2012-2013 NFL Football Thread

[Queen of Spades]

But put any one of those six in the driver's seat in KC or Cleveland, then what do you have? Football is a team sport.

Yes, it is, as evidenced by the fact that Rodgers and Brady couldn't win with a crap defense last year. You absolutely need a complete team, but the QB position is the most important unless your team is sporting the 2000 Ravens defense, which I doubt we'll see again. You're not going to win a Lombardi trophy with passable at the QB position.

An elite QB can also mask larger problems on a football team, not so much the other way around.

 

[zioxide]

I tend to agree with that one.

What's really cool is that right here and now two of those (definitely HoF) are playing right now. Brady in his 3 Super Bowls in 4 years was the best 4th quarter player, perhaps ever. During that time, Manning was also at his height throwing for ridiculous yards compared to competition at the time and was the most reliable passing machine for big yards. The early to mid 2000s were amazing football. To me those two don't shine in the same manner, but they also now have the best support I have seen them with. They are both smarter players and neither has to rely on strong arm or long passes as had been the case in their earlier years.

Brady and Manning came in at the right time when people were starting to question if anybody had that ability to throw laser bullets like Favre or Jim Kelly. In their heyday of early 2000s, you can get up for a bathroom break and Brady or Manning would be 90 yards down the field. Not that it didn't happen with a Kelly, or John Elway, but Brady and Manning took the robo-QB thing to the next level. If somebody had said more than ten years later both would still be around throwing finesse passes and resemble Montana more, I wouldn't have believed it. Both Manning and Brady have remade themselves and in that process have increased their worth in this NFL. To the credit of those two, Montana never had to radically remake himself like those two. For honorable mention, John Elway redid his whole persona and took two Super Bowls back to back in later, much later, years and worked his experience then instead of his arm.

What Montana has that neither Brady nor Manning have is a spotless Super Bowl record, but the greatness factor is made mostly in regular season play and that's why a two time ring holder like Plunkett rarely gets mentioned in same sentence as other two ring winners, or even one ring winners like Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Brett Favre.

Pretty good analysis here but I need to address what I bolded:

Not to take away from Montana's 4/4 record in Superbowls, but he did also lose the NFC championship game twice. Brady might be 3/5 in the Superbowl, but he's also 5/6 in the AFC championship game. Peyton is 1/2 in the big game and 2/3 in the AFC championship I believe.

Just needed to throw that in to make the debate more cloudy, and you have to take it with a grain of salt too because the QB is just one of 53.

Like most people, I'm definitely hoping that the Pats and Broncos both win this weekend so we do get to see that matchup. Brady and Manning have faced each other in the AFC championship game twice (03, 06) and each guy won one of them. This could be the rubber match and possibly the last time we could see them face off in the playoffs.

An elite QB can also mask larger problems on a football team, not so much the other way around.

Yup. See the 2011 Patriots for proof of that. Switch out Tom Brady for a replacement level quarterback and that team would have went 4-12. The defense last year was horrendous and is hugely improved this year.

 

[einmusiker]

Pretty good analysis here but I need to address what I bolded:

Not to take away from Montana's 4/4 record in Superbowls, but he did also lose the NFC championship game twice. Brady might be 3/5 in the Superbowl, but he's also 5/6 in the AFC championship game. Peyton is 1/2 in the big game and 2/3 in the AFC championship I believe.

Just needed to throw that in to make the debate more cloudy, and you have to take it with a grain of salt too because the QB is just one of 53.

Like most people, I'm definitely hoping that the Pats and Broncos both win this weekend so we do get to see that matchup. Brady and Manning have faced each other in the AFC championship game twice (03, 06) and each guy won one of them. This could be the rubber match and possibly the last time we could see them face off in the playoffs.



