If you're a Football Outsider you're a TRUE player and true players don't stick to one passion only, so here's something else to excite you while you're waiting for the game to start. How about a free $30 chip to play slot machine games for as long as you want?
...crap. Sorry everyone, been under the weather. Here's the Week 14 thread.
Posted by: Bill Barnwell on 11 Dec 2009
316 replies , Last at
15 Dec 2009, 5:02am by
jimbohead
1
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 1:56am
Steelers never showed up against the Browns. Roethlisberger's problem with sacks continues. Five in the first half! Some of the sacks were coverage sacks, while others were quick sacks.
I think we can declare the Steelers' playoff hopes officially dead. What a collapse!
2
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by perly :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 2:31am
Is it too soon to say that hell has been unleashed?
3
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by ammek :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 5:31am
Hell hath no fury like Brian Schaefering.
94
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Balaji (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:20pm
As a Steeler fan, it feels like hell to me.
I mean, I could have dealt with missing the playoffs, but doing so because they lost to Oakland and Cleveland in consecutive games? Ouch.
4
Tomlin
by andrew :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 9:46am
so Mike Tomlin won a superbowl then misses the playoffs next year, just like Cowher. He just eliminated all the years of playoff futility that preceded the superbowl win.
I'm sure our buddy who keeps calling him Omar (I still don't get what that's about) would be of the opinion that they'd have won that superbowl anyway with Wisenhunt. Then again he probably would think Rich Kotite could have coached that team to a superbowl win too. (substitute Kotite with whomever you identify as the worst nfl coach in history).
Its weird though, I do think Tomlin was a very good defensive coach, he did a great job in Minnesota, and he seems to have the right temperament to be a head coach... but his statements about fixing it and being accountable and unleashing hell and so on are kind of hollow when losing to the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns.
Despite his troubles, you can't just fire a coach who just won a superbowl, can you? Then again Barry Switzer won a superbowl too, though, and his legacy with the Cowboys is probably regarded as a failure. In a way I think the closest parallel might be Brian Billick. He also came from the Vikings as a respected coordinator, he also won a superbowl immediately. And he used the cred garnered with that to buy him a lot more years than he probably would have been accorded otherwise.
Coaches who "inherited" teams that won a championship and then declined afterwards include:
Barry Switzer is pretty much the gold standard. 12-4 lost nfc championship, 12-4 superbowl champs, 6-10, fired.
Larry Coker - Gold standard for college. Utterly dominant national champions, lost championship game (in 2 OT), #5, #11, unranked, fired.
Don McCafferty - 11-2-1 superbowl champs, 10-4 lost afc championship, 1-5, fired for refusing to bench Unitas.
FWIW I think Tomlin would be a great TV personality if this steelers gig doesn't work out.
5
Re: Tomlin
by patriotsgirl :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:00am
Tomlin looks like Omar Epps, the actor. At least I think that's the reason.
Pittsburgh's decline this season (and losses to a series of teams that no contender should lose to once, let alone three times) is shocking.
7
Re: Tomlin
by FireOmarTomlin :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:17pm
Yup, missing the playoffs with a SB defending champ that returns 20 starters is terrible, but doing it with a vastly easier schedule that includes losing 3 games to (recently) perennial bottom6 teams is unacceptable. But I'm just an unrealistic hater.... so I'm told. Really, he's a great coach who obviously gets his team up for every game--- The Browns, Raiders, and Chiefs (Bears... Bengals ??!?!?) just obviously have superior talent, top to bottom. The sad thing is they'll actually probably come out and play really well, finishing 8-8 instead of 6-10, costing themselves 6-8 slots in the draft.
9
Re: Tomlin
by ammek :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 1:38pm
I'd separate those two things.
The Steelers' decline is not that shocking: see the Almanac.
Losing to all three of the worst teams in the AFC is.
13
Re: Tomlin
by patriotsgirl :: Sat, 12/12/2009 - 2:42am
Sorry, meant to say that the decline, as evidenced by the loss to the three teams, is shocking. If they'd beaten even two of the three teams, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.
(Hell, if they had the same record as they have now, and lost to the Chargers, Vikings, and Broncos rather than those three teams, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Which ties in with your point.)
Still, it's kind of amazing that their struggles have been kind of below the radar (at least up here in the Great White North), particularly in comparison to a certain Boston-area team...
8
Re: Tomlin
by FireOmarTomlin :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:37pm
<<<
Omar (I still don't get what that's about)
>>>
With the caveat that I don't follow the Steelers real closely:
Given that the 2006 team did a poor job of defending the title with Cowher, it
doesn't seem like it is time (yet) to get too far down on Tomlin. But the way
they responded to him the last two weeks is cause for concern - unless Polomalu
was that critical a piece of the performance puzzle.
11
Re: Tomlin
by FireOmarTomlin :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 3:03pm
<<<<
Wow. That's a spooky close resemblance.
With the caveat that I don't follow the Steelers real closely:
Given that the 2006 team did a poor job of defending the title with Cowher, it
doesn't seem like it is time (yet) to get too far down on Tomlin. But the way
they responded to him the last two weeks is cause for concern - unless Polomalu
was that critical a piece of the performance puzzle.
>>>>
2006 team still mostly beat the teams they *should have* while battling serious injury problems (if you want to play the injury card.... remember big ben faceplanted into a car windshield, had appendicitis, etc that year) They started 2-6 and finished 6-2, the opposite (basically) of this season.
Losses were to teams that (finished)
8-8
8-8
14-2
7-9
9-7
2-14 (Despite the Steelers out-gaining the Raiders 360-98 in total offense, Roethlisberger threw four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) :(
13-3 (x2)
2 teams that were below 500-- 1 doormat
Compare that to this season
losses so far to teams that through 12(13) games are
2-11
3-9
4-8
5-7
6-6
9-3 (x2)
5 teams that will likely finish under 500, with losses to 3 doormats.
16
Re: Tomlin
by MC2 :: Sat, 12/12/2009 - 11:45pm
I can't believe that SI lookalike gallery didn't include Kevin Durant and Jamie Foxx.
19
Re: Tomlin
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:00pm
How much do you suppose Jeff Kent paid to have Brad Pitt as his look-alike?
161
Re: Tomlin
by Still Alive (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:29pm
I had exactly the same thought. Also Durant really does look like Jaime Fox sometimes.
15
Re: Tomlin
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sat, 12/12/2009 - 9:22pm
Jon Gruden.
6
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by mattman :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:28am
Did anyone notice this sequence from last night's Steelers/Browns game?
Steelers facing 3rd and 8 at around the Cleveland 40. Incomplete pass with an offensive holding flag. Cleveland declines the penalty to bring up 4th and 8. Steelers leave their offense on the field to go for it, and Eric Mangini confers with the officials and accepts the penalty, making it 3rd and 18 from the 50.
Okay, so you can just change your mind on accepting a penalty based on what the other team does? The official had already announced penalty declined and 4th and 8. Do the rules really let you go back on that? Weird. Anyone else notice this?
162
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Still Alive (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:30pm
Good question.
12
Brady questionable vs. Panthers
by PatsFan :: Fri, 12/11/2009 - 6:05pm
The Friday injury list:
DOUBTFUL
DL Myron Pryor, chest
QUESTIONABLE
QB Tom Brady, rib/right finger/shoulder
WR Sam Aiken, shoulder
LB Tully Banata-Cain, shoulder
WR Julian Edelman, forearm
DE Jarvis Green, knee
T Nick Kaczur, ankle
G Stephen Neal, ankle
RB Fred Taylor, ankle
DE Ty Warren, ankle
PROBABLE
LB Rob Ninkovich, knee
CB Shawn Springs, knee
T Sebastian Vollmer, head
TE Benjamin Watson, knee
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 1:42pm
I'm surprised you have the Saints/Falcons and Packers/Bears games that close. Should be interesting to see how it comes out.
183
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:53pm
And Raiderjoe was right about both. I'm impressed.
191
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Raiderjoe :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:00pm
thanks. Made some prtety good picks today. Missed NO-atl score by 1 point. also JetsBucs 26-3 right now at 2 minuet warning and picked it to be 28-3
198
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Sifter :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:13pm
Awesome picks by RJ thus far.
244
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by batbatt :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 8:23pm
So maybe down the road we can do a write-in campaign to have Sierra Nevada sponsor RJ "lock of the week" or something like that before each week of games. I know you all would watch that...
245
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Raiderjoe :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 8:30pm
went 12-1 so far. only got Raiders game wrong. if gradkowski not get injrued maybe Raiders could have come bac. J Russell too rusty .not get enough reps in practice
playoff no shot now. Just play out season . only goal now is to spoil broncos and RAvens seaosns .
246
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 8:51pm
Dude. You are so my hero.
Disregarding the Raiders game and the late game for obvious reasons, you were within 3 points of the winning score on 7 games, within 3 points of the losing score on 5 games (including 3 exact matches), and you picked every game correctly.
Taking the sum of all the winning scores vs. your predictions, you were off by only 15 points, 1.25/game.
I mean, seriously, what crystal ball fell into your lap? Have you been conversing with Sauron in the missing Palantir?
294
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:44am
And the scores may be off, but the Eagles by 7 over the Giants sure looks like a good call with 1.5 minutes left in the game.
305
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by 2468ben :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 3:05am
This right here seals your FO Hall of Fame bid.
307
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spielman :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 9:56am
I am agog.
18
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 1:59pm
Here is what the television gods have decreed for me today:
Early: NO-ATL and DEN-IND
Late: SD-DAL
I'll be starting with the NO-ATL matchup.
20
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:03pm
Mine refuses to tell me what the other games are. [Vikings QB's] greatness cannot be eclipsed by the profanity of admitting to other teams' existence.
Gumbel and Dierdorf announcing and Gumbel immediately discussing how nice it is to be indoors. It is absolutely NOT cold outside.
21
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:06pm
ATL runs a little dump off to Snelling over the middle. No one on NO picks him up, so Snelling rumbles for a sweet 38-yard gain.
23
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:09pm
ATL stall in the red zone and settle for the FG. ATL with the early 3-0 lead.
22
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:07pm
Dierdorf tells us that ending up on a third-and-12 on your first possession is "not the ideal start to a game."
It's actually third-and-14--no word on whether that's the ideal start.
25
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:10pm
Dierdorf:cliches::flies:shit
29
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:12pm
Are you suggesting you knew that was not the ideal start to a game without Dierdorf to tell you?!
Blasphemy!
24
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by tmohr (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:09pm
Ryan Grant goes 62 yards on Green Bay's first play. It's gonna be a long day in Chicago.
26
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:11pm
Keep your hopes up. There's still a long ways to go and Grant's fumble persona could take over.
32
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:13pm
He will have a great day. I benched him in both fantasy leagues.
28
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by TomC :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:12pm
Josh Bullocks ran full speed laterally in the opposite direction of the run on that play. I literally have no idea what he was doing (nor did Brian Billick).
My other favorite new Bear, Frank Omiyale, has a missed block on a 3rd and 2 and a false start already. Thanks, Jerry Angelo, thanks very much.
33
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by TomC :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:13pm
And now a holding penalty negating a conversion on 3rd and 12. Why is Omiyale out there and not Beekman? Why?
36
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:17pm
Perhaps Omiyale is the one with the requisite skills to reanimate Pace's corpse in between place. It's just too bad no one there has the skills to reanimate it during plays.
44
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:29pm
*in between PLAYS.
Hi, English is my first language.
27
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:11pm
The Bengals took a holding penalty on the opening return, then on the seven-play drive ended up with 2 false starts and a declined OPI.
And they punt and the Vikings take a holding penalty on the return.
This game is off to an ugly start.
31
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:13pm
Pats go for it on 4th and short and fail using the same play that failed last week on 4th and short.
At least this week they were not in FG position. But I did not for a second think Sammy Morris would pick up the first down.
34
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:16pm
The Vikings' first drive is a three-and-out. [Vikings QB] attempted to throw an interception to a perfectly-covered Sidney Rice, but Rice was able to knock it away from Leon Hall.
35
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Harris :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:16pm
Say, has anyone heard that Palmer is doing all hand-offs with his right hand? Why, I've never heard madness of this EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
Hail Hydra!
