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736

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 15!

« on: December 19, 2010, 06:26:54 PM »

Records going into SNF (comments about the cool games following later):
Gil: 6-8
Leno: 6-8
Me: 7-7

Lucky me for an fugly week!

737

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 15!

« on: December 16, 2010, 07:06:06 PM »

Week 15 schedule:

Yay?

49'ers @ Chargers (Thursday)

Chargers - This is a fight for survival for both teams. However, the 49ers are still not good enough...

Browns @ Bengals (division)

Browns - The Bungles are a disaster... really. Although, does anyone believe Delhomme is the solution?

Redskins @ Cowboys (division)

Cowboys - Despite the SNF loss, the Redskins are a worse team... and they may just start Grossman over McNabb.

Texans @ Titans (division)

Texans - Does anyone feel sorry for Moss now?

Jaguars @ Colts (division)

Colts - There's something about stats, where there's a discrepancy in the giveaway-takeaway ratio is simply striking for the Jags...

Chiefs @ Rams

Rams - The lack of Cassel (which is looking somewhat doubtful) makes this pick flip-flop very easily.

Bills @ Dolphins (division)

Bills - Contrary to what Rex Ryan said about their own d, the fish only scored 10 points off of turnovers. The fish are simply not that good... and neither are the Bills. At least the Bills can actually score at random intervals.... despite the fish are still able to get into the playoffs...

Eagles @ Giants (division)

Eagles - The Giants lost day to the Vikings might be the unfortunate edge.

Lions @ Buccaneers

Bucs - The strange win the Lions got is only that... strange.

Cardinals @ Panthers

Cards - I guess there's potential for an upset, but the Cards are somehow the better team here...

Saints @ Ravens

Saints - There's something really odd about this Raven defense where they give up so many points to bad teams... like the Texans or Bills...

Falcons @ Seahawks

Falcons - Just bet on a double digit loss for the Seahawks. When they are losing, they lose big.

Jets @ Steelers

Steelers - This game can potentially be closer than it should. It's a real battle of defenses and Big Ben is the better QB, but that o-line might just get Ben killed.

Broncos @ Raiders (division)

Raiders - I don't think promoting the RB coach as the interim head coach sounds like a good idea...

Packers @ Patriots

Pats - With the likely probability that Rodgers is not playing, one wonders how that Packers defense will hold up.

Bears @ Vikings (division, Monday)

Bears - Leno, real football is played outdoors. Get a new open door stadium... blow up the lame Metrodome. Dome teams have not been tough enough (outside of insane QB play) to rise up to the challenge. 

738

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 14, 2010, 04:23:50 PM »

Vikings are planning to play against the Bears in the outdoors of the University of Minnesota. "Home field advantage" eh?

739

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 14, 2010, 01:17:50 AM »

Vikings only score 3 points, plus the "home field advantage" today was really more like a "neutral field"... and it doesn't really seem like Tavaris Jackson is the answer....

740

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 13, 2010, 07:36:01 PM »

So, it's finally official. No more Favre+ironman streak talk. It's over! At least this is the beginning of the end for Favre...

On a related thought, IIRC in 08, I believe this was Forte's 2nd year... and it was asked on these boards about how he wasn't as effective as his rookie year. The failure to fix/improve this o-line is indirectly hurting Matt Forte. The problem though is that he's a pass catching RB (think Addai or Brown of the Colts) and it's really easy to make parallels to Forte (except Addai can block... I'm not sure about Forte though). So, this is something to think about if you're going to complain about what the Bears need to fix.

741

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 13, 2010, 08:10:48 AM »

I do take home field advantage seriously...

Three games have been in New York, 2 in cold weather. One game played in the dome.

I will say this. The Vikings generally do something to Eli that ultimately hurts him... stopping the run. He's one of those QBs that totally rely on the run for whatever reason (you need be a reasonable threat to run so you can run play action, establishing the run is needed if your QB sucks or is young)... his arm won't win games on any consistent basis. On the other hand, the current Vikings team are simply not the same team that Eli has faced in the past.. a weaker pass rush (and defense in general)... plus an aging Favre/a questionable Tavaris Jackson that somehow still doesn't get the system. These differences in the Vikings team make them far less dangerous than originally envisioned.

i miss Orton..  the passing offense is one of the Broncos' few bright spots this year.

