The official NFL Discussion Thread

[DanM64]

Too bad the problem with the Cowboys *IS* Jerry Jones.

This x1,000,000!!! I'm perfectly fine with it.

[DanM64]

The Bears sure laid a turd last night. The defense is beyond awful, and has been all year. If they ro end up making it to the playoffs, it'll be a first round blowout!

 

Hopefully they can revamp the secondary and find a coordinator that works. I don't think Mel Tucker is the answer.

[Philrad71]

With the Cardinals beating the (seemingly) almighty Seahawks at home last night, I'm going to be pissed if they don't make the playoffs (Cards are my #2 team and have been since the days of Neil Lomax).

 

I still despise that rule where every division winner get's their ticket punched to the playoffs as it looks like we might see some shaky 9-7 (Philly/Dallas) or 8-8 team (Bears/Packers/Lions) making the playoffs while a team like the Cardinals goes to 10-6 or 11-5 and misses the playoffs? That just isn't right to me.

 

I really wish they would change it back to best teams make the playoffs regardless of division. That is a slap in the face to teams that are in a division with two or three of the toughest teams yet still end the season with a better record than any team in a sucky division.

 

Divisional match-up's in the playoffs tend to be better anyway since the teams usually hate each other more than other teams that are not in their division. I think it definitely makes for more exciting playoff football!

[Hilltopper39]

Should be a pretty exciting day of football on Sunday with all but 3 games having playoff implications. It's pretty amazing how much has changed in the last quarter of the season, Seattle has gone from looking unbeatable to looking as human as everyone else, somehow the Bears and the Packers have managed to stay alive for the playoffs with back up QB's, the patriots are looking at another 12 win season despite having just about all of their good players hurt, and a team Quarterbacked by Carson Palmer is in contention for the playoffs? Crazy year.

 

I'm starting to think that no one is really that good this year, I mean every team has significant weaknesses that a bad match-up could exploit in the playoffs. I mean other than the 2nd wildcard team in the AFC there's no one I would count out as a no way the make a Superbowl run, and even the 2nd AFC wildcard team might be Baltimore , and you can never count out Baltimore. Should be an exciting month of football coming up!

 

I'm kind of secretly pulling for Carolina to make a deep run. They're fun to watch and I think Cam Newton is a guy that is ready to be the next big star. Colts vs Panthers would be a nice mix of new blood for the big game.

[Philrad71]

^ I am also pulling for some new teams in the SB. I'm gonna puke if it turns out to be something like Green Bay and New England.

 

Carolina, Arizona, Cincinnati & Philadelphia (for my sister's sake) would all be interesting teams to see in the SB. And I do have friends in Seattle so I would still root for them if they made it.

 

Although I still tend to think that Seattle and Denver could go all the way, there always seems to be a team like that with high expectations that chokes in the playoffs. Oh wait...didn't both of these teams do that last season?

[Meteornotes]

I'll admit I am a life-long Eagles fan, so perhaps I'm biased, but they seem to be on a hot streak right now, and could go far into the playoffs. I'd love to see them in the SB, but considering how badly they played at the beginning of the year, just seeing them in the playoffs would be exciting.

 

I really don't think Baltimore is going to get in, as I don't see them getting past the Bengals on Sunday. Especially after how poorly they played last week.

 

dt

[Hilltopper39]

^^Yeah, Seattle was a bit more under the radar last year as an 11-5 wild card team but this year they are certainly a favorite. Denver on the other hand, well yeah, a season with high expectations ends in an unlikely loss, that's the story of Manning's career isn't it? I don't know if this is true or not but once heard that in High School Peyton only lost like 4 or 5 games as a starter, all in the post season/ state championships haha.

 

I still don't really like Denver in the playoffs,. Their defense is average, they don't have a great running game, and Manning seems to struggle in cold weather situations (you know, like Denver and NYC in February?). Those things in my mind aren't a great combination for post season success. They're still the favorite to win the AFC but we will see.....

 

^I like Philly, and they do seem to be getting hot at the right time. I had a feeling that Chip Kelly was going to have a lot of success in the NFL but I am kind of surprised it is happening so soon. Think about how good their offense is going to be next year when Jeremy Maclin is healthy again ( and after they find a way to draft Johnny Manziell) .

 

The funny thing about Baltimore is (and I might be wrong about this) is that they could still lose and get in if everyone else in contention loses. I don't think anyone in the AFC wild card race has control of their own destiny at this point, everyone has to win and have someone else lose to secure the final spot. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Miami, and San Diego are all still alive and they all have to win and have someone else lose, pretty WILD race for the WILD Card, get it?

[Philrad71]

^ Out of all of those possible wild card teams, Pittsburgh is the one that I worry about even though they have the toughest battle ahead. They are kinda like Philly in that they are winning games when it matters most - late in the season. I am sure that Cincinnati is hoping that they do not get in, but I don't see them tanking on purpose to the Ravens & losing their bye just to avoid meeting the Steelers in the playoffs.

 

San Diego is a very confusing team. They have a good QB, but can't ever seem to get over the hurdle and do much when it matters most.

 

The Dolphins & Ravens on the other hand do not look like playoff teams at all from what I have seen. Even though the Bills/Dolphins game was blacked out last week, I listened to the game on the radio driving home from Buffalo. It was like the Bills were the team fighting for a playoff spot and not the Dolphins...they were awful.

 

If it wouldn't have been for that 51 yard pass to Hartline, they would have only amassed about 52 yards of total offense. Throw in the seven sacks they gave up and that tells me that even they sneak in, they will definitely be one and done with that putrid offensive line.

 

I think Tannehill has some promise, but not if they don't invest in some protection for him up front next season. Even before the whole Martin/Incognito fiasco they weren't very good. Obviously better than they are now, but still not good or no where near elite.

