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National Football League

Page 405 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Nice to be right sometimes. I predicted that Miami would only lose by 20 this week. Worst point differential over four games since 1940. Good win for the Browns. The Bills threw the game away against the Patriots with some horrible mistakes. Josh Allen has to do better than that. Frank the Tank Gore still doing it. Denver and the Redskins continue to struggle. Rams and Bucs was a bizarre game. Defense took a holiday. Larry Fitz now second on all time receiving yards. Cowboys and Saints grinding one out.
 
Nice to be right sometimes. I predicted that Miami would only lose by 20 this week. Worst point differential over four games since 1940. Good win for the Browns. The Bills threw the game away against the Patriots with some horrible mistakes. Josh Allen has to do better than that. Frank the Tank Gore still doing it. Denver and the Redskins continue to struggle. Rams and Bucs was a bizarre game. Defense took a holiday. Larry Fitz now second on all time receiving yards. Cowboys and Saints grinding one out.
No kidding with the Bills! Allen was terrible with 3 picks before he left the game in the 4th with the concussion. But Barkley didn't help matters in relief throwing that costly pick with 1:27 left in the game and the Bills at NE's 39 yd line down only16-10. Barkley has shown he's an incompetent backup - he had plenty of time left in the game and all they needed was a score. I had forgotten who the Bill's backup was when Allen went down and seeing Barkley come in, I thought to myself the Bills have no chance now. Lol.

Denver continues to struggle big time. They're now 0-4 for only the second time in franchise history. They have an 8 game losing streak going back to the last 4 they lost last season under Joseph (a lot of difference Fanzio has made so far. Lol). Fournette ate the Bronco defense up with a career best 225 yards! And Minshew was magnificent particularly when it counted most. Though he was sacked 5 times he literally escaped like a magician 4 other sacks and was able to get the pass thrown for big completions. When the Broncos scored the go ahead TD, Minshew was left with a buck 38 at his own 25. He moved the team down the field into chip shot FG range with precision like a seasoned veteran (btw, time of possession for the Jags was a whopping 39:12!). This kid is a playmaker - and if this keeps up I think the Jags are going to have a tough decision to make when Foles is cleared off IR and is ready to play. Elway, OTOH, has real problems - this is a team he excepted to be in playoff contention this year and not in a rebuilding phase.
 
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Jones wasn't ejected because the only similaritie to Burfict's hit was it was helmet to helmet.

This is VB's hit:
"Vontaze Burfict Laughs After Getting Ejected For Dirty Hit" on YouTube
View: https://youtu.be/V2TXfvN75Ec


Burfict clearly goes with his head on a defenseless receiver. Clear and cut foul, no attempt whatsoever to not perform the action, and had zero reason to do that.

"Josh Allen Knocked Out On Huge Hit Vs. Patriots 2019" on YouTube
View: https://youtu.be/Jabxf8lGjfo


Allen is a runner attempting to gain a first down and chooses not to slide. Allen is 6'5", Jones is 5'10". Allen is already leaning forward and bracing for the hits to gain the first down before being touched by a defender. He is beginning to be tackled by Harmon but still leaning forward to gain the first down. In the video you can see Jones turn and go to hit Allen with his shoulder to stop forward momentum from gaining a first down. Jones lead with his shoulder. Allen already bracing down and being tackled by Harmon caused the helmet to helmet because he is 7"'s taller. It was a bang bang play.

In fact if you felt so inclined, you can argue Allen is the one who did helmet to helmet to Jones. He's the one that lowered his head for contact and hit Jones on the side of the helmet while hitting the crown of his. It sucks Allen was injured like that, but that's football.

This article explains briefly why Jones wasn't ejected.




And on the Bills saying they would have been ejected if they did that to Brady; unfortunately they wouldn't have been because Brady would never have put himself in that position.

Chris Long and Richard Sherman on the hit.

 
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So I had written previously that i hoped Texans or Ravens could challenge the Pats. Ooops. Away at those two i hoped would be tough games. Meh.
Those two aren't going anywhere.
AFC is a joke this year. I guess KC has a chance. but i find it hard to forgive KC for blowing HFA against a weaker Pats team last year. 50 more years of no superbowl would be justice for such a crime.
 
Jones wasn't ejected because the only similaritie to Burfict's hit was it was helmet to helmet.

This is VB's hit:
"Vontaze Burfict Laughs After Getting Ejected For Dirty Hit" on YouTube
View: https://youtu.be/V2TXfvN75Ec


Burfict clearly goes with his head on a defenseless receiver. Clear and cut foul, no attempt whatsoever to not perform the action, and had zero reason to do that.

