Brian Westbrook’s decision to down the ball at the 1-yard line rather than score in the closing moments of Sunday’s win over Dallas was a selfless act on his behalf.
But it was costly for some fantasy owners. It’s just one of those plays that translates to a smart play on the football field, but detrimental in fantasy standings. Cause: Westbrook downing the ball a step in front of the end zone.
Effect: Your team loses by 1-5 points in the fantasy playoffs.
There’s nothing you can do but complain. So go ahead. Get your money’s worth. But like a team that loses a game on a close call as time is running out, chances are there was a move you could have made that would have rendered that Westbrook play insignificant.
Example: Maybe you had Fred Taylor on the bench and instead started Shaun Alexander. Alexander has been sorry all season, and he had a decent, though not glowing, matchup vs. the Panthers. Taylor was playing a tough defense in tough conditions and has to share the backfield with Maurice Jones-Drew, whose running style seems better suited for bad weather. But Taylor tore it up, Alexander laid another egg, and the Westbrook play is what sticks out.
Everyone who’s played fantasy football for any length of time has a horror story, and this provides a collection for owners across the land (Just like Deion Branch’s tipped TD catch with 1 second left. How many teams won or lost on that otherwise insignificant play?).
My whiner week came a couple years back. Leading the league title game early, I watched as my opponent came storming back late in the 1 o’clock games and into Sunday night. A couple of plays still make me cross:
Dallas attempts a field goal to tie Carolina late. The field goal is wide, and looks as if it’s been tipped by a defensive lineman, sending it askew. But officials drop a flag for roughing the kicker. Upon review, they decide they can’t tell if it actually touches a Panthers player (which would nullify the penalty). I guess it wasn’t evidence enough that the ball changed course. Result: Dallas gets a first down and shortly thereafter throws a TD pass to Terry Glenn, who was playing for my fantasy opponent.
But my bad-luck run wasn’t done. I was also playing against Shaun Alexander. Alexander was running wild vs. the Colts (who were mailing it in since they already had secured home-field for the playoffs). With the game out of reach, Alexander was sent to the bench and Maurice Morris was in the game. With a few minutes left, Morris took a handoff up the middle and shot toward the goal line. He was brought down right on top of the stripe. Officials, though, didn’t award him the TD. Had it been reviewed, it was obvious Morris was in the end zone. But the game was out of reach, making it insignificant to challenge, and it was inside 2 minutes, so it wasn’t automatically reviewed. Result: Needing one score to break the rushing TD record, Alexander begged for re-entry. He first was denied by coach Mike Holmgren, then seconds later given permission to enter the game. Alexander scored what should have been Morris’ TD. My fantsy game was then tied.
I lost thanks to four points by the Ravens defense later that night. Take away the bogus TDs by Glenn and Alexander, and I win the game by eight. Take just one away, I still win by two.
But it doesn’t bother me anymore. No, really. It doesn’t.