NFL 2019-2020 season

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

TBC wrote:

And that's why everyone hates Patriots fans almost as much as they hate the Patriots. Lose one game and it is time to hit the panic button. "Maybe this will be the spark..." or whatever. That's just crap that dunderhead sports media say. The team had a bad game. It happens. Professionals move on from bad games. "Oh, it's right before a bye and they are going to dwell on it." No. They aren't. There is absolutely nothing standing in the way of home field for the Pats at this point.

And don't degrade Lamar Jackson with the "second-year" label. Russell Wilson won a Super Bowl in his second year. Jackson is being mentioned for MVP in  some quarters and he'd probably have a good chance at it except for, well, Wilson (200/293, 2505 yds, 8.5 yds/att, 22 TD, 1 INT, 118.2 rtg 78.5 QBR)  

via GIPHY

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Great read by Butler on that play. And simply one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history. But don't believe that play necessarily lost it for the Seahawks. Look at how much time Brady would have had to work with...

I read an interesting piece earlier this week about how if Kyle Allen continues to improve, the Panthers are going to waive Cam Newton before Free Agency, IF his foot is healed before then. Apparently they could do this, given the big IF, for about a $5M cap hit, which wouldn't be a big deal to them this off-season. The author went on to speculate that Carolina might waive Cam even if Allen doesn't improve. In fact, the author made it sound like it would be in Cam's best financial interests to stay hurt until after the draft. The author made a lot of sense, and made solid points against the idea of a trade or a sign-and-trade. Cam has one year left on his contract, it's worth a lot, but most of the guaranteed money has already been paid. A sign-and-trade would preclude a pay cut, which at this point in Cam's career is probably inevitable.

That's NFL MVP 2015 award winner Cam Newton, the guy who led the Panthers to Superbowl L, though they lost to a Manning. He's 30 human years old, which is 26 in Quarterback years and 42 in Runningback years.

I must not have been the only person to read the article, either, as over the next day or two i saw a minor cottage industry pop up predicting various places Newton could potentially land if he is in fact cleared to play, passes a physical, and winds up waived by Carolina.

I read one in particular that argued that Cam will have a chip on his shoulder if this comes to pass, and would be likely to take a shorter term contract with a team that has a good o-line and a reasonable receiving corps, even if it's a team with a crap defense and/or even a crap record. He'd want to prove he still has "it" and hope for a bigger payday 3 to 5 years farther down the line, hopefully with a Championship shot too.

The whole thing was interesting, but i can't help but remember that Cam's famous for being a dual threat, not for being a great passer, and with that in mind, maybe age is a bigger factor than indicated earlier in this post. I don't see him transitioning to pocket passing the way an agile young Steve Young did, though it seems likely he'll have a chance to prove me wrong.

Ok, i'm pretty impressed with what i've seen from one half of a game of football from the 49ers. Responsive offensive play-calling? 3-3-3-2 Defensive sets? Interesting for sure, and they seem to have the on-field talent to make it work too. I'm particularly impressed by the linemen on both sides, and IMHO the so-called "skill positions" don't get to show those skills without good linemen.

I've been really impressed by their defensive schemes.

I'm sold on them making the playoffs, barring a rash of injuries i would hope on no team ever. And i'll admit they're "real deal." I'll reserve further judgment until we see how they weather the next 6 weeks, or maybe even until after the rematch.

For them to utterly dominate the first half the way they did, and only have a 3 point lead to show for it... i'd love to give Seattle credit for tenacity, and they'd deserve it, but i think that there are also some gaps in Frisco's game planning.

Now that is what I call a Seahawks-Niners game. DAAAAAMN! Even the Trash Talk FB page is full of people complementing one another's teams for how well they played.

The Seahawks just showed up the biggest weak point of the Niners' offense, and it's Garoppalo. When he's pressured in the slightest he does not make good throws. If your defense can shut down the Niners ground game and force Garoppalo to throw the ball, then put pressure on him, that's where you beat him. Not a lot of teams can do this, but whoever they face in their first game of the play-offs, whether it's Minnesota or Green Bay or New Orleans will be able to do this and will do this.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I read an interesting piece earlier this week about how if Kyle Allen continues to improve, the Panthers are going to waive Cam Newton before Free Agency, IF his foot is healed before then. Apparently they could do this, given the big IF, for about a $5M cap hit, which wouldn't be a big deal to them this off-season. The author went on to speculate that Carolina might waive Cam even if Allen doesn't improve. In fact, the author made it sound like it would be in Cam's best financial interests to stay hurt until after the draft. The author made a lot of sense, and made solid points against the idea of a trade or a sign-and-trade. Cam has one year left on his contract, it's worth a lot, but most of the guaranteed money has already been paid. A sign-and-trade would preclude a pay cut, which at this point in Cam's career is probably inevitable.

That's NFL MVP 2015 award winner Cam Newton, the guy who led the Panthers to Superbowl L, though they lost to a Manning. He's 30 human years old, which is 26 in Quarterback years and 42 in Runningback years.

I must not have been the only person to read the article, either, as over the next day or two i saw a minor cottage industry pop up predicting various places Newton could potentially land if he is in fact cleared to play, passes a physical, and winds up waived by Carolina.

I read one in particular that argued that Cam will have a chip on his shoulder if this comes to pass, and would be likely to take a shorter term contract with a team that has a good o-line and a reasonable receiving corps, even if it's a team with a crap defense and/or even a crap record. He'd want to prove he still has "it" and hope for a bigger payday 3 to 5 years farther down the line, hopefully with a Championship shot too.

The whole thing was interesting, but i can't help but remember that Cam's famous for being a dual threat, not for being a great passer, and with that in mind, maybe age is a bigger factor than indicated earlier in this post. I don't see him transitioning to pocket passing the way an agile young Steve Young did, though it seems likely he'll have a chance to prove me wrong.

I'm trying to imagine Carolina waiving Cam instead of trying to get something in a trade.
Is 5M enough of a CAP saving to just let the 2015 League MVP slip off into the night?

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Ok, i'm pretty impressed with what i've seen from one half of a game of football from the 49ers. Responsive offensive play-calling? 3-3-3-2 Defensive sets? Interesting for sure, and they seem to have the on-field talent to make it work too. I'm particularly impressed by the linemen on both sides, and IMHO the so-called "skill positions" don't get to show those skills without good linemen.

I've been really impressed by their defensive schemes...

TBC wrote:

Now that is what I call a Seahawks-Niners game. DAAAAAMN! Even the Trash Talk FB page is full of people complementing one another's teams for how well they played.

The Seahawks just showed up the biggest weak point of the Niners' offense, and it's Garoppalo. When he's pressured in the slightest he does not make good throws. If your defense can shut down the Niners ground game and force Garoppalo to throw the ball, then put pressure on him, that's where you beat him. Not a lot of teams can do this, but whoever they face in their first game of the play-offs, whether it's Minnesota or Green Bay or New Orleans will be able to do this and will do this.

