National Football League

[FoxxyBrown1111]

What you guys mean with ROY? Return on investment? There is no such thing. Remember the NFL is a socialist system where almost all money is shared. Looking at things this way, i must admit Brown in Cincy is really clever. He don´t throw too much millions after his players and still gets his share...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Put down the lager!

Rookie of the Year

Not to be confused with ROI- Return on Investment.

Making me look wise, Weeden looks much better tonight against GB than last week. Browns up 32-10 in 4th. This is without Richardson. But GB trying many schemes on defense, and can't be considered full strength.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

You see. I surely pulled a boner. No excuse...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

What you guys mean with ROY? Return on investment? ...

Put down the lager!

Rookie of the Year

Making me look wise, Weeden looks much better tonight against GB than last week. Browns up 32-10 in 4th. This is without Richardson. But GB trying many schemes on defense, and can't be considered full strength.

LOL! You guys are keeping me in stitches! ... put down the lager. Post of the thread maybe. And Foxxy gets A+ for the setup man.

Well, it does not help GB that their D is not all that great (a big help to Weeden). That plus if they tried different schemes that they may not be too familiar with can't help GB either. Didn't see the game tho'.

Uh, looking at that list, do they really think Luck is going to be ROY? On that team? I guess he could, but I would think if he does hype and anticipation will have a lot to do with it. What I mean by that is that people want him to do good and win it, so he might. Sort of like the way so many people wanted Eli Manning to be the next Peyton, so they overlooked so many of his flaws, and credited him when the great NYG defense won games.

Fascinating that Tannehill is on that list, even though he's not expected to start, and it's unknown when he's actually going to play (though I think he will), while it's widely expected that Brandon Weeden will start for the Browns. And throw his weak 1st pre-season game out the window. It had about as much meaning as Andrew Luck's great performance against a dismal StL defense (that also made Hornish look like Joe Montana).

I'd drop Blackmon down that list. He has a weak team and a weak QB throwing to him, and he got to camp late.

Irvin is scheduled to be a situational player in Seattle! Playing a lot of 3rd downs and in dime packages! Guys like that don't end up ROY!

I have to think Luck and Tannehill at those spots on their list had much to do with how they played the first pre-season game. Both did pretty well. So maybe that teeny tiny little glimpse changed some thinking. That is what I meant by "not too many surprises" after last weeks outing. Granted last week was Colts vs. the Lambs, so not much of a test there. But had Luck and Tanne performed poorly last week I don't think they'd be at those spots on the list.

I thought the same about Blackmon, but he can potentially be a serious impact player. That's why he's there on that list.

Irvin: what are the odds of someone at #15 on the list making ROY? Not very good. But yeah, I agree. Now Bobby Wagner, if he makes the starting rotation at MLB, will not be a situational player and has a much better chance of being considered for ROY. For a MLB, this kid is fast, and if he stays healthy, who knows.

edit: Dom Davis looked very good in backup for Atlanta tonight. He will definitely contest for the #3 QB, and maybe #2, position. Trivia tidbit: Dom Davis and Matt Ryan both played on the same team at Boston College. Now they are teammates again.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

LOL! You guys are keeping me in stitches! ... put down the lager. Post of the thread maybe. And Foxxy gets A+ for the setup man.

Well, i do my best to enjoy you all.
What a blunder i did. Ouch...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Blame it on translation, and good German beer.

I have to think Luck and Tannehill at those spots on their list had much to do with how they played the first pre-season game.

The Colts beat the Rams! Maybe the worst team in the NFL, with an entire new coaching staff, who lost their DC just two months ago (Williams)! If that doesn't matter, I'm picking Chandler Hornish for ROY. I think Luck will get hurt, and hell step in. Plus, since Hornish completed every pass he threw in that game, had a 17 ypp avg, and a TD, it makes perfect sense.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Well, i do my best to enjoy you all.
What a blunder i did. Ouch...

If I had a dime for every blunder I made I would not be as poor as I am. So welcome to my world.

Blame it on translation, and good German beer.

The Colts beat the Rams! Maybe the worst team in the NFL, with an entire new coaching staff, who lost their DC just two months ago (Williams)! If that doesn't matter, I'm picking Chandler Hornish for ROY. I think Luck will get hurt, and hell step in. Plus, since Hornish completed every pass he threw in that game, had a 17 ypp avg, and a TD, it makes perfect sense.

Put that way it does make sense, but what a turn of events that would be.

