Week 13 Lineup Busts: Drew Brees And DeMarco Murray To Struggle?

Boy, when it rains it pours, ya know? Whether it be a freaky receding hairline or being forced to live in Philadelphia, both Drew Brees and Darren McFadden know a thing or two about hard knocks. Sure, they’ve managed to make some impressive money and find some success out on the football field—one’s is admittedly a bit more consistent than the other’s—but if you’re prone to dealing with difficulty and find a moment or two of peace here and there, disappointment is bound to find. Once again, it looks as though the time has arrived. Come this Sunday, you’ll see more of what’s being discussed.

Take Brees, for example. Yes, he’ll be playing at home in the atmospheric bubble that is the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but it’s the opponent that promises to cause the quarterback the most trouble: Cam Newton and the Caroline Panthers. Sure, it’s hard to bench Brees at home, but considering the fact that the Panthers have the second-best defense in the league, Brees and his offense are likely to struggle immensely.

Why? Well, consider what Jamey Eisenberg recently pointed out in a column for CBSSports.com: “The Panthers allow the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and only Wilson in Week 6 and Aaron Rodgers in Week 9 have scored more than 20 Fantasy points.”

Seriously, remember what happened to Tony Romo? He was intercepted three time before being knocked out of the game on Thanksgiving. Even more impressive, the Panthers have allowed only 13 touchdowns this season. Yeah, that’s nice, but it’s even sweeter seeing as how they’ve nabbed 18 interceptions. Yup, it’s safe to say that Brees is going to struggle.

If it’s going to be bad for Brees, it’s only going to be worse for Murray when the Philadelphia Eagles travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to do battle with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Fortunately for Murray, Patriots linebacker Donta Hightower will be out with a knee injury, but the Patriots are set on righting the proverbial ship after a loss and have the Eagles as a punching bag to do just that.

Think about it—not only are the Eagles currently caught in the middle of a three-game skid, but they’ve lost to the likes of Miami, Tampa Bay and Detroit. Oh, and for what it’s worth, Murray has failed to score a touchdown in each of the aforementioned contests.

Simply put, as far as Murray is concerned, it’s not going to be a pretty picture. Need a solid quarterback or halfback for Week 13 of the NFL season? Though Brees and Murray might seem like attractive options, this weekend, it’ll be best to look elsewhere for top-tier point production.