We began the year with a trio of unbeaten teams in Jeff, Michael and Griff. The latter faded fast and hard, joining both Masterson and Neatock as hopeless wonders without the wonder. Michael eventually lost, but stopped the bleeding rather quickly, while Jeff suddenly found winning tough to come by as we headed down the stretch. At first, Calderon emerged as the king of the hill, but one trade later, it was Eric riding high. Yet, both hit some speed bumps down the stretch. While Don, Colby and I battled for the final two spots, Michael and Burrier got hot, Jeff rebounded, before Calderon settle back down into his winning ways. All that happened and we haven’t even mentioned Bob, who is your scoring champ.
My point…well, last year the picture was clear. I picked Calderon and I to reach the finals and we did. I picked me to win it all. And I did. This year, I can see the top two seeds making it to the finals. I can also see a title game that features a 5-seed vs the 6-seed.
Either way, the regular season is in the past and it’s now an eight team, seven game, single elimination tournament and as we always say in Robioland, “Just make it the playoffs and win three games.”
#1 The Dick-Taters vs #8 Ten Pound Taint
2019 RECORD
Rich C: 10-3
Colby: 6-7
2019 SCORING
Rich C: 1,505 PPG (2nd)
Colby: 1,318 (8th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Rich C: 96-47 (10-3 vs Colby)
Colby: 62-81
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
RICH C – Overall, Rich is one of five teams with a winning record, going 15-11 for his career. His career postseason average of 1,414 points per game is fourth best all-time. There was a time when Rich struggled as a top seed, twice losing as a 2-seed in the quarterfinals. However, lately he’s gotten his act together. He’s won four of his last six quarterfinals and won four straight semifinals, going 5-3 overall. His five trips to the finals are tied with Bob and Matt for third most. Four of those trips have been recent ones; all since 2013. He won it all that year and again in 2016. He’s reached and lost the last two title games. If he reaches the title game again this year, he’ll join Griff as the only folks to do such a thing.
COLBY – His postseason invites have been fewer and further between lately, but overall, Colby has ten trips to the playoffs. He’s gone 7-10, averaging 1,306 points per game. He’s batting .500 in the quarters, won two of five in the semis and twice came up short in the finals, having been the loser in Griff’s only two championships (2005, 2015). Because he’s missed the playoffs three times in four years before this season, Colby’s last postseason win was the 2015 semifinals over Bob.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
1-SEED IN POST
31-17 overall | The 31 total wins and ten trips to the finals are a league best. Four #1’s have gone on to win the championship, but the last three, including Calderon last year, lost in the title game. The last time a #1 won it all was Bob, back in 2014. Lastly, here is a stat for you…a top seed, who wasn’t also the scoring champ, has never won a championship before. Take that America.
8-SEED IN POST
5-22 overall | While the 8-seed has pulled off five upsets in the quarterfinals, they are 0-5 in the semifinals, having never reached the title game. Also, the days of 8’s beating 1’s seems to be a thing of the past. See below…
#1 VS #8 IN QUARTERFINALS
The #1 seed has won seven straight. The last 8-seed to beat a 1-seed was Burrier upsetting Griff in 2012. Before that, it was even steven. Between 2003 and 2012, the seeds were 5-5 in the quarterfinals.
RICH C vs COLBY | THIS SEASON
It’s a classic matchup that features not only the fact these two have faced off twice this year, but they just competed against one another to end the regular season. To the surprise of no one, Calderon swept Colby. Back in week two, Rich scored his second of three straight weekly high scores, delivering a season high 2,054-1,365 win. Russell Wilson outplayed Mahomes, 520-438, while Aaron Jones outplayed everyone with 652 points. In fact, while four players on Rich’s team failed to break 100, Wilson, Jones and Chubb combined for 1,558 points. On Colby’s side, three non-Mahomes players broke 200, but he got -19 combined points from his kicker and DST.
This past weekend, Colby scored nearly the same amount, while Rich came back to earth, but Caldern still managed to win, 1,515-1,361. Once again, he relied on Aaron Jones, who scored 356, while Chubb chipped in 272 points. Colby once again got digits from Mahomes (314) and three others who scored over 200, but only managed 186 from his WR2, TE and kicker.
RICH C vs COLBY | CAREER
Calderon has dominated Colby over the years, taking 17 of 22 matchups. He started hot, defeating Colby in their first six meetings. Of their next 11, things evened out, as Rich won six of those eleven. However, he’s back to dominating, having won five straight dating back to 2017.
RICH C vs COLBY | POSTSEASON
Shockingly, despite having 33 years of combined experience in this league, including 23 years with postseason invites, this will be Rich and Colby’s first ever postseason meeting. Colby has been a 8-seed just once in his career and that would be his first season in the league. He lost that quarterfinals game. However, the four other times he’s been the lower seed in the quarterfinals, he’s never lost. Calderon has been a 1-seed just once, last year, and he managed to reach the title game.