37
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:18pm
NO has a methodical little drive down the field, but stalls in the red zone, too. They settle for the FG to tie the game at 3-3.
38
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:23pm
Well, we're not even halfway through the first quarter, but I would say the Viking defense looks a ton better with Winfield back.
And Jasper Brinkley looks pretty good so far as E.J. Henderson's replacement. Of course, he hasn't had to do much so far.
39
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:25pm
ATL runs a little quick hitter right up the middle that gains 12 yards. There was end around motion behind the hand-off that seemed to freeze the LBs. The next play, ATL run a reverse to Weems that gains 31 yards. That was a sweet play combination.
40
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by montanapanthersfan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:28pm
So, new qb coach, and both Delhomme and Moore struggle with overthrows. Hmm.
41
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:28pm
Jonathan Joseph gets a VERY late illegal contact penalty on Sidney Rice.
Rice sat on the ground whining about needing a flat for about half an hour before they called it.
And on the next play, Joseph and Shiancoe get called for unnecessary roughness.
42
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:28pm
We just had our first in-game reminder that Chris Redman had been out of the game for 3 years selling insurance.
43
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by perly :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:29pm
"And when they come to the dinner table, the Colts, they eat."
The Broncos, on 3rd & 2, unveil what appears to be a Martzian flea-flicker end-around. Sadly, the Colts get penetration and tackle Buckhalter for no gain before the play can turn into a genuine disaster.
45
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:30pm
ATL have their drive stall in the red zone when the zebras miss NO committing a face mask penalty against Redman, who had attempted to get the first down scrambling after his pass protection broke down. ATL get their second FG to go back up 6-3.
46
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:31pm
Anybody know what the single game penalties record is? The Bengals appear to be doing their best to break it.
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:53pm
Thank you, Raiderjoe. 54 years between the second and third time ever--that's amazing.
140
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by young curmudgeon (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:05pm
Of course they had 22 penalties--they only had one leg!
47
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by perly :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:34pm
Mike Nolan's Broncos defense not looking meaningfully different from Larry Coyer's. Colts up early, 14-0.
51
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:37pm
After the dark days of Jim Bates (2007) and Bob Slowik (2008), Larry Coyer isn't so bad.
48
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:35pm
At the end of the first quarter, it seems NO have no answers on defense for ATL, who have been moving at will against NO. The two ATL stops were poor execution by ATL and an uncalled face mask penalty.
49
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by montanapanthersfan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:36pm
...welcome to the end zone, Mr Smith.
52
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:37pm
Special thanks for Mr. Moss, who meandered through his route, which led to the pick.
50
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:36pm
NO's Stinchcomb slow to get up.
76
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:57pm
I never heard what the injury was. Nonetheless, Stinchcomb has returned to the game.
53
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:38pm
I'm getting tired of this... Manning just kills the Broncos every single time!
58
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:42pm
It was bad enough when Jimmy Smith had our number. Now we have the guy who's normally the best player in the league doing it.
54
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:38pm
I popped over to the DEN-IND game during the injury time out just in time to see IND stuff DEN on a DEN 4th and 1 run attempt from the IND 41. On the next play, Manning tries to hit Garcon for the TD, but the DEN DB had excellent coverage and broke up the pass.
55
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:40pm
There is a Bengals player down, but Gumbel and Dierdorf do not feel the need to tell us who it is. I couldn't read his number, so I just know it's someone on defense.
56
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:41pm
Chris Crocker--they have now told us. And he walked off the field on his own power.
66
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:51pm
Now, 10 real-time minutes later, he's being carted off.
95
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:20pm
With 2:50 to go, they announce that he will not return. Good luck to him.
57
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by perly :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:42pm
facing 3rd&4, the Broncos hurry to the line. The OL stays set, and Orton calls the receivers back to a 6-man huddle. The Colts stay in their base defense, wait for the Broncos to set and the ball to be snapped. Result? Slant to Royal, 3 yard gain.
Moreno is stuffed on 4th& 1, and the Colts have the ball again on their own 40.
59
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:43pm
Jacob Lacey makes a fantastic tackle on third down. Broncos goes for it and Moreno id stopped in the backfield by Bracket. IND ball at their 41.
Goodman stays with Garcon stride for stride 60 yards down field, and bats it away. Impressive.
If the colts score here, its over.
Manning against the Broncos the last 5 games: 80% completions, 15/1 TD to int. rate and 345 yards per game. Colts 3 and out. Yay...
60
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:43pm
[Vikings QB] just completed a TD pass a full two yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Credit to the officials, they threw the flag.
308
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spielman :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 10:01am
And then marked off the penalty as if he'd thrown the pass *four* yards beyond the line of scrimmage, making the actual penalty yardage one yard. (Plus, y'know, the loss of the TD on the play and the loss of down.)
The spotting in that game was pretty consistently lousy, actually, with that one being the most egregious example.
61
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:43pm
Brees to Meachem for a 43 yard gain to the ATL 11-yard line. Meachem had gone in motion to the left, the ATL DB sat on the route, and Meachem did a little swim move to get by the DB. The pass from Brees was almost too long, but Meachem was able to reel it in.
63
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:46pm
NO get the TD on a little wheel route to Reggie Bush, who made a great athletic play to put the ball in his left hand and sneak the ball just inside the pylon as his momentum was taking the rest of him out of bounds. NO 10-6.
62
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:46pm
Marshall catches it 5 yards down field on 2nd and 12, runs across the field for 15 yac. 4 colts had a shot on him, and they hardly slowed him down...
64
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:48pm
Wow. Moss is really killing the Pats today.
70
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:54pm
Maybe it's all part of a Belichick masterplan. If New England aren't in the lead at halftime, the other team can't come back...
78
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:00pm
That didn't work against New Orleans.
109
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:36pm
New England could have started fifteen defensive players and played a 4-5-6 defense all day, and that wouldn't have worked against New Orleans. There's stinking defense, and there's New England's secondary against the Saints.
65
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:48pm
It seems the Jaguars, as axpected, are frauds... How will the playoff picture look if they loose to the Dolphins?
67
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:51pm
McDaniels calls a HB draw on third and 6 (!). Against the fastest defense in the league to boot.
69
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:53pm
Check him very carefully for a protruding belly and a walrus-like mustache.
72
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:54pm
lol.
Seriously, though, not even Reid would do that...
82
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by montanapanthersfan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:05pm
I took it as a Holmgren reference.
85
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:07pm
I indeed meant Holmgren, but Andy Reid works perfectly well, too.
68
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:52pm
For all of you fantasy owners who started Chris Redman today: With just over 9 minutes to go in the 1st half, he's 5/6 for 66 yards. As I wrote this, Redman overthrew Jenkins by about 6 inches which would have been a 69-yard TD pass.
71
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:54pm
NO get their first stop of the day. Bush fields the punt and somehow gets a 24 yard return out of it. It looked like he was going to be stopped inside the NO 15-yard line a couple of times.
73
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:54pm
Palmer just gift-wrapped a pick to Winfield and he, unsurprisingly, couldn't hold onto it.
Dierdorf of course does not realize that ,as good as Winfield is, he cannot catch anything, and suggests that he must have been "surprised."
74
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:56pm
The Broncos get called for a BS piling on penalty. Garcon fumbled the ball, recovered quickly - the bronco defender was chasing a live ball..
75
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:56pm
Maualuga hits Reynaud out of bounds for a 15-yard penalty. The Bengals now have 8 penalties for 65 yards.
79
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:00pm
At the risk of jinxing myself, I have to say the NO-ATL game has been relatively flag free. Twice, the officials have picked up OPI flags after realizing that the TE was just continuing his block 10 yards down field, said block having started at the line of scrimmage.
77
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 2:59pm
Dallas Clarke drops the pass on third down, and makes a beautiful catch on fourth down. Indy in the redzone. This game might be over... Yikes...
80
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:04pm
ATL bring a blitz. Brees rolls away from the pressure and makes a great pass to Shockey who makes a great catch for a 12-yard gain.
On the next play, ATL get called for a DPI. It looked like the ATL DB had a decent arm bar on the NO receiver.
81
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:04pm
Manning to a wide open Clarke in the back of the endzone off playaction. Ballgame. I'm switching games - this is horrible...
83
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:06pm
Peterson seemingly by himself moves the Vikings down the field (he had 42 of the 66 yards on the drive) and [Vikings QB] gets to complete a TD to Sidney Rice at the end.
84
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:06pm
NO seem to have found their rhythm on offense. At the two minute warning, they're just into the red zone with a first and 10. NO have had the ball for 10+ minutes in the second quarter, I think. ATL have only 13 yards of offense in the second quarter.
86
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:09pm
Palmer is throwing into coverage an awful lot.
Dierdorf is complaining about Ochocinco's sombrero antics last week. I still don't understand how you can even fine someone for putting on a frickin' hat. (I'm sure it's because it's not official team apparel but for crying out loud that's dumb.)
87
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:11pm
NO cap off their drive with a 3-yard Brees-Colston TD pass. And then: DOINK! Just before half time it's NO 16-6.
88
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:12pm
Kevin Williams gets called for hitting Palmer out of bounds. He looks like he's laughing as he gets called. There have now been 12 penalties for 90 yards in the game.
By the way, my earlier statement about the Bengals was off. I didn't think nfl.com was yet including the most recent penalty. They have 7-for-50.
99
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:27pm
Now they have 8-for-65. They have actually played very, very well to be down by 3.
89
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:14pm
Palmer completes a short pass to Ochocinco who takes it in for a TD.
Ray Edwards is down on the play. Trainers are on the field.
90
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:15pm
Edwards walked to the sideline on his own power.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:19pm
They just showed a replay and that was actually a neat play. Ochocinco faked an end-around (Dierdorf says "reverse") then went back outside and Winfield just couldn't get back over in time to make a play.
92
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by dmb :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:20pm
I'm not watching this game, but I can't believe that nobody has mentioned it: Matt Schaub has started his day by going 20/23 for 281 yards, 2 TDs, and no INTs. It looks like Andre Johnson has done most of the damage -- he already has 9 catches for 169 yards, and both of the touchdown catches.
I know it's against Seattle, but that sounds like a clinic.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by dmb :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:30pm
At the half...
Schaub: 24/28, 336 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Johnson: 10 catches, 184 yards, 2 TDs
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by peterplaysbass (verified?) (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 11:10am
I'd like to take this moment to brag that I have Schaub and Johnson on my fantasy team (which missed the playoffs, unfortunately). I'm having a monster day.
310
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 4:46pm
I had Brees and Marshall (in a PPR) - I made the playoffs, but this week was irrelevant for me. I hope they didn't peak too soon.
93
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:20pm
NO revert to their first quarter defense and let ATL methodically march down the field in their 2-minute drill. NO help the drive when Grant commits a stupid personal foul penalty. ATL end the half by kicking a FG to make the score NO 16, ATL 9.
96
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DEW (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:22pm
I see the "Patriot Rules" are in effect for the refs on this drive, first the ghost PI call and then the defensive holding call to set up the touchdown. Can't have the Pats shut out at halftime, after all...
*end Dolphins fan grousing*
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by montanapanthersfan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:30pm
No comment.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:30pm
A bit of a make-up call in reversing the Leigh Bodden interception---I have no idea what they saw on the replay.
113
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:41pm
The DPI was awful. The LB didn't even touch him, and Johnston didn't even notice. Oddly, the holding call wasn't nearly as bad, and that's the one the announcers noticed.
120
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:47pm
The announcers did make some noise about the DPI call. I have a bit of sympathy for the official, however, because the LB didn't look for the ball, did make a little contact, and the receiver fell down. Those are some hard circumstances if he's out of position.
97
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:23pm
Patriots reap the benefit of two ticky-tack PI/defensive holding calls with a Kevin Faulk TD.
98
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:26pm
Wow. DEN stuffed on 4th and inches. Great IND penetration to stop Moreno in the backfield.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:30pm
I can second the notion that the Panthers are getting robbed... Broncos half a yard short, they go for it...... and get stuffed in the backfield again. Jerraud Powers in with the stop off the runblitz. Moreno had no chance, Gaffney fell asleep and let Powers make the play.
101
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:30pm
Manning has a pass batted into the air and Brian Dawkins lays out to make the interception. The DEN player who tipped the ball, Reid, takes off his helmet while still on the field and gets an unsportsman like penalty. As Bug Bunny would say, "What a maroon!"
