National Football League

[Alpe d'Huez]

WAS @ MIN
OAK @ NYG - I badly want the Raiders, but even the hapless Giants can score on this team.
SEA @ ATL - Falcons so out of hope.
BUF @ PIT - Buffalo simply a more solid team. Probably.
CIN @ BAL - I still think the Ravens have the ability to spoil a few games, but not this one.
DET @ CHI - Cutler back? Lions iffy on the road.
PHI @ GB - Even with AR out, Packers still better team.
STL @ IND - Really like the Colts.
JAX @ TEN - Locker could have a career day.
CAR @ SF - Should be a great game.
DEN @ SD - Should be one of those 48-40 games.
HOU @ ARI - Keenum future QB for Tex? But Ari better overall.
DAL @ NO - Dallas can't win this, slip one game closer to losing division on last day of year to Giants.
MIA @ TB - This is Tampa's Superbowl.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

(1) This isn't an MLB thread, but I completely agree with you there. That was one strange WS. Bad bounces, and poor decisions by Leland.

(2) So, how many games will they win without him? The Giants for example are celebrating. They now think this is a win for them, and after they beat Dallas in a couple weeks, ...

(3) ... they'll be in 1st and headed to the playoffs, and ultimately winning the Superbowl against the Patriots, being the first NFL champion in history with a 7-9 record, like Foxxy predicts.

(1) To be fair it was about all major sports (incl. football). For comparison reasons. We did it here before (comparing major leagues), and I think it belongs here. I am just surprised that MLB is the most random. I was sure that it should be hockey...

(2) If Wallace is the average backup, of which I think he is, the Packers with him will lose exact one more game than they would have with Rodgers in the regular season.

(3) That might happen anyway. I shall bet now, when the odds are still great.

 

[The Hitch]

Rams

Tampa leading Seattle was shocking enough, but 28 unanswered points. Can't see indy taking that back.

 

[The Hitch]

Bengals just pulled off a 50 yard hail mary to take it into overtime.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Bengals just pulled off a 50 yard hail mary to take it into overtime.

I shat myself, couldn't believe my eyes. All's well that ends well.

 

[The Hitch]

I shat myself, couldn't believe my eyes. All's well that ends well.

Yeah, yall definately deserved the win, but it was a hillarious td by Bengals


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/bengals-hail-mary/

 

[The Hitch]

I shat myself, couldn't believe my eyes. All's well that ends well.

Yeah, yall definately deserved the win, but it was a hillarious td by Bengals


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/bengals-hail-mary/

Back to NFL, no bias here , but in the only games that matter to me:
SEA @ ATL - Quinn & Cable spank SEA "D" and "OL", respectively, into submission
CAR @ SFO - Panthas actually are dangerous, but so is SF
The past 2 week's performance by Seattle and a string of 5 wins by SFO (even if the 5 wins were STL, HOU, ARI, TEN, and JAX) naturally has all the experts talking about a SF super bowl run, and have forgotten (but not written off) Seattle. I love it. Just the way I like it. Hawks will be edgy.

Very well done,1manarmy. Your 2 out of two beats my 1 out of one last week.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

My picks this week were terrible, but I generally like the outcome of a lot of the games. Keeps things interesting. The most mind blowing was St. Louis demolition of Indy. That was amazing.

Denver simply has to be at the top of the power rankings though. They find ways to win behind PM. And in two weeks when they beat Kansas City by double digits to move back into 1st place, they'll be everyone's #1. At least until the weather gets nasty, and we'll see how they do then.

Nice workmanlike win by Seattle. Finally played a solid game like we knew they could.

Not shocked that SF got beat by Carolina, but injuries have played a big part of their problems.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Don't know why all this cheering that Oregon lost to Stanford..

Tricycle Rider nailed it about there being NW Pac-12 rivalries. As a Coug, I still like the Dawgs and Ducks. But, it is old news now, the comments by Duck DC Aliotti several weeks about WSU HC Mike Leach being low class for passing late the their matchup fired me up. Aliotti's comments were actually low class, and he ended up being immediately reprimanded by the PAC-12, which led to his public apologies about the derogatory comments he made. That was just bad judgment on his part, he admitted it, paid the price, and everyone has moved on.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Hello, I recently heard about the hazing/bullying incident involving Incognito and Martin, and I had to wonder: is this an isolated incident in this specific team, or is hazing a part of every team in the NFL?

I was surprised because in other sports that I follow, such as cycling or European football, teams are always trying hard to integrate players as best as they can and make sure everyone gets along...

