Nfl 2011

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey, another isolated bright spot for the Seahawks this week, though not so happy for you Iggles fans. Seems like whether the Seahawks do well depends on how well they can spring open Lynch. He had a great game. Also, the Iggles gave up a bunch of turnovers. Looks to me that the Seahawks can play a game as long as it is not against a very strong team that can own the line and doesn't give up turnovers. Put them up against the "real thing" teams and they just can't hang yet. No offense intended, philly fans, but they are obviously beaten up right now. Still, for us Seahawks fans, fun to see a win.

[piebaldpython***]

No offense taken SVL. 'Hawks played within themselves and we SUCKED......pretty simple.

[R_of_G]

This was one of those "a win is a win" games for the Jets. I was pleased to see Shonn Greene have a strong game, especially with Tomlinson re-injuring his knee. Credit where due, I thought Sanchez had a solid game. Most of his throws were sharp and to the correct targets.

Still, the run defense was virtually non-existent in the first half. The pass defense still has weaknesses, particularly Cromartie and Erik Smith.

The Jets are better than they were a month ago, but I think that month may have cost them a shot at the playoffs. I can see them getting to 10 wins but I think that will find them tied with too many other teams that own tiebreakers over the Jets.

I don't even want to talk about the Bucs. This season has been a major let down for the Bucs.

Other notes from this week's games...

I was impressed with the Giants and that much more impressed with Green Bay. The Giants pushed them as hard as they've been pushed and Rodgers still finds a way to get his team down the field. It was nice to see USF alum Jason Pierre-Paul get a few big hits on Rodgers.

Drew Brees isn't human, he's a video game. No human being could throw a football that accurately.

Pittsburgh looked very strong against an excellent Bengals defense. After yesterday, I wouldn't be particularly surprised if the Super Bowl turns out to be a rematch of last year though I still believe in Beerman's Saints more than he does (don't tell other Bucs fans that I like the Saints).

[Jipes***]

Drew Brees isn't human, he's a video game. No human being could throw a football that accurately.

Well we are really proud to get such a great QB on our team but it's a lso a great offensive line which protects him. I was fearing a tough game against the Lions but it went great

[marnold***]

Well we are really proud to get such a great QB on our team but it's a lso a great offensive line which protects him. I was fearing a tough game against the Lions but it went great

I've learned that my Lions have gone from incompetent to idiotic. Stafford looked incredible, but I was beginning to predict penalties before anything happened. A couple of the calls were lame, but even removing those would still give then close to 100 yards. I was glad to see Raiola get into Young's grill after a couple of stupid penalties. Maddening.

The good need is that their competition for the wild card choked this week as well.

I am amazed at Brees and thankful to have him as my fantasy quarterback. A couple of times the Lions had perfect coverage and he still got it in there.

[R_of_G]

Well we are really proud to get such a great QB on our team but it's a lso a great offensive line which protects him. I was fearing a tough game against the Lions but it went great

Brees does get excellent protection. He also has a corps of very solid receivers as well as Jimmy Graham who is emerging as one of the most dangerous TEs in the NFL. I also think Darren Sproles is an upgrade from Reggie Bush. Sproles has the same skill-set as Bush and he's more consistent. If the defense can tighten things up, this team will become harder and harder to beat.

[Beerman***]

It's not that I don't like the Saints going into the playoffs but our D is just not up to snuff though improved. But then again, Green Bay's defense leaves lots to be desired.
We play great in the dome and pretty good away from home except in very cold conditions and that may be our downfall. Long way to go but the Saints had some help yesterday but if San Fran can show some cracks, I'd feel better.

The Lions were pretty darn good but the penalties took some possible points of the board though I don't know if that would have changed the outcome.

I'm still thinking Ravens will make it as I don't see a defense as good as they are from anyone else.

[Radioboy950]

I've learned that my Lions have gone from incompetent to idiotic. Stafford looked incredible, but I was beginning to predict penalties before anything happened. A couple of the calls were lame, but even removing those would still give then close to 100 yards. I was glad to see Raiola get into Young's grill after a couple of stupid penalties. Maddening.