105
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:31pm
[Vikings QB] throws one into Joseph's hands in the end zone. Rice is able to hit the ball just enough to make him drop it.
106
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:32pm
Intercepted by Dawkins on a tip drill. Broncos ball at the indy 48 29 seconds and too timeouts...
Untill Reid gets called for taking off his helmet, and loose 15 yards... F'ck..
107
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:32pm
The Vikings stall at the 6 and Longwell hits the field goal. 13-7 Vikings.
108
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:36pm
What a fitting end to the last two minutes of DEN-IND first half: Marshall catches a pass and instead of getting out of bounds since his team has no time outs, he gets tackled in bounds and the half expires. This came after a Colts punt, the Broncos failing to convert a 4th and inches, and a Manning interception. That was one of the ugliest two minutes of football I've seen in a long time.
110
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:37pm
The Bengals get the ball on the kickoff and come out in a hurry-up with 31 seconds to go in the first half and so they run . . . a draw and a very short pass to Leonard.
And Leonard appears to fumble. The Vikings recover and the Bengals call a timeout hoping to get a booth review, but there's no way this would get overturned.
Longwell good from 45 and the Vikings are up 16-7 at halftime.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:38pm
Reason number 12.349 that DVOA rocks: Orton with an 8 yard completion to Marshall from the 48 yardline as time expires...
117
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:46pm
You want a statistical system that decides which plays are important?
112
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:39pm
This just in from Joe Buck: "The Saints are averaging 8 yards a play, which is terrific." Thanks for the brilliant insight, Joe.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:42pm
Bengals@Vikings first half notes:
[Vikings QB] (hearts) Sidney Rice.
Leon Hall is seemingly always on the other side of the field from Rice, so it's possibly that [Vikings QB] is avoiding him or picking on Joseph or that Hall just always has his man covered (though we know this QB does not care if the player is covered).
The Bengals are getting a lot of pressure. Late in the half, the Vikings started countering with some rollouts but the Bengals' secondary has still had good coverage.
Palmer is constantly throwing into coverage and has been a bit off all day.
Halftime note:
Norman Esiason has gotten very old over the course of about the last 2 years.
115
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:44pm
Aikman's bugging me today for some reason. I'm a critic of long DPIs, but Grimes completely bodychecked and cut Meachem off. I think it was a good call.
121
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:47pm
I have no idea what Aikman is smoking. That was an obvious DPI.
116
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:46pm
Bush in for the TD on 3rd and 19. Not a good day to have Bush on my bench. Oh well, I'm in the playoffs as a 2 or 3 seed anyway...
118
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:46pm
Could Andre Johnson become the third-ever single-game 300-yard receiver?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Raiderjoe :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:55pm
would be 5th one
others --
:
Jim benton, 1945 Ramms 303 yards vs loins on 11/22
Cloyce box, 50 loins 302 yds vs Volts on 12/3
Stephanie Paige, 85 chiefs 309 yds vs chargers on 12/22
Flipper Anderson, 11/26.89 rams vs Saints 336 ydrads
139
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:03pm
I cut it off at 1960 and forgot to say that, sorry.
I'm surprised there were 2 before then, though.
119
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:47pm
ATL brings a big blitz. Brees throws towards Meachem running down the left side line. The ATL DB, Grimes, makes contact with Meachem and seems to push him with his body towards the sideline. Grimes makes the apparent interception, but the zebra calls him for DPI. Even though the action by Grimes was subtle, I think it was the right call. The penalty goes for 28 yards and get NO into the red zone.
NO almost blow their opportunity as Bush fumbles on second down and barely recovers. On 3rd and 19, NO run a little screen to the right side to Bush. NO had incredible down field blocking on the play and Bush runs in untouched for the TD. NO 23 ATL 9.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:51pm
And in the second half, the Bengals immediately kick off out of bounds.
124
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:51pm
And Cincinatti start the second half continuing in the spirit of the first.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:53pm
Zero penalties for the Patriots. Somehow they missed the automatic personal foul on a hit above the shoulders on a defenseless receiver. They missed the late hit on Moore. But they did manage to call two phantom critical calls against he Panthers. Seriously, how can Patriot fans take any pride in their team that gets such blatantly obvious favoritism from the refs? The NFL is really bending over backwards to give games to the Patriots. Maybe the Patriots aren't showing any effort because they know they don't have to. The refs will take care of it for them. No reason to exert themselves.
127
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:54pm
Why did they overturn the Leigh Bodden INT with no conclusive evidence on the TV replays? Some conspiracy that.
248
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by PatsFan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:04pm
Seriously, how can Patriot fans take any pride in their team that gets such blatantly obvious favoritism from the refs?
Easy -- because it's hilarious to watch mindless haters like you stroke out.
BTW, care to explain how the obvious-to-everyone touchback was called wrong and then upheld on replay, thus favoring the Panthers.
266
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:26pm
Was that suppose to be some kind of intelligent comment? Why are so many fair weather front running fans such jerks? Is it all part of the same bullying trait?
Tell me Patsfan, when the refs finally cease to give the Patriots special treatment, are you going to scream about the Patriots having to follow the same rules everyone else does, or will you just move quietly on to the next front-runner?
129
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:56pm
NO bring a double corner blitz. ATL pick it up and Redman hits Jenkins in stride for a 50-yard TD pass. NO 23 ATL 16.
130
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:57pm
There have been two penalties on the Vikings first drive of the second half now. And as I type that, [Vikings QB] completes a thrd-and-12 pass to Chester Taylor for the first down. The throw was low, but Taylor made the catch and took it for the first. Taylor is having a good day.
131
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by t.d. :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:59pm
this is how i expected favre to improve minnesota this year- as a limitted, run first guy who doesn't lose for them
132
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:59pm
Dude, if you weren't a Patriot fan you would realize that is called an incomplete pass every single time. It's not even close. Every other team in the league knows that's not a catch. The question is why Patriot fans assume that any call that could plausibly go their way automatically does.
134
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:01pm
I called out the "DPI" call upthread. Come off it.
142
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:05pm
Also, both of the "fouls" you mentioned would have been borderline calls themselves. Maybe if you weren't butthurt you'd realize that.
155
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:21pm
No. They aren't borderline calls. They are called every time against most of the teams in the league. Just not the Patriots.
133
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 3:59pm
Rookie Darcel McBath lays a HIT on Clarke to make him drop the ball - he would've had the first down.
135
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:01pm
Marshall for another first down. his 12th catch of the day - the NFL record is 20.
136
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:02pm
At 3:25 or the 3rd quarter, NO punt for the first time of the game.
137
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:02pm
Peterson TD.
Vikings up 23-7.
Childress has finally been reminded that his team is normally good at running the ball. This is not a good sign for the rest of the league.
138
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:03pm
Moreno stopped on 3rd and 1. Calling McDaniels: No more rushing today.
141
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:05pm
Bracket comes through untouched and sacks Orton. Which means that Indy blitzed... Shock... no wonder Moreno looked surprised...
143
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:08pm
Picked off!! Bailey tips it, and Dawkins pick it off... Manning simply overthrew it...
144
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:10pm
Benson fumbles, Benny Sapp picks it up and returns for a TD. Didn't look like a fumble to me in real time and now Cincy is challenging.
Dierdorf and Gumbel say it's not a fumble and on replay they appear to be right.
145
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:10pm
The Broncos are running well on early downs, but are getting whipped in short yardage situations...
Marshall for the first down. 13 catches...
146
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Raiderjoe :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:11pm
palmer with onluy 60 paass yardas vs crappy pass defense. maybe now down 16 will open up air attsck
146
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Raiderjoe :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:11pm
palmer with onluy 60 paass yardas vs crappy pass defense. maybe now down 16 will open up air attsck
148
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:11pm
14 catches
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:14pm
That puts him in the top 20 since 1960 but not even his career high. Sort of amazing.
Well that had to happen. Ortons forces it to Marshall, and it's picked off deep in the redzone. The broncos left 3 on the field, there...
151
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:14pm
ATL drive 79 yards for the tying TD. Except for one series in the 2nd quarter, the Saints have not been able to stop the Falcons all day. 23-23.
152
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:18pm
Broncos suddenly getting pressure on Manning, forcing premature throws. The defense actually haven't been half bad, since getting smacked early on - pretty much shutting Indy down after the half.
DJ Williams just stayed with Collie +15 yards downfield, and his coverage forced an overthrow by Manning.
153
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:19pm
Moss blocking while pass is in the air. That's ok when you're a Patriot. Note the meaningless penalty called on the second half kick-off to try to cover up the fact that they aren't calling penalties on the Patiots.
159
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:25pm
Not that you're bitter or anything...
166
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:32pm
Suggest you just stop watching that game.
197
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:12pm
As a rule I try not to watch Patriot games because of the dreadful one-sided officiating. But it's a Panther game so I have to suffer through it. And suffer throught it is exactly right.
247
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by PatsFan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:02pm
You must not watch Colts games, either, then.
154
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:21pm
15
156
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:23pm
And that makes Marshall the first player since 1960 to have 2 games catching 15 or more passes in his career.
157
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:25pm
Matt Prater misses a field goal. The Broncos have left a lot of points and yards on the field. This game has been very close since the Colts went up 21-0.
158
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:25pm
Cedric Benson just ran for 42 yards through a hole the size of a small country. The Bengals aren't dead yet.
160
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:26pm
McBath with the pick now! Manning never saw him playing the zone... pass complete to gaffney down on the indy 15...
163
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:30pm
Ochocinco loses the ball when he gets hit by Cedric Griffin (in the process of making a very nice catch) and gets up very angry. Griffin gets called for a personal foul, correctly, for going after Ochocinco's head. Griffin and Ochocinco shake hands.
164
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:31pm
Prater makes a 28 yarder to make it 21-10. This game isn't over, the way the Denver defense has been playing.
165
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:31pm
Aikman's not having a good game. DPI by NO, it might have been ticky-tack, but he kind of forgot there was an offside on the same play.
Brees gets intentional grounding for throwing it out of the end zone...I can't remember the last time I saw that called.
They kick a FG anyway, and Atlanta's not out of it.
167
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:32pm
The Vikings defense was able to stonewall the Bengals so Graham has to kick a 23-yard field goal. It's now 23-10 Minnesota.
168
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:35pm
Goodman has been outstanding today. Has punched the ball away from garcon three times on deep would be completions. Indy three and out again(!).
169
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:37pm
Whoops. Atlanta starts out with decent field position, loses 12 on a Wildcat formation (snuffed out by Gay), then Redman throws a pick. NO ball inside the 30.
Given that Atlanta has been moving the ball down the field, I'm a bit surprised by the play call...
170
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:38pm
16
171
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by justme_cd :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:40pm
I've been impressed with the cincy corners today. I wish they could have found a way to keep Mike Zimmer in Dallas.
172
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:40pm
17
173
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:42pm
18... this is wild..
174
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:43pm
19... bonkers...
175
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by TimK :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:44pm
And number 20 is for a touchdown... game still very much on.
176
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:45pm
Goodness, those Kay commercials are corny...
177
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:46pm
20! And it's a touchdown!
Ties T.O. record. Indy had Jennings one on one - easy jumpball for Marshall!
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:51pm
I hereby take back all the stuff I said before the season (and before and during last season) about not wanting Marshall on the team.
178
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:47pm
Vikings get a running into the kicker call and Dierdorf says it's a bad call because the punter fell over on the Vikings player who was on the ground but it's still called.
Then they punt it again and the Vikings get called for a block in the back on the return. Wow.
179
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:48pm
The broncos, down 5, goes for two, and runs it for 1 yard. This must be the worst short yardage performance against the colts in the decade.
181
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:51pm
Manning is 16 for 38 - extreme. Especially when you think about how he started the match!
182
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:53pm
morganja is going to love that roughing the kicker call (legit IMHO; taking out the plant foot is always 15 yards).
186
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:56pm
Pats go up 20-10 on the ensuing Gostkowski FG.
189
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:58pm
(I wonder why the competition committee didn't do away with the 5-yard call along with the 5-yard facemask call.)
