2011-12 NFL football season thread

[Moyank24]

Well, it looks like the Bills are (annoyingly) for real. I'd kill to have a defense not ranked last, but for now at least we can outscore people. Great to see the running game lead the way today. And it's always nice to shut up loudmouth Rex, if only for a week. Sorry Moyank.

I admit to not being super impressed by Tim Tebow, but there's no way he isn't the starter now.

And thank you, Cincy, for helping me win my pool this week. 😉

For once, I'm actually looking forward to watching the Detroit Lions on MNF. Chicago/Detroit should be a good game, can't wait.

'Tis cool. Jets haven't looked very good in the last few weeks...that in itself should shut up Rex.

And I'm still waiting to win a week in my pool...just one little week. 🙁 The last 2 weeks I've been hurt by the Jets losing. Had I chosen against them last week, I would have won. I just can't pick them for a loss, no matter who they are playing. One of these weeks I'm going to cowgirl up and go for the cash.

 

[einmusiker]

I can't believe how sports-spoiled I've been this year. The Packers winning it all and now 5-0, the brewers winning and the badgers ranked near the top. And to top it all off philly just rots 😀

 

[miles01110]

I guess "Most Disappointing Team" rotates among the NFC East. 2 years ago it was the Giants, then it was the Cowboys, now the Eagles.

 

[fireshot91]

I guess "Most Disappointing Team" rotates among the NFC East. 2 years ago it was the Giants, then it was the Cowboys, now the Eagles.

Thank the Lord it won't ever be the Redskins <3. 😀

 

[miles01110]

Thank the Lord it won't ever be the Redskins <3. 😀

Expectations have to be high in order for a team to disappoint. Expectations are never high for the Redskins.

 

[rhett7660]

Expectations have to be high in order for a team to disappoint. Expectations are never high for the Redskins.

Ha. Love it!

 

[Queen of Spades]

Fun NFL weekend.

I thought Jim Schwartz way overreacted to that handshake/back slap, and I'd like to thank the Niners for winning me my pool this week.

Nerve-wracking Pats/Cowboys game, but I'll happily take the gray hairs I got after that vintage Brady comeback drive.

 

[mscriv]

Nerve-wracking Pats/Cowboys game, but I'll happily take the gray hairs I got after that vintage Brady comeback drive.

I couldn't believe the conservative play calling on that last Cowboys possession before the Pats scored. I mean c'mon... three straight runs up the middle that took very little time off the clock. If you're going to win big football games you've got to be aggressive. And, for goodness sakes, when you're playing the Patriots you've got to keep Brady off the field.

 

[rhett7660]

Fun NFL weekend.

I thought Jim Schwartz way overreacted to that handshake/back slap, and I'd like to thank the Niners for winning me my pool this week.

Nerve-wracking Pats/Cowboys game, but I'll happily take the gray hairs I got after that vintage Brady comeback drive.

As soon as I saw we were playing it safe and running the ball.. I knew we lost. We cannot give THAT guy that much time. Damn it. Shame on us.

Also, can we get the ball in the end zone please. This is why I am disappointed we got rid of our back that used to bulldoze his way into the end zone. Dang it. Hopefully we do better this week!

 

[Moyank24]

I couldn't believe the conservative play calling on that last Cowboys possession before the Pats scored. I mean c'mon... three straight runs up the middle that took very little time off the clock. If you're going to win big football games you've got to be aggressive. And, for goodness sakes, when you're playing the Patriots you've got to keep Brady off the field.

I understand...frankly I wish that game would have ended in a tie 😉....however, you have to assume they just don't trust Romo enough to put the ball in the air in that situation. If he would have thrown a pick 6everyone would probably be saying they should have tried to run the clock out.

I still agree, though, that when you're playing that team you can't play that conservatively...you have to put that nail in the coffin. At least throw some screen passes or something.

The bottom line...the one time I root for that team to win I am let down. Now, back to rooting against them every week.