Living Large & In Charge | The Rich Calderon Story
While he may not have been the favorite heading into the season, there was little doubt Calderon was a contender, thanks to a solid keeper (Chubb) and a great draft that landed him twin Jones (Julio, Aaron), Thielen and later, Russell Wilson. Out of the gate, Rich flexed some muscle, not only winning his first three, but scoring over 1,700 in all three, earning three straight weekly high scores. However, a series of injuries by Julio, Aaron and especially Chubb started to pick at his invincibility. He struggled in week four and lost to Eric. He did win his next five and scored well enough (breaking 1,500 twice), but it certainly helped that five straight opponents failed to top 1,000. Then in weeks ten and eleven, despite getting both his backs back, Rich failed to top 1,300 in back-to-back weeks, suffering defeats to two potential semifinals foes. Fortunately for him, others teams, including Eric, failed to take advantage. Calderon finished strong with two straight 1,500-point wins over two playoff teams, finishing with 10 wins and the top seed for a second straight season.
Mahomes: A One Man Band | The Colby Hall Story
It must have felt good to be a Chiefs fan and to watch a pair of Chiefs score over 300 each in a week one win over Masterson. Yet, that feeling would prove to be fleeting in 2020. Colby would go on to lose five of his next six games, failing to top 1,200 in three of those defeats. While Mahomes remained king, the Taint couldn’t get consistent play from Edwards-Helaire, Mike Evans or Melvin Gordon. However, a 576-point effort from Mahomes in week eight arguable saved Colby’s playoff dreams, as he pulled off an upset of the eventual scoring champ, Bob. That one game winning streak turned into a three-game winning streak, as he got to face the two worst teams in the league based on points (Matt, Griff). After falling to Burrier in week 11, he again faced a bad team and won in week 12, before falling to Calderon in the last game of the year. Colby finished 6-7, but managed to barely outscore Don in points to win the tiebreaker. When it was all said and done though, he went 1-7 against playoff teams, but 5-0 against the four non-playoff teams.
#2 Dak Dak Dak Gone vs #7 The Czar
2019 RECORD
Eric: 9-4
Robio: 6-7
2019 SCORING
Eric: 1,504 PPG (3rd)
Robio: 1,387 PPG (6th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Eric: 86-57 (8-5 vs Robio)
Robio: 80-63
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
ERIC – It took him six years to reach the playoffs and then took him anther six to win his first ever playoff game in 2012. Overall, Eric has been arguable the worst playoff team in league history. He’s just 3-9 in the postseason. His .250 winning percentage is the league’s lowest (excluding Michael). His 1,297 points per contest is third worst (again, excluding Michael). Of his three postseason wins, two came in 2012, when he reached the title game, but lost. The only other time Vozzola won a postseason game, was a 2017 quarterfinals win over 3-seeded Calderon.
ROBIO – If there is an opposite to Eric, it’s me. I’m the leader in all playoff categories that matter. Overall, I’m 25-8. My 25 wins are the most and my .757 winning percentage is the best. I’ve averaged 1,525 points per game, which is also tops. The most amazing success has been what I’ve managed in the quarterfinals. I’m 12-1 in the postseason’s first week. The only time I’ve lost in the quarterfinals was when 8-seed Calderon stunned the world with a victory over the three-time champ back in 2003. I’ve won seven straight since then. In the semis, I’ve gone 8-4, having reached the finals a record eight times, including five since the majority of this league came together. I’ve gone 5-3 in the finals, winning it all last season.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
2-SEED IN POST
26-15 overall | Seven champions have come from the two seed (the most of any seed) and they are 7-1 in the title game. The only 2-seed to reach the finals and lose was Griff way back in 1999. After taking a 8-year break from winning it all, the 2-seed has dominated lately. Since 2013, the two-seed has reached the finals in five of the last seven title games and all five times, the two seed won, which includes three straight wins over the one-seed.
7-SEED IN POST
21-18 overall | The years between 2005-2011, that’s known as the era of the 7-seed. A surprising three champions came from the 7-spot during that time, as the 7-seed reached the finals five times during that seven-year period. After a little dry period starting in 2012, Matt got the 7-spot back on track, winning it all in 2018. He became the fourth 7-seed to win it all, tied for second most with the top seed. Oddly enough, the 1, 2 and 7 seeds account for 15 of the 21 championships in this league.
#2 VS #7 IN QUARTERFINALS
The 7-seed actually holds a slime 11-10 lead over the 2-seed. Between 2002-14, the 7-seed dominated, winning 10 of 13, but then the 2-seed has gotten back on track, taking five of the last seven matchups.
ERIC vs ROBIO | THIS SEASON
We have our second game featuring two teams meeting for a third time this year. Back in week one, Eric was actually the favorite, but it was the Czar who came out steamrolling. Behind 432 from Lamar Jackson and 680 combined points from Hopkins and Ridley, I easily won week one, 1,655-1,292.
In the week 12 rematch, I looked well on my way to a season sweep over Eric, despite not having Lamar and Andrews. Gibson killed it with 452, while Drake contributed 306. However, Eric rallied for a stunning win when Tyreek Hill scored 718 points against the Bucs. Eric pulled out a 1,791-1,73 victory.
ERIC vs ROBIO | CAREER
Despite having a combined 40 years of experience in this league, we’re only faced off 24 times. I’ve taken 14 of those 24. Oddly, neither of us have dominant any large stretch. I won four straight between 2008-2011, while Eric defeated me three straight times between 2014-2015.