Yup. See the 2011 Patriots for proof of that. Switch out Tom Brady for a replacement level quarterback and that team would have went 4-12. The defense last year was horrendous and is hugely improved this year.

doesn't really cloud the debate at all for me. Montana going 4/4 in the sb is extremely impressive and puts him a notch above system qb's like brady :stirsthepot:

 

[zioxide]

doesn't really cloud the debate at all for me. Montana going 4/4 in the sb is extremely impressive and puts him a notch above system qb's like brady :stirsthepot:

Montana invented being a "system QB".

 

[Peace]

Let's not forget Dan Marino.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Marino

"During Marino's career, the Dolphins were perennial playoff contenders, reaching the post-season in 10 of his 17 seasons. He was selected to play in nine Pro Bowls (1983–87, 1991–92, 1994–95), seven times as a starter, but due to injuries he only played in two of the games (1984, 1992). He was named first- or second-team All-Pro eight times and earned All-AFC honors six times.[10] Marino never had the benefit of a premier running back, and in his career only once had a 1000 yard rusher (Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1996) behind him. In his first three seasons with Miami, Marino saw the Dolphins rush for 5,797 yards (1,932 per-season average) and the Dolphins broke 1,500 rushing yards each year in his first five seasons and eleven times total; fourteen of his seventeen Dolphins squads posted rushing attacks (over 3.4 YPA)[11] comparable to or better than such teams as the 1966 and 2010 Packers, the 2003 Patriots, and the 2011 Giants.
In 1999, Marino was ranked number 27 on The Sporting News list of the 100 greatest football players, making him the highest-ranking Dolphins player.[12] In 2010 he was ranked number 25 on the NFL's Top 100 Greatest Players list.[13] Marino was known for his quick release, and despite the fact that he was not skilled at scrambling, Marino possessed an uncanny awareness in the pocket, often sliding a step or two to avoid the pass rush.[14] Marino is currently third, behind Brett Favre and John Elway, on the list of most wins by a starting quarterback, with 147.[15] His winning percentage was .613.

 

[Queen of Spades]

system qb's like brady :stirsthepot:

LOL. You must have ingested a little too much limburger cheese.

 

[63dot]

Pretty good analysis here but I need to address what I bolded:

Not to take away from Montana's 4/4 record in Superbowls, but he did also lose the NFC championship game twice. Brady might be 3/5 in the Superbowl, but he's also 5/6 in the AFC championship game. Peyton is 1/2 in the big game and 2/3 in the AFC championship I believe.

Just needed to throw that in to make the debate more cloudy, and you have to take it with a grain of salt too because the QB is just one of 53.

Like most people, I'm definitely hoping that the Pats and Broncos both win this weekend so we do get to see that matchup. Brady and Manning have faced each other in the AFC championship game twice (03, 06) and each guy won one of them. This could be the rubber match and possibly the last time we could see them face off in the playoffs.

While I will say, at least for the one game of the Super Bowl, to clarify, Montana is at 4 with no losses and overall, yes, he did twice lose the NFC championship and that equalizes the three of Manning, Brady, and Montana. I am sure he also lost a few late in season and it may have contributed to SF not even getting to playoffs or getting a bye.

I am sure there are many who believe, arguably with quick look at the yards and TDs, that Manning and Brady are actually better than Montana and under that theory, the matchup of those two in an AFC championship game, as they are both 1-1 with each other, is to potentially be the ultimate battle of football's best ever two quarterbacks. I won't be opposed to that characterization.

When Brady took their first battle in the 03-04 season, his team went on to win the Super Bowl. When Manning took the second battle in the 06-07 season, his team went on to win that Super Bowl. The only thing wrong with talking about a Brady-Manning AFC championship contest is that neither team is there yet.

A part of me would love to see this and for old times sake, it's always nice to see two well loved, familiar faces going for one more, perhaps last, battle. I am no fan of a Big Ben or Michael Vick, so for big name QBs it would be great to see Denver go against New England. If that's the case, all the hyped up press around that would like to crown the winner of that the eventual winner of the Super Bowl.