Is this not the case for American football? It seems to me this specific team could not have put a lot of emphasis on "team building" activities - or else this could not have happened.

There has been a lot of tiring talk about the Martin/Incognito/Miami situation. It is hard to comment on it at this point because not all the facts have been made public. We only have accusations with some facts to back them up. But my impression is that to the degree of bullying we have heard, that this is an isolated incident on one team.

That said, almost all teams veteran players treat rookies a little differently, but it is usually done in fun. Some examples:
- pick up the tab for a meal (some actually get expensive) but the rookie is usually a part of the dinner party, as opposed to having his ATM stolen by players who run up a tab without the rookie player in attendance
- carrying the veteran player's gear on and off the practice field
- carrying practice equipment (blocking dummies, etc) on and off the practice field
- running simple errands
- giving rooks weird hair cuts
- shaving off rooks eyebrows
These are examples of minor treatment, but nothing of the sort we have heard related to the Incognito case.

I would really be surprised if any other NFL teams had cases of bullying going on like is being reported about Miami. A person who is part of a close knit team knows the personality of the player next to him. Those guys know HOW a certain player is going to react to being treated poorly, or made fun of. They guys who players know can take it in good humor often are the targets. I have seen and heard guys get a lot of ribbing (but not to the level of bullying), but those are usually the guys who make light of it and joke it off. But the guys who players know cannot take it so well will often receive more grace.

You will hear coaches talk about treating players in such a way to help integrate them into the team. Players don't often use the term "integrate" though. When you think about it, minor teasing/hazing like some of the examples above and others like it actually help integrate a young player too. So minor stuff like that is not bad, it should be just fun.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Q

Two high school bush league plays in one NFL game:
1) as Hitch said - a Raves DB becomes like a volleyball setter... for the Bengal receiver to score a TD and send the game into OT. I am still shaking my head at that dumb play.
2) the Bengals become the Bungles, this time by the coaches decision to go for a first down on 4th and 2 in OT when they should have kicked the FG. While a FG would not have ended the game, it would have given them some points with a chance to win.

Rams, bam, what happened?
1) big plays (Tevon Austin majorly)
2) special teams (Mr. "T" for Tevon again... fun to watch, if you're not playing him.
3) turnovers, 5 of them given up by Indy. Cannot win games with that many turnovers.
4) give the Rams D credit there. Rams D has talent and they come to play tough.
I have been saying for 2 seasons now that the Rams are up and coming, and are dangerous. Plus they are well coached. Teams better be prepared to play them.

Not surprised the Panthas beat SFO. Carolina's D is solid, which showed in only giving up 150 yards total offense to the 9ers. CAR D sealed the game by preventing SF from moving the ball in the final minutes. SF had a few critical injuries, most notably TE Vernon Davis (concussion), which is a major hit.

Have to agree on the Broncs in the power rankings (standings... that's for you Foxxy ). Props to the Broncs staff stepping up during the loss of Fox to his medical emergency... and OFC PManning.

Seattle actually tackled the ball carrier this week, consistently. DC Dan Quinn not only reviewed film of the past 2 games when things were heading south, he also reviewed all other games played by SEA this year to see what they were doing right, and what other teams were doing/not doing. Then on the offensive side, Cable worked magic. The only two OL positions that were pretty stable in terms of player participation were C and RT. He had the usual McQuistan-Carpenter combination at LT-LG, but moved McQuistan in to LG with Bailey (rookie undrafted FA) at LT, then also used Bailey at RG in place of Sweesey. Bailey is turning out to be a mauling road grader making holes for Lynch.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Well... I shouldn´t have bet against "my" team.
But who could have known that the backup gets injured, and a cold no practicse reps backup-backup had to come in. Anyway, actually Tolzien & the Offense played a decent game (as expected by me; 415 yards, just 5 yards below the season Avg.). Unlucky the D gave up 3 long TD passes, and the leg swinger missed two FGs.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I would really be surprised if any other NFL teams had cases of bullying going on like is being reported about Miami.

This is what I have concluded. But there must have been more incidents similar to this. Bill Romanowski was on the radio the other day saying when he was a rookie Charles Haley basically beat the crap out of him on the practice field, and got into his head into the locker room. Romanowski said it contributed to his own craziness. This story is probably true to an extent at least. You may recall Haley almost beat up Steve Young (of all people) in a locker room incident that got him traded, and was later diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder. He was probably a total animal when "on", during that time.

... Bungles, this time by the coaches decision to go for a first down on 4th and 2 in OT when they should have kicked the FG.