ERIC vs ROBIO | POSTSEASON
We’ve met only once in the postseason and it was a classic. In 2012, Eric was the 3-seed and top scorer. I was one of the preseason favorites who struggled to piece it together all year. I earned the 4-seed, after producing the weekly low score in week 13. However, my team dominated the quarterfinals and semifinals, as we both got help when the two top seeds were taken down in the quarterfinals. When Eric I met in the finals, I came out on fire, getting 951 points from my quarterback and wide receiver on Thursday night. Yet, thanks to four 200-point efforts and two more 300-pt efforts, Eric actually took a 1,871-1,649 lead going into Monday Night. Yet, I had Marshawn Lynch who topped 324 and led me to my fourth career title. Our 3,844 combined points remains the highest ever for a title game.
The Trade Heard ‘Round the World | The Eric Vozzola Story
Thanks to a weak performance by Mark Ingram and awful -86 from the Vikings DST, Eric stumbled out of the gate, losing to the defending champ and failing to top 1,300 in week one. Fortunately, that defeat proved to be a small bump, as he would win his seven games, scoring over 1,500 three times. Yet, when Dad Prescott went down, the points dropped. He went from averaging 1,571 points per game through his first five to 1,309 in his next three without the Cowboys quarterback. Eric could’ve rolled with his 7-1 start to the playoffs and settled for a semifinals appearance. He didn’t. He pulled off a major trade that landed him McCaffrey and A.J. Brown (and others). In week nine, he cranked out 2,160 and the league was befuddled. Yet, CMC would not see the field again in the regular season and Eric struggled. He would drop two straight and three out of his next four, with his star back, finishing 9-4, missing out on his first ever top seed.
A Repeat Not Cometh | Robio Murray Story
Hate to call a playoff season a disappointment, but this year certainly felt like one, especially since I felt like I drafted what I wanted pretty much. Sure, I dealt with some injuries from time to time, but never more than anyone else and certainly not as bad as others. Out of the gate it started nicely. I nearly hit 1,700 in a win over Eric, who was the favorite. Then I dropped my next three. Yes, they were to the preseason favorite, the eventual top seed and scoring champ, who all topped 1,700, but it’s not like my squad delivered a challenge, as I cracked 1,500 just once. Luckily, I hit the easy stretch of my schedule and was able to roll of three straight wins over Colby, Matt and Griff. Yet, I would win just two of my final six and only managed to get into the playoffs because of total points tiebreaker. When my regular season was done, I went 1-7 against teams that finished ahead of me, but 5-0 against teams that finished below me.
#3 Dudelove vs #6 THUNDERPANTS
2019 RECORD
Michael: 9-4
Rich B: 7-6
2019 SCORING
Michael: 1,361 PPG (7th)
Rich B: 1,484 PPG (4th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Michael: 71-72
Rich B: 88-55 (9-4 vs Michael)
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
MICHAEL – Well, you can really have a career playoff record if you’ve only been in the league one year. Anyhow, in that one season, Michael got a taste of failure, losing to 2-seeded me, scoring only 831 points. It was the first time since 2016 a playoff team failed to top 1,000.
RICH B – Mr. Burrier has been in this league a lot longer, but that doesn’t mean he has a lot more wins than Michael. In fact, Burrier has six wins in 17 games over a 18-year career. Three of those wins came in a championship run back in 2003. He’s just 3-9 in the quarterfinals, 2-1 in the semifinals and 1-1 in the finals, last losing to Bob in 2011. In total, Rich has won a playoff game in three of his 18 seasons in the league. His last playoff victory was when he stunned 1-seed Griff in the quarterfinals back in 2012. He’s gone seven years without a playoff win, going 0-4 in that time, three times as an 8-seed.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
3-SEED IN POST
20-20 overall | Has reached the title game seven times (tied for second most), but has managed to win just two championships and those championships happened a long time ago (Robio in 2002 and Burrier in 2003). The 3-seed has lost the title game in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
6-SEED IN POST
12-20 | The second worst seed to be, based on a .375 winning percentage. While the six-seed isn’t too bad in the quarterfinals, they have struggled beyond that, going 2-8 in the semifinals and have lost both games in the finals (2001 and 2015).
#3 VS #6 IN QUARTERFINALS
Overall the #3 seed leads the series, 11-10, but they have dropped their last five meetings. In 2015, #6 Colby beat #3 Eric. The following season, #6 Robio defeated #3 Don. In 2017, #6 Eric upset #3 Calderon. In 2018, #6 Don took down #3 Colby, who was coming off a regular season where he broke the all-time scoring record. Last year, two-time defending champ Neatock beat #3 Don by just 60 points.
