NFL Thread - 2009-10

[Southwind]

The Pats Colts game will be interesting, it's more unpredictable this time then in years past. I feel he Patriots will win because of Welker that guy can keep the chains moving on third down, plus the Pats have a very underrated defense in my opinion.

The winner will be the team that can score TD's in the red zone and the team that commits the least turnovers.

 

[jmt225]

With so many injuries, you could use that excuse as to why the Saints played as awful as they did today, but honestly... it was the coaching, in my opinion, why the Saints game against St. Louis was as close as it was.

Sean Payton made some terrible, bone-headed decisions today that just had me scratching my head. On 4th and 2, giving it to the Fullback when they already ran that play a few minutes earlier... that was the one that really burst my bubble. But there were other things as well. Being too pass happy, not using the clock to our advantage... the Saints were fucking extremely lucky to get the W today. Man...

But I guess a win's a win, right? I'll take it, but we really have to improve. Next week is Tampa Bay, and while that looks easy on paper, Tampa has been playing quite well lately and conference games are always tough, no matter who we're playing. Hopefully though the Saints get on their shit and put them away early on next week, so then we can start getting ready for New England on MNF the following week. If we play anything like we have in the past 3 week against the Patriots, the Saints are in for a severe ass beating.

 

[TheProdigy]

My Steelers looked pathetic today. You simply cannot win games with that kind of effort. Not to mention going 3-for-15 on 3rd downs. I was content that they had a chance to drive for the winning score at the end of the game.

Although, I was VERY impressed by the Bengals defense. It's been awhile since a team has gotten that type of pressure on Ben. They made every pressure and hurry count. At least 4-5 passes knocked down, and at one point on 3 straight third downs. Very impressive, and under-rated defense. They've been drafting very well defensively recently.

We should be able to bounce back next week against Kansas City though.

 

[INDYjon22]

Colts/Patriots game was epic as hell. Nothing beats watching the Colts and Pats play and thats the truth. There games are always so damn good. Tonight was no different. Another late game comeback to add to Mannings amazing career and another terrible decision by Bellicheck. The Patriots had the game won but Bellicheck just couldnt kick the ball and depend on his defense, which in all honesty was exhausted because the injuries. That aside the Colts played a hell of a game there at the end. As a huge Colts fan I can say that I was in total doubt that we were going to win but this proves that like always you can never count the Colts out. I give the Patriots a ton of respect for the game they put on. I wonder if all the Patriot fans around here will do the same for the Colts. Probably not.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I give the Colts credit for not giving up when the Patriots had a very comfortable lead in the 4th quarter. They also came through at the best possible times. Two end zone turnovers. I said in the LD that I knew they would be the death of us, and they were.

Brady's pick to Bethea was a result of the best player on the Colts secondary stepping up at the best possible time. Can't fault Brady for that pick. But what is really eating at me this morning still, more than Bill screwing up, is Maroney's fumble in the end zone. In a perfect world, Maroney runs that touchdown in with no problems whatsoever, giving the Patriots another touchdown and giving them insurance.

And in a perfect world, Belichick doesn't burn his timeouts and he challenges that Kevin Faulk bobble to begin with.

Laurence Maroney has been nothing but a colossal bust, and last night really showcased that. I really hope Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, or Larry Johnson becomes the primary running back from here on out.

As far as Belichick's harebrained decision goes, it's easy to sit here and say he should have punted, but Manning can beat you from 70 yards or 30 yards. Manning had a time out, he easily could have started driving. Then again, it's the equivalent of hitting on 20 in Blackjack. We have a young defense, Belichick really could have instilled a lot of confidence in them by giving them the opportunity to ice Manning. He already had thrown three picks.

So much second guessing, but the Patriots should be 7-2 right now. It's going to be the difference between a first round bye and a wild card game now. The way I see it, the Bengals are going to go 12-4. The Pats are probably going to lose to the Saints, and the Bengals will wind up with a perfect divisional record, giving them the bye.