I'm not sure about that. It would have been about a 52 yarder, into the wind, with an iffy kicker. I would have done what the "old" Marvin Lewis would have done, and that's punted. Kevin Huber is 7th in the league in net punting, with 18 inside the 20 kicks, with just one single touchback. The Bengal defense had been pretty decent at holding off the Ravens in the 2nd half, and Huber likely would have made them start from around their own 10 yard line, maybe the 5. Somewhere Ray Guy was shaking his head. Once the Bengals botched 4th down, it inspired the Ravens with that short field, and that was the game.

Speaking of 4th and short. Anyone notice what's happening in the NFL nowdays? How no team has a short running game anymore? The league is so pass heavy, no team really has much of a power running attack. There are no fullbacks to speak of, and very few power runners you can count on to get a push from a run based OL. Everything is predicated around pass protection. I'd be really curious to see running stats on 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1, versus years past.

As an aside to that, so much for Andy Dalton having a noodle arm. He threw a pretty good 55 yard toss into the wind on that hail Mary!

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

How could I forget Haley & Romanowski! I thought after Romanowski left the 9ers that he broke a teammates jaw... but I don't know for sure. Still, I think those are not commonplace and might be better categorized as random, spontaneous fighting as opposed to bullying, which is more deliberate and regular.

52 yard Fg is within most kickers range. Line of scrimmage would have been 34-35 yard line and spotted @ the 42, and if Fg is missed gets spotted there. So a potential spot on the 42 if missed would be a bit of a deterrent if the kick team HC does not have confidence in the kicker. That would be Nugent for Cincy, who has a long of 54 yards this season but not a great fg pct (about 74%)... so ehhhh, I can see where the HC may hesitate to put the kicker out there. But I'd put a good reliable kicker out there in that situation.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Indy, WTF?

Courtesy of the Colts I'm dead in survival football, at least it was a complete blowout. (Unlike Tennessee... 77% of Yahoo players are dead because they had picked the Titans. Losing by just 2 points, that has got to burn.)

We should have a survival football contest here next season - at first glance it seems easy, but it's deceivingly tricky. It's fun, though.

Anyhoo, back to the regularly scheduled program...

Smokin' Jay Cutler's groin seems to be better, but now he has a bum ankle. So he's out again.

Peyton Manning also has a bum ankle, but so far he is scheduled to play this weekend. This season seems to be pretty rough on the QBs...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Indy? Maybe the players all have cats that wake them up all night long so they can't get any good sleep.... like one of mine, who has developed a two-tone meow-meow that sounds like "wake up".

So how does survival football work? I'm interested.

What is going on?
- Chiefs star WR alleged to get busted for speeding/pot possession (LINK)
- Houston releases Ed Reed (link)
- Matt Flynn is back as a backup Packer QB (I actually thought Green Bay should re-sign Matt) (link)

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

- Matt Flynn is back as a backup Packer QB (I actually thought Green Bay should re-sign Matt) (link)

Is he now the backup backup backup, or only the backup backup, which would mean Wallace is demoted one spot?
AFIK Tolzien is the backup now, thus starting until the true starter Rodgers is back. Unless Tolzien gets injured too, or is benched. Then Flynn is starting??
I guess i should bet another 10 on a GB win.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Indy? Maybe the players all have cats that wake them up all night long so they can't get any good sleep.... like one of mine, who has developed a two-tone meow-meow that sounds like "wake up".

So how does survival football work? I'm interested.

It's really easy. Each week you have to pick only one team you think will win, but the trick is you can use that particular team only once the entire season. (Unless you make it all the way to the playoffs, I don't know anyone personally who has lasted that long. I sure never have.)


There are private leagues and public leagues, right now there are only 4,000 Yahoo players left. (That's with over 45,000 of remaining players having been eliminated last weekend due to the Titans' and Colts' loss). So, while it's not as popular as fantasy football it does get its share of traffic.


Speaking of which... I used to play fantasy football many years ago, but it's just too time consuming for me now. Survival football is quick and easy. (Well, not so easy if you get eliminated, especially in the very first week. )

 

[Pricey_sky]

Huge win for the Panthers last week and another big test coming up as the Patriots visit for Monday night football. Another win there and the Panthers can start to dream of the play-offs, and to think my friends laughed at me when I suggested they could be involved in the play-offs before the season kicked off.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

It's really easy. Each week you have to pick only one team you think will win, but the trick is you can use that particular team only once the entire season. (Unless you make it all the way to the playoffs, I don't know anyone personally who has lasted that long. I sure never have.)


