2012-2013 NFL Football Thread

[zioxide]

Raise your hand if you saw a 49ers beat down on the Patriots in Foxboro.

Since when is being down by 7 points and having a chance at an onside kick at the end of the game to get possession and tie a "beat down"?

wow, well I knew the patsies wouldn't dominate again this week since they're not playing another creampuff afc team, but didn't expect SF to handle them so definitively. 9ers look good.

11-1 is a creampuff team? I'd like to know what you consider the other 29 teams then.

Too big of a hole, too many fumbles and BS in the beginning. But I loved that they never stopped fighting, and I loved the 4 straight TD drives on that defense when they needed it the most.

Special teams and go F itself, but we'll be all right.

The two fumbles and that freak interception that bounced off I think Hernandez's hands right into the 49ers lineman's numbers killed the Pats last night. You can't turn the ball over 4 times against any team, let alone one of the best in the league, and expect to win the game. The Ridley fumble when we were finally starting to get a drive going in the 2nd quarter killed us, if they would have been able to put up a touchdown there we would have had a chance.

There are plenty of positives to take out of here though, from coming back from 28 down to tie it with those four straight touchdown drives to the defense's play during those sequences to get the ball back so they could go on those drives. This is the only team in the league that could go down 31-3 and still come back and tie it and make it a ballgame in the 4th quarter. If the special teams didn't blow that kickoff return right after we tied it, they could have won the game even after being down by 28. That's crazy.

I'm actually kind of glad they lost. This team under Brady and Bill has always played better when they had that chip on their shoulder. A loss to a team that could be a potential Super Bowl representative from the NFC just three weeks before the playoffs start I think will help keep them grounded and keep their heads from getting too big. You don't want to go in to the playoffs thinking that you are the best team, you want to go in knowing you have something to prove.

Broncos lucked out with a cakewalk last couple of games, but with a healthy Gronkowski, I'm not worried about any team. The bye would have been nice, but only for health reasons.

To be fair, the Pats got a pretty easy schedule for themselves too. But you're right here. We're already in the playoffs, Gronk is close to being back, and this team has showed when they play to their potential they can beat any team in the league.

34 points without Gronk, against the best D, in the rain with 4 turnovers, and showed some serious fight. We'll be fine. Just hope Dennard is okay.

Yup. 34 points without the best receiving weapon in the league, against the best defense in the rain with 4 turnovers, and it took a career day (it's only his 2nd year, but still) from Kaepernick and an extremely uncharacteristically bad day (4 turnovers) by the Patriots for the 49ers to pull out a 7-point win.

I loved that this team didn't give up even when they were down by 4 touchdowns. That's something we haven't seen out of a Patriots team in quite a while (remember getting blown out by Cleveland last year?). I'd much rather take a loss now then in the playoffs. The only downside is that we no longer control our own destiny for the #2 seed, but anything is still possible. We still hold the head-to-head with Denver, so if they lose one of their two remaining games and we win out, we'd still end up at #2.


I'd love to get a rematch with the 49ers down in New Orleans the first weekend in February.

 

[Queen of Spades]

Since when is being down by 7 points and having a chance at an onside kick at the end of the game to get possession and tie a "beat down"?

To be fair, I think he posted that when we were down big.

11-1 is a creampuff team? I'd like to know what you consider the other 29 teams then.

He just makes himself sound like a moron with comments like that. But he can't help himself, he hates the Patriots almost as much as he loves the Packers. I'm just going to ignore him.

I loved that this team didn't give up even when they were down by 4 touchdowns. That's something we haven't seen out of a Patriots team in quite a while (remember getting blown out by Cleveland last year?). I'd much rather take a loss now then in the playoffs. The only downside is that we no longer control our own destiny for the #2 seed, but anything is still possible. We still hold the head-to-head with Denver, so if they lose one of their two remaining games and we win out, we'd still end up at #2.

