gak on a shingle, Rams. Thanks for being d-bags and loading those fethers up! They are netting a #1 and #3 pick for next year from the Rams, who will likely suck this year so the picks will be high.
If Goff or Wentz are legit the Rams made out. The Titans make out regardless. 6 picks in the first 76 this year, and 2-1's and 2-2's next year.
It's funny because after the haul the Rams got for RG3 they basically netted the exact same amount of picks they would have had anyways over like a 6 year span of something.
jreilly89 wrote: Can't believe the Rams left St. Louis. Not a big Rams fan myself, but sounds like the team basically gakked on the city and left.
Any word on Broncos new QB?
Yeah and going back to the city they played for since 1946. You know that, right? That the St. Louis Rams were only around for 10 years while the Rams have 50 years of history in LA.
jreilly89 wrote: Can't believe the Rams left St. Louis. Not a big Rams fan myself, but sounds like the team basically gakked on the city and left.
Any word on Broncos new QB?
Yeah and going back to the city they played for since 1946. You know that, right? That the St. Louis Rams were only around for 10 years while the Rams have 50 years of history in LA.
The gorgon plan:
Rams back to LA. Check.
Cards back to St. Louis.
Jags to Arizona.
Colts to Baltimore.
Ravens to Indy.
I would *love* for the SC to pick this up. Arguing a stupid football controversy in the highest court of the land sounds about right.
Rams look to keep on sucking. Hopefully, Welker doesn't die there.
Manziel isn't going anywhere. Too much of a liability. Denver should be fine post Manning. Their defense is what made them insane. An I don't see Houston's gamble with his backup paying off at all.
I would like for it to all be over too, but...unlikely!
Can't wait for the next NFL CBA though - the NFLPA would have to be absolute idiots to not make the 'Commissioner's Absolute Power' clause a complete no-go next time around.
But then again, the 'next time around' is after the 2020 season, so, who knows who remembers what for that long?
jreilly89 wrote: Yeah right. They'll throw money at this and he'll be back on the field in no time.
It can only go to the Supreme Court...
I don't see this as something they'd take up.
Really? With Manning gone, Brady is really the only golden boy QB left. He's such a meal ticket, I'd bet a round of beer that they'll fight tooth and nail to get him freed. Plus, he's the lynchpin to them going to the next Superbowl.
jreilly89 wrote: Yeah right. They'll throw money at this and he'll be back on the field in no time.
It can only go to the Supreme Court...
I don't see this as something they'd take up.
Really? With Manning gone, Brady is really the only golden boy QB left. He's such a meal ticket, I'd bet a round of beer that they'll fight tooth and nail to get him freed. Plus, he's the lynchpin to them going to the next Superbowl.
Brady's lawyer could ask for an 'en banc' at the Appeals court. But, that's not likely to happen.
The next CBA, the players association need to nuke that Commish's power for sure.
Drew Brees says NFL can't be trusted, thought Deflategate was 'dead issue'
By Sean Wagner-McGough | Staff Writer
April 26, 2016 3:33 pm ET
Tom Brady is suspended (again) for his role in Deflategate, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty of what he's been accused of doing. What it means is that the Roger Goodell believes Brady is guilty and deserves a four-game suspension, and the judges who reinstated that suspension believe Goodell has the proper authority to do so.
At least one player doesn't agree with that assessment. According to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who spoke with Sports Illustrated's Maggie Gray, Goodell has too much power and the league shouldn't be trusted.
"I think we would all agree he definitely has too much power. He's basically judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to all league discipline," Brees said of Goodell. "Listen, I'm not going to trust any league-led investigation when it comes to anything because it's not transparent. At times, I feel like there's a desired conclusion or agenda that they have in mind and that prevents, maybe, the absolute truth from being told or the absolute facts from being presented. At the end of the day, we as the public, we as players, don't ever really get to see that. We never get to see those facts, those truths, those things."
Brees, who has some first-hand experiences dealing with a league investigation (Bountygate), also called Deflategate a "dead issue."
"That's the unfortunate part about this whole thing," Brees said. "In regards to Brady in particular, I think all thought this was a dead issue."
Oh, but this is so far from being dead, because Brady might fight the most recent ruling, which overturned his overturned suspension. Theoritically, it could head to the Supreme Court.
If Brady doesn't fight the suspension, he'll miss four games -- two of which come against playoff teams, with the other two featuring AFC East rivals.
Goodell has been a PR nightmare. From the concussion issue, to domestic violence, to Deflategate, it all looks bad. Why do they keep this guy?
"He's basically judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to all league discipline"
That's what a commissioner has always been, though. However, more and more, I think Goodell has a knee-jerk reaction to every crisis and PR issue, shoots from the hip, and needs a good "right hand man/woman" to give him some fething guidance and perspective.
jmurph wrote: I would *love* for the SC to pick this up. Arguing a stupid football controversy in the highest court of the land sounds about right.
To be fair, it's not just a stupid football controversy, it's a case that raises some legitimate questions about labor laws and arbitration. The players' union indisputably signed an agreement that allows the NFL to arbitrarily assign punishments, but is any agreement, no matter how horrible or one-sided, automatically enforceable?
Meh...
Considering that more than half the teams are carrying 4 QBs, and a couple have 5, going into Training Camp, it would take some very tragic injuries to make anyone that desperate.
With Peyton Manning retiring does that mean we'll finally have a season where we won't be inundated with a constant stream of ridiculous Manning commercials? Can the NFL still function without those? Does Eli have to fill in for him now? Brady is too smart and Newton is too cool to take that spot. Guess we'll be stuck with a 300% increase in Aaron Rodgers discount double check commercials. Sigh.
kronk wrote: I thought Manning was pretty funny in most of his commercials.
Mostly.
None of them are funny after the first 12 times you see them in one Sunday of games and then they get replayed every Sunday for the entire season. Cut that meat!
Prestor Jon wrote: With Peyton Manning retiring does that mean we'll finally have a season where we won't be inundated with a constant stream of ridiculous Manning commercials? Can the NFL still function without those? Does Eli have to fill in for him now? Brady is too smart and Newton is too cool to take that spot. Guess we'll be stuck with a 300% increase in Aaron Rodgers discount double check commercials. Sigh.
Oh I think Eli will still be doing spots. And with Peyton's investment in Papa Johns....
While we're hoping, I could do without the Draft Kings promos every 15 seconds.
Since they merged with Fan Duel there shouldn't be any competition left so it should cut down on their ad budget, I hope.
Aren't they still in court in NY (IIRC) over allegations of "gambling" and whatnot?
I know that MLB has pulled the plug on their support after enough fan backlash, but I guess the NFL also does not have the same history with betting/gambling that baseball does.
Alpharius wrote: I watch a lot of MLB Netrwork, and I'm pretty sure MLB hasn't pulled anything in terms of whatever their deal is with them!
There was a brief period in which, during games, you'd see the rotating banners on the back stop with DK stuff, as well as commercials during broadcasts... Obviously watching games on MLB.tv means I don't see commercials, but when I've been away from the house watching a game, I haven't seen those commercials during games, and I havent seen the banners in game either in some time.
So after a pre-season game between the Broncos and the Bears, I think we're looking decent. I know the Bears aren't exactly a Tier 1 team, but after John Fox taking our best Defensive player, shutting them out was pretty cool
Well, after watching the Seahawks vs Vikings preseason game the Vikings (my team) are still choke artists. No wonder their color is purple. They have been choking for over 40 years. They do well until they make a mistake or someone does something really stupid, and then it all runs downhill. They lack consitency. Maybe this year the O line won't be a turnstyle and AP be our only offense (or a kicker who despite being "the best in the league" chokes on critical plays (which is something else AP does a lot too)). Will be interesting to see if Bridgewater can do much as a QB. With a decent O-line he might just be good. We will see.
Romo is done. Me has missed a good portion of the last 2 seasons from injury, including coming back too early a one point last year on Jerry's insistence. Time for him to move on.
Their RB (Ezekiel Elliot) could be the next big thing, but who is going to throw/hand him the ball? Zak Prescott?
Talking about D's that have looked impressive. At this point Texan's first team D has looked really good against two top flight QB's Brees and Palmer. Jadeveon Clowney's play has also been much improved so far with him showing more consistently the flashes of dominance that you would expect from a #1 pick and making Watt's absence bearable.
Texan's 1st round pick, Fuller, has been good at WR. Rushing has been horrendous and overall consistency is not there with the O Line depth and health a big concern still and no solutions in the early offing.
Bottom line it looks like Texans will be relying on defense to carry them the first few games until the offense gets in sync (if it does).
If they can keep consistent, which is a huge 40+ year problem for them, the Vikings are looking really strong. Granted it is only preseason, but things seem to be meshing well for them right now. The anti Bridgewater folks may have to eat a lot of humble pie, granted they will still say he can't throw the long ball. As if it matters much. The game is setup in such a way nowdays that the long passing game is really quite risky and mostly ineffective nowdays. The best teams seem to be the ones that can run and do the short passes, but can still pull out the occasional long pass or other trick now and then. Just my thoughts. Admittedly I only started watching football again last year so I am still relearning everything.
Bradford excels at the short/intermediate passing gaming. If the OL holds up and the attention AP deserves, Bradford should be able to hit the long passes as well.
Bradford excels at the short/intermediate passing gaming. If the OL holds up and the attention AP deserves, Bradford should be able to hit the long passes as well.
I am inclined to agree. Then again, the Vikes seem to have atrocious luck whenever they get their stuff together and everything falls apart. The pain of being a Vikes fan. You get your hopes up to be trampled underfoot and still after all of it to be generally positive and hopeful. Must be a closet masochist.
I think it's a good deal, Philly traded away their own first rounder so this gets them back in it.
I am worried about the QB situation in Philly now though. They reportedly cut McLeod Bethel-Thompson before this deal, so that leaves Daniel and Wentz. MBT is still listed on the roster for now but the clock is ticking... roughly 20 minutes to make final decisions.
helgrenze wrote: I think it's a good deal, Philly traded away their own first rounder so this gets them back in it.