200
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by morganja :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:20pm
I agree that is should be. But it wasn't called earlier this year when the exact same thing happened to the Panthers. I don't disagree with this call, but I'm flabbergasted by it not being called earlier this year. That is what I'm talking about. A little bit of consistency. Why does the NFL have one standard for 4 or 5 teams, and a totally different standard for the other 27?
226
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Mervin (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:59pm
Yep, congratulations, you've figured it all out. The NFL is as fixed as pro wrestling on a bad day. And they'd have gotten away with it too, if not for the eagle eye and razor-sharp impartiality (tolerance tested to the width of half an electron) of Sgt. Morganja, American hero. Whew! So do be a dear and let us know what the script is for the rest of the season, since you're so obviously privy to it and can make yourself and all of us rich.
by steveo_in_sd (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:16pm
Dude - chill out. This isn't the ESPN or FOXSports comments area.
184
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:54pm
Me hailing the Bronco second half defense has jinxed it - Colts on the 33...
185
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:56pm
Interesting end to the NO-ATL game. NO get down into the red zone. On 4th and 7 instead of kicking the FG to go up by 6, they go for it. Brunnell could have thrown to two different receivers, but hesitates, so the pass goes incomplete.
ATL start to drive down the field. They get a nice gain to Snelling when he sneaks out of the backfield and catches a little pass over the middle for about 12 yards. Ultimately, the drive bogs down and on 4th and 2, ATL try the little pass to Snelling again. This time, Vilma is waiting for the play and stuffs Snelling a yard short of the line of gain. NO then runs out the clock to win 26-23 and go 13-0.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jayinalaska :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:58pm
I should have mentioned that NO lined up in FG formation with Brunnell as the holder.
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Fake FG
by Joseph :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:17pm
All I can say is that Coach Payton deserves to get criticized BIG-TIME for that call. You HAVE TO kick the FG to go up by 6, and make the Falcons make the TD with approx. 1:30 to go. Thankfully, the D stops them to let him avoid a little bit of the criticism. Payton has obviously BIG BRASS ones, but sometimes the obvious call is the right one.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:57pm
A false start called on Manning. hmm
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 4:57pm
Peterson TD with 3:24 to go makes it 30-10 Vikings. Peterson sets the team record with 14 rushing TDs on the year. And I know tonight when I'm surrounded by local fans they're going to say, as they always do, that he doesn't matter. Only one person matters . . .
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:10pm
So glad to see him show up the week after my fantasy team was kept out of the players thanks in no small part to his no-shows the past two weeks.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Still Alive (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:24pm
You think that is bad...
My team is the second highest scoring in my league, and finished 7-6. For round 1 of the playoffs I am playing the highest scoring team (which also finished 7-6). Stupid people who like head to head scoring (One of the lowest scoring teams has a bye in the playoffs and finished 10-3)...
So week 1 of the playoffs and half our guys have played and the score looks to end up around 135-135.
This is in a league where 70pts a game will typically get you a win because touchdowns are worth very little. The projected final scores are 135-135, 100-65, 70-65, and 65-45...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Still Alive (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:26pm
And the two people with byes are looking to put up up 80 and 45 pts respectively...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:03pm
TD clark - his 3rd. That ices it: Indy up 12 points with 2:25 to go, no timeouts for broncos.
This last drive took 12 plays and 10 minutes and 3 timeouts. Incredible.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:04pm
T-JACK IS BACK!
Unfortunately, [Vikings QB] seems to get increased screen time (believe it or not) when he's on the sideline.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:10pm
At the two minute warning, here's some totals from the game:
Manning: 20/42 200 4/3
Orton: 29/41 277 2/1
Marshall: 22 210 2 lg: 23 (New record for catches in a game)
Moreno: 23 for 63 = rediculos number of carries considering the succes of the passing game..
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:22pm
Woohoo! Wade goes for it on 4th and four on the SD 35 less than 5 minutes in. And it works!
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:23pm
Is it just me, or is the sound mixing on CBS just awful? I'm having a lot of trouble hearing the announcers over the crowd noise.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 5:25pm
I think they seem rather quiet too but I'm quite happy about it.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:17pm
God I hope Wade's decision to go on 4th and goal (~ 1ft) doesn't get picked to death.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:21pm
Rivers throws an awful interception from his own end zone, so with any luck we'll be spared.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by jedmarshall :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:21pm
I give up on trying to understand pass interference. Jackson gets absolutely run over with no call then Rivers throws up a duck INT on the next play. Cowboys back in business.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:24pm
The official didn't appear to have a great view as the WR changed direction suddenly, and he probably assumed incidental feet-tangling. I'm starting to think that the PI rule as written just can't be properly judged with any kind of reliability.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:26pm
Apropos of nothing: I went perusing the Jags' blogs to see what they were saying about the loss, and about the upcoming Thursday night Colts game.
Top 6 blogs per Google show a whopping 2 posts today, with the most recent posts on the other 4 blogs:
* Yesterday
* Friday
* December 3rd(!)
* October 12th(!!)
You'd think a team in the driver's seat for a wild card slot would get a little attention from the local fans. Does anyone really not think the team will move at this point?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:40pm
Driver's seat? They're not in control of their own destiny at the moment; in the (admittedly unlikely) scenario that all of the Broncos, the Dolphins, and the Jaguars win out, and no other teams are level with the 'phins and the Jags, then the Jags would go home on the head-to-head tiebreaker. I see your point about fan interest though.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:43pm
They were before they lost to Miami.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:44pm
This is true.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:46pm
Actually, did they have fewer conference /losses/ than the other teams?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:55pm
Does it matter? Before today, there were two 7-5 teams in the AFC: Patriots and Jags. If the Jags won out, they would have been in the playoffs.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:48pm
The whole "driver's seat" doesn't make much sense at this point. If the Jaguars win out and the Dolphins win out, well, the Dolphins win the AFC East because the Jaguars have a game left against New England, and the Dolphins would win the tiebreaker (conference record) if the Patriots lost that game.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:06pm
You're both right.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Yaguar :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:28pm
I'm going to go ahead and posit that Keith Null is not an NFL-ready QB.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:30pm
Have the /dev/null jokes started yet?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:39pm
There's geekery, then there's linux geekery.
More importantly, who exactly IS Keith Null?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:50pm
Worse, it's UNIX geekery. /dev/null was (probably) around before Linus was in grade school.
I'm not certain when it was created, but it's been around since at least 1976.
/dev/null for the uninitiated, courtesy Wikipedia.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:42pm
Look out dude, you'll turn this into an irrational thread ;)
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:53pm
Null is decidedly not irrational!
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:57pm
From Wikipedia:
...in a seminormed vector space such as Minkowski space, null vectors are, in general, non-zero
If they're non-zero, there's a chance they're irrational. Right?
(Don't ask me what a seminormed vector space is, though.)
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:16pm
I could explain seminormed vector spaces, but then the guild of mathematicians would slash my tires. I don't want to mess with those guys.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by John (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:20pm
These are people who would describe a knife in terms of its curvature. I'll take my chances with their ability to handle one in a tense situation.
Now a physicist might actually talk about tensile strength, and now we're talking about someone of whom I might be wary.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:20pm
Mathematician roomie sez: "A 'Minkowski space' is typically a real vector space, and an 'irrational number' is typically a real number. Although the real numbers can be interpreted as a one-dimensional vector space over themselves, there's only one 'reasonable' way to do so, and in that case, there's no nondegenerate seminorm that has a nonzero null vector."
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:36pm
Vector = geometric object with length + direction
Vector space = collection of vectors
Seminormed vector space = collection of vectors capable of zero length
Therefore:
Seminormed vector space = Bills offensive playbook?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 6:36pm
Raiders get nailed for interfering with the ability to field a punt because the coverage was so good that the officials thought that he'd gotten there early, then get nailed for unsportsmanlike conduct because their bench freaked out.
Redskins start on the 40, run a couple of big plays, and are now in the red zone. Oh, Raiders.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Karl Cuba :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:22pm
On UK's NFL coverage they just announced that there will be two games in the UK next season. One of the home teams is the 49ers, does anyone know who the other team is?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:26pm
Just found a rumor that it'd be the Ravens who had the other "home game" at Wembley.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:23pm
Sweet fake punt by the Rams. Down by 33 at the end of the 3rd quarter, why not?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:25pm
Because if it doesn't work, it'll be cited as more evidence as coaching incompetence?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by RickD :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:28pm
Spagnuolo is a first-year coach. I thought the big problem in St. Louis was a lack of players.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by just another dumb homer (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:30pm
I personally wouldn't make that argument, but there are some who would. I'd really love it if teams out of playoff contention ran a lot of junk.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:31pm
Eh, I think down 33, it would get buried within a lot of other criticisms.
And Touchdown, Rams!
DeMarcus Ware is down, and it doesn't look good. It looks like a head injury.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:33pm
Ware is conscious and can move his hands, so that's a positive sign.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DEW (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:37pm
So what happened to Gradkowski? Did he get hurt, or has Al Davis stormed down to the bench and demanded that this burst of vaguely competent quarterbacking be stopped immediately?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Big-Hairy-Andy :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:40pm
Injured, as is Vince Young. Collins is in for the Titans too.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DEW (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:43pm
Too bad; awful break for the Raiders if it's serious. Lousy for Young and the Titans, although at least this game's not on the line for them, so they can shut down Young with the hamstring and not take any chances.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous33 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 7:48pm
Is it just me, or is the HD broadcast of Chargers/Cowboys like 10 minutes behind the actual game? Yahoo and NFL.com have both had the score at 17-10 for a while and say there's 9:13 left in the fourth. Meanwhile, on my TV it's still 10-10 with 11:28 left.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by dk240t :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:10pm
Seems like Houston is continuing on its course of being one of the teams that DVOA/Pythagoras identifies as good, despite a bad record. Another blowout of a weak team (Seattle) to go with the blowout over Oakland and a bunch of close losses. I don't see how they don't increase their DVOA this week.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by CathyW :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:38pm
First drive by the Eagles - very impressive. Too bad the game can't end right now; I have a feeling this is going to be a typical Eagles-Giants knock-down drag-out.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spoilt Victoria... :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 9:46pm
Okay, now the game can end.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:16pm
That drive was...strange. 2 drops, 2 illegal contacts, then a catch and some terrible tackling.
Quintin Mikell did not have a good drive.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:27pm
How was that not DPI in the end zone on the Giants there?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spoilt Victoria... :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:35pm
Hey it's Eagles-Giants, you don't make that call!
Oh, the Giants got five extra plays from two illegal contacts on the previous drive?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:41pm
I'd pay good money to see The Daily Show destroy some of these announcers.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:56pm
Yes! I've thought the same. The blatant contradictions/backtracking alone would fill up a full show.
And I hate many DPI calls, but think that Celek was mauled.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:58pm
Officials reviewing an obvious catch by DeSean Jackson. WTF?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:59pm
I mean, after all the crap they /didn't/ review...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:05pm
Clock expiring isn't reviewable in the NFL? You're kidding, right?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by The Guy You Don't Want to Hear (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:09pm
How could they review that? I mean, we don't want to review judgment calls like clocks ticking down.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:13pm
The x million dollar question, which I haven't seen answered conclusively, is whether it is a reviewable call in college football.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:20pm
Well after researching this a bit, it appears Big 12 officials used the justification that the review officials may correct "egregious" errors not specifically enumerated. Pay no attention to the bowl purses...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spoilt Victoria... :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:06pm
At this point you just have to laugh.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:08pm
a. The official time should be kept on the field, soccer-style.
b. This officiating crew is not having a good night.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:29pm
Eli misses Kevin Boothe, an offensive lineman who lined up at the tight end position. When did they stop cutting to the official announcing eligibility changes?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Paul R :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:33pm
The commercial for the Oral-B electric toothbrush claims that the toothbrush design is "dentist-inspired."
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:36pm
The Eagles finally get a call (at least for now) with Eli fumbling on the slide. Captcha: lunacy
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by NickL (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:43pm
OK, I'm confused--clearly both knees hit ground before Eli began to lose control of the ball--why does anybody even care if he was touched or not?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:45pm
Because in the NFL you're only down if you're put down by contact. Clearly Eli dove of his own volition and therefore would not have been down until he was touched.
bleh..
