And in a week that saw the already-clinched Colts fall from the ranks of the unbeaten AND saw the once-13-0 Saints lose a heartbreaker to the once-1-12 Buccaneers, we saw similar upsets in the NESN.com fantasy football semifinals. Both Kathryn's Tappenators — winners of 10 straight entering the postseason — and Terrence Johnson's Crooked Lettas — the league's top two regular-season finishers — fell victim to the upset bug in Week 16. With their shocking wins, Heidi Watney and John Chandler will play in this weekend's fantasy final.
It was Heidi and her fifth-seeded Favre Forever squad that managed to upend the top-ranked Tappenators, getting revenge for three regular-season losses to her NESN colleague. Fresh off a quarterfinal triumph over John Carchedi's Italian Ninjas, Heidi and her squad stayed hot, rolling past Kathryn's crew 151.05-119.25. Getting over 26 points from her muse, Brett Favre, 23.7 from Adrian Peterson, 22.5 from Randy Moss and another 21 from the 49ers defense, Favre Forever scored its highest point total since Week 1.
Reached on vacation to discuss her fantasy victory, Heidi's response was measured.
"I'm in Puerto Rico right now, so my comments will be brief," she told reporters via conference call.
"Favre Forever wasn't worried about the Tappenators at all," she said, offering a quick dig at her fantasy rival. "After all, it's hard to beat a team four times in one season. Randy Moss finally made up for his poor performance earlier in the season and, along with Adrian Peterson, helped carry this team into the [fantasy] Super Bowl where we belong."
Then the Red Sox reporter turned her attention to the matter at hand, offering up a prediction that her 40-year-old signal-caller will make the difference in Week 17.
"Now it's Chandler's turn for a whooping. [His] More Cowbell [team] better be ready for his bell to be rung. The ageless wonder will leave him reaching for the aspirin!"
Chandler and his sixth-seeded More Cowbellers overcame a second higher-ranked opponent in two weeks, topping Terrence's dangerous Crooked Lettas 129.7-92.25. Chandler got 25.1 points from Aaron Rodgers, 19.2 from Frank Gore, 18.8 from Jerome Harrison and 18.3 more from LaDainian Tomlinson in earning his convincing semifinal win.
Now, with many NFL teams already having clinched their playoff spots, the fantasy final could come down to which team is more stocked with players motivated to come up big in Week 17.
The Heidi Watney-John Chandler matchup may not have been one we would have foreseen early in the season, but as the league's two hottest teams when it counts most, this week's tilt could be one for the fantasy history books.
So stay tuned to the gridiron this Sunday, and we'll have all of your fantasy final 4-1-1 next week.
