Welcome to the 2010 mid-season report. For many obvious reasons, you should probably ignore everything I actually say (good example: I picked Matt to lose in the first-roundl last year), but I know you guys are pretty bored with your lives, so you’ll have nothing better to do.Last year was a nutty season. The teams finished the season completely based on scoring. The highest scoring team was the top seed, the 5th highest scoring team ended up as the 5th seed, the lowest scoring team was the worst team…I think yo get the point. This season we have a handful of teams that have jumped out on top (four teams have five or more wins). One team is scoring, but not raking up a ton of wins (Colby) and then we have four teams with only two wins (or less in Eric’s case).

Of course the mid-season report wouldn’t be complete with two-time Robioland Champ, Matt Neatock’s opinion.

Before we get started, let’s look at some history:

How were our former champs doing at the halfway point? 1999 – Robio Murray started 4-3 After an average beginning, Robio finish the regular season 7-0 (only perfect 2nd half). 2000 – Robio Murray started 6-1 Robio’s greatest start, but was only average down the stretch at 4-3, earning 2nd seed. 2001 – Jason Carpenter started 5-2 Good start for Jason, but a even better finish at 6-1, taking the top seed. 2002 – Robio Murray started 2-5 This season gives everyone hope. Finished a solid 6-1 and earned the third seed. 2003 – Burrier Bruisers started 4-3 Not overwhelming, but 4-3 was good enough to give him the division and 3rd seed. 2004 – Bob Castrone started 4-3 Bob rolled at the end, going 6-1, winning the division and taking the 2nd seed. 2005 – Griff Coomer started 3-4 Griff finished with a 5-1 record. He didn’t win the division, so he got the 4th seed. 2006 – Don Vozzola started 5-2 First champ to have a losing record in second half of season at 2-4, earning the 7th seed. 2007 – Matt Neatock started 3-4 Second team to start 1-4 and win the championship, winning seven of his last nine. 2008 – Don Vozzola started 3-4 Third team in four years to start 3-4 and win the championship. 2009 – Matt Neatock started 6-1 Became only the second 6-1 team to win a title. Finished 4-2 down the stretch.

PRE-SEASON RANKINGS:

PRE-SEASON RANKINGS AND PREDICTED AVERAGE SCORE / SEVEN GAME AVERAGE & MY THOUGHTS *** Quick note: Averages at mid-season typically are lower because of byes. Team averages always increase as the long moves along. ***

#1 MOLLIPOP A combination of benchings and now injuries are killing this once promising season. #2 BIG JOHNSONS He’s hit 1,000 in all seven games, breaking 1,300 five times. He’s second in scoring, with five wins. #3 GOD’S COCK Teams who pick first win many, many games. Why would my squad be any different? #4 RICE RICE BABY The combo of Rice & Rice have been a massive fail. How many times has Rob been predicted high, only to end up low? #5 THE GRIFFERS After seven weeks, Griff is currently ranked right where he was in the preseason…number five. #6 QUARTER POUNDERS Colby already had a decent team, but a handful of trades have bumped the Pounders up to the top. #7 VICK IN A BOX He leads his division by a game, but he’s only 7th in the league in scoring. So far, my pick looks pretty good. #8 CORDOBA HOUSE… I’m not shocked, but a bit surprised that Calderon is currently ranked #1 in my rankings. #9 TEAM 6 He’s 8th in scoring and only has two wins, but he’s on the cusp of a playoff spot. #10 GATOR NATION Don only has one player (his quarterback) that averages more than 200 points per game. #11 OTIS MURRAY… Opponents have averaged just 1,127 ppg, helping Jeff recover from a 0-3 start. #12 THE SWAMP He continues to battle, but how good will Chris Johnson look in the Swamp next year?

FIRST-HALF PLAYERS

FIRST TEAM, ALL-ROBIO QB – Peyton Manning (Colby) – 384ppg leads the league. Colby has three players that are either first or second team “All-Robio.” RB – Adrian Foster (Griff) – 289ppg…not bad for a guy who wasn’t drafted until the 10th round. RB – Adrian Peterson (Robio) – AP was 1st team at the halfway pt last year, but Peterson has never finished a season as a first-team All-Robio back. WR – Roddy White (Rich C) – He’s on pace for 123 receptions, 1,707 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s a good year. WR – Brandon Lloyd (Bob) – He’s had four 100-yard games. This is a guy who has never had more than 733 yards in a season. TE – Antonio Gates (Rich C) – Gates is averaging a stunning 58 more points per game than the next best TE. PK – Rob Bironas (Jeff) – Rob’s made 14 of 15 field goals, Most importantly, he’s averaging over two attempts per game. DST – Steelers Defense (Rich B) – They’re producing 216ppg, 32 points more than the next best defense.

SECOND TEAM, ALL-ROBIO QB – Philip Rivers (Robio) – He’s knocked out three 400-pt games, but his numbers have tipped the past two weeks. RB – Darren McFadden (Robio) – Get this…he’s scored the third most points by a running back, despite missing two full games. RB – Frank Gore (Colby) – Maybe it’s because he’s stuck in SF, but Gore just continues to quietly produce big numbers. WR- Hakeem Nick (Colby) – The only player traded on this list. He’s had three 300-point games and a 200-pt game. WR – Andre Johnson (Bob) – He’s only 12th in total points, but 4th in average. He’s had a bye and missed one game due to injury. TE – Dustin Keller (Rob M) – The one positive that has worked out for Masterson this year. PK – Josh Scobee (Bob) – He’s actually only broken 100 three times, but that one 5-5 game has jacked his numbers up. DST – Titans Defense (Rob M) – Masterson has as many second team “All-Robio” players as he does wins.

THE ALL-ROOKIE TEAM QB – Sam Bradford (Matt) – He’s had a nice rookie season. He’s currently 22nd among as quarterbacks. RB – Jahvid Best (Rich B) – He’s sort of being riding that one great 582-pt game. He’s currently the 17th best back. RB – Ryan Mathews (Jeff) – He’s the 36th best back. He’s broken 100 only twice and has never touched 200. WR – Dez Bryant (Molly) – He’s only 34th among all WRs, but last year’s top rookie WR is currently #2 (Nicks). WR – Mike Williams (Griff) – The rookie from Syracuse has at least five catches in five games, including three touchdowns. TE – Aaron Hernandez (Griff) – He’s currently 11th among all tight ends and has produced four 100-pt games. PK – No rookie kickers. DST – There are no rookie defenses

THE ALL-DISAPPOINTMENT TEAM QB – Brett Favre (Eric) – This is the second straight year Eric’s arm has ened up on this list. RB – Shonn Greene (Molly) – He was a first-rd pick. People were talking 1,500 yards. He’s 35th among backs and has never started. RB – Maurice Jones-Drew (Don) – He’s had only one 200-pt game, averaging a lowly 169ppg. WR- Wes Welker (Colby) – He started the season with a 200-pt game. He’s now ranked 44th among all receivers. WR – Larry Fitzgerald (Griff) – Do you think Fitz misses Warner? He’s ranked 41st among all receivers. TE – Visanthe Shiancoe (Eric) – Favre was suppose to equal points. After scoring 364 in the first two weeks, he’s produced 118 since. PK – Garrett Hartley (FA) – First kicker taken, first kicker cut. DST – Cowboys D (Don) – Only better than Broncos, Jaqs, Texans and Bills.

