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Nick Shook on fantasy football: Weird week leaves little in the way of suggested moves

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By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com

What an odd week it was in the NFL.

The Philadelphia Eagles, left for dead by everyone including me, stunned us all by earning their first win of the season against a New York Jets team that looked surprisingly strong after two weeks.

Ryan Mathews, starting in place of injured and beleaguered DeMarco Murray, rushed for 108 yards and caught a touchdown pass. Sam Bradford was pedestrian but didn’t hurt the Eagles’ chances like in weeks prior. It was a weird win for the Eagles, epitomized by Brandon Marshall’s inexplicable attempt to lateral the ball after catching a pass with the Jets trailing 17-0.

That play alone explained Week 3. Continue reading →

Nick Shook on Fantasy Football: Ignore the preseason games at your own risk; there are gems to be mined

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By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com

The NFL season is fast approaching. More importantly, fantasy football is coming, the time of year fantasy sports players have been anxiously awaiting.

Fantasy football magazines have been sitting on shelves for more than a month. Draft kits have been ordered and are sitting in the backs of UPS trucks nationwide. It’s time to start building that big board. Continue reading →

Bengals’ Jeremy Hill steamrolls Browns in road victory

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By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

It’s that time of the year. It’s that time when we all start to tire of holiday advertisements, get paper cuts from overpriced wrapping paper and develop a serious disdain for Scotch tape. It’s that time when bad football teams face equally awful football teams and they call it the “Top College Football Player X Bowl.” But most importantly, it’s that time when late-season divisional games populate the schedule, and suddenly, we have very, very important football on deck.

Such was the case across the league on Sunday. Indianapolis clinched the AFC South with a win over division rival Houston, Denver did the same to claim the AFC West crown against San Diego, Buffalo kept its playoff hopes alive in a stunning win over Green Bay, and Carolina somehow gained control of its previously unlikely playoff aspirations. Oh, and the Jets managed to win the Marcus Mariota Bowl in Tennessee, prompting Rex Ryan to tell reporters he doesn’t give a you-know-what about the Heisman Trophy winner or the No. 1 pick.

Meaningful football typically brings the best — and sometimes, the worst — out of players on all levels. You know the saying: Big-time players make big-time plays.

Here are this week’s best big time players on the road.

Continue reading →

Tony Romo calm, clutch in Dallas Cowboys’ win

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By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

This week was rough on the eyes.

Four road teams won games Sunday: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Green Bay and Dallas.

Three of those wins were pretty darn ugly.

Brian Hoyer attempted to toss away the Browns‘ postseason chances late in the Georgia Dome, but thanks to the inept clock management of one Mike Smith, Hoyer got one last shot and Cleveland escaped with a victory.

Andy Dalton threw a touchdown and a pick-six, but the Bengals controlled the game against a rookie quarterback making his second career start, and possibly his first career start with a serious pectoral injury. That muscle is pretty important for football players.

Green Bay beat Minnesota in a way you’d expect a superior team to handle a trap game: Not too well, but not poorly, either.

Dallas, on the other hand — that one was fun.

In all, it was a ho-hum Sunday for visiting squads. But we still had at least a few bright spots during an otherwise dreary afternoon.

Here are your stars of the suitcase for Week 12.

Continue reading →

Carson Palmer leads Cardinals to big win over Cowboys

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By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

We’re beyond the point of intervention with road squads.

Look, it’s obviously difficult to get a win on the road in the NFL — the crowds are hostile, the sleeping conditions aren’t the comfortable, deluxe mattresses and Egyptian cotton sheets players have at home, and the locker rooms are never quite as spacious and cozy as those at home. But here in Week 9 it’s like a relationship on the rocks, and we’re going one of two ways: demand change, or learn to love them for who they are.

Well, they’re teams away from home, and they struggled again this week. Visiting squads won three of 11 games on Sunday, including a St. Louis Rams victory that was a few eyelashes and droplets of forearm sweat away from being a crushing loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

But we love them for who they are, because amid the despair of defeat, there exist silver linings and bright spots, both big and small. Now that I’ve captured your heartstrings, here are the best professional football players who suited up and played the game on a field that didn’t feature their team’s markings.

Greatest on the Road …

Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals

 

In accordance with a theme that has prevailed throughout most of his career, Brandon Weeden struggled mightily on Sunday. Dallas was encouraged by Weeden’s acceptable outing in relief of Tony Romo last week, but Cowboys fans didn’t get a full four quarters of Weeden — which is bad Weeden.

Continue reading →

Brian Hoyer, Browns historically great in road victory

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By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

Well, we’ve reached a new low. Road teams struggled mightily in Week 5, going 3-10 on Sunday, and if it weren’t for a record-setting comeback, Alex Henery being the Detroit Lions‘ only option at kicker, and Dick LeBeau‘s defense confusing a rookie quarterback late in a close game, we might have had our first winless week for those away from home. Luckily, the traveling stars of the week made it a little bit respectable for road teams as a whole.

Whether it was room service food, the effect of a hostile crowd or uncomfortable beds (never at a Courtyard Marriott, of course), something threw off the road squads. But despite slim pickings, there were still some standout performers. Here are the week’s best.

Greatest on the Road …

Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns

Let’s be honest: Brian Hoyer may have sat behind Tom Brady for a portion of his career, but he isn’t Tom Brady, and probably never will be. But let’s take a quick look at Hoyer’s final stat line: 21-37, 292 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

Pretty good numbers for a guy who has spent most of his career as a backup, right?

Continue reading →