MICHAEL vs RICH B | THIS SEASON
These two faced off back in week six. Michael had dropped his last game after a 4-1 start, while Burrier was 2-3, erasing an 0-3 start with a pair of wins. A lot of talent sat on the bench because of bye weeks and injuries. Rich was without Kamara, Carson and Waller. Michael rolled without Brees, Carr, Edelman and Cook. Obviously, it wasn’t a battle of the beasts, as Richard escaped with a low scoring 51-point win. He got much of his points from his two wideouts, as Fuller and Kirk scored 598, making up for the fact that Aaron Rodgers only scored 34, as Watson scored 494 on Rich’s bench. Michael went twin rookie receivers. One paid off, as Jefferson led all scorers wit 472, while Jeudy scored just 64. In fact, four players on Dudelove failed to top 100 in Michael’s 1,247-1,196 defeat.
MICHAEL vs RICH B | CAREER
These two have faced off twice now. In Michael’s rookie year, he stormed out of the gate with three straight wins and he would easily make it four straight, facing 0-3 Burrier. Michael walked away with a 1,496-1,272 victory. Oddly enough, after that game, both of them would win just two games a piece the rest of the way.
MICHAEL vs RICH B | POSTSEASON
These two have never faced off in the postseason. However, Rich did replace one of the teams Michael replaced, losing to Griff’s wife in the 2014 quarterfinals.
The Michael Evangelist Story
Call him lucky. Go ahead, it would be fair. Of course, all that matters is you call him a playoff team. Like last year, Evangelist began the season on a victory tour, winning his first four. He did score over 1,400 in all four, but in hindsight, the four wins were against four teams that all finished bottom five when it was all said in down. So, when he lost to Bob and both Rich’s, it seemed like deja vu. His great start would be wiped away and he’d just fade away in another quarterfinals flop. Yet, Dalvin Cook reminded the world who Dalvin Cook was, dominated and got Michael back on his winning ways. He finished by winning five of his last six games, scoring over 1,800 once, 1,700 once and 1,500 twice. Suddenly, lucky looked pretty damn good.
The Rich Burrier Story
Burrier has not been very good at this lately. Too often he doesn’t make the playoffs and when he does, he’s usually a one-and-done 8-seed. Thus, when he started his 2020 campaign dropping his first three and breaking the record for longest losing streak in league history, we thought…meh, it’s Burrier. Yet, hidden behind that rough start was the body of a good team and Rich quickly turned it all around. He won his next three and six of nine to not only make it to the playoffs, but make it as a winning team. Best yet, in his three defeats, he actually scored over 1,500 in all three. In fact, when scoring over 1,500, Rich is just 3-4. When scoring below, he’s 4-2. Anyhow, he ended the year with a prize he had not seen in over four years…a weekly high score.
#4 Total Robio Landscaping vs #5 Non-Zero Number of People
2019 RECORD
Bob: 8-5
Jeff: 8-5
2019 SCORING
Bob: 1,541 (1st)
Jeff: 1,461 (5th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Bob: 99-44 (7-6 vs Jeff)
Jeff: 89-54
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
BOB – Castrone and the Robioland playoffs go together like peanut butter & jelly. He’s 20-11 for his career. It’s not just that he gets there, which he does a lot (15 straight seasons and counting). It’s because when he gets there he wins there. His .606 winning percentage is third best and those 20 wins are tied for second most with Griff, who has been in the league four years longer. His 1,459 points per contest are third best. He’s a solid 11-4 in the quarterfinals, 5-6 in the semifinals and a solid 4-1 in the championship game. During one 12-year stretch between 2006-2017, Bob went 10-2 the quarterfinals. Those titles I mentioned? 2004, 2010, 2011, 2014, only losing in 2017. Having said that, Bob has lost his last two trips to the quarterfinals and is currently riding a three-game postseason losing streak; the longest of his career.
JEFF – Other than Mike, who is on year two, no one has played less playoff games than Jeff. Overall, he’s just 3-5, averaging only 1,232 points. The only two seasons he’s managed to win a playoff game out of his 12 in the league as a solo artist was 2016 and 2017. One of those seasons (2016), he won a quarterfinals game scoring just 905 points. He went on to the title game that year as the 1-seed, falling to Calderon.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
4-SEED IN POST
14-19 overall | The 4-seed has struggled to escape round one. In fact, they’re almost as bad as the 8-seed, but once they escape that tough first round, they’ve been pretty solid, going 4-2 in the semifinals and 3-1 in the finals. Griff in 2005, Bob in 2010 and myself in 2012, have all won titles as the 4-seed.
5-SEED IN POST
Like I said, the 5-seed has dominated the quarterfinals, but unlike the 4-seed, once it escapes, it tends to falter. They are just 5-10 in the semifinals (the 10 loses are the most of any seed in that round) and are just 1-4 in the finals, including 2018 when #5 Calderon lost to Neatock. Speaking of Matt, he was the last person to be a 5-seed and win it all. That year was 2007.
#4 VS #5 IN QUARTERFINALS
The 5-seed is a stunning 15-6 in the quarterfinals. They had won six straight until last year. If you go back to 2006, the 4-seed has lost 10 of the last 13 meetings in the quarterfinals, including 2018, when #4 Masterson fell to Calderon.
BOB vs JEFF | THIS SEASON
This is the third quarterfinal matchup that features two teams that faced off twice this season. Back in week one, Jeff, at the time, the top team in my rankings, snuck by Bob for a 1,490-1,380 win. Jeff got big points from unsuspecting source. Josh Allen scored 412, while Metcalf delivers 250, while Henry had 262. Bob did get 836 points from both Murray and Adams, but just 544 from everyone else.