[805Andrew]

Lots of good teams west of the Mississippi this year. I'd love to see a Super Bowl with both teams being from west of the Mississippi, especially my beloved 49ers.

[Jew]

The Browns continue their streak of being…the Browns by firing their coach just one year after hiring him.

[scbt]

Well, it always feels good to beat the Cowboys, but that was an ugly game. I honestly thought we were going to lose on that last drive, but thank you Boykin!

[Philrad71]

Wow...more coach firings today than I anticipated!

 

Although I suppose that this is about the norm for the end of the season. I guess Browns fans and players are outraged by them letting Chud go after one season. I thought that the Browns had plenty of upside this year despite their record. Management should know that it isn't all going to come together in one year, especially when you have a culture of losing every year like the Browns (and Bills) do and still don't have a franchise QB.

 

So far...

 

Shanahan

Frazier

Schiano

Schwartz

Chudzinski

 

I wonder how many pissed off Steelers fans there are today after the refs botched that call in the KC/San Diego game last night?

 

Also wonder how many playoff games will be decided by bad referee calls? I certainly know that the Patriots (Brady) are sometimes on the beneficial side of many of the referees calls. Some of the calls that I saw go against the Bills last night were pathetic and some of the non-calls that should have gone against the Patriots were even worse. And I have seen them do this for a number of years when we play the Patriots...not just last night.

 

Not to say that the refs can rig the games, but they do need to try and get more consistency with their calls. Granted, they're not going to get them right every time, but it seems like the number of bad calls, missed calls & downright head-scratchers has been on the uptick this season.

 

I would hate to see the Super Bowl decided by one of their bone-headed blunders!

[Meteornotes]

^With all the technology that's available now, someone should be looking at every play. There is no excuse for some of the blatant crap calls I've seen this year. Missing that call in the KC likely cost a team a playoff spot (sure, the kicker might have missed a second time, but we'll never know now). I'd hate to see something like this happen in a playoff game.

 

What has annoyed me far more today, though, is the extreme obnoxiousness of Ravens' fans, with their gloating about the Steelers not getting in. Um, did anyone watch the Ravens play the last two weeks? All they had to do is win, and they couldn't come close to managing that. Focus on the blunders of your own team, not how a crap call kept a hot team out of the playoffs (though to be fair, what really kept the Steelers out of the playoffs was their absolute horrible play in September!). Both teams ended up 8-8, but I know which one had a better shot of winning a playoff game.

 

I'd say Ravens fans are the worst, but as long as the 49ers are around, that's a position that cannot be challenged...

 

dt

[triggernel]

Ding Dong, the Dome is Dead!

 

Bring on Noah's Ark, lol

[Jew]

Personally, I would HATE to watch a football game where penalties were reviewable. They're already long enough. It's a very slippery slope---what's the difference between a formation penalty and a hold that allowed running back to score, a PI call that caused the receiver to miss a game winning catch (or the receiver pushes off to catch the ball), and so on...

 

The bigger problem is the NFL keeps adding more and more rules for "safety" that the refs can't even keep up.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Jew

[Philrad71]

^I have to agree with you on that...reviewing all questionable plays would turn the game into an all day affair.

 

What about adding a couple more line and back judges to each crew so that you have more eyes on the plays? I'm sure that they would still be making questionable decisions and taking a bit more time to play a game if they have to discuss, but it might not be as bad as reviewing each questionable call by replay monitors.

 

Or they could just hire smarter refs with better vision.

[Meteornotes]

Not necessarily calling for more reviews, but a larger staff of people watching plays and perhaps catching things. More refs on the field might help as well, and might be a better solution. Something needs to be done, though, as the refs seem to be getting worse.

 

dt

[Jew]

^They already get in the way enough...I would hate to have more making bad calls!

 

I really think the problem is that the NFL is making so many fundamental changes to the game with all the new "safety" rules it is hard for the refs to adjust.

[Mechanic]

If you were to look hard enough, there is a penalty that could be called on almost every play. Even though there are sometimes bad calls, or bad non-calls, they tend to naturally balance out over time.

[gisco]

With all the rules they have now and mountains of them added every year is a reason I have lost a lot of interest in the NFL.

[Jew]

^Same. It's not even a big deal that Peyton Manning set the TD and yardage record because QB's and receivers are so protected now.

[tarheel1231]

Panthers all the way! I'm glad I live in Charlotte

[DanM64]

I agree completely with Bob and Joey. I've been against all these rule changes since the beginning. I don't think the game should be changed at all. I feel like there's more than enough information about CTE now. The players are informed enough to know whether or not those long term risks are something they are willing to take or not. No point in changing rules to protect them, because they're still not very protected, anyway.

 

It looks like Jay Cutler is the QB in Chicago for the next 7 years. I love the move! I thought for sure they would franchise tag him, and the tag would've eaten up most of our salary cap space. We have a lot of free agents this season, we need all the cap we can get!

[Philrad71]

Wow...what a comeback game for the Colts! It reminded me of watching the Bills/Oilers comeback in the 90's. Hard to believe a team could be doing so good and then just totally collapse like the Chiefs did...amazing.

 

And the Eagles/Saints game went right down to the wire. Not overly happy with the results, but I do like Brees and Jimmy Graham. It should be interesting to see what they can do against the Seahawks.

 

It should be another interesting day of Wild Card games as both look to be played in sub-zero temps. I have been to a Bills game when it was -30 degree wind chill and it was NOT fun at all!

[willthegolfer]

Good game between Pack and 9ers, Packers haven't been able to contain the edge all year, so I'm not surprised Kaepernick ran so well.