 

[pachyderm]

JIM HARBAUGH NEVER CHANGE!

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EXCITED WHEN YOU WIN!!!

Note to Lions coach: What you are, sweet heart, is a sore loser. And yeah, dumb a**, you weren't going to go 16-0 anyway because you can't run the ball.

 

[Moyank24]

Raiders on the verge of completing a deal for Carson Palmer...For 2 first round picks. Couldn't they just bring Jamarcus Russell back?

I would have traded the Sanchize for just 1 first rounder. 😉

ESPN

 

[mscriv]

I think most people were thinking that the passing of Al Davis meant that we might see some more rational (less extreme) thinking coming out of Oakland. Apparently, this is not true. Who in their right mind thinks Palmer is worth two first round picks? 😱

The only way this makes any sense is if they think he's going to give them a chance to win it all this year, but that's a pretty irrational argument as well.

Honestly, how much of an improvement is Palmer over Boller? He's got to learn the system and get in shape before he'll even be effective. Did they not learn anything from what the Colt's are going through this year?

----------

Note to Lions coach: What you are, sweet heart, is a sore loser. And yeah, dumb a**, you weren't going to go 16-0 anyway because you can't run the ball.

You obviously don't understand dry humor. He was kidding when he said, "well, we won't go 16-0 this year." It's a joke playing off of the fact that the Lions are the only team to ever go 0-16 in NFL history.

 

[Queen of Spades]

If you're going to win big football games you've got to be aggressive. And, for goodness sakes, when you're playing the Patriots you've got to keep Brady off the field.

As soon as I saw we were playing it safe and running the ball.. I knew we lost. We cannot give THAT guy that much time. Damn it. Shame on us.

Hindsight is 20/20, I don't know. The Dallas defense had done a great job all day in making Brady uncomfortable in the pocket, I'm sure Garrett/Ryan thought they could do it one more time. Plus you know Romo had one of those backbreaking pick sixes in his back pocket somewhere.

But yeah, 2-minute drives to win games are what Brady was born to do. On the road, the Cowboys probably should have been more aggressive and gone for the win.

The bottom line...the one time I root for that team to win I am let down. Now, back to rooting against them every week.

Hater.

I think most people were thinking that the passing of Al Davis meant that we might see some more rational (less extreme) thinking coming out of Oakland. Apparently, this is not true. Who in their right mind thinks Palmer is worth two first round picks? 😱

I really can't believe the Raiders just paid a king's ransom for him, and he still has 3 years left on his mega deal. He's been good and okay, but not great.

I definitely wouldn't rest my playoff hopes on Kyle Boller, but I think they way overpaid for a mediocre QB. We'll see how it plays out, I guess, but I think Palmer is an overrated bum.

 

[rhett7660]

Hindsight is 20/20, I don't know. The Dallas defense had done a great job all day in making Brady uncomfortable in the pocket, I'm sure Garrett/Ryan thought they could do it one more time. Plus you know Romo had one of those backbreaking pick sixes in his back pocket somewhere.

snip..

I would have been plesently surprised if our defense could have held Brady in the last two minutes. That is where it seems this guy thrives and excels. As soon as I saw we didn't get a first down, I looked at my wife and said. We just lost the game.

But you are right, 20/20...... Dang it.

 

[mscriv]

Hindsight is 20/20, I don't know. The Dallas defense had done a great job all day in making Brady uncomfortable in the pocket, I'm sure Garrett/Ryan thought they could do it one more time.

* Bold emphasis mine

To borrow a term from across the pond, Bollocks! Coach's get paid the big bucks to use forsight, not hindsight. With a 3 point lead the odds of Brady being able to engineer a drive that ties or wins is much greater than their odds of getting another stop.