I am worried about the QB situation in Philly now though. They reportedly cut McLeod Bethel-Thompson before this deal, so that leaves Daniel and Wentz. MBT is still listed on the roster for now but the clock is ticking... roughly 20 minutes to make final decisions.
Man... as a longtime Mizzou fan... I hope Daniel kicks some arse for the Eagles.
Well, after winning it big last year, I think this first game against Cam Newton is really going to hurt as a Broncos fan. I think this is gonna be a season of "Get our gak together, not even think about the Superbowl"
The Eagles committed highway robbery, IMO. Bradford just doesn't have *IT*. I could quantify "IT" as things like the intestinal fortitude to get the ball down the field, or ability to avoid becoming a frightened, mewing kitten when under duress. But ultimately you watch the guy and shake your head that he isn't better than he is.
I'm not an Eagles fan, but live in the area and saw plenty of him. I guess he's better than nothing, but IMO he won't make the Vikes a SB contender. He's never even led a team to the playoffs.
For the Eagles, Daniel will take a seat as soon as Wentz is healthy enough to play. He's there to hold a clipboard and help teach the offense to Wentz.
gorgon wrote: The Eagles committed highway robbery, IMO. Bradford just doesn't have *IT*. I could quantify "IT" as things like the intestinal fortitude to get the ball down the field, or ability to avoid becoming a frightened, mewing kitten when under duress. But ultimately you watch the guy and shake your head that he isn't better than he is.
I'm not an Eagles fan, but live in the area and saw plenty of him. I guess he's better than nothing, but IMO he won't make the Vikes a SB contender. He's never even led a team to the playoffs.
For the Eagles, Daniel will take a seat as soon as Wentz is healthy enough to play. He's there to hold a clipboard and help teach the offense to Wentz.
I agree that that Eagles made out like a bandit.
But, on the Vikings? Bradford doesn't need to have that "IT" factor. He simply needs to be a great game manager, and do an occasional "great" QB thing imo.
Viking have a great OL, great running back, upgraded recieving corps and a very GOOD defense. This is simply the best team he's been on.... If he can't make it work, then his 'bust' status will be permanent.
I like the Vikings optimism, The first round pick is a good thing for the Eagles, but the other pick is a conditional 4th in 2018... It becomes a 3rd if they make the playoffs, and a 2nd if they make the Superbowl.
Philly trade Rowe to NE for an o-lineman, Josh Kline, and a conditional pick as well, based on play time. It seems they are shopping Kline around, likely for more picks.
Another thing to remember about the vike/eagles trade is that it is a LATE 1st rnd pick, and the eagles still pay for 11 mil of his salary. Considering how young the vikes roster is, it probably isn't as big of a deal losing that pick. I also don't think the vikes had much choice. The other teams knew how badly they needed a QB and made the vikes pay for it. This is the best team Bradford has ever been on so he has no excuse to fail this time around. I agree Bridgewater is better, but whatcha gonna do when he is out. At least they didn't pick up Kaepernick. I also think too many people focus on the whole but so and so can't throw the long ball. Who cares. Accuracy, consistency, reliability, and leadership are much more important than being able to throw the ball far. Especially when your team isn't set up for the long game.
It's a first round pick plus another solid pick for a one year rental. Super Bowl or bust, right?
And the one year rental the Vikes have placed their SB or bust hopes on is the injury-prone, turnover-prone Sam Bradford, he of the 81.0 career passer rating who has never led a team to the playoffs.
Wow. And really, the Vikes have a nice team, but it's not like they were favored to win the conference with Bridgewater. This looks like a total panic move.
And where does it say that it's a late first round pick? If Bradford gets hurt and the team limps to a 7-9 record, suddenly it's a top-half pick.
Wow. And really, the Vikes have a nice team, but it's not like they were favored to win the conference with Bridgewater. This looks like a total panic move.
I don't see it as a desperate move so much as the only move available. The other teams knew how badly the vikes needed a QB and were going to make them pay through the nose for it. I would be willing to bet the other deals being offered to the vikes were much worse.
Honestly, Bradford plays more like a solid back up.
Given the 'drops' problems the Eagles had last year, now maybe we will see if it has more to do with his release than the receivers having stone hands.
Wow. And really, the Vikes have a nice team, but it's not like they were favored to win the conference with Bridgewater. This looks like a total panic move.
I don't see it as a desperate move so much as the only move available. The other teams knew how badly the vikes needed a QB and were going to make them pay through the nose for it. I would be willing to bet the other deals being offered to the vikes were much worse.
The only move? The other, obvious move is to play with the team you have. If the defense and running game are good, play the backup, maybe take some lumps but maybe not as many as you think, learn something about your team, and save those draft picks for players that can help your team next year when you get your QB back.
As is, I can pretty much guarantee you that the Vikes aren't going to win the SB behind Bradford AND they'll be out two picks in the process AND down the cap space his contract eats up. So what's the point of making the move?
Wow. And really, the Vikes have a nice team, but it's not like they were favored to win the conference with Bridgewater. This looks like a total panic move.
I don't see it as a desperate move so much as the only move available. The other teams knew how badly the vikes needed a QB and were going to make them pay through the nose for it. I would be willing to bet the other deals being offered to the vikes were much worse.
The only move? The other, obvious move is to play with the team you have. If the defense and running game are good, play the backup, maybe take some lumps but maybe not as many as you think, learn something about your team, and save those draft picks for players that can help your team next year when you get your QB back.
As is, I can pretty much guarantee you that the Vikes aren't going to win the SB behind Bradford AND they'll be out two picks in the process AND down the cap space his contract eats up. So what's the point of making the move?
Near as I can tell, simply to make us Detroit fans happy you got a crappy QB?
Wow, that game was huge, and what a game. However, I do have to agree with a lot of what I've seen: there were 4 dirty hits from the Broncos against Cam Newton, and only 1 was called and it got canceled out by a grounding? That last 1 was huge, and Cam looked rough and dizzy getting up off the ground.
I didn't watch the game as I dont have that channel, but based on a friend's FB comments, apparently there was a ton of holding and a bunch of other penalties that weren't called as well (which, for those who've been around dakka, and NFL threads will know, penalties and specifically holding are big pet peeves of mine)
I'm glad Cam didn't get a win, but from the sounds of it... it wasn't a very good game to watch.
Cam is just getting the Big Ben treatment. Roethlisberger has been knocked around his whole career and never gotten the flags that Pey-Pey and GQ boy got. The refs think that if you're a big ol' hoss, the rules are different.
Remember the Steelers-Ravens game when Ngata got his hand up in Roethlisberger's face and mashed his nose sideways? *No flag* on that one. LOL.
But really, it's not just a play like that but all the constant, just-a-little-late hits that are never flagged. This from Terrell Suggs, a guy who has lots of reason to hate the Steelers and Roethlisberger:
I don't like the treatment he [Tom Brady] gets. With all due respect, everybody seen how we hit that boy in that black and yellow [Ben Roethlisberger], they don't throw him any flags. I mean everything's legal with Mr. Ben, but you get close to those guys who sell those tickets. The 18's [Peyton Manning], the 12's [Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers], the 9's [Drew Brees]. You get too close to them and they like, "Hey!". At the end of the day this is a business, you don't hurt those guys. You don't touch them, you don't even look at they bodies.
I was hopeful, but man is the Viking offense a massive dumpster fire. Don't know what is worse, Walsh's kicks, Hill's QB skills, or Norv Turner's Offensive "strategies". Seriously, all we got as a good defense. Lookin' like another disappointing year.
Philly racked up the days only double digit win.
Have to say it...
Cleveland needs help on their O-line. Their center again hiked a ball over the QB's head. Cox and company spent nearly as much time in the Browns backfield as RG3. RG3 has lost a step or two but give him time and he can light a team up. 3 sacks and a snapped safety.
Neither team did exceptionally well rushing. Philly beat them in the air, Wentz threw for almost 100 yards more than Griffin with a more than a yard per pass better average.
But you know Clevelanders.... They want a new QB asap.
It was definitely a solid Patriots performance sans Brady, Gronkowski, Nonkovich, etc. Patriots D contained the Cardinals pretty well. Palmer looked stiff and Garoppolo did very good (actually better than Brady in his start...). And the next 3 games are pretty weak teams, probably not nearly as good as Arizona. No shame for AZ, though, other than Palmer being Palmer, they were in it to win it and very well could have!
Eh, 50/50. Cardinals definitely let some stuff slip through their fingers, but it was a lot closer than the blowout I expected it to be.
You...expected the Patriots to blow out the Cards?
Really?
You didn't? The Patriots have taken 1st in the AFC East for about the past 15 years. The Cardinals....less so. Even without Brady, the Patriots are still a strong team. Maybe not blow out, but I expected a 21-10 game, not a 23-21.
Alpharius wrote: Why is their #1 pick not starting at QB, or at least holding the backup position?
They kept mentioning this ad nauseum last night during the game.... Apparently he wasn't ready or something this week, but in week 2, he will be listed and dressed as the Number 2 QB on the roster.... although if the starter begins the game how they played the entire 1st game, we may see a rookie in the second half. Which would honestly probably be the worst thing for the dude's career.
Alpharius wrote: Why is their #1 pick not starting at QB, or at least holding the backup position?
They kept mentioning this ad nauseum last night during the game.... Apparently he wasn't ready or something this week, but in week 2, he will be listed and dressed as the Number 2 QB on the roster.... although if the starter begins the game how they played the entire 1st game, we may see a rookie in the second half. Which would honestly probably be the worst thing for the dude's career.
Alpharius wrote: Why is their #1 pick not starting at QB, or at least holding the backup position?
They kept mentioning this ad nauseum last night during the game.... Apparently he wasn't ready or something this week, but in week 2, he will be listed and dressed as the Number 2 QB on the roster.... although if the starter begins the game how they played the entire 1st game, we may see a rookie in the second half. Which would honestly probably be the worst thing for the dude's career.
Playing against the SeaChickens next week too!
Can't see how the Rammies prevail...
Maybe Fischer isn't that good of a HC?
He's not a good coach. It continually amazes me he still has a job considering how mediocre he is.