Later, in week 12, a week after defeating the top seed, Calderon, Jeff faced Bob for a second time and took care of business yet again, crushing him, 2,057-1,419. Six of Jeff’s players scored over 200, led by Derrick Henry’s 550 points and Metcalf’s 354. Bob got 378 from James Robinson, but had yet to master that second RB spot against Jeff.
BOB vs JEFF | CAREER
Prior to this year’s season sweep, Jeff was just 3-10 against Bob, who had beaten Greenblatt in their last three. Oddly enough, this is the second time Jeff has swept Castrone in two. He won both meetings in 2016.
BOB vs JEFF | POSTSEASON
Unfortunately, these two have never faced off in the postseason. As the 5-seed, Jeff is officially the lower seed, which has never been his thing. He’s never won a postseason game as the lower seed (0-2). Bob has been the 4-seed twice. In 2008, he earned it, but lost to me in the quarterfinals. Two years later, he was back in the four spot, but this time he advanced to the finals, where he defeated me for the championship.
Week One is Just a Blueprint | The Bob Castrone Story
Bob made it to the playoffs. Shocking I know, although this trip wasn’t as easy at it probably should have been. He entered the season going three wide, with Mixon in the backfield. Things didn’t quite work out well. Bob struggled with injuries and bad play and never could build up a winning way. He lost a close one in week one, dominated in week two, lost by 53 in a game he scored 1,647 in week three, but then nearly hit 2,000 in week four. Later, he would score 1,200 one week, 1,700 the next and then 1,100 the following week. Through eight weeks, he was 4-4 and a unsolvable riddle. Slowly though, Castrone began to solve his roster and despite not making any kind of trade, managed to swap his roster around. The only original starters from week one were Murray and Adams, the rest were replaced by Dobbins, Robinson, Claypool and Tonyan. He would average 1,603 per game in his final five, winning four of those contests. He would fail to catch Rich for the top seed, but he brought home his third career scoring crown.
Tough Being on Top | The Jeff Greenblatt Story
Being the preseason favorite doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it almost always guarantees success and at the beginning, Jeff was soaking in success. He rolled through Rob’s, a Bob and one of the two Rich’s to start the season 4-0. Even his week five defeat seemed like a hiccup at best. Yet, with Ekeler out of commission and Kittle out for the year, wins suddenly became a challenge. He lost to Matt and barely beat Griff. Between weeks 5-10, Jeff lost four of six and failed to sniff 1,400 in five of those games. He looked like toast. However, with the return of Ekeler and solid decisions at quarterback, he rebounded with the best back-to-back victories of the season, beating both Calderon (top seed) and Bob (top scorer). He even flirted with a shot at the top seed, before hitting a scoring wall in week 13. When it was all said and done, Jeff won an impressive eight games, but three loses to non-playoff teams remain a stain on the resume.
I hate predictions. I have no clue what is going to happen and I’m too tired to do any real homework. Having said that…
QUARTERFINALS
#1 CALDERON vs #8 COLBY (+279)
Rich heads into the quarterfinals as nearly as healthy as he’s been all season, without only Julio still not sitting at 100%. Health has always been the issue and it’s hard to see how a fully healthy Taters falls. The matchups are tasty, as he gets Aaron Jones against the Lions (31st against the run) and while Russell Wilson has struggled lately against solid D’s, the Jets are not a solid D. I wouldn’t be shocked if Wilson doesn’t approach 500.
This sort of leaves Colby in a pinch. For him to win, he needs to dominate at the quarterback spot. Now Patrick faces the Fins, who are the 6th best D against the pass, but they’re primarily known for their cover-zero defense and Mahomes will eat that for lunch, so I expect a big day for him down in South Beach. Yet, the rest of the pieces are just too inconsistent. Yes, I could see Gordon or Evans having a 300-point outing, but I’m not willing to bet they both will, which is what Colby will need to pull off the 8-seed upset.
PREDICTION: Calderon with a comfortable win.
#2 ERIC vs #7 ROBIO (+122)
I got some good news when we learned that McCaffrey would probably be once again sitting out. Mike Davis is fine, but he’s not CMC. In fact, Eric went from being a 206-point favorite to a 122-point favorite. Anyhow, matchups favor Vozzola by a ton. Four different players will face a defense that is ranked 20th or below against that particular position. A.J. Brown is questionable and if he misses this week, that’s a hit with Jacobs still on the sideline. Yet, I’m expecting big games from Tyreek Hill and dare I say Matt Ryan, who will be facing a demoralized Chargers defense that gave up 45 to the Patriots.
As for me, I’m also dealing with injuries and I simply don’t have the matchups Eric has. None of my starters and none of my backups face a team defense that is ranked 20th or below against their position. That’s not good. I also have zero faith in any back I put in. Connor is back, but hasn’t had a 300-point game since week three. Drake is good for about 180 per. I got Hopkins dealing with an injured neck and the 49ers only seem to play well when they’re on my bench.
PREDICTION: History is meaningless, Eric wins.