I'm not saying they go for it on 4th down or anything crazy like that, but don't just run up the gut three straignt times. Be a little more creative, use your playmakers (Witten, Dez, Austin), or employ play action. For goodness sakes, if you don't want Romo to pass then run a play action bootleg and let him run around the corner for a first down. The point is they were extremely predictable and didn't put themselves in the best place to win. Garret is touted as the offensive genius. It doesn't take a genius to know that it's better to try and fail, then play defense. If they do score then you've left yourself time on the clock to have a realistic chance to win the game at the end as opposed to running that time off the clock and end up with 20 seconds to go down field needing a TD.

I know I'm armchair QB'ing/Coaching it here, but I don't think I'm off base.

 

[rhett7660]

* Bold emphasis mine

To borrow a term from across the pond, Bollocks! Coach's get paid the big bucks to use forsight, not hindsight. With a 3 point lead the odds of Brady being able to engineer a drive that ties or wins is much greater than their odds of getting another stop.

I'm not saying they go for it on 4th down or anything crazy like that, but don't just run up the gut three straignt times. Be a little more creative, use your playmakers (Witten, Dez, Austin), or employ play action. For goodness sakes, if you don't want Romo to pass then run a play action bootleg and let him run around the corner for a first down. The point is they were extremely predictable and didn't put themselves in the best place to win. Garret is touted as the offensive genius. It doesn't take a genius to know that it's better to try and fail, then play defense. If they do score then you've left yourself time on the clock to have a realistic chance to win the game at the end as opposed to running that time off the clock and end up with 20 seconds to go down field needing a TD.

I know I'm armchair QB'ing/Coaching it here, but I don't think I'm off base.

I completely agree. I think they played it tooooooo safe. But lets hope we learn and don't make that same mistake twice or three times if you are talking about TR's interception rate in the fourth quarter.

 

[Queen of Spades]

* Bold emphasis mine

To borrow a term from across the pond, Bollocks! Coach's get paid the big bucks to use forsight, not hindsight. With a 3 point lead the odds of Brady being able to engineer a drive that ties or wins is much greater than their odds of getting another stop.

I'm not saying they go for it on 4th down or anything crazy like that, but don't just run up the gut three straignt times. Be a little more creative, use your playmakers (Witten, Dez, Austin), or employ play action. For goodness sakes, if you don't want Romo to pass then run a play action bootleg and let him run around the corner for a first down. The point is they were extremely predictable and didn't put themselves in the best place to win. Garret is touted as the offensive genius. It doesn't take a genius to know that it's better to try and fail, then play defense. If they do score then you've left yourself time on the clock to have a realistic chance to win the game at the end as opposed to running that time off the clock and end up with 20 seconds to go down field needing a TD.

I know I'm armchair QB'ing/Coaching it here, but I don't think I'm off base.

No, I don't think you're way off base, I agree with you that they were too conservative. 3 up-the-gut runs is not just conservative, it's skittish. Especially with the Pats having 3 timeouts. I wouldn't have thrown the ball, though, except maybe a screen pass. I'd have tried a reverse or something to shake things up, though. I can understand why they didn't want to just turn Romo loose, given his penchant for throwing 4th quarter INTs. Then again, if he's your guy, you have to trust him to get it done in crunch time.

Giving Brady the ball one more time with the game on the line is just playing with fire.

 

[Apple OC]

with Harbaugh - Swartz ... it was the way Harbaugh kind of shoved him out of the way (not the handshake) ... IMO a total dick move by Harbaugh.

as for my Cowboys ... bench Romo ... we will never win with that bum. 😕

 

[mscriv]

if he's your guy, you have to trust him to get it done in crunch time.

Totally agree.

as for my Cowboys ... bench Romo ... we will never win with that bum. 😕

Totally disagree.

 

[Moyank24]

I can understand why they didn't want to just turn Romo loose, given his penchant for throwing 4th quarter INTs. Then again, if he's your guy, you have to trust him to get it done in crunch time.

Giving Brady the ball one more time with the game on the line is just playing with fire.

It really is the difference between having an elite quarterback and just an OK quarterback. Brady, Brees, Manning, etc...wouldn't have been forced to hand off with that much time left on the clock. They would have gone for the kill. A couple more first downs and it's over...3 timeouts or not. You absolutely can't give Brady the ball back.

