2016 Highland Executions

2000-2016

Highland Executions (10-4-0) had a great season by finishing 2nd in their league and clinching their division, making them 5-time division champions during their 16 year history. They've won 3 NFL.com league championships. The Executions finished their 2016 season having their 4th best record in team history along with breaking a 4-year playoff drought.

The Executions won their first four games to kick off their season. The team played exactly like they had during their first season (2000), in-which they finished 11-3-0 and won their division and league championship. Their best season was in 2007, as they finished 12-2-0 and won their division, but in shocking fashion, lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The Executions barely won their first two games to start the season. Their first by 4 points and their second by 3 points. Week 5 they lost their first game by an inch, 102-103. Their next two games they won by a landslide.

The team was on a 3-game win streak after a week 8 victory.

Week 9 saw the Executions take on the #1 team in the league. It was #2 vs. #1 and the Executions got slaughtered 63-93, which took them down to 7-2-0. The team bounced back with two straight wins, but came up short in week 12 with a 99-102 loss. The Executions came back with a week 13 win, but lost their final game of the season 71-80 and finished the season 10-4-0, but won their division, thus notching a spot in the playoffs. The Executions seemed to have a good lineup, thus nothing was changed heading into the 1st round of the playoffs. A victory meant heading into the league championship game.

The Executions got knocked on their cans during the 1st round and lost their game 78-93. Quarterback (QB) Derek Carr had a so-so game and running back Carlos Hyde had a weak game, only scoring 5 points. The team didn't have enough steam against their opponent.

The team headed to the 3rd place game and lost. All the Executions players notched up quite a bit of points, but the Broncos defense only scored 1 point, which hurt in the end. The Executions lost 113-120.

The team had a wonderful season, but a terrible playoff run. Last year the team finished 7-7-0.

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Oakland Raiders quarterback (QB) Derek Carr was the starter and lead the team in points during the season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston served as the back-up. He played 1 game (bye week). This was the first time the Executions drafted Carr.

The Executions had a perfect running game with Dallas Cowboys rookie running back (RB) Ezekiel Elliott (who had an awesome season) and San Francisco 49'rs RB Carlos Hyde. Both were starters for the entire season. Back-up RB's during both teams bye week were Justin Forsett (Baltimore Ravens), whom was on the team for the first 4 weeks (never used) until he was let go, thus the Executions released him, though, he was later picked up by the Detroit Lions, released again, and later picked up by the Denver Broncos. 2nd backup was 49'rs RB Shaun Draughn, who served as the starter for weeks 7, 9, and 10 (week 8 was a bye) due to Hyde being injured and out during the weeks above.

Prior to week 8 the team snatched Oakland Raiders RB DeAndre Washington off waivers, due to the 49'rs having a bye week (Draughn & Hyde). Washington was a disapointment for the team and was released the next week.

Sammy Watkins (Buffalo Bills), Donte Moncrief (Indianapolis Colts), and DeSean Jackson (Washington Redskins) all started at the wide receiver (WR) position at the start of the season.

Benched WR's were Ted Ginn (Carolina Panthers) and DeVante Parker (Miami Dolphins). Parker was the only player out of the two who was still on the team heading into week 15. Those positions stayed the same for the first 3 weeks, but Moncrief was let go due to having a major injury (out weeks 3 - 7) and Watkins was out for the season, at least at the time it looked like he was going to be out on IR and the Executions released Watkins. Heading into week 4 the starters were Ginn, Parker, and Jackson, which wasn't the best core of WR's. The team picked up WR's Danny Amendola (New England Patriots) and Victor Cruz (N.Y. Giants) and benched both. All three starting WR's had terrible games. None of the positions changed, until week 6 when Cruz was started, along with the returning tight end (TE) Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots). 

Week 8 Cincinnati Bengals WR Brandon LaFell was picked up off waivers to try and add depth to the WR position. Week 10 WR San Diego Charger Travis Benjamin was picked up, but never started a game.

For week 11, the Executions picked up WR Tyreek Hill (Kansas City Chiefs) off waivers. He was a huge boost for the team. Due to continued injuries, the team let WR Jackson go. The Executions scooped him back up off waivers for week 13. With the acquisition of Hill and LaFell, things started looking better for the team at the WR position for the last 4-5 weeks of the season.