"Josh Allen Knocked Out On Huge Hit Vs. Patriots 2019" on YouTube
View: https://youtu.be/Jabxf8lGjfo


Allen is a runner attempting to gain a first down and chooses not to slide. Allen is 6'5", Jones is 5'10". Allen is already leaning forward and bracing for the hits to gain the first down before being touched by a defender. He is beginning to be tackled by Harmon but still leaning forward to gain the first down. In the video you can see Jones turn and go to hit Allen with his shoulder to stop forward momentum from gaining a first down. Jones lead with his shoulder. Allen already bracing down and being tackled by Harmon caused the helmet to helmet because he is 7"'s taller. It was a bang bang play.

In fact if you felt so inclined, you can argue Allen is the one who did helmet to helmet to Jones. He's the one that lowered his head for contact and hit Jones on the side of the helmet while hitting the crown of his. It sucks Allen was injured like that, but that's football.

This article explains briefly why Jones wasn't ejected.




And on the Bills saying they would have been ejected if they did that to Brady; unfortunately they wouldn't have been because Brady would never have put himself in that position.

Chris Long and Richard Sherman on the hit.

Burfict may have been laughing after his ejection but the NFL gets the last laugh: Burfict suspended for the rest of the season. LOL


One must wonder why the Raiders would have signed this trouble maker in the first place. He's too much of a liability to have on your team.
 
Burfict may have been laughing after his ejection but the NFL gets the last laugh: Burfict suspended for the rest of the season. LOL


One must wonder why the Raiders would have signed this trouble maker in the first place. He's too much of a liability to have on your team.


I read he was going to try appealing but he has zero chance in regards to his history and this hit. I hope he doesn't play again, he's always playing dirty.
 
As a Raider fan, I say good riddance. He was an excellent player a few years back, who was also a distraction (and cost his team one of the worst losses in franchise history). Now, he's just average, but still has the same problems. Bears come to Oakland on Sunday. I can't imagine Mack won't get a pretty good welcome there. Still bummed the team let him get away.

If the Vikings lose to the Giants, look for a lot of talk of Kirk Cousins head. But their backup is Sean Mannion. So...

Right now it's the Patriot defense that's superb. I wouldn't even say their offense is as bad as the Bills excellent defense made it look. As to the Bills, Allen actually threw the ball well, and his picks were not bad throws, most of them just deep, or tipped. Regarding scheduling, the Steelers were supposed to be good, but the Patriots made them look even worse than they (overhyped) were. Bills play Tennessee next.

I knew the Steelers would start winning, but the Bengals looked horrible, as bad as Miami. They host the Ravens next week.

Impressed that Cleveland's offense woke up. Really nice win, on the road in Baltimore. They play at SF on Monday. Niners on a bye, and one of only 3 unbeaten teams (KC and NE).

Right now, the Saints have to be very happy. They are winning important games without Brees, and without Bridgewater even near his potential. Dallas offense was just stifled. They host the Packers next week.

The Rams gave up 55 points. Let that sink in, wow. Yes, this was a "trap" game of sorts, but still, wow.

Thursday's Rams Seahawks game should be interesting, as much as I dislike Thursday games.
 
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Why was the Patriot player not tossed from the game for targeting? It looked like a textbook case of targeting to me on the hit on Allen that took him out of the game. (Doubt it makes any difference in the game though.)
there was a difference in the hits if you compare them. He still should have been disqualified from the game.
Anyhow the Patriots won so it was a good thing.
 
Bears don't come to Oakland, Oakland gets another "home" game out of the country, as they have for the last 3 years. London.

Nah, the NFL doesn't have it out for the Raiders at all.


This. Out of the country games are cool and all but a disadvantage for teams (especially those on the west coast going to London) and the "home" team loses a home game. I think it would be more fair if they extended the games and had every team travel abroad to London and Mexico and Toronto. That way it's fair across the board, or these can be the preseason/ pro bowl games.

I don't remember if I brought it up here but I also wish the schedule had up to 19 games in the regular season and add a bye week. Keep the 16 as is and add 3 games against the same seeds in the opposite conference. That way you can actually see the best teams play each other more as if you're number 1 seed for last year, you're playing 7 former number 1 teams. Which also gives fans in other states more chances to see their favorite teams more (take for example I like the dolphins and patriots and have no desire to go to Raiders when they come to Vegas unless those 2 are playing).
 