I'm still impressed with the 49ers on both sides of the ball, but TBC hit the nail on the head.
Take away their run-game and pressure "Jimmy G", he'll fold like a cheap suit.
Although, he did lead them to the winning field-goal, the Kicker just missed it.

The replacement kicker who's also an undrafted rookie.

Every week lately i see something that reminds me of what Peggy Sawyer said about how important kickers have become. They've been pretty important for a while now, i remember the big to-do about Vinateri moving, but ever since the PAT line got moved back it seems like kickers are more important than ever.

WartyOne, if you're reading this thread, congratulations to your Falcons for beating the Saints this weekend. I know it's been a hard season for a good team in Atlanta this year, so i sincerely hope you enjoyed it for all it's worth.

The Saints lost to a good team, a tough divisional rival, their oldest divisional rivalry, and it hurt a little to see. Hopefully the coaching staff addresses the holes that the Falcons exploited. I don't mind seeing the Saints take a loss at this time of the year, especially to a tough divisional rival, but i hope the Saints don't take it as lightly as i do.

Sure, undrafted rookie FA kicker, but veteran kickers have been missing a lot lately as well. I believe that MLS and the growth of professional soccer in the US has a lot to do with it. There was a period where foreign-born soccer players ruled the kicking ranks. Jan Steneruud, Garo Yepremian, the Andersons. Then Brasilian legend Pele joined the New York Cosmos and the NASL was suddenly huge, soccer was a thing for kids everywhere. This meant a lot more kids were learning how to kick a ball. When a lot of them hit high school they found that while they might not have the skills for soccer they had the leg for kicking a pointy ball, transition to punting and place kicking. No longer were the kickers foreign-born, it was the Golden Age of the American Place Kicker.

But the round ball giveth and the round ball taketh away. The NASL grew too fast and collapsed. A decade after it's demise MLS arose and the biggest source for players in the league was colleges. This had a slowly dawning effect on youth soccer players, that there was the possibility of earning a good paycheck playing soccer. One of my favorite illustrative stories is the Sturgis Brothers. Caleb was the kicker for the Super Bowl Champion Eagles. Nathan had an eleven year MLS career as a defender and holding mid for 6 different team including the LA Galaxy and the Sounders.

Funny when you think about it, but the last great foreign born place kicker, Sebastian Janikowski, retires after the Golden Age of the American Placekicker comes to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, Sassy actually agrees with my take on Garoppalo being the Niners' weak link.

Sassy can't be wrong ALL the time, even if he tries.

Mrs. Mo had started calling him, "Angry yelling black ESPN guy." "Sassy" is better, though, and she about spit her coffee out when i mentioned that nickname for him.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

The replacement kicker who's also an undrafted rookie.

Every week lately i see something that reminds me of what Peggy Sawyer said about how important kickers have become. They've been pretty important for a while now, i remember the big to-do about Vinateri moving, but ever since the PAT line got moved back it seems like kickers are more important than ever...

TBC wrote:

Sure, undrafted rookie FA kicker, but veteran kickers have been missing a lot lately as well...

Lets not forget, when the League moved the point-after further back, didn't they also shrink the distance between the up-rights?

I guess I'm a purist, so I hated the change. But, it has made the games more interesting. Especially when we get down to winning field-goals at the end of games.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...WartyOne, if you're reading this thread, congratulations to your Falcons for beating the Saints this weekend. I know it's been a hard season for a good team in Atlanta this year, so i sincerely hope you enjoyed it for all it's worth.

The Saints lost to a good team, a tough divisional rival, their oldest divisional rivalry, and it hurt a little to see. Hopefully the coaching staff addresses the holes that the Falcons exploited. I don't mind seeing the Saints take a loss at this time of the year, especially to a tough divisional rival, but i hope the Saints don't take it as lightly as i do.

While watching this game, I kept remembering what you said about Division opponents. IIRC, you were talking about the 'Boys and the Giants.

I stil don't know what happened in this game. The Saints offense was completely stagnant. Or, should we give the Falcons pass-rush all the credit?
I don't think I've ever seen Brees sacked that many times in a game. No running game, and the passing game was mediocre. But, that mediocrity still led to Thomas garnering double-digit receptions. Damn he's good!

TBC wrote:

...In other news, Sassy actually agrees with my take on Garoppalo being the Niners' weak link.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Sassy can't be wrong ALL the time, even if he tries.

Mrs. Mo had started calling him, "Angry yelling black ESPN guy." "Sassy" is better, though, and she about spit her coffee out when i mentioned that nickname for him.

Well, I still hate him with a passion. He says he doesn't hate the Cowboys, just their fans. What the HELL does that mean?

Hodgepodge wrote:

Lets not forget, when the League moved the point-after further back, didn't they also shrink the distance between the up-rights?

According to my research, NFL and NCAA goalpost uprights are 18 feet 6 inches apart, and have been since 1927. There was a lot of talk about narrowing the distance for the NFL at the same time that the PAT line was moved, but it didn't happen then and hasn't yet. There are still some advocating for such a change.

Hodgepodge wrote:

I guess I'm a purist, so I hated the change. But, it has made the games more interesting. Especially when we get down to winning field-goals at the end of games.

I used to think of myself as a purist, but i've come to love a lot of the changes to the game. One thing in particular that i enjoy about football is the specialization. I love that baseball and basketball force players to play both offense and defense and i would NOT want that to change, although i wouldn't want the AL to have to lose the DH, i REALLY wouldn't want the NL to adopt it.

I was a little too young to understand the significance of Oakland winning the Superbowl as a wild card in 1980, but it's bothered me at least a little every time it's happened since then, even when it was the team i was rooting for, like the Giants beating the Pats.

Wild cards as world champions bothers me WAY more in Baseball than in any other sport, but oddly enough adding a second WC in each league and making them play a single game for inclusion, with no added rest, has warmed me a little to it. It helps me feel like even if they didn't win their division, they had to work harder to make up for it. It burned my ass when Miami did it first in '97. I felt like it was a black eye for baseball. Then they did again in '03, and beat the Yankees in 6 to rub some salt in it for me, though to be honest i really liked the '03 Marlins roster. The years before and after '03 were also won by WC teams, with the reviled Angels in '02 and classic rival BoSux of course doing it in '04. At that point, i put forth a proposition for MLB to realign to 7 divisions, with a single WC slot in the AL. Since then, it hasn't bothered me as much, i mentioned that the extra game has warmed me to the concept, and i even rooted for the WC in this year's series.

