2012-2013 NFL Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

It feels good to beat the Squealers. It's hilarious how many excuses I'm hearing from Pittsburgh fans as well. They've beaten the Browns 16 out of the last 17 and they don't have the class to lose gracefully once every four years or so.

More good defense from the Browns. They've played well all season.

Ohio State beat Michigan as well, and Cincy won too, so it's a good day to be an Ohioan.

 

[mscriv]

I think what they aren't saying is that Alex Smith is not to full health yet. It takes time for head injuries to heal and the team is likely going to have him be the full time QB for years to come. I would rest Smith another week at least and use our capable backup as that's what they are for.

This is what I thought as well, but apparently Alex Smith talked to the media before yesterday's game (after being medically cleared to play) and said that he didn't feel like he had done anything to lose his "starting" job. We'll just have to see what happens. Running backs are used to having coaches go with the "hot hand" and they understand that they could lose some carries here and there. Quarterbacks don't take kindly to losing their starting gig. Like it or not, QB's have fragile egos.

 

[bigjnyc]

It feels good to beat the Squealers. It's hilarious how many excuses I'm hearing from Pittburgh fans as well. They've beaten the Browns 16 out of the last 17 and they don't have the class to lose gracefully once every four years or so.

More good defense from the Browns. They've played well all season.

Ohio State beat Michigan as well, and Cincy won too, so it's a good day to be an Ohioan.

You don't get too many of those.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

You don't get too many of those.

And yet, we still keep coming back for more abuse. <sigh>

I think we are still on a high from having the entire nation suck up to us just before the presidential election. It's our one moment of glory.

 

[63dot]

This is what I thought as well, but apparently Alex Smith talked to the media before yesterday's game (after being medically cleared to play) and said that he didn't feel like he had done anything to lose his "starting" job. We'll just have to see what happens. Running backs are used to having coaches go with the "hot hand" and they understand that they could lose some carries here and there. Quarterbacks don't take kindly to losing their starting gig. Like it or not, QB's have fragile egos.

To keep opponents guessing, you don't want to tell other teams that a guy like Smith who could complete 18 of 19 and reaching his career peak is not all there. Even if he's not medically sound to play, just tell the press that he's medically cleared but still bring on the backup. It's OK to tell the world, after the season, that Smith was really injured quite badly from a head injury.

One has to get hit quite hard in order to finish the game and never regain vision. This injury will take time to heal and he's too much of an asset at this time to re-injure. There's so much any other QB would have to do to deserve the starter job, so it's best to let him heal and hope the backup can go at least .500 for the remainder. Even though I think a super bowl victory is a longshot with either QB running this offense, we have to try our best. I think SF will continue to look for an elite QB for the future. We campaigned for Peyton Manning but did not get him. If we got him the way he is playing now fully healed and the way our D is playing, we would be a full on match against an Atlanta or Houston on any given Sunday.

 

[zioxide]

To keep opponents guessing, you don't want to tell other teams that a guy like Smith who could complete 18 of 19 and reaching his career peak is not all there. Even if he's not medically sound to play, just tell the press that he's medically cleared but still bring on the backup. It's OK to tell the world, after the season, that Smith was really injured quite badly from a head injury.

One has to get hit quite hard in order to finish the game and never regain vision. This injury will take time to heal and he's too much of an asset at this time to re-injure. There's so much any other QB would have to do to deserve the starter job, so it's best to let him heal and hope the backup can go at least .500 for the remainder. Even though I think a super bowl victory is a longshot with either QB running this offense, we have to try our best. I think SF will continue to look for an elite QB for the future. We campaigned for Peyton Manning but did not get him. If we got him the way he is playing now fully healed and the way our D is playing, we would be a full on match against an Atlanta or Houston on any given Sunday.

You're better off without noodle arm at this point. He's having a good year but Peyton's numbers and Alex Smith's numbers are actually pretty comparable. I don't think a Super Bowl is as much of a long shot as you think. SF is a very balanced team that doesn't have to rely on their quarterback as much as Denver, New England, Green Bay, etc which bodes well for them in the playoffs. SF and Atlanta are clearly the two best teams in the NFC and barring any craziness (which is always a possibility) they should be the two teams in the NFC championship game.