I only saw about one quarter of the first half of the Lions vs Raves, but in what I saw Stafford and Megatron looked very sharp. (I can't believe I wrote that... what else should we expect!) BUT DADBLASTTHEFLATTERAP, I missed Kellen Moore's play. I saw the stats... 10/15 for 96 yards and a 6.4 yards per pass average. But did anyone see how he looked?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

replace the replacement REFS

I can't contain myself any longer. These replacement REFS have to go before the start of the regular season. Besides Bleacher's take on these boys:
ranking-the-biggest-flops-so-far-this-preseason/page/2. edit... if nothing else you have to watch the video on this page of the link... it's ridiculous.

I'm sure there are countless other examples of how badly they have blundered. Including this one from a game I was listening to on satelite radio: Giants at Jets, Jets had the ball and had just advanced the ball to what looked like (to the NFL radio announcers) a first down, but the refs did not signal a first down. So the refs were trying to MAKE the Jets run the next play, which would have been 3rd or 4th down. But the Jets, seeing it was spotted enough for a first down just stood around waiting for the refs. Then someone must have asked the refs to bring the chains out for a measurement, which they did. But the refs did not signal to stop the play clock and it continued to tick down. Terrible. Grid-kid officials do a better job.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Wow, that was ridiculous! Just terrible! The NFL needs to fast track a resolution with the real refs, ASAP!

Andrew Luck not so good tonight against the Steelers. Two picks, one pick-six. But he did show good poise and some good passes once he settled down.

It's now no secret that Seattle is shopping Tjax. I say he doesn't play another down in Seattle. Didn't see much of the Denver-Sea game, but I did see some weak throws on Manning's part, including two picks. No highlights of Sea's two QB's (Flynn/Wilson).

Locker ended up looking sloppy, mistake prone, while Matt Hasselbeck looked sharp. Interesting to see what happens in the next Tenn game...

Raiders DE Tommy Kelly said Kevin Kolb was playing scared. Not only does this basically mean Kolb has maybe one more chance before he's benched and Skelton is named the starter in Arizona. It makes him rather toxic because of his contract.

If you ask me, Adrian Peterson is coming back too soon from off-season ACL surgery.

Chargers Vince Brown has a broken ankle, and will be out several weeks.

Good news for 49ers. I said the other day that Brandon Jacobs looked a bit thinner than the last year or two. He was carted off the field on Saturday with fears of an ACL tear. But MRI showed no damage, and at worst he'll miss one regular season game. If he is healthy, he really adds to a potent 49er running game.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Vs Steelers was good learning experience for Luck. Aside from those two mistakes he still looked pretty good with plenty of poise. The Steelers threw a lot of blitzes at him, which is perfect for Luck... just what he needs to learn from.

TJax is saying he is willing to restructure his contract, but I'm not sure what that means for him or Seattle. It might make him easier to trade.

I agree Peterson is coming back too soon. I don't recall the broadcast whether it was ESPN or NFL.com, but Jerry Rice said the same thing and that from his experience it is better to take the extra time off.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Was talking with a friend in Oregon today about the sad fate of Darron Thomas, ex-QB of the Oregon Ducks who opted to forgo his senior year at Oregon and enter the NFL draft. For some reason, or someone he believed told him, he figured because the Ducks won the Rose Bowl and he somewhat outplayed Russell Wilson, and the previous year he somewhat outplayed Cam Newton in a loss to Auburn, that he'd get picked high. But he's somewhat undersized, doesn't have that strong of an arm, threw to a lot of wide open receivers, and he plays in a spread option that's heavy pass laden, and runs a lot of hurry-up. He said he saw what happened with Cam Newton and thought the same could happen with him. But he had weak combines and pro days, wasn't drafted, went to a few camps and was promptly cut, even not making practice squads, and now isn't even in the CFL, or Arena leagues, and instead sitting at home in Texas, waiting for a phone to ring that quite possibly never will.

Let this be a lesson to you kids. If scouts and experts say you're not there yet, pay attention. Good article here.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

LOL@ P & E Manning:
a combined 23/37 239 0/3 for a rating of 47.0

Will it finally be the year of regression to the mean?
You know, i don´t like guys who think they are the center of the universe & being totally creedy, yet depending fully of the 10 men around them (playoff nervous P) or were just incredibly lucky so far (E).

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well, it's the pre-season. Still, Peyton did not look that good to me. And I don't mean rusty, it looked more than that. Slow reads, lack of snap and touch on the ball. If I were a betting man, I'd bet against a great year. Plus, I think Denver doesn't have the best OL, which is going to make things challenging. Everyone is picking Denver in the AFC West, but I like KC. As long as Matt Cassell doesn't tank, that team has a lot of deep talent at many positions, and Romeo Crenell is well liked and a motivator.