THE ELITE

COLBY HALL, QUARTER POUNDERS (3-4) SO FAR – While plenty of teams in the past have had in-season makeovers to rival what Colby has done this season, I doubt many if any have had the success Colby has had from them. If Colby wins the 2010 championship, he’d be the first champion to do it featuring a lineup that consisted of four players he traded for. Should we recap the final results (so far) of the wheeling and dealing?Colby has basically landed Michael Turner, Hakeem Nicks, Terrell Owens, Wes Welker and Brent Celek. To get this, Colby has given up Michael Vick, Marion Barber, Brandon Jacobs, Marques Colston, Jeremy Maclin, Dexter McCluster and Vernon Davis. Of that entire group, I’d only consider Vick, Colston and Davis important loses. With Manning/Owens/Nicks, Vick and Colston weren’t really needed anymore.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…If I can quote myself, ” There are holes. There are concerns, but Mr. Hall has never been one to sit around. Don’t be surprised if he has already sought out trades.” Oh Colby, so predictable. While this is nothing new for Colby, this season may end up being the most success he’s found from his wheeling and dealing.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Currently Colby is 4th in total points (only 77 yards rushing and a TD behind the leader). However, he’s just 3-4. Why? His opponents have scored the second most points (1,335ppg). The only time in league history one team was both first scoring and first in points against, was Colby in 2004. That year the Pounders scored 1,442 per game, but gave up 1,429 ppg. He finished last in his division, but at 6-8 was able to squeeze into the post-season, losing in the first round.

X-FACTOR – Michael Turner. At times, he’s a machine (20+ carries, hundreds of yards) producing 250-pt games with ease. Yet, right when you need him to perform he’ll give you 58 and 66-point games. The difference between a really good back and an elite back is…a bad game for an elite is 150 points.

SECOND HALF RESULTS -The reality is, it’s a five-man sprint to the end. Of Colby, Bob, Griff, Robio and Calderon, all five could easily win the 2010 championship. In fact, I’d be shocked if someone from outside this group pulls a title out of their ass.Now if you said to me, hey commissioner, put $500 on someone to win it all and I’ll be honest, I’d put my money on the Quarter Pounders right nowColby has only one hole and that’s at TE. He simply should not have traded away Vernon Davis. However, if you’re going to have a hole, other than kicker, this is the spot to have it. Turner and Gore make up a lethal duo at RB. They are 4th and 12th among backs, which makes them both #1 backs. While Nicks/Owens may not have the sex appeal of let’s say Reggie Wayne or Calvin Johnson, numbers don’t lie. Nicks appears to be a breakout star and Owens simply refuses to die.

How good is this squad…I just gave you four reasons to love the Pounders and I haven’t even mentioned Peyton Manning (Ranked #1) and the Jets D (Ranked #6).

The biggest challenge Colby has is overcoming his 2-4 start to the season. It is unlikely he’s going to win the division. He’s currently two games back of both Bob and Calderon, and one could easily argue that those two are the top teams in the league (along with Colby). The Pounders really only need two more wins to clinch a playoff spot. That should not be a problem. What he’s hoping for is a seeding that will allow him to take on Matt in round one. No offense to Matt, but if Colby needs to win three-straight against teams like Calderon, Bob, Griff and me…that’s asking a lot.

MATT MUSINGS – Colby and I do so many trades that I sort of feel that part of this team belongs to me. Too bad it’s the Vick on a Bye JV squad! But for real, Mr. Hall has one of the more formidable teams in Robioland this year. He just has to hope all those players can live up to their potential. Prediction: Colby will make the playoffs, but fall short, screwing his draft for next season. Colby will then autodraft, and focus on making some trades.

BOB CASTRONE,BIG JOHNSON (5-2) SO FAR – Good, sometimes great, failing (extremely high) expectations. This is a first-hand account of Bob in bed and his Big Johnson’s. The fact is he’s 5-2. He’s clearly on his way to delivering a stunning fifth straight nine-win season. He’s second in scoring, only two touchdowns and ten yards behind the leader. He easily could finish the season as both the scoring champ and top seed.Yet, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed in this team. Maybe the problem started up top. Brady and his band of merry white receivers tend to pass a lot, but Brady is only the 12th best QB. Chris Johnson was supposed to rush for 2,500 yards, but he’s had games of 19, 38 and 94 fantasy points. To show how important he is, Bob has lost two of the three games that C.J. has failed to launch. On top of those two, even the Packers D is playing below expectations. They’re currently 8th, breaking 200 only once all season.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I said this before the season started, “I think Bob will actually win the scoring title, because he’s going to have weeks that blow us away”So far, Bob has really only blown me away once, producing one 1,856-point game. That is the only time he’s broken 1,500. I sort of envisioned four of these type of games. He’s still competing for his first ever scoring title because while he’s not banging out big games, he’s been a consistent scorer, breaking 1,300 in five of his seven games. In fact, he’s scored at least 1,000 in 17 straight games (the longest active streak).

GOD I LOVE STATS – If Bob wants the scoring title, he’s going to need to score some more 1,500-pt games. Most scoring champs end up scoring over five per season. However in 2006, Molly won the scoring title despite only breaking 1,500 twice that season.

X-FACTOR – Ryan Torain, Felix Jones and LaDainian Tomlinson – While Bob was clearly set with Big Johnson’s (Andre and Chris), his two concerns coming into the season were at the second running back spot (F. Jones) and second wide receiver spot (Welker). Bob has done a great job of scanning the waiver wires and has landed some solid talent to nullify those concerns.First Brandon Lloyd (who was added then cut by Jeff) has been stunningly good. In fact, Lloyd has better numbers than Andre Johnson. He’s been so good, Welker was shipped off to the Pounders.Of course at the running back spot, Bob has incorporated a three-headed attack of Harrison/Tomlinson/Torain, Harrison got the first start, but Tomlinson has done most of the workload. He’s started five times so far. Torain got the start last week. Clearly Bob could try to package all three to land one better back, but he could also just continue roto-back and see where that takes him. The fact is, Torain is getting all the carries in Washington and even Felix Jones, who was slated to be Bob’s starter, is getting lots of carries in Big D now.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Despite all my griping about Bob’s lack of greatness, he was the pre-season favorite and he’s done nothing to change that. In fact, I would argue his current squad is better than the one he started with. Not only did he find a legit second receiver, not only did he find three running backs to fill up the number two spot, he also somehow got Colby to hand him Vernon Davis for Wes Welker. By adding Davis, Bob goes from having the 17th best TE (Winslow) to the third best TE, adding 71 more points per game to his total.Like with Colby and Calderon, Bob has some battles ahead in the division and even outside of it. After taking on Eric this week (win), his next four will all be against teams above .500. So far, Bob is 4-0 against losing teams, but just 1-2 against teams above .500.I foresee the Big Johnson wrapping up the season 4-2, dropping one to either Colby or Calderon and being upset once before divisional play. He’ll win the division and finish second in scoring. Seeding will go a long way in determining Bob’s fate. If he can win the division, he’ll more than likely only see Colby in the finals. Of course he’ll need to beat the winner of the 4/5 team, which I’m projecting will be Griff/Calderon. In the end, I think Bob is going back to the finals, but I think he’ll come up just short in the end.

