OK, that was uncalled for. But in Week 12, frustration ran supreme as Cloning Scott Baio extended its lead over the pack, putting Rick in the driver's seat toward a repeat overall championship. While it may look like he put the Vulcan death grip on the league this week, there's still much football to be played. Several factors could still wreck his chances.

(Editor's Note: We'll be reviewing three things in this column: Part 1, Week 12 results and how the teams are faring; Part 2, The Playoff Run; and Part 3, The race for MVP.)

There's no pride or joy for the Turd Burglars following Week 12. Todd did everything but beat up the family pet (we hope) after his team's collapse last weekend. His Message Board tirade was a classic, and considering the all-star lineup he's created, it was understandable. Though I think I speak for everyone when I say, don't abandon the league. That would mean someone else would have to host Bruce's gas farm for several hours in their home.

Still, one may wonder why Todd put so much effort into restructuring a team that was already thick in the hunt. Did he overthink his moves? I dunno. Looking at that lineup, you'd have to be a fool to think he's out of it, even though he dropped into fifth place this week.

Nick lost some ground on the leader, and Steve McNair's injury couldn't have come at a worse time. With no legit backup, and McNair's status in question entering Week 13, Nick will have to do a lot more than just, ahem, submit his lineup and hope for the best. McNair could give him great numbers (and keep his MVP hopes alive), or he could play his back up, Billy Vera or something, or his other new reserve, Jake Delhomme. But Nick likes playing the underdog. In fact, I think he just picked up Underdog as a free agent.

The surging Weapons of Mass Destruction entered the top three, and continue to be one of the leagues hottest, most dangerous teams to play. Keith made a lot of good moves throughout the season, and seems to have solved his biggest quandry at QB.

What can you say about Grandpa's Meat, besides the disappointment in failing to keep his commitment to write a column for the league to ponder and enjoy? Well, he's in the hunt for some dough, but his RB situation, which once looked so fine, is a definite weak point, with Domanick Davis and Tiki Barber each playing like solid #3 RBs. And can you believe it? Steve's strength now is at WR, with Santana Moss and Marvin Harrison both playing well. And it's unlikely that Matt Hasselbeck will put up many 45 point games, but he's definitely one of the elite fantasy QBs. Guess Steve never needed to build 5 player depth at this position in the draft after all!

And then there's Tom. Good ol' Tom, quietly hanging on with the big guys, despite having to play the fickle (though sometimes explosive) Tommy Maddox. His biggest worry right now has to be at WR, where Randy Moss and Hiney Ward - long the cream of the crop - have been MIA the last few weeks.

Glazed Fasnachts, with his team of cast-offs, remains the long shot everybody loves. Andy's made strides with the Eagles Defense, Marcel Shipp, Morten Andersen, Chad Pennington and Thomas Jones - all players that were drafted by someone else. And with Warrick Dunn hurt, he'll finally get to see if T.J. Duckett is for real. If he is, Andy could be a serious threat.

Spring Avenue Rough Housers responded to their Week 12 loss by announcing a fire sale. Unfortunately, he was a little too late, as the trade deadline had just passed. So he's stuck with Deuce McAllister. That may be a blessing for him, which we will discuss later.

Bruce, Troy, Dave and Brendan continued to do little to distingish themselves in the league. Bruce and Troy remain in a bitter fight for the pride of catching Eric to finish in a respectable eighth place, while Dave and Brendan flip-flopped again in their battle it out to stay out of the cellar. Though Brendan still occupies the bottom slot, he has something to play for. Again, more on that in a moment.

*****

Part 2: The Playoff Hunt

Here's what everyone has to do in the remaining two games in order to make the playoffs. So far, no one has clinched a spot, though some teams are close.

Tiebreakers are as follows: Head-to-head victories, total points, and division record.

