Oh, Colorado. It’s the state where I was born and have lived my whole life. Known for its rolling hills, breathtaking mountains and blue orange sunsets, Colorado sounds like an amazing place to live. It calls to all the avid outdoors people, whether they are hikers, bikers, skiers, snowboarders or campers.
Let me be the first to welcome you to my majestic state, but be forewarned that the people here are crazy. As in any American city. They’re unapologetically impatient. Riding bumpers and honking horns. Using their middle finger as a gesture of communication. Yelling at the poor waitress who delivered an incorrect order. It’s all nonsense.
Take a breath, people. It’s cool. We get it. You’ve got somewhere to go. We do too. Swerving through traffic is only endangering yourself and everyone else out there. And for what? To get to your destination two minutes quicker? Take a breath.
In my property management days, I encountered a lot of hot-heads. I specifically remember talking about one resident in particular who would get upset about every little thing. Either the sprinklers would go off too early, or the mail would be too messy in his mailbox. Heaven forbid if he didn’t get an upfront parking spot.
You name it, he was upset by it. It was management’s fault if he forgot to pay rent one time. He was fishing and forgot. He wanted his late fees waived, but he had already taken advantage of the policy that allowed us to waive his late fees once every 12 months. He was livid.
Another time, he was upset because the landscape company got a few shards of grass on his truck and wanted us to pay for a car wash.
As he left my office after another red-faced shouting match (he did all the screaming), I told my team that he needed to calm down, or he was going to have a heart attack. And guess what? He did. He died. Over what?
It wasn’t directly after that exact confrontation, but a few weeks later. But it was a beaming light that shone directly into all of our faces. He was so stressed and angry that his heart finally gave out. Sure, maybe there were other underlying issues, but he certainly didn’t help his own health by sweating the small stuff.
And you shouldn’t either. As we head into the Week 6 weekend slate of NFL games, there’s still a lot we can do to fix and adjust our fantasy lineups.
So, let’s take a breath and talk some football!
Jen’s Friday Night Insights
We received big news this morning coming out of Arizona and Philadelphia, with the Eagles sending Zach Ertz to the Cardinals for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. First, let’s break down the trade and discuss what it means for both teams, then talk about another potential hole-filler for bye weeks and injured players.
Zach Ertz (TE, Arizona Cardinals)
It was all getting too confusing over there in Philadelphia and it was about time to clear up some of that confusion. So, what is their solution? Trade Ertz, a second-round pick in 2013 that’s been a three-time pro bowler, to the Arizona Cardinals.
Zach Ertz has 18 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns this season.
In Thursday night’s game, we saw Ertz targeted six times for four receptions, 29 yards and a touchdown. That’s pretty average and nothing to pop the champagne bottle for. However, throughout his tenure with the Eagles, he has 6,267 yards, 38 touchdowns and will forever be remembered for his game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots.
Ertz is joining a team that badly needs a tight end. The Cardinals lost Maxx Williams after he experienced a season-ending knee injury and were gearing up to fire up Demetrius Harris as their TE1. Enter Ertz.
Ertz is not eligible to play in the Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, which will give him some time to rest and learn the playbook in his new town.
The trade will only make Arizona’s offense stronger and positions them to continue their winning season. Quarterback, Kyler Murray, really found his groove with Maxx Williams, which bodes well for Ertz. He’s joining other major weapons with wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore. Ertz will fit in nicely with head coach, Kliff Kingsbury’s, passing playbook. Look for him to make a splash on his new 5-0 team.
With the Eagles just receiving Gowan, a rookie linebacker, and a 2022 fifth-round pick in the draft, I feel like Arizona won this trade. Don’t you? If you’ve been rostering Ertz this season in fantasy football, you’ve likely been starting him, and that’s not going to change. You will, however, likely see a higher upside now that he is paired with Kyler Murray.
Ricky Seals-Jones (TE, Washington Football Team)
The hits keep on coming for Washington and they are absolutely riddled with injuries and Week 6 doesn’t show any promise for miraculous returns. There does seem to be some upside, however.
With tight end, Logan Thomas, out for another couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, Ricky Seals-Jones gets the possibility to shine against the putrid Kansas City Chiefs defense this weekend. Seals-Jones had five receptions and 41 yards in last week’s loss against the New Orleans Saints.
Quarterback, Taylor Heinicke, has had success this year as he was activated after Ryan Fitzpatrick was placed on the Injured Reserve list (IR) with a hip injury. He has proven that he likes to air the ball out, especially with weak defensive lines. With Seal-Jones’ large stature, coming in at 6’ 5” and 243 pounds, he’ll be an easy target for Heinicke. I expect them both to have a great day.
Both players have something to prove and this may be their last chance to do so. Fitzpatrick may take over the starting job next week and Logan Thomas is said the be returning in Week 8. So if Heinicke and Seals-Jones want to make a splash, now is the time.
Seals-Jones isn’t a long-term solution to your roster woes, but he is a good option during bye weeks and injury-riddled rosters.
I’m here to join the conversation, drink in hand and watch the 2021 NFL season unfold. Cheers! If you choose to make any of my drink recipes, I’d love to see them! Please take a picture and tag me!
Bi-Weekly Drink Recipe:
Warm Apple Cider Whiskey
- 2 oz whiskey
- 4 oz apple cider
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
- Heat apple cider in a saucepan until warm, then pour into a mug with your whiskey, garnish and enjoy!
Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter for more motherly and fantasy sports advice @JenPolvogt.