There had been plenty of great performances in the Robioland Fantasy Football playoff history. I was the first person to score over 1,500 in all three postseason games back in 2002 (for a total of 5,254 points). There was Rob Masterson’s (probably) unbreakable 2,501 single game score in 2003. That season also saw Burrier become the only person to break 2,000 in a title game. Of course, there was 2009 Neatock, with one of the greatest teams ever, scoring 1,832, 1,950 and 1,608 points in his championship run, which totaled a record 5,390 points in the playoffs. In 2012, I became the first person to twice in a career score at least 1,500 in each playoff game in route to my fourth title, while Calderon in his 2016 title run, came within 78 points of Matt’s record.
Yet, none of those impressive stats or runs came close to matching what Neatock did in 2017.
Heading into the postseason, Matt was the favorite from beginning to end, behind a stellar backfield of Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley. He also had stud sleeper Carson Wentz at the quarterback spot, Zach Ertz at TE and serviceable wide receivers in Alshon Jeffery and Devante Adams. He also had top talent at kicker (Jake Elliot) and on defense (Seahawks).
However, despite all the greatness from this team that averaged 1,509 points per game in the regular season (6th best all-time), this was also a group who from time-to-time laid some solid eggs. Matt’s squad lost four games that year and in three of those loses, he failed to crack 1,200.
Because of this, while he remained the favorite (even over top seeded Bob), greatness didn’t seem to be in the cards.
QUARTERFINALS
Well, in the quarterfinals, facing #7 Griff, Matt’s boys showed how great they could be. His stud backfield scored 820 combined points (Bell: 430, Gurley: 390), while Wentz deliverd 426 points. His defense (the Seahawks) actually bombed, scoring just 8 points, but he got solid stats from his role players, including 164 from Jeffery, 288 from Adams, 160 from his kicker (Elliot) and a shocking 262 from his backup tight end (Burton).
RESULT: Neatock crushed Griff, 2,128 to 1,444.
Unfortunately for Matt, the victory had a sour note, as Wentz tore his ACL and was lost for the year. He scrambled to pick up Brock Bortles and Nick Foles. Neither seemed like a good option, but Neatock’s team was still stacked, so he didn’t need a great performance. Yet, he got one anyhow.
SEMIFINALS
In the semifinals, Matt made history, becoming the second team to score 2,00o in back-to-back games and first to do it both times in the postseason. Bortles, subbing in for Wentz, scored 386 fantasy points. Yet, the true stud was Todd Gurley, who scored 600 points. Add in another 390 from Bell and with just three players, Matt had nearly scored enough to beat 5-seed Jeff. To make that and another 2,000 happen, Matt watched as Jeffery scored 158, Adams produced 174, Elliot knocked in 100, while Zach Ertz returned to the starting lineup and contributed 172. The only negative were the Seahawks again, who scored just 39.
RESULT: Neatock cruised past Jeff, 2,019 – 1,681
After back-to-back two grand games, there was no way Matt’s team could keep it up, right? He was due for a letdown, especially with #1 seed Bob on deck. No one was better at making great teams play their worst. Besides, Matt got lucky with Bortles once. He wasn’t going to get lucky like that again. Plus, Neatock was making the ultimate mistake making wholesale lineup changes in the title game. Hadn’t he learned anything from watching the rest of us make those mistakes in the past?
FINALS
Matt would end up making three changes to his starting lineup. Out was Adams, who was hurt, replaced with Mike Wallace. Neatock had no choice in that. However, after watching the Seahawks struggle to stop anyone the last two weeks, he picked up the NY Giants DST. He also sat Bortles for Nick Foles. Those last two moves did hurt him. Bortles scored 386 to Foles’ 118, while the Hawks rebounded with 249, as the Giants put up only 141. Those decisions did cost Matt 376 points, which prevented him from becoming the only person to hit 1,900 in three straight games and becoming the first 6,000-point scorer in playoff history. Also, those points would have been enough to put his 2017 season over Bob’s 2014 in the battle of greatest seasons ever.
What it didn’t do was prevent Matt from winning it all in record fashion.
Thanks to another stunning performance by Todd Gurley, who scored 672 points, plus Bell’s 254, these two alone were able to overcome Wallace’s 120, Elliot’s 70 and Jeffery’s goose egg to led Matt to 1,537 points, which was more than enough to defeat Bob.
RESULT: Neatock knocks out Bob, 1,537 – 1,119
In the three contests, Matt scored a total of 5,684 points, the most ever in the postseason and the most ever for a three-game period, becoming the only person to go back-to-back 2,000 in the playoffs in league history.
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