6 winning seasons as a head coach, the last one in 2008 with the Titans. This is his fifth season as Rams coach and he hasn't had more than 7 wins in any of his first 4 seasons.
Yeah... they looked seriously bad last night. Like, Community college team versus a D1 college team (seriously, the 9ers didn't play all that great either offensively for most of the game... they played just well enough)
I mean, dude getting ejected, Gurley is the only weapon available, so the 9ers shut him down, and Fisher tries to run a bunch of lateral plays? Man, I am beginning to think that Fisher may not make it through this season
Fisher should be let go after this season. He has a mediocre record but he's a legit bad coach as in his players don't show improvement and consistent good fundamentals because they aren't being coached well. The scouting dept is weak too. Aaron Donald was a smart can't miss round 1 pick but drafting Goff #1 overall and then telling the world that after a full preseason he isn't even good enough to dress for the opening game? That's just cruel. If he isn't good enough to even be a back up as a rookie then he shouldn't have been drafted that high and it's not like the Rams don't have a bunch of needs at other positions.
Shaky offensive line and Wilson playing injured, plus the usual "the Rams beat the Seahawks but lose to all the bad teams" factor. On paper it should be a win, but I'm still dreading it.
Alpharius wrote: I think Jimmy G will be the starting QB here in...2018?
I think Tom picks up during game 5 this year, and all of the next season and then the absolutely Unthinkable may happen...
Jimmy the Usurper takes over, Brady goes to the Jets and beats Eli Manning and the NYG in the Superbowl. After a successful stint as governor of Massachusetts, Brady runs for president with Curt Schilling as his VP pick. Once in office, he enacts a Brady bill of a different sort... banning gridiron football in the US in response to new CTE research, thus enshrining him as the greatest and most unpopular QB (and surely president) that has ever lived. Shortly thereafter he's assassinated by an addled Wes Welker, Rex Ryan and Ted Wells are arrested and charged in the conspiracy.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Wells is given the death penalty by congress, they found it 'more probable than not' that he was likely involved in the alleged crime.
Alpharius wrote: I think Jimmy G will be the starting QB here in...2018?
I think Tom picks up during game 5 this year, and all of the next season and then the absolutely Unthinkable may happen...
Jimmy the Usurper takes over, Brady goes to the Jets and beats Eli Manning and the NYG in the Superbowl. After a successful stint as governor of Massachusetts, Brady runs for president with Curt Schilling as his VP pick. Once in office, he enacts a Brady bill of a different sort... banning gridiron football in the US in response to new CTE research, thus enshrining him as the greatest and most unpopular QB (and surely president) that has ever lived. Shortly thereafter he's assassinated by an addled Wes Welker, Rex Ryan and Ted Wells are arrested and charged in the conspiracy.
Brady would never pick Schilling he'd go with Kevin Faulk or David Ortiz or Ben Afleck.
In about 2 seasons Brady is going to be too expensive relative to the salaries the Pats could pay Jimmy or Brisset to play QB so he'll be cut or traded. Teams have shown that finding a decent QB that you can pay less than superstar money to and using the savings to build up the team elsewhere is a winning formula. That is also why the Colts aren't winning a Super Bowl any time soon even if they manage to protect Luck to the point where he only takes the league average number of hits.
Looked at the match ups for this coming weekend in the NFC East.
Dallas vs Washington, almost looks to be a battle of the backups. Neither team is impressing on Defense, and both look bad on offense. Winner, flip a coin.
NYG vs Saints. Giants Defense looked as bad as Dallas', Major lacks in the secondary vs Brees is gonna hurt them. Of course, The Saints D isn't that good either, but Gotta give this one to the Saints.
Eagles vs Bears. Philly looked good last week vs the Browns. Chicago looked average vs Houston. This one depends on which Cutler shows up and the Philly running game. Call me biased but... Eagles by double digits.
Since I'm an NFC West guy, I suppose I could follow Helgrenze's lead here, and give my own take on "my" division's games this week:
SF @ Carolina... SF didn't look all that good to me against a poor Rams team on Monday. Combine that with a short week, plus Carolina getting a long week, PLUS probably being pretty pissed about their opener against Denver means that this one is gonna be ugly. Carolina by double digits.
Seattle @ LA... While Seattle didn't look the greatest against Miami last week, I'd call this one almost a 5th pre-season game. Only it counts. Rams look bad in all phases of the game, I'm calling this one for Seattle, not sure if I'd go with double digits as well though.
TB @ Arizona.... On paper, this one looks surprisingly close... Their rankings are all fairly close. This isn't a case where we have a #1 in a category facing #32 in the opposite (ie, #1 running vs. #32 in run stopping) I think I'll go with Arizona on this matchup, because I think they'll have been extremely disappointed in the outcome last week. They're the home team.... but it's gonna be another very close one, I think.
TB @ Arizona.... On paper, this one looks surprisingly close... Their rankings are all fairly close. This isn't a case where we have a #1 in a category facing #32 in the opposite (ie, #1 running vs. #32 in run stopping) I think I'll go with Arizona on this matchup, because I think they'll have been extremely disappointed in the outcome last week. They're the home team.... but it's gonna be another very close one, I think.
I'm as big a Tampa Fan as I am a Pats fan, and I think you've nailed this one. Look for Seferian-Jenkins to have a huge game with the Cardinals loading the box and chasing Mike Evans around the field. If Winston and TB stay healthy, I really think they could give Carolina a run for their money in the division.
Fins @ Pats just got a lot more interesting with Hightower being doubtful and Gronk looking less and less like he's going to play.
2 games in and the Cardinals and the Steelers have the biggest point differential (PF-PA) in the league (31 and 30). It's obviously VERY early, but I found that surprising.
Oh, wait. The Bears haven't played game 2, yet. The Eagles will have that after tonight...
The Texans played well enough to win, but the offense needs more fine-tuning. 2 interceptions and relying on 4 field goals isn't going to get it done in Foxborough, Massachusetts this Thursday night.
I am going to take it one step further- the Texan offense is weak. They are showing a consistent problem with turnovers and not being able to turn opportunities into touchdowns. They are relying way too much of defense and special teams points. So far Osweiler is not looking like a top dollar starter and his performance is getting worse. He did get a few deep passes off, but didn't do anything with them. He did manage to throw and interception in his first series for the second game in a row. That's really bad. If anything, his (limited) successes were in large part thanks to Deandre Hopkins.
I am not saying he is bad, just looking rough and no better than a standard NFL backup. If he doesn't show signs of improvement., it will look like a very costly mistake.
That being said, I have been very disappointed by O'Brien's offense in general. In addition to some questionable playcalling, he seems to be unable to formulate a strategy for developing a solid quarterback and his method of throwing money at backups (Osweiler) and 2nd rates (Fitzpatrick,Hoyer) is really frustrating. It seems like it would be wiser to develop what talent you can on cheaper options. I still think getting rid of young talent like Keenum was a mistake, and would think that Keenum, Savage, and Weeden would be a pretty solid base to build from and wouldn't be any worse than the current QB roster for a fraction of the price.
Well, the Denver offense was weak, but our defense was killer as usual. Hopefully our offense can gather around Siemian, as he's a competent QB, if inexperienced.
Watched the GB vs. Vikings game. WOW that was a game. Bradford looks great for a rookie, and them shutting down Aaron Rodgers was awesome. Now they just need tot get some of those penalties under control.
I think Denver is in a good position. Defense is top notch and Siemian looks like he has a lot of potential. If the offense can all get on the same page, I would expect them to dominate.
Bradford has always been underrated. It is hard to be much of a quarterback when you spend most of the game on your back due to no O line. I am glad to see him starting to shine. Oh, and Vikings defense wasn't playing around!
kronk wrote: 2 games in and the Cardinals and the Steelers have the biggest point differential (PF-PA) in the league (31 and 30). It's obviously VERY early, but I found that surprising.
Oh, wait. The Bears haven't played game 2, yet. The Eagles will have that after tonight...
The Texans played well enough to win, but the offense needs more fine-tuning. 2 interceptions and relying on 4 field goals isn't going to get it done in Foxborough, Massachusetts this Thursday night.
It might - now that we're on to our 3rd string QB!!!
kronk wrote: 2 games in and the Cardinals and the Steelers have the biggest point differential (PF-PA) in the league (31 and 30). It's obviously VERY early, but I found that surprising.
Oh, wait. The Bears haven't played game 2, yet. The Eagles will have that after tonight...
The Texans played well enough to win, but the offense needs more fine-tuning. 2 interceptions and relying on 4 field goals isn't going to get it done in Foxborough, Massachusetts this Thursday night.
It might - now that we're on to our 3rd string QB!!!
Jeez...
But, if you would've told me that NE would be at least 2-2 when Brady gets back, you'd take it.
So... I broke down and watched the Rams vs Seachicken... and man... the refs really worked hard to call those PI penalties.
Pass Interference and "What Is and Isn't a Catch" has become...somewhat problematic in today's NFL!
Garoppolo *might* be ready for week 4, if the injury isn't too severe AND if the 'therapeutic injections' help him manage the pain of the recovering 'sprained AC joint' while trying to throw the ball.
And I'm still holding out hope that the Pats will be at least 3-1 when Brady gets back...and 3-0 in the division!
Alpharius wrote: Pass Interference and "What Is and Isn't a Catch" has become...somewhat problematic in today's NFL!
Garoppolo *might* be ready for week 4, if the injury isn't too severe AND if the 'therapeutic injections' help him manage the pain of the recovering 'sprained AC joint' while trying to throw the ball.
And I'm still holding out hope that the Pats will be at least 3-1 when Brady gets back...and 3-0 in the division!
Alpharius wrote: Pass Interference and "What Is and Isn't a Catch" has become...somewhat problematic in today's NFL!
Garoppolo *might* be ready for week 4, if the injury isn't too severe AND if the 'therapeutic injections' help him manage the pain of the recovering 'sprained AC joint' while trying to throw the ball.
And I'm still holding out hope that the Pats will be at least 3-1 when Brady gets back...and 3-0 in the division!
Alpharius wrote: Pass Interference and "What Is and Isn't a Catch" has become...somewhat problematic in today's NFL!