 

[63dot]

You're better off without noodle arm at this point. He's having a good year but Peyton's numbers and Alex Smith's numbers are actually pretty comparable. I don't think a Super Bowl is as much of a long shot as you think. SF is a very balanced team that doesn't have to rely on their quarterback as much as Denver, New England, Green Bay, etc which bodes well for them in the playoffs. SF and Atlanta are clearly the two best teams in the NFC and barring any craziness (which is always a possibility) they should be the two teams in the NFC championship game.

I would love to both go to NFC championship game and win it against Atlanta. How special it would be for us here in SF to have both a WS and Super Bowl to cheer about.

Atlanta looks pretty unstoppable though. Like baseball, football relies on defense and an all out team effort. It's too scary to rely on a team that is carried too much by a quarterback just like it is too much to rely on a single big numbers batter. We all know what happens to such one dimensional teams during an injury, retirement, or trade. Players on the Niners have not only stepped up, but so have others many have not watched. It's another thing altogether to be able to beat up an offense or give your QB a lot of time late in the season when the best of bodies are all but spent and broken. It's a good thing the regular season is only 16 games. The glory is not in an all consuming D, but the wins year after year follow such a team as was the case in the Madden Raiders or the Steel Curtain.

 

[Queen of Spades]

Atlanta looks pretty unstoppable though.

No they don't. Not at all. They have absolutely no run game. When Matt Ryan doesn't throw like 5 TDs, they are very vulnerable - as evidenced by them barely squeaking it out against some bad teams. They beat the Panthers and Raiders by a combined 5 points and will play a fairly easy schedule this year. I would normally say San Francisco worries me, but their shenanigans at QB make them less of a SB favorite in my opinion, as does an MIA Vernon Davis. I think they're still probably the NFC's elite team, depending on whether or not the Giants feel like trying in any given week.

AFC-side, there's not a single team that looks unbeatable. Should be a fun final stretch.

 

[zioxide]

I would love to both go to NFC championship game and win it against Atlanta. How special it would be for us here in SF to have both a WS and Super Bowl to cheer about.

That's a fun time. We had the Sox 2004 WS championship bookended by back-to-back Super Bowls and let's just say that was a pretty fun year and a half for us Boston fans.

We all know what happens to such one dimensional teams during an injury, retirement, or trade.

Yep. You end up like the Colts last year.

No they don't. Not at all. They have absolutely no run game. When Matt Ryan doesn't throw like 5 TDs, they are very vulnerable - as evidenced by them barely squeaking it out against some bad teams. They beat the Panthers and Raiders by a combined 5 points. I would normally say San Francisco worries me, but their shenanigans at QB make them less of a SB favorite in my opinion, although I think they're still probably the NFC's elite team.

I'm not worried about any team. The Patriots can beat any team in this league as long as Brady has a good day and the defense doesn't give up big plays. Of course that's easier said than done, especially against good teams like Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

AFC-side, there's not a single team that looks unbeatable. Should be a fun final stretch.

If the Patriots defense keeps coming on like they have the past few games, they are the closest to "unbeatable" in the AFC. That is until they face the Giants

 

[Queen of Spades]

If the Patriots defense keeps coming on like they have the past few games, they are the closest to "unbeatable" in the AFC. That is until they face the Giants

I am optimistic about the Patriots, no doubt. But you also can't rely on turnovers, especially in the playoffs. I'll feel better when the YPG goes down and we start being able to pressure the QB with consistency - not an easy task as Jones hurt his ankle and Cunningham is out 4 games for violating the substance abuse policy. I think they're on the upswing for sure, but for me it's a little early to be thinking of anything but trying to get a bye. Week 14 and 15 against Houston and San Francisco will be key seeing where the Patriots stack up against the current favorites.

The Giants are about as inconsistent as it gets. I know their 9-7 lazy regular season effort/turn it on during the playoffs was enough last year, but I can't see that being a great formula for success. Their front 4 is crazy good when they're tuned in, though.