The team started Miami Dolphins TE Jordan Cameron. Gronkowski and Cincinnati Bengals TE Tyler Eifert were both injured at the start of the season. The Executions had some negative vibes by starting Cameron, who in week 1 scored 0 points and the entire 2016 season had just 10 points. The team let him go after week 1 and picked up Atlanta Falcons TE  Jacob Tamme off waivers.

Tamme had a good week 2, but Gronkowski returned to the field for week 3 scoring 0 points. Week 4 he scored 1 point. Week 5 he picked up the pace with 10 points and week 6 he scored 22 points. Weeks 7, 8, and 9 looked promising at the TE position.

For the first 5 weeks of the season Eifert didn't play in any games and the Executions released him and picked up Detroit Lions TE Eric Ebron (week 9), but looking back, the Executions should've never released Eifert. Tamme was released during week 10, due to not putting up any points and struggling with an injury.

Gronkowski was yet again injured heading into week 11 and would be out for the entire season. With Eifert and Tamme gone, Ebron finished the season as the starter.

The Executions only drafted 1 kicker (K), which was part of the league lineup. The team felt very comfortable with K Blair Walsh of the Minnesota Vikings, who was marvelous last season. 

Walsh had a great week 1, but so-so for weeks 2 & 3, but he was struggling. The team picked up Kansas City Chiefs K Cairo Santos, who was a huge improvement over Walsh.

Week 5 the team picked up K Josh Lambo from the San Diego Chargers and he remained the starter for the rest of the season, with Santos the benched kicker. Santos had a better season than Lambo, but there wasn't much of a point difference between the two.

The Executions had two good K's, but the team had a solid defense with the Denver Broncos starting all season. Weeks 15 & 16 the teams defense struggled with 7 points scored in week 15 and 1 point for week 16.

Player of The Year: QB David Carr (Oakland Raiders)

Biggest Disappointment: WR DeVante Parker (Miami Dolphins)

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TEAM HISTORY (2000-2016)

Highland Executions (10-4-0)

Est. 2000

16th season

Overall Record: 126-111-1 (238 games)

Winning Percentage: .531 (53%)

Playoff Record (including Consolation games): 13-7-0

Playoff Winning Percentage: .650 (65%)

3-time NFL.com Fantasy League Champions (2000, 2005, 2011)

5-time NFL.com Fantasy League Division Champions (2000, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2016)

Best Record: 12-2-0 (2007)

Worst Record: 4-10-0 (2010)

Division Champions- 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2016

NFL.com League Champions- 2000, 2005, 2011

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*2000* 
11-3-0 (Central Division & NFL.com League Champions)- NFL.com

*2001*
7-7-0 (Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 5/10 in league)- Yahoo.com
Note: In 2001 NFL.com became a pay only Fantasy League. I switched over to Yahoo.com

*2002*
4-10-0 (Missed playoffs, first time in team history, finished 8/10 in league)- Yahoo.com

*2003*
6-8-0 (Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 7/10 in league)- Yahoo.com

*2004*
6-8-0 (Lost 1st round of playoffs, finished 6/10 in league)- Yahoo.com
Note: 2005 NFL.com returned to being a free Fantasy League. I switched back

*2005*
8-6-0 (Central Division & NFL.com League Champions)- NFL.com

*2006*
8-6-0 (Lost in NFL.com League Championship game)- NFL.com

*2007*
12-2-0 (Central Division Champions, lost in first round of playoffs)- NFL.com
Note: Best record in team history

*2008*
6-7-1 (Missed playoffs, 2nd time in team history)- NFL.com

*2009*
8-6-0 (Missed playoffs, 2nd straight year)- NFL.com

*2010*
4-10-0 (Missed playoffs, 3rd straight year, finished 12/12 in league)- NFL.com
Note: Worst record in team history

*2011*
11-4-0 (Central Division Champions & NFL.com League Champions)- NFL.com

*2012*
5-9-0 (Missed playoffs)- NFL.com

*2013*
6-7-0 (Missed playoffs, 2nd straight year, finished 7/12 in league)- NFL.com

*2014*
7-7-0 (Missed playoffs, 3rd straight year, finished 5/10 consolation bracket)- NFL.com

*2015*
7-7-0 (Missed playoffs, 4th straight year, finished 5/10 consolation bracket)- NFL.com

*2016*
10-4-0 (Division Champions, lost in 3rd place game, finished 4/12 in league)- NFL.com
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