MATT MUSINGS – It’s hard to make fun of someone who A) Is much funnier than you are, B) You haven’t seen in 4 years, and C) Hasn’t responded to an IM from you in 6 years, so I’ll just tell you about Bob’s doppleganger I played softball against last Friday night. Aside from the fact that this dude was jacked, he looked EXACTLY like Bob. I almost wanted to say “Bob” and see if he would look over from his dugout. But when he got up to the plate, and demonstrated his warning track power, it’s like I was looking at Bob’s fantasy team in human form. His lineup is jacked with names like Brady, LT the Johnsons, and the resurgent Brandon Lloyd, but he’s just not as dominating as you’d expect. A sputtering D and so-so depth, and you’ve got the portrait of hit or miss. Prediction: Bob is a distant third in the Robioland pecking order.

ROBIO MURRAY, GOD’S COCK (6-1) SO FAR – Oddly enough, if you ignore the record and forget about the scoring and just focused on the roster, you might not imagine that this team, this group of players are currently the top seed in Robioland.Think about it, DeAngelo Williams has been a bust, Jennings was a bust until I traded him. Steve Smith was shaky until about two weeks ago. I have two tight ends, but they just recently cracked the top-10 among tight ends. McFadden is having a breakout year, but he missed two games with a hamstring injury and when he had his best game (596 fantasy points last week), he was stuck on my bench. I spent a lot of money on Brandon Jackson, but he’s only cracked 100 yards once and I’ve started the Bengals D nearly all season long and they certainly don’t scare anyone (20th in the league).Yet, here we are. First, my success can be traced back to having the first pick (which allowed be to take Peterson) and then gave me the first pick in the third round (which allowed me to take Rivers). The duo is averaging 613 points. I’ve always caught some breaks because when one aspect struggles (like when I receivers weren’t producing), another picks up the slack (McFadden was healthy and scoring big). When McFadden went down, my receivers stepped it up.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I wrote, “Not only do I have solid starters, I arguable have the best bench (at least post-suspensions for some).” My starters have been solid, yet my bench was pretty unimpressive. Only one has busted out and that’s McFadden. I’ll be honest, when I wrote that, I wasn’t realty talking about him. Of my seven bench players at the beginning of the season, only one remains on my bench and that’s Vicent Jackson who still hasn’t played a game yet.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Ah to be 6-1. It feels good to know that I’ve probably already locked down a playoff trip. However, 6-1 hasn’t always guaranteed a mug. Nine teams have started the season 6-1. Of those nine teams, their second half records have been 24-28. All lost at least two games, only four managed a winning second-half record. All nine of course made it to the playoffs, however, three lost in the first round. Four made it to the finals, two (Robio ’00 and Matt ’09) won it all.

X-FACTOR – Darren McFadden. Up until this season, the Raiders running back has been a huge bust. However, he’s suddenly come alive this season. He’s produce 220 points in every game he’s played in. Yet, he’s always two seconds away from an injury.With McFadden healthy, I have the best one-two punch at RB…by a long mile. Peterson and McFadden combine for 598 fantasy points per game. Griff’s amazing backfield of 2005 averaged 547ppg. If McFadden stays healthy, I’m an elite team. If he gets hurt and I’m stuck using Brandon Jackson, I’m still good…but I’m not elite.

SECOND HALF RESULTS -Without a doubt, I have a solid team and by the time the season ends, I’ll probably have my best regular season since 2002. I’ve already taken down Bob and Colby. I have four very winnable games down the stretch. My only issue may be Masterson and that’s only because I have a ton of bye issues to deal with. For me, I’ll know what my team is all about when I face Calderon in week nine and in my re-match with Griff two weeks later.For me, everything comes down to health. Not only does McFadden need to stay healthy, but I need the Chargers receiving core to get better so Rivers has legit targets. I haven’t even mentioned DeSean Jackson. Word is, hell only miss three weeks, so it will be nice if he can come back in week 10. It also wouldn’t hurt if I can find another defense to play when the Bengals go on the road (where they tend to not play defense).I envision splitting my match ups with Griff and Calderon and I suspect one team I should beat will pull off the upset. If this holds true, I’ll earn my seventh division title (but only my second in seven years). With Colby/Calderon/Bob battling it out in the Jersey division, I should be able to lock down my first top seed since 2003.

MATT MUSINGS – Robio loves his team this year, mostly because it has “cock” in it, but how about that Darren McFadden??? The commish is back on top, and that’s a good thing because his Cowboys’ season was over weeks ago. Prediciton: I still say advantage – Griff. If Robio hadn’t been tangled in the NY Giants receiver web going into the season, this team would look better.

RICHARD CALDERON, CORDOBA HOUSE RENEGADES (5-2) SO FAR – When this ship for took sail, I thought it might sink within minutes. Rich had drafted Kevin Kolb to start, but by the end of week one, Kolb was knocked to the bench and Stafford was knocked out completely. By week two, Calderon was actually starting Derek Anderson at quarterback. For a guy who had succeeded the past two years riding on the back of Drew Brees, this was a bit shocking. If anyone knew how important a QB was in this league, it should have been Calderon.Fast-forward six weeks and suddenly the man with no quarterback now has the 3rd and 4th best quarterbacks in the league. Of course, a lot has gone right for Rich so far in 2010. Roddy White is the top wide receiver in the league and Antonio Gates is not only the best tight end, he’s the third best wide receiver. That’s right, his 1,490 total fantasy points is only out-done by Roddy White and Brandon Lloyd. Let’s not forget that Calvin Johnson is also top-10 (currently 9th) either.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…In my pre-season ranking, I had Rich 8th (sitting in the third-tier with Matt and Colby). Sort of fitting since these three have been the most active in trading. All three recognized that improvements were needed and the fact is, you can argue all three did just that.Back then I did say this, “Rich has a lot to prove this year with Brees gone. He needs to prove he’s not the next Burrier…a man who loses his star talent and falters.”At 5-2 and leading the league in scoring, he’s clearly proven he’s not the next Burrier.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Rich is the current scoring leader, yet he’s never had a weekly high score. No team has ever won a scoring title and not gotten at least one weekly high score. Three people have only gotten one though and won the scoring title (Matt ’09, Don ’07, Justin A. ’02).