Garoppolo *might* be ready for week 4, if the injury isn't too severe AND if the 'therapeutic injections' help him manage the pain of the recovering 'sprained AC joint' while trying to throw the ball.
And I'm still holding out hope that the Pats will be at least 3-1 when Brady gets back...and 3-0 in the division!
Dom Trady... is he good?
It...could work!
So in addition to playing their rookie third string QB, Jacoby Brissett, this Thursday, NE apparently has decided that his backup would be.... Julian Edelman.
No, really... Julian Edelman could wind up under center on Thursday.
Currently theory is that the Therapeutic Injections will have Jimmy Garoppolo to the point where he can be a backup, if absolutely necessary...or maybe even the starter?!?
Rumor has it T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree are still in the Boston area after being worked out by the Pats and could be added to the roster as later as 4PM tomorrow.
What's everyone's thought on Broncos vs. Bengals? I'm obviously biased, but the Bengals have always been a mystery to me. Not quite a Tier 1 team, but solid
jreilly89 wrote: What's everyone's thought on Broncos vs. Bengals? I'm obviously biased, but the Bengals have always been a mystery to me. Not quite a Tier 1 team, but solid
Given the Bengals lack of a run game, dependence on passing and lack of run Defense, vs Denver's monster pass Defense and big time run game.... Looks like an easy win for Broncos.
Watching tonight's game, Texans vs Pats, I think NE will be ok. Brissett seems comfortable and can obviously run. The Pats might have some trade bait next off season with Garoppolo.
Well that was certainly an execution. Interesting bit of trivia: there are currently three starting NFL quarterbacks (plus a backup who has been a starter in the past) from NC State, a school most of you probably haven't ever heard of. Go Pack!
Getting gashed by a 3rd string QB like that for the first touchdown. The offense was absolutely dreadful. Could not move the ball. Could not protect the ball. It seemed like the Pats were ready for every run play, like the Offence was giving it away somehow. I would never have expected this team to be shut out this year. Losses? Sure, there are some issues. But a shut out? Ugh.
Yup, once more underscoring the Texans' lack of offense. The playcalling was mystifying- no short throws in the 1st half and what is with the crappy draws that obviously weren't working? Defense didn't look great, considering it was a rookie 3rd stringer, but definitely not the worst part (special teams fumbling twice? Yikes!). Again, bad coaching strikes- the lack of changing looks on a rookie QB is a strange strategy. Bill O'Brien is looking at a failed gamble, and season, and *really* not making a good case for his retention....
News from New England...Apparently, Brissett injured his throwing hand, sprain or torn ligament, reports vary.
If he needs surgery, they can hope Garoppolo is healthy enough, play Edelman, or go shopping for a one week QB.
With Tebow under contract with the Mets, that may leave J-money Manzel.
Patriots' Jacoby Brissett dealing with sprained thumb
By Marc Sessler
Around the NFL Writer
Published: Sept. 23, 2016 at 02:56 p.m.
Updated: Sept. 24, 2016 at 12:17 p.m.
Another day, another drama under center for the New England Patriots.
One week after losing Tom Brady's backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, to a banged-up shoulder, the team is dealing with an injury to rookie passer Jacoby Brissett.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that the first-time starter suffered a sprained right thumb in Thursday night's romp over the Houston Texans, per a source.
The team is weighing its options on how to proceed with Brissett, but the injury is "not deemed to be a serious one," per Rapoport, who noted that the Patriots are expected to add another veteran quarterback.
Brissett was shown on the sideline in obvious discomfort during the third quarter of the Texans tilt, but he played from wire-to-wire.
New England has another nine days before playing the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. Garoppolo could potentially be healthy by then if Brissett can't go. Patriots receiver Julian Edelman also knows the position -- and could have been used in an emergency on Thursday night -- but he's far too valuable to start under center.
Veteran free-agent Matt Flynn could serve as a possible signing, along with fellow street arm Ryan Lindley. The Patriots only need help for one week, with Brady -- coming off his four-game suspension -- set to return to action in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick and play-caller Josh McDaniels deserve all the credit in the world for devastating a solid Texans team 27-0 on Thursday with the untested Brissett at the helm.
It was a total team effort, but Brissett was used wisely inside a game plan that asked him to throw just 19 passes while using his feet to run for 48 yards off eight carries, including a juicy 27-yard touchdown gallop.
For all the critics who want to temper Belichick's talents by calling this primarily a Brady-powered operation, the first three weeks of the new season have only magnified the coach's almost supernatural ability to prepare his team -- and especially his quarterbacks.
We wouldn't be surprised, by now, if Belichick signed Scarlett Johansson -- sight unseen -- and turned her into a 200-yard passer by Week 4. Anything feels possible for this year's Patriots
It will be interesting to see if the Vikings can even compete against the Panthers, or if it will be a quash match. The Vikings offense is so bad the defense has to score all the points.
NorseSig wrote: It will be interesting to see if the Vikings can even compete against the Panthers, or if it will be a quash match. The Vikings offense is so bad the defense has to score all the points.
Broncos game damn near gave me a heart attack. Two or three almost INT, offense was falling apart, and defense was lackluster until the second half. However, when he wasn't falling all over himself, Siemian was throwing some huge bombs for Touchdowns. 3 of them were 40+ yards.
Assuming our defense stays the same and can adjust with Ware being out, our offense rallies around Siemian, and Siemian can get rid of the Away game jitters, I think the Broncos could go for a Superbowl or at least the Playoffs.
Alpharius wrote: ...aside from that potentially very troubling injury to your QB though, right?
Hopefully it isn't too serious though.
Reports are that it's minor and he's not expected to miss any games, thankfully. He actually went back in for a few plays, and going to the backup probably had more to do with having a 30-point lead late in the game than Wilson being unable to play.
BigWaaagh wrote: And the Bears make baby Jesus cry, once again, but do provide one of the best highlights from the week with Amos' toe curling hit of Beasley.
That was a tremendous shot. I guess it knocked the wind out of him. He was back in a few minutes later, thankfully.
The Chiefs/Jets game was BRUTAL to watch... 8 turnovers, 6 ints, three of those in the endzone. Ryan Fitzpatrick ended with a QB rating of 18 and change.
Still, Philly is looking legit. Their DEF has just been beast mode, they haven't really needed to dial up the blitzes. Sacking Big Ben is supposed to be tough, they caught him 4 times, got a forced fumble and an INT. They held Pitt to 29 yds rushing.
So, First game Sunday is in London, Colts vs Jags. Looking at the stat lines, this one seems like a borefest. Jags have the Pass Def while the Colts have the Run Def, not that they need it. The Jags are one of the worst run teams. They do, however, have the better overall Def.
I'm gonna back the Jags in this one.
NFC East.
Philadelphia got the early bye, so no game for them.
Cleveland at Washington: 2nd best Pass game vs 4th best Run game and 2 of the worst overall Defenses.... Likely looking at a high scoring game.
Cleveland can win this if they can keep Washington's offense off the field by eating the clock with the run game.
Dallas at San Fran: Cowboys have the advantage here Offensively. Defensively they are about even, ranked 22nd (Dallas) and 20th (SF). This one comes down to Turnovers.
49ers can get the win here with a couple of picks.
NYG at Minnesota: Vikings are undefeated despite having an abysmal offense. Giants have one of the best offenses. Thgis one goes to the Defenses. Vikings have the advantage here as Eli tends to hold the ball too long and the Minn Def has been a sack machine racking up 15 over 3 games.
Vikings manage another win with some surprises on Offense, I'm thinking Petersen finds his rhythm in this one, slashing the Giants for 100yds.
NYG at Minnesota: Vikings are undefeated despite having an abysmal offense. Giants have one of the best offenses. Thgis one goes to the Defenses. Vikings have the advantage here as Eli tends to hold the ball too long and the Minn Def has been a sack machine racking up 15 over 3 games.
Vikings manage another win with some surprises on Offense, I'm thinking Petersen finds his rhythm in this one, slashing the Giants for 100yds.
NYG at Minnesota: Vikings are undefeated despite having an abysmal offense. Giants have one of the best offenses. Thgis one goes to the Defenses. Vikings have the advantage here as Eli tends to hold the ball too long and the Minn Def has been a sack machine racking up 15 over 3 games.
Vikings manage another win with some surprises on Offense, I'm thinking Petersen finds his rhythm in this one, slashing the Giants for 100yds.
Unless I'm missing something, probably...not?
I'm an Eagles Fan. Gotta dis the rivals a bit.
Besides, look at who the Giants have played so far, Dallas - who racked up 101yds on them, New Orleans - a non rush team who managed 41 yds on 13 carries, and Washington - another team with no run who managed 90 yds on 30 carries. They haven't really faced a decent run game yet this year. And The Vikings haven't really been running the ball that much so far this year.
Broncos beat the Buccs pretty handily, although our QB nearly getting taken out was scary (came back okay, but they didn't play him I assume to not risk it).
Steelers slaughtered KC. Bills beat the pants off the Pats, and I kind of feel bad for the Browns next week. Going up against a fresh Tom Brady with a whole team screaming for revenge? Yeah, I'm calling a 60-0 Pats win.
I now have a rotation of teams to root for:
-Patriots - - because feth the commissioner. Brady is back bitches and being 3-1? High Fives Ya'll.
-Broncos - - my fam lives in Denver now, and this team is interesting.
-Green Bay - - why not.
-Vikings - - I'll admit it... I'm a fan of Bradford. He's finally has a team that "fits" him. -Rammies - - hate the owners, but can't just disengage from following certain players. Their defense is beastly.
Alpharius wrote: There does seem to be a bit of a 'changing of the guard' going on, at least in the NFC?
Maybe?
Or this could just be a bit of a blip, and the usual 'Haves' will be there in the end...
Personally, at least when you look at a division like the NFC South, it isn't so much a changing of the guard, it's more that Atlanta is performing the way they've been expected to the past couple years, while Carolina has just for whatever reason stunk up the joint with their play.