 

[63dot]

The Giants are about as inconsistent as it gets. I know their 9-7 lazy regular season effort/turn it on during the playoffs was enough last year, but I can't see that being a great formula for success. Their front 4 is crazy good when they're tuned in, though.

The Giants can't use their weird method for success long term. However, being just "somewhat good" worked twice for them. I don't fault them as much since in the past five years or so the NFC has been a stronger conference so the lowly records would stack up better than similar AFC record of any team.

I don't see Giants winning it all this season. They may have the Patriots' number but the Patriots are not the only good AFC team. The Broncos or Ravens may just tear the Giants up in a Super Bowl. Broncos-Giants Super Bowl would be the biggest ever if it comes to that.

 

[63dot]

That's a fun time. We had the Sox 2004 WS championship bookended by back-to-back Super Bowls and let's just say that was a pretty fun year and a half for us Boston fans.

You had basically a "New York" decade *. The biggest sigh of relief that I can think in any sport of was the 2004 ALCS. You were no longer the "other" east coast baseball team. Since 2000, you had the Bruins, Red Sox twice, and the Patriots dynasty. Of course, New York had the Giants in football in 2011 and 2007, Yankees twice in the 2000s, and Yankees three times in the '90s as well as a Giants win early in that decade.

Boston is the only other city I expect multiple wins from every single decade. You can have a dead Pats, Bruins, and Red Sox but then have the Celtics do well. Some towns have good runs like Chicago with Bulls, Dallas with Cowboys, or LA with Lakers but NY and Boston will, and have been top contenders for many decades.

That being said, no town comes close to NY when it comes to professional titles. They are big, rich, and a great place to have a team. Had the NY Giants of baseball and Brooklyn Dodgers stayed in NY, imagine then how many more championships and strong seasons they could add to what they already have in that region.

San Francisco's best decade was the '80s for me. We had four Super Bowls for 49ers and two for Raiders, three WS appearances (Giants once, A's twice with A's winning in '89), but unfortunately not much from the Oakland based Warriors. The '90s saw the A's getting into a WS, a SF Super Bowl victory, and some bright moments from San Jose Sharks and it wasn't the same for sports. I hope the 2010s will fare as well as the '80s for San Francisco bay area. We just missed the SB for 49ers but do have two WS this early on. A's are a possible power but Raiders need help. I do hope the Sharks and Warriors can make a showing this decade. We do have a superhero in SF pitcher Tim Lincecum and he's a sports hero with 2 WS rings and 2 Cy Youngs similar to our Joe Montana with 4 Super Bowl wins and 3 SB MVPs. We had kind of an anti-hero in Barry Bonds (easily more jerseys than Montana and Lincecum combined) and his records are simply amazing but may not have been had he stayed clean. But even clean I think Bonds could have had a HOF career and there is no moment in any sport that was as insane as Bonds breaking the single season home run record. Some other channels were dead air and the roads had nobody on them. Everybody was talking about Bonds, either as a hero or a villain but there's no time I can think of when non-sports fans were talking so much about a sports figure. Surreal and a once in a lifetime experience over here.

Also what I would love to see are at least two SF 49er superbowl wins this decade, one each for our two QBs. I don't know if we will ever have a starter getting a ring and then have the backup getting a ring as was the case with back to back legends Montana and Young. What we had was the best QB of the '80s followed by the highest rated passer in NFL history (at the time of Young's exit from football). Yes, we have a QB controversy again but not on the same level.




* - (from USNWR)

2. Boston - 34 Championships

Legendary coach Red Auerbach led the Celtics to nine NBA championships in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969, making up more than half of the team's 17 titles. Boston's teams haven't been shabby of late, either—after an 86-year drought, the Red Sox were able to shake off the "Curse of the Bambino" in 2004, winning their sixth title. They added another in 2007. The Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years between 2001 and 2005, the Celtics won the NBA finals in 2008, and the Bruins won their sixth Stanley Cup in June. The Boston Braves also won a World Series in 1914 before moving to Milwaukee, then Atlanta.

