With many top flight players taking the '09 season off, weeks of slaving over numbers and abbreviated stat categories probably led many of you to nothing but a fifth place finish in your fantasy league. (That's where I winded up thanks to Hines Ward and Antonio Gates not showing up to play in Week 14.) But, dagnabit, it was a great season anyway. And by 'dagnabit', we mean, "How the hell can the Cardinals allow some of the biggest statistical games to occure and still reach the Super Bowl?" Well, here's your answer...
QUARTERBACKS
36 Points
Matt Cassel, Week 11 vs. New York Jets
Tom Brady's standin torched the Jets pass defense, throwing 400 yards with 3 TDs. He also ran for 62 yards on eight carries.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
34 Points
Brett Favre, Week 4 vs. Arizona Cardinals
While his opponent, Kurt Warner, threw for an astonishing 472 yards in the game, Brett went with quality over quantity. His 6 TDs on 289 yards matched Joe Namath's team record. His tenure with the team, however? Not so much.Matt Cassel, Week 12 vs. Miami Dolphins
Cassel avenged the team's embarrassing 38-13 Week 3 loss by throwing 400+ yards for the second straight week. His final numbers tallied 415 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 14 rushing yards, and 1 rushing TD.
WIDE RECEIVERS
32 Points
Anquan Boldin, Week 2 vs. Miami Dolphins
Who has been the biggest beneficiary of Kurt Warner's resurgence? Just take a look at the box score of this game. Boldin caught six passes for 140 yards and had three TDs.
Antonio Bryant, Week 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
Carolina's secondary was nonexistent against the Bucs this week, failing to cover Bryant on the deep routes. The result was 200 yards receiving and two TDs, including one highlight reel catch that brought the game closer.
RUNNING BACKS
39 Points
Ronnie Brown, Week 3 vs. New England Patriots
Brown was so dominant this week (113 yards rushing, four rushing TDs, 19 yards passing, one passing TD) offenses on other teams began using his direct snap play.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
37 Points
Brian Westbrook, Week 13 vs. Arizona Cardinals
110 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 20 yards receiving, 2 TDs
The Cards continued their end-of-season slide toward the Super Bowl with an atrocious defensive effort in Philly. Westbrook became the first player in more than 30 years to record two rushing and two receiving TDs and rush for more than 100 yards.
35 Points
Steven Jackson, Week 7 vs. Dallas Cowboys
160 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 16 yards receiving
This game was a harbinger of things to come for Cowboys fans. With starting QB Tony Romo injured, the rest of the team might as well have taken the week off. Jackson rampaged through the defense with three touchdown runs, including a 56-yarder that even made our office Dallas fan speechless. (Suck it, Doug!)
Michael Turner, Week 12 vs. Carolina Panthers
117 yards rushing, 4 TDs
Anytime you earn the chance to dance in the endzone four times in one game deserves special notice. Turner turned up the speed and turned in a 100-yard game that turned the Panthers' D into Turn-toast.
TIGHT ENDS
23 Points
Tony Gonzalez, Week 10 vs. San Diego Chargers
113 yards receiving, 2 TDs
It doesn't surprise us Tony makes an appearance here. Really, what hasn't this guy done? We're too lazy to even look up which of KC's three quarterbacks orchestrated Gonzalez's great game, but we're pretty sure they lost. Because it's the Chiefs.
KICKERS
22 Points
Jay Feely, Week 10 vs. St. Louis Rams
5 PATs, 1 50+ kick, 2 40-49 kick, 1 20-29 kick
The Jets offense was unstoppable and scored on nearly every drive in the first two quarters, allowing Feely to bank 21 points...by halftime. Should've saved some for the next few weeks when the team began its downward spiral toward an early golf season.
DEFENSE
34 Points
Philadelphia Eagles, Week 17 vs. Dallas Cowboys
6 Pts. Allowed, 4 Sacks, 1 INTs, 4 Fumble Recoveries, 1 TD return, 1 Fumble Return
They had almost nothing to play for just four weeks prior, but things went their way, teams around them started losing, and the Eagles found themselves in a fight for the final playoff spot. Romo and Co. turned it over more than a Benihana chef and handed defensive-minded fantasy owners a week to never forget.
29 Points
Cincinnati Bengals, Week 16 vs. Cleveland Browns
0 Pts. Allowed, 4 Sacks, 4 INTs, 1 TD return
WTF, indeed. The Browns were expected to give a token effort in their division this year, but Braylon Edwards disappeared into thin air and the attention of Clevelanders quickly reverted back to thoughts of Lebron. The Bengals capitalized with a dominant effort, shutting out their in-state bunk buddies.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
20 Points
Antoine Winfield, Week 5 vs. New Orleans Saints
8 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 TD return
Talk about a five-tool player. Winfield ran right through the Saint's O-line like a treadmill in Oprah's house—untouched. He returned a blocked kick for a TD and set up another with a forced fumble recovery deep in the Saints zone.