I tend to like safety-oriented changes, but i also have come to enjoy difficulty-related challenges, of which moving the PAT line is my favorite example. Even putting aside the end of last year's NFC title game, the enforcement of pass interference calls is beyond inconsistent into blatantly unacceptable. At this point i'm starting to think it's time to change the rules to something that's easily reviewable (as well as reviewing non-calls), or just doing away with pass interference calls altogether and letting guys do whatever once they're 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Hodgepodge wrote:

I stil don't know what happened in this game. The Saints offense was completely stagnant. Or, should we give the Falcons pass-rush all the credit?
I don't think I've ever seen Brees sacked that many times in a game. No running game, and the passing game was mediocre. But, that mediocrity still led to Thomas garnering double-digit receptions. Damn he's good!

I give credit to Atlanta's defense, particularly their red zone defense. They absolutely shut Latavius Murray down. He is not an effective replacement for Mark Ingram and the Falcons knew how to expose it. Kamara is an amazingly talented athlete but the Saints just don't have anybody who brings the pounding ground game that Ingram gave them. That forced Brees to throw 45 passes, and he had a pretty stat line, but the Falcons secondary kept the Saints receivers in front of them. Thomas is a great #1 receiver, Jared Cook has really emerged in the TE position, and Kamara was productive catching and in his relatively few running plays. Kamara can't handle too many rushes, he'll wear out psychically if he's asked to, and the Saints don't have solid #2 nor slot receivers. I'd really hoped that Ted Ginn Jr would get back well enough to be a good B deep threat and that Dez will come back. Ginn's made some contributions, but he's not returned to the form i'd hoped, and Dez's return is still on hold. I hope he keeps his promise to give NO the right of first refusal. The Saints have plenty of cap space to offer a fair or even generous deal, and he says he won't have a high asking price anyway, he just wants to contribute to a winning team.

I still love this Saints team, and i think they deserve the respect they've been getting this year, but the Falcons exposed the offense's weaknesses, those weaknesses aren't due to injury and won't go away on their own, and the O-squad is not as talented as it was last year. I think the Falcons offense deserves some credit too. Iirc, the Saints time of possession was ~ 22 minutes. They ran the ball a lot, they ran the ball effectively, and Matty Ice spread the ball around very effectively. Other than a late and virtually meaningless interception, he played up to his potential, which he hasn't done a lot this year. They wore out a very solid defensive unit.

Hodgepodge wrote:

Well, I still hate [Sassy] with a passion. He says he doesn't hate the Cowboys, just their fans. What the HELL does that mean?

It means... he's a douche. It's no secret that ESPN tells certain commentators to take certain positions just because obnoxiousness sells. With that in mind, Sassy Steven A is a natural at obnoxious. My grandfather was a Dallas fan, my wife is a Dallas fan, and Smith is a dick. I bet he makes more money than me too, but i'm okay with that. I wouldn't say the shit he says for twice his paycheck.[/quote]

What's everyone's opinion on the brawl in Cleveland last week?
Has the League gone to far in punishing Garrett and not Rudolph?
I've always been a HUGE fan of the Pouncy brothers. Does Markice (spl) deserve a suspension or was he justified in coming to the aid of his QB?

Garrett met with the NFL today, trying to lessen his suspension. Pouncey has also said he'd question his suspension.
Does Miles get his "indefinite suspension" lessen or lifted altogether? What about Markice (spl)?

My opinion is that a fight after the game crossed a line which should never be crossed. I think LeGarrett Blount should have been blacklisted from ever playing in the NFL after his actions following a Ducks loss in Boise when he punched a BSU player in the face with zero provocation.

There are people who should never play another down in the NFL and the league disciplinary staff need to decide just who those people are based on the evidence. Escalation of the situation in the name of "sticking up for my guy" is no defense.

TBC wrote:

...There are people who should never play another down in the NFL and the league disciplinary staff need to decide just who those people are based on the evidence. Escalation of the situation in the name of "sticking up for my guy" is no defense.

Well, the League upheld Garrett's "indefinite" suspension. Even after he accused Rudolph of using a "racial slur".
I'm of the mind, if Miles was called a "racial slur", why didn't he bring it to the attention of the media the night of the game. I would've been jumping up and down telling my story about provocation.

Pouncey, had his suspension lowered from 3 games to 2 games. Ogunjobi's suspension was also upheld at 1 game.

I agree with TBC, particularly about Blount. Furthermore agreed about "sticking up for my guy" and/or other crap excuses for inexcusable violence.

The NFL wants to compete on an entertainment level. The proclamation from on high about "quarterback-driven league" is perhaps the pithiest example of that, but i'm personally convinced that the games are deliberately refereed in a way that creates compelling storylines. There have been times that i've been distinctly if understatedly reminded of Vince MacMahon's old WWF, and sometimes the refereeing has reminded me rather uncomfortably of turn-of-the-century NBA refereeing.

Gah, i don't have enough motivation to mount a full-scale rant at this point, and i cannot deny that i'm being entertained by the NFL. But sometimes it's enough to turn my stomach. I may lack the motivation to lay it all out there, but the recent history of the league is littered with all the ammunition needed to make the case that entertainment value has eclipsed both competitive integrity and athleticism, though i'll admit that the League hasn't yet become anywhere near bankrupted of those virtues.

I don't know about you, Hodge, but I think that Cowboys-Patriots game was a trip.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

I don't know about you, Hodge, but I think that Cowboys-Patriots game was a trip.

Hardy har har!

Apparently, the Refs feel they're not getting enough air-time, so they've been making these phantom calls over the last couple of weeks.
But, I'm more pissed about the coaching on the Cowboys sideline. 4th-and-7! you got'a go for it. No ifs, ands, or butts.
if you make the field-goal (which Dallas did), you still need a TD to win the game. Even I can count that high.

But, worst of all! How does anyone enjoy a game when the weather is awful. As you notice, I didn't make that a question, because it was rhetorical. No one enjoys games when it's raining, with gale winds.      

But, you can't call me a sore looser. Congrats Peggy Sawyer, Soup and the other members of the "Patriot Mafia".    

We didn't watch the game. Mrs. Mo hates watching Dallas lose, so i just found something else she'd enjoy watching and pretended the SNF game was, and i quote, "the Patriots and some team that will lose to them."

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

We didn't watch the game. Mrs. Mo hates watching Dallas lose, so i just found something else she'd enjoy watching and pretended the SNF game was, and i quote, "the Patriots and some team that will lose to them."

As you can tell by my posts this week, I wish I'd taken your advise.
Loosing the way we did, didn't help either. Not scoring a TD!

I'd like for us to past the hat. Maybe we can come up with enough $ to build a cover that awful stadium in Foxborough. Oh Peggy!

Are you forgetting the Ice Bowl, the Fog Bowl, the Snow Bowl (which some call the "tuck rule" game) and the Rain Bowl (Chiefs-Bucs, late seventies)? Some of the best bad-weather games ever; makes football what it is, not baseball. Apparently the Cowboys forgot that, and they can now forget the Super Bowl.