 

[jmt225]

Who else watched my main man Ricky Williams lead the Dolphins to yet another victory last night? I sure as fuck did, how about you?

Ricky Williams is by far and away my favorite running back of all time, so I'm very, very happy to see him playing well again. I really hope he keeps it up, and helps lead this AWESOME Miami team to the playoffs.

Other than that... the Saints play the Bucs this weekend, and I'm kind of nervous. Conference games are always tough, and Tampa Bay has looked great these past couple weeks after making Josh Freeman their starting quarterback. Honestly, I really don't want to see the Saints lose their first game to a team with such a bad record. I know it's stupid, but still... I really hope their first loss comes against the Pats, if it's anyone. But I have faith that the Saints will pull the victory off this week, and hopefully they won't give me a near heart attack while doing so like they have the past few weeks.

And the games of the week are Baltimore vs. Indy, and Chi-town vs. Philly. Baltimore needs a win badly, but it won't be easy getting one against the Colts. You know they'll play their hearts out though. And both Chicago and Philly desperately need wins, and I'm predicting Cutler ends up having one of those games where you start believing this guy is forreal, instead of an inconsistent douchebag. So, yeah... I see Chicago pulling it out this week, with Cutler leading the way.

Also, Washington beats Dallas this week. Bold prediction, I know, but I just have a feeling.

 

[Nev]

Ah!

Word around the NFC East just happens to be that Philly is really, really banged up. Not only that, they face a team Sunday Night that has their very own season on the line. The Eagles have a good chance to lose their third straight game against Chicago. Sweet!

As for the Giants, you couldn't ask for any more these past 2 weeks! We have 4 new starters returning this week against Atlanta. Yep, you heard me right, FOUR new starters. Whilst they aren't 100% in action and are most likely limited, but it sure damn helps. Chris Canty, Michael Boley, Aaron Ross, & Danny Ware all return. They are very crucial pieces to our team. Without Danny Ware, we are forcing Jacobs to run draws and screens that's not suited for him, without Michael Boley we can't cover the middle and -- Bleh, I don't have to go on & on, in regard to how much injuries hurt.

Also, our game against San Diego 2 weeks ago was an indication our team's slump is over. We weren't 'exposed' the last 4 weeks, we were just simply in a slump. For example, the game against Philly was a nightmare to watch. It was indeed quite the horror show that I hope to never see again. The good news from that game -- it guarantees ua a December win against them.

And as we get healthier, Dallas/Philly gets more banged up. Things cannot look any better for the Giants.

I expect us to dominate the Falcons offensively and pop at least 350 yards. Atlanta currently has the poorest defensive ranking of any team above .500 (They are ranked 25th overall joining the likes of the Raiders, I might add). Eli should have a good day and a couple of nice TDs. We had issues covering TE's lately, but with Michael Boley back, (a fired up one, who just happens to be facing his former team that dumped him), that shouldn't be much of an issue.

If the game is close, I will be very, very concerned. I don't want to see an ugly win. I want to see domination against a very average Alanta team. If we lose... (I'm not going there).

As for my upsets, I agree about Chicago defeating Philly. I also hope Washington defeats Dallas. (OK, my bias here against these teams can't be anymore obvious LOL). I'm not sure if this exactly is an upset -- but the Titans should beat the Texans. The Jets vs Patriots could be a Jets win, or at least a close game. This is a game where the Jets' season is on the line, and they could come out with a late rally. Then again, its highly unlikely.

 

[Jonnie Walker]

If the game is close, I will be very, very concerned. I don't want to see an ugly win. I want to see domination against a very average Alanta team. If we lose... (I'm not going there).

Well this very average Atlanta team has the same record as you, and an all-around better offense. Sure, Ryan's in a slump, and Turner and White are hurt, I still see the Falcons beating a very average Giants team. If you lose, which you very well could, then your Giants are done, and there'll still be hope for my Falcons. 27-21 Falcons.