There are private leagues and public leagues, right now there are only 4,000 Yahoo players left. (That's with over 45,000 of remaining players having been eliminated last weekend due to the Titans' and Colts' loss). So, while it's not as popular as fantasy football it does get its share of traffic.


Speaking of which... I used to play fantasy football many years ago, but it's just too time consuming for me now. Survival football is quick and easy. (Well, not so easy if you get eliminated, especially in the very first week. )

I'm in if we start one here. Fantasy league is way too much of a time sink for me too. Sounds kind of fun. I can see there would be a little strategy in it.

Getting more and more of a European following to the NFL here.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Is he now the backup backup backup, or only the backup backup, which would mean Wallace is demoted one spot?
AFIK Tolzien is the backup now, thus starting until the true starter Rodgers is back. Unless Tolzien gets injured too, or is benched. Then Flynn is starting??
I guess i should bet another 10 on a GB win.

Packers put Seneca on season-ending injured reserve. So Flynn will now be the No. 2 behind Scott Tolzien against the Giants next Sunday. I guess that means Matt is the backup backup until Rogers returns, when he would then become the backup backup backup unless he can beat out Tolzien for the #2 spot.

I wonder if Flynn now wishes that he never left the Packers for Seattle in the first place, but nothing ventured nothing gained as the saying goes. I still think he can be a good QB in this league. I don't think the situations in Seattle, Oakland, and Buffalo were quite right for him.

Speaking of Seneca Wallace, he has had a nice backup QB career, but he could have been a stud kick returner.

 

[Merckx index]

Sam Hurd, former Dallas and Chicago WR and special teams player, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on drug charges. I guess for him this is good news and bad news. The good news is he didn’t get life, which was what the prosecution wanted and what most observers expected; the bad news is that his NFL career is definitely over. Barring a successful appeal, he will have to serve about thirteen years of the sentence before being eligible for parole. So no Michael Vick-type of comeback possible.

This is a very depressing story. By the accounts of many who knew him, he was a kind-hearted, down-to-earth guy, devoted husband and father, who gave back to the community and wanted to help kids. Someone who seemed like a great role model, and actually won an award for his character from the Cowboys while the feds were investigating him. He didn’t deny that he was buying and smoking prodigious amounts of marijuana throughout his NFL career, and selling it (at or near cost) to many of his teammates. What hurt him were recordings indicating he was willing to buy large amounts of cocaine regularly from a notorious Mexican cartel, and a meeting with feds posing as cartel members who gave him a kilo. His claim is that he was helping a friend of his get back almost $100,000 that Hurd had given him for marijuana, which was lost during a drug bust. IOW, he was just a financial backer, allowing his friend to get back into the game. There is in fact no direct evidence that he ever trafficked in or even personally used cocaine.

He sounds totally contrite, and doesn't deny that he deserves to do some time for his involvement in drugs. But his prosecution alleges that he was a major importer and seller of cocaine, which is based on very shaky evidence.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I'm in if we start one here. Fantasy league is way too much of a time sink for me too. Sounds kind of fun. I can see there would be a little strategy in it.

I can set up a private league for here next year then.

The hardest part is the first few weeks when teams are hard to gauge, I know some pretty knowledgeable football fans who got eliminated very early on. They then have a whole year to rest and think about where they went wrong.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

RIP Todd Christianson. A great TE with great hands, and a personable guy. One of several Raiders not in the Hall, but should be.

I actually tried survival football once. Made it about three weeks in. It is simple, much better than fantasy football.

Packers put Seneca on season-ending injured reserve. So Flynn will now be the No. 2 behind Scott Tolzien against the Giants next Sunday.

We have no idea what they are planning, but I wouldn't be shocked if Matt doesn't play much. The Packers like Tolzien for the future, so unless he just gets hammered, he'll take all the snaps.

I wonder if Flynn now wishes that he never left the Packers for Seattle in the first place.

Doubt it. He signed a rather large contract. Granted, only a few million were guaranteed, but he has to now have 5x the money he did when he left GB.

Getting more and more of a European following to the NFL here.

Cool. Now, in a couple years when Jacksonville moves to London...

Seriously, this may sound nuts, but if they brought back the Concord jet, there could be teams in Europe. They'd have to share the jet(s), have home and away games in blocks of 4 weeks at a time, and only play East coast teams, but it's doable.

Weekly picks in a few hours...

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Luck or Locker, I can't keep them straight.

Anyhoo, I'll take Tennessee for now, rest will come later.