NFL Football- It's FANtastic!

[Zetleft]

Nov. 26th - Miami v. Pittsburgh: Seriously? We're putting Miami on MNF coast to coast? The team that hasn't won a game? WTF are you people thinking??? Everyone knows Pittsburgh is going to stomp a hole in their asses at home, and I don't even expect Miami to take the field out of sheer terror. Rather, they will select fans from the stadium and stage a scrimmage for charity.

Great another Miami game.  And I had so much fun watching the one in London, maybe if they put in the 20 foot Jason Taylor robot it would be a little entertaining... probably not. 

Edit:  I'm beginning to wish they could revoke a teams Monday night game based on performance during the season.  Looks like that week is a wash anyway as all the good games are gonna be on Thanksgiving.  Can't think of any Sunday games that week that would be any better sadly. 

[Sauced]

You guys may have forgotten that when MNF went to ESPN, it became the new Sunday Night Football, where you could regularly see the 1-10 Bengals every few years.

NBC paid too much to not be the premiere night game of the week, and the league doesn't really want to put good games on cable in prime time.  Well, unless it's on their own network.

[Sky]

So the reality of the MNF change hit me last night. We were out at my mom's for dinner...and NO MNF, because she lives in 1965 (no ESPN/cable/etc).

I got stuck watching Dancing with the Stars? for a couple hours. I put a question mark after stars because the only people I knew on the show were Tom the host and Marie Osmond, neither of whom are exactly 'stars' in my lexicon.

I'd even watch SF get cornholed than that crap.

[Zetleft]

I sorta watched it but mostly drank and played some TF2, it helps. 

I miss the days when SF was a great team.  As a Cowboys uber fan those were some awesome championship games back in the day, even when we were on the losing end. 

[kaid]

Sunday night football basically is what the old monday night football used to be. The new monday night games have just been horrible all year so far.

[HaemishM]

Apparently, whoever put the Monday night schedule together in November had a stroke beforehand, because it's some of the shittiest football you could imagine.

I thought part of the deal with ESPN getting MNF was that they'd have floating games towards the end of the year so they could make sure the prime time matches weren't kneel and bob fests. Or maybe that was how NBC worked the Sunday games, because the Sunday Night games are about 100 times better matchups.

That Tennessee/Denver game will be a brutal runfest. Nothing but up the gut, up the gut, up the gut, with the occasional shitty pass and scramble. It'll end up 13-9 and last 1 hour and 15 minutes because the clock will never stop running.

[Sauced]

I thought part of the deal with ESPN getting MNF was that they'd have floating games towards the end of the year so they could make sure the prime time matches weren't kneel and bob fests. Or maybe that was how NBC worked the Sunday games, because the Sunday Night games are about 100 times better matchups.

NBC.  For example, this weekends CHI-SEA game was supposed to be on SNF, but it just got bumped down to 1pm.

[HaemishM]

ESPN got the shaft then, just like ABC was getting it before they dumped MNF. Hope they paid less.

[WayAbvPar]

I thought part of the deal with ESPN getting MNF was that they'd have floating games towards the end of the year so they could make sure the prime time matches weren't kneel and bob fests. Or maybe that was how NBC worked the Sunday games, because the Sunday Night games are about 100 times better matchups.

NBC.  For example, this weekends CHI-SEA game was supposed to be on SNF, but it just got bumped down to 1pm.

Which in turn completely fucked over my plans to get sloppy drunk and take Monday off, leaving me a two day work week. Now I have to try to get sloppy drunk by 1 pm, which isn't as easy as it sounds. Chugging booze at 8am is fucking unnatural unless you have been drinking all night all ready. I just pray that the weather isn't too shitty- I was at both the SF (torrential rain followed by nearly hurricane force winds) and the GB (snow) games last season, and it sucked. Well, seeing Brett Favre play in the snow was kinda cool at least.

[cmlancas]

Hey, the first MNF game, NO v IND wasn't bad. How soon you all forget!

Also, the last DEN v PIT game was good too. Buncha haters on this here board. 

[Trippy]

They scheduled it because SF beat Seattle twice last year and the 49ers were supposed to be better than they were last year (better defense, one more year of experience for Alex Smith, etc.).

[Sauced]

Well, yeah, schedules are made before the season.  The reason better games are on SNF now is partly due to the money, but also because they can't add flex scheduling to Monday nights - it would be too disruptive.  Having it on Sundays means it's just a swing of a few hours for the teams and, more importantly, ticket buyers.