If it's NE that gets there against let's say my Niners, we know how to stop a great QB with our still good defense and I am sure we can also dismantle Manning and his Denver offense. With Green Bay if you have them to go against, there's no doubt that mid-career QB ratings leader Aaron Rodgers would be the better QB on that day. As for Atlanta or Seattle, I think those last two would be an even match with a NE or Denver even though some Vegas Odds sites would give it to the AFC team.

So instead of jumping ahead to the Super Bowl I will hope just a week in advance and want to see the "classic" Brady vs Peyton Manning matchup. If neither team goes to AFC game, it won't surprise me either since it is early favorite Houston going against ESPN's pre-season pick of Baltimore.

.......

Unlike baseball, I will enjoy who makes it to the big game. Locally where I am, many love Brady because he's a local league high school hero. If the Niners and/or Raiders have a bad season, the neighborhood automatically become Pats fans and root on Brady, local boy, and his team regardless of who it is (assuming Brady can live beyond NE like Favre did beyond GB at same age...and sports talking heads always dream of Brady one day coming home and playing in Bay Area. Raiders have no QB and would take Brady even years from now, and if SF can't get it together with QB controversy, would shine with Brady). It's not a Niner or Raider who has the most visible charities here but Brady.

And as much as I want to root against any powerhouse NL baseball team that can take out SF as I like to root against teams as much as I like to root for my hometeam, it's hard to go against team who has a guy we all went to high school, church, and little league with (Aldrete with St. Louis Cardinals).

Anyway, life's too short to just love your team and hate all others, especially these days when even so-called pillars like Montana or Favre or Moss can end up in the strangest places late in career.

 

[63dot]

Let's not forget Dan Marino.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Marino

"During Marino's career, the Dolphins were perennial playoff contenders, reaching the post-season in 10 of his 17 seasons. He was selected to play in nine Pro Bowls (1983–87, 1991–92, 1994–95), seven times as a starter, but due to injuries he only played in two of the games (1984, 1992). He was named first- or second-team All-Pro eight times and earned All-AFC honors six times.[10] Marino never had the benefit of a premier running back, and in his career only once had a 1000 yard rusher (Karim Abdul-Jabbar in 1996) behind him. In his first three seasons with Miami, Marino saw the Dolphins rush for 5,797 yards (1,932 per-season average) and the Dolphins broke 1,500 rushing yards each year in his first five seasons and eleven times total; fourteen of his seventeen Dolphins squads posted rushing attacks (over 3.4 YPA)[11] comparable to or better than such teams as the 1966 and 2010 Packers, the 2003 Patriots, and the 2011 Giants.
In 1999, Marino was ranked number 27 on The Sporting News list of the 100 greatest football players, making him the highest-ranking Dolphins player.[12] In 2010 he was ranked number 25 on the NFL's Top 100 Greatest Players list.[13] Marino was known for his quick release, and despite the fact that he was not skilled at scrambling, Marino possessed an uncanny awareness in the pocket, often sliding a step or two to avoid the pass rush.[14] Marino is currently third, behind Brett Favre and John Elway, on the list of most wins by a starting quarterback, with 147.[15] His winning percentage was .613.

Good points.

Since football as a game changes and there are distinctly different eras, it's fair to say as a QB, and not counting only Super Bowls and postseason games and records, Marino is every bit a great player as Montana. Those two defined the era at QB better than anyone else. Had Marino had the same staff as Montana, and Jerry Rice, Craig, and Taylor were Dolphins then it could easily be Marino by a mile. It's hard to say who is the best QB with many other people contributing to wins.

In the very old days of Otto Graham, the greats existed which don't have fair comparisons today. With much less attention put on passing as a weapon, who knows what type of passing numbers/QB rating may have been the case for the pre-Super Bowl QBs? Even in Brady's long career, the Pats have remade themselves more into a passing team than the early 2000s so it's hard to say some bigger numbers now means that Brady has aged like fine wine and gotten better in later years. All along the Colts were big on passing with Manning but what if he had been on an equally good team that played small ball like Pats with 3 championships to prove their point?