X-FACTOR – The Flex position. With the emergence of Matt Forte, Calderon decided to ship McCoy off to Matt for Aaron Rodgers. As great as Rodgers is, I’m always going to see that as a mistake. While none of us knew it at the time, when he picked up Orton, he picked up one of the league’s top arms.With McCoy (the 5th best RB) gone, Rich is still forced to make a decision each and every week at the flex spot. At first, he didn’t have much success. Steve Smith went down with an injury and Calderon was forced to use backup running backs, Tolbert and Kuhn. Neither broke 100 fantasy points. Thanks to a great trade with Colby, he was able to get a struggling Colston for Snelling.The trade has been great because Colston has awoken from his slump. He has produced 180, 96 and 264 since being inserted in as a third receiver. On top of that, Rich also has a ton of options at flex, including Steve Smith (who just got back from injury), Mike Williams (TB rookie), Fred Jackson (who got 23 carries against Baltimore) and recently acquired DeAngelo Williams.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Colby, Bob and Calderon are set for a classic battle to the end. One that hasn’t taken place since the 2004 division that saw Colby, Masterson and the two Rich’s average a combine 1,403ppg. All four teams made it to the playoffs, while the two Rich’s each won nine games.Of the three, Calderon clearly has the roughest road ahead. His easiest game will be next week against Burrier (although Team 6 refuses to be a pushover). He then takes on Griff and myself (combine 11-2) before heading into divisional play. Even the best of teams would hope to escape with a 4-2 record during that stretch.While the Renegades are still a bit soft at the RB spot (not sure how much D. Williams will help), Calderon is deep and will have no trouble covering the remaining byes or any future injuries. Of course with so much talent, Rich can easily get trapped in the classic “too many decisions” category where he’ll find his best stats are from guys on the bench.

I think we’re looking at a 3-3 finish, losing out on the division title to Bob and his Johnson’s. He’ll finish 4th in scoring, but when I say fourth, we’re talking semantics here because the top five will only be separated by a few hundred points in the end. Of course winning the division is everything, because finishing second will more than likely lock Rich into the 4/5 match up, which will more than likely be the second-place finisher of the Manhattan division (i.e. Robio or Griff).

MATT MAUSINGS – Simpsons fans know, you don’t win friends with salad. And you don’t win Robioland championships starting all those receivers. Rich knows this, too, or else he wouldn’t be making trades for RBs. Rich has settled for the hot and cold, but mostly cold, DeAngelo Williams, and unfortunately (for him) that’s not going to be good enough this year. Prediction: First round playoff exit.

GRIFF COOMER, THE GRIFFTERS (5-2) SO FAR – Griff rolled out of the gate like no other. Not only did he win, he won big. He was 4-0, breaking 1,500 points three times. The league quickly realized he had the steal of the season when 10th round pick Adrain Foster was leading the league in fantasy points. Hell, Griff had four running backs that could be considered number one backs. Griff rotated them in and out of his lineup with ease and he always seemed to make the right decision.Yet over the last three weeks, some air has been let out of the balloon. Griff suddenly dropped two out of three. He not only wasn’t breaking 1,500, he was barely cracking 1,000. Suddenly he was guessing wrong on which backs to start. Larry Fitzgerald, one of the top-3 receivers the past three years, was slumping without Kurt Warner. The Ravens defense was getting ravaged and the biggest hit…Griff’s prized recruit, tight end JerMichael Finley, suddenly went out for the year.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I said, “In the end, Griff’s backs will decide his fate. Charles and Jackson both play on crap teams, but both are No. 1 backs. Yet, watch out for one back on his bench.”Clearly Jackson and Charles have done fine jobs (although you know Griff wants Charles to get more carries. He’s never had more than 16 in a game). As for that “one back on his bench,” he was Foster and he’s only the top back in football.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Griff has three running backs in the top-10 and four running backs that are currently ranked in the top-sixteen. Foster is ranked #1, Steven Jackson is #7, Bradshaw is #10 and Charles is ranked #16.

X-FACTOR – Steve Johnson – Griff’s weakness is at the wide receiver spot. Larry Fitzgerald is a borderline bust and Sanatana Moss is simply not consistent enough. Clearly Griff recognized this when he invested $52 of his auction money on Bills receiver Steve Johnson.Just weeks early, Colby had Johnson on his bench and was offering him up to just about anyone, but there were no takers (this includes me). He cut him to make room for some bye-week replacements. After a stunning 360-pt game, Griff snagged him up for a hefty price.So is this kid the real deal? Time will tell. He’s certainly had a great last four games and has gotten better each and every week. He’s obviously clicked with his new quarterback, scoring five touchdowns in his last four games. The big question will be, how will Johnson click with the Buffalo winter? Can this offense continue to defy the odds? Griff clearly believes in Johnson seeing that he’s just benched Larry Fitzgerald to make room in the starting lineup for him.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Over the last two weeks, I’ve been talking about cracks in Griff’s squad, but let’s be honest, I’m not predicting some collapse. All I’m saying is he went from being the top dog in the penthouse to being in the smallest room in the penthouse. It’s still the penthouse and Griff is still one of the five “elite” teams that can win this thing.While there is some concern about Steven Jackson’s injury, we all know running back depth isn’t an issue for the Griffers. At the wide out spots, Griff has five different guys who could see action, Johnson, Moss, Fitzgerald, Driver and Ochocinco. All five have been maddening inconsistent this season. Two need to step up and be an every-week player…someone, anyone.On top of that, you know who else needs to be consistent? How about Matt Schaub? Over the last couple years, he’s been a top-five quarterback. While he’s had some huge games this year, he’s had three bombs (89, 153 and 38). That can’t happen. He’s currently only 14th among all quarterbacks.

There are plenty of solid pieces on this squad. Hell, the entire 15-man roster on Griff’s team could honestly start for just about anyone in this league. I’m not saying they would dominate, but they’re clearly all good.

For Griff, the schedule isn’t too brutal and a 4-2 finish is completely reasonable. The fact is, with Molly at 2-5 and Eric at 1-6, the division is coming down to Griff and I. Our week 11 match up can be the decider and as I’ve already talked about, winning the division will be a lot more fun than being stuck in that 4/5 game.

MATT’S MUSINGS – In a year where free agents and sleepers rule, Griff is enjoying what I found out last year – the best way to win is to enter the season with a MUCH better team than everyone else. If he makes it back to the championship game this year, he’s not losing. Prediction: A mug or damn close once again.

CHICKS DIG PLAYOFF TEAMS

MATT NEATOCK, VICK IN A (FILL IN THE BLACK (5-2) SO FAR – In this league, you know if there is a trade, you can almost bet it went through Matt at some point. Like Colby, the man likes to deal…especially when he lost first-round pick Ryan Grant for the year. However, unlike Colby who was trying to save a leaky ship, Matt actually started the season 3-0. His trades seem to make him better, but he was losing more (dropping two of his next four). So what happened to that roster?After it was all said and done, Matt ended up with a starting lineup of Vick, McCoy, Moreno, Jennings, Holmes, Heap, Prater and the Giants D. If Matt doesn’t pull off a single trade, his roster is best as a three-wide group…A. Rodgers, Moreno, Nicks, Owens, D. Jackson, Heap, Prater and the Giants D.Which team is better? Hard to tell with injuries to Moreno, McCoy and Vick, however, assuming Matt replaced DeSean with Thomas Jones off his bench this week, his old team would have beaten his new team.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I had this to say about Matt’s draft, “He went safe and grab some smart, solid talent to ensure himself a playoff-quality team.”Matt did play it safe with Ryan Grant, Moreno and Owens to name a few. Ironically none of these guys have really played much of a part in Matt’s success thus season. Grant was knocked out for the year, Moreno just got back and Owens is doing his work for the Pounders.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Overall, Matt is sitting pretty. He’s 5-2 in the weakest division. However, do those five wins really represent how good this team is? Of those five wins, only one came against a winning team. That win was against Jeff, who is only 9th in scoring. Speaking of scoring, Matt is only 8th in scoring.