As a Raider fan, I say good riddance. He was an excellent player a few years back, who was also a distraction (and cost his team one of the worst losses in franchise history). Now, he's just average, but still has the same problems. Bears come to Oakland on Sunday. I can't imagine Mack won't get a pretty good welcome there. Still bummed the team let him get away.

If the Vikings lose to the Giants, look for a lot of talk of Kirk Cousins head. But their backup is Sean Mannion. So...

Right now it's the Patriot defense that's superb. I wouldn't even say their offense is as bad as the Bills excellent defense made it look. As to the Bills, Allen actually threw the ball well, and his picks were not bad throws, most of them just deep, or tipped. Regarding scheduling, the Steelers were supposed to be good, but the Patriots made them look even worse than they (overhyped) were. Bills play Tennessee next.

I knew the Steelers would start winning, but the Bengals looked horrible, as bad as Miami. They host the Ravens next week.

Impressed that Cleveland's offense woke up. Really nice win, on the road in Baltimore. They play at SF on Monday. Niners on a bye, and one of only 3 unbeaten teams (KC and NE).

Right now, the Saints have to be very happy. They are winning important games without Brees, and without Bridgewater even near his potential. Dallas offense was just stifled. They host the Packers next week.

The Rams gave up 55 points. Let that sink in, wow. Yes, this was a "trap" game of sorts, but still, wow.

Thursday's Rams Seahawks game should be interesting, as much as I dislike Thursday games.

As for the Rams, Goff hasn't looked good this season nor has Gurley. Too early to tell with them, but so far some warning signs and their defense was putrid. Next week with the Hawks could be telling. I put the Bengals in the same category as Denver and Washington at the moment but above Miami. For me Allen tries to run the ball too much and gets caught with the ball too often. Sometimes he has to throw it away otherwise he risks becoming the next Andrew Luck ! I thought the Bills blew the game. The Viking and Falcons also have to have some alarm bells ringing as well. Saints have to be very happy. I am looking forward to the Browns/49ers game, should be a good one. One more suspension for Burfict will be the end of his career. No team will take him on with that record.
 
Head to head contact is bad. All of us now know. But spearing is bad but shouldn't be illegal if the players(tacklers) arm are in front of the helmet. Hard hitting is different than misconduct..
watching any vintage video of the pursuit of quarterbacks? In the grasp has always been part of NFL defense..in the past the grasp was so they could bodyslam the QB against the ground as violently and hard as humanly possible.
different game.
 
Burfict should be banned for life. He's gonna kill someone, maybe himself.

Think the NFL hasn't changed? Many years ago I heard an interview with Sammy Baugh, one of the greatest QBs of all time. He surprised the interviewer and I guess most of us listening by saying that in his day, opposing defensive players could hit the QB AFTER he had thrown the ball. Buagh talked about how he would throw a pass, then run around the field with defensive players chasing him until the play was whistled dead.

Some of Baugh's highlights:

He set an NFL record by completing 70.33% of his passes one season (remember, this was not like the pass-happy environment we have today; not only were receivers much less protected by interference rules than they are now, but even the shape of the ball at that time--more like a rugby ball--made it harder to throw). Only three times since has that completion % been exceeded, twice by Brees. Baugh led the league in passing six times--only Steve Young has equalled that--and in completion % seven times, second all-time.

In 1937, he set a record for most passing yardage by a rookie QB in a postseason game, which stood for 75 years until Russell Wilson broke it.

He played at a time when NFL players went both ways, playing both offense and defense. He played both QB and cornerback, and also punted. One year he led the league in passing, interceptions and punting yards/kick. In one game, he threw four TD passes, and had four interceptions. He set a single season record for punting average that still stands, and retired with the highest career punting average of all time, which is still second.
 
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WTF Ken Norton ?! "we pride ourselves on defense so in crunch time lets play soft". Prevent defense usually prevents you from winning. LAME LAME LAME! SEA got lucky that Z choked.

Yep they got lucky. The last drive by Seattle was poor but I think the NFC West is going to be a dogfight anyway. One of the harder divisions. The intercept by Seattle was one of those plays that often comes close but this time worked by a matter of inches.
 
I was impressed with the Saints beating Dallas. They didn't look great on offense, but they got the win. Bridgewater looked a bit better, but still has a way to go. Thomas and Hill looked to have good games. Kamara was brilliant again. The defence looked really good, Dallas averaged over 30 points a game and while they've had a pretty easy start to the season I think holding them to 10 was a very good result.
 