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by patriotsgirl :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:48pm
And he dove headfirst. If he'd slid feet first, he'd have been down when he hit the ground.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:49pm
NFL players aren't down if they aren't touched. If the QB takes a knee or slides on purpose, the officials will kill the play to reduce the incidence player injury, but the play isn't over until the whistle.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:52pm
My bad. Like most simple explanations of NFL rules, this one is wrong.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spoilt Victoria... :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:59pm
I believe the explanation is just that a head-first slide (or "dive" or whatever) doesn't count as a play-terminating slide.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:53pm
The first play after the Giants take the lead, McNabb hits Jackson on a long TD pass. What happened to the Giants' famed pass rush?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:58pm
Strahan retired, and Osi, Tuck, and Kiwanuka turned out to be overrated pretenders. And I say this as a Giant's fan.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:00am
Officials miss a Giant headbutt after the play.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:06am
No one's going to believe me at this point when I say that I root for a team in the AFC, but this is starting to remind me of an NBA game.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Spoilt Victoria... :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:11am
Well that could just be the score.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DM (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:25am
I agree the officiating is lousy, but let's not go that far...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Lvess :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:07am
Since when is missing a tackle and slamming into your own teammate worth a 15 yard late hit flag? High commedy to watch two Eagles DB's do just that? Yes. A flag? No.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by batbatt :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:15am
an actual reverse?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:21am
As opposed to a mere end-around off of a QB bootleg?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Jay Gloab :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 9:26am
Isn't that a reverse?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Alexander :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:15am
AN excellent Vick use there, in spite of it not working that well.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:17am
Man, neither team can tackle tonight.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:20am
The Giants defense is a huge pile of garbage.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:21am
Why won't someone break the legs of that dog killing piece of garbage. Seeing him out there makes my blood boil.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DM (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:24am
I can't stand Vick but I'm guessing you couldn't care less about Leonard Little.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:38am
There's a big difference between an accident, even one caused by gross negligence, and deliberated, premeditated, sociopathic cruelty. Vick is pond scum.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by DM (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:45am
Absolutely. What Vick did makes me sick, but I'm tired of people immediately reacting to anything having to do with Vick with hyperbolic outrage. Realize that most people hate him too.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:33am
TD Giants, challenge Eagles. Receiver's toe may have been on the white...
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:36am
Play overturned. Collinsworth with some pointed comments about Manningham's route running.
And now a Giants receiver seemingly goes out of bounds but the officials declare forward progress and keep the clock rolling?
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Salvi's Headband (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:44am
Giants should have kicked it deep. When you have timeouts and that much time, the three and out is a much better bet than the OSK.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:47am
Hm. If I were playing Madden I'd definitely kick it deep, but I'm terrible at recovering onside kicks in that game. Maybe the stats wizards have something to say. I liked Collinsworth's idea of trying to pooch it over the hands team though.
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Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
by Anonymous234 (not verified) :: Mon, 12/14/2009 - 12:48am
You also have to take a DeSean Jackson return into account.
RSS Feed
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Steelers never showed up against the Browns. Roethlisberger's problem with sacks continues. Five in the first half! Some of the sacks were coverage sacks, while others were quick sacks.
I think we can declare the Steelers' playoff hopes officially dead. What a collapse!
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Is it too soon to say that hell has been unleashed?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Hell hath no fury like Brian Schaefering.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
As a Steeler fan, it feels like hell to me.
I mean, I could have dealt with missing the playoffs, but doing so because they lost to Oakland and Cleveland in consecutive games? Ouch.
Tomlin
so Mike Tomlin won a superbowl then misses the playoffs next year, just like Cowher. He just eliminated all the years of playoff futility that preceded the superbowl win.
I'm sure our buddy who keeps calling him Omar (I still don't get what that's about) would be of the opinion that they'd have won that superbowl anyway with Wisenhunt. Then again he probably would think Rich Kotite could have coached that team to a superbowl win too. (substitute Kotite with whomever you identify as the worst nfl coach in history).
Its weird though, I do think Tomlin was a very good defensive coach, he did a great job in Minnesota, and he seems to have the right temperament to be a head coach... but his statements about fixing it and being accountable and unleashing hell and so on are kind of hollow when losing to the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns.
Despite his troubles, you can't just fire a coach who just won a superbowl, can you? Then again Barry Switzer won a superbowl too, though, and his legacy with the Cowboys is probably regarded as a failure. In a way I think the closest parallel might be Brian Billick. He also came from the Vikings as a respected coordinator, he also won a superbowl immediately. And he used the cred garnered with that to buy him a lot more years than he probably would have been accorded otherwise.
Coaches who "inherited" teams that won a championship and then declined afterwards include:- Barry Switzer is pretty much the gold standard. 12-4 lost nfc championship, 12-4 superbowl champs, 6-10, fired.
- Brian Billick 8-8, 12-4 superbowl champs, 10-6, 7-9, 10-6, 9-7, 6-10, 13-3, 5-11, fired.
- Larry Coker - Gold standard for college. Utterly dominant national champions, lost championship game (in 2 OT), #5, #11, unranked, fired.
- Don McCafferty - 11-2-1 superbowl champs, 10-4 lost afc championship, 1-5, fired for refusing to bench Unitas.
FWIW I think Tomlin would be a great TV personality if this steelers gig doesn't work out.
Re: Tomlin
Tomlin looks like Omar Epps, the actor. At least I think that's the reason.
Pittsburgh's decline this season (and losses to a series of teams that no contender should lose to once, let alone three times) is shocking.
Re: Tomlin
Yup, missing the playoffs with a SB defending champ that returns 20 starters is terrible, but doing it with a vastly easier schedule that includes losing 3 games to (recently) perennial bottom6 teams is unacceptable. But I'm just an unrealistic hater.... so I'm told. Really, he's a great coach who obviously gets his team up for every game--- The Browns, Raiders, and Chiefs (Bears... Bengals ??!?!?) just obviously have superior talent, top to bottom. The sad thing is they'll actually probably come out and play really well, finishing 8-8 instead of 6-10, costing themselves 6-8 slots in the draft.
Re: Tomlin
I'd separate those two things.
The Steelers' decline is not that shocking: see the Almanac.
Losing to all three of the worst teams in the AFC is.
Re: Tomlin
Sorry, meant to say that the decline, as evidenced by the loss to the three teams, is shocking. If they'd beaten even two of the three teams, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.
(Hell, if they had the same record as they have now, and lost to the Chargers, Vikings, and Broncos rather than those three teams, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Which ties in with your point.)
Still, it's kind of amazing that their struggles have been kind of below the radar (at least up here in the Great White North), particularly in comparison to a certain Boston-area team...
Re: Tomlin
<<<
Omar (I still don't get what that's about)
>>>
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1149907/1/ind...
Re: Tomlin
Wow. That's a spooky close resemblance.
With the caveat that I don't follow the Steelers real closely:
Given that the 2006 team did a poor job of defending the title with Cowher, it
doesn't seem like it is time (yet) to get too far down on Tomlin. But the way
they responded to him the last two weeks is cause for concern - unless Polomalu
was that critical a piece of the performance puzzle.
Re: Tomlin
<<<<
Wow. That's a spooky close resemblance.
With the caveat that I don't follow the Steelers real closely:
Given that the 2006 team did a poor job of defending the title with Cowher, it
doesn't seem like it is time (yet) to get too far down on Tomlin. But the way
they responded to him the last two weeks is cause for concern - unless Polomalu
was that critical a piece of the performance puzzle.
>>>>
2006 team still mostly beat the teams they *should have* while battling serious injury problems (if you want to play the injury card.... remember big ben faceplanted into a car windshield, had appendicitis, etc that year) They started 2-6 and finished 6-2, the opposite (basically) of this season.
Losses were to teams that (finished)
8-8
8-8
14-2
7-9
9-7
2-14 (Despite the Steelers out-gaining the Raiders 360-98 in total offense, Roethlisberger threw four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) :(
13-3 (x2)
2 teams that were below 500-- 1 doormat
Compare that to this season
losses so far to teams that through 12(13) games are
2-11
3-9
4-8
5-7
6-6
9-3 (x2)
5 teams that will likely finish under 500, with losses to 3 doormats.
Re: Tomlin
I can't believe that SI lookalike gallery didn't include Kevin Durant and Jamie Foxx.
Re: Tomlin
How much do you suppose Jeff Kent paid to have Brad Pitt as his look-alike?
Re: Tomlin
I had exactly the same thought. Also Durant really does look like Jaime Fox sometimes.
Re: Tomlin
Jon Gruden.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Did anyone notice this sequence from last night's Steelers/Browns game?
Steelers facing 3rd and 8 at around the Cleveland 40. Incomplete pass with an offensive holding flag. Cleveland declines the penalty to bring up 4th and 8. Steelers leave their offense on the field to go for it, and Eric Mangini confers with the officials and accepts the penalty, making it 3rd and 18 from the 50.
Okay, so you can just change your mind on accepting a penalty based on what the other team does? The official had already announced penalty declined and 4th and 8. Do the rules really let you go back on that? Weird. Anyone else notice this?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Good question.
Brady questionable vs. Panthers
The Friday injury list:
DOUBTFUL
DL Myron Pryor, chest
QUESTIONABLE
QB Tom Brady, rib/right finger/shoulder
WR Sam Aiken, shoulder
LB Tully Banata-Cain, shoulder
WR Julian Edelman, forearm
DE Jarvis Green, knee
T Nick Kaczur, ankle
G Stephen Neal, ankle
RB Fred Taylor, ankle
DE Ty Warren, ankle
PROBABLE
LB Rob Ninkovich, knee
CB Shawn Springs, knee
T Sebastian Vollmer, head
TE Benjamin Watson, knee
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
predicitions
Saints 27, falcs 23
Ravebns 34, Liosn 10
Packers 27, bears 25
Texans 31, seahwks 13
Colts 27, broncos 17
dolphins 17, Jaguars 14
Bills 19, chiefs 14
Vikigns 20, bengals 12
Jets 28, Bucans 3
Patriots 38, panters 10
titans 30, ramms 0
Raiders 24, redksins 9
chrgers 17, cowbys 10
Eagles 34, giants 27
Cardinals 28, 49s 27
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I'm surprised you have the Saints/Falcons and Packers/Bears games that close. Should be interesting to see how it comes out.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And Raiderjoe was right about both. I'm impressed.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
thanks. Made some prtety good picks today. Missed NO-atl score by 1 point. also JetsBucs 26-3 right now at 2 minuet warning and picked it to be 28-3
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Awesome picks by RJ thus far.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
So maybe down the road we can do a write-in campaign to have Sierra Nevada sponsor RJ "lock of the week" or something like that before each week of games. I know you all would watch that...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
went 12-1 so far. only got Raiders game wrong. if gradkowski not get injrued maybe Raiders could have come bac. J Russell too rusty .not get enough reps in practice
playoff no shot now. Just play out season . only goal now is to spoil broncos and RAvens seaosns .
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Dude. You are so my hero.
Disregarding the Raiders game and the late game for obvious reasons, you were within 3 points of the winning score on 7 games, within 3 points of the losing score on 5 games (including 3 exact matches), and you picked every game correctly.
Taking the sum of all the winning scores vs. your predictions, you were off by only 15 points, 1.25/game.
I mean, seriously, what crystal ball fell into your lap? Have you been conversing with Sauron in the missing Palantir?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And the scores may be off, but the Eagles by 7 over the Giants sure looks like a good call with 1.5 minutes left in the game.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
This right here seals your FO Hall of Fame bid.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I am agog.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Here is what the television gods have decreed for me today:
Early: NO-ATL and DEN-IND
Late: SD-DAL
I'll be starting with the NO-ATL matchup.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Mine refuses to tell me what the other games are. [Vikings QB's] greatness cannot be eclipsed by the profanity of admitting to other teams' existence.
Gumbel and Dierdorf announcing and Gumbel immediately discussing how nice it is to be indoors. It is absolutely NOT cold outside.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL runs a little dump off to Snelling over the middle. No one on NO picks him up, so Snelling rumbles for a sweet 38-yard gain.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL stall in the red zone and settle for the FG. ATL with the early 3-0 lead.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Dierdorf tells us that ending up on a third-and-12 on your first possession is "not the ideal start to a game."