NFC East, maybe there's a change coming, and interestingly, I've heard NFL commentators talking about how, when Romo comes back, JJ is probably going to make him start again since Romo is "his guy," despite the play of the new kid
NFC West, I also don't really see as much of a change, because it's been a perennially muddy conference. We kinda just beat the gak out of each other and see who's standing at the end.
In terms of the NFC west, the Seahawks getting an early bye week is about the best thing they could ask for. Wilson desperately needs some healing time.
Alpharius wrote: There does seem to be a bit of a 'changing of the guard' going on, at least in the NFC?
Maybe?
Or this could just be a bit of a blip, and the usual 'Haves' will be there in the end...
Personally, at least when you look at a division like the NFC South, it isn't so much a changing of the guard, it's more that Atlanta is performing the way they've been expected to the past couple years, while Carolina has just for whatever reason stunk up the joint with their play.
NFC East, maybe there's a change coming, and interestingly, I've heard NFL commentators talking about how, when Romo comes back, JJ is probably going to make him start again since Romo is "his guy," despite the play of the new kid
NFC West, I also don't really see as much of a change, because it's been a perennially muddy conference. We kinda just beat the gak out of each other and see who's standing at the end.
Romo, again? Man, can't he just retire before he gets hurt again?
The Texans vs Vikings game should be interesting. I might have to start getting out the ole vcr to record games so I can watch them. Apparently I can't record them on demand as the nfl has made a deal disallowing that feature :/ . I hear the Vikings offense is starting to gel, but I have been unable to watch as I have to work on weekends and mon/tues. Anyone else out there watching the Vikes? What is your take on the O?
NorseSig wrote: The Texans vs Vikings game should be interesting. I might have to start getting out the ole vcr to record games so I can watch them. Apparently I can't record them on demand as the nfl has made a deal disallowing that feature :/ . I hear the Vikings offense is starting to gel, but I have been unable to watch as I have to work on weekends and mon/tues. Anyone else out there watching the Vikes? What is your take on the O?
Gruden and that other guy on MNF made a huuuuuuge deal about how "conservative" the Vikes O has been these first weeks of the season. Strangely, I think this particular brand of conservatism in their play-calling is working. I wouldn't necessarily call it conservative, more that they have slimmed down, and simplified the playbook to allow Bradford time to learn their systems. This, I think, has lead to an O-line that has protected B-ford pretty well, as well as opening decent holes for AP, and his backup to run through. The pass protection is allowing him to make perhaps a bit more dangerous throws than we've seen from Bradford previously (IMHO, he was threading the needle a few times... almost to a point where I'd consider them to be Favre-esque, without Favre's brand of theatrical play. And by Favre-esque, I really mean that there were a number of completions that left me wondering how the heck the ball made it to the receiver)
And what's more interesting to me is, despite the "conservative" play-calling, slimmed down playbook, or whatever anyone wants to call whats going on there, The play-calling in game has been quite good thus far: they've kept defenses guessing and had pretty decent success moving the ball.
NorseSig wrote: The Texans vs Vikings game should be interesting. I might have to start getting out the ole vcr to record games so I can watch them. Apparently I can't record them on demand as the nfl has made a deal disallowing that feature :/ . I hear the Vikings offense is starting to gel, but I have been unable to watch as I have to work on weekends and mon/tues. Anyone else out there watching the Vikes? What is your take on the O?
Gruden and that other guy on MNF made a huuuuuuge deal about how "conservative" the Vikes O has been these first weeks of the season. Strangely, I think this particular brand of conservatism in their play-calling is working. I wouldn't necessarily call it conservative, more that they have slimmed down, and simplified the playbook to allow Bradford time to learn their systems. This, I think, has lead to an O-line that has protected B-ford pretty well, as well as opening decent holes for AP, and his backup to run through. The pass protection is allowing him to make perhaps a bit more dangerous throws than we've seen from Bradford previously (IMHO, he was threading the needle a few times... almost to a point where I'd consider them to be Favre-esque, without Favre's brand of theatrical play. And by Favre-esque, I really mean that there were a number of completions that left me wondering how the heck the ball made it to the receiver)
And what's more interesting to me is, despite the "conservative" play-calling, slimmed down playbook, or whatever anyone wants to call whats going on there, The play-calling in game has been quite good thus far: they've kept defenses guessing and had pretty decent success moving the ball.
I completely agree. A streamlined offense is less confusing for the line and makes cuts down the time the QB needs to learn the schemes. I think coaches try to get too cute a lot of the time and forget that it is fundamentals and not making too many mistakes that win games. If you have good passer protection, tight play and decent talent, you can go a long way.
I think coaches try to get too cute a lot of the time and forget that it is fundamentals and not making too many mistakes that win games. If you have good passer protection, tight play and decent talent, you can go a long way.
Agreed. I think there's something to be said about coaches who focus so much on "outsmarting" the opposing coach, they lose sight of the actual how to win: which is playing better than the opponent.
I think coaches try to get too cute a lot of the time and forget that it is fundamentals and not making too many mistakes that win games. If you have good passer protection, tight play and decent talent, you can go a long way.
Agreed. I think there's something to be said about coaches who focus so much on "outsmarting" the opposing coach, they lose sight of the actual how to win: which is playing better than the opponent.
I agree with this also.
Interestingly, Philly is running the same kind of O... Keeping it refined but allowing the QB to make plays as needed. Keeping the O "simplified" keeps the O-line from making too many mistakes. Superb Def play also helps, and building drives helps keep them fresh.
On to this weeks 'predictions'.....
Tonight a pair of 1-3s, Cards vs Niners: The 10th best Rush Offense (SF) and worst run Def vs the 15th best Rush O and 20th best Run Def (AZ), and the worst passing game in the league (SF) vs the 7th best Pass D. AZ has allowed 4 yds less than SF has gained per game and SF has allowed 40 yds more than AZ has gained. couple that with SF's abysmal pass Def and AZ's 9 sacks and 5 Ints....
This one goes to the Cards.
NFC East
Washington vs Baltimore: Given the strength of the Ravens Defense and their penchant for creating turnovers and the relative weakness of the Skins Offense and vulnerability to turnovers...
Ravens win this one in a low scoring match.
Dallas vs Cinncinati : Each actually plays to the others weakness on D. Bengals 3rd rated passing game and meh Run game vs Cowboy's meh pass D and ok run D, and Cowboys excellent run and meh passing vs Bengals meh run D and decent pass D. Hate to say it but....
Cowboys run all over the Bengals.
Philly vs Detroit: Eagles have a better than average Offense going up against one of the worst total Defenses in the league. Lions bring some decent O play but are going up against the 3rd best Defense....
Eagles rack another win.
Sunday Night, NYG in Lambeau vs Green Bay: The question here is which Defense comes out on top. GB hasn't been stellar except in one category, Sacks. NYG hasn't been running the ball much and that trend will continue against the top rated Run D. GB's offense really needs to step up here though. It's officially Fall now, so maybe they just needed the cold to wake them up...
GB in a close one.
And Yeah I know, my record so far is meh.... But it is better than some "experts".
Peregrine wrote: Dammit 49ers, you were supposed to take Arizona out of the division race entirely! You had one job to do!
I was gonna quote Helgrenze and somewhat agree with his assessment of the game, because I still have PS Vue (for now), and am unable to watch the game (thanks, d-bags... and feth you, twitter!)
But, you saved me a bit of time and wondering.
My own pre-game assessment, based on his numbers, was that because of SF's seeming inability to throw the ball, that worst run Def that AZ has, was gonna get a lot of help with a loaded box.
Inability to throw the ball is right. Stupid interceptions, inexcusable misses on wide-open receivers that should have been touchdowns, and constantly throwing short of the first down on third and long. Arizona wasn't exactly good, they just happened to suck less. You didn't miss much unless you really love punters.
Peregrine wrote: Inability to throw the ball is right. Stupid interceptions, inexcusable misses on wide-open receivers that should have been touchdowns, and constantly throwing short of the first down on third and long. Arizona wasn't exactly good, they just happened to suck less. You didn't miss much unless you really love punters.
Lol, so JSTOR holds more excitement than tonights game?
As much as I am a fan of the Vikings, I would have to say they will probably go down first. They have a long history of being inconsistent and choke artists. Which is why one of their colors is purple. If you were choking for over 40 years, you would be purple too.
As much as I am a fan of the Vikings, I would have to say they will probably go down first. They have a long history of being inconsistent and choke artists. Which is why one of their colors is purple. If you were choking for over 40 years, you would be purple too.
As much as I am a fan of the Vikings, I would have to say they will probably go down first. They have a long history of being inconsistent and choke artists. Which is why one of their colors is purple. If you were choking for over 40 years, you would be purple too.
Sam Bradford ain't too shabby eh?
I have never had an issue with Bradford on the Vikes. The issues to me are the still relatively weak offense and the history of choking and inconsistency (particularly in the late season and game quarters) . Often the Vikes don't adjust their tactics when they need to or it is obvious that they should. Yeah, they ate steak and got new horns for their helmets this week, but what about next week?
It was pretty damn ugly through half-time... then, I remembered I now have TV again, and switched it to the Cubs game October baseball>gakky MNF game between two gak teams I don't like
Man, for being a Superbowl team, the Panthers sure have fethed up this season. Maybe the Broncos rattled them too hard? Or all the gakky helmet to helmet hits on Newton in the first game KO'ed him?
I'd go right back to Romo. Just because Romo is playing doesn't mean they have to start throwing the ball all over the field. They can continue playing the same way. But Romo can make throws and win games Prescott can't at this point in time.
gorgon wrote: I'd go right back to Romo. Just because Romo is playing doesn't mean they have to start throwing the ball all over the field. They can continue playing the same way. But Romo can make throws and win games Prescott can't at this point in time.
IDK, Cowboys are 4-1 under Prescott. That loss came week 1 against the Giants. Next game is Green Bay at Lambeau, then, their bye before facing Philly.
Could they tank at GB, maybe, but Romo coming back against Philly's pass rush......That could be a mistake.
If they keep running the ball the way they have, then Romo won't take so many hits. Note that his best year (2014) was when Murray had his big season. He put up a passer rating over 113 and played 15 games. If he's feeling good and his skills haven't declined since then, 2014 Romo is far better than Prescott is now.
