While it’s not official yet, barring Diontae Johnson fumbling the ball 19 times tonight, Eric Vozzola will be your 2021 champion. He leads Jeff 1,800-1,226. With Johnson left to play, Eric has a shot at the all-time title game scoring record of 2,011 (held by Burrier). However, before we brag on Eric, let’s hit on Greenblatt.
Jeff could have tossed in the towel a long time ago, but instead, he was the definition of resilient. Despite tons of injuries and issues, which included the best player in the league missing half the season, Jeff kept working that wire and kept chugging along. This proves once again, no matter how south things can go, if you know how to work the waiver, good things can come.
For him, it started early when he nailed a stud pickup like Cordarrelle Patterson ($10) way back in week one. Later, he’d borrowed Don’s handcuff, Devontae Booker for just $8 and he ended up starting a couple of games for the defending champ. Players like D’Onta Foreman, Justin Jackson and Jaret Patterson would all produce points off the wire for Jeff.
In the end, Jeff came up one game short of winning back-to-back titles, but let’s keep this mind. He went into the title game without either of his first two draft picks (Ridley, Gibson), without his third-round pick and should-have-been league MVP, Derrick Henry and with his fourth-round pick (McLaurin) on the bench. The only player among his top seven picks who participated in the title game was sixth-round, Tee Higgins.
So, congratulations for getting this close. On to Eric.
It’s been a long journey for the younger Vozzola. He was just a boy when he joined the league in 2001. Six years in and he failed to find any success. It would take him seven years to produce his first winning season and first ever postseason trip. After three straight quarterfinals defeat, Eric would produce the worst two-year stretch in league history, going just 3-23 in 2010-2011. Eventually he’d get back to the postseason and he’d earn his first playoff victory in 2012, 12 years after joining the league. That season was really the first taste of success he had. He earned the scoring crown and barely lost in the title game, becoming the highest scoring title game loser in league history. Still, there were many bumps to come.
By 2014, Eric’s shot at a title still seemed more fantasy than reality. Fourteen years in the league he had missed the playoffs 10 times, having won a postseason game in only one season. Yet, in 2015, things changed some. Beginning that year, he would become a playoff mainstay, attending the party six straight years. Unfortunately, only two of those teams were winning teams and only one managed to earn a quarterfinals win. Until, 2021.
This year began like so many for Eric. Despite naming his team “This is the Year,” it looked like it would be just another typical year for Eric. An opening week one win over preseason favorite Michael was followed by three straight defeats. Weekly high scores were followed by weekly low scores. By week 13, he was enjoying his second three-game losing streak and at 5-8, he needed a miracle to even get into the playoffs. Well, that miracle came via Michael, who failed to set his lineup. It allowed Eric to tie him in the standings and overcome a 600+ point deficit. Just like that, Eric was back in the playoffs.
Yet, what was the big deal? It was the fourth time in five seasons he was in the playoffs as the 8-seed and 8-seeds don’t win championships. However, heading into the quarterfinals, we should have saw this was a different kind of year. Eric’s squad was finally a healthy squad, with both his backs (Sanders, Edwards-Helaire) playing and running alongside a productive Mahomes, the league’s top tight end (Andrews) and a trio of stud receivers (Lamb, Chase, Johnson).
In fact, Eric was the favorite over #1 seed Masterson, who failed to show. Eric pulled out a stunning quarterfinals win, 1,441-1,128. However, in week two, he was facing Bob, the league scoring champ, who averaged 1,599 points per game. This time he was the dog, but not by much. Eric would go on to crack 1,500, but that proved more than enough, as Castrone scored his lowest point total in years, failing to top 1,000. Just like that, not only was Eric in the finals, the first 8-seed to do so, but with Jeff stunning Calderon in the semifinals, he was actually the favorite over the 6-seed.
Like Jeff, Eric would need to find a way to win without high draft picks. Both his second (Sanders) and third round (CEH) picks were hurt and out for the game, but in the end, it was a sixth-round pick that saved the say. A week after Jeff’s Bengals receiver got him to a title game, it was the other Bengals receiver who helped bring Jeff down.
Rookie Ja’Marr Chase would catch 11 balls for 266 yards and three scores, including a pair that went for over 65+ yards. His 712 points scored were the most ever scored by a player in a title game, beating out Todd Gurley’s 672 for Matt in 2017. Add in a solid 342 from Patrick Mahomes and 292 from free agent handcuff, Boston Scott, and this title game was never really in doubt.
It took 21 long years, but in the end, this truly was the year for Eric, who finally earned that elusive title. Congratulations.