New York Giants quarterback: Eli Manning
The turnover prone machine that quarterback Eli Manning is known to be was on display on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Manning completed 22 of 45 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown while tossing five interceptions on the day. The amount of interceptions is nothing new for Manning, who has thrown at least 3 interceptions in games 19 times since 2004. In a 16-10 loss though, you can’t throw that many when the game is on the line and your team needs you to make a big time play. After leading the league in interceptions last season, Eli went into the game with tossing only six this season. Now at 11, Eli and the Giants look to bounce back and try to get a win as they host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
Indianapolis Colts running back: Trent Richardson
Now, I won’t put all the blame on running back Trent Richardson for having a poor game on Sunday night against the New England Patriots, but when you run for no yards on seven carries, you are at fault a little bit. The Colts have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. They can’t protect quarterback Andrew Luck and they have a hard time blocking against the run as well. However, if you are drafted in the first round, third overall, and then you are traded for a first and a fourth-round pick, you have to be able to find a way to get any sort of yards on the ground as an elite tailback. With the unfortunate news that running back Ahmad Bradshaw has a broken ankle, Richardson will be the main running back in Indianapolis and should take advantage of the opportunity. The Colts will have a rematch against the Jaguars and a chance to get back into rhythm on Sunday as they host Jacksonville.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver: Dwayne Bowe
Even though they did get the win on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, it wasn’t thanks to the passing game. Yes, you have to have a strong running game in order to beat the Seahawks. The Dallas Cowboys did, and on Sunday, the Chiefs did. But for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, he didn’t have much of an impact. This could’ve been because cornerback Richard Sherman was covering him, but Bowe hasn’t done much at all this year. As the top receiver for the team, Bowe was held to two catches on four targets for only 18 yards. Even though they are 7-3, the Chiefs are the only team not to throw a touchdown pass to any receiver this season. The Chiefs at some point have to find a way to get Bowe more involved in the offense, especially during the playoffs when passing the ball effectively is key. Bowe looks to find the end zone this week as the Chiefs head to Oakland to take on a Raiders team who is still winless this season.
Defense: Philadelphia Eagles
So, who else was dumb enough to start the Eagles defense on their fantasy team this Sunday? Well, I can tell I was. After a great performance on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers on defense, the team looked like they were still at the hotel trying to get ready to slow down a red-hot quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. In a 53-20 rout, the defense and special teams allowed 30 points in the first half and gave up 475 yards of total offense. A team known for getting turnovers didn’t get any on Sunday and managed only one sack on the day. The Eagles look to turn it around as they head back home to host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.