Recliners keep pounding, Gerbils are for real

Both teams improve to 4-1 and lead their respective divisions after critical Week 5 victories

Rico Dowdle, picked up on Saturday by the Recliners, erupted for 28 points on Sunday and led his team to a win.

Rico Dowdle? Are you kidding me? When Chris Zimnoch picked up the backup running back on Saturday after it was announced that Carolina's starting RB Chuba Hubbard was out with an injury, Chris swooped in and grabbed his replacement, Dowdle. I'm pretty sure he was hoping for 10 points. Maybe 14.

He got 28, and as a result he scored a critical division win over Jordan Garcia's WTNE to remained in a tie for the Silent Division lead. Yes, Matt Pringle, I hear you in the back, yelling "what about the Spread Beaters?" and yes, you're correct. The Beaters are also 4-1 and atop the Silent standings.

But. There is always a but.

The Recliners have scored an average of 120 points in three of their last four games (the only blemish a Week 3 loss to the Gerbils). They have been thriving, and lead the league with 542 points scored, almost 10 points a game more than the second-place Packers (502). The Beaters, meanwhile, have been surviving. They've scored 445 points, almost 20 points per game less, and lost for the first time this season last weekend with a season-low 66. Sure, that's partly due to the fact that Matt decided to play a guy on injured reserve (George Kittle) rather than release one of his TEs into the waiver pool (Tucker Kraft was on a bye week). But that's likely only a 10-point hit. It was not a good week for the Beaters.

It was a good week for Chuck Nelson and his Gerbils, however, who came-from-behind to knock off the Tirades on Monday night thanks to Pat Mahomes' 26-point effort against the Jaguars and 4 more from Jacksonville RB Travis Etienne. And Jeff Lambert's Packers kept within a game of the Gerbils with a one-point win over the Band Aids. Also keeping within striking distance of a division lead was Vern Ahrendes and the Invaiders (which sounds like an early 60s band that had one hit single), who spanked the tight end-less Spread Beaters last weekend.

And last but not least, raise a glass and say "cheers!" to Matt McCumber as his Who Dey team avoided the first 0-15 season in league history with a win over the Rangers, their first victory of the 2025 season.

Swami update

Swami got hammered last weekend, and I'm not talking about too many tequila shots at the local Mexican restaurant in Sequim. He went 1-4 and came within a point of a winless weekend. The Band Aids-Packers game was the only one he got right, and if you use his points line, he lost that one as well, but we're not that stringent here at the JSFL Today headquarters and don't hold Swami to that high of a standard... just the Ws and Ls, thank you. Swami is now 16-9 on the season.

Week 5 Results

RECLINERS 122, WTNE 91: QB Dak Prescott had 27 points and former Cowboys teammate Dowdle exploded for 28 as the Recliners improved to 4-1 and moved into a share of the Silent Division lead with the Beaters. Four other Recliners starters scored in double figures, led by WR Jaylen Waddle's 17 points. Stefon Diggs had 14 against his former team (Buffalo) and Puka Nacua had 14 in a loss to San Francisco (Go Niners!). RB J.K. Dobbins added 13. WTNE was led by their kicker, and that's rarely a good thing — Ka'imi Fairbairn had 18. QB Justin Herbert had 17 and RB Saquon Barkley 14. On the Bench: The Recliners could have hit 135 had they started the Commanders defense (13) instead of the Rams (donut, Go Niners!). There was little Jordan could have done to help in this one, but Zay Flowers (7) would have been a slightly better Flex choice that Alvin Kamara (2).

Gerbils QB Pat Mahomes eludes a Jags defender on route to a 26-point effort on Monday night.

GERBILS 101, TIRADES 96: In addition to Mahomes' magical Monday night performance, the Gerbils had only two other starters in double figures — kicker Chase McLaughlin (12) and RB Jamyr Gibbs (14). The Tirades, who got another monster effort from RB Jonathan Taylor (28), also had 24 from rookie WR Emeka Egbuka (and still managed to lose). Why? On the Bench: The Tirades managed to find three ways to lose this one. 1) Start the Tampa Bay defense (-3) instead of San Francisco (4, Go Niners!). 2) Start (keeper!) Ja'Marr Chase (23), even though his quarterback can't tell what color jersey he's throwing at, instead of Marvin Harrison Jr. (9) or Quentin Johnston (3). And 3) Didn't get Darren Waller (Matty did) in the waiver wire pickups, so got stick with Juwan Johnson (1).

INVAIDERS 97, BEATERS 66: I think everyone (except the Recliners, maybe) would have liked to swap places with Vern's schedule last weekend, catching the previously unbeaten Beaters (4-1) on a down week. In addition to starting a guy that's still on IR, Pringle got his QB back Jayden Daniels (16) but not a lot else. Vern, meanwhile, got 25 from QB Justin Fields and 23 from RB Kyren Williams, who would have had 30 had he not fumbled the ball away at the one yard line on his way into the end zone late in the fourth quarter against San Francisco (Go Niners!), costing the Rams a victory. Travis Kelce added 12 more on Monday night for the Invaiders (3-2). On the Bench: Vern's only room for improvement was with RB Jordan Mason (10) for either Kenneth Walker III or Woody Marks (2) at Flex. Pringle left only two points on the bench, as Kyler Murray (18) was a miniscule improvement over Daniels.

WHO DEY 84, RANGERS 69: Matty got a huge game from Trevor Lawrence on Monday night (26) and 19 more from WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Who Dey (1-4) scored its first win of the season. Waller, fresh off his free agency pickup, had 13 and Justin Jefferson 12. As usual, one of the Rangers QBs led the way and again it was Josh Allen's 20 points. On the Bench: Matty started his highest-scoring lineup, so nowhere to improve. The Rangers had four positions on a bye week (hint: too many Steelers) so nothing would have helped here.

PACKERS 82, BAND AIDS 81: We saved the best for last, even though it was the lowest-scoring battle. Jeff got 19 from RB Christian McCaffrey (Go Niners!) and 15 from TE Sam Laporta, but it was his decision to bench QB Lamar Jackson (1) in favor of Patriots QB Drake Maye (10) that earned the Pack (3-2) this victory. Bob Garcia thought he had this one in the bag after his QB, Jared Goff, posted 21 points and RB Javote Williams added 25 on Sunday. But the Ravens defense (-5) was the killer for the Band Aids (1-4). On the Bench: Bob didn't have an active defense to use instead of the Ravens, but dropping the Jets (-6!) and picking up any defense on the bye week and starting them would have given him the win. Also, K Will Lutz (9) over Jake Bates (5). Or RB David Montgomery (16) over Flex Ollie Gordon (DONUT!). I could go on, but that would be mean. Jeff's only improvement would have been the Colts D (15) over the Eagles (2) and Tony Pollard (12) at Flex over De'Von Achane (10), but no one would do that. Or would they?