So, what is everyone's prediction on how their team will do this year and what is your reasoning? I predict the Vikings will make the playoffs, but won't get close to the bowl. We have an excellent head coach in Zimmer, and a defense I believe the "experts" have under rated, but I think the offense is still lacking. Combined with the bad luck they are having with injuries, I just don't think the Vikings have what they need to make it to the bowl . A kicker who chokes under pressure is another issue. I think Walsh's confidence is gone, and I don't see any sign of him getting it back. I think under Zimmer with the development of a stronger offense the Vikes could finally win a bowl in 2 or 3 years, but I just don't see it happening this year. It is a miracle and testimate to their defense that they are 5-0 now.
NorseSig wrote: So, what is everyone's prediction on how their team will do this year and what is your reasoning? I predict the Vikings will make the playoffs, but won't get close to the bowl. We have an excellent head coach in Zimmer, and a defense I believe the "experts" have under rated, but I think the offense is still lacking. Combined with the bad luck they are having with injuries, I just don't think the Vikings have what they need to make it to the bowl . A kicker who chokes under pressure is another issue. I think Walsh's confidence is gone, and I don't see any sign of him getting it back. I think under Zimmer with the development of a stronger offense the Vikes could finally win a bowl in 2 or 3 years, but I just don't see it happening this year. It is a miracle and testimate to their defense that they are 5-0 now.
Broncos will make it to the playoffs if we can get our gak together. The first game looked great, then we just started getting sloppy. This last game was pathetic. We lost by a touchdown (which is respectable), but our offense was nowhere to be seen and our defense flopped from amazing to poor back and forth. This next game will be very telling how the season will go for us, with Siemian coming back to play.
I think Philadelphia wins 10+ games and makes the playoffs.
Of course it would help bunches if Pete Morelli never officiates another game for them.... Bets if he never officiates any more games, ever.
They have one of the top Defenses currently Rated 2nd over all, 3rd in Run def, and 6th in pass. Even with Detroit being an outlier, they have only allowed 51 points, and racked up 10 sacks.
Their Offense isn't too shabby either, currently Ranked 12th over all, 20th in Pass, and 10th rushing with 12 touchdowns and only one interception so far.
10 wins is definitely doable with their schedule and the way they have been playing.
SB... maybe not THIS year.....
Texans will go 7-9, Os Brokewheeler will continue to struggle but then peel off 400 yards and 7 TD passing on the last game of the season so we won't make feth-all in changes this off season.
kronk wrote: Texans will go 7-9, Os Brokewheeler will continue to struggle but then peel off 400 yards and 7 TD passing on the last game of the season so we won't make feth-all in changes this off season.
Seahawks will make the playoffs, that I'm sure of. That said, I haven't seen enough of the NFC to make a call on how far they will go. Old rivals Carolina and Arizona are sputtering out of the gate, but the Vikings and Falcons are surging.
Well now... It seems I am 6-6-1 on my predictions. (The one was a "flip a coin" pick)
Lets see if I can improve:
Thursday Night
Broncos at Chargers: Charger's pass attack vs Bronco's pass def, both teams are meh in the run game though SD holds the advantage on run def. If Siemian plays it could go their way, but....
Chargers win this one by wearing down the Broncos Def.
NFCE
Baltimore at NYG: this one is almost too easy. Ravens D vs NYG O....
Ravens in a low scoring match.
Dallas at Green Bay: Both teams are going to need to find their passing game in this one. Both teams have been tearing things up running the ball, but they are opposed by a run def that matches them.
GB wins this by finally getting the ball in the air.
Philadelphia at Washington: Washington suffers from the "Feast or Famine" issue, Their Offense is good, their Def is horrid. Eagles are good on Off and have been amazing on Def. The Johnson suspension may hurt the Philly Oline as they are putting a rookie in his place.
Eagles win this one by taking advantage of the expected pass rush on the right side.
Dallas at Green Bay: Both teams are going to need to find their passing game in this one. Both teams have been tearing things up running the ball, but they are opposed by a run def that matches them.
GB wins this by finally getting the ball in the air.
From the in-game break highlights, looks like this one ain't going that way..
jreilly89 wrote: Man, for being a Superbowl team, the Panthers sure have fethed up this season. Maybe the Broncos rattled them too hard? Or all the gakky helmet to helmet hits on Newton in the first game KO'ed him?
There's a lot wrong, but the team does still have heart to not just pack it in and roll over like they did in Atlanta. Hoping with the bye week, we can get healthy as the back half is now all must win games. I think Cam has had a concussion since the horribly officiated Denver rematch, the Niners being awful masked that, but watching him get back in form even though it was still a loss is a relief. Also got to stop shooting ourselves in the freaking foot!
We could easily be 4-2 even with the poor effort from everyone on the D that doesn't play the LB spot and the OTs being horrible. (Remmers has to go, he was solid last year but Von Miller completely rattled and exposed him. When he went down the back up actually played better then he did.) Charles Johnson has hit an age wall I think, and Kony Ealy has regressed to the point I want them to put Lavar Edwards in. The DTs are getting doubled too much as well. The rookies aren't that bad their physical gifts are clear, but they DESPERATELY need a vet back there to help them cause they are biting on every double move they see. I think they NEED a Harper and/or Tillman more then they need to have Norman back. Still the core is there to get this thing back on track and Rivera has made a habit of slow starts and then hot runs. J-Stew when healthy is a beast, Olsen is the 2nd best TE in the league. Cam I swear I feel like he's a good LT away from making even his MVP season numbers look paltry. And we do have 2 of the best LBs in the game, with Denver having the other one.
At least the Lions and Jags won...Bengals....not so much.
I probably should stop making picks here. I am now 7-9-1 since last week.... but here I go again...
Tonight Chicago at Green Bay
Divisional games are always the hardest, but Green Bay needs to find their passing game. Yeah they can run the ball on Chicago's mediocre Run Def, but Cutler has been letting things fly and The Packers Pass Def is as bad as the Bears Run Def.
I'm going with Chicago on this one.
Dallas is off this week but may find a way to lose anyway with their brewing QB issues.
Morning Game From London NYG "at" LA Rams
UGH..... Can we get a decent game there sometime next year?
Both teams have been average, for the most part, each scoring 11 TDs, and allowing nearly the same amount of points, even have close to the same yardage in penalties. The Rams kind of have an advantage in Turnovers on Def, but also have given up quite a few on Off.
Eli is also sack prone, and LA has been getting to the QB enough to disrupt plays.
This is going to be a Kickers battle I think.
Rams have the advantage in that metric.
Washington at Detroit
Both teams have been successful on Offense but have bad Defenses. Victory margins for both teams have been, typically, within a touchdown Washinton's widest margin of 11 points was against the bottom dwelling Browns. Cousins also has a tendency of making bad decisions while being chased by rushers. I think Turnovers rule this one....
Detroit takes advantage of Washington's mistakes.
Minnesota at Philadelphia
I will refrain from making comments on the officiating in the last few Eagles games.
The Vikings rank dead last in Run Off, and not much better in passing. Philly has had some issues with the passing Off, but are developing a decent Run game.
This one comes down to the Defenses. Both teams have been great (mostly) in pass Def and have some awesome pass rushers.
I think Cox and company take advantage of what they know about Bradford to force turnovers
Eagles take this one.
helgrenze wrote: Washington at Detroit Both teams have been successful on Offense but have bad Defenses. Victory margins for both teams have been, typically, within a touchdown Washinton's widest margin of 11 points was against the bottom dwelling Browns. Cousins also has a tendency of making bad decisions while being chased by rushers. I think Turnovers rule this one.... Detroit takes advantage of Washington's mistakes.
In your hilariously terrible prediction for the Washington/Philly game, the "amazing" Philly defense gave up over 230 yards on the ground to what most people considered to be a bad rushing team (I believe you even said they have "no run" earlier in this thread) while their offense was unable score a touchdown.
The Skins defense has (rightfully) received a fair amount of criticism for their performance in the first two weeks of the year, especially for missing tackles. They've largely corrected those problems and have been playing pretty solid overall; they haven't allowed a touchdown in in seven quarters of play and haven't given up a second half touchdown in four games. On top of that, they've only allowed seven of twenty-seven third down conversions in the last two weeks (another weakness they've had earlier this season).
helgrenze wrote: Washington at Detroit
Both teams have been successful on Offense but have bad Defenses. Victory margins for both teams have been, typically, within a touchdown Washinton's widest margin of 11 points was against the bottom dwelling Browns. Cousins also has a tendency of making bad decisions while being chased by rushers. I think Turnovers rule this one....
Detroit takes advantage of Washington's mistakes.
In your hilariously terrible prediction for the Washington/Philly game, the "amazing" Philly defense gave up over 230 yards on the ground while their offense was unable score a touchdown.
The Skins defense has (rightfully) received a fair amount of criticism from their performance in the first two weeks of the year, especially for missing tackles. They've largely corrected those problems and have been playing pretty solid overall; they haven't allowed a touchdown in in seven quarters of play and haven't given up a second half touchdown in four games. On top of that, they've only allowed seven of twenty-seven third down conversions in the last two weeks (another weakness they've had earlier this season).
Washington's Def is rated 21st overall, allowing an average 366.5 yds per game and a total of 142 points. Detroit's is 25th, allowing an average of 379.7 yrd, and a total 153points. That's out of 32 teams.
Even with the issues in the last two games, Philadelphia's Def is ranked 6th, allowing 312 yards per game and a total of 78 points.
helgrenze wrote: In the Philly game, Both teams also benefitted from bad calls and missed holding penalties..
Yeah, I guess the refs let the horrible run game of the Redskins nearly out-gain the entire Eagles offense with wunderkind Carson Wentz at the helm. I guess the refs also are at fault for Wentz only completing 11 passes and getting sacked 5 times (including twice by Ryan Kerrigan, a dude who has literately only one move).
helgrenze wrote: In the Philly game, Both teams also benefitted from bad calls and missed holding penalties..
Yeah, I guess the refs let the horrible run game of the Redskins nearly out-gain the entire Eagles offense with wunderkind Carson Wentz at the helm.