But as football is living and breathing and retired players become stats on paper for HoF, the two best on AFC side appear to be Brady and Manning and if both get to AFC championship, both cannot win but the winner if there is one this year between those two, may still not have enough to be called the best of their era (since there's so much backstory on Brady and Manning to pour through to pick which one, if any, is the best of the millennium years in the NFL's QB position.

Who is better? The guy with more records than the other and achieving milestones earlier like Manning, or the guy who has been to big game five times winning three Super Bowls? Until both retire the discussion of who is better at QB can't really begin.

 

[rhett7660]

Glad to see the skins go down, have to say it again.

I am picking the Packs over the Niners and here is hoping the Seahawks pull a "V" from the Falcons.

AFC I am pulling for a Broncos VS Patriots game.....

 

[ucfgrad93]

AFC I am pulling for a Broncos VS Patriots game.....

I think most people are as well.

 

[rhett7660]

I think most people are as well.

For some reason I think if this game happens it will be better than the SB.

 

[ucfgrad93]

For some reason I think if this game happens it will be better than the SB.

Probably. It will be a fantastic game.

 

[mscriv]

We've got some pretty awesome playoff games to watch this weekend. I know some people are more excited about one over another, but I think they all have the potential to be great match ups. We've got great storylines in all of them from rookie QB's to 1st ballot hall of famers and explosive offenses vs. stingy defenses. This is why the NFL rocks!

 

[63dot]

Probably. It will be a fantastic game.

If this happens, and is likely the last time these two QBs will meet, it better be a great game decided in the last minute or two of the 4th! A 14 point game, or even bigger victory will be a huge letdown. These guys are both 4th quarter comeback experts, but also when they are on, they can take out any opponent by at least 3 or 4 touchdowns without breaking a sweat. I wonder which version of Brady and Manning will come out that day (if it happens)? With a blowout QB performance, it's always just one guy who lets the bad play of the other spur on even more greatness in his play. If Brady or Manning smell blood, then it's all over and a 21 point, or more, rout. The one thing I don't expect is a game where both score more than 30 points each. Either it will be a close game which will be fun, a boring blowout, and probably least likely a low scoring game with less than 2 TDs for winning QB.

A close 4th quarter game will likely be more interesting than the Super Bowl just like the matchups between Cowboys and Niners in the '90s era postseason battles.

If it was any other two quarterbacks other than Manning and Brady, it would just be a pre-Super Bowl game, but this is kind of a culmination of two guys who have played for a very long time matched closely in age and talent.

Also I am expecting Ray Lewis to have a great last game (and this season is confirmed as the last unless he changes his mind) and I hope he can take it all the way to the Super Bowl if somehow NE or Denver doesn't make it. If Ray Lewis and his team make it and win Super Bowl, as ESPN predicted as the early AFC favorite, then how could he retire? He doesn't have to play every snap like a starting QB has to, so even at 38 and not being the primary target for a hit(s), he can be kept on part time and still be worth his salary.

 

[zioxide]

We've got some pretty awesome playoff games to watch this weekend. I know some people are more excited about one over another, but I think they all have the potential to be great match ups. We've got great storylines in all of them from rookie QB's to 1st ballot hall of famers and explosive offenses vs. stingy defenses. This is why the NFL rocks!

It's going to be awesome. This playoff year is shaping up to be even better than most of them. The 8 teams remaining are clearly the 8 best teams of this season. That doesn't always happen. This might be the best weekend of football we have all seen in a long time.

If this happens, and is likely the last time these two QBs will meet, it better be a great game decided in the last minute or two of the 4th! A 14 point game, or even bigger victory will be a huge letdown. These guys are both 4th quarter comeback experts, but also when they are on, they can take out any opponent by 3 or 4 touchdowns without breaking a sweat. I wonder who will come out that day (if it happens)?

