Band Aids trade with Beaters confirms two things: 1) Matt Pringle won't rally for a third straight title and 2) Bob Garcia knows what "all in" means
The Band Aids seem to have significantly improved their chances at a JSFL title by acquiring Derrick Henry (left) and Travis Kelce from the Beaters. Note: The last time a team traded for Kelce on the trade deadline, it did not end well for the team that ended up with him.
According to AAA, nearly 80 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday, more than 2 million more than the estimate from a year ago. And, all of those extra 2 million vehicles will be between you and your holiday destination. Just sayin’, be safe out there.
I had a perfectly delightful preview nearly finished until Bob Garcia blew everything up with an “all-or-nothing,” last-minute deal before Friday’s midnight trade deadline for two of the best players in the game, sending TE Hunter Henry and RB Kareem Hunt to the Spread Beaters for TE Travis Kelce and RB Derrick Henry.
A bunch of conditional draft picks are included in the deal. Bob sends a second- and a fourth-round pick to Matt Pringle for King Henry (the second-rounder upgrades to a first-rounder if the Band Aids win it all). And, Pringle gets a sixth-rounder for Kelce (which upgrades to a third-rounder if he wins it all). Pringle will send his 9th-, 10th- and 11th-rounders all back to Garcia whether he wins or loses.
“Go Band Aids!” is all Pringle had to say when reporters flocked around the Santa Anita race track suite he calls his team headquarters. Editors Note: Let it be known that the last time Travis Kelce was moved at the trade deadline (Nov. 9, 2022, Invaiders sent the KC tight end and Cooper Kupp to the Tirades) it was a not great for the team Kelce landed on. They made the playoffs and got knocked out in the first round. Just saying....
The last-second trade will send shock waves through the league as we count down the final three weeks of the regular season, and, once the trades are completed, the post-season odds will swing dramatically towards the likely Shitty Division winner as Bob looks to become the second team to lock down a spot in the money round with one more win.
Of course, we have heard this story before, with Bob making big moves in the final weeks only to see hopes fade once the pressurized playoffs kick off.
As we look ahead to the Thanksgiving slate of games before us, most of us will be wishing we can drive to grandmother’s house to curl into the fetal position and cry, as there appears to be only two games of significance before us, and only one of the lines is a single-digit affair. All the other games on the slate are turkeys as there appear to only be two teams with fight still in them for the fourth and final “Golden Ticket” to the playoffs after the Week 12 meltdowns by the Spread Beaters, Invaiders and Who Dey.
As we look at the standings, only two teams have “indicators” next to them – the Recliners, at 10-2 and atop the Silent Division, are still the only team to have clinched a playoff spot, and Jeff’s Packers are the only team to be “eliminated” from post-season contention. The next two in the queue to grab a playoff spot – the Rangers and Band Aids – are just one win away (two games clear of the pack with three games to go) from locking up their “Golden Tickets.”
That just leaves us with the Tirades and WTNE, both at 6-6, in control of their own destiny. Win out and one of them is in. More likely, one of the teams will have to win two of the final three, to get to 9-7, to punch that final ticket. Jordan’s WTNE holds a 60-point scoring edge over Ron Hender’s Tirades, but the schedule continues to favor the wicked. The Tirades close with two Shitty Division teams with losing records, the 5-7 Gerbils and the 2-10 Packers next week before ending the season against Bob’s now juiced-up Band Aids.
Jordan’s WTNE has an uphill battle this week as he takes on the league’s best Recliners, before drawing the 5-7 Who Dey and the Packers.
The Week Ahead
The NFL starts the week tomorrow with three Thanksgiving Day clashes and a fourth game on Black Friday night. On Thanksgiving, the Bears and Lions kick off at 9:30 a.m. (Another Editor's Note: All games PST because it's the only time zone Vern is aware of), the Giants visit the Cowboys at 1:30 p.m., and the Dolphins visit Lambeau Field at 5:20. The one Friday game (Raiders at the Chiefs) kicks off at 12:30 p.m.