Lititz Division:

Rick - Wins Division Title with a win or a loss by Eric and Steve. Can still win Division with two losses if Eric and Steve both lose one. Can still earn Wild Card with two losses depending on other factors with other teams. Prognosis: Excellent

Eric - Can win Division Title with two wins and two losses by Rick. Can clinch Wild Card with two wins and two losses by Andy and Keith. Prognosis: Tough, but possible

Steve - Can win the Division Title with two wins and two losses by Rick and one loss by Eric. Has a shot at the Wild Card with two wins and some help from other contending teams. Prognosis: Longshot

Bruce - Is elminated from playoff contention. Prognosis: DOA

Ephrata Division:

Todd - Likely clinches Division Title with one more win. If Todd finishes 1-1 and Andy 2-0, Todd likely wins tiebreaker on total points, since they split their head-to-head. However, Todd is 51 points ahead of Andy, so this could change if Andy outscores Todd by more than 51 points. Todd's victories over Nick, Keith, and Eric, plus his overall record puts him in good position to get the Wild Card even if he loses the last two games. Prognosis: Excellent

Andy - Wins Division Title with two wins and two losses by Todd. Can win Division Title with one win and two losses by Todd, or two wins and two losses by Todd IF he scores 51 points more than Todd. Andy can win the Wild Card outright with two wins and a loss by Keith. Prognosis: Good

Troy and Dave - Eliminated from the playoffs. Prognosis: Better luck next year

Rest of the World Division:

Nick - Wins Division Title with one win or a Keith loss. Clinches a Wild Card slot if Keith, Andy and Rick lose one game, or if Rick clinches his Division Title. Will earn #1 slot in the playoffs with one win. Prognosis: Buy your playoff tickets with confidence

Keith - Can win the Division Title by winning both games and Nick losing both of his. Since that means Keith beat Nick in head-to-head, they split the series and go to the total points tiebreaker, which means Keith has to outscore Nick by 17 points in the next two weeks in order to break the tie and win the division. Can clinch a Wild Card with two wins and an Andy loss. Can still lose final two games and make the playoffs, but only if Andy also loses two games, and Brendan and Eric lose one game. Prognosis: Good

Brendan - Can't win the Division Title. But, despite being in last place, Brendan can still win the Wild Card, if he wins both of his games, and Keith loses two games, Andy loses two games, and Eric loses one game. Prognosis: Don't bet on it, but it could happen, giving him a shot at being the first last place team to win the LEAF Bowl.

Tom - Can't win the Division Title. Extreme longshot for Wild Card if he wins both of his games, Brendan loses one, Keith loses two and falls behind Tom in total points, Eric loses one, and... wait, scratch that. Even if Andy loses his final two games, he still beats Tom by virtue of a head-to-head victory. Sorry, Tom can't make the playoffs this year. Prognosis: Shoot for top 4 in Overall to ease the pain.

*****

Here are your top 10 in the MVP race:

OK, now here's a little analysis for you. Some guys got busted on for having week QBs, WRs, RBs, etc. So how are they doing? You can't just look at individual players and draw a conclusion. After all, a guy making savvy moves may be outscoring us all with 10 players.

So here, I've compiled how many points each player has gotten from their respective positions. Analysis to follow:

Quarterbacks:

The lesson here: A good QB with a solid backup "just in case" is a winning combo. Andy, Todd and Rick didn't lose a beat when their first draft pick QB struggled or was benched for Marc Bulger. Draft too many question marks, and you end up where Keith, Eric and Dave are on this list.

Running Backs:

The lesson here: You've got to have a strong running game if you want to contend. This list illustrates that, with the exception of Eric, the top eight teams on the list are the only ones that still have a shot for a cash position in the Overall standings.

Wide Receivers:

The lesson here: Sure you can lower the priority of WRs in the draft. But if you want to contend, you've got to plug this hole fast, or you're going to be in trouble. Go elite, or go bargain, but don't ignore the value of a good WR corps.

Tight Ends:

Kickers:

The lesson here: Another position of minimal respect, after all, there are always free agent kickers out there that can help you. But if you grab an elite kicker in the draft, you can save yourself some bucks , and use this position to solidify your standings.

Defense:

The lesson here: Nothing new. Don't get suckered into the pure definition of a good defense, unless you like 7 point weeks. Get the desparate, agressive defenses, like Nick's Titans, and you'll be happier with the results.

Well there you have it. I worked way too long on this analysis, but I figured you needed it to cure your hunger from last week. Hopefully the Butcher Shop will come through for us in its Week 15 analysis.

In the meantime, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

 

*****

 

Rick Reitz is responsible for Cloning Scott Baio. His "LEAF Pile" column appears every three weeks.

 

Next week: Keith Schweigert's "Mop Up" provides his analysis of Week 13 in this space.

 

In two weeks: Steve Seeber chimes in with his "Butcher Shop" thoughts on the league in Week 14. Hopefully.

 

This column is written on alternating weeks by Keith, Steve and Rick.

 

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