#3 MICHAEL vs #6 BURRIER (+32)
As the week has gone on, CBS has liked Rich’s team less and less. He went from being the slight favorite, to a slight dog, but honestly, this bad boy is a toss up. Burrier is led by Rodgers and Kamara, but the key to his success is when Carson is part of that conversation. After returning from injury two weeks ago, he only got eight carries, but last week he bounced back with 280. Two stud backs go a long way and help a team go a long way in the playoffs. Rich needs both his boys to step up, because he simply doesn’t have anyone to fill Will Fuller’s suspended shoes.
The stars of Michael’s squad are his two Vikings, but honestly, winning and losing will be decided by Derek Carr and Corey Davis. Fact is, Dalvin will be facing arguable his toughest foe this week in a rested Tampa defense on the road. Both Carr and Davis are coming off stud weeks, with both scoring over 400 points each. Of course, you know what they’re not known for…having great weeks two weeks in a row. While I would be fearful of this team at any point during the playoffs, I think Evangelist will have to wait one more year for that first postseason win.
PREDICTION: Burrier wins a tight one.
#4 BOB vs #5 JEFF (+11)
Castrone may be the scoring champ, but it is Jeff who is the favorite heading into the weekend. Well, matchups help. He’s sticking with Herbert, despite the fact he’s coming off a shutout. Facing the 32nd best defense against the pass will do that. Meanwhile, Henry gets to run against the 30th rated run defense. On top of that, Montgomery finally gets a start. He’s scored 688 points in his last two and he faces the worst run defense in football. In fact, the only gap on Jeff’s squad is at the tight end spot, but that’s not really a strength of Bob’s either.
Bob is going to stick to his young guns, riding a wave of Dobbins, Robinson and Claypool. The latter two are both questionable, but I suspect both will play. I’m loving Robinson, as the Titans have been vulnerable against the run and Adams should dominate the Lions. Yet, Murray and Dobbins will have to show me the goods against some solid competition. Murray has been beatable lately and they face a really good Giants defense on the East Coast. For him, he needs to churn those legs, especially if Hopkins is out. As for Dobbins, his biggest challenge is his coaching staff. Sure, the Browns run D is top-10 against the run, but it seems the Ravens are content on letting all their backs have a ton of carrier. That’s not good come playoff time.
PREDICTION: Jeff dominates with a weekly high score
SEMIFINALS
#1 RICH C over #6 RICH B
A battle of two Rich’s in the semifinals is something we haven’t seen since Burrier beat Calderon in the 2003 semifinals, in route to his only championship. Yet, the longer this season goes on, the healthier Calderon’s boys get. Burrier has the pieces to compete, but my money would be on Calderon’s running game deep into December.
PREDICTION: Calderon Makes the Title Game His Second Home.
#2 JEFF over #2 ERIC
Eric’s trade deserved all the hype it got, but in the end, if the players aren’t healthy and you’re still relying on Matt Ryan, I’m just not sure it will be enough. Despite Greenblatt’s poor week thirteen performance, he’s got a lot of talent who seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. He’s also extremely deep and can certainly play the matchup. Sure, that can get you in trouble. I always say, you really want to eliminate all decisions in the playoffs. Yet, with no McCaffrey, I don’t see Eric making this run.
PREDICTION: Jeff gives us a 2016 Title Game Rematch.
FINALS
#1 RICH C over #5 Jeff
It’s a battle between the league’s current favorite (Calderon) vs the league’s preseason favorite. Calderon looks to avoid becoming this generations Buffalo Bills and finally win that third championship. I can foresee a future where Nick Chubb runs over the Jets defense and Aaron Jones dominates the Titans. Julio Jones will deliver 130 yards and two scores in a game where the Falcons are trying to keep pace with the Chiefs. And even Wilson, who will be facing a tough Rams D, will get some revenge, after the Rams dominated him earlier in the season. Jeff’s squad will produce, but he’ll start the wrong quarterback, costing himself 200 plus points and the game.