The last big batch of byes come next, in Week 14 (Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, New England and Washington). Adjust accordingly, as your playoff life may depend on staying on top of the schedule.
Trade Deadline Countdown
Once the debris from the Beater/Band Aid trade settles, we have another 48-hour countdown before the 2024 trade deadline arrives. That means those teams on the outside looking in still have one last chance for romance and to load up on an extra pick or two at the 2025 Draft. The trade deadline is this week – midnight Friday, November 29. If you are one of the three teams likely to face the steroid-popping Band Aids or Tirades, there is still time to add one or two more horses to the barn and plenty of operators at the headquarters of the Gerbils, Who Dey and Invaiders are standing by to field those calls while you recover from those tryptophan highs on Thanksgiving Day.
Here's a look at the week thirteen matchups.
Game of the Week
Recliners (10-2) vs WTNE (6-6), WTNE favored by 3: Along with determining Jordan’s future, this also might be a sneak preview at a possible post-season pairing. Jordan, who has been scoring points by the Barkley, looks to have a slight advantage in this one now that Chris has adjusted his lineup from the Week 12 schedule. But, this one looks to be a nail biter. Even with Saquon and his 41 points last week, the Recliners backfield looks to be the stronger play as Bijan Robinson and Joe Mixon are favored by ESPN over Jordan’s tandem of Barkley and Rachaad White. The WR advantage is split with Chris getting the edge with Garrett Wilson over Tank Dell, but Jordan’s Puka Nacua is favored over Courtland Sutton. WTNE gets a slight edge at QB with Washington’s Jayden Daniels, at TE with Trey McBride, and flex with RB Alvin Kamara. We would love to see Hender sweat over the final 3 weeks so we are hoping WTNE wins this week to make it interesting. Take WTNE by 1.
The Close Ones?
Tirades (6-6) vs The Gerbils (5-7), Tirades favored by 13: The Tirades are in “must-win” territory this week and next. Ron wants no part of a tie with Jordan heading into Week 15. The stats geeks at ESPN love the Tirades in almost every matchup. The edge goes Ron’s way with Josh Allen, David Montgomery, Ja’Marr Chase, Brock Bowers, Aaron Jones and the Tampa Bay defense. Chuck, who still has a hail-Mary’s chance to sneak in if three other teams lose three straight, gets an edge in that same Detroit backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs and the Chargers kicker. If Chuck can get more points out of Gibbs Thursday than Hender can get out Montgomery, he has a fighter’s chance. If not, the Gerbils are done. Take the Tirades by 10.
Rangers (8-4) vs Invaiders (5-7), Rangers favored by 10: The Rangers should walk away with this one and punch that final win and a Golden Ticket to the money round. John is favored at every position that matters and has much more favorable matchups to boot. Take the Rangers by 15.
Band Aids (8-4) vs Spread Beaters (5-7), Band Aids favored by 11. With Isiah Pacheco ramping up his activity after missing several weeks with an injury, it was the perfect time to parlay Kareem Hunt and Hunter Henry into bargaining chips. Whether it works or not will be seen over the next five weeks. For now, the addition of King Henry and Kelce to the starting lineup will be marked improvements over what Bob was planning to roll out this week. With the guys he had, he was still favored by 11. Add Henry and Kelce to Bob’s side of the ledger and remove them from Matt’s and this spread widens to more like 20 to 25. Take the Band Aids to punch their Golden Ticket and win by 20.
The Blowout?
Who Dey (5-7) vs Packers (2-10), Packers favored by 17: The biggest question is whether Jeff might take a dive to protect his first pick next season. With a 3-game lead for that dishonor, he could still lose that spot if he finishes with three straight wins. And, Jeff is heavily favored in this one to notch his third win of the season. Take the Pack by 15
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