Is it the system, or was it Chicago? It seems incomprehensible that Orton suddenly becomes Marino just by switching teams.

One of the things I recall from the Bears through some of this time was that their receiving core was craptacular... and the run game that used to have Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson... both of which have been doing better in other teams since then. It's far easier to suggest that the Bears know how to build a defense... just not an offensive line and receiving core worthy of mention. I think the Bears receiving core is better now (with Olson, Hester, and Knox), but overall unimpressive because Cutler is another Favre... with an o-line that makes every part of that offense noticeably worse (it's bordering on the current Steelers o-line bad).

I was talking about the 06 Bears that made it to the SB. Only for a brief moment (only two consecutive games) that Cutler kinda looked like the responsible Orton on that run...

i miss Orton..  the passing offense is one of the Broncos' few bright spots this year.

He's not so hot anymore, but he's the guy that would've made far more sense in the saner revision of the Mike Martz offense.

the Packers at Patriots game could be a great one, provided Rodgers is fully healthy.

I'm looking forward to seeing it... if I even get to see it.

it'll be airing on NBC, so it should be available to you.. or do you mean you'll be otherwise detained?

I was talking about the Bears-Packers game... I lose my train of thought often, but I usually mean something else that tends to be related. Although, if the game (Bears-Packers) is occurring in the last week, the NFL will "fix" the schedule in such a way that competitive/important games are lined up for ratings and relevancy.... and then I can see that game.

now that they're more of an underdog, they're more likable.  and Kitna's an old fart with a high completion percentage who can still put up some big numbers, which makes him fun to watch.

He's a backup QB for good reason. He had good years as a Bengal... and as a Lion. On the other hand, he gets pathetic the year after.

742

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 12, 2010, 11:52:17 PM »

having the Rodgers hurt for the Packers can help keep you as the division lead, but originally I thought the Bears looked like them in 06...

the (2010) Bears looked like the 2006 Bears, or the 2006 Packers?  i'm not sure when in this season "originally" refers to, so i dunno whether you meant we were on pace for 13-3 or for 8-8.

I was talking about the 06 Bears that made it to the SB. Only for a brief moment (only two consecutive games) that Cutler kinda looked like the responsible Orton on that run...

anyway, this game was UG-LY.  the Pats could've scored 54 points if they wanted.  i didn't expect the Bears to win, but i didn't expect the game to be over after 1.5 quarters.  i also hadn't expected the Bears to win at Green Bay (and still don't), so the Vikings game is crucial to win for us.  the Packers at Patriots game could be a great one, provided Rodgers is fully healthy.

I'm looking forward to seeing it... if I even get to see it.

meanwhile, the Cowboys once again made for an entertaining game, even though they came up short.  i find myself rooting for these guys, even though they (or moreso their accompanying media circus) generally irritated me in the past.

I don't root for the Cowboys because of the senseless media love (mostly the Jerry Jones face time)... particularly if the Aikman-Buck crew are the broadcasters... but the ultimate problem that they are still facing is that their pass defense in man coverage is simply sub-par. How does one let DeSean Jackson own that secondary?

743

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 12, 2010, 10:52:57 PM »

Only major difference left is Leno's homer pick survive

And you're going to scoff at it, but Eli Manning is 0 for the career against the Vikings. It is what it is, and he might break that ice eventually, but not this week.

I do take home field advantage seriously... except, that didn't quite work out for the Bears... of course having to move the game affects other future related games down the line (including next week's Bears @ Vikings).

Some other random thoughts... the Redskins failed at the extra point... it reminds me of this game in Denver that a loss was made because the PAT was missed.

For assassin... something to think about. Even if you are rooting for the Pats, there are issues with the Bears... having the Rodgers hurt for the Packers can help keep you as the division lead, but originally I thought the Bears looked like them in 06... but having to show up for the Jets might be a very difficult task (it could be an ugly scoreless tie).