There was a Grey Cup...yes, I know, who cares about the CFL... sometime back in the '50s which was completed in near whiteout conditions as the sun was going down on a field with no lighting. A bunch of the fans moved their cars to the top of the small slope just beyond the end zones and turned on the headlights facing the field.

I am glad that the Kingdome is gone. Teams come up to play the Seahawks in November and December it's going most likely going to be damp, drizzly, mid-40s, winds out of the south which is blowing right to left as you are looking at the field on your TV screen at home, but occasionally it's intermittently cow-pissing-on-a-flat-rock showers in between 2 minute sun breaks. Whatever it is, the other team has to come from their home and deal with it.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

Are you forgetting the Ice Bowl, the Fog Bowl, the Snow Bowl (which some call the "tuck rule" game) and the Rain Bowl (Chiefs-Bucs, late seventies)? Some of the best bad-weather games ever; makes football what it is, not baseball. Apparently the Cowboys forgot that, and they can now forget the Super Bowl.

TBC wrote:

There was a Grey Cup...yes, I know, who cares about the CFL... sometime back in the '50s which was completed in near whiteout conditions as the sun was going down on a field with no lighting. A bunch of the fans moved their cars to the top of the small slope just beyond the end zones and turned on the headlights facing the field...

These are awful stories.  

What about games where the sun is shining brightly, and no one needs a coat or sweater because it's 80 degrees? No one wants to see a game where something other than the men on the field might be involved in the outcome.   What about games where it's 20 degrees outside, but because the stadium is covered, it's 72 degree and comfortable under the roof?

TBC wrote:

...I am glad that the Kingdome is gone. Teams come up to play the Seahawks in November and December it's going most likely going to be damp, drizzly, mid-40s, winds out of the south which is blowing right to left as you are looking at the field on your TV screen at home, but occasionally it's intermittently cow-pissing-on-a-flat-rock showers in between 2 minute sun breaks. Whatever it is, the other team has to come from their home and deal with it.

But TBC, can the Seahawks catch the 49ers in the NFC-West? That will mean, they'll have to enter the playoffs as a wildcard. Which also means, they'll have to travel. Which also means, that loud stadium of yours and the "12th-men", will be of no significance.

Football is a game that is played in a wide variety of weather situations, and playoff football in particular often winds up being played in BAD weather. I got a *tiny violin* for ya, Hodge, and that's coming from a guy whose team plays on the Gulf of Mexico.

Nobody wants to see the NFL turned into the Arena League. ETA: Btw, big ups for Arena League Champs Albany Empire! They won it 20 years after the Albany Firebirds won it, and there were ~ 15-17 yrs in between when Albany had no Arena League team.

Personally i still expect the Seahawks to win their division. Seattle has a more favorable schedule down the stretch and the two teams meet head-to-head again later this year too.

Ah...those "perfect days for football" when it's 80 degrees and sunny. In a bowl full of two-legged bags of 99% water at 98 degrees who are sucking air and raising the relative humidity, with the sun beating down on the grass meaning it's at least 10 degrees warmer on the field, 15 if it's PlastiGrass, so if it's 80 outside the stadium inside and down where the players are it is 90-95 and significantly more humid. Welcome to the Jungle, Baby. We got fun and games.

Can the Seahawks catch the Niners? Of course they can. Might happen this weekend. Good a time as any. Niners at Baltimore, Seahawks host the Vikings. Home sides prevail in both tilts the Seahawks will be in first place and sitting in the 2 Seed behind Nawlins, also at 10-2, assuming a Saints victory. Regardless of anything else, if the Seahawks win out they will win the division and at worst the 2 Seed.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Football is a game that is played in a wide variety of weather situations, and playoff football in particular often winds up being played in BAD weather. I got a *tiny violin* for ya, Hodge, and that's coming from a guy whose team plays on the Gulf of Mexico...

Here's something I'm sure is true.

There are teams within the League, who wouldn't want a stadium covered from the elements. They probably feel they have an advantage in harsh weather.
But I'm willing to bet, the majority of a Teams revenue comes from television. Who wants to watch a game on TV you can't see. No one!

I went to see my first games over the last couple of years, and honestly, I would've enjoyed it better at home on my big screen TV. Drinking my own beverages and eating my own food.
Now I will agree, because we haven't had a team in the area for decades probably adds to my feelings.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...Personally i still expect the Seahawks to win their division. Seattle has a more favorable schedule down the stretch and the two teams meet head-to-head again later this year too.

You know HRD, I just looked at the standings, and I don't know why I thought the 49ers had a 2 game edge on the Seahawks.
Yeah you're right, they could catch them before week 17.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

...Anyway, I'm going back to my tears over the Pats game now. It's the wake-up call they need, though. Two letters, Bob Kraft: AB!

Yeah, they were beat like rented mules. Like, a drum! Curious how many other teams will try and use that same strategy? Double Edelmann, and play man-to-man on the other WRs.

The frustration on TB-12s face was evident from the beginning of the game. And, that conversation between him and his WRs, where his lips were read, was scary. And, don't let me mention the throwing of his helmet on the bench.

Other news...The Carolina Panthers fire Ron Rivera. Here's the complete story. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001083687/article/carolina-panthers-fire-head-coach-ron-rivera.

Well...the 49ers had a two game edge on the Seahawks after Week 9. Mostly because they rolled a bunch of weak teams in the first half of the season.

There is some seriously divisional imbalance in the NFC right now. The North and West divisions have a combined 6 teams with winning records, while the South and East have a combined 1.

The Saints clinched their division last week, which of course was week 13. Nobody else has clinched a playoff spot yet. I believe that's the earliest a team has clinched their division since that year the Pats went 18-1... 2007 iirc. I'm a little concerned about the upcoming Saints game hosting the 49ers. I've seen enough of the SF team to know that this is a game that could go the wrong way (for me) pretty easily.

Arrrrgh. So Close. The Niners opened the door for the Seahawks step into the top spot in the NFC and instead of seizing the moment they laid an egg in LA. Now the Niners are sitting atop the NFC. Seahawks can still win the division by winning the last three games (@ Carolina, vs Cards, vs 49ers) but top seed and home field is a stretch because of head-to-head.

There is always the possibility that the Saints, Packers, and Seahawks could all win out, we would have three division winners at 13-3 and have fun sorting the order after that.

Packers play their divisional rivals, hosting Chicago then visiting the Twins and Motown; Saints host Indy, go to Titans, then finish in Carolina; Seahawks go to Carolina, host Cards then 49ers.

The 49ers host Atlanta, then the Rams, then, derp, visit Seattle. ALL dangerous games. I said a month ago that their true test wouldn't be until the deep stretch. Having gotten two good looks at them, i definitely certify them as "real deal," but that doesn't mean they won't lose a game or two down the stretch. If they can keep the 1, i may learn to hate the franchise again, but it won't be same kind of hate.

