Monday Night Football sometimes gets stuck with some awful matchups based on ESPN's deal with the NFL and this week was no exception as the New York Jets traveled for their last nationally televised game of the season to play the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans were playing for pride, while the Jets were playing to keep their playoff hopes alive. Somehow this Jets team, the one that could beat Arizona just 7-6 (the Cardinals lost 58-0 two weeks ago to the Seahawks) and could barely defeat Jacksonville still had an outside shot at the playoffs.
The Jets were down 14-10 with a chance to go for a touchdown drive to possibly win the game against the Titans on Monday night. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, quarterback Mark Sanchez did what the team has done all season: turn the ball over. Sanchez bobbled the snap; it was kicked away and recovered by the Titans. Game over. Eliminated from the playoffs just like that.
In the fantasy world though, playoffs were decided in this game by some key players, including running back Chris Johnson, Jake Locker and Sanchez himself.
Fantasy wise this game was a dud, but the points here could have been the difference between a win and a loss, a championship and nothing. Here are some of the performers from the game and their status heading forward this season. Here is our predictions and recap of this week's fantasy performances.
Scoring for this article is based on a Yahoo fantasy league with one point per reception, one point for every 30 passing yards, one point for 10 rushing yards, one point for 10 receiving yards and six points per touchdown.
QUARTERBACK
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
As far as awards go, Sanchez can take home worst fantasy quarterback of the year. It wasn't totally his fault, the Jets are dealing with injures and are depleted of talent, but the fourth-yard quarterback poster 0.97 points on Monday night.
In the past three games he has posted single-digit fantasy points, including a negative-2.57 showing two weeks ago against Arizona. Against the Titans, Sanchez threw for just 131 yards with four interceptions and one touchdown. Sanchez had one fumble as well to give him five turnovers on the night. He now leads the NFL in turnovers with 24.
The Jets were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss and the questions now will arise about Sanchez's status for next week's game, the rest of the season and next year. Will he still be the starter? That's anyone's guess. Time Tebow had the most work he has had in weeks against the Titans, rushing three times for 15 yards and throwing one incomplete pass.
WEEK 16 Status: SIT. Not many fantasy owners are starting Sanchez anyway, but the answer here is pretty obvious. The Jets can't score and Sanchez cannot find a rhythm. The team is eliminated from the playoffs and now is looking towards next season.
Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
Locker didn't have a breakout game against the Jets, but he put up a solid 15.27 points against a defense that ranked in the top five in passing defense. He passed for 149 yards and scored one rushing touchdown with 43 yards on the ground.
The Titans will always rely on Chris Johnson more than the passing game, but if the team falls behind against Green Bay next week, Locker could be forced to air it out. He proved adept at running the ball on Monday night, but that isn't something the Titans will do on a consistent basis.
Locker has now posted double-digit fantasy points in five straight games and helped the Titans snap a three game losing streak by winning 14-10 on Monday night.
Week 16 STATUS: SIT. The Titans travel to Green Bay with no playoffs to play for. The Packers are still fighting for the number one seed and home field advantage and won't allow this one to slip away. Only in an emergency do you start Locker. This is championship time people.
RUNNING BACK
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Johnson had an excellent game against the third-worst rush defense in the leagues, posting 18.20 points. He rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown to break a two game streak of single-digit points.
He reached the 1,000 yard barrier in the game and has scored just four rushing touchdowns this season. Johnson rushed for 100-yards for the first time in three games, but has a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers next week.
The team will likely game plan around Johnson, so he could see a lot of touches, but chances are the Packers will play with eight men in the box, forcing Locker to try and beat them. Johnson rushed for 2,000 yards in 2009 and has been inconsistent this season.
Johnson has rushed for 100-plus yards just five times this year and has fumbled a career-high five times.
WEEK 16 Status: START. It's the end of the season. Titans are going to give Johnson the ball no matter what, If you're team is fighting for a championship, he's a guy that can bust out for a bug game that could put your team over the top. The last time he rushed for 100-yards in a game, he followed it up with another one. He's going to do so again against a porous Green Bay run defense that has been dealing with injuries to Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson.
Shonn Greene, New York Jets
Greene had a disappointing game against a mediocre rushing defense, posting just 8.87 fantasy points. He rushed for 68 yards and also added two receptions for one yard.
The game snapped a two game double-digit fantasy streak for Greene and is the first loss for the Jets in three games, He has a favorable matchup against an awful San Diego defense, but the Jets are in a free-fall after being eliminated from the playoffs.
WEEK 16 Status: SIT. The Jets can't seem to do anything on offense. Even though the Chargers are a good matchup, in fantasy playoffs unreliable is unreliable. Points are a premium and Greene just isn't cutting it.