X-FACTOR – Knowshon Moreno is everything. He’s a running back in one of the league’s best offenses. However, Moreno has always struggled to stay healthy. He’s already missed three games this season. When he does play, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. He’s never rushed for more than 60 yards in a game, but thanks to four touchdowns, he’s actually produced two 200-pt games.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – First, props go to Matt. He’s done a fine job at defending that title. Obviously at 5-2, Matt wants his name mentioned along with the elites, but we here at the mid-season report just aren’t buying it. He’s good. He’s going to win some more games, but if he really wants to win back-to-back titles, he will have to go through some heavy hitters to do so.Luckily for Matt, he’s going to get the opportunity to prove something. His next three games are all against teams I deem elite. He takes on Griff, Colby and Bob (teams 5th, 4th and 2nd in scoring).The great news is once Vick comes back after his bye, it will be the first time this season that Matt will actually run with his new lineup without anyone being out injured. So can he win two of three? Unlikely. How about one of three? Probably. Yet, I can completely see him dropping all three and then win his final three in the division.

Look for a six-game split and for Matt to earn his third career division title. However, a third-seed will probably mean a tough first-round match up against the third-place team between Bob, Colby and Calderon. My guess is Colby, which would make Matt the underdog.

MATT’S MUSINGS – Crippled by injuries to key players at every position, and I’m still getting it done. I’ve made Colby and Rich better in the process, and I will regret the TO trade all year, but get ready boys and girl, the defending champ is making another run! And I’m doing it without many big names. Prediction: Another division title and a slugfest with Robio/Griff/Colby/Calderon.

JEFF GREENBLATT, OTIS MURRAY & THE KNIGHTS (4-3) SO FAR – Prior to the season I had Jeff battling Eric for the rights to the first pick in next year’s draft. Three games into the season, Jeff was clearly on his way. A funning thing started to happen along the way though…he started winning. Now is he beating quality opponents? Not really. He beat Calderon (with the weekly high score no less), but his three other wins came against Molly, Eric and Masterson, who are a combined 5-16. The fact is, Jeff has benefited from playing the weakest schedule. If your opponents aren’t scoring, you’re going to win some games.Obviously Jeff’s issue start at the running back spot. He walked in with a solid keeper (Benson) and grabbed the one rookie back everyone agreed would be good. However, in Benson’s case, he’s played like a low-end two (149ppg). Mathews has struggled to stay on the field, missing some time due to injury. He is averaging only 90ppg…unacceptable for a first-round pick.On to of that, Jeff made the worst decision possible when he cut Bandon Lloyd. Sure he had never done anything in the past and Jeff had every reason to be skeptical at some the numbers, but he basically cut the 3rd best WR in football. Cold. Without him, Jeff is forced to rotate in and out Gaffney, Manningham, Murphy and Meachem. So far those four have combined to average 70 points per game when starting for Jeff.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I said, “he’s starting a rookie running back, a has-been at quarterback, Drew Brees’ third-option at WR and the Raiders tight end. That’s a lot to overcome.”The fact that he has four wins means he has overcome it, but the reality is, the only part I was wrong about was Zach Miller, who has turned into a stud tight end. I’ve already talked about Jeff’s roto-2nd WR, but at quarterback, he’s benched Palmer for Big Ben. In the long wrong, that’s the smart move, although head-to-head (last week) Palmer crushed Ben, 534-250.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Jeff’s top rated player is his kicker, Rob Bironas. He’s the top kicker. Tight end Zack Miller is the second best TE. After that Palmer is 10th among all quarterbacks and Jeff’s best receiver is Brandon Marshall, who is only 17th. After that, no other players on Jeff’s roster is top 20 at their position. Yet, he’s 4-3.

X-FACTOR – Ryan Mathews will need to become a player. Lost in all the numbers (or lack thereof) is the fact that the rookie back is actually averaging a solid 4.6 yards per carry. Yet, it’s not translating into fantasy points. There are a handful of reasons for this.First, the Chargers turn the ball over like no other, thus they are often down by two touchdowns early. Playing catch up favors the quarterbacks, but not the running backs. Second, fumbles. He had two fumbles lost in his first two games. If you want to guarantee that your coach will stop handing you the ball, just cough it up. Third, Mathews has been hurt. He missed most of his second game, all of his third and he’s never really been “the guy” since coming back. The simple problem is carries. After rushing the ball 19 times in week one (for a respectable 75 yards), he’s averaging just 8.6 carries per game. That’s not a lot.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – With so many people struggling this year, at 4-3 Jeff really only needs to win two more to get to the playoffs. So what does he need to do to get there? Two things need to happen.His running backs need to run the ball. Benson needs to re-discover his burst. It’s not like he’s not getting the ball. Benson is 10th in rushing attempts (he’s got 20+ carries four times already). He just can’t keep averaging 3.9 per carry.As for Mathews, I actually expect more production. Mathews is clearly better than both Tolbert and Sproles. He hasn’t fumbled since week two and he’s finally looking healthy again. Norv Turner has never really been a RB-roto coach and the Chargers have some run-friendly match ups down the stretch.

Besides the running backs, for Jeff to win, he’s going to need to become a football expert and make good decisions. He’s got two quarterbacks. Both are capable of putting up big points against the right opponent. He doesn’t want to pull a Masterson and have the best guy each week sitting on the pine. The same is true for his second receiver spot. Of course receivers are harder to predict, but Jeff will need to make some right decisions.

In the end, Jeff’s luck is about to run out. He’s got a brutal three-game stretch where he’ll face the top three scoring teams all in a row. I suspect he’ll lose all three and head back into divisional play at 4-6. At this point, if he falls to Matt, he’s suddenly battling for his playoff life. The final two weeks will decide his fate. I’m going to say Jeff gets ‘er done, makes the playoffs, but that’s it. He’s not going anywhere this post-season.

MATT’S MUSINGS: I like his QBs, I like Cedric Benson, I like what he’s achieved with so little, but overall… Meh! Now I know what it’s like to be a chick viewing Jeff’s J-Date profile. Prediction: Better luck next year, Jeff. It looks like you’re going to have a pretty good draft pick. And it could be worse. You could be Eric.