 

[X]

So Miami won again, which is a bit unsettling considering the second half run that team went on last year to win the AFC East, but I've got confidence in my Pats. Our loss to the Colts was painful as hell, one of the most embarrassing we've ever had quite frankly, but damnit we showed that day that we're right there with the Colts for the best team in the NFL right now (though in my opinion I think we're better than the Colts, and our loss was simply a combination of a bad call and a fumble).

Big game against the Jets tomorrow, a game that I expect us to completely fucking crush the Jets in. We are pissed off right now, and this team never loses two straight, it just doesn't happen. Look for Brady to carve up the Jet's secondary, get ready to eat some shit Rexy.

 

[Super Crazy]

I must say, the Chargers needed this victory today. Sure you can say that the Broncos lost due to the fact that Kyle Orton did not play most of the game, but still, whose to say that the Chargers would not have won the game? After the past couple of weeks, I looked at this game as a turning point in the season, almost a make-or-break situation. We came through in the end and won the game, and while I can say I see us losing a few more games I don't see us not making the playoffs this season. I think the Chargers are going to end the season 11 - 5 and hopefully making a decent playoff run.

 

[jmt225]

The Saints played their best game of the season yesterday.

Yes, it was against a team with a poor record, but the Saints played a much worse team last week and they nearly blew it. However, they came out today with guns a blazin', and won very impressively against, in my opinion, a pretty decent team; a team that the Saints ALWAYS has had trouble against, and they did it on the road.

But yeah... the Bucs came out and scored on the first drive, and never scored again. The Saints defense was the best it looked all season yesterday and if they can keep playing like that, especially the run defense, then they very well can go all the way this season. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if that's the case.

In other news, how the fuck did the Redskins blow that game yesterday? Absolutely pathetic. I said before the game here on this forum that I had a feeling the 'Skins were going to beat the Cowboys this weekend, and they absolutely should have. Horrendous showing.

Baltimore almost beat Indy, but they to blew it. And that's unbelievable considering they're fighting for their season. If they don't make the playoffs this is going to be the game they look back on and say this is why.

And Philly beat down Chicago last night. McNabb looked the best he's looked all year. And Jay Cutler.... Seriously, what the fuck is his deal?

 

[X]

Great game yesterday for the Patriots. Considering just how heartbreaking of a loss that was to the Colts last week (I still firmly believe we're the better team, and that we showed that against the Colts), you knew the Pats were going to be coming out for blood this week, and they were. The great thing about the game though was seeing the defense step up, with 5 takeovers, 4 of which were interceptions. 3 of those interceptions came from Leigh Bodden, who deserves Defensive Player of the Week IMO. I mean, THREE interceptions in one game is one hell of a good game. Sanchez continues to show that he's not the second coming of Joe Namath like everyone proclaimed he was. Brady had another good game, throwing for over 300 yards and a TD pass to Moss. It was great laying the smack down on the Jetsies and their joke of a coach, very satisfying game.

Next week is the big one though, and what I think is going to be a preview to this year's Super Bowl, the Patriots vs. the Saints next Monday. To say I'm excited about this game would be an understatement, because if we win this game, there's no doubt we're the best team in the NFL in my opinion. It's going to be one hell of a tough game though. Is Darren Sharper playing next week JMT? I heard he was injured. Can't wait for the LD we're going to have.

 

[jmt225]

Is Darren Sharper playing next week JMT? I heard he was injured.

He missed the St. Louis game and had been practicing on a limited basis, but he played yesterday. Reggie Bush and Lance Moore, however, did not, but I think both cases (along with Sharper for the Rams game) were just letting their bruises heal up for the MNF game, since for two straight weeks we played very weak opponents.

So, yeah... the Saints look like they have been bit by the injury bug, but I think Payton was just getting his guys ready for this game against the Pats. I, too, cannot wait.

 

[Theo Mays]

Man Vince Young just knows how to win. He has always been one of my favorite QB and I've stood by his side since day 1, so I'm glad to see him doing so well. Who would have though that the Titans would be fighting for a playoff spot after starting 0-6. The guy is finally looking like he has put it together.