YOUR 2020 CHAMPION
PAST CHAMPIONS
| YEAR | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS* | SEED | RUNNER-UP | TiTLE | TOP SEED | SCORING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Robio Murray | 14-3-0 | 1,504 | #1 | #2 Griff | 1,872 - 1,234 | Robio | 11-3 | Robio | 1.487 |
| 2000 | Robio Murray | 13-4-0 | 1,399 | #2 | #4 Griff | 1,448 - 1,197 | Rick | 11-3 | Rick | 1,478 |
| 2001 | Jason Carpenter | 14-3-0 | 1,509 | #1 | #6 David | 1,273 - 920 | Jason | 11-3 | Jason | 1,558 |
| 2002 | Robio Murray | 11-6-0 | 1,487 | #3 | #1 Molly | 1,841 - 1,112 | Molly | 10-4 | Justin | 1,440 |
| 2003 | Richard Burrier | 11-6-0 | 1,441 | #3 | #5 Griff | 2,011 - 1,036 | Robio | 9-5 | Robio | 1,456 |
| 2004 | Bob Castrone | 13-4-0 | 1,334 | #2 | #1 Griff | 1,216 - 1,169 | Griff | 10-4 | Colby | 1,442 |
| 2005 | Griff Coomer | 11-5-0 | 1,526 | #4 | #7 Colby | 1,882 - 739 | Don | 9-4 | Griff | 1,488 |
| 2006 | Don Vozzola | 10-6-0 | 1,214 | #7 | #3 Robio | 1,617 - 844 | Rich B | 10-3 | Molly | 1,356 |
| 2007 | Matt Neatock | 10-6-0 | 1,334 | #5 | #7 Rich C | 1,444 - 811 | David | 11-2 | Don | 1,421 |
| 2008 | Don Vozzola | 9-7-0 | 1,242 | #7 | #5 Robio | 1,216 - 1,041 | Molly | 10-3 | Robio | 1,464 |
| 2009 | Matt Neatock | 13-3-0 | 1,553 | #1 | #3 Griff | 1,608 - 1,384 | Matt | 10-3 | Matt | 1,497 |
| 2010 | Bob Castrone | 12-4-0 | 1,368 | #4 | #1 Robio | 1,283 - 948 | Robio | 12-1 | Rich C | 1,443 |
| 2011 | Bob Castrone | 9-7-0 | 1,340 | #7 | #3 Rich B | 1,590 - 1,283 | Molly | 10-3 | Molly | 1,536 |
| 2012 | Robio Murray | 10-6-0 | 1,407 | #4 | #3 Eric | 1,973 - 1,871 | Griff | 10-3 | Eric | 1,503 |
| 2013 | Rich Calderon | 13-3-0 | 1,407 | #2 | #5 Griff | 1,496 - 1,270 | Robio | 10-3 | Robio | 1,499 |
| 2014 | Bob Castrone | 13-3-0 | 1,594 | #1 | #3 Matt | 1,495 - 1,494 | Bob | 10-3 | Bob | 1,551 |
| 2015 | Griff Coomer | 12-4-0 | 1,522 | #2 | #6 Colby | 1,333 - 1,049 | Bob | 11-2 | Bob | 1,507 |
| 2016 | Rich Calderon | 12-4-0 | 1,532 | #2 | #1 Jeff | 1,846 - 1,180 | Jeff | 11-2 | Rich C | 1,532 |
| 2017 | Matt Neatock | 12-4-0 | 1,581 | #2 | #1 Bob | 1,537 - 1,119 | Bob | 12-1 | Matt | 1,509 |
| 2018 | Matt Neatock | 9-7-0 | 1,410 | #7 | #5 Rich C | 1,631 - 1,578 | Marc | 10-3 | Colby | 1,584 |
| 2019 | Robio Murray | 14-2-0 | 1,715 | #2 | #1 Rich C | 1,900 - 1,234 | Rich C | 12-1 | Robio | 1,675 |
EVERYTHING PLAYOFFS
STANDINGS:
| Team: | Wins-Loses: | Pct: | PT's For: | Point Avg: | PT's Against: | Opp PPG: | Quarters | Semis | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robio Murray | 25-8 | .757 | 50,336 | 1,525 PPG | 41,611 | 1,261 PPG | 12-1 | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Matt Neatock | 16-7 | .696 | 34,882 | 1,517 PPG | 30,963 | 1,346 PPG | 7-4 | 5-2 | 4-1 |
| Bob Castrone | 20-11 | .645 | 45,243 | 1,459 PPG | 39,650 | 1,279 PPG | 11-4 | 5-6 | 4-1 |
| Griff Coomer | 20-13 | .606 | 45,749 | 1,386 PPG | 44,833 | 1,359 PPG | 10-5 | 8-2 | 2-6 |
| Rich Calderon | 15-11 | .577 | 36,775 | 1,414 PPG | 35,883 | 1,380 PPG | 8-5 | 5-3 | 2-3 |
| Don Vozzola | 9-10 | .473 | 24,965 | 1,314 PPG | 25,529 | 1,344 PPG | 5-7 | 2-3 | 2-0 |
| Michael Evangelist | 0-1 | .000 | 831 | 831 PPG | 1,692 | 1,692 PPG | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Colby Hall | 7-10 | .412 | 22,202 | 1,306 PPG | 23,469 | 1,381 PPG | 5-5 | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| Jeff Greenblatt | 3-5 | .375 | 9,862 | 1,232 PPG | 11,830 | 1,479 PPG | 2-3 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Richard Burrier | 6-11 | .353 | 21,344 | 1,186 PPG | 23,701 | 1,317 PPG | 3-9 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Eric Vozzola | 3-9 | .225 | 15,558 | 1,297 PPG | 18,669 | 1,556 PPG | 2-7 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Rob Masterson | 5-14 | .263 | 25,761 | 1,356 PPG | 28,306 | 1,490 PPG | 5-9 | 0-5 | 0-0 |
RECORD BY SEED:
| Seeds: | W-L: | Win Pct. | Quarters | Semis | Finals | Best Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Seed | 31-17 | .646 | 17-4 | 10-7 | 4-6 | 4 titles (Robio '99, Jason '01, Matt '09, Bob '14) |
| 2nd Seed | 26-15 | .634 | 10-11 | 8-2 | 7-1 | 7 titles (Robio '00, Bob '04, Rich C '13, Griff '15, Rich C '16, Matt '17, Robio '19) |
| 3rd Seed | 20-20 | .500 | 11-10 | 7-4 | 2-5 | 2 titles (Robio '02, Rich B '03) |
| 4th Seed | 14-19 | .424 | 6-15 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 3 titles (Griff '05, Bob '10, Robio '12) |
| 5th Seed | 22-20 | .524 | 15-6 | 5-10 | 1-4 | 1 title (Matt '07) |
| 6th Seed | 12-20 | .375 | 10-11 | 2-8 | 0-2 | No titles |
| 7th Seed | 21-18 | .539 | 11-10 | 6-5 | 4-2 | 4 titles (Don in '06 & '08, Bob in '11, Matt in '18) |
| 8th Seed | 5-22 | .185 | 4-17 | 0-4 | 0-0 | Never past semis |
TITLE GAMES:
| Year | Seed | Winner | Seed | Loser | Score |
| 1999 | No. 1 | Robio Murray | No. 2 | Griff Coomer | 1,872 - 1,234 |
| 2000 | No. 2 | Robio Murray | No. 4 | Griff Coomer | 1,448 - 1,197 |
| 2001 | No. 1 | Jason Carpenter | No. 6 | David Hightower | 1,273 - 920 |
| 2002 | No. 3 | Robio Murray | No. 1 | Molly Coomer | 1,841 - 1,112 |
| 2003 | No. 3 | Richard Burrier | No. 5 | Griff Coomer | 2,011 - 1,036 |
| 2004 | No. 2 | Bob Castrone | No. 1 | Griff Coomer | 1,216 - 1,169 |
| 2005 | No. 4 | Griff Coomer | No. 7 | Colby Hall | 1,882 - 739 |
| 2006 | No. 7 | Don Vozzola | No. 3 | Robio Murray | 1,617 - 844 |
| 2007 | No. 5 | Matt Neatock | No. 7 | Rich Calderon | 1,444 - 811 |
| 2008 | No. 7 | Don Vozzola | No. 5 | Robio Murray | 1,216 - 1,041 |
| 2009 | No. 1 | Matt Neatock | No. 3 | Griff Coomer | 1,608 - 1,384 |
| 2010 | No. 4 | Bob Castrone | No. 1 | Robio Murray | 1,283 - 948 |
| 2011 | No. 7 | Bob Castrone | No. 3 | Richard Burrier | 1,590 - 1,283 |
| 2012 | No. 4 | Robio Murray | No. 3 | Eric Vozzola | 1,973 - 1,871 |
| 2013 | No. 2 | Rich Calderon | No. 5 | Griff Coomer | 1,496 - 1,270 |
| 2014 | No. 1 | Bob Castrone | No. 3 | Matt Neatock | 1,495 - 1,494 |
| 2015 | No. 2 | Griff Coomer | No. 6 | Colby Hall | 1,333 - 1,049 |
| 2016 | No. 2 | Rich Calderon | No. 1 | Jeff Greenblatt | 1,846 - 1,180 |
| 2017 | No. 2 | Matt Neatock | No. 1 | Bob Castrone | 1,537 - 1,119 |
| 2018 | No. 7 | Matt Neatock | No. 5 | Rich Calderon | 1,631 - 1,578 |
| 2019 | No. 2 | Robio Murray | No. 1 | Rich Calderon | 1,900 - 1,234 |
RECORD BOOK:
| RECORD BREAKING FEAT | STAT | INVOLVED | WHEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points scored in a single game by a single team | 2,501 | Rob M | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Highest combined score, both teams | 3,844 | Robio over Eric, 1,973 - 1,871 | 2012, Title Game |
| Lowest points scored in single game by single team | 568 | David | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Lowest combined points by two teams | 1,745 | Jeff over Rich B, 905 - 840 | 2016, Quarterfinals |
| Lowest points score in a playoff win | 905 | Jeff | 2016, Quarterfinals |
| Most points scored in a playoff loss | 1,871 | Eric | 2012, Title Game |
| Largest playoff ass-kicking | 1,182 | Rob M over Molly, 2,501 - 1,319 | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Smallest margin of victory | 1 | Bob over Matt, 1,495 - 1,494 | 2014, Title Game |
| Most points in one post-season | 5,684 | Matt | 2017 |
| Most points scored in a title game | 2,011 | Rich B | 2003 |
| Lowest points scored in title game win | 1,216 | Don | 2008 |
| Lowest points scored in the title game | 739 | Colby | 2005 |
| Biggest title game ass-kicking | 1,143 | Griff over Colby, 1,882 - 739 | 2005 |
| Greatest upset by record | 5 games | (7-7) Rich C over (12-2) David | 2007, Semifinals |
| Most points scored by a runner up | 5,017 | Rich C | 2018 |
| Lowest scoring championship run | 3,832 | Jason | 2001 |
| Lowest scoring runner up | 2,382 | Rich C | 2007 |
| Most Points Scored by a Quarterback | 1,432 | Lamar Jackson (Robio) | 2019 |
| Most Points by a Running Back | 1,662 | Todd Gurley (Matt) | 2017 |