Looking at that schedule, only in Tennessee scares me at all. The Titans have been a wild card since Tannehill took over. The Pack might be nervous going to Minneapolis. Seattle's path to the 1 seed is clear: win out, and hope for the best. Otherwise they're the 5 unless they lose a game they shouldn't.

In the AFC, the Patriots three losses are to the three other division leaders. I watched most of the loss hosting the Chiefs, and i think i comprehend why the fans are panicking. The offense looked poor in general, and the defense had a bad game. IMO, the Pats D didn't exactly get exposed for their weaknesses as they just weren't as prepared as they usually are, and KC's offense WAS prepared well. I gotta admit that the Pats offense didn't look good against a top-tier defensive unit like KC's. TB12 lacks a great deep option and has nobody truly reliable across the middle except maybe Edelman, but no coordinator in their right mind would be sending that talent across the middle unless they had at least one genuine deep threat receiver. I don't think New England will be repeating AFC champions, much less Superbowl Champions. IMO, even if they don't, it doesn't diminish the legacy left by previous teams and furthermore there's nothing wrong with winning one's division, or for that matter just making the playoffs in this day's NFL.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

IMO, even if they don't, it doesn't diminish the legacy left by previous teams and furthermore there's nothing wrong with winning one's division, or for that matter just making the playoffs in this day's NFL.

Yes, but up here anything less than a Super Bowl ring is a failed season. We started the year looking unbeatable, but intentionally releasing Brown and Gordon is having the same effect benching Butler in the Eagles SB or releasing Seymour in '09 or Branch in, I think, '06, had. The balance isn't there; the new players aren't accustomed to the playbook yet, and Brady, at 42, is being asked to do too much. I've seen them do the seemingly impossible before, though; don't count them out.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...In the AFC, the Patriots three losses are to the three other division leaders. I watched most of the loss hosting the Chiefs, and i think i comprehend why the fans are panicking. The offense looked poor in general, and the defense had a bad game. IMO, the Pats D didn't exactly get exposed for their weaknesses as they just weren't as prepared as they usually are, and KC's offense WAS prepared well. I gotta admit that the Pats offense didn't look good against a top-tier defensive unit like KC's. TB12 lacks a great deep option and has nobody truly reliable across the middle except maybe Edelman, but no coordinator in their right mind would be sending that talent across the middle unless they had at least one genuine deep threat receiver. I don't think New England will be repeating AFC champions, much less Superbowl Champions. IMO, even if they don't, it doesn't diminish the legacy left by previous teams and furthermore there's nothing wrong with winning one's division, or for that matter just making the playoffs in this day's NFL.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

IMO, even if they don't, it doesn't diminish the legacy left by previous teams and furthermore there's nothing wrong with winning one's division, or for that matter just making the playoffs in this day's NFL.

Yes, but up here anything less than a Super Bowl ring is a failed season. We started the year looking unbeatable, but intentionally releasing Brown and Gordon is having the same effect benching Butler in the Eagles SB or releasing Seymour in '09 or Branch in, I think, '06, had. The balance isn't there; the new players aren't accustomed to the playbook yet, and Brady, at 42, is being asked to do too much. I've seen them do the seemingly impossible before, though; don't count them out.

That game against the Chiefs really showed what TB12 has been living with.

It was their last possession of the game. It's 4th-down and 7 yards to go. Jakobi Meyers had dropped several balls during the game, prior to this play.
Ball is snapped, Meyers comes open, enough for the first-down, but Brady had no confidence in Meyers, instead, he threw the ball to Edelman in the end-zone. The Chiefs CB makes a play and knocks the ball away. Game over!

In years past, Brady would've looked for Gronk. Opponents have started to take Edelman away with a double-team. He no longer has a safety blanket. Someone who he trusts is going to make a play.

Hodgepodge wrote:

In years past, Brady would've looked for Gronk. Opponents have started to take Edelman away with a double-team. He no longer has a safety blanket. Someone who he trusts is going to make a play.

Precisely. Edelman is effective but much less so when double-teamed, and there's no Gronk or similar threat to draw that attention away from him. That's crucial on this team, and no one has stepped up to fill the void yet.

Peggy Sawyer wrote:

but intentionally releasing Brown and Gordon is having the same effect benching Butler in the Eagles SB or releasing Seymour in '09 or Branch in, I think, '06, had.

Yeah...about that...

Both guys were players the team took a chance on and look what happened. With AB, I think he has issues that boil down to CTE. His erratic behavior is typical of the syndrome. He should be in therapy and not on a football field taking more hits to the head. Unless you want a repeat of Junior Seau.

And then there's Gordon. Kraft and Belichick went to bat for him to get him conditionally reinstated, when they released him Schneider and Carroll picked him up because they hoped he might fit in. 7 receptions, 128 yards, 0 for 1 passing with 1 INT (Well, that didn't work, but 2 plays later K.J. Wright intercepted Kyle Allen on the Carolina 30, so it's all good.). He didn't really fit into the mix with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. And now, Indefinite Suspension.

TBC wrote:

...And then there's Gordon. Kraft and Belichick went to bat for him to get him conditionally reinstated, when they released him Schneider and Carroll picked him up because they hoped he might fit in. 7 receptions, 128 yards, 0 for 1 passing with 1 INT (Well, that didn't work, but 2 plays later K.J. Wright intercepted Kyle Allen on the Carolina 30, so it's all good.). He didn't really fit into the mix with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. And now, Indefinite Suspension.

You know TBC, HRD and I had a conversation about Marijuana and addiction awhile back.

I smoked cigarettes for 30 years. Couldn't quit to, literally, save my life. After the last rash of taxes placed on my addiction, I realized it didn't make sense to pay that much to kill myself. So, I quit cold-turkey 15 years ago.

If someone was going to pay me millions-and-millions of dollars not to smoke, my addiction would've last all of one day.

Can't believe HRD hasn't been in here shouting the accomplishments of Drew Brees.
Last night, he broke Peyton Mannings all-time passing TD record of 539. Brees threw for 4 TDs!  
But, what was even more astonishing was his reception/attempts stat-line. 29-30! That's right, he missed one pass all night. At one point, he completed 21 straight passes.

Here's another stat...Michael Thomas had 12 attempts. He caught all 12!
I may scream the loudest about his pass catching prowess, but how does the game's best WR not miss a pass all night? Amazing!

Um...The Colts' secondary is for shit?

I didn't watch, was busy doing on-line stuff, but I clicked onto ESPN d c/NFL for their game cast in the middle of the 3rd quarter and noticed it was already a blowout. Brissett was Indy's leading rusher by yards with 7 on one carry at that point. I think the stats show the Colts with a bit more than a quarter of the ToP and something like 70 yards from scrimmage total. Saints had just gone up 27-0 and I was looking at Brees's passer line, trying to figure out how two drives had been stopped, resulting in FGs.