It's actually third-and-14--no word on whether that's the ideal start.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Dierdorf:cliches::flies:shit
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Are you suggesting you knew that was not the ideal start to a game without Dierdorf to tell you?!
Blasphemy!
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Ryan Grant goes 62 yards on Green Bay's first play. It's gonna be a long day in Chicago.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Keep your hopes up. There's still a long ways to go and Grant's fumble persona could take over.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
He will have a great day. I benched him in both fantasy leagues.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Josh Bullocks ran full speed laterally in the opposite direction of the run on that play. I literally have no idea what he was doing (nor did Brian Billick).
My other favorite new Bear, Frank Omiyale, has a missed block on a 3rd and 2 and a false start already. Thanks, Jerry Angelo, thanks very much.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And now a holding penalty negating a conversion on 3rd and 12. Why is Omiyale out there and not Beekman? Why?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Perhaps Omiyale is the one with the requisite skills to reanimate Pace's corpse in between place. It's just too bad no one there has the skills to reanimate it during plays.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
*in between PLAYS.
Hi, English is my first language.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The Bengals took a holding penalty on the opening return, then on the seven-play drive ended up with 2 false starts and a declined OPI.
And they punt and the Vikings take a holding penalty on the return.
This game is off to an ugly start.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Pats go for it on 4th and short and fail using the same play that failed last week on 4th and short.
At least this week they were not in FG position. But I did not for a second think Sammy Morris would pick up the first down.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The Vikings' first drive is a three-and-out. [Vikings QB] attempted to throw an interception to a perfectly-covered Sidney Rice, but Rice was able to knock it away from Leon Hall.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Say, has anyone heard that Palmer is doing all hand-offs with his right hand? Why, I've never heard madness of this EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
Hail Hydra!
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO has a methodical little drive down the field, but stalls in the red zone, too. They settle for the FG to tie the game at 3-3.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Well, we're not even halfway through the first quarter, but I would say the Viking defense looks a ton better with Winfield back.
And Jasper Brinkley looks pretty good so far as E.J. Henderson's replacement. Of course, he hasn't had to do much so far.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL runs a little quick hitter right up the middle that gains 12 yards. There was end around motion behind the hand-off that seemed to freeze the LBs. The next play, ATL run a reverse to Weems that gains 31 yards. That was a sweet play combination.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
So, new qb coach, and both Delhomme and Moore struggle with overthrows. Hmm.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Jonathan Joseph gets a VERY late illegal contact penalty on Sidney Rice.
Rice sat on the ground whining about needing a flat for about half an hour before they called it.
And on the next play, Joseph and Shiancoe get called for unnecessary roughness.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
We just had our first in-game reminder that Chris Redman had been out of the game for 3 years selling insurance.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
"And when they come to the dinner table, the Colts, they eat."
The Broncos, on 3rd & 2, unveil what appears to be a Martzian flea-flicker end-around. Sadly, the Colts get penetration and tackle Buckhalter for no gain before the play can turn into a genuine disaster.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL have their drive stall in the red zone when the zebras miss NO committing a face mask penalty against Redman, who had attempted to get the first down scrambling after his pass protection broke down. ATL get their second FG to go back up 6-3.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Anybody know what the single game penalties record is? The Bengals appear to be doing their best to break it.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
record for one gam is 22 penalites
brooklyn tigers, 9/17/44
bears, 11/26/44
49rs, 10/4/98
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Thank you, Raiderjoe. 54 years between the second and third time ever--that's amazing.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Of course they had 22 penalties--they only had one leg!
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Mike Nolan's Broncos defense not looking meaningfully different from Larry Coyer's. Colts up early, 14-0.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
After the dark days of Jim Bates (2007) and Bob Slowik (2008), Larry Coyer isn't so bad.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
At the end of the first quarter, it seems NO have no answers on defense for ATL, who have been moving at will against NO. The two ATL stops were poor execution by ATL and an uncalled face mask penalty.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
...welcome to the end zone, Mr Smith.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Special thanks for Mr. Moss, who meandered through his route, which led to the pick.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO's Stinchcomb slow to get up.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I never heard what the injury was. Nonetheless, Stinchcomb has returned to the game.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I'm getting tired of this... Manning just kills the Broncos every single time!
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
It was bad enough when Jimmy Smith had our number. Now we have the guy who's normally the best player in the league doing it.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I popped over to the DEN-IND game during the injury time out just in time to see IND stuff DEN on a DEN 4th and 1 run attempt from the IND 41. On the next play, Manning tries to hit Garcon for the TD, but the DEN DB had excellent coverage and broke up the pass.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
There is a Bengals player down, but Gumbel and Dierdorf do not feel the need to tell us who it is. I couldn't read his number, so I just know it's someone on defense.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Chris Crocker--they have now told us. And he walked off the field on his own power.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Now, 10 real-time minutes later, he's being carted off.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
With 2:50 to go, they announce that he will not return. Good luck to him.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
facing 3rd&4, the Broncos hurry to the line. The OL stays set, and Orton calls the receivers back to a 6-man huddle. The Colts stay in their base defense, wait for the Broncos to set and the ball to be snapped. Result? Slant to Royal, 3 yard gain.
Moreno is stuffed on 4th& 1, and the Colts have the ball again on their own 40.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Jacob Lacey makes a fantastic tackle on third down. Broncos goes for it and Moreno id stopped in the backfield by Bracket. IND ball at their 41.
Goodman stays with Garcon stride for stride 60 yards down field, and bats it away. Impressive.
If the colts score here, its over.
Manning against the Broncos the last 5 games: 80% completions, 15/1 TD to int. rate and 345 yards per game. Colts 3 and out. Yay...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
[Vikings QB] just completed a TD pass a full two yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Credit to the officials, they threw the flag.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And then marked off the penalty as if he'd thrown the pass *four* yards beyond the line of scrimmage, making the actual penalty yardage one yard. (Plus, y'know, the loss of the TD on the play and the loss of down.)
The spotting in that game was pretty consistently lousy, actually, with that one being the most egregious example.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Brees to Meachem for a 43 yard gain to the ATL 11-yard line. Meachem had gone in motion to the left, the ATL DB sat on the route, and Meachem did a little swim move to get by the DB. The pass from Brees was almost too long, but Meachem was able to reel it in.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO get the TD on a little wheel route to Reggie Bush, who made a great athletic play to put the ball in his left hand and sneak the ball just inside the pylon as his momentum was taking the rest of him out of bounds. NO 10-6.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Marshall catches it 5 yards down field on 2nd and 12, runs across the field for 15 yac. 4 colts had a shot on him, and they hardly slowed him down...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Wow. Moss is really killing the Pats today.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Maybe it's all part of a Belichick masterplan. If New England aren't in the lead at halftime, the other team can't come back...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
That didn't work against New Orleans.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
New England could have started fifteen defensive players and played a 4-5-6 defense all day, and that wouldn't have worked against New Orleans. There's stinking defense, and there's New England's secondary against the Saints.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
It seems the Jaguars, as axpected, are frauds... How will the playoff picture look if they loose to the Dolphins?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
McDaniels calls a HB draw on third and 6 (!). Against the fastest defense in the league to boot.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Check him very carefully for a protruding belly and a walrus-like mustache.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
lol.
Seriously, though, not even Reid would do that...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I took it as a Holmgren reference.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I indeed meant Holmgren, but Andy Reid works perfectly well, too.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
For all of you fantasy owners who started Chris Redman today: With just over 9 minutes to go in the 1st half, he's 5/6 for 66 yards. As I wrote this, Redman overthrew Jenkins by about 6 inches which would have been a 69-yard TD pass.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO get their first stop of the day. Bush fields the punt and somehow gets a 24 yard return out of it. It looked like he was going to be stopped inside the NO 15-yard line a couple of times.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Palmer just gift-wrapped a pick to Winfield and he, unsurprisingly, couldn't hold onto it.
Dierdorf of course does not realize that ,as good as Winfield is, he cannot catch anything, and suggests that he must have been "surprised."
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The Broncos get called for a BS piling on penalty. Garcon fumbled the ball, recovered quickly - the bronco defender was chasing a live ball..
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Maualuga hits Reynaud out of bounds for a 15-yard penalty. The Bengals now have 8 penalties for 65 yards.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
At the risk of jinxing myself, I have to say the NO-ATL game has been relatively flag free. Twice, the officials have picked up OPI flags after realizing that the TE was just continuing his block 10 yards down field, said block having started at the line of scrimmage.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Dallas Clarke drops the pass on third down, and makes a beautiful catch on fourth down. Indy in the redzone. This game might be over... Yikes...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL bring a blitz. Brees rolls away from the pressure and makes a great pass to Shockey who makes a great catch for a 12-yard gain.
On the next play, ATL get called for a DPI. It looked like the ATL DB had a decent arm bar on the NO receiver.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Manning to a wide open Clarke in the back of the endzone off playaction. Ballgame. I'm switching games - this is horrible...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Peterson seemingly by himself moves the Vikings down the field (he had 42 of the 66 yards on the drive) and [Vikings QB] gets to complete a TD to Sidney Rice at the end.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO seem to have found their rhythm on offense. At the two minute warning, they're just into the red zone with a first and 10. NO have had the ball for 10+ minutes in the second quarter, I think. ATL have only 13 yards of offense in the second quarter.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Palmer is throwing into coverage an awful lot.
Dierdorf is complaining about Ochocinco's sombrero antics last week. I still don't understand how you can even fine someone for putting on a frickin' hat. (I'm sure it's because it's not official team apparel but for crying out loud that's dumb.)
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO cap off their drive with a 3-yard Brees-Colston TD pass. And then: DOINK! Just before half time it's NO 16-6.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Kevin Williams gets called for hitting Palmer out of bounds. He looks like he's laughing as he gets called. There have now been 12 penalties for 90 yards in the game.
By the way, my earlier statement about the Bengals was off. I didn't think nfl.com was yet including the most recent penalty. They have 7-for-50.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Now they have 8-for-65. They have actually played very, very well to be down by 3.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Palmer completes a short pass to Ochocinco who takes it in for a TD.
Ray Edwards is down on the play. Trainers are on the field.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Edwards walked to the sideline on his own power.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
They just showed a replay and that was actually a neat play. Ochocinco faked an end-around (Dierdorf says "reverse") then went back outside and Winfield just couldn't get back over in time to make a play.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I'm not watching this game, but I can't believe that nobody has mentioned it: Matt Schaub has started his day by going 20/23 for 281 yards, 2 TDs, and no INTs. It looks like Andre Johnson has done most of the damage -- he already has 9 catches for 169 yards, and both of the touchdown catches.
I know it's against Seattle, but that sounds like a clinic.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
At the half...
Schaub: 24/28, 336 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Johnson: 10 catches, 184 yards, 2 TDs
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I'd like to take this moment to brag that I have Schaub and Johnson on my fantasy team (which missed the playoffs, unfortunately). I'm having a monster day.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I had Brees and Marshall (in a PPR) - I made the playoffs, but this week was irrelevant for me. I hope they didn't peak too soon.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO revert to their first quarter defense and let ATL methodically march down the field in their 2-minute drill. NO help the drive when Grant commits a stupid personal foul penalty. ATL end the half by kicking a FG to make the score NO 16, ATL 9.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I see the "Patriot Rules" are in effect for the refs on this drive, first the ghost PI call and then the defensive holding call to set up the touchdown. Can't have the Pats shut out at halftime, after all...
*end Dolphins fan grousing*
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
No comment.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
A bit of a make-up call in reversing the Leigh Bodden interception---I have no idea what they saw on the replay.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The DPI was awful. The LB didn't even touch him, and Johnston didn't even notice. Oddly, the holding call wasn't nearly as bad, and that's the one the announcers noticed.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The announcers did make some noise about the DPI call. I have a bit of sympathy for the official, however, because the LB didn't look for the ball, did make a little contact, and the receiver fell down. Those are some hard circumstances if he's out of position.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Patriots reap the benefit of two ticky-tack PI/defensive holding calls with a Kevin Faulk TD.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Wow. DEN stuffed on 4th and inches. Great IND penetration to stop Moreno in the backfield.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I can second the notion that the Panthers are getting robbed... Broncos half a yard short, they go for it...... and get stuffed in the backfield again. Jerraud Powers in with the stop off the runblitz. Moreno had no chance, Gaffney fell asleep and let Powers make the play.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Manning has a pass batted into the air and Brian Dawkins lays out to make the interception. The DEN player who tipped the ball, Reid, takes off his helmet while still on the field and gets an unsportsman like penalty. As Bug Bunny would say, "What a maroon!"