I deleted that bit, but Offensive Holding can do wonders for a run game. And consider The 'Skins ripped Wentz's jersey from the collar down... but no call for the Horse Collar. Kerrigan was going against a rookie in his first pro game. That's a steep learning curve.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Damn, Chicago is down to Barkley at QB. And the Game might be tied at 3 each going into the half.
helgrenze wrote: I deleted that bit, but Offensive Holding can do wonders for a run game.
Right, the refs just handed Washington the game. I know it's easy to look for an outside source to blame for the loss, but the reality is that the Eagles were a fake 3-0 team going into their bye. Wentz has been exposed as a rookie quaterback (albeit one with considerable talent), the defense has put them in early holes, receivers haven't been making plays, and their overall team play has been undisciplined.
And consider The 'Skins ripped Wentz's jersey from the collar down... but no call for the Horse Collar.
That's because it wasn't a horse collar tackle.
Washington's Def is rated 21st overall, allowing an average 366.5 yds per game and a total of 142 points. Detroit's is 25th, allowing an average of 379.7 yrd, and a total 153points. That's out of 32 teams.
Funny enough, those are two teams the Eagles lost to and the end of the easiest part of their schedule. Imagine what will happen when they play teams with good defense, like the Vikings.
And it looks like the Vikings decided they really want that loss. Haven't seen them play this badly all year. Really getting sick of my Vikings inconsistency.
helgrenze wrote: Can we finally admit that Cleveland's O-line is crap?
They are on their 6th QB in 7 weeks.
It's tough to watch. We (The Texans) had a revolving door last year at QB. It is a crappy thing to go through all season.
All season? They have Started something like 26 QBs since restarting in '99. 17 years, 26 Qbs... and that's just the starters. Tebow's baseball contract might keep him unavailable, but J-Money is still kicking around. I don't think Philly has another QB they'd trade for a first round pick.
For some reason, I find myself agreeing with Skip Bayliss on something...
A few evenings ago, he and Shannon Sharpe were talking about NFL ratings/viewership being down.... While Skip denied that there's such thing as "too much" football, Shannon definitely was blaming the on-field quality of play, especially on Thursday Night games, on "too much football"... Regardless, both agreed that viewership was down because quality was down, the games simply haven't been all that good.
This was severely highlighted in last night's primetime game.... Seattle and AZ seemed to both not want to win, and while I expected a close game between division rivals, I expected better overall play. I also watched the Vikings game, which was terrible. The Steelers/Pats game wasn't much better to watch either... I think that something has got to change, and probably needs to change soon.
Alpharius wrote: I agree with...most of that, but injuries are always going to be a thing.
The Steelers were missing a lot of key personnel on offense - and a few on defense too!
That was one facet of at least one of their arguments (this was the weekend directly before TB came back)... They were mentioning how Aaron Rodgers hasn't been playing like Aaron Rodgers, the same as many other "star power" players, injuries happen, and that affects the game, naturally...
Ensis Ferrae wrote: For some reason, I find myself agreeing with Skip Bayliss on something...
A few evenings ago, he and Shannon Sharpe were talking about NFL ratings/viewership being down.... While Skip denied that there's such thing as "too much" football, Shannon definitely was blaming the on-field quality of play, especially on Thursday Night games, on "too much football"... Regardless, both agreed that viewership was down because quality was down, the games simply haven't been all that good.
This was severely highlighted in last night's primetime game.... Seattle and AZ seemed to both not want to win, and while I expected a close game between division rivals, I expected better overall play. I also watched the Vikings game, which was terrible. The Steelers/Pats game wasn't much better to watch either... I think that something has got to change, and probably needs to change soon.
I think it is two related factors at play. By increasing the number of games in the season, players get less recuperation so injuries and fatigue become a bigger issue. Don't forget that travel takes its toll as well. Second, they are oversaturating their target market. If you flood the air with football, people, especially casual fans, are going to get tired of it and be less interested in catching games overall. If teams are playing at a lower caliber due to the first issue, it will amplify the effect. I think the NFL has overestimated their growth potential and are now reaching a saturation point.
Ensis Ferrae wrote: For some reason, I find myself agreeing with Skip Bayliss on something...
A few evenings ago, he and Shannon Sharpe were talking about NFL ratings/viewership being down.... While Skip denied that there's such thing as "too much" football, Shannon definitely was blaming the on-field quality of play, especially on Thursday Night games, on "too much football"... Regardless, both agreed that viewership was down because quality was down, the games simply haven't been all that good.
This was severely highlighted in last night's primetime game.... Seattle and AZ seemed to both not want to win, and while I expected a close game between division rivals, I expected better overall play. I also watched the Vikings game, which was terrible. The Steelers/Pats game wasn't much better to watch either... I think that something has got to change, and probably needs to change soon.
I think it is two related factors at play. By increasing the number of games in the season, players get less recuperation so injuries and fatigue become a bigger issue. Don't forget that travel takes its toll as well. Second, they are oversaturating their target market. If you flood the air with football, people, especially casual fans, are going to get tired of it and be less interested in catching games overall. If teams are playing at a lower caliber due to the first issue, it will amplify the effect. I think the NFL has overestimated their growth potential and are now reaching a saturation point.
I'm not sure I'd buy that...
I think the NFL's decline is more due to the fact that:
-rules are obviously applied inconsistently
-what's a catch?
-Tuck rule
-Burial of Spygate
-Over reaction to Deflategate
-No fun league (meaning, no fun celebration in endzone)
-from STL perspective, the city was unfairly trashed
-SJW-isms.
-NFL being paid to "honor" US military and vets
-ubiquitous of alternative meda to watch the game
The league needs a leadership overhaul, and a true fething PR team to protect their brand.
Stay away from the social hot topic of the day, and simply play the damn game.
Goddam Texans: After Osweiler goes 22-41, 131 yds, there are now 2 active QBs w/ a game of 40+ atts & < 150 yds. The other is his teammate Brandon Weeden
Kronk, given how mediocre the Jags run def is, and how good the Texans Run Off is.
Texans don't really need to rely on the QB in this one.
NYG catch a break by having this week off.
Washington at Cincy
Somehow, we get the #6 and #5 Offenses facing each other.
This one will come down to Defense, but they are fairly even there too. Should be an exciting game.
Still picking Bengals to win though.
Sunday Night Philadelphia at Dallas.
History kind of favors Eagles as the have won the last three in Dallas, Dallas has won the last three in Philly.
This is the #3 offense vs the #5 Def.
I'm betting on special teams to keep this one close, But I am favoring Eagles in a close one.... maybe down to the wire.
What? I'm an Eagles fan. There is no way I can pick The Other Team.
KingmanHighborn wrote: So happy to see my Panthers absolutely thump someone from start to finish. Looks like the bye really helped them out.
So happy to see your Panthers give the Cardinals a L, meaning the Seahawks keep their lead in the division despite that debacle of a loss to the refs.
Seahawks fans have sunk to ref-blaming?!?
The shame...
On the plus side, we did get to see Tom Brady's mouthpiece on the turf in Buffalo this weekend
Also... as a Hawks fan who didn't watch the game (so I wont comment on whether or not the refs actually cost us the game), I will say that I have seen a number of games in which a team won due to shady/terrible officiating. It can be a valid reason.
Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
jreilly89 wrote: Man, for being a Superbowl team, the Panthers sure have fethed up this season. Maybe the Broncos rattled them too hard? Or all the gakky helmet to helmet hits on Newton in the first game KO'ed him?
There's a lot wrong, but the team does still have heart to not just pack it in and roll over like they did in Atlanta. Hoping with the bye week, we can get healthy as the back half is now all must win games. I think Cam has had a concussion since the horribly officiated Denver rematch, the Niners being awful masked that, but watching him get back in form even though it was still a loss is a relief. Also got to stop shooting ourselves in the freaking foot!
We could easily be 4-2 even with the poor effort from everyone on the D that doesn't play the LB spot and the OTs being horrible. (Remmers has to go, he was solid last year but Von Miller completely rattled and exposed him. When he went down the back up actually played better then he did.) Charles Johnson has hit an age wall I think, and Kony Ealy has regressed to the point I want them to put Lavar Edwards in. The DTs are getting doubled too much as well. The rookies aren't that bad their physical gifts are clear, but they DESPERATELY need a vet back there to help them cause they are biting on every double move they see. I think they NEED a Harper and/or Tillman more then they need to have Norman back. Still the core is there to get this thing back on track and Rivera has made a habit of slow starts and then hot runs. J-Stew when healthy is a beast, Olsen is the 2nd best TE in the league. Cam I swear I feel like he's a good LT away from making even his MVP season numbers look paltry. And we do have 2 of the best LBs in the game, with Denver having the other one.
At least the Lions and Jags won...Bengals....not so much.
They need to upgrade the offensive line. It was less of a problem last year when they had the running game working well but Kalil is the only above average starter on the line and it shows. Hurney gave Stewart an unconscionably bad contract and his fat salary prohibits the Panthers from spending more at RB to shore up the positon so when Stewart is hurt (which aside from last year is often) the running game fails. When Stewart is out their best runner is Cam and they need to minimize the hits he takes. Likewise when they can't run the line isn't great at protecting Cam when he drops back. It was nice that they brought back Johnson as he's a good veteran leader on the defense but he's old and wasn't that effective last year when he was healthy and they haven't had a dynamic pass rusher since Hardy. Without an end rusher their tackles get doubled too much especially now with Short not playing as well as last year and without a good pass rush their secondary gets exposed. If the Panthers stay healthy the rest of the year they should be able to put together a winning streak and make a playoff push but this team is still suffering from the salary cap hell that Hurney put them in.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ensis Ferrae wrote: For some reason, I find myself agreeing with Skip Bayliss on something...
A few evenings ago, he and Shannon Sharpe were talking about NFL ratings/viewership being down.... While Skip denied that there's such thing as "too much" football, Shannon definitely was blaming the on-field quality of play, especially on Thursday Night games, on "too much football"... Regardless, both agreed that viewership was down because quality was down, the games simply haven't been all that good.