The Colts secondary may be crap, but setting the new record for pass completion percentage in a single game (29-30, .9 2/3) is impressive against ANY pro team, and it happened in a season when the Saints don't have kind of running game that easily lends itself to high passing completion percentages.

The career TD mark is cool, for sure, and i will admit i feel a little puffed up about it. I wonder how long he'll be able to keep it, though. If it gets broken by the next generation, like Russell Wilson or someone younger than that, i'll have been very happy. However, i feel like Brady is more durable than Brees, and he's only a few behind. I doubt he can catch up this season, with the depleted receiving corps in New England, but Brady could find himself with a better offense next season. It looks pretty clear that they'll retire as numbers 1 and 2 in the category, i just hope Drew can hold onto the 1.

Furthermore, as fun it was to see those records get broken in front of the home crowd, and as fun as it was to watch the Saints dismantle the Colts (whose beloved Manning (a New Orleans native btw) held the career mark that was broken), i'm still concerned about the Saints' weaknesses. I know no team is perfect, and i know that the Saints have a shot at a championship locked up now that they have a playoff berth mathematically guaranteed, and their first playoff game will be at home. All that is great, but i really want to see the team improve, which i have. Right now, only two teams scare me, one in each conference: Seattle and Baltimore. But on any given Sunday.... the Saints could lose. I'm hoping for a Saints/Cowboys NFC Championship matchup.

It seems like it's been more than a month has passed since Dez Bryant said he'd be reaching out to teams (starting with NAwlins) in two weeks. Has anybody heard anything from him since then? Anyone? Buehler?

ETA: Here's an article about Dez stating the above; it has a Novermber 7th dateline: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2861600-ex-cowboys-wr-dez-bryant-eyeing-nfl-return-plans-to-contact-teams-in-2-weeks
[/eta

TBC wrote:

...I didn't watch, was busy doing on-line stuff, but I clicked onto ESPN d c/NFL for their game cast in the middle of the 3rd quarter and noticed it was already a blowout. Brissett was Indy's leading rusher by yards with 7 on one carry at that point. I think the stats show the Colts with a bit more than a quarter of the ToP and something like 70 yards from scrimmage total. Saints had just gone up 27-0 and I was looking at Brees's passer line, trying to figure out how two drives had been stopped, resulting in FGs.

The Colts came to town at the worst time. The Saints had just lost a nail-biter to the 49ers.
Whoever was next, was crusi'n for a brusi'n.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...The career TD mark is cool, for sure, and i will admit i feel a little puffed up about it. I wonder how long he'll be able to keep it, though. If it gets broken by the next generation, like Russell Wilson or someone younger than that, i'll have been very happy. However, i feel like Brady is more durable than Brees, and he's only a few behind. I doubt he can catch up this season, with the depleted receiving corps in New England, but Brady could find himself with a better offense next season. It looks pretty clear that they'll retire as numbers 1 and 2 in the category, i just hope Drew can hold onto the 1...

HRD, what did you think about Brady's tweet to Brees? Some people have said it was more like a back-hand slap.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...Furthermore, as fun it was to see those records get broken in front of the home crowd, and as fun as it was to watch the Saints dismantle the Colts (whose beloved Manning (a New Orleans native btw) held the career mark that was broken), i'm still concerned about the Saints' weaknesses. I know no team is perfect, and i know that the Saints have a shot at a championship locked up now that they have a playoff berth mathematically guaranteed, and their first playoff game will be at home. All that is great, but i really want to see the team improve, which i have. Right now, only two teams scare me, one in each conference: Seattle and Baltimore. But on any given Sunday.... the Saints could lose. I'm hoping for a Saints/Cowboys NFC Championship matchup...

What do you see as this teams weaknesses?
IMO, they are the most complete team in the NFC.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...It seems like it's been more than a month has passed since Dez Bryant said he'd be reaching out to teams (starting with NAwlins) in two weeks. Has anybody heard anything from him since then? Anyone? Buehler?

ETA: Here's an article about Dez stating the above; it has a Novermber 7th dateline: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2861600-ex-cowboys-wr-dez-bryant-eyeing-nfl-return-plans-to-contact-teams-in-2-weeks
[/eta

I haven't heard anything from Dez other than wanting to call the Saints.
Speaking of the Saints...did they release him after he tore his Achilles?

Ok, i thought Brady's tweet was sincere and classy. That said, it didn't say he doesn't plan on playing until he's 50; i think he still wants it. But i honestly think the tweet was sincere and classy.

The main weakness is that as amazingly talented as Alvin Kamara is, the Saints don't have a running back with the kind of durability to complement him. Latavius Murray has been pretty good, he's no Mark Ingram. Taysom Hill has developed some too, and that's helped. But against a front 7 like, say, Seattle brings to the table, the Saints don't have the running game to set the table for the play-action that sets Brees free. The complementary problem is that other than Michael Thomas, there's no deep threat, Ted Ginn Jr hasn't come back enough to be that, and he's not durable enough to be a consistent slot receiver. Payton has done a great job combining Kamara, Thomas, Hill, and the tight ends and other receivers to look great at times, but a great defensive mind can disassemble the whole thing, and that's why Seattle scares me.

Our lines are solid on both sides of the ball, and we have great cornerbacks, but there are certain offensive looks that give us fits, especially with somebody like Wilson under center and splitting at least three wide. We can't safety blitz that because even if a linebacker can drop back into effective coverage, Wilson will beat us with his feet, and that's only if a receiver doesn't come free deep.

As for Dez, the Saints didn't release him, it was only a single-season deal. He's a free agent. If he comes back to the Saints and is even 85% of what he was, i'll feel a LOT more confident.

Meanwhile, in the AFC...

Baltimore is going to visit the Browns this weekend, then host the Steelers. They've won ten in a row now. The Steelers visit the Jets this weekend.

The Bills are headed to New England this weekend. Things in the AFC could get VERY interesting if the (defending Superbowl champion) Pats get upset at home again.

Baltimore might have nothing to play for if the Bills won in New England, while the Steelers would likely be highly motivated.

The Texans visit Tampa next week, while the Titans host my Saints. Then the rematch: Titans at Texans. Hopefully the Saints bring their "A" game and give Pittsburgh a reason to play hard.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Ok, i thought Brady's tweet was sincere and classy. That said, it didn't say he doesn't plan on playing until he's 50; i think he still wants it. But i honestly think the tweet was sincere and classy...