1. New York - 55 Championships

With 27 World Series titles, the Yankees are America's most successful franchise thanks to a revolving cast of legends including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter. But New York's other baseball teams have won titles as well. The Mets have two World Series wins, and the Giants and Dodgers won a combined five World Series before moving west. The Knicks have won two NBA finals, and the metropolitan area's three NHL teams—the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders, have won a combined 11 Stanley Cups. The football Giants have won seven NFL championships, including three Super Bowls. Behind quarterback Joe Namath's promise, the Jets won their only championship in 1968.

 

[pachyderm]

It feels good to beat the Squealers. It's hilarious how many excuses I'm hearing from Pittsburgh fans as well. They've beaten the Browns 16 out of the last 17 and they don't have the class to lose gracefully once every four years or so.

More good defense from the Browns. They've played well all season.

Ohio State beat Michigan as well, and Cincy won too, so it's a good day to be an Ohioan.

gave you pos rep for browns over steelers...

thinking about taking it back for the bengals over raiders business...

 

[pachyderm]

The Giants can't use their weird method for success long term. However, being just "somewhat good" worked twice for them. I don't fault them as much since in the past five years or so the NFC has been a stronger conference so the lowly records would stack up better than similar AFC record of any team.

I don't see Giants winning it all this season. They may have the Patriots' number but the Patriots are not the only good AFC team. The Broncos or Ravens may just tear the Giants up in a Super Bowl. Broncos-Giants Super Bowl would be the biggest ever if it comes to that.

IMHO:

after struggling vs the chargers i don't think the ravens can be added to that list right now. their won lost record is deceiving...

the broncos are better than their won/lost record would indicate...

falcons, niners, packers and giants(the latter two are also better than their won/lost record would indicate) are the best in the nfc. bears are on the cusp. too psycho to judge right now. their win this past weekend was somewhat convincing though... their opponent, the vikings, are another team that is hard to figure out.

texans*, patriots, broncos cream of the crop in the afc.

just my opinion. some of it obvious, some of it debatable... discuss.

i do think we'd all agree that the Chiefs are horrible.


*Texans - i don't think a lot of folks want to believe they are that good but i think they are...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

thinking about taking it back for the bengals over raiders business...

I had nothing to do with that...

Also what I would love to see are at least two SF 49er superbowl wins this decade, one each for our two QBs.

Must be nice to be able to dream big...I just hope that one of Cleveland's top division sports teams wins a championship before I die. I don't care which. But it's a very, very faint hope.

 

[Scotty Dont]

IMHO:

after struggling vs the chargers i don't think the ravens can be added to that list right now. their won lost record is deceiving...

the broncos are better than their won/lost record would indicate...

falcons, niners, packers and giants(the latter two are also better than their won/lost record would indicate) are the best in the nfc. bears are on the cusp. too psycho to judge right now. their win this past weekend was somewhat convincing though... their opponent, the vikings, are another team that is hard to figure out.

texans*, patriots, broncos cream of the crop in the afc.

just my opinion. some of it obvious, some of it debatable... discuss.

i do think we'd all agree that the Chiefs are horrible.


*Texans - i don't think a lot of folks want to believe they are that good but i think they are...

I feel like the Texans are overrated. Especially with Cushing out. Two weeks in a row they've struggled against a very bad Jaguars team and a mediocre Lions team. They're vulnerable and they've been showing it. They beat the Bronco's earlier in the year, but so did the Pats. In 2 weeks, we'll see where they really stand when they come to Foxboro.

 

[MacDawg]

All of the teams are flawed, including the Falcons
Maybe especially the Falcons

It is all about who gets hot at the right time and takes advantage of the opportunity
SuperBowl Champ 9-7 Giants have proven that

Regular season wins are great, but they are not always an accurate predictor of the post-season

Injuries, favorable/unfavorable matchups, home field, dome/grass, can all play a part
But in the end, it comes down to who makes the plays when it counts
And those playmakers can be stars, or the most unlikely of suspects

 

[63dot]

All of the teams are flawed, including the Falcons
Maybe especially the Falcons

It is all about who gets hot at the right time and takes advantage of the opportunity
SuperBowl Champ 9-7 Giants have proven that

Regular season wins are great, but they are not always an accurate predictor of the post-season

Injuries, favorable/unfavorable matchups, home field, dome/grass, can all play a part
But in the end, it comes down to who makes the plays when it counts
And those playmakers can be stars, or the most unlikely of suspects

You have wowed the sports writers for some time now, and if my Niners or Raiders don't make it to big dance, I will root for Falcons. They need one.