MOLLY COOMER, MOLLIPOP (2-5) SO FAR – How’s it gone so far? Let’s just say “major disappointment” is a major understatement. The season got off to a rough start before we even played a game. Molly passed up on Frank Gore to take a guy (Shonn Greene) who had never even started prior this season. Greene lost his starting job after one week and he’s still never appeared in Molly’s lineup. Trust me, not too many teams could give up their first round pick and win a lot of games.At first, she stuck in Portis, who did a decent job. Molly started the season 1-2, but she scored big twice, losing one game where she scored 1,707 points. Things were clicking. Mendenhall was producing, Boldin was rolling, Romo was putting up the stats and Miles Austin was the best receiver in football.In week four, she actually won (beating Masterson), but things started to take a turn for the worse. Portis lost his starting job and since that time, Molly has dropped three straight, breaking 1,200 only once. At this point, Molly’s ship was banged up, but in week seven, she hit a fucking iceberg. Tony Romo went down (for 6-8 weeks) and not only would Molly be losing his stats, but Miles Austin’s numbers will be taking a hit too.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION… I said at the time, “There are no holes in this starting lineup. Every player could finish the season top-8 at their position or better.”So all these players will finish in the top-8? Romo was 7th, but she can kiss that good-bye. Her new starter (Henne) is 16th among quarterbacks. I said Mendenhall and Greene would be the third best RB duo. I said they would average 384ppg. Mendenhall is doing his part, but right now they are combining for 280ppg. Mendenhall is the 8th best back, but Greene is 35th (one spot behind Danny Woodhead). Molly actually has three receivers in the top-13. Tony Gonzalez has been benched by Molly a couple times and is currently 12th among tight ends. The Eagles D is currently 6th, but Molly also starts the Patriots who are just 25th.

GOD I LOVE STATS – I mentioned above that Molly has three receivers in the top-13. Britt and Boldin are the two highest ranked (Austin is 3rd), yet sometimes numbers can be deceiving. Britt and Boldin have combined to score 2,520 fantasy points. However, 42% of those points came from only two games. Erase those two games and the pair have only combined for only 121 points per game. That’s not many.

X-FACTOR – The Quarterback. Right now the job falls to Chad Henne. Time will tell if that’s who Molly sticks with. We all know she’s never been a one-man woman, but so far, Henne hasn’t been too bad. Sure he’s only ranked 16th among arms, but his numbers are sort of weight down by a couple bad games to start the season. Over his last four games, Henne has averaged 289 fantasy points. That would put him in the top-8 category. In fact, on the season Tom Brady has averaged only 23 more points per game. One last point, Henne got those stats against the Jets, Patriots, Packers and Steelers. The last time I checked, those were good defenses.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Clearly Molly is no longer my favorite. With Greene no longer a number one back, Molly has nothing to put into that second RB spot. In fact, she has to go three wide and that’s asking a lot to assume both Britt and Boldin are stud receivers and Austin is still one.My point? There are issues. Personally if there is anyone who needs to do a trade it is Molly. Ironically the best person to trade with is her husband. He’s stacked at RB, she’s stacked at WR. They freaking live together. They see each other naked. How does a deal not get done?No matter what happens, Molly is lumped into a group with Burrier, Don and Masterson. The foursome consists of four 2-5 teams, none are good enough or healthy enough to really compete for their division, so all three are battling for that final playoff spot. The fact is, Molly’s week 10 match up against Burrier could be the deciding game. Luckily for Molly, Rich will be missing three starters, including Drew Brees. Win that one and she should become the first five-win team to make it to the post-season.

MATT MUSINGS – KENNY F-ING BRITT!!! Molli, I have to tell you that my wife (currently in a similar fantasy situation to you in another league) screamed “Close the window! I feel so bad for her!” when I showed her the action from your bench this weekend. I’ll make a public offer here that I have three QBs on my team that can help you, and you should shoot me an email to see what we can do. It’s not too late, Molls! Don’t sit around being Griff’s trophy! Take the bull by the horns and WIN ONE! Prediction: Kitna??? Ryan??? Vick?????????

JUSTA BIT OUTSIDE

RICHARD BURRIER, TEAM 6 (2-5) SO FAR – Can a week seven win really be a season-saving win? In Burrier’s case, you bet your sweet ass. At 1-5, Rich could not afford another defeat, but facing a 5-1 Griff team you had to assume Burrier was done. Yet, he caught Coomer on an off day and 2-5 is a lot better than 1-6.Rich has spent a lot of time still trying to figure everything out with his roster. That’s okay in baseball, but in football time runs out real quick. At times, Rich has had success. He’s had two 1,300-pt games and he actually earned a weekly high score with 1,663 in a win over Jeff. Yet this is the same team that lost to Don, scoring just 846, plus another game below 900 against me.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION… Prior to the start of the season, wide receiver was the concern. I said, “Burrier refused to draft a wide receiver early and it shows. No person has as much unproven talent at the wide out spot than Rich.”Fact is, the problem has taken care of itself. Mike Wallace and Malcom Floyd have done a nice job stepping up their games. Floyd is the 8th best WR in average points, while Wallace is 20th, but he’s done that without a good quarterback running the show. With Big Ben back, he’s had 396 points the past two weeks. On top of that, Rich traded for Maclin, who’s actually ranked 13th, although his stats tend to jump around from game to game and can’t be trusted.

GOD I LOVE STATS -When Rich picked up Peyton Hillis, he thought hit gold, or in terms he might understand, a pair of double D’s on a 32 waist. He was so confident, he unloaded Michael Turner to the Pounders for Maclin. However, since that trade, Hillis has scored 464 points in three weeks. Meanwhile, Turner has 666 points and has beaten Hillis head-to-head 2-1.

X-FACTOR – Jahvid Best has been the best rookie running back this season, however, that’s not really saying much. No rookie back has really taken off yet. Currently Best is the 17th best RB, but those numbers are deceiving. He had that one 592-pt game, but in his six other games, he’s totaled, yes totaled, 523 points. The worst part is, Rich didn’t even start Best when he had his one great game.Rich doesn’t need the rookie to be an elite back. He does need him to be efficient. Producing 150-200 points per game should not be too much to ask for. You can’t win too many games when your starting running back hands you 60-pt games.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Burrier is 2-5 and is currently 8th in scoring. One of his best players (Floyd) is out and we’re not sure when he is coming back. His tight end situation is a mess (Olsen was shutout twice), yet I have Burrier a couple steps below Matt (a division winner), who is a step below the elites. What gives?First, there is a sizable drop-off between the elites (Bob, Colby, Calderon, Griff, Robio) and Matt. There’s another sizable gap between Matt and the next group of teams. The fact is, after spending weeks trying to figure things out, I think Rich now knows what he has. He just needs everyone healthy and off their bye-weeks.I’ve already talked about the importance of Best stepping up his stats, but the real key to any success is Drew Brees. He’s been less-than-impressive so far. The two-time “All-Robio” Quarterback is just 9th among all quarterbacks. He needs to be a 400-pt guy for this team to succeed. Right now he’s a 300-pt guy.

After facing Calderon this week, Rich has a pretty favorable stretch run. He takes on Eric, Molly and Don (those three combine have just five wins so far). Molly is probably the biggest challenge of those three, but she’s pretty banged up right now too. That to me is the game that will decide an actual playoff spot. The problem is, Rich loses two important players due to a bye (Brees and Floyd). Can he overcome those loses? It’s hard to see him doing it.

Luckily for Rich, if there is one season where we could see a five-win playoff team, this could be the year. The problem is, if he is to get to five wins, he has to get it done against both Vozzola’s and then win one game out of Jeff, Molly or Matt. If he can win two, that would seal the deal. Unfortunately for him, my gut says he’ll come up just short.

MATT MUSINGS – I’m not sure the crusade to trade Turner paid off for Rich, but with Drew Brees coming up small, it probably won’t matter. Robio says big things could be in Burrier’s future. I say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3-eavMSBnkPrediction: Rich has one of the best mid-tier keepers in the league in Hillis. Maybe he can pick up Anthony Thomas in the later rounds next year and have the best 1-2 punch EVER!

