Targets - From Week 12-  12/01/11

TARGETS - FROM WEEK 12

Week 12 is down like a clown.  I hope you all gorged yourselves with Turkey, I know of few of our favorite ballers that decided to chow down as well.  Let’s take a look at who got fed and who was starved out this Thanksgiving weekend…

NOTE*** I’ve added a twist to the PYRO Targets Report.  You see in the RB and QB charts, I’ve included a new column – LOOKS.  For RB’s, LOOKS = Carries + Targets.  For QB’s, LOOKS = Pass Attempts + Carries.  The purpose of the report is to show overall involvement in the offense, and we agreed at PYRO HQ to add this wrinkle in, as it is a better indicator of the data we’re after.   

If you’re a first timer just checking in for this weekly report, here’s how we break it down…

The Gravy Train…

The Gravy Train showcase is to “target” the guys who will be regulars at the top of the list throughout the season.  Rain or shine, this crew will find a way to be here most weeks.  These are your work horses that can you can ride to your league’s playoff door.

Eating with the Big Dogs…

This section showcases guys who had a great feeding by their offensive coordinators this week but who will see the top of the list infrequently.  Or, a fresh face on the rise that has shown he just may belong with the Big Dogs.

Dude, Where’s my Pizza…

Here’s where we highlight this week’s batch of players that normally should be fed but we’re starved out over the weekend.

RUNNING BACKS CARRIES + TARGETS

The Gravy Train… The gravy was dripping all over the field in Jacksonville on Sunday and take a wild guess who was slurping it up.  Quite Simply, Arian Foster is a Looks machine, 1st on the season and 1st this week again.  Australian for hamstring can now be translated Australian for gravy.

Eating with the Big Dogs…  Don’t look now but Mike Shanahan is feeding a featured back.  Roy Helu tore up the soup line Sunday grabbing 23 carries and 7 targets to put him second on the RB list this weekend.  Don’t get too fat and happy; next week someone else we have not heard of could be toting the rock.  Clinton Portis is only a phone call away.

Dude, Where’s my Pizza?...  Apparently Mike Martz has gravy goggles again and had to find out just how NOT great his new Quarterback is.  It’s wrong how good Matt Forte has been this year, great time to starve him out.  He is second on the season list for Looks/G but only gobbled his way up to the 14^th slot this weekend with 12 carries. 

WIDE RECEIVER TARGETS

The Gravy Train…  Roddy White has a fat vat of gravy brewing for the home stretch.  He’s had 27 targets over the past two games, 14 and 13.  He has had at least 9 targets in 8 of his 11 starts this year.  I heard some guy stuffed his turkey bird with 10 white castle sliders and it came out as a mean stuffing.  Do you think Falcons eat turkey?

Eating with the Big Dogs… Jason Avant is sitting at #41 on the season list for Targets/G but he ate a triple serving in honor of the Great Turkey Day.  Avant ate with the big dogs and then some.  He’s sitting on top of the finest carvings from week 12, busting out 14 targets with Maclin and Vick on the shelf.

Dude, Where’s my Pizza?...  MegaTron hasn’t been so Mega lately, more like Jumbo.  Sitting 4^th on the WR list for Targets/G, Tron couldn’t get his eat on in Detroit for Thanksgiving.  He was 22^nd this weekend and Detroit suffered another Thanksgiving slaughter.  One year, Turducken will be served in mo-town again… one year.

TIGHT END TARGETS

The Gravy Train…  Just how old is Tony Gonzalez?  He’s second on the all-time reception list and he punched another ticket on the Gravy Train this weekend.  What a stud.  Remember how good he was on KC?  Man that was a long time ago.  Cheers Tony.

Eating with the Big Dogs…  Marcedes Lewis got in line at the old Chuck Wagon this weekend and spread some extra sauce across that Sammy.  His 12 targets were top of the week 12 list.  He is sitting 14^th on the TE season board for targets.

Dude, Where’s my Pizza?...  Jason Witten got the short end of the wishbone on Thanksgiving Thursday.  DeMarco Murray has taken a large piece of everyone’s pumpkin pie in Dallas.  Witten was only 14^th on the TE board this past weekend, 3^rd overall this season.  Is that a stomach I hear growling?       

QUARTERBACK THROWING ATTEMPTS + CARRIES 

The Gravy Train…  Matt Stafford got to the feast early and gobbled down the mother lode of Looks Thursday afternoon.  He’s second on the season for Looks at the QB position and this week did little to change that castle storm.  

Eating with the Big Dogs…  After watching film all week, Vince Young and crew were licking their chops on how bad NE’s secondary is.  Andy Reid’s no fool, he made sure to get the ball out to the passing lanes all day.  Vince Young crushed the Looks this week, landing number one with 48 passing attempts and 6 carries.   

Dude, Where’s my Pizza…  Cam Newton has gotten accustomed to eating a double stuffed, deep dish, extra cheese, meat lover’s pizza pie all season.  All he got for Thanksgiving was a garlic bread stick.  Dude, where’s my pizza!  Cam is ranked number one in the league on Looks per Game but landed 16^th on the list this weekend. 

by Mike Spike Jønes

Listen & subscribe to our Pyro® Weekly Podcasts: http://pyromaniac.buzzsprout.com

Follow Pyro® on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pyroman1ac

Like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/pyromaniac

- 12/01/11