Well, there's a good chance it would be their last playoff matchup, but unless Manning retires after this season, they'll be playing again in the regular season next year. Matchups got released the other day and NE definitely is playing Denver next season.

Also I am expecting Ray Lewis to have a great last game (and this season is confirmed as the last unless he changes his mind) and I hope he can take it all the way to the Super Bowl if somehow NE or Denver doesn't make it. If Ray Lewis and his team make it and win Super Bowl, as ESPN predicted as the early AFC favorite, then how could he retire? He doesn't have to play every snap like a starting QB has to, so even at 38 he can be kept on part time and still be worth his salary.

Ray Lewis going out on top would be pretty awesome. But this is the biggest reason why if I was a Denver fan I would be extremely nervous right now. Baltimore's defense when they are at their best can shutdown the best of them. Add in the fact that they are all playing for Lewis and Baltimore is the LAST team I want to face out of the remaining 8 teams.

 

[63dot]

Well, there's a good chance it would be their last playoff matchup, but unless Manning retires after this season, they'll be playing again in the regular season next year. Matchups got released the other day and NE definitely is playing Denver next season.

Ray Lewis going out on top would be pretty awesome. But this is the biggest reason why if I was a Denver fan I would be extremely nervous right now. Baltimore's defense when they are at their best can shutdown the best of them. Add in the fact that they are all playing for Lewis and Baltimore is the LAST team I want to face out of the remaining 8 teams.

Denver to play NE next year? That is comforting if either NE or Denver, or both, don't make it to AFC championship. Other similarly great teams, like GB, have not made it to conference championship.

Ray Lewis and team playing for his potential last appearance in football uniform are going to be playing without regard to injury and will be on fire. I am not rooting for any AFC team this year (Raiders are out) but I would love to see somebody leave the game with a Super Bowl win. The only other time I can remember a person retiring and doing so with Super Bowl win it was the Bus with the Steelers. The Bus "made his last stop" holding up a Lombardi Trophy. Any team playing with nothing to lose is terribly dangerous, especially one with a well rounded team and vicious defense. The Ravens got a Super Bowl win with a pretty forgettable QB but this time they have similar defense driven team but with much better QB. It's not out of the question that Baltimore can at least make it to Super Bowl.

 

[zioxide]

Denver to play NE next year? That is comforting if either NE or Denver, or both, don't make it to AFC championship. Other similarly great teams, like GB, have not made it to conference championship.

http://www.patriots.com/news/articl...nnounced/39e9fdca-4b96-422b-aaaa-190b0cb874f0

Yup. It will be in Foxboro too.

Ray Lewis and team playing for his potential last appearance in football uniform are going to be playing without regard to injury and will be on fire. I am not rooting for any AFC team this year (Raiders are out) but I would love to see somebody leave the game with a Super Bowl win. The only other time I can remember a person retiring and doing so with Super Bowl win it was the Bus with the Steelers. The Bus "made his last stop" holding up a Lombardi Trophy. Any team playing with nothing to lose is terribly dangerous, especially one with a well rounded team and vicious defense. The Ravens got a Super Bowl win with a pretty forgettable QB but this time they have similar defense driven team but with much better QB. It's not out of the question that Baltimore can at least make it to Super Bowl.

John Elway?????

 

[Queen of Spades]

Baltimore's defense when they are at their best can shutdown the best of them. Add in the fact that they are all playing for Lewis and Baltimore is the LAST team I want to face out of the remaining 8 teams.

The Ravens got a Super Bowl win with a pretty forgettable QB but this time they have similar defense driven team but with much better QB. It's not out of the question that Baltimore can at least make it to Super Bowl.

