might not have scored a touchdown, but it's clear that Alexander is back. And that means with Matt Hasselbeck back in the lineup, Seattle is going to be a force down the stretch.
192 - All-purpose yards for St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson Sunday afternoon at home against the San Francisco 49ers. Don't look now, but the big, imposing running back might finally be hitting his stride. Granted the Rams offense looked completely inept last week in Carolina, Jackson busted out in Week 12 once again. Most interesting is that Marc Bulger is finding Jackson as a popular receiving option. In four games this November, Jackson has caught on an average just under nine passes a game.
83 - Solo tackles this season by rookie linebacker DeMeco Ryan of the Houston Texans, who leads all defensive players in that category. Just like in New Orleans how Marques Colston has been outshining Reggie Bush, Ryan has been outshining Mario Williams. When you look at the top five in total tackles, it's no surprise to see names like Zach Thomas (105), London Fletcher (105), Brian Urlacher (98), and Keith Bulluck (97). Ryan is right in the middle of that mix with 99 tackles, which is no small feat.
104 - Receiving yards Sunday afternoon for Chicago Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian against the New England defense. Berrian is Rex Grossman's main deep threat, and the two hooked up five times this week. Berrian was also responsible for drawing two 40+ yard pass interference penalties. Grossman has really come under the gun lately for some of his decision-making. If the Bears go more conservative with the passing game, that might limit Berrian's receptions downfield, but those opportunities might just be a bit more productive than they have been lately.
29,253 - Career passing yards for now-benched Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer. With a 70.5 passer rating that ranks 28th in the league, and just 11 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions, head coach Mike Shanahan pulled the plug on Plummer. Forget Plummer's experience. Forget that the Broncos are 7-4 and currently hold a Wild Card spot. Forget that the Broncos are traditionally a run-first team that is making a mid-season move with their veteran QB in favor of a kid that has yet to throw an NFL pass that counts. The Jay Cutler era has officially begun in Denver, and there's no going back now.
69.6 - Field goal percentage for Arizona Cardinals big money place kicker Neil Rackers. He's just 16-for-23 this season, which is dead last in the NFL. Compared to his 95.2 percentage last season, that's a bit of a change. And where he earned his big money, making those big money, long distance kicks, Rackers is just 5-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 1-of-5 from 50+, compared to 13-of-14 and 6-of-7 last season.
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