The reason I asked, someone sent TPTB (Mrs. Hodgepodge) a link, and she thought it was back-handed.
Instead of leaving it at 'congrats on breaking one of the "greatest" records in the NFL'. He wanted everyone to know he's going to play until "he" breaks the record.
Taking into consideration their ages, Brees should be able to put this record out of reach of Brady. I would think Brees will play at least one more season than Brady. JMO!
No, I don't think this will be Brady's last year, his ego wouldn't let him go out with "this" season as his last.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...The main weakness is that as amazingly talented as Alvin Kamara is, the Saints don't have a running back with the kind of durability to complement him. Latavius Murray has been pretty good, he's no Mark Ingram. Taysom Hill has developed some too, and that's helped. But against a front 7 like, say, Seattle brings to the table, the Saints don't have the running game to set the table for the play-action that sets Brees free. The complementary problem is that other than Michael Thomas, there's no deep threat, Ted Ginn Jr hasn't come back enough to be that, and he's not durable enough to be a consistent slot receiver. Payton has done a great job combining Kamara, Thomas, Hill, and the tight ends and other receivers to look great at times, but a great defensive mind can disassemble the whole thing, and that's why Seattle scares me...

Yeah, I've got to agree with you about Ingram, especially seeing what he's done in Baltimore.
In your opinion, has not having Ingram forced Payton to use Kamara more, and in turn, brought about some of his injuries this season?

The MNF crew brought up the name of a Saint WR Payton's been trying to instill in the Offense more toward the end of the season. Do you remember who they were talking about?
With Michael Thomas leading the League in receptions and yards again, you only need someone to catch a couple of balls a game.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...Our lines are solid on both sides of the ball, and we have great cornerbacks, but there are certain offensive looks that give us fits, especially with somebody like Wilson under center and splitting at least three wide. We can't safety blitz that because even if a linebacker can drop back into effective coverage, Wilson will beat us with his feet, and that's only if a receiver doesn't come free deep...

Because of his scrambling ability, Wilson gives every team he plays fits.
As you mention, you guys have great lines on both sides of the ball.

For the record, Wilson says he loves it when they assign an LB to "spy" him because that means the guy isn't dropping back into coverage.

The Rams-Niners has the makings of an ugly slugfest. Both teams are coming off embarrassing losses and desperate to win. Personally I am hoping the Niners get thrashed on Saturday and again in the final game at the CLink to complete a 3-5 second half of the season following a 8-0 first half, then get their backsides handed to them at AT&T in the Wild Card Game.

MNF has some implications outside the NFC North. A Vikes win would of course kill the play-off hopes for the Rams, if they managed a win on Saturday, and lock up the field. BUT, in the eventuality that the Seahawks and Saints had both won the Seahawks would drop from the 1 Seed to the 2 and the Saints would be holding the top spot. The Packers would still be in the division lead on the basis of division record, 4-1 compared to 3-2.

Hodgepodge wrote:

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Ok, i thought Brady's tweet was sincere and classy. That said, it didn't say he doesn't plan on playing until he's 50; i think he still wants it. But i honestly think the tweet was sincere and classy...

The reason I asked, someone sent TPTB (Mrs. Hodgepodge) a link, and she thought it was back-handed.
Instead of leaving it at 'congrats on breaking one of the "greatest" records in the NFL'. He wanted everyone to know he's going to play until "he" breaks the record.
Taking into consideration their ages, Brees should be able to put this record out of reach of Brady. I would think Brees will play at least one more season than Brady. JMO!
No, I don't think this will be Brady's last year, his ego wouldn't let him go out with "this" season as his last.

I think Brees will retire before Brady, even though he's a year younger. The years playing behind Chargers O-Lines took a toll on Drew's body, and he's not as physically hearty as Tom in the first place. I think the only way either of them retires after this year is with a brand new shiny ring or a nasty injury, but they're both getting up there.

I don't know if you guys know this, as it's been kept pretty quiet, but Brady's not only been silent about the possibility of retirement after this year, he's also been silent about the fact that he's repeatedly refused to sign a contract extension, and this is his last year under contract with the Pats.

Hodgepodge wrote:

Yeah, I've got to agree with you about Ingram, especially seeing what he's done in Baltimore.
In your opinion, has not having Ingram forced Payton to use Kamara more, and in turn, brought about some of his injuries this season?

The MNF crew brought up the name of a Saint WR Payton's been trying to instill in the Offense more toward the end of the season. Do you remember who they were talking about?
With Michael Thomas leading the League in receptions and yards again, you only need someone to catch a couple of balls a game.  

I don't remember them talking about it, i often watch NFL with the volume turned down if i'm actually paying attention to the game. However, they were probably talking about Deonte Harris, who has decent downfield speed (when your best corner has to cover Thomas it helps) and has the cojones to run slot routes but not the durability to do so too often. Payton's been using him more in the slot role and mixing him up with Jared Cook, Taysom Hill, and sometimes even Josh Hill. If only Ginn could get back to cutting half a second off his 40, and Latavius Murray could get a little tougher. But yes, definitely Kamara has been getting too many off tackle and draw runs because Murray's not durable enough, and i think i called that as a potential problem within the first two or three games of this season.

TBC wrote:

For the record, Wilson says he loves it when they assign an LB to "spy" him because that means the guy isn't dropping back into coverage.

It's a catch-22 for any defensive coordinator when Seattle splits three wide, and/or runs the TE off a single block. If the middle LB "spies" Wilson a man is open, if not Wilson can run.

TBC wrote:

The Rams-Niners has the makings of an ugly slugfest. Both teams are coming off embarrassing losses and desperate to win. Personally I am hoping the Niners get thrashed on Saturday and again in the final game at the CLink to complete a 3-5 second half of the season following a 8-0 first half, then get their backsides handed to them at AT&T in the Wild Card Game.

MNF has some implications outside the NFC North. A Vikes win would of course kill the play-off hopes for the Rams, if they managed a win on Saturday, and lock up the field. BUT, in the eventuality that the Seahawks and Saints had both won the Seahawks would drop from the 1 Seed to the 2 and the Saints would be holding the top spot. The Packers would still be in the division lead on the basis of division record, 4-1 compared to 3-2.  

Obviously i'd like to see the Saints take the 1, but frankly this week's game in Tennessee won't be a gimme, which could screw the whole thing.

There's still several interesting games to be played in the AFC too, especially if the Bills pull out the crazy road upset.

TBC wrote:

...The Rams-Niners has the makings of an ugly slugfest. Both teams are coming off embarrassing losses and desperate to win. Personally I am hoping the Niners get thrashed on Saturday and again in the final game at the CLink to complete a 3-5 second half of the season following a 8-0 first half, then get their backsides handed to them at AT&T in the Wild Card Game...

As I mentioned in another post, I'd rather play the Seahawks in that Wild Card game. Which means, I'd rather see the Niners win the West. Sorry TBC!  