This was severely highlighted in last night's primetime game.... Seattle and AZ seemed to both not want to win, and while I expected a close game between division rivals, I expected better overall play. I also watched the Vikings game, which was terrible. The Steelers/Pats game wasn't much better to watch either... I think that something has got to change, and probably needs to change soon.
A couple things in factor heavily, cable subscriptions are done, the number of people cutting the cord with cable so there are fewer people watching cable tv including ESPN. http://www.businessinsider.com/cable-tv-curbs-subscriber-losses-but-cord-cutters-continue-to-grow-2016-3 Secondly, there's more access to NFL games and that's bad for ratings. When I was growing up I only got to see 4 games a week, the 1pm, 4pm and night game on Sunday and the Monday night game. For our market it was Giants, Jets and then whatever the network's preferred matchup was in the other time slots. Now we have things like Titans vs Jaguars on Thursday night. Nobody wants to watch games like that. They pit bad times against each other and conflict with college football games. Plus you have fantasy football driving a lot of football fans and you don't need to watch the games to know how your fantasy team is doing, most serious fantasy players will be getting updates on their phone for their team. Fewer cable subscribers, weaker games and fantasy making game outcomes less meaningful means less viewership.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
I know in the Vikings vs Eagles game the refs ignored Zimmer's call for a TO. But, there were soooo many bad ref calls in that game on both sides that it hardly matters. Even if the refs would have called the game straight it wouldn't have mattered with how badly the Vikings played that game. Not that the Eagles played much better. That game was all around a mess.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Except that the hits he's been complaining about have mostly been in the pocket.
Cam is just learning what Roethlisberger did years ago. Some QBs are protected, and others aren't. If you're a big, strong guy, the odds are tilted even more against you. It's incredibly bush league of the NFL to protect Brady like they do, and yet not protect the league's reigning MVP.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Except that the hits he's been complaining about have mostly been in the pocket.
Cam is just learning what Roethlisberger did years ago. Some QBs are protected, and others aren't. If you're a big, strong guy, the odds are tilted even more against you. It's incredibly bush league of the NFL to protect Brady like they do, and yet not protect the league's reigning MVP.
I've watched a few of Cam's game and I think he's on to something... he seems to take more gratituous pounding in the pocket than when he scampers.
It's hardly shameful when it's accurate. Un-called blatant pass interference by the offense gave the Saints points they shouldn't have had. "Tackle the cornerback to get the other receiver open" is not a legal play.
(And if you're hinting at the end of the Falcons game, if any flags were thrown it should have been offsetting penalties and another try at 4th and long from the wrong end of the field, not a win for the Falcons.)
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Except that the hits he's been complaining about have mostly been in the pocket.
Cam is just learning what Roethlisberger did years ago. Some QBs are protected, and others aren't. If you're a big, strong guy, the odds are tilted even more against you. It's incredibly bush league of the NFL to protect Brady like they do, and yet not protect the league's reigning MVP.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Him being a big guy, expect to get hit hard and not have anyone point a finger. That being said, I've seen plenty of other guys half Newton's size take the same hits and not complain. I think Newton has a point, but it's not just him: they need to look at how all QB's get tackled, not just the big names.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Except that the hits he's been complaining about have mostly been in the pocket.
Cam is just learning what Roethlisberger did years ago. Some QBs are protected, and others aren't. If you're a big, strong guy, the odds are tilted even more against you. It's incredibly bush league of the NFL to protect Brady like they do, and yet not protect the league's reigning MVP.
I've watched a few of Cam's game and I think he's on to something... he seems to take more gratituous pounding in the pocket than when he scampers.
Is that bad pocket protection or intentional head hunting?
It's not just head hunting though, it's these diving shots at his knees and rolling into him like Kimo von Oelhoffen did to take out Carson Palmer's knee. You watch a lot of times guys roll into his legs and they are twisting his leg or ankle when he's down. In fact I've seen him almost kick a guy once because it was going uncalled.
Now he manned up on that hit in ATL, but those hits in in Denver, if called could have meant a victory for us.
And of course Denver has a lot of dirty players like Talib, who in that game tried to hit Benjamin in his knee.
KingmanHighborn wrote: It's not just head hunting though, it's these diving shots at his knees and rolling into him like Kimo von Oelhoffen did to take out Carson Palmer's knee. You watch a lot of times guys roll into his legs and they are twisting his leg or ankle when he's down. In fact I've seen him almost kick a guy once because it was going uncalled.
Now he manned up on that hit in ATL, but those hits in in Denver, if called could have meant a victory for us.
And of course Denver has a lot of dirty players like Talib, who in that game tried to hit Benjamin in his knee.
There were three uncalled hits that should have been flagged. Doubt it would have won the game for the Panthers, but it is what it is. Also, Talib had a lot of problems, but I believe he's been straightening out. These last three or four games he's played have had no dirty hits, it was just that first game against the Panthers. But once the Broncos get a reputation for "playing dirty", it doesn't matter what they do, people will call it dirty.
Second, I doubt a lot of the hits on Cam's legs are to intentionally injure him. He's a big guy, ofcourse they're going to go for his legs. It's the same thing that happens with Roethlisberger.
And the Vikings seem determined to see how BADLY they can play. The O-line and Norv are a dumpster fire that need to go. The defense shouldn't have to do everything, but they need to at least show up. Injuries or no injuries there is NO excuse for the Vikings to lose against the Bears. Looking like another very disappointing year for myself and other Viking fans.
NorseSig wrote: And the Vikings seem determined to see how BADLY they can play. The O-line and Norv are a dumpster fire that need to go. The defense shouldn't have to do everything, but they need to at least show up. Injuries or no injuries there is NO excuse for the Vikings to lose against the Bears. Looking like another very disappointing year for myself and other Viking fans.
There's no excuse for anyone to lose to the Bears. Their impotence to score within the 20 is incredible. I think last night's take aways were the gak job done by the Vike's O line...6 sacks on Bradford, IIRC...and Howard continuing to show potential for greatness. I can't wait until the end of this season and Bears get a good draft choice, Cutler gets the boot, hopefully Fox too.
NorseSig wrote: And the Vikings seem determined to see how BADLY they can play. The O-line and Norv are a dumpster fire that need to go. The defense shouldn't have to do everything, but they need to at least show up. Injuries or no injuries there is NO excuse for the Vikings to lose against the Bears. Looking like another very disappointing year for myself and other Viking fans.
I feel you on that, and I'm not even a Vikes fan. It looked like Minnesota was shaping into a contender but that O Line performance was absolutely terrible! And the less said about defense, the better.
NorseSig wrote: And the Vikings seem determined to see how BADLY they can play. The O-line and Norv are a dumpster fire that need to go. The defense shouldn't have to do everything, but they need to at least show up. Injuries or no injuries there is NO excuse for the Vikings to lose against the Bears. Looking like another very disappointing year for myself and other Viking fans.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season. Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
Him and Roethlisberger take bigger and later hits in the pocket without a penalty being called than Brady or Brees do, according to that one ESPN thingy I watched that time. They have a valid complaint, I think.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Good article, but I disagree with about half of it. The first, the helmet to helmet, isn't fair, because that first game of Denver vs. Carolina was total crap. There were three helmet to helmets that went uncalled, not very normal in a typical game. Second, the low hit they showed, the guy actually got up to apologize. Pretty obvious it was an accident.
I think Cam has a couple points, but I think he also needs to be a big boy like Roethlisberger, and man up. He's going to take some hard hits, but the NFL should meet him halfway and start calling bad hits on ALL QB's, not just the big names.
helgrenze wrote: Actually, several players and at least one coach have lodged complaints about the officiating this season.
Cam Newton wants to meet with Goodall to discuss the hits he's been taking vs some of the calls with other QBs.
One thing that really bothers me about Cam Newton's comments is how much he runs. If you try to be a running back, expect to be hit more/more helmet to helmet contact.
Good article, but I disagree with about half of it. The first, the helmet to helmet, isn't fair, because that first game of Denver vs. Carolina was total crap. There were three helmet to helmets that went uncalled, not very normal in a typical game. Second, the low hit they showed, the guy actually got up to apologize. Pretty obvious it was an accident.
I think Cam has a couple points, but I think he also needs to be a big boy like Roethlisberger, and man up. He's going to take some hard hits, but the NFL should meet him halfway and start calling bad hits on ALL QB's, not just the big names.
Pollard apologized to Brady after he tore Brady's ACL and they still created a rule based off that incident to protect quarterbacks from precisely that kind of hit. Pocket passers seem to get more roughing calls than mobile quarterbacks. Your point on Roethlisberger is a good one, Ben doesn't really run but he holds the ball forever and moves around the pocket and consequently gets a lot of contact and hits. He's the size of a tight end and frequently has defenders hanging on him, hitting his legs, etc. and doesn't seem to get the kind of calls that Brady and Brees get. Rodgers scrambles a lot and is an MVP and a superbowl champ and he gets more calls than Ben or Cam. The most important aspect of officiating in any sport is consistency and for whatever reason the NFL officials aren't very consistent with their calls on QB hits. If the NFL is going to pass special rules to protect QBs then they need to consistently enforce them.
Pollard apologized to Brady after he tore Brady's ACL and they still created a rule based off that incident to protect quarterbacks from precisely that kind of hit. Pocket passers seem to get more roughing calls than mobile quarterbacks. Your point on Roethlisberger is a good one, Ben doesn't really run but he holds the ball forever and moves around the pocket and consequently gets a lot of contact and hits. He's the size of a tight end and frequently has defenders hanging on him, hitting his legs, etc. and doesn't seem to get the kind of calls that Brady and Brees get. Rodgers scrambles a lot and is an MVP and a superbowl champ and he gets more calls than Ben or Cam. The most important aspect of officiating in any sport is consistency and for whatever reason the NFL officials aren't very consistent with their calls on QB hits. If the NFL is going to pass special rules to protect QBs then they need to consistently enforce them.
Agreed, unfortunately the NFL, much like WWE or any other entertainment network, is in the entertainment business, so they protect their money makers like Brady and Rodgers the most. Guys like Cam and other rookies fall to the way side until they bring in enough ad revenue.
