The Hangover: Week 11

By Adam Cancryn

After a bye week and self-imposed benching in solidarity with heavy sleeper Desean Jackson, The Hangover is back. So much has happened. The Dolphins are good. The Bills are bad. Redskins fans still think they have a shot at the playoffs. Let's get to it:

• The Ravens got a glimpse of the future of their defense, with linebacker/warrior dance leader Ray Lewis out. In spite of a few long drives where they predictably looked exposed to the inside run,  Baltimore's defense got the job done against the promising Bengals.
• Key to the Ravens' win was its ability to create turnovers, including three Andy Dalton interceptions. Without those picks and a fortunate call on a juggled Jermaine Gresham non-TD, we're looking at a completely different outcome.
• The Bengals offense is legitimately scary for the first time since the Carson Palmer/Chad Johnson days. With A.J. Green out, fellow wideout Jerome Simpson stepped up in a big way, finishing with eight catches for 152 yards.
• Dallas' running back situation is a perfect example of how fickle the position, and the NFL in general, has become. Anointed the full-time starter before the season, Felix Jones struggled with nagging injuries and eventually had to miss a few games. DeMarco Murray, younger and with a similar skill set, sprang up in his place and Jones, in just 11 weeks, is made redundant. Can't blame players like Chris Johnson and Matt Forte for wanting their money up front.
• However, with Johnson's poor post-contract performance so far this year, the market for long-term contracts is as bad as it's ever been.
• Also looking like a bad investment: the Bills' Ryan Fitzpatrick. Buffalo has plummeted back to Earth at light speed over the past few weeks, and its offense is as inept as its ever been.
• The defense isn't great either, allowing three first half Matt Moore touchdowns en route to a 35-8 loss.
• Remember when Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was days away from being fired? Since then, Moore and the resurrected Reggie Bush have sparked Miami to a three-game winning streak. At times, they've looked like the second-best team in their division, behind New England.
• You can lock Matt Moore into the starting QB position right now. Chad Henne becomes another victim of the poorly timed injury.
• In an imitation of Walter Perry's famed touchdown run, the Packers used defensive lineman B.J. Raji as the running back in a goal line situation. He steamrolled for a one-yard TD, to the disgust of fantasy football players everywhere.
• As quarterback Matt Stafford goes, so do the Lions. Detroit looked sunk in the first half following two Stafford interceptions, but came roaring back in the second half once their quarterback found a good rhythm. He finished with five touchdowns and 300+ yards in the win.
• Also good to see running back Kevin Smith remind everyone he still exists. Smith scampered for 140 yards against the porous Carolina defense and provided a needed change of pace.
• The Lions are now 7-3 and look as good as ever, which they'll need to sustain as they head into the brutal part of their schedule. The Packers twice, once each against the Saints and the jelling Raiders. The other two games? Chargers and Vikings, both of which are no slouches.
• Detroit should still get to 10 wins, though. They can beat San Diego, Minnesota and Oakland, and are capable of splitting with Green Bay.
• Tampa Bay's LeGarrette Blount with a beast of a run in the Bucs' bid to upset the Packers. For them to reach the playoffs, Blount will need to break out of the fog of what's been a disappointing season.
• Aaron Rodgers is the presumptive MVP this year, but there's an argument that Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is the best player in the NFL. As other backs have fallen victim to off years or injuries, he's carried a team with no passing game for six games and a rookie quarterback for the next four games. That being said, hopefully his injury is minor.

• The Cowboys' Dan Bailey has the longest made field goal streak in the NFL. His only miss this season was a 21-yarder during Week 2.
• It's a wonder how NFL games were ever referee'd without challenges. Maybe now the refs are just hedging their bets on tricky calls, knowing they have a safety valve, but some of the bad calls made this year would've been season altering if they stood.
• Way too early fantasy football top three for 2012: Cam Newton, Adrian Peterson and Aaron Rodgers. It could be the first time in recent memory (likely ever) that the consensus puts two quarterbacks in the top three.
• Was there really a controversy over Bears receiver Earl Bennett's orange shoes? Dear NFL, Grow up. (cc: ESPN)
• A lot of no-name wide receivers made an impact this week: Miami's Charles Clay, Green Bay's Tom Crabtree, Oakland's Chaz Schilens and Carolina's Kealoha Pilares to name a few.
• Torrey Smith, dragged down by his hair after a catch. That's got to be the worst. (Pic via Mike Tunison)