The good need is that their competition for the wild card choked this week as well.

Rev, the Lions could certainly hang with the Saints, but decided they'd rather engage on immature, selfish shenanigans. These kids better get their act together if they still want to even think of a possible wild card. I never predicted playoffs for this team. Going in, I thought 8-8.

[R_of_G]

I've learned that my Lions have gone from incompetent to idiotic. Stafford looked incredible, but I was beginning to predict penalties before anything happened. A couple of the calls were lame, but even removing those would still give then close to 100 yards. I was glad to see Raiola get into Young's grill after a couple of stupid penalties. Maddening.

I thought the same of the Lions last night. Several of the calls were questionable at best, but some of the other ones... I don't know. Is it a coaching issue when that many guys on one team can't walk away after the play is over? I see the same thing withe Bucs. They get a drive going, or make a defensive stop only to have it taken away by something idiotic after the whistle. You want to get back at the other team, go make another play against them. They hate that.

[Jipes***]

I also think Darren Sproles is an upgrade from Reggie Bush. Sproles has the same skill-set as Bush and he's more consistent. If the defense can tighten things up, this team will become harder and harder to beat.

Absolutely with you on that point R Of G !

[piebaldpython***]

I thought the same of the Lions last night. Several of the calls were questionable at best, but some of the other ones... I don't know. Is it a coaching issue when that many guys on one team can't walk away after the play is over? I see the same thing withe Bucs. They get a drive going, or make a defensive stop only to have it taken away by something idiotic after the whistle. You want to get back at the other team, go make another play against them. They hate that.

This is nothing but a COACHING problem. The Coaches need to say, "you pull this crap once more and you are suspended without pay". We have this nonsense with the IGGLES.

[marnold***]

This is nothing but a COACHING problem. The Coaches need to say, "you pull this crap once more and you are suspended without pay". We have this nonsense with the IGGLES.

The thing is that Schwartz has at least tried. He sat an O lineman at the beginning of the year for a game when he took a stupid personal foul. He sat Young for the rest of the game after his yesterday. At least in the pressers the team is acknowledging it. Since the Bears game they've been doing the Nathan Thurm-esque "Is it me, or is it him? It's him, right?" spiel. Schwartz wanted to give the Lions an attitude other than "How badly will we be beaten today?" He succeeded in that, but this is a side-effect. Thankfully this is a young team that (hopefully) can learn.

I honestly don't know if it was worse watching the 0-16 team that never had a chance or a team that CAN go toe-to-toe with the big boys and then shoots themselves in the foot.

By the by, Colts fans, don't beg for 0-16. No one knows if Andrew Luck will really be the next Peyton Manning or the next Ryan Leaf. Injuries can end even the most promising career. As a fan of the only team to ever successfully pull off a "no-fer," I can tell you from personal experience that it sucks more than you will ever know. I thought that the loss at the end of the season to the Packers would just put everything to rest. It doesn't. There is a difference between 0-16 and 2-14 that is far greater than the numbers would imply. Even if Luck is All That, it's not worth it. Really, it isn't.

[NWBasser]

This is nothing but a COACHING problem. The Coaches need to say, "you pull this crap once more and you are suspended without pay". We have this nonsense with the IGGLES.

And we have the same problem with the Seahawks. Heaps of penalties and an obvious lack of discipline. I think Carroll is too much of a nice guy to lead an NFL team.

[Beerman***]

There's always questionable calls and I have to say that for sure, 1 of the offense interference calls was light and should not have happened but I guess that's what you get when you play too rough. The refs suck this year on just about every game I've seen and whoever decided that just touching a QB's helmet is a penalty should be shot. It's NFL and they get a lot of money so a touch on the head is for wussies.

As for the Schwartz, he leads by example and he showed what tough is when he went at it with Harbaugh. Not saying he shouldn't have feelings but when you present yourself like he did in late October, he has to realize his team was watching closely.
Suh seems to be a great guy but when he gets on the field, he goes crazy. Perhaps ADD/ADHD or whatever but something goes click and he goes nuts. But whoever it was that threw a punch at the Saints right in front of the ref and then pushed off the ref is lucky they didn't eject him from the game. Those refs don't put up with that.