With all due respect, you guys are way overrating that Baltimore defense. They have been nowhere near their dominant selves - and the stats prove it. They ended up ranked 13th in points allowed, with all 7 of the remaining teams in the playoffs ahead of them.

They gave up 122.8 rush yards a game, ranked 20th overall, and below the league average of 115.9.

And the 10.9 yards per pass they give up is right at league average.

I realize they miss Lardarius Webb, but their core is old, slowed down, and not what it used to be. Comparing this defense in any way, shape, or form to the 2000 Ravens defense is insanity, imo. They're veterans, and they won't make dumb mistakes, but they lack the speed and power that they used to.

If they win, it will be because their defense plays competently and Joe Flacco pretends to be elite. There will be no carrying of this team by the defense anymore. At least not this season.

 

[zioxide]

With all due respect, you guys are way overrating that Baltimore defense. They have been nowhere near their dominant selves - and the stats prove it. They ended up ranked 13th in points allowed, with all 7 of the remaining teams in the playoffs ahead of them.

They gave up 122.8 rush yards a game, ranked 20th overall, and below the league average of 115.9.

And the 10.9 yards per pass they give up is right at league average.

I realize they miss Lardarius Webb, but their core is old, slowed down, and not what it used to be. Comparing this defense in any way, shape, or form to the 2000 Ravens defense is insanity, imo. They're veterans, and they won't make dumb mistakes, but they lack the speed and power that they used to.

If they win, it will be because their defense plays competently and Joe Flacco pretends to be elite. There will be no carrying of this team by the defense anymore. At least not this season.

This is all true, but there's a reason we play the game on the field and not in a calculator. An off day from Manning and Baltimore playing inspired football for Ray Lewis could quite easily lead to an upset win for the Ravens. You never know.

 

[Queen of Spades]

This is all true, but there's a reason we play the game on the field and not in a calculator. An off day from Manning and Baltimore playing inspired football for Ray Lewis could quite easily lead to an upset win for the Ravens. You never know.

Well sure, but stats are just numerical representations of the game played on the field. I get that Ray Lewis's retirement can be a motivating factor, but stats don't lie. The Ravens defense has been very ordinary this season. They're not going to transform into dominant unless they happen to have a football fairy godmother waiting in the wings somewhere.

Not saying the Ravens can't beat the Broncos, either. They certainly can. But their defense isn't enough on its own anymore. They need Flacco to have a big game, or they lose.

Feel free to disagree, but I felt I should offer a counterpoint to you and 63dot's assessments.

 

[63dot]

John Elway?????

Was that confirmed before that last Super Bowl or did Elway announce some days or months after?

I remember all the calls for another year, or even two. But with the Bus we all seemed to know that this was it, as will probably the case with Lewis when he plays his last game.

With the salaries and endorsement deals, it's never easy to quit if you are a big draw like that. Would yo quit if you were given the opportunity for millions more or listen to armchair quarterbacks (who don't pay you a thing) saying that you are too old and embarrassing the sport? I think it's a part of why it was hard for Favre to quit. His level of play was still pretty good and though not close to the Green Bay Favre we knew, he was still a draw in his late-30s but I don't ever remember seeing any Vikings Favre jerseys but the Jets jerseys were all over the place. I think he made a Gatorade, or similar commercial, while a Viking at some point.

What's fun about football and reading all the sites like Fox, ESPN, and others, is that no matter what the situation in the playoffs, they will find a way to make it sound like "one of the best postseasons to date". Looking back on Wikipedia, all the postseasons I can remember had their firsts, record breakers, and career matchups. I just wish all four of the AFC teams were on top of it like the NFC teams appear to be. I don't see a lot of love for Atlanta and Seattle on this forum but it's totally plausible they could be the NFC champ. I don't know if the pressure of young Seattle QB trying to make name for himself in era of great very young QBs and Atlanta trying to get finally get postseason respect are any less of a motivator than Brady or Manning trying to shake off Super Bowl losses in games they were heavily favored by some to win. I don't think (or I certainly don't hope) anybody left will fail to show up in next games. Lewis and team will be there, and a win will be in the cards if even 3/4s or Niners defense shows up or 3/4s or Aaron Rodgers shows up. It just looks like one of the best postseasons in memory, or it could be I forgot the past postseasons already which is more likely the case.

