2014-15 NFL season thread

[Queen of Spades]

They are not a juggernaut. They had their dynasty. They are a good team this year and the last few. This is not the same Pats team that won those games. Other than Brady, (who is starting to show his age) and Gronk(who is always hurt), its a totally different team

This is pretty spot on. Except I don't necessarily agree about Brady, although I respect the argument.

Players change, as in all sports dynasties, but being in the Pats is almost a guarantee to make it to postseason.

I understand you respect the Patriots quite a bit, but I think you're oversimplifying this and ignoring the work that actually goes into winning. Putting on any uniform isn't a guarantee of anything. And you've seen the Patriots get absolutely mollywhopped by the Chiefs, yeah? And handled by a division rival in the Dolphins. I think they Patriots are and will be a good team (the jury is out on how good, especially given Ridley/Mayo), but there's no guarantee of anything and it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Just like every other team trying to win. Belichick and Brady are humans, and when they have a bad week, the team loses. No magic about it.

 

[63dot]

This is pretty spot on. Except I don't necessarily agree about Brady, although I respect the argument.



I understand you respect the Patriots quite a bit, but I think you're oversimplifying this and ignoring the work that actually goes into winning. Putting on any uniform isn't a guarantee of anything. And you've seen the Patriots get absolutely mollywhopped by the Chiefs, yeah? And handled by a division rival in the Dolphins. I think they Patriots are and will be a good team (the jury is out on how good, especially given Ridley/Mayo), but there's no guarantee of anything and it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Just like every other team trying to win. Belichick and Brady are humans, and when they have a bad week, the team loses. No magic about it.

My God it's a lot of work for any team to win and what I am saying is with Belichick, it's about the best bet in professional sports that you get to the postseason.

Yes, the Pats had a few bad games and while I truly believe Brady's QB rating and play have come down in recent years, it will not surprise me to see them in postseason this year. Even if Brady gets hurt and you are with a back up, you have coach Belichick and that's the real x-factor.

Way back when it was a pretty good bet to get far if you had a Coach Madden (who won an average of 3 for 4) or a Coach Landry. Today Coach Belichick is arguably in same league as those guys, don't you think? People forget the best thing on a team isn't usually the star player(s), but the coach/manager.

Madden regular season winning percentage: .763

Landry winning percentage: .601 and 5 NFC Championships and 13 Division Titles

Belichick .656 and 5 AFC Championships, 11 Division Titles, and 218 wins

 

[Moyank24]

Jets just traded for Percy Harvin.

I'm confused...

 

[Queen of Spades]

Jets just traded for Percy Harvin.

I'm confused...

Wow, me too. Not sure what sense this makes for either team. I guess cap space for the Seahawks, but...what?

And why would the Jets trade for him when they're 1-6? Baffling.

 

[Moyank24]

Wow, me too. Not sure what sense this makes for either team. I guess cap space for the Seahawks, but...what?

And why would the Jets trade for him when they're 1-6? Baffling.

Well, now they're obviously going to win 9 in a row!

Total Jets move, though.

 

[Peace]

This trade tells me Seattle is expecting a bad season.

 

[Moyank24]

This trade tells me Seattle is expecting a bad season.

I'm not so sure. They did pretty well without him last year. Didn't he only play in the playoffs last year?

He also has a long history of being a head case, so they may not have wanted the headache (no pun) or the cap hit.

 

[Peace]

I'm not so sure. They did pretty well without him last year. Didn't he only play in the playoffs last year?

He also has a long history of being a head case, so they may not have wanted the headache (no pun) or the cap hit.

Maybe. Some are saying Paul Richardson will be the new starting WR.

 

[rdowns]

This trade tells me Seattle is expecting a bad season.

They won without him last year. They also drafted WRs in the 2nd and 4th round. Seattle made a good deal here.

Harvin can join Decker on the injury report.

 

[Queen of Spades]

Makes more sense now...sorta.

 

[Peace]

I heard he attacked a barista at an espresso shop.

 

[citizenzen]

They won without him last year. They also drafted WRs in the 2nd and 4th round. Seattle made a good deal here.

Harvin can join Decker on the injury report.

They'd have made a better deal had they never traded for him.

As a 49er fan, any chink in the armor is good news to me.

 

[RoastingPig]

my boy lynch and skuta better step up on sunday. Go niners!

 

[pachyderm]

Well, now they're obviously going to win 9 in a row!

Total Jets move, though.

i hear they are trying to sign tebow again...

 

[maflynn]

Jets just traded for Percy Harvin.

I'm confused...

Wow, didn't see that one coming. In reading ESPN, it seems the Seahawks had grown tired of Harvin's demeanor in the locker room. Still a conditional draft pick, seams awfully low for him.

 

[rdowns]

Still a conditional draft pick, seams awfully low for him.

Translation: Nobody else wanted him.

 

[63dot]

i hear they are trying to sign tebow again...

Tebow has the talent but his religious points of view, even to some Christians, was his real downfall. His play, if he didn't have any controversial celebrations, would have kept him somewhere in the NFL. I will never forget that 80 yard postseason pass!

Maybe Tebow sucks as a QB and had "help" in his 3:16 victory over the Steelers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3:16_Game

 

[ucfgrad93]

Bad move by the Jets. Harvin has a bad attitude and is injured too much.

 

[Sydde]

Tebow has the talent …

I am not convinced of that. Russell Wilson is small-ish, but he makes it work, Tebow does not. If he did indeed have the talent, he would at the very least be riding pine for some NFL team. Lots of really good college QBs flame out as pros. Look at Montana, he was drafted late in round three and has three rings to show for it, Bledsoe was drafted first pick and managed to lose one SB. I just do not think Tebow's jesus-antics are his biggest drawback.

 

[MacNut]

Players change, as in all sports dynasties, but being in the Pats is almost a guarantee to make it to postseason (or it has been with Brady). They are the NFL's answer to baseball's 1990s-2010s New York Yankees. The Yankees both won and lost WS in that time but what they did do was consistently make it to postseason. When Brady is gone then we will see but I suspect a robust Pats as long as Belichick is working there.

Big Bill isn't a stranger to winning either since it was his D that was the heart of the NY Giants in their big D years.

Have you been watching the AFC east the past 10 years? The reason the Pats are always in the playoffs is because they don't have to be great every year. They are the best team in that division by a long shot. And that is by default. They could mail it in and still win 5 games guaranteed.

 

[63dot]

Have you been watching the AFC east the past 10 years? The reason the Pats are always in the playoffs is because they don't have to be great every year. They are the best team in that division by a long shot. And that is by default. They could mail it in and still win 5 games guaranteed.

I think that's why they may have false confidence when they have their big record, thanks in part to AFC East, but then get shocked in super bowl. I remember when Buffalo owned that division and it seemed like a cake walk. Times change for sure. But that being said, Kelly back in the day and Brady now are great QBs, regardless of rest of division or conference. I'm convinced had a Brady or Kelly been on the 49ers of the 80s with that staff, things would have turned out really well, too and maybe to the tune of 4 rings in 4 tries. And either guy could have helmed a 90's Cowboys dynasty, too.

Sometimes it's just not enough to be a great QB, tackle, receiver, etc because you have to be on a team that's hot on offense and defense to get the championships.

Maybe the Pats had weaknesses that weren't as evident given the division they were in and their two latest Super Bowl losses weren't as surprising as they seemed. But one expects magical things when a team wins at least 11 or 12 games in a season.

 

[MacNut]

But that being said, Kelly back in the day and Brady now are great QBs, regardless of rest of division or conference. I'm convinced had a Brady or Kelly been on the 49ers of the 80s with that staff, things would have turned out really well, too and maybe to the tune of 4 rings in 4 tries. And either guy could have helmed a 90's Cowboys dynasty, too.

I think a lot of Brady's talent is masked by Bellicheck. I don't know if he would be as great on another team.

 

[citizenzen]

I think a lot of Brady's talent is masked by Bellicheck. I don't know if he would be as great on another team.

Those two statements contradict one another.

If Bellicheck is masking Brady's talent, then moving to another team would potentially unmask that talent and Brady would be even better than he is under the Patriots.

I'm not agreeing with that assessment.

I'm just pointing out the contradictory nature of the statement.

 

[MacNut]

Those two statements contradict one another.

If Bellicheck is masking Brady's talent, then moving to another team would potentially unmask that talent and Brady would be even better than he is under the Patriots.

I'm not agreeing with that assessment.

I'm just pointing out the contradictory nature of the statement.

Bellicheck makes Brady look better.

 

[einmusiker]

Tebow could be a solid special situation player, maybe TE or RB. But he will never be an NFL qb and that's why he isn't playing. He's stubborn to a fault.