 

[jmt225]

I'm very, very happy to say that the New Orleans Saints signed Mike McKenzie yesterday.

I mentioned earlier in this thread, while praising Darren Sharper, that Mike McKenzie was my favorite Saints defensive player of all time. He still is, and I could not be happier that the Saints resigned him. I really, really hope he comes in and makes an immediate impact, much like he did back in 2004, so he can remain with the team all season long, as we make this run for the Super Bowl. He was literally the only bright spot on our defense for 4 years, and if we win the Super Bowl... that man will deserve a ring as much as anyone else, if you ask me. I'm certainly rooting for him.

 

[Nev]

Well this very average Atlanta team has the same record as you, and an all-around better offense. Sure, Ryan's in a slump, and Turner and White are hurt, I still see the Falcons beating a very average Giants team. If you lose, which you very well could, then your Giants are done, and there'll still be hope for my Falcons. 27-21 Falcons.

The Giants dominated that game against the Falcons. Offensively, Eli was having fun with Atlanta's joke of a secondary and Mario Manningham had a great game. I've never seen Eli so accurate and calm in his career, than he is now. Defensively, we did a good job overall. Most of your yards & stalled drives came from penalties in the first half/3rd quarter. You still want to say you have a better offense though? Eli outplayed Ryan today. Though, its an unfair comparison anyway since both of our defenses looked like garbage.

The 4th quarter was another story. After we led 34-17 with half a quarter left in the game, it was as if our players were thinking "Nice. We're leading by 14 points, now can the game be over yet?". We played soft, soft coverage and our coaching staff decided to put a rookie CB in there, which Matt Ryan had plenty of fun against. I am sick and tired of Coughlin's personnel decisions and conservative play late in games. We were lucky to get the coin toss that day;otherwise the NY beat-writers would go erratic, the boo birds in East Rutherford would roar, and Coughlin would be under much scrutiny for the rest of the season. A win is a win, I suppose. The defense better not implode in another close game this season (sigh)

Game against Denver will be tough. It's incredibly unlikely a team can actually slump 5 games in a row, so Denver will be playing us like they were playing the first 6 weeks of the season. Sucks how the game is on Thanksgiving.

Btw, I'm looking forward to watch the battle between Sean Payton and Lil' Bill. Most of the games the Saints won, that are considered "comeback wins", are mainly because of the flawless half-time adjustments Payton makes. It will be interesting to see how the Saints fair against an actually good, no, GREAT coaching staff.

 

[BooCocky]

I haven't really wandered in here for a while but I want to say something about my Steelers. Well mostly about the Quarterback. Ben, even if you do pass the concussion test, I believe it would be better for you to sit. The Ravens will be gunning for you and they will take every possible shot to put you out even longer. I know you want to win and that's all right, but you have to think about the future. You have had four concussions six 2006. Three playing and your motorcycle accident. That's not good for you, especially if you want to have a long career, I know you've accomplished so much at such a young age, but there is always more to accomplish. If I were him I'd sit this out. Not only can you hurt your team by playing, you could also hurt yourself. Another blow to the head can give you something along side of the concussion and that isn't good. Which can result in permanent brain damage. I know he is a competitor and competitors want to play but you have to think about yourself in this situation and not the team. Without him we are a sub par team, but it's all right. We can take another bad year. Which can give us a high draft pick where we can draft lineman to better protect your ass. It's better for the QB to get healthy, because without a franchise QB you start looking like the Vikes before Favre. Which is good but not great.

Anyways, our season is a big roller-coaster. Our biggest win is against the Vikings, but we lose to teams like KC and Chicago. We need to fix our special teams, and we need to take better care of the ball. We need to run more, and find the right players to play special teams. Now we're coming in to the biggest game of our season with the possibility of not having our starting Quarterback, so this would be the perfect time for everything to get fixed.

 

[jmt225]

The problem is that the Steelers need to win this next game, Becker, and they won't do that without Big Ben.