The bye is extremely unlikely at this point, but stranger things have happened. Either way, yeah, the best thing about that game is the fighting spirit. I'm not worried about anything except having Kyle Arrington covering the outside - as long as Dennard is okay, I'm good with what I'm seeing from the Patriots. And I think a rematch with the 49ers, if we're so fortunate, would have a different outcome.

 

[MacDawg]

Beat down would be what the Falcons did to the Giants.

Not often I get to read posts like that... just savoring the moment

 

[rhett7660]

Not often I get to read posts like that... just savoring the moment

Ha... you know it is bad when the station changes the channel for you with the comment of something along the lines, we wanted to bring you a game that had a little more competition in it and is not a blow out!

Being an avid Giant's hater, I was all for the dirty birds winning.

 

[iLog.Genius]

LMAO who started this "we gave it to them" bullish-t? I hate when players say that garbage. When you're down by that much at one point in the game, you didn't "give it to them", they outplayed you, period. When you tied it up but couldn't execute at the end, you didn't "give it to them", the other team executed their game plan better. The 49ers "gave" you the comeback. See how absurd that sounds? Teams really need to accept their mistakes and errors. And it's disappointing for someone like Brady even say that - he's always the first in press conferences to say when they goofed up but it was a learning experience, improve in practice and prepare for the next week.

 

[63dot]

While I was sure the Pats would win this thing, 28-14 or so, the local Niners radio station mentioned that if San Francisco wins it's because the Pats are not used to such an aggressive defense and that when Brady doesn't stack up a lot of TDs, it's mostly due to slippery footballs on a rainy day. If it were dry, the Pats would rout the Niners. We are still a team trying to get used to a rather young quarterback while New England knows every aspect of the game to enter the postseason.

Even then I didn't think we would do it due to the rain. Part of the 3rd and 4th quarters when the both the Pats offense was getting it done (maybe finally adjusting to the rain and getting into a rhythm which they usually have without even trying) and the Niners were not that spectacular on offense, I thought the game settled into that predicted Pats win, even if it was a late charge and come from behind deal.

Some of the later plays and overthrows by Brady could have actually been due to his weakness in the rain, and perhaps what the announcers were saying that the Niners were getting tired was not all that accurate. The last part of the game came back to San Francisco, though barely, but showed defense wins games most of the time. That being said, when we were ready to run a ball through a giant hole, those Pats defenders came up really fast and held Gore back from what could have been a huge night by typical Gore standards. The better team are the Patriots, and though it pains me to say that, they are probably no match for the NFC teams that are settled into a routine and have racked up 9 or more wins. Those same strong NFC teams will destroy SF unless we get consistent. If it were Green Bay or Atlanta 28 points down and coming back in the 4th, I don't think we could have stopped them. I don't have hope for my team winning the Super Bowl this season because of so many balanced teams in the NFC going for it all. NFC have won 4 out of the last 5 and the Niners just don't belong in the same company as those who have won it in those years. A couple of weeks ago I would not have put Seattle up there as a legitimate Super Bowl threat, but I think they are there now and peaking at the right time.

 

[iLog.Genius]

While I was sure the Pats would win this thing, 28-14 or so, the local Niners radio station mentioned that if San Francisco wins it's because the Pats are not used to such an aggressive defense and that when Brady doesn't stack up a lot of TDs, it's mostly due to slippery footballs on a rainy day. If it were dry, the Pats would rout the Niners. We are still a team trying to get used to a rather young quarterback while New England knows every aspect of the game to enter the postseason.

Even then I didn't think we would do it due to the rain. Part of the 3rd and 4th quarters when the both the Pats offense was getting it done (maybe finally adjusting to the rain and getting into a rhythm which they usually have without even trying) and the Niners were not that spectacular on offense, I thought the game settled into that predicted Pats win, even if it was a late charge and come from behind deal.

Some of the later plays and overthrows by Brady could have actually been due to his weakness in the rain, and perhaps what the announcers were saying that the Niners were getting tired was not all that accurate. The last part of the game came back to San Francisco, though barely, but showed defense wins games most of the time. That being said, when we were ready to run a ball through a giant hole, those Pats defenders came up really fast and held Gore back from what could have been a huge night by typical Gore standards. The better team are the Patriots, and though it pains me to say that, they are probably no match for the NFC teams that are settled into a routine and have racked up 9 or more wins. Those same strong NFC teams will destroy SF unless we get consistent. If it were Green Bay or Atlanta 28 points down and coming back in the 4th, I don't think we could have stopped them. I don't have hope for my team winning the Super Bowl this season because of so many balanced teams in the NFC going for it all. NFC have won 4 out of the last 5 and the Niners just don't belong in the same company as those who have won it in those years. A couple of weeks ago I would not have put Seattle up there as a legitimate Super Bowl threat, but I think they are there now and peaking at the right time.

So what you're saying is New England doesn't know how to play in wet weather and at Gillette Stadium? The wet weather was more an advantage to the 49ers? Rubbish. Who's not to say if it was dry, the 49ers would have used more pressure packages? Like you said, Brady (like all QB's) get flustered when under pressure, so how would dry weather only be beneficial for one team?

As for QB play, don't use slippery balls as an excuse, especially for Brady. Kaepernick was playing extremely well for 3 quarters while Brady wasn't getting much done until the 4th QTR. The Patriots scoring 28 unanswered can be partly credited to the 49ers playing more prevent/zone than man-to-man, playing prevent/zone is only going to cost you especially against a QB like Brady who is smart to pick those plays apart.

It's absurd to think that the Patriots would've dominated if the weather was dry.

 

[Queen of Spades]

The Patriots lost because they fumbled, committed terrible penalties, and made mental errors through 2.5 quarters. Couple that with a nasty, pressuring defense like the SF 49ers, and it's not a surprise. You won't beat a team like the Niners with that kind of performance. Period. It wasn't the ball (both teams were in the same conditions) or anything else.

63dot you sound afraid to admit your team is good.

I'm a Patriots fan and I can totally admit that my team played like chumps for more than half the game. That said, I still think they will be fine. In the meantime, everyone else can enjoy having watched the Patriots get knocked off, I know how it goes. Don't cry for me Argentina.

And to be fair, iLog, I really doubt the 49ers were fine with allowing the Patriots 4 consecutive TD drives, no matter what the score or coverage. Give them a little credit. I think Justin Smith being out hurt them more, but we had no Gronk, so I don't really feel bad about it.

 

[63dot]

63dot you sound afraid to admit your team is good.

They are good, but not great like Atlanta, Houston, Green Bay, Denver, and New England. They are basically at the top of the next tier that would include teams like the Ravens, Cowboys, Giants, and Washington.

When I think of great when it comes to San Francisco and football, it's a team I expect to always make the playoffs and usually win the division (Montana and Young led 49ers of 80s/90s).

And when I think of great right now, well that would be the San Francisco Giants as they completely overshadow the city's professional football team these days.

If my 49ers fail to win the division, that would be a bummer but not shocking. Now if my SF Giants don't win the NL West next year, then that's a shock and complete disgrace being who they have. It may be early but the Giants could be in a dynasty like the NL's Braves and AL's Yankees of the 90s.

 

[63dot]

So what you're saying is New England doesn't know how to play in wet weather and at Gillette Stadium? The wet weather was more an advantage to the 49ers? Rubbish. Who's not to say if it was dry, the 49ers would have used more pressure packages? Like you said, Brady (like all QB's) get flustered when under pressure, so how would dry weather only be beneficial for one team?

As for QB play, don't use slippery balls as an excuse, especially for Brady. Kaepernick was playing extremely well for 3 quarters while Brady wasn't getting much done until the 4th QTR. The Patriots scoring 28 unanswered can be partly credited to the 49ers playing more prevent/zone than man-to-man, playing prevent/zone is only going to cost you especially against a QB like Brady who is smart to pick those plays apart.

It's absurd to think that the Patriots would've dominated if the weather was dry.

I should have probably qualified that I was just reiterating some football analysts in San Francisco who thought those things and being the best possible situation going against New England.

Let's say they are right and their numbers show Brady falling down a larger percentage in the rain compared to other quarterbacks. Even then, let's say Brady's QB rating falls into the cellar, his cellar is better than many a starting QB's best day. He's that good, but if the analysts think SF had better chance at New England in the rain versus a dry day, then so be it. I will take the win and at least it got us a playoff berth.

I would have still rather beaten the Rams recently and have that win be a part of my team's entry into postseason than having beat New England. That Rams game, while a real great form of entertainment for many, was really painful for us Niner fans. It's never easy to lose against our biggest all time rivals in football, but to lose to such a pedestrian Rams team (6-7-1) stings, especially when some believe we are a Super Bowl caliber team. It's not as if they had a Kurt Warner taking the snaps.

 

[iLog.Genius]

And to be fair, iLog, I really doubt the 49ers were fine with allowing the Patriots 4 consecutive TD drives, no matter what the score or coverage. Give them a little credit. I think Justin Smith being out hurt them more, but we had no Gronk, so I don't really feel bad about it.

Not taking anything away from either team. Brady stepped up given the circumstances (no matter who you are, it's hard to score 4 TD a game, never mind in less than a quarter and that quick), give him his due for not giving up. But half of the Patriots come back can be put on the the 49ers going into zone. I could understand that the 49ers thought they were good enough to keep everything in front of them, and they probably are, but with Brady as QB, he's been in the league long enough to know how to handle such situations. Justin Smith being out definitely hurt because he's an integral part of that defense but I think the 49ers should've kept applying pressure. For one, it worked for 3/4 of the game and I'd rather take my chances getting beat with the blitz then sitting back in a prevent and having Brady just sit back there.

It's not just the 49ers. A lot of teams have been doing this a lot this year - gain a lead and just play zone after effectively applying pressure all game.

 

[63dot]

Brady's stepping up and going big while quite a bit behind is a lot like Elway or Jim Kelly at their best. I remember never counting out either guy in their heyday because you could go out to the car to get six bags of groceries and a six pack, and guys like Elway or Kelly would have put two touchdowns on the board.

I have seen situations where an Elway or Kelly will start with a hail Mary (or at least 50 yard completion) in first or second down to shake things up, get the score, see their team's defense create a turnover, and Elway or Kelly finds the end zone in a couple of plays with no need to seek a first down. Oddly, while these guys were born to score fast and quick and come from behind, Buffalo's back up QB Frank Reich's 4th quarter comeback was the best I have seen. Brady is yet another version of a fast scoring QB who can come back in the last quarter if that's the case (or if Brady hasn't already drowned out the other team in the first three quarters).

 

[malman89]

Why is it that every game the NY Jets are in suddenly turns into must miss TV and the biggest snoozefest?

 

[einmusiker]

Pats are the best come from behind 4th quarter team ever. Sure, late in the 3rd quarter Brady had 28 points to make up but this is in his sphere of experience.

We have a good D but sometimes Kap seems lost after he seems to look like a legend in the making and it's too hot and cold for my tastes. I don't know how he's going to handle this last quarter and if he could hold onto the ball and let the clock beat Brady. This is precisely where an Alex Smith would have control of a game. Kap's great at making great plays and extraordinary shows of athleticism, but controlling the clock is not his thing.

I fell asleep lol, didn't even see the comeback. I think Kap is your man bud. You keep mentioning Smith but he just doesn't have the goods that kap does. Remember, Kap is still learning only a starter a few weeks, he will get it. And what an extraordinary athlete.

QOS you seem ticked off

A very interesting week. Packers win very ugly against a weak Bears team. Giants get smoked by an inconsistent Falcons. Pats show their weakness. No team seems dominant.

Teams to be very careful of... Broncos and Seahawks.

Seahawks are sneaky good and if they are at home are very tough to beat. Broncos, well Peyton.

 

[Vetvito]

Whoa that Jets game was hilarious .

Sad sad sad game.

 

[zioxide]

LMAO who started this "we gave it to them" bullish-t? I hate when players say that garbage. When you're down by that much at one point in the game, you didn't "give it to them", they outplayed you, period.

Actually, when you turn the ball over 4 times and it costs you the game, you quite literally did "give it to them".

While I was sure the Pats would win this thing, 28-14 or so, the local Niners radio station mentioned that if San Francisco wins it's because the Pats are not used to such an aggressive defense and that when Brady doesn't stack up a lot of TDs, it's mostly due to slippery footballs on a rainy day. If it were dry, the Pats would rout the Niners. We are still a team trying to get used to a rather young quarterback while New England knows every aspect of the game to enter the postseason.

You can't say for sure if it was weather or not, but the fact that both teams turned the ball over a bunch of times more than usual suggests that the weather did have an effect.

I think the cold, rainy weather like that tends to favor the defenses more than the offense. Back in the early Brady years they used to be the team with the decent offense and great defense and those were the games they thrived on. In the matchup of #1 offense vs #1 defense, the conditions here probably favored the defense a little bit, but when you turn the ball over 4 times you pretty much dig your own grave. And there's no way to tell if all of those turnovers would have happened or not if it wasn't raining.

Let's hope for a rematch in the Superdome... no teams will have to worry about any rain there.

The Patriots lost because they fumbled, committed terrible penalties, and made mental errors through 2.5 quarters. Couple that with a nasty, pressuring defense like the SF 49ers, and it's not a surprise. You won't beat a team like the Niners with that kind of performance. Period. It wasn't the ball (both teams were in the same conditions) or anything else.

Exactly. Hopefully they learn from their mistakes here and realize they can't play like **** for half the game and still expect to win, regardless of the conditions.

 

[pachyderm]

Why is it that every game the NY Jets are in suddenly turns into must miss TV and the biggest snoozefest?

i jinxed them though. i usually root for whoever the titans are playing. sorry jets fans.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Why is it that every game the NY Jets are in suddenly turns into must miss TV and the biggest snoozefest?

Yeah, they looked pretty sad last night. I still say one of the funniest things I have ever seen is Sanchez's butt fumble.

 

[Queen of Spades]

QOS you seem ticked off

No, just another year, another season of you doing your Patriots hater schtick and throwing out nonsense. You'd think after you kept calling them losers last season you'd have learned your lesson. Acting like the Texans are a crap team just so you can bash the Patriots means no one is going to take you seriously.

Anyway.

If Rex Ryan starts Mark Sanchez one more time this season, he should be fired. Otherwise, Tannenbaum should go, and they should make finding a competent QB priority number one. Better to be cap strung one year in order to kick Sanchez to the curb and start to rebuild than be stuck with Butthead for the rest of his deal. The end of that game was a disgrace - that horrible INT in the red zone, that back breaking fumble after they'd caught the most amazing break ever. Just horrendous.

 

[63dot]

Let's hope for a rematch in the Superdome... no teams will have to worry about any rain there.

49ers vs. Patriots? I want to think my Niners will get there but there's far more of a chance of NE representing the AFC than Niners representing NFC. The Patriots seem to have Houston's number but my money is on old man Manning and Denver to get one more ring before he hangs it up and it would be nice to see him at least match his bro. If he goes and wins it all, then the Broncos could be known for giving last chance old quarterbacks another big win. For NFC there are quite a few teams that could go there. If Niners don't go, then NE or Denver against Seattle or Atlanta would be a great one.

Anyway, whoever goes to the game outside of SF, I don't really care but I will still watch because of totally insane stuff like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpi2IAec9Ho

 

[ucfgrad93]

If Rex Ryan starts Mark Sanchez one more time this season, he should be fired. Otherwise, Tannenbaum should go, and they should make finding a competent QB priority number one. Better to be cap strung one year in order to kick Sanchez to the curb and start to rebuild than be stuck with Butthead for the rest of his deal. The end of that game was a disgrace - that horrible INT in the red zone, that back breaking fumble after they'd caught the most amazing break ever. Just horrendous.

Ryan and Tannenbaum should both be sent packing after this season. Ryan can't control his team, and Tannenbaum saddled the Jets with Sanchez's awful extension. Between last night's game and the Thanksgiving game the Jets are just pathetic.

 

[Moyank24]

No, just another year, another season of you doing your Patriots hater schtick and throwing out nonsense. You'd think after you kept calling them losers last season you'd have learned your lesson. Acting like the Texans are a crap team just so you can bash the Patriots means no one is going to take you seriously.

Anyway.

If Rex Ryan starts Mark Sanchez one more time this season, he should be fired. Otherwise, Tannenbaum should go, and they should make finding a competent QB priority number one. Better to be cap strung one year in order to kick Sanchez to the curb and start to rebuild than be stuck with Butthead for the rest of his deal. The end of that game was a disgrace - that horrible INT in the red zone, that back breaking fumble after they'd caught the most amazing break ever. Just horrendous.

Ryan and Tannenbaum should both be sent packing after this season. Ryan can't control his team, and Tannenbaum saddled the Jets with Sanchez's awful extension. Between last night's game and the Thanksgiving game the Jets are just pathetic.

They just announced that McElroy is going to get the start against the Chargers.

Tannenbaum will be fired - I just don't see how they keep him. He's made bad decision after bad decision. And I don't think we'll see Sanchez take another snap for the Jets. It's a huge cap hit (17m I think), but for the future of the team, and the sanity of the fans, they have to let him go.

The trade for Tebow was also a joke. Why trade for a QB worse than the one you have and not play him? And then when you don't play him it becomes a distraction. Unbelieveable. Say what you want about Rex, but he's been handed a s***storm. Bad players, bad management, a bad owner. They need a complete overhaul. The change they made in the OC doesn't seem to have helped. Questionable play calling with subpar talent = the crap we've had to watch.

I've been a loyal Jets fan my entire life, and frankly I'm sick of it.

Go Texans.

 

[MacNut]

How many of the Jets bad decisions lay with Woody Johnson. I would bet that Tebow was all on the owner.

 

[Moyank24]

How many of the Jets bad decisions lay with Woody Johnson. I would bet that Tebow was all on the owner.

Many of them. He's an awful owner who deserves the crap team he owns.

 

[zioxide]

49ers vs. Patriots? I want to think my Niners will get there but there's far more of a chance of NE representing the AFC than Niners representing NFC. The Patriots seem to have Houston's number but my money is on old man Manning and Denver to get one more ring before he hangs it up and it would be nice to see him at least match his bro. If he goes and wins it all, then the Broncos could be known for giving last chance old quarterbacks another big win. For NFC there are quite a few teams that could go there. If Niners don't go, then NE or Denver against Seattle or Atlanta would be a great one.

Anyway, whoever goes to the game outside of SF, I don't really care but I will still watch because of totally insane stuff like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpi2IAec9Ho

You seem like you don't want to believe your team is actually very good.

The 49ers defense IS championship caliber, and it might be cliche, but defense DOES win championships. That defense is the class of the NFC and with that defense in the playoffs you guys should be favored in almost every matchup. I think you have it backwards. Houston, Denver, Baltimore, or the Patriots could all represent the AFC. It's pretty much a toss up. The 49ers definitely have a better chance. The only thing I would really be worried about if I was a SF fan would be playing Atlanta in Atlanta. Your defense could beat Green Bay even at Lambeau, and those two teams are your only real competition in the NFC.

Of course none of this is certain, because as they say, any team can win on any given sunday. But it's okay to have some confidence in your team.

How many of the Jets bad decisions lay with Woody Johnson. I would bet that Tebow was all on the owner.

Many of them. He's an awful owner who deserves the crap team he owns.

Part of it no doubt falls on the owner, but the majority of the blame should be on Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan.

Tannenbaum has made loads of horrendous personnel moves in his career there. They should have kicked him to the curb last year.. the whole Tebow debacle will be the final straw.

Rex has proved he's not head coach material. He can't control his locker room. He's a great defensive coach and coordinator, but if you can't command that respect and control in your locker room you won't go anywhere.