TBC wrote:

...MNF has some implications outside the NFC North. A Vikes win would of course kill the play-off hopes for the Rams, if they managed a win on Saturday, and lock up the field. BUT, in the eventuality that the Seahawks and Saints had both won the Seahawks would drop from the 1 Seed to the 2 and the Saints would be holding the top spot. The Packers would still be in the division lead on the basis of division record, 4-1 compared to 3-2.  

Thanks for the clarification TBC. This stuff is going to get complicated over the next couple of weeks.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...I think Brees will retire before Brady, even though he's a year younger. The years playing behind Chargers O-Lines took a toll on Drew's body, and he's not as physically hearty as Tom in the first place. I think the only way either of them retires after this year is with a brand new shiny ring or a nasty injury, but they're both getting up there.

I didn't think Brees spent that much time in San Diego.  
See, I thought he got hurt the season after winning the starting job.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...I don't know if you guys know this, as it's been kept pretty quiet, but Brady's not only been silent about the possibility of retirement after this year, he's also been silent about the fact that he's repeatedly refused to sign a contract extension, and this is his last year under contract with the Pats.

You don't think he'd ever play for another team do you? Peggy would faint if that happened.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

I don't remember them talking about it, i often watch NFL with the volume turned down if i'm actually paying attention to the game. However, they were probably talking about Deonte Harris, who has decent downfield speed (when your best corner has to cover Thomas it helps) and has the cojones to run slot routes but not the durability to do so too often. Payton's been using him more in the slot role and mixing him up with Jared Cook, Taysom Hill, and sometimes even Josh Hill. If only Ginn could get back to cutting half a second off his 40, and Latavius Murray could get a little tougher. But yes, definitely Kamara has been getting too many off tackle and draw runs because Murray's not durable enough, and i think i called that as a potential problem within the first two or three games of this season.

IIRC, the guys jersey number was 11. Maybe 10!
IMO, having that many WR with differing skill-sets makes the Saints hard to defend. Plus, your TE (Jared Cook), has started to regain some of his stature. In that record-breaking game last week, he looked all-world.

TBC wrote:

For the record, Wilson says he loves it when they assign an LB to "spy" him because that means the guy isn't dropping back into coverage.

If you can't put pressure on Wilson with your front-four, that's when you get into trouble. Plus, you can't let him escape the pocket. You've got to keep him bottled up.

TBC wrote:

...There's still several interesting games to be played in the AFC too, especially if the Bills pull out the crazy road upset.

I may go off and pick this upset, TBC.

Deonte Harris wears number 11. Jared Cook has definitely been something of a late bloomer, especially for a TE, and he's been a valuable acquisition. Don't forget he was an All-Star selection last year, when he put up almost 900 yds from scrimmage for Oakland. TE Josh Hill has been seeing some work this year too, and not just as a blocking TE; he's had a lot of drops, but also has 3 TDs on the year with 191 yards on 22 catches.
________

Next week, the Steelers are at Baltimore and the Titans are at Houston, games where the home teams will be likely to win.

The Steelers beat the Colts 26-24 early November, and the Raiders lost to the Titans 42-21 a couple weeks ago, so with Pittsburgh and Tennessee each sitting at 8 wins already, the Colts and Raiders couldn't sneak into the picture even if there are 3 8-8 AFC teams and only 5 with actual winning records. The Steelers and Titans have identical Conference records. The Titans have outscored their opponents by 46 more points than the Steelers have outscored theirs, so they're not likely to lose that tie-breaker even if Houston blows them out and Pittsburgh can keep it close in Baltimore. But there's a higher-ranked tie-breaker, which is win-loss-tie record against teams that they both played this season. I'm definitely feeling way too lazy to track down those stats right now. Maybe later.

We know who's going to the playoffs in the NFC other than the East champion. We should know a lot more about the seeding after tomorrow night.

Are the Seagulls actually losing to Arizona right now? By 14 points with four minutes left?

How do I love thee? Let me count the injuries... LT Duane Brown, who came over from Houston in a mid-season trade two years ago and has provided the much needed solid blind side protection at a Pro Bowl worthy level since then, was out with a knee injury. He's due to return...soon. LG Mike Iupati went out in the 1st quarter with a stinger and didn't return until after half time. Rashad Penny tore his ACL two weeks ago. Chris Carson left with a hip injury in the 2nd quarter, might be season ending. C.J. Prosise, who came into the season as the #3 back and the game as the #2, broke his arm right before halftime. Only healthy RB on the roster currently is Travis Homer, a rookie out of "The U" who came into the game with two carries, one of which came from punt formation, snap to the up back and he ran for a first down.

On the defensive side, CB Shaquill Griffin, DE Jadeveon Clowney, and S Quandre Diggs were all inactive. Those are three very important starters. Yes, injuries happen in this league. Yes, you have to do your best when they do. Time to put this game in the rear view and move on, I think. De facto NFC West Championship is next Sunday.

Yeah. I feel bad for your Seahawks and their fans. Sometimes shit ain't fair.

Bringing back Marshawn reminds me of when the Yankees brought back Clemens. The media got really excited and the Yankees won some playoff games but no more championships until that semi-era was over.

The NFL has truly gotten to the point of selling stories more than athletics, and somewhere along the way i lost track of where the line between them was. I bet that if i could predict the stories that would maximize profits, i could win every pick'em league next year. Too bad for me i won't pay enough attention to even seriously try at it.

"Break out the Skittles, Momma. The Beastmode is back!", except he looks more like Cheeseburger Eddie. Robert Turbin will likely be more useful. But something is needed desperately. I really liked Homer in the preseason games, I was glad when he made the team as a special teams guy, and he might just be the starter against the Niners with Turbin spelling him mostly and Lynch featuring on short yardage. We'll see.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

Yeah. I feel bad for your Seahawks and their fans. Sometimes shit ain't fair...

Every team goes thru a spat of injuries throughout the season. That is, except the Dallas Cowboys. They can have a healthy locker room and still loose 8 games.  

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...Bringing back Marshawn reminds me of when the Yankees brought back Clemens. The media got really excited and the Yankees won some playoff games but no more championships until that semi-era was over...

Yeah, although I'm surprised TBC didn't get a call from the front-office wanting to know if he wanted a try out.
But I agree, its more for the hype than anything else.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

...The NFL has truly gotten to the point of selling stories more than athletics, and somewhere along the way i lost track of where the line between them was. I bet that if i could predict the stories that would maximize profits, i could win every pick'em league next year. Too bad for me i won't pay enough attention to even seriously try at it.

You'll pay attention to this one...Antonio Brown is working out for the New Orleans Saints this week.

I have seriously mixed emotions about that.

What ever happened to Dez's comeback?!?

Wild ending to tonight's game. Thanks, for the 3 seed, Seahawks! The Saints just looooove playing the Vikings in the playoffs.



1st and goal from the 6 to win the game and division. Of all the times not to have a running back. They played a hell of a game though. I think Seattle should be favored to win in Philly.