In baseball, they (Braves) so deserved a title being the 2nd best team in the 90s. It was a relief to see them get one!

 

[pachyderm]

You have wowed the sports writers for some time now, and if my Niners or Raiders* don't make it to big dance, I will root for Falcons. They need one.

i absolutely cannot stand the braves. i'm very glad they only won 1 WS title.


*our Raiders, and i think we can safely count them out...

best of luck to the falcons if the niners fail though...

 

[63dot]

i absolutely cannot stand the braves. i'm very glad they only won 1 WS title.


*our Raiders, and i think we can safely count them out...

best of luck to the falcons if the niners fail though...

To me the Braves are only the bad guys if they stand in the way of the Giants. They sure had a killer pitching rotation for much of that decade.

The Raiders have been bad so long that something is bound to happen one day. For so many years in the 70s and 80s we took their winning ways for granted. If there was a game and the Raiders were playing, we didn't care who because 75% percent of the time we were going to win. At 3-8, they are almost numerically disqualified for postseason this year and the division is led by Peyton Manning. We will have to wait for next year.

 

[pachyderm]

To me the Braves are only the bad guys if they stand in the way of the Giants. They sure had a killer pitching rotation for much of that decade.

The Raiders have been bad so long that something is bound to happen one day. For so many years in the 70s and 80s we took their winning ways for granted. If there was a game and the Raiders were playing, we didn't care who because 75% percent of the time we were going to win. At 3-8, they are almost numerically disqualified for postseason this year and the division is led by Peyton Manning. We will have to wait for next year.

or even the year after...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

It is all about who gets hot at the right time and takes advantage of the opportunity
SuperBowl Champ 9-7 Giants have proven that

Regular season wins are great, but they are not always an accurate predictor of the post-season

A succinct summary of all playoff-based sports. Your regular season is irrelevant so long as you stumble into the playoffs with a healthy team and then start winning games.

 

[MacDawg]

The Falcons problem is they are not a team that "gets hot"
They are a team that is a plodder, steady as she goes so to speak
Good enough to beat many teams on most Sundays
That plays well in the regular season over the long haul
But with a team like the Giants that are either red hot or ice cold it is a crap shoot
If you catch them when they are hot, nobody will beat them
Same with the Packers, awful in some games, unstoppable in others
You can prolly add the Bears to that mix this year as well

 

[Queen of Spades]

In my admittedly very (very) biased opinion, you really can't beat the decade that Boston's had in terms of sports. Every single team in the major sports has won a championship - football, basketball, hockey, and baseball - and some, multiple championships (with near misses a bunch of other times). The glory of sustained dominance is ours.

That said and to keep things in perspective, we're simply very lucky as fans. None of us caught a ball, pitched, hit, ran a touchdown, blocked a goal, or wrote a check for a star player. We're just fortunate sports-wise at this moment in time. But I'll take it.

P.S. We don't talk like this.

 

[63dot]

That is one beautiful cover. ^^^ Platinum and diamonds go well together, don't they!

I remember a time, and other times in history, when that Boston fistful was all green but now you have the friggin rainbow. I think the multi-sport thing in a narrow ten year time period is unprecedented in four sports but I will have to look through the years to see if New York (or even Chicago) pulled that off.

I would love to see a similar one with Giants, As, Niners, Raiders, Warriors, and Sharks. I am not so sure about Warriors and Raiders getting one though. I will also take Sacto Kings. If you want to talk titles, Green Bay has done quite a bit and wouldn't it be a kick if they had a hockey team, baseball team, and basketball team, too?

for your Boston shot you should have put all the rings in and had this guy model them: