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The 2013-14 NFL football season thread
- Thread starter einmusiker
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So what's the scoop with Romo. ESPN reporting that he has a herniated disk, while the coach along with the owner saying its muscle spasms.
Their small chance of a victory over the Eagles suddenly got a lot smaller, especially if Orton is the starter.
Their small chance of a victory over the Eagles suddenly got a lot smaller, especially if Orton is the starter.
Niners are in and probably having to get ready for wild card round. If we win next week and two other teams lose (with unlikely SEA and CAR losses) then we get division and home field throughout NFC playoffs. The reality is to get ready for wild card round. We put on 34 points on the board on Monday and have to go big next week in order to keep momentum going. Nobody limps into playoffs with so-so performance or "mails it in" and does well when the playoffs start.
The only exception is the Chiefs who may do better with keeping their starters safe. While not exceptional, Alex Smith always finds an unlikely way to win games people thought were out of reach and he did that with Niners over and over. There's no division title within reach for KC so they have the luxury of resting. I am split on who I think will win the AFC this year and to me it's Pats first, then either Denver or KC but I am even on those last two. You could never count out KC and I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up in Super Bowl. And if the NFC doesn't send in Seattle, then KC could win it all which will prove all the Alex Smith diehards in the SF bay area who think we should have kept him. Smith isn't your big numbers Montana or Young type of legend but more of a steady QB who stays in the game and strikes in the 4th quarter.
The only exception is the Chiefs who may do better with keeping their starters safe. While not exceptional, Alex Smith always finds an unlikely way to win games people thought were out of reach and he did that with Niners over and over. There's no division title within reach for KC so they have the luxury of resting. I am split on who I think will win the AFC this year and to me it's Pats first, then either Denver or KC but I am even on those last two. You could never count out KC and I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up in Super Bowl. And if the NFC doesn't send in Seattle, then KC could win it all which will prove all the Alex Smith diehards in the SF bay area who think we should have kept him. Smith isn't your big numbers Montana or Young type of legend but more of a steady QB who stays in the game and strikes in the 4th quarter.
Actually, no, SF would have a better division record if they were extraordinarily lucky enough to beat AZ in Phoenix. Sorry, 63dot, not going to happen for you.
That would be a tough one I admit.
I fully expect for Niners to have to work in the less desirable wild card round of the playoffs. I would love that bye but it ain't gonna happen this year. For fellow Niners fans who think we will get division and bye are just dreaming and have not followed this entire season. The best I could hope for is for Niners to win next week but to expect both Carolina and Seattle to lose also is just too much to ask. I have never been on the favorable side of having to see my team win and two others have to lose (other than baseball and the SF Giants who had a ton of help written in the stars in both 2010 and 2012).
This whole season was and is about being Seattle's to lose, both in NFC and in NFL in general. A team far better than any other sometimes gets kicked out of first game they enter in playoffs or get beat in a game that they are heavily favored to win (think NE or Colts in certain recent years) but the "best" team in the NFL any given year usually seems to fare well on initial postseason outing and often gets the trophy in the end (think 80s Niners or 90s Cowboys). Seattle has the right formula of being good and being young which was what was the key factor for previous Niners and Cowboys.
The scenario I find troubling is where the Cards, Saints and Panthers all win: Arizona goes home and 11 wins is not enough to get you a wildcard in the NFC. Except, einmusker's Packers beat the Bears and host a first round game with an 8-7-1 record.
There's a scenario where Arizona can't get in with 11 wins?
Why can't we just take the best six teams in each conference and go with it? Arizona can be a 7th or lower seed with 11 wins?...so besides the obvious of Seattle going to playoffs, who would go and why? One year NY Jets got into playoffs with a 7-9 record. There's something very wrong with that. Not to cut down Jets because I have seen them take out Brady, do well with Favre, and stun us all with Namath.
The surprising thing to me this year is how good the NFC West is.
Usually they have the worst win/lost record.
Usually they have the worst win/lost record.
Imagine AZ, NOLA and Carolina all winning next week. That would leave 3 teams SF, AZ and NOLA at 11-5, but only 2 wildcards to split between them. SF is already in, NOLA win the head-to-head, AZ sits it out.
Personally, I would like to see the NFL institute an "End Season" qualification round, where teams are seeded into groups and have to win at least two of three games to get into the playoffs: it would give a team that started the season badly a chance to make the post-season (no team would be out before week 16), and a team that started well could not slide into the playoffs on their record alone.
First of all I didn't see that. It would be bad for Arizona to be the one left out with 11 wins, plus New Orleans scares me more being a Niner fan, but at least this year. Next year it may be Arizona that scares the whole NFC. You may be better than New Orleans but I would still rather face you guys even though you may be better than us. I hope if we progress through the playoffs that somebody knocks off Seattle. Only a fool of a Niner fan wants to face them again.