Yep they got lucky. The last drive by Seattle was poor but I think the NFC West is going to be a dogfight anyway. One of the harder divisions. The intercept by Seattle was one of those plays that often comes close but this time worked by a matter of inches.
True it is Seattle got lucky Z missed the final FG try. But that was a wash because the Seattle kicker missed a FG near the end of the first half. In terms of mistakes, the game was fairly even.

It can also be argued Seattle nearly threw the game away by 1) not getting the final 1st down to close out the game [bad play calling & execution], and 2) as JMDIRT noted, "WTF Norton's" LAME defensive calling by playing soft by allowing all underneath passes and not getting pressure on Goff. I mean, in this game and previous games it has been shown that Goff is less accurate and prone to mistakes when he gets even just a little pressure in his face. So in that final Rams drive Norton should have been dialing up more blitzes.

Finally, Penny is not nearly as physical as Carson, nor as effective. Seattle needs to get Prosise into the game and split time with Penny because I think Prosise might be better than Penny. But they are not going to find out for sure until they give Prosise real game reps.
 
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next in my installment of imo obviously wrong decisions from coaches in pressure situations, was Seattle not going for it on 4th and 1 from the 30 near the end of the first quarter.

I felt like it was the wrong decision because 4th and 1 generally seems easier to convert than a 48 yard fg, Especially the way the Seahawks offense was playing.

But more than this, kicking the fg with 1.40 left in the qtr, whether you make it or not gives the ball back to the opponent, with more than enough time to score back, the 3 you made or more.

and what happened. fg missed. rams take over and get their first td, albeit with the help of a roughing the passer call on 4th and 10.

Seahawks dominated the first half yet ended up with nothing to show for it because of that decision. people talk about "lynch on the 1 yard line" but i trust Carson on 4th and 1 on the 30 yard line more.

rams were the better team in the second and seahawks had to use an entire seasons worth of luck to hold on. it didnt have to be that difficult.
 
I too thought both teams had real chances to put that game away, but did not. That call against Clay Matthews also really hurt the Rams. But there were several plays, by both teams that almost cost the game, such as the prevent defense. Of course, Norton could come on here and remind us Seattle won the game.

Otherwise, this was a typical Thursday game with some sloppy play, but at least no season ending injuries (I believe, hope). I'm left with one reason to watch though, as you are able to see teams that you don't normally see in your region. I can't recall the last time I saw a full Tampa, Arizona, or Detroit game for example.

Peculiar that SF is in first at 3-0, followed by Seattle at 4-1. By the numbers though, the Rams are still probably the best team in that division. But it's really hard to stay on top, and very frequently teams who lose the Super Bowl, become average the next year, often fading late in the season.

As to Buffalo, they are on almost every week where I live. Josh Allen must be hard to coach, but he has huge potential, he really does. He has an incredible arm, moves across the entire field well, and plays relatively calm. When plays develop quickly, when he pulls the trigger, he's had drives where he marches the team right down the field looking a little like Jim Kelly in the process (did I just go there?!). When plays break down, and he gets outside the pocket he's able to sometimes make things happen with his legs, often saving drives. But somewhere between there, 3rd, 4th options, protection slowly breaking down as he moves around, he doesn't always make the best decision, often forcing balls with his arm, thinking defenders won't get to where he's throwing it as quick as they do. He's thrown 6 interceptions this year, but over half of those were deep bombs, not too different than a punt.

I didn't make any predictions last week, at least I don't think so. I'll see if I can do that later today or tomorrow morning.
 
JAX@CAR - Which unknown QB is for real?
NE@WAS - This has the makings of a "trap" game, especially if New England's offense can't get going, but Washington just has too many problems.
BUF@TEN - While I like Buffalo, I also like the Titans.
BAL@PIT - This is an intriguing match up. A week ago it looked like the Ravens would blow them out. Now, I'm not so sure.
ATL@HOU - I'm still puzzled why the Falcons are playing so poorly, but a loss here and their season is at jeopardy.
MIN@NYG - Same for Minnesota. Is it all really Kirk Cousins fault? If the Giants win, this is a huge victory for Jones, and Dave Gettleman, if it isn't already. They lose, then what? I don't see Eli playing again.
CHI@OAK - Forgot the Raiders don't get this home game. Another notch on the anti-Raider conspiracy belt (Tom Flores, Cliff Branch still not in HOF, Stabler had to die to get in, etc.).
GB@DAL - One of these teams is going to come away in the divers seat of their division. But the other won't be out of it.
IND@KC - The Colts blew last week's game and have a chance here. I still don't think the Chiefs are quite what they were last season.
CLE@SF - I honestly think the Browns are just deeper, have more offensive tools. But this should be a really good game to watch.
 

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