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
[Vikings QB] throws one into Joseph's hands in the end zone. Rice is able to hit the ball just enough to make him drop it.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Intercepted by Dawkins on a tip drill. Broncos ball at the indy 48 29 seconds and too timeouts...
Untill Reid gets called for taking off his helmet, and loose 15 yards... F'ck..
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The Vikings stall at the 6 and Longwell hits the field goal. 13-7 Vikings.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
What a fitting end to the last two minutes of DEN-IND first half: Marshall catches a pass and instead of getting out of bounds since his team has no time outs, he gets tackled in bounds and the half expires. This came after a Colts punt, the Broncos failing to convert a 4th and inches, and a Manning interception. That was one of the ugliest two minutes of football I've seen in a long time.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
The Bengals get the ball on the kickoff and come out in a hurry-up with 31 seconds to go in the first half and so they run . . . a draw and a very short pass to Leonard.
And Leonard appears to fumble. The Vikings recover and the Bengals call a timeout hoping to get a booth review, but there's no way this would get overturned.
Longwell good from 45 and the Vikings are up 16-7 at halftime.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Reason number 12.349 that DVOA rocks: Orton with an 8 yard completion to Marshall from the 48 yardline as time expires...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
You want a statistical system that decides which plays are important?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
This just in from Joe Buck: "The Saints are averaging 8 yards a play, which is terrific." Thanks for the brilliant insight, Joe.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Bengals@Vikings first half notes:
[Vikings QB] (hearts) Sidney Rice.
Leon Hall is seemingly always on the other side of the field from Rice, so it's possibly that [Vikings QB] is avoiding him or picking on Joseph or that Hall just always has his man covered (though we know this QB does not care if the player is covered).
The Bengals are getting a lot of pressure. Late in the half, the Vikings started countering with some rollouts but the Bengals' secondary has still had good coverage.
Palmer is constantly throwing into coverage and has been a bit off all day.
Halftime note:
Norman Esiason has gotten very old over the course of about the last 2 years.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Aikman's bugging me today for some reason. I'm a critic of long DPIs, but Grimes completely bodychecked and cut Meachem off. I think it was a good call.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I have no idea what Aikman is smoking. That was an obvious DPI.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Bush in for the TD on 3rd and 19. Not a good day to have Bush on my bench. Oh well, I'm in the playoffs as a 2 or 3 seed anyway...
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Could Andre Johnson become the third-ever single-game 300-yard receiver?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
would be 5th one
others --
:
Jim benton, 1945 Ramms 303 yards vs loins on 11/22
Cloyce box, 50 loins 302 yds vs Volts on 12/3
Stephanie Paige, 85 chiefs 309 yds vs chargers on 12/22
Flipper Anderson, 11/26.89 rams vs Saints 336 ydrads
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I cut it off at 1960 and forgot to say that, sorry.
I'm surprised there were 2 before then, though.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
ATL brings a big blitz. Brees throws towards Meachem running down the left side line. The ATL DB, Grimes, makes contact with Meachem and seems to push him with his body towards the sideline. Grimes makes the apparent interception, but the zebra calls him for DPI. Even though the action by Grimes was subtle, I think it was the right call. The penalty goes for 28 yards and get NO into the red zone.
NO almost blow their opportunity as Bush fumbles on second down and barely recovers. On 3rd and 19, NO run a little screen to the right side to Bush. NO had incredible down field blocking on the play and Bush runs in untouched for the TD. NO 23 ATL 9.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And in the second half, the Bengals immediately kick off out of bounds.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
And Cincinatti start the second half continuing in the spirit of the first.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Zero penalties for the Patriots. Somehow they missed the automatic personal foul on a hit above the shoulders on a defenseless receiver. They missed the late hit on Moore. But they did manage to call two phantom critical calls against he Panthers. Seriously, how can Patriot fans take any pride in their team that gets such blatantly obvious favoritism from the refs? The NFL is really bending over backwards to give games to the Patriots. Maybe the Patriots aren't showing any effort because they know they don't have to. The refs will take care of it for them. No reason to exert themselves.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Why did they overturn the Leigh Bodden INT with no conclusive evidence on the TV replays? Some conspiracy that.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Seriously, how can Patriot fans take any pride in their team that gets such blatantly obvious favoritism from the refs?
Easy -- because it's hilarious to watch mindless haters like you stroke out.
BTW, care to explain how the obvious-to-everyone touchback was called wrong and then upheld on replay, thus favoring the Panthers.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Was that suppose to be some kind of intelligent comment? Why are so many fair weather front running fans such jerks? Is it all part of the same bullying trait?
Tell me Patsfan, when the refs finally cease to give the Patriots special treatment, are you going to scream about the Patriots having to follow the same rules everyone else does, or will you just move quietly on to the next front-runner?
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
NO bring a double corner blitz. ATL pick it up and Redman hits Jenkins in stride for a 50-yard TD pass. NO 23 ATL 16.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
There have been two penalties on the Vikings first drive of the second half now. And as I type that, [Vikings QB] completes a thrd-and-12 pass to Chester Taylor for the first down. The throw was low, but Taylor made the catch and took it for the first. Taylor is having a good day.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
this is how i expected favre to improve minnesota this year- as a limitted, run first guy who doesn't lose for them
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Dude, if you weren't a Patriot fan you would realize that is called an incomplete pass every single time. It's not even close. Every other team in the league knows that's not a catch. The question is why Patriot fans assume that any call that could plausibly go their way automatically does.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
I called out the "DPI" call upthread. Come off it.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Also, both of the "fouls" you mentioned would have been borderline calls themselves. Maybe if you weren't butthurt you'd realize that.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
No. They aren't borderline calls. They are called every time against most of the teams in the league. Just not the Patriots.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Rookie Darcel McBath lays a HIT on Clarke to make him drop the ball - he would've had the first down.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Marshall for another first down. his 12th catch of the day - the NFL record is 20.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
At 3:25 or the 3rd quarter, NO punt for the first time of the game.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Peterson TD.
Vikings up 23-7.
Childress has finally been reminded that his team is normally good at running the ball. This is not a good sign for the rest of the league.
Re: Week 14 Open Discussion Thread
Moreno stopped on 3rd and 1. Calling McDaniels: No more rushing today.
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Bracket comes through untouched and sacks Orton. Which means that Indy blitzed... Shock... no wonder Moreno looked surprised...
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Picked off!! Bailey tips it, and Dawkins pick it off... Manning simply overthrew it...
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Benson fumbles, Benny Sapp picks it up and returns for a TD. Didn't look like a fumble to me in real time and now Cincy is challenging.
Dierdorf and Gumbel say it's not a fumble and on replay they appear to be right.
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The Broncos are running well on early downs, but are getting whipped in short yardage situations...
Marshall for the first down. 13 catches...
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palmer with onluy 60 paass yardas vs crappy pass defense. maybe now down 16 will open up air attsck
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palmer with onluy 60 paass yardas vs crappy pass defense. maybe now down 16 will open up air attsck
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14 catches
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That puts him in the top 20 since 1960 but not even his career high. Sort of amazing.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/SfoPT
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Well that had to happen. Ortons forces it to Marshall, and it's picked off deep in the redzone. The broncos left 3 on the field, there...
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ATL drive 79 yards for the tying TD. Except for one series in the 2nd quarter, the Saints have not been able to stop the Falcons all day. 23-23.
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Broncos suddenly getting pressure on Manning, forcing premature throws. The defense actually haven't been half bad, since getting smacked early on - pretty much shutting Indy down after the half.
DJ Williams just stayed with Collie +15 yards downfield, and his coverage forced an overthrow by Manning.
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Moss blocking while pass is in the air. That's ok when you're a Patriot. Note the meaningless penalty called on the second half kick-off to try to cover up the fact that they aren't calling penalties on the Patiots.
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Not that you're bitter or anything...
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Suggest you just stop watching that game.
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As a rule I try not to watch Patriot games because of the dreadful one-sided officiating. But it's a Panther game so I have to suffer through it. And suffer throught it is exactly right.
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You must not watch Colts games, either, then.
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15
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And that makes Marshall the first player since 1960 to have 2 games catching 15 or more passes in his career.
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Matt Prater misses a field goal. The Broncos have left a lot of points and yards on the field. This game has been very close since the Colts went up 21-0.
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Cedric Benson just ran for 42 yards through a hole the size of a small country. The Bengals aren't dead yet.
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McBath with the pick now! Manning never saw him playing the zone... pass complete to gaffney down on the indy 15...
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Ochocinco loses the ball when he gets hit by Cedric Griffin (in the process of making a very nice catch) and gets up very angry. Griffin gets called for a personal foul, correctly, for going after Ochocinco's head. Griffin and Ochocinco shake hands.
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Prater makes a 28 yarder to make it 21-10. This game isn't over, the way the Denver defense has been playing.
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Aikman's not having a good game. DPI by NO, it might have been ticky-tack, but he kind of forgot there was an offside on the same play.
Brees gets intentional grounding for throwing it out of the end zone...I can't remember the last time I saw that called.
They kick a FG anyway, and Atlanta's not out of it.
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The Vikings defense was able to stonewall the Bengals so Graham has to kick a 23-yard field goal. It's now 23-10 Minnesota.
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Goodman has been outstanding today. Has punched the ball away from garcon three times on deep would be completions. Indy three and out again(!).
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Whoops. Atlanta starts out with decent field position, loses 12 on a Wildcat formation (snuffed out by Gay), then Redman throws a pick. NO ball inside the 30.
Given that Atlanta has been moving the ball down the field, I'm a bit surprised by the play call...
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16
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I've been impressed with the cincy corners today. I wish they could have found a way to keep Mike Zimmer in Dallas.
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17
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18... this is wild..
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19... bonkers...
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And number 20 is for a touchdown... game still very much on.
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Goodness, those Kay commercials are corny...
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20! And it's a touchdown!
Ties T.O. record. Indy had Jennings one on one - easy jumpball for Marshall!
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I hereby take back all the stuff I said before the season (and before and during last season) about not wanting Marshall on the team.
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Vikings get a running into the kicker call and Dierdorf says it's a bad call because the punter fell over on the Vikings player who was on the ground but it's still called.
Then they punt it again and the Vikings get called for a block in the back on the return. Wow.
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The broncos, down 5, goes for two, and runs it for 1 yard. This must be the worst short yardage performance against the colts in the decade.
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Manning is 16 for 38 - extreme. Especially when you think about how he started the match!
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morganja is going to love that roughing the kicker call (legit IMHO; taking out the plant foot is always 15 yards).
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Pats go up 20-10 on the ensuing Gostkowski FG.
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(I wonder why the competition committee didn't do away with the 5-yard call along with the 5-yard facemask call.)
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I agree that is should be. But it wasn't called earlier this year when the exact same thing happened to the Panthers. I don't disagree with this call, but I'm flabbergasted by it not being called earlier this year. That is what I'm talking about. A little bit of consistency. Why does the NFL have one standard for 4 or 5 teams, and a totally different standard for the other 27?
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Yep, congratulations, you've figured it all out. The NFL is as fixed as pro wrestling on a bad day. And they'd have gotten away with it too, if not for the eagle eye and razor-sharp impartiality (tolerance tested to the width of half an electron) of Sgt. Morganja, American hero. Whew! So do be a dear and let us know what the script is for the rest of the season, since you're so obviously privy to it and can make yourself and all of us rich.
Or in other words: Bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit
bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit
bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit
bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit.
And I don't even *like* the Patriots.
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Dude - chill out. This isn't the ESPN or FOXSports comments area.
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Me hailing the Bronco second half defense has jinxed it - Colts on the 33...
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Interesting end to the NO-ATL game. NO get down into the red zone. On 4th and 7 instead of kicking the FG to go up by 6, they go for it. Brunnell could have thrown to two different receivers, but hesitates, so the pass goes incomplete.