744

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 12, 2010, 10:38:03 PM »

Since the board was down, I have calculated the records going into MNF+Vikings/FOX

Gil: 7-7
Leno: 11-3
Myself: 10-4

Only major difference left is Leno's homer pick survive... or not. They are playing @ the Lions and that video of the Metrodome aka Mall of America Field's inflatable cover get ripped...

To quote Dennis Green... "The Bears are who we thought they were..."

It is interesting that the Jets are not really sputtering from that last to the fish...

Packers lost their game because Rodgers took another concussion... it is curious to see what happens for SNF next week.

I kinda wish the NFL would allow FOX to air the Vikings game everywhere... I mean FOX has nothing else left (reruns are ongoing).

745

General Discussion / Re: The generic "we did something to the forum that broke it" thread

« on: December 12, 2010, 10:31:46 PM »

I was hoping for more than just the obvious. 

746

General Discussion / Re: The generic "we did something to the forum that broke it" thread

« on: December 12, 2010, 10:19:48 PM »

 

So, wtf happened here? 

747

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 12, 2010, 11:22:58 AM »

Yay MNF on FOX. FOX is liking this, despite the fail.

748

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 09, 2010, 07:00:04 PM »

Week 14 schedule:

TNF still sucks.

Colts @ Titans (division, Thursday)

Colts - I'm not saying the Titans don't have a chance, but they are lifeless as far as I can tell. The Colts are struggling, but it's not impossible for them.

Browns @ Bills

Bills - The Bills had a non-competitive game last week... so they'll take it out on the Browns.

Patriots @ Bears

Pats - Unlike MNF, this should be more competitive. I don't believe in the Bears offense.... since the defense+special teams has had to work harder.

Buccaneers @ Redskins

Bucs - The Bucs will bounce back, but the Redskins are an awful team overall.

Falcons @ Panthers (division)

Falcons - Panthers are ready to claim their #1 draft pick.

Raiders @ Jaguars

Jags - Despite that win over the Chargers, the Raiders are still not that good.... neither are the Jags, but they are managing better.

Packers @ Lions (division)

Packers - How many times can the Lions get embarrassed? It's kinda sad.

Giants @ Vikings

Giants - Can someone please sack Favre out of his misery?

Bengals @ Steelers (division)

Steelers - There's nothing much to say at this point for TO and Ochocinco.

Rams @ Saints

Saints - Rams have a shot at the playoffs, but not in this game.

Seahawks @ 49'ers

Seahawks - No Frank Gore kills a lot of the 49ers offense.

Dolphins @ Jets (division)

Jets - I think the fish's ineptitude on offense will make the Jets feel a little better.... or maybe not?

Broncos @ Cardinals

Broncos - The post-McDaniels era will start with a bang...

Chiefs @ Chargers (division)

Chargers - Cassel isn't starting... bleh to surgery.

Eagles @ Cowboys (division)

Eagles - Eagles are coming off an extended week (TNF sucks), so the Cowboys are in for a rude awakening.

Ravens @ Texans

Ravens - That Texans pass defense is a sieve.

749

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 08, 2010, 03:05:43 AM »

who wins a tiebreaker between the Packers and Buccaneers if they both go 11-5?  the Bucs have allowed 8 more points than they've scored, yet they somehow have only one less win than Green Bay and their beautiful 121-point differential.

Conference and division records are tiebreakers, but I forget which comes first.

http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

As I understand it, the NFC South play the AFC North and the NFC West.
The NFC North plays the AFC East and NFC East this year.

Since these teams can/will end up being Wild Cards (it is less likely the Packers will face this, since I think they'll overtake the Bears, but I digress...), Conference Record is all important here... they are very unlikely to don't have any common games with each other. Packers have the current edge.

Division records only apply to the division you're in... especially if two teams in the same division are fighting for a wild card.

750

General Discussion / Re: NFL season (2010-2011) week 14!

« on: December 07, 2010, 09:58:03 AM »

Oh. 

Too bad Singletary hasn't been fired yet.