• Rounding out the top 10 fantasy players for 2012, in no particular order: Arian Foster, Calvin Johnson, Drew Brees, Lesean McCoy, Andre Johnson, Tom Brady, Matt Forte
• Let me know in the comments who I've missed
• He's certainly not working with much personnel-wise, but isn't it time to admit that maybe Rob Ryan just isn't that great of a defensive coordinator? Decent, yes. Good at times. But nowhere near the genius he's made out to be.
• No Jay Cutler means the Bears are doomed. 
• The Dolphins' three-touchdown halftime lead was reportedly their largest since 2000
• One of the few cliches I'll ever agree with an announcer on: When it comes to rivalries like Redskins-Cowboys, the records coming in don't matter. The 'Skins played inspired football, probably their best since Week 1.
• Other rivalries like that: Giants-Eagles, Steelers-Ravens, Jets-Dolphins, Saints-Falcons
• Tony Scheffler takes the crown for worst touchdown dance:

• Congrats AT&T, you've hit your target audience.
• Tampa Bay's Mike Williams caught his first touchdown since Week 1.
• A crazy interception-fumble-scrum sequence near the end of the third quarter in the Ravens game led to an official's worst nightmare (also via Mike Tunison):

• He was okay.
• Even with Cam Newton playing well, Carolina continues to lose games because of its defense. The Panthers D has given up 120+ rushing yards seven times this year, and 300+ yards passing nine times.
• One rookie quarterback played horribly this week for 56 minutes, complete less than 50% of his passes and generating three offensive points. Another rookie quarterback put up 300+ yards, accounted for three total touchdowns and directed his team to 35 points. The first QB, Tim Tebow, won 17-10. The second QB, Cam Newton, lost 49-35. Needless to say, defense is important.
• As of Sunday, the Packers' last loss at Lambeau was 400 days ago, CNBC's Darren Rovell said.
• The Cowboys have now won three in a row, the Redskins have lost six. Neither are very good.
• Factoring in the Giants and Eagles, the NFC East is the baseline of professional mediocrity. The rest of the league can set its watch by that division.
• Don't know what got into the 49ers game plan this week, as Alex Smith threw a season-high 38 times. It worked, kind of, but might be better to stick with the running game that has gotten them to this point.
• The Dolphins' defense has now gone 12 straight quarters without allowing a touchdown.
• Washington's franchise record is .500 for the first time since 1937.
• Everything that could be said about the Giants' loss to the Eagles, Tom Coughlin already said.
• However, the blame starts at the top, and it's a given by now that, under Coughlin, the Giants play down or up to their competition. 
• As a friend put it during the game, that the Giants have so many fourth-quarter comeback wins isn't necessarily a good thing. It just means that they're constantly losing for most of the game.
• In the NFL, if you have a chance to put the nail in the coffin, you hammer that nail as hard as you can. Don't be surprised if the rejuvenated Eagles rip off a winning streak.
• SUCK FOR LUCK: Once Again, Indianapolis Takes All the Fun Out of Something Version.
• Colts (bye): An epic winless season is palpable, and it feels great. The Lions at least came close to winning during their 0-16 year, but Indy gave up about the third week of the preseason. No one's even close to them right now.
• Rams (L v. Seahawks) Would they take Luck despite having Sam Bradford already? Before the season, you'd have to say no way, but there's a tiny bit of possibility at this point. So many holes elsewhere, though, you'd have to think they'd trade it away.
• Cardinals: (L v. 49ers) John Skelton and Kevin Kolb are not legitimate answers.

That's it for this week. Likely no Hangover next week given the holiday, but we'll have some pieces going up over the next few days to keep you busy in between all that wonderful family time.

Enjoy a helping of Tyler Palko Facts and the inevitable Pats-Chiefs bloodbath.