ROB MASTERSON, RICE RICE BABY (2-5) SO FAR – The unluckiest man in football just keeps doing what he does best. Drafts well, keeps well, comes up with a clever team name and then everything is down hill from there.Obviously the first blow came before the season when one half of his Rice, Rice Baby had hip surgery, which pretty much ended his season before it got started. Sidney rice was expected to be a top-five receiver with the return of Brett Favre. I guess it has become clear that even if Rice was playing, Favre wouldn’t be able to deliver the ball to him anyhow. On top of that, injuries to his number two running back (Thomas) and his backup (Brown) have killed Rob.Yet, despite all the injuries issues, if Masterson simply would have started the right quarterbacks (Cutler in week two, Flacco in week three), he would be a respectable 4-3 and not 2-5.

I WAS WRONG – I said, “Losing Sidney Rice for two months hurts, but Rob has the bench to make up for the loss somewhat.” I was wrong. Rob has used a couple different receivers to replace Sidney Rice, but mainly Crabtree. Nothing has really worked. His second receiver has averaged just 82ppg. If they were one receiver, they’d be the 61st best receiver.Worse yet, when Pierre Thomas went down, Rob had nothing to plug that hole. A combination of Stewart and some third receivers have averaged just 40.5ppg in four games since Thomas went out. Prior to that, Thomas was averaging 165ppg.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Last year Ray Rice was second-team “All-Robio” averaging 239 fantasy points per game. This year he’s just the 18th best back. He’s failed to reach 100 yards rushing in six of seven games. He’s scored twice, but both came in one game. He’s broken 200 only once this year.

X-FACTOR – Jonathan Stewart or Pierre Thomas. Unless you have three solid receivers you can’t win with only one back. Since Rob only really has one solid receiver, he definitely can’t win with one back. Thomas had a sprain ankle, yet has missed a month. That’s one hell of a sprained ankle. At this point, no one has any clue when he will be back.Stewart has had a rough year, as has every player on Carolina. Yet, word is DeAngelo Williams is hurting, so Stewart might get his first start of the year. That’s good for week eight. However, just imagine how dangerous he’d be if he was just given more than eight carries per game. The fact is, Rob needs something to happen. He needs Thomas to come back or Williams to take some time off.

SECOND HALF RESULTS -The future doesn’t look to bright, does it? Here are the facts…Rob’s team is depleted. Even if some of his injured players return, will they even be 100%? Second, Ray Rice has shown no sign of life (outside of one game). Of course the bye-week could changed all that, but I suspect McGahee to keep eating away at his carries, especially around the goal line? Third, Rob has had no success bettering his squad on the wire (except for the Titans D). He’s missed out on players like Lloyd, Torain and F. Jackson.Lastly and most importantly, Rob’s final schedule may be too brutal. After playing Don this week, he takes on the top five scoring teams in the league. Now that’s an ending.I actually think he’ll beat Don, upset Griff and beat me (because my team will be depleted be bye-weeks), before heading back into the division where he’ll lose all three. At 5-8, he’ll miss the playoffs due to total points tiebreaker.

MATT MUSINGS – Rob had a lot of sexy picks coming into the season. But now his roster is like being married to a super model and having erectile disfunction. Sure, she says she loves you, but that doesn’t stop her from blowing lines off a European tourists 12-inch schlong while you’re working late. Prediction: The viagra stays at the pharmacy and this team stays flaccid.

THE VOZZOLA’S

DON VOZZOLA, GATOR NATION (2-5) SO FAR – When your claim to fame is that you managed to break 1,000 the past three weeks, you’re season is not going to end well. The unlucky irony is, Don’s actually lost all three of those games.Here’s the deal, I predicted Don would miss the playoffs, but I thought if there was one team I would regret leaving out of the post-season, it would be his. Why? Those running backs…I thought Maurice Jones-Drew and Ronnie Brown would be a top-three RB duo. However, not one but both running backs have been huge disappointments.After two seasons of being an elite, Jones-Drew has returned to earth. He’s currently the 16th best back, cracking 200 just twice (once was 306). He’s still getting his touches (he’s 5th in rushing attempts), but he’s averaging a career low, 3.8 yards per rush. On top of that, he’s use to be a catching machine out of the backfield, but so far he’s averaging just 2.4 per game. Jones-Drew is on pace for 38 receptions. He’s never been below 40 for his career. Yet, none of this compares to the crap Ronnie Brown is pulling. Brown has only carried the ball more than 13 times once so far this season and he’s never broken 100 yards rushing. He’s crashed 200 fantasy points only once and he’s failed to hit 100 fantasy points in four of his last five. The results? Don has score more than 1,250 (the league average) only once all season.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION…I wrote back then, “I’m actually predicting that three of his players will under-produce. What’s the odds I’m right about all three?”While I had big expectations for Don’s backs, I had him out of the post-season because I thought the rest of his team would under-perform. I’ve been right to a point. His receivers struggled early and his tight end (Carlson) was a mess. Yet, each has showed signs of life over the last month.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Over the last six years, when it comes to results, no person has been more successful in Robioland than Don. He’s the only person who has been to the playoffs each season over the last half-dozen seasons. He has one scoring title, one top seed and of course two championships.

X-FACTOR – Ronnie Brown, who else is it going to be? MJD will get it going. Don’s made smart moves else where to improve (more on that in a bit). Brown needs to start producing. He’s done nothing and there is no one riding off the bench to save this team.

SECOND HALF RESULTS – Despite the 2-5 record, all is not lost. Like I’ve mentioned before, it will probably only take five wins to get into the playoffs this year. Between Don, Masterson, Burrier and Molly, they all could go 3-3 down the stretch. Don’s only issue is that he’s last in points between the four. However, there may be hope.Over the last four weeks, Don’s actually produced some solid wide receiver stats. Bowe and Harvin both have averaged over 200 points the past month, combining for 430 points. On top of that Eli’s been launching, averaging over 332ppg. Don also went and found himself a TE, Pettigrew has replaced Carlson and over his last three he’s averaged a solid 126ppg. If those numbers can hold, those four would average 880 points. If the other four players just averaged what the guru says they should do, Don would average over 1,400 points.Don should be able to get into the playoffs. He has the schedule (Masterson, Molly, Eric) before heading back into the division…the weakest division. Sadly though I don’t think pieces are going to fall the right away. Don will pull out a couple wins, but look for Eric to upset his father and eliminate his playoff dreams.

MATT MUSINGS – Using the limited information I have on Don, I have to blame this season on his overall quickness. If he could shave 30 seconds off his mile time, his runs wouldn’t last so long, he could make it to the draft on time, and might have more time to tweak his roster. A ho-hum roster outside of MJD isn’t doing him any favors either. Prediction: Don never does a pick’em again…. EVER!