[R_of_G]

This is nothing but a COACHING problem. The Coaches need to say, "you pull this crap once more and you are suspended without pay". We have this nonsense with the IGGLES.

Raheem Morris took DT Brian Price out of the game yesterday and sent him to the showers after he took a ridiculous unnecessary roughness penalty that nullified a Bucs sack on Newton. Too little too late for this season, but Morris needs to send this message loudly and consistently that easily avoidable penalties will not be tolerated. Then he needs to either hire a full-time defensive coordinator or go back to that job and let someone else be the HC. I believe Raheem can be a good HC, and an excellent DC, but he can't do both simultaneously.

By the by, Colts fans, don't beg for 0-16. No one knows if Andrew Luck will really be the next Peyton Manning or the next Ryan Leaf. Injuries can end even the most promising career. As a fan of the only team to ever successfully pull off a "no-fer," I can tell you from personal experience that it sucks more than you will ever know. I thought that the loss at the end of the season to the Packers would just put everything to rest. It doesn't. There is a difference between 0-16 and 2-14 that is far greater than the numbers would imply. Even if Luck is All That, it's not worth it. Really, it isn't.

Between the Bucs and the Jets I have been through many an abysmal season, but even when the Jets went 1-15 it felt better for a week than it would have for an entire off-season if we'd gone 0-16.

Personally, I don't understand the fans that root for their team to fail in order to hypothetically draft some prospect. The number of variables alone make that a silly thing to endorse. Moreover, I don't understand the fans that think any NFL team would intentionally tank a game let alone a portion of an entire season in order to hypothetically draft some prospect. Whatever conspiracy theory fans want to envision, in this era where players post MRI pictures of their injuries on social media sites I don't believe you could get an entire 53 man roster to go along with Operation Suck For Luck without someone saying something about it.

As for Luck himself, I believe he has the full package to become a successful NFL QB. So do many of these guys. There are more variables to it than that. One thing I've not heard mentioned though is his age.

It seems a foregone conclusion that Luck will be the first pick in the 2012 draft but has he said he's coming out? He is only a junior. What if he decided for whatever reason that he doesn't want to go to Indianapolis? He wouldn't be the first Stanford QB to say no to the Colts holding the #1 pick.

I'm not saying Luck will or would do this, but it happens. Elway is always the most famous example, but both Mannings did their version of the same thing. Eli Manning told the Chargers not to pick him or he'd demand a trade. Peyton returned to Tennessee post-graduation to take his final year of eligibility rather than play for Parcells' Jets. It happens.

Luck has options.

The word of the day is variables.

[Commodore 64***]

Bernie Kosar dodged the draft as well. He came out in the supplemental draft.

[R_of_G]

Bernie Kosar dodged the draft as well. He came out in the supplemental draft.

True. Forgot about Bernie. Just another example that even ending up with the first pick doesn't guarantee you Andrew Luck's services however good they turn out to be.

[piebaldpython***]

Iggles vs Jets on Sunday..........Iggles have to win to stay alive. Hmmmm.....as "outside" as the Iggles chances are to make the playoffs, I still hope they win. The only downside to the Iggles making the playoffs would be that maybe Lurie would feel "obligated" to keep Andy Reid.......UGH!!!

[R_of_G]

I'm not sure how to look at this one for the Jets.

They're rolling and typically play well in December. On the other hand, they struggle with fast offenses and that's the Eagles in a nutshell.

By now you all know well my feelings about Mike Vick, so if he starts for the Eagles, you can bet I will be rooting that much harder for the Jets defense to humiliate and batter him (within the rules, of course). I never put too much faith in Sanchez, but he's playing well the last few weeks. I'd like to see Greene have a big day.

It will be fun to see what happens and either take crap from or give crap to you and Eric afterwards.

J-E-T-S and such!