As to Eli, I've never thought he was that good, so that's easy to agree with. But the NYG defense and OL are still good, so I see another 9-7 year. With that Eli will again be in the middle of the key stat list, but pundits and NY media will still praise him and call him one of the five best QB in the league.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Will it finally be the year of regression to the mean?

Could be. More likely so for PManning. At Indy, PMan had those receivers who he had developed such a familiarity with that they could just look at each other and know what route to run and where to go with the ball. PMan does not have that yet at Denver.

As for Eli, I agree with you and Alpe. He still comes through as a clutch QB. Or is that just luck?

@Alpe: Good lesson, but a sad one for Darron Thomas because of his bad choice to jump to the NFL too early.

Newsfront: Eagles Vick sustained a rib injury. Nothing is broken though. But will that result in the Eagles looking for a backup QB, like Tavares Jackson?
It is almost certain TJax will be traded, and teams now in need of a backup are the Cards (they just plain need someone... actually they need a starter), Packers (due to fact Flynn is gone), and now possibly the Eagles.

LB David Hawthorne, who Seattle lost in the offseason to the Saints, was injured. So now Seattle has traded Barrett Ruud, who Seattle acquired in the offseason to replace Hawthorne, to the Saints for a future draft pick. That cements rookie LB Bobby Wagner, who has had a great camp, as the starting MLB for Seattle.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Bills DE Shawne Merriman waived on August 20. LINK explains why. Can't say this was not expected. Maybe they resign him for less if he clears waivers.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

With TJax, I don't think the Cards are looking for a QB, as they need a starter. I think the plan is to start Skelton, and groom Ryan Lindley. Then find a way to dump Kolb and his contract (not easy). Tjax would give them another version of what they already have, a guy who can't pull the trigger when he needs to. Something Flynn and Wilson are doing fine with in Seattle.

Philly would be a decent fit for TJax. While rookie Nick Foles has quietly exceeded expectations and impressed, I don't know that he's ready to be the backup that plays a lot behind an often hurt Vick (but it won't be Kafka or Edwards). I've said a few times on here, I think the Eagles have a lot of talent and after getting their tail handed to them last year, I think they'll be more in check and win the NFC East. But I don't see Vick leading them to the promised land. He's just not consistent enough as a passer. He'll have one excellent game, even a good playoff game, but never enough back to back against good teams. Plus, as he is more and more prone to injury... It makes me wonder if some Eagles think not 2012, but 2013 is their year, with Foles at QB. Foles is also a big, strong guy. Ben Roethlesberger/Cam Newton big. Check him out if you can.

Packers are saying Graham Harrell is their backup QB. He's not Matt Flynn, but played okay and with poise in the pre-season and doesn't make many bad decisions. So I doubt they'll look to get TJax.

Hours after me saying they had a lot of talent, the Chiefs looked flat, and poor on defense against the Rams. Granted, it's pre-season, but still. As an aside, the Chiefs have Alex Tanney on their roster, fighting for the 3rd string. Tanney has yet to play a down, while Ricky Stanzi has not played well at all, and Quinn still could bomb or be a headache like in the past. Gimmicks tricks and all, I'd like to see Tanney at least get a shot.

 

[Merckx index]

Another article on the nightmare that many ex-NFL players live:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/166835296.html?refer=y&refer=y

Once a popular quarterback for the New York Jets, Lucas became a person even he despised after retiring from football in 2003 at the age of 31. He wasn't a loving dad, devoted husband or loyal son. He no longer lived in a cocoon of adulation in a city that worships its sports stars.

Instead, he was a drug addict.

His daily existence revolved around consuming a cocktail of painkillers. He downed them by the handful, sometimes 80 pills a day, a habit that cost him $2,200 a month. He lost his job and then his upscale home.

A severe neck injury suffered during his playing days left him debilitated and in constant pain. He needed surgery but had no insurance. He battled depression on top of his physical ailments. So he medicated himself, and withered, until he reached the moment he mapped out his suicide.

But this says it all:

"I love the game," he said, standing outside the PAST clinic on a spring afternoon. "I've had 13 surgeries and been through hell. And if I could go back tomorrow, I'd go in a second. If somebody said, 'Ray, you can go back and do it all over again, but you're going to have to go through the same thing,' I'd go back in a second. In a second."

He wasn’t a star, he wasn’t even a starter, most of the time. And the game still meant that much to him.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

I know what he means. I ruined my back & right arm in baseball, but still would do the same. Even sometimes i think to play again in a low league, if i just would be able to have enough arm left for at least some practise balls & then some relief innings. It´s just a dream... Even after throwing some footballs w/my daughter last week, i know it´s impossible...