ERIC VOZZOLA, THE SWAMP (1-6) SO FAR – What went wrong? Try everything. He’s got two quarterbacks who are a combine 76 years old and it shows (McNabb is 11th among quarterbacks, Favre is a stunning 30th). At the running back spot, Eric first ran into trouble before the season started when Tate went down for the season. Once the season started, Wells was out. When he came back, Addai came up limp.How bad has it been? The running back spot has actually been the highlight of this team. Eric has struggled at both the wide receiver spot and tight end. Six times a player has produced zero points in a week for Eric, including Sims-Walker and Shiancoe twice each.

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTION… I wrote, “I’m struggling to see how this team scores 1,200 points per game week in and week out.”Um, Eric has cracked 1,200 only once this season. His only win in week five against Matt of all people.

GOD I LOVE STATS – Eric’s team is averaging just 987ppg. Currently Eric is on pace to have the fourth worst scoring season ever. If this holds up he’ll be only the fourth person to fail to average at least 1,000 in a season. It would be Eric’s worst scoring season. His previous worst was 1,026ppg in 2003.

X-FACTOR – Chris Johnson. Yeah, I know he’s still on Bob’s team, but the fact is, Eric is on his way to earning that top pick in next year’s draft. All he needs to do is hope that Chris Johnson doesn’t tear an ACL or anything, that way he’s still the best available player next year.

SECOND HALF RESULTS -All joking aside, it is hard to see how Eric crawls out of this funk. Outside of his defenses (Bears & Vikings), every player has been a bust. Actually I wouldn’t call Braylon Edwards a bust, but it’s not like he’s knocking out 200-point games or anything.If there are any positives ahead that could hand Eric a win or two it can be found at the quarterback spot. Clearly Eric has to run with McNabb full time since Favre simply can’t be trusted. I also suspect Beanie Wells’ digits will improve as he gets healthier. I also like how Daniels has been playing. His knee is holding up well. Maybe Lee Evans can keep it going, but I wouldn’t put money on it. In the end, I foresee Eric pulling out one more win and that’s it. Enjoy the first pick in 2010. I certainly enjoyed it in 2009.

MATT MUSINGS – David Hightower, I mean Eric, is having a rough year. And that’s his fault for probably having a life unlike most of us. But, honestly, if your lineup had the amount of busts, chumps and jagoffs that Eric’s does, you’d probably be losing interest too. Prediction: First overall pick next year.

GAMES TO WATCH:

SECOND HALF MATCH UPS I CARE MORE ABOUT THAN THE BIRTH OF MY CHILD Week Eight – Rice Rice Baby vs. Gator Nation Why do I care about two 2-5 teams? The fact is, the loser of this one can probably start looking forward to next season. Yes, 5-8 could make the playoffs, but the loser of this one probably won’t finish 5-8 this season.

Week Nine – Cordoba House vs. God’s Cock Potentially we have a match up between the top dogs in the league’s two toughest divisions. The winner would have the inside track for the top seed. Is that important? Well, the top seed might mean playing Burrier or Jeff. The loser could face Bob, Griff or Colby in round one.

Week Ten – Big Johnsons vs. Vick in a (Blank) Matt so desperately wants to be part of the elite. So much so he’s willing to trade a championship roster Colby to make it happen. If he wants to be mentioned with the big boys, beating Bob would go a long way.

Week Eleven – God’s Cock vs. The Griffers Vick in a (Blank) vs. Otis Murray While both these games are the first of three games back in the division to end the season, based on the records now, these games will probably decide the divisions. Both Griff and Matt won the first match ups, but Jeff and I are the two hottest team at the midway point.

Week Twelve – Cordoba House vs. Big Johnsons Potentially Rich and Bob could be fighting for the division title and both has a legit shot to be one and two in scoring at this point. Could this end up being a championship game preview?

Week Thirteen – Gator Nation vs. Otis Murray The fact is, while there are some sexier match ups in the final week (Colby vs Calderon, Molly vs Robio, Matt vs. Burrier), both of these teams’ playoff fates could come down to this final week match up. the loser will go home. The winner moves on.

ROBIO’S PREDICTIONS: 2nd HALF RESULTS

MANHATTAN DIVISION GOD’S COCK: 10-3 I’ll lose two of my next three, but will sweep my division and earn my first top seed since 2003. THE GRIFFTERS: 9-4 I foresee one upset prior to divisional play. His week 11 game against me will decide the division. MOLLIPOP: 5-8 She’ll battle, but at 2-5, there is no room for error. Hard to imagine her going 4-2 down the stretch. THE SWAMP: 2-11 His game against his father in week 10 is the only win I can find.

BROOKLYN DIVISION VICK IN A (BLANK): 8-5 You want details? How about this…Matt will lose his next three, but win his final three, taking the division. OTIS MURRAY…KNIGHTS: 6-7 The luck will continue, although Jeff will only finish 2-4, its enough to earn the 7th seed. TEAM #6: 4-9 How about a ballsy prediction…Burrier will become the first 5-8 team to make the playoffs. GATOR NATION: 4-9 Don actually has the easiest remaining scheule, so I could be guessing wrong by two wins.

JERSEY DIVISION BIG JOHNSONS: 9-4 I’m keeping it simple. I predict Bob, Calderon and Colby all split. Bob’s next three are just easier than Rich’s. CORDOBA…RENEGADES: 9-4 I’m predicting 4-2, but that says less about him and more about the road ahead. There are no more cupcakes left. QUARTER POUNDERS: 7-6 He’s down two games to two people (Rich and Bob). Too much to overcome, but how about a scoring title? RICE RICE BABY: 5-8 His last five are against the top five scoring teams. His only relief is Don this week and me with half my team on a bye.

PLAYOFFS

QUARTER FINALS #1 God’s Cock over #8 Rich B Forget the records and the stats from this year. This one is simple, just look at the history. I’m 7-1 in the first-round, Burrier hasn’t won a playoff game since 2003.

#2 Big Johnsons over Otis Murray…Knights The simple face is, Bob doesn’t like to lose in the first round. He’s 4-1, going 4-0 when he was the favorite. He’ll be the favorite against Jeff, who is still looking for that first solo playoff win.

#6 Quarter Pounders over Vick in a (Blank) What’s the one thing all defending champs do (at least since 2003)? They don’t win playoff games. I predicted Colby would win the scoring title. That hasn’t always been good news. Scoring champs are only 6-5 in round one. However, they’ve won their last two. Colby makes it three in a row.

#5 Cordoba House over #4 The Griffters Griff and Calderon aare a combined 11-2 in the firsr round. Each has lost only once. This game is as even as it gets. Calderon will probably be the slight favorite. So far, I’ve picked all three favorites to win. Why change now?

SEMI-FINALS #2 Big Johnsons over #5 Cardoba House Three teams from the Jersey division make it to the semis, but only one from this game can advance. Bob and Calderon have meet only once in the post-season. It was the semis of 2004. Bob won that one, he’ll win it again this year.

#6 Quarter Pounders over #2 God’s Cock Colby and I have met twice in the post-season, splitting our two meetings. If one thing has become clear, the best team between the two has won each one. No reason to think it will change this year.

FINALS #6 Quarter Pounders over #2 Big Johnsons By the end of the season, it should be clear who the two best teams are. The irony would be if Bob won thanks to the points scored by Vernon Davis. My heart says Bob, my gut says Colby. Have you seen my gut lately, it’s huge…I’m going with my gut.