The Greatest Show

Continuing our series of franchise recaps, we have just a few teams left and none is higher caliber than Buffy, the only two time solo winner of the CTDB Super Bowl. Invited to every legends gathering and a consistent winner and active general manager, Roger has contributed many wins, articles (especially his "Game of the Week" posts), and loads of fantasy experience during the past decade. Buffy has always been a crowd favorite and a premier gate draw as they consistently boast big name stars and a winning attitude. Let's take a closer look at one of the most decorated franchises in the league.

Historical Record
During year one of our keeper denomination, Buffy came out of the gates with a mega team that dominated on their way to our inaugural championship. They averaged 115 points per season and blew everyone out of the water. Loaded with a young team that won ten straight games to close out the season, the other owners were worried that Roger might remain at the top for years to come. Surprisingly, Buffy wouldn't see the playoffs again for two years, even with a roster that boasted Rams Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt during their primes.

When Buffy made the playoffs again in 2004 -- barely squeaking in as a wild card team with a losing record -- they made history again. With a spurt of five wins in a row, they upset their way to another championship by defeating favorite after favorite. At this point in time, Buffy had taken two of the first four Super Bowls and looked poised for more.

Unfortunately, the next few years would bring Buffy only two more playoff berths and no shot at another championship. A remarkable stat for you: Buffy didn't suffer their first playoff loss until 2006 as every time they had made the post-season they won the whole damn thing. However, aside from that initial 10-3 regular season record, Buffy has actually hovered around six or seven wins each season, with only a dramatic dip in 2008. This tells us that Buffy has always managed to stay competitive but haven't quite been able to recreate the dominance of their first year.

Still, there were highlights galore with this team over the years. They set and reset the single game high score mark a few times. They set the standard for many categories in the first season's record books. They were the one team that took down the Chunky Monkeys in 2006, preventing them from achieving a perfect season. They also hold the record for lowest single game score, at 29 points, set in 2003. They have intense intra-division rivalries -- they've been tie-broken out of the playoffs three times -- and are looking to separate themselves from the championship pack as they close in on three titles.

Core Roster
Buffy's initial drive to success involved pairing a good QB with great receivers and then run-and-shooting with a versatile back. This worked great when the combination included MVPs Marshall Faulk and quarterback Rich Gannon. During their first championship run, Buffy had Torry Holt, David Boston, Rod Smith, and free agent find Qadry Ismail running routes and tearing up defenses. Even with good running back options behind Faulk (such as Charlie Garner and Corey Dillon), Buffy chose to go with a heavy air attack that mirrored the NFL St. Louis Rams'.

The initial five keepers remained pretty steady with Gannon, Faulk, Holt, Boston, and Smith being key parts of the team until 2004 when there was a change at the top with Matt Hasselbeck and other journeymen QBs at the helm. By then Faulk was in decline and had given way to Corey Dillon and Michael Pittman. Torry Holt teamed up with his real life running mate Isaac Bruce, Joe Horn, and one year wonder Michael Clayton to help Buffy win their second championship.

A trade in 2005 signaled that Buffy's core was headed in another direction as a two back attack was now mandatory. A move for Ahman Green, which cost Buffy Joe Horn, didn't work out so well but it was a much needed change.

There's been a revolving door of running back options since. Willie Parker, Jamal Lewis, and Marion Barber have all put in time with this team. Often they've been paired with one season stand-ins such as Ladell Betts, Kevin Jones, Lendale White, or Travis Henry. There's been a lot of turnover in the backfield and GM Roger has had his work cut out looking for another superstar runner.

At least Torry Holt stayed strong for most of the decade, before finally fading (and being cut in 2009). Steady Derrick Mason has been on and off the roster, and a variety of teasers such as Terry Glenn, Joey Galloway, Laveranues Coles, Jerry Porter, TJ Houshmanzadeh, and Donald Driver have been used to fill out the receiving corps. Buffy loves his big name maybe game receivers and has always drafted accordingly in the late rounds. The 2008 draft turned up eventual stud Roddy White and solid tight end Antonio Gates, who would prove to be perfect transition pieces. Special shout out to kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who was drafted in the sixth round (!) during our first draft and has since then, more often than not, been property of Buffy.

Under center, Buffy managed to find a steady leader in Carson Palmer, who had a three year run for Buffy and will be back in 2010 as well. Due to Palmer's declining health and semi-erratic play, Buffy had the foresight to nab Philip Rivers for a season and a half, and that would soon parlay into a huge offseason. Speaking of offseasons, after years of not being involved in many trades (the archives only note that one Horn-Green trade), Buffy took the leap this offseason and participated in two blockbusters that would result in an entirely new look for them.

First they acquired RBs Michael Turner and Matt Forte for Philip Rivers and Roddy White. Then they turned around and turned Turner into RB Steven Jackson and WR Wes Welker. With a Rams RB back in the fold, will Buffy now achieve the post-season success that have eluded them since their second Super Bowl win? The legendary run-and-shoot is but a memory and Buffy now has a strong ground game and possession receivers headed into the upcoming season. If the new crew and philosophy can lead them to another title, Buffy would vault himself to the top of the "Greatest CTDB Team of All Time" discussion. Or simply just end the debate outright.

Season Breakdowns
2009: 7-6; Edged out of playoffs by tie-breaker with Dirty Birds
2008: 4-9; Lost four in a row to slide out of playoff contention
2007: 6-7; Sneaks into the playoffs but eliminated in the first round to eventual co-champion Dirty Birds
2006: 7-5-1; Starts off 0-3-1 but pushes hard to finish second in the division, losing to eventual champion Chunky Monkeys
2005: 7-6; Edged out of the playoffs by tie-breaker with Dirty Birds
2004: 6-7; Wins last five games in a row on way to record second championship
2003: 7-6; Despite a winning record, edged out of playoffs by tie-breaker with Ante Up
2002: 5-8; An up and down season gives way to total collapse as three losses to close out the year ends their repeat hopes
2001: 10-3; Wins the inaugural Super Bowl in dominating fashion, with ten straight wins on the way to the championship

Stats (full)
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 118.00 (2001)
Most Points Scored, Game: 163 (2006)
Least Points Scored, Game: 29 (2003)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 90 (2004)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -71 (2005)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 10 (2001)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 5 (2004)