This is where the losses against the Bears, Bengals (twice), and Chiefs come back and bite them in the ass. Those were all games the Steelers should have won, but they didn't, and because of that, they're fighting to make the playoffs, instead of sitting on a nice 10-0, or 9-1, or 8-2 record, like their record most definitely should be.

If all the test are passed, and Big Ben feels fine, he will play, and I personally won't blame him for it at all. It's not like this guy is an offensive lineman where he's going to hit every single play. No, he's a quarterback; the chances of him getting hit five times in a game is highly improbable, no matter what offensive line is blocking for him. And you never know, with something like this occurring, maybe he'll finely learn how to get rid of the ball quicker. I'm sure everyone around him is drilling that into his head right now more than ever, and if he listens, then there won't be anything to worry about come Sunday.

 

[Nev]

I haven't really wandered in here for a while but I want to say something about my Steelers. Well mostly about the Quarterback. Ben, even if you do pass the concussion test, I believe it would be better for you to sit. The Ravens will be gunning for you and they will take every possible shot to put you out even longer. I know you want to win and that's all right, but you have to think about the future. You have had four concussions six 2006. Three playing and your motorcycle accident. That's not good for you, especially if you want to have a long career, I know you've accomplished so much at such a young age, but there is always more to accomplish. If I were him I'd sit this out. Not only can you hurt your team by playing, you could also hurt yourself. Another blow to the head can give you something along side of the concussion and that isn't good. Which can result in permanent brain damage. I know he is a competitor and competitors want to play but you have to think about yourself in this situation and not the team. Without him we are a sub par team, but it's all right. We can take another bad year. Which can give us a high draft pick where we can draft lineman to better protect your ass. It's better for the QB to get healthy, because without a franchise QB you start looking like the Vikes before Favre. Which is good but not great.

Well you got your wish, lol. He's sitting out this sunday night game. Hopefully Ben stays healthy enough to beat the Packers for me ; ).

I wonder if NBC can switch to another game this late, lol. I wish they did, maybe the Texans and Colts would make a great night game.

 

[gd]

It's going to be tough, but I think the Steelres definetly still have a shot at winning. Baltimore's defense is not nearly as good as it used to be, especially their corners. I think that Dixon can make a few plays. Throw Mendenhall into the mix and a defense that has been playing really well, even without Troy, and I think we still have a great shot at beating an average Ravens team.

 

[BooCocky]

The problem is that the Steelers need to win this next game, Becker, and they won't do that without Big Ben.

Well, they could. Dixon is more mobile, has a strong arm and he still has a lot of weapons to throw to on the offensive side of the ball.

This is where the losses against the Bears, Bengals (twice), and Chiefs come back and bite them in the ass. Those were all games the Steelers should have won, but they didn't, and because of that, they're fighting to make the playoffs, instead of sitting on a nice 10-0, or 9-1, or 8-2 record, like their record most definitely should be.

They lost those games though without their most valuable defensive player.

If all the test are passed, and Big Ben feels fine, he will play, and I personally won't blame him for it at all. It's not like this guy is an offensive lineman where he's going to hit every single play. No, he's a quarterback; the chances of him getting hit five times in a game is highly improbable,

Have you seen the Steelers offensive line? He was hit like 12 times against the Bengals, and enough times against the Chiefs. No matter how overrated the Ravens defense is, they're still better than the Chiefs.

no matter what offensive line is blocking for him. And you never know, with something like this occurring, maybe he'll finely learn how to get rid of the ball quicker.

That's harder than it looks when 300 pound lineman are in your face in 1 second.

I'm sure everyone around him is drilling that into his head right now more than ever, and if he listens, then there won't be anything to worry about come Sunday.

Except we're without two lineman and we're starting an undrafted rookie at RG. He made the right move by choosing to sit out. The next six games mean nothing when you're QB is dead. He gets healthy, and the next five years are more important then the next six games...