I like the 2 for 3 qualification rounds...more football for us. I still do like to reward those who go out swinging early. You have to admit early teams who got out front in first eight games like Denver and Seattle have to get in there somewhere. But more often than not this sport rewards the toughest team with fewest injuries at the end. NE has been amazingly tough and injury free except for this very exceptional year where the stars didn't line up in their favor and they got banged up. Other teams like the Steelers, Niners, and Raiders wrote the book on injuries hindering their seasons. I still think NE have the best chance in AFC with just Brady and Belichick. Why?:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...oaching-job/Owo98vXiAkWmZ1iWjphj2L/story.html
... In this amazing season, the Patriots lost Wes Welker to free agency, watched Aaron Hernandez go away on a murder charge, lost the defensive backbone of Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, and Tommy Kelly, then watched Rob Gronkowski go down with a frightening knee injury. They won in the closing seconds against New Orleans, beat Miami after trailing, 17-3, came back from a 24-0 halftime deficit against the AFC West champs from Denver, came back from a 10-point deficit in Houston, then scored two touchdowns in the final 61 seconds to beat Cleveland.
Denver found a way to get over lack of QB protection and Manning is not the thinking QB of the Colts who took forever to make a decision to throw but plays a lot more like Jim Kelly on the old Bills who got the ball off very quickly and avoided unnecessary hits. Somebody is coaching Denver correctly.
The niners have an issue right now where Kap takes too long to make passes and he doesn't always have the luxury to have the type of protection other Niner QBs had in the past like Montana and Young. Our O line still seems like it's learning at times and its frustrating for fans and a joyful situation for other defenses. Our offensive passing yardage is dismal. If we win the Super Bowl this year, or even get to it, I will count that as one of the biggest miracles in Niners' history. It would show we did a lot with very little which has never been the case in any Niner Super Bowl win where we came into those games with tools aplenty.
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Panthers are in even if they lose.
It would be a shame to see an 11-5 team not in the playoffs, weird.
I'm hoping the Rams will work some old magic on the saints. Back in my day SF, Rams, Saints, and Panthers were in the same conference.
Anyway, I think the Panthers need to beat Atl because we aren't as good as our record. We don't suck but our offense is weak, and our defense has a weak pass defense. With other playoff teams being good or great passers-we are in trouble. Panthers need home field and some hard play to get to the Seahawks, and I don't see anyone pulling off that miracle even though AZ did.
It would be a shame to see an 11-5 team not in the playoffs, weird.
I'm hoping the Rams will work some old magic on the saints. Back in my day SF, Rams, Saints, and Panthers were in the same conference.
Anyway, I think the Panthers need to beat Atl because we aren't as good as our record. We don't suck but our offense is weak, and our defense has a weak pass defense. With other playoff teams being good or great passers-we are in trouble. Panthers need home field and some hard play to get to the Seahawks, and I don't see anyone pulling off that miracle even though AZ did.
Umm ... they kind of already did that a couple weeks ago in St. Louis. The SAin'ts are playing TBay on Sunday, and if anything, the Bucs will be playing for draft order (yeah, I know, I am a cynic). This week, the Rams will be in Seattle – it has been quite some time since they have found any magic of their own there.
i really hope the Cardinals make the play offs. love to see the Panthers make a good post season run too..
I read some place that if Arizona wins and doesn't make the playoffs it only be the second time an 11 win team didn't make the playoffs.
NE didn't make it in 2008 and that was a great team in every way. I remember that and it was shocking since they could have easily won the Super Bowl that year. Only Steelers, Titans, and Colts in AFC had better record and San Diego got into playoffs with 8-8 record. Cassel of NE threw for nearly 3,700 yards and 21 TDs with 63.4 completion percentage.
Sometimes you have a team that is firing on all cylinders and you miss the playoffs and that's football. The rules have it that a division winner with an 8-8 record makes it while you sit out January.
I like the way the playoffs are currently arranged. It is unfortunate when you get a situation like you describe with NE and possibly Arizona this year, that is life.
If you remember this happened to New England a few years ago. The year Tom Brady was hurt if I remember correctly. They went 11-5 or something along those lines and did not make it to the playoffs. Off to google..
**Yup 2008, they went 11-5 and didn't make the playoffs**
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...st-the-2008-new-england-patriots-the-playoffs
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Yep I goofed that one, meant Rams work some magic in Seattle I guess-can't remember but makes more since. Either way I want Panthers to win and Seattle, Saints, and 49ers to lose, I feel for AZ but them losing might be good for my plans-they have become a strong team and I would not like to face them-again.
3 of the loses of the panthers come to teams with a combined 32-13 win lose record this year. Have lost to the Seahawks, Cardinals, Saints, and Bills
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Rodgers is starting sunday for the packers. Leading up to an epic week 17 in Chicago. Huge rivalry and a playoff spot and even division championship on the line. wow
Do we know if Rodgers is 100%. I don't expect to see him play a vintage game. They might have been better to rest him and roll the dice.
i think they are rushing him too.. but Flynn isn't going to get it done is he? and I like Flynn.