I hate to admit it to zioxide and similar fans of rival Denver, but what I want to see more than anything this year is what may be the last postseason matchup between Brady and Manning. It's kind of like when I had a chance to see Led Zep on last tour or Sinatra before he died and if it is truly the last time to see a legend in anything you like, by all means go out and see it. Brady and Manning, if they meet and are fully prepared, will probably cancel each other out with two TDs each, so the win will really be on the shoulders of defensive players. A single sack or turnover could be the deciding factor in a Denver-NE AFC championship and if anything that defensive player should be deemed player of the game and possibly shutting the postseason door on a legendary quarterback. Defensive players, outside of current star Ray Lewis, just never get the attention they are afforded especially when they all say that defense wins games. Some of the less memorable things in sports make all the difference like small puts, pitching, and football defense. Some great catch by a player on a team that ultimately loses the championship will be remembered for decades when a pick or sack, or ability to stop run which most determines a Super Bowl winner is ignored.

 

[Peace]

I was one of the few glad to see Elway retire. I could never get over that huge grin he has. Weird I know but still..

We can count Seattle out. Their number one DE pass rusher is out with a torn ACL. This will give Ryan free reign in the passing dept.

 

[63dot]

I was one of the few glad to see Elway retire. I could never get over that huge grin he has. Weird I know but still..

We can count Seattle out. Their number one DE pass rusher is out with a torn ACL. This will give Ryan free reign in the passing dept.

That may not be a broken leg, but it may as well be.

Then if that's true Atlanta can only beat themselves which some say has happened in the past. Does Ryan do exceptionally well unless rushed?

Most QBs, even great ones like Brady, can really get thrown off for a whole game with rush and sacks but others like Bears' old QB McMahon, or younger version Petyton Manning just keep getting better with contact. It's as if they get mad and turn it up a notch. That being said, Manning today is not as invincible and his durability with his size looks more like extra baggage. I am glad Manning doesn't try to act like a lineman anymore since he has possibly 3 games left to play.

Kaepernick, Niners QB, while really tough seems to get way off of rhythm with a hit as is the case with first time starters. At least less flashy Smith could take a hit a lot better. My boys better protect the hell out of Kap if we are to get any traction in the playoffs. If you give Kap that much time, as has usually been the case with excellent protection, he can run it for a hefty gain. When he runs we all yell for him to remember to skid instead of having a professional hitman take him down. We don't want him to act heroic like RGIII. If we lose Kap, which can happen when he's confused as he's still learning the system, we do have a strong backup in Smith and not every team can rely that much on a spare. My prediction is that this will be an unusually violent division series and a starting QB will be taken out somewhere. There's so much talk, albeit not respect, of defense, that something is likely to come to a collision. This injury factor may be the most important factor in this playoff series.

 

[ucfgrad93]

http://www.patriots.com/news/articl...nnounced/39e9fdca-4b96-422b-aaaa-190b0cb874f0

Yup. It will be in Foxboro too.

Damn, why do we have to go to Foxboro 2 years in a row?

 

[Sydde]

And I thought only Colorado and Oregon legalized pot. Keep enjoying whatever it is you are smoking.

Oregon decriminalized marijuana over 30 years ago and had some kind of medical thing like CA, I think, but they have not yet legalized it outright. The other state that legalized it recently is Washington. You know, the one where Seattle is. Kind like how Denver is in Colorado: if the Seahawks were to face the broncos for all the marbles, it would be

Weed Bowl 2013!​

edit: and now that I see the game will be in the superdome, it surely will not be that the Weed Bowl would be played on an artificial surface.