 

[Super Crazy]

Okay, so I am looking for the Patriots to win today. I am not a fan of the Pats personally, but I would however, like to see the Saints lose so I can stick it to my buddy. He keeps ranting about how the Saints will have a perfect season, and I feel they will not. In fact, I believe they will lose today, and potentially 1 or 2 more games, and end the season 13 - 3 or possibly 12 - 4. But anyway, while I am not a Patriots fan, I can admit that they are probably one of the greatest, well rounded teams in the NFL, and have been for years. The Saints however, in my opinion, are finally realizing how to properly utilize Bush in a way that will work for both the team and him. While the Saints are riding hot on a season of 10 - 0 thus far, I just cannot see them getting it done against the Patriots.

Also, my team, the Chargers, play Kansas City today, and I think this will be a fairly good game. The Chiefs run defense are ranked 27th, so obviously we will run the ball quite a bit between Tomlinson and Sproles. I believe the Chiefs will pass the ball quite a bit, and while most of them will expect Chambers to run his mouth and attempt to get the ball a lot, I believe the Chiefs will play smarter then that, and the Chargers will be expecting it. This is either going to be a hard fought victory for the Chargers, or an upset for the Chiefs, either way, I think it will be a great game.

 

[Nev]

Thanks a lot Deadskins for losing another divisional game you deserved to win. Not only did you make Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb actually look like clutch QBs(when they're not), it makes this December really tough on the Giants.

I have a bad feeling the Jints will lose to the the 'Girls next sunday. Though, I'm confident we'll beat the Eagles, sweep the 'Skins, and beat the Vikings. But man that'll be a tough task since the Vikings are looking like the greatest turf out there.

I'm rooting for the Titans to beat the Colts next sunday... I want to make an apology to Vince Young, calling his return to a starting role overrated. Hopefully he'll carry his team to a wild-card berth. It's going to be really tough to run the table though, but hey, miracles happen in the NFL.

Damn it the Falcons better beat the Eagles next week. This December for the NFC East is going to turn out real good. Hell, the 'Skins could pop out and surprise everyone.

 

[VKO]

The Vikes look really sharp right now. 10-1 heading into Arizona next week. If Matt Leinart starts not Kurt Warner it will be a blowout. I honestly think Minnesota is the most well rounded team in the league this year. When the Saints go down tonight against the Pats then we will be the best team in the NFC.A Colts/Vikings super bowl would be epic. Manning vs Favre the only three time mvp's ever going at it and one of them will have a fourth by the time its all said and done.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

To me, the Saints are a product of their schedule. I'm not saying their team is bad, but at the same time, the Patriots can definitely beat them. They're by far the closest thing they've played to a tough team so far this season. The defense is much improved, but their stats are inflated by some of the offenses they've taken on.

Here's a rundown of the quarterbacks they've played:

1.) Matt Stafford: He's struggled so far this year, and he was a rookie QB making his first start.

2.) Kevin Kolb: McNabb's backup. Nothing much more really to say.

3.) Trent Edwards: No longer starting in Buffalo.

4.) Mark Sanchez: Also a rookie, played his Super Bowl in Week 2.

5.) Eli Manning: The most overrated QB in the NFL. Showed how overrated he was in this game, and David Carr had to come in.

6.) Chad Henne: That was either his first or second career start. The Saints still allowed 34 points to them.

7.) Matt Ryan: Hasn't played to the level that he was at last season.

8.) Jake Delhomme: Yeah, he's having a real good year.

9.) Marc Bulger: Ditto.

10.) Josh Freeman: Another rookie QB.

My point here is that the Saints haven't played a quarterback nearly as good as Tom Brady. Brady, statistically, is a better quarterback than Drew Brees. The Saints haven't played against anything like Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

To me, this is a statement game for the Patriots. They need to prove they can close games, especially on the road. I don't care how they win. They need to win. The Patriots, if they win tonight, can run the table and finish 13-3. Nobody is going to want to play them at that point.

The Patriots better realize that the first round bye hangs in the balance tonight. You need the bye in order to get and win the Super Bowl. If they don't win tonight, nobody is going to be afraid of them, and they'll have to go through three games to make it. In the very tough AFC, that's not going to happen.

I think the Patriots pull it off. It won't be easy, but they'll find a way.