Pete Gent ("North Dallas Forty") said that guys who ruined their health and still say they would do the same all over again are lying to themselves. B/c if they would say different they would realize they were idiots. I like him, but disagree on that point.

@ Alpe: I´d like to know what Brock thinks...

Anyway, thanks for the link.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Philly would be a decent fit for TJax. While rookie Nick Foles has quietly exceeded expectations and impressed, I don't know that he's ready to be the backup that plays a lot behind an often hurt Vick (but it won't be Kafka or Edwards). I've said a few times on here, I think the Eagles have a lot of talent and after getting their tail handed to them last year, I think they'll be more in check and win the NFC East. But I don't see Vick leading them to the promised land. He's just not consistent enough as a passer. He'll have one excellent game, even a good playoff game, but never enough back to back against good teams. Plus, as he is more and more prone to injury... It makes me wonder if some Eagles think not 2012, but 2013 is their year, with Foles at QB. Foles is also a big, strong guy. Ben Roethlesberger/Cam Newton big. Check him out if you can.

I did check him out. That's a horse. Good assessment of those QB situations. BTW, there's another article in Bleacher's titled something like "Nick Foles gives Andy Reid a little peace of mind". LINK. So maybe Reid is happy to stick with what he's got.

But this says it all:

"I love the game," he said, standing outside the PAST clinic on a spring afternoon. "I've had 13 surgeries and been through hell. And if I could go back tomorrow, I'd go in a second. If somebody said, 'Ray, you can go back and do it all over again, but you're going to have to go through the same thing,' I'd go back in a second. In a second."

He wasn’t a star, he wasn’t even a starter, most of the time. And the game still meant that much to him.

There's a lot of that kind of attitude in the NFL, college, semi-pro, and some even in high school. Don't blame 'em. Better to live when you can than die old having not tried. Concussions now may give a different response or attitude towards. I have not met anyone who would want to have their brain pithed.

I know what he means. I ruined my back & right arm in baseball, but still would do the same. Even sometimes i think to play again in a low league, if i just would be able to have enough arm left for at least some practise balls & then some relief innings. It´s just a dream... Even after throwing some footballs w/my daughter last week, i know it´s impossible...

Meh, a few more lagers to take the edge off the pain should do the trick.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

1.) Better to live when you can than die old having not tried.

2.) Meh, a few more lagers to take the edge off the pain should do the trick.

1.) Yes sure. That describes it the best i think.

2.) LOL. I already had real accuracy issues w/o being drunk.
If i had played drunk, i may would have had more wild pitches than strikeouts...
Anyway, thanks. Just reminds me of our SS who once had to play with sunglasses after a full drunken night. He managed to set a team record w/no less than six errors in one game. Hilarious.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Just found out Redskins announced the retirement of RB Clinton Portis yesterday. Now they should trade for Maurice Jones Drew.

Here's one for thought (off topic)... sun glasses in staff meetings.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

@ Alpe: I´d like to know what Brock thinks...

I moved across the country and don't see him much anymore. I do know he was thankful he had all his mental faculties. He would joke that he'd forget to do some chore around the house and worry that getting hit in the head in his NFL days made him forget, and his wife would remind him he "forgot" to do the same chores before he played football.

The guy also said when he came into the NFL it was the dirty old days, a lot like North Dallas Forty.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I think it still is the dirty old days. For instance, I've heard reports that in training camps the vets might take a shot at a rookie who was drafted to eventually fill their position. By "shot" I mean attempt to beak a leg, or otherwise disable the "replacement player". I don't know if the new players do some of the things that guys like Conrad Dober used to do, like bite others players in the pile.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm sure there's still dirty play, you bet. But you have to remember back then things like head slaps, horse collar, chop blocks, crackback blocks, helmet to helmet, etc. were all legal.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

You definitely have a point there.

Just for fun, check out this ESPN list of the dirtiest pro players ever: http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/dirtiest/players.html.
And then this Bleacher's list of the 12 dirtiest NFL players one year ago (August 12 2011): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/801296-12-dirtiest-players-in-the-nfl-today....
Chris Clemons, DE, Seattle Seahawks
Brian Dawkins, FS, Denver Broncos
Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Cortland Finnegan, CB, Tennessee Titans
James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jason Babin, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Richie Incognito, G, Miami Dolphins
Joey Porter, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
Roy Williams, FS, Cincinnati Bengals
Adrian Wilson, FS, Arizona Cardinals
Albert Haynesworth, DT, New England Patriots