ATL start to drive down the field. They get a nice gain to Snelling when he sneaks out of the backfield and catches a little pass over the middle for about 12 yards. Ultimately, the drive bogs down and on 4th and 2, ATL try the little pass to Snelling again. This time, Vilma is waiting for the play and stuffs Snelling a yard short of the line of gain. NO then runs out the clock to win 26-23 and go 13-0.
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I should have mentioned that NO lined up in FG formation with Brunnell as the holder.
Fake FG
All I can say is that Coach Payton deserves to get criticized BIG-TIME for that call. You HAVE TO kick the FG to go up by 6, and make the Falcons make the TD with approx. 1:30 to go. Thankfully, the D stops them to let him avoid a little bit of the criticism. Payton has obviously BIG BRASS ones, but sometimes the obvious call is the right one.
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A false start called on Manning. hmm
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Peterson TD with 3:24 to go makes it 30-10 Vikings. Peterson sets the team record with 14 rushing TDs on the year. And I know tonight when I'm surrounded by local fans they're going to say, as they always do, that he doesn't matter. Only one person matters . . .
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So glad to see him show up the week after my fantasy team was kept out of the players thanks in no small part to his no-shows the past two weeks.
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You think that is bad...
My team is the second highest scoring in my league, and finished 7-6. For round 1 of the playoffs I am playing the highest scoring team (which also finished 7-6). Stupid people who like head to head scoring (One of the lowest scoring teams has a bye in the playoffs and finished 10-3)...
So week 1 of the playoffs and half our guys have played and the score looks to end up around 135-135.
This is in a league where 70pts a game will typically get you a win because touchdowns are worth very little. The projected final scores are 135-135, 100-65, 70-65, and 65-45...
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And the two people with byes are looking to put up up 80 and 45 pts respectively...
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TD clark - his 3rd. That ices it: Indy up 12 points with 2:25 to go, no timeouts for broncos.
This last drive took 12 plays and 10 minutes and 3 timeouts. Incredible.
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T-JACK IS BACK!
Unfortunately, [Vikings QB] seems to get increased screen time (believe it or not) when he's on the sideline.
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At the two minute warning, here's some totals from the game:
Manning: 20/42 200 4/3
Orton: 29/41 277 2/1
Marshall: 22 210 2 lg: 23 (New record for catches in a game)
Moreno: 23 for 63 = rediculos number of carries considering the succes of the passing game..
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Woohoo! Wade goes for it on 4th and four on the SD 35 less than 5 minutes in. And it works!
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Is it just me, or is the sound mixing on CBS just awful? I'm having a lot of trouble hearing the announcers over the crowd noise.
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I think they seem rather quiet too but I'm quite happy about it.
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God I hope Wade's decision to go on 4th and goal (~ 1ft) doesn't get picked to death.
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Rivers throws an awful interception from his own end zone, so with any luck we'll be spared.
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I give up on trying to understand pass interference. Jackson gets absolutely run over with no call then Rivers throws up a duck INT on the next play. Cowboys back in business.
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The official didn't appear to have a great view as the WR changed direction suddenly, and he probably assumed incidental feet-tangling. I'm starting to think that the PI rule as written just can't be properly judged with any kind of reliability.
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Apropos of nothing: I went perusing the Jags' blogs to see what they were saying about the loss, and about the upcoming Thursday night Colts game.
Top 6 blogs per Google show a whopping 2 posts today, with the most recent posts on the other 4 blogs:
* Yesterday
* Friday
* December 3rd(!)
* October 12th(!!)
You'd think a team in the driver's seat for a wild card slot would get a little attention from the local fans. Does anyone really not think the team will move at this point?
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Driver's seat? They're not in control of their own destiny at the moment; in the (admittedly unlikely) scenario that all of the Broncos, the Dolphins, and the Jaguars win out, and no other teams are level with the 'phins and the Jags, then the Jags would go home on the head-to-head tiebreaker. I see your point about fan interest though.
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They were before they lost to Miami.
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This is true.
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Actually, did they have fewer conference /losses/ than the other teams?
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Does it matter? Before today, there were two 7-5 teams in the AFC: Patriots and Jags. If the Jags won out, they would have been in the playoffs.
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The whole "driver's seat" doesn't make much sense at this point. If the Jaguars win out and the Dolphins win out, well, the Dolphins win the AFC East because the Jaguars have a game left against New England, and the Dolphins would win the tiebreaker (conference record) if the Patriots lost that game.
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You're both right.
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I'm going to go ahead and posit that Keith Null is not an NFL-ready QB.
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Have the /dev/null jokes started yet?
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There's geekery, then there's linux geekery.
More importantly, who exactly IS Keith Null?
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Worse, it's UNIX geekery. /dev/null was (probably) around before Linus was in grade school.
I'm not certain when it was created, but it's been around since at least 1976.
/dev/null for the uninitiated, courtesy Wikipedia.
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Look out dude, you'll turn this into an irrational thread ;)
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Null is decidedly not irrational!
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From Wikipedia:
...in a seminormed vector space such as Minkowski space, null vectors are, in general, non-zero
If they're non-zero, there's a chance they're irrational. Right?
(Don't ask me what a seminormed vector space is, though.)
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I could explain seminormed vector spaces, but then the guild of mathematicians would slash my tires. I don't want to mess with those guys.
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These are people who would describe a knife in terms of its curvature. I'll take my chances with their ability to handle one in a tense situation.
Now a physicist might actually talk about tensile strength, and now we're talking about someone of whom I might be wary.
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Mathematician roomie sez: "A 'Minkowski space' is typically a real vector space, and an 'irrational number' is typically a real number. Although the real numbers can be interpreted as a one-dimensional vector space over themselves, there's only one 'reasonable' way to do so, and in that case, there's no nondegenerate seminorm that has a nonzero null vector."
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Vector = geometric object with length + direction
Vector space = collection of vectors
Seminormed vector space = collection of vectors capable of zero length
Therefore:
Seminormed vector space = Bills offensive playbook?
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Raiders get nailed for interfering with the ability to field a punt because the coverage was so good that the officials thought that he'd gotten there early, then get nailed for unsportsmanlike conduct because their bench freaked out.
Redskins start on the 40, run a couple of big plays, and are now in the red zone. Oh, Raiders.
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On UK's NFL coverage they just announced that there will be two games in the UK next season. One of the home teams is the 49ers, does anyone know who the other team is?
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Just found a rumor that it'd be the Ravens who had the other "home game" at Wembley.
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Sweet fake punt by the Rams. Down by 33 at the end of the 3rd quarter, why not?
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Because if it doesn't work, it'll be cited as more evidence as coaching incompetence?
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Spagnuolo is a first-year coach. I thought the big problem in St. Louis was a lack of players.
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I personally wouldn't make that argument, but there are some who would. I'd really love it if teams out of playoff contention ran a lot of junk.
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Eh, I think down 33, it would get buried within a lot of other criticisms.
And Touchdown, Rams!
DeMarcus Ware is down, and it doesn't look good. It looks like a head injury.
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Ware is conscious and can move his hands, so that's a positive sign.
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So what happened to Gradkowski? Did he get hurt, or has Al Davis stormed down to the bench and demanded that this burst of vaguely competent quarterbacking be stopped immediately?
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Injured, as is Vince Young. Collins is in for the Titans too.
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Too bad; awful break for the Raiders if it's serious. Lousy for Young and the Titans, although at least this game's not on the line for them, so they can shut down Young with the hamstring and not take any chances.
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Is it just me, or is the HD broadcast of Chargers/Cowboys like 10 minutes behind the actual game? Yahoo and NFL.com have both had the score at 17-10 for a while and say there's 9:13 left in the fourth. Meanwhile, on my TV it's still 10-10 with 11:28 left.
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Seems like Houston is continuing on its course of being one of the teams that DVOA/Pythagoras identifies as good, despite a bad record. Another blowout of a weak team (Seattle) to go with the blowout over Oakland and a bunch of close losses. I don't see how they don't increase their DVOA this week.
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First drive by the Eagles - very impressive. Too bad the game can't end right now; I have a feeling this is going to be a typical Eagles-Giants knock-down drag-out.
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Okay, now the game can end.
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That drive was...strange. 2 drops, 2 illegal contacts, then a catch and some terrible tackling.
Quintin Mikell did not have a good drive.
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How was that not DPI in the end zone on the Giants there?
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Hey it's Eagles-Giants, you don't make that call!
Oh, the Giants got five extra plays from two illegal contacts on the previous drive?
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I'd pay good money to see The Daily Show destroy some of these announcers.
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Yes! I've thought the same. The blatant contradictions/backtracking alone would fill up a full show.
And I hate many DPI calls, but think that Celek was mauled.
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Officials reviewing an obvious catch by DeSean Jackson. WTF?
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I mean, after all the crap they /didn't/ review...
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Clock expiring isn't reviewable in the NFL? You're kidding, right?
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How could they review that? I mean, we don't want to review judgment calls like clocks ticking down.
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The x million dollar question, which I haven't seen answered conclusively, is whether it is a reviewable call in college football.
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Well after researching this a bit, it appears Big 12 officials used the justification that the review officials may correct "egregious" errors not specifically enumerated. Pay no attention to the bowl purses...
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At this point you just have to laugh.
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a. The official time should be kept on the field, soccer-style.
b. This officiating crew is not having a good night.
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Eli misses Kevin Boothe, an offensive lineman who lined up at the tight end position. When did they stop cutting to the official announcing eligibility changes?
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The commercial for the Oral-B electric toothbrush claims that the toothbrush design is "dentist-inspired."
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The Eagles finally get a call (at least for now) with Eli fumbling on the slide. Captcha: lunacy
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OK, I'm confused--clearly both knees hit ground before Eli began to lose control of the ball--why does anybody even care if he was touched or not?
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Because in the NFL you're only down if you're put down by contact. Clearly Eli dove of his own volition and therefore would not have been down until he was touched.
bleh..
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And he dove headfirst. If he'd slid feet first, he'd have been down when he hit the ground.
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NFL players aren't down if they aren't touched. If the QB takes a knee or slides on purpose, the officials will kill the play to reduce the incidence player injury, but the play isn't over until the whistle.
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My bad. Like most simple explanations of NFL rules, this one is wrong.
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I believe the explanation is just that a head-first slide (or "dive" or whatever) doesn't count as a play-terminating slide.
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The first play after the Giants take the lead, McNabb hits Jackson on a long TD pass. What happened to the Giants' famed pass rush?
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Strahan retired, and Osi, Tuck, and Kiwanuka turned out to be overrated pretenders. And I say this as a Giant's fan.
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Officials miss a Giant headbutt after the play.
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No one's going to believe me at this point when I say that I root for a team in the AFC, but this is starting to remind me of an NBA game.
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Well that could just be the score.
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I agree the officiating is lousy, but let's not go that far...
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Since when is missing a tackle and slamming into your own teammate worth a 15 yard late hit flag? High commedy to watch two Eagles DB's do just that? Yes. A flag? No.
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an actual reverse?
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As opposed to a mere end-around off of a QB bootleg?
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Isn't that a reverse?
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AN excellent Vick use there, in spite of it not working that well.
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Man, neither team can tackle tonight.
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The Giants defense is a huge pile of garbage.
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Why won't someone break the legs of that dog killing piece of garbage. Seeing him out there makes my blood boil.
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I can't stand Vick but I'm guessing you couldn't care less about Leonard Little.
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There's a big difference between an accident, even one caused by gross negligence, and deliberated, premeditated, sociopathic cruelty. Vick is pond scum.
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Absolutely. What Vick did makes me sick, but I'm tired of people immediately reacting to anything having to do with Vick with hyperbolic outrage. Realize that most people hate him too.
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TD Giants, challenge Eagles. Receiver's toe may have been on the white...
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Play overturned. Collinsworth with some pointed comments about Manningham's route running.
And now a Giants receiver seemingly goes out of bounds but the officials declare forward progress and keep the clock rolling?
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Giants should have kicked it deep. When you have timeouts and that much time, the three and out is a much better bet than the OSK.
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Hm. If I were playing Madden I'd definitely kick it deep, but I'm terrible at recovering onside kicks in that game. Maybe the stats wizards have something to say. I liked Collinsworth's idea of trying to pooch it over the hands team though.
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You also have to take a DeSean Jackson return into account.