So many teams, mine included, may have done the same thing...Better to take your chances on defense than put the ball in the hands of someone who could potentially lose the game...When all you're doing is putting the ball in the hands of someone who can definitely win the game.

Romo is a tough case...He's never been as good as they made him out to be, and he's never been as bad as they made him out to be. He just gets a lot of attention because he's the quarterback for the Cowboys. Hey, at least you didn't trade 2 first rounders for Carson Palmer though.

 

[Queen of Spades]

with Harbaugh - Swartz ... it was the way Harbaugh kind of shoved him out of the way (not the handshake) ... IMO a total dick move by Harbaugh.

as for my Cowboys ... bench Romo ... we will never win with that bum. 😕

That's going a bit far, don't you think? I think Romo was anointed the next great thing a little early after his initial success, and living up to that hype is impossible, but he's been a very good quarterback for the Cowboys.

He's had some poor decisions in crucial moments, but I don't think the Cowboys would have been in those situations without him. I'm sure you didn't prefer the Quincy Carter/Drew Bledsoe/Vinny Testaverde days.

Here's how Romo compares to other notable QBs in terms of passer rating:

Romo - 95.2
Rodgers - 101.2
Brady - 95.6
P. Manning - 94.9
Eli Manning - 81.4
Roethlisberger - 92.3
Brees - 92
Rivers - 96.5
Vick - 80.5
Ryan - 86.5
Sanchez - 72.4

I'd argue he gets more flack for his play than pretty much all the QBs below him. Part of that is because he seems to pick the most inopportune moments to cough it up, and part of that is because he plays for the Cowboys. He must improve in crunch time, yes, but overall he's played well enough to win a lot of games. I can't help but root for him a little because of all the BS he takes.

 

[rhett7660]

with Harbaugh - Swartz ... it was the way Harbaugh kind of shoved him out of the way (not the handshake) ... IMO a total dick move by Harbaugh.

as for my Cowboys ... bench Romo ... we will never win with that bum. 😕

Totally disagree!

----------

That's going a bit far, don't you think? I think Romo was anointed the next great thing a little early after his initial success, and living up to that hype is impossible, but he's been a very good quarterback for the Cowboys.

He's had some poor decisions in crucial moments, but I don't think the Cowboys would have been in those situations without him. I'm sure you didn't prefer the Quincy Carter/Drew Bledsoe/Vinny Testaverde days.

Here's how Romo compares to other notable QBs in terms of passer rating:

Romo - 95.2
Rodgers - 101.2
Brady - 95.6
P. Manning - 94.9
Eli Manning - 81.4
Roethlisberger - 92.3
Brees - 92
Rivers - 96.5
Vick - 80.5
Ryan - 86.5
Sanchez - 72.4

I'd argue he gets more flack for his play than pretty much all the QBs below him. Part of that is because he seems to pick the most inopportune moments to cough it up, and part of that is because he plays for the Cowboys. He must improve in crunch time, yes, but overall he's played well enough to win a lot of games. I can't help but root for him a little because of all the BS he takes.

Thanks for the numbers.. was going to post them myself..... I couldn't agree more with improving the crunch play.

 

[mscriv]

I can't help but root for him a little because of all the BS he takes.

It's hard not to root for him because he's just such a "good guy". I mean what other professional QB stops to help a stranded couple change a tire?

Like you said, he's the QB for the Cowboys and the media here is nuts so he's going to be in the spotlight.

 

[Moyank24]

It's hard not to root for him because he's just such a "good guy". I mean what other professional QB stops to help a stranded couple change a tire?

Like you said, he's the QB for the Cowboys and the media here is nuts so he's going to be in the spotlight.

A nice guy? Didn't he dump a chick the day before her birthday or something? 😱

And Tom Brady would totally help a stranded couple change a tire, in the middle of a burning building, with Godzilla attacking. He's like Superman, only with better hair.