[naum]

You guys may have forgotten that when MNF went to ESPN, it became the new Sunday Night Football, where you could regularly see the 1-10 Bengals every few years.

NBC paid too much to not be the premiere night game of the week, and the league doesn't really want to put good games on cable in prime time.  Well, unless it's on their own network.

True but I think is bad move for NFL… …football on Sunday night, people are already footballed out after watching doubleheader (and maybe Sat college). I love football but after watching daytime action I don't really tune in for Sunday night unless it a team I like. Plus Madden + Michaels combo is annoying.

Plus lots of people don't have cable (yes, they're out there) and can't watch MNF now.

[Triforcer]

HOLY FUCK, THE BROWNS WON!!

I left the TV in disgust when they "lost" and half the team was in the locker room.  What an insane finish.  Watch this:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80448909

[Murgos]

Any guesses on the outcome of the Pats v Bills?  Let see, it's the end of the half and NE scored with 22 seconds on the clock when they were already up by 21...

I'm guessing 56 - 10.

[Trippy]

This is the Belichick we're talking about here -- it'll be 73 - 10.

[Murgos]

This is the Belichick we're talking about here -- it'll be 73 - 10.

I'm assuming that they will break with tradition and actually sit Brady and Moss eventually.  I could be wrong though.

[Rasix]

4 & 1. Up 28.  Throwing.

CLASSY. 

[cmlancas]

You stay classy, New England.

 


Whatever. Stop them. This is the NFL, the premier league for football.

[Trippy]

Cause you know, one more turnover and it'll be a 21 point game and it's only the 3rd quarter!

[Raging Turtle]

They've got every right to run up the score.  I mean, they were caught cheating after winning multiple playoff games and super bowls by small margins!  How incredibly rude of the NFL to enforce the rules (with a slap on the wrist).

I'm too lazy to green that.  Fuck them.  They got a 'tsk tsk' from Goodell when they deserve an asterisk next to each super bowl win, and then they act like they've been incredily wronged.  And the sports media can't stop fellating them long enough to say anything.       

[Trippy]

Another 4 & 1 on the Buffalo 10. Kick a FG? Nah go for it!

Edit: Now we'll see if Belichick thinks a 39 point lead is large enough against the 31st ranked offense to risk taking Brady out of the game.

[Rasix]

A garbage time helmet-to-knee shot would be fine with me.

[Trippy]

Is Tom Brady reallly still in the game? (I'm not watching it on TV right now)

NM: Belichick did take him out (finally). The stats didn't update until Cassel threw a pass.

[Paelos]

6 games to go and the Giants have emerged as the never say die team in the NFC right now. They both have to play one extremely hard opponent and a few more tough divisional games. I won't be happy until Dallas puts up a 3 game lead on them.

[Trippy]

The Cowboys are effectively 3 games up on the Giants ATM since they own the first tiebreaker against the Giants (head to head play) if they happen to end up tied with the best records in the division at the end of the regular season.

Edit: clarified tie

[HaemishM]

I didn't even watch the Pats game. I knew better than to think Buffalo would do shit to stop them. And yes, going for it on two 4th down plays when you are up by over 20 points... that's the definition of douchebagging. Granted, it's up to Buffalo to stop them and they obviously can't. But fuck me, that's just fruit basket on the chin insulting.

The Colts look lost without Marvin Harrison, and apparently Tony Ugoh. They aren't giving Peyton the kind of time he's used to, and the wideouts can't get open. Vinatieri is completely off his corn flake. Yet they still managed to win, because the Chiefs just aren't that good on offense without LJ. They looked better than they should have, but with Freeney missing as well, the Colts' D Line is a bit weaker than normal. Still, if the Colts don't at least get Harrison back soon, they are in danger of making it a nutcutting season. Good thing for them the Western division is so shitty, they might still escape with the #2 or #3 seed depending on how the Steelers do.

The Cowboys just took care of business. There were some throws Romo not only had no fucking business throwing, he sure as shit had no business completing them. Terrell Owens gets 4 TD's, and every damn one of them was a complete lack of coverage. I mean, Crayton, Witten and Hurd aren't bad receivers, but nothing so good as to leave Owens single-covered, or to play his as soft as they did. The Skins safeties just treated him like some scrub receiver and he just assrape them. Hell, two of those TD's were the exact same play and the exact same idiot safeties just let him go past them without even looking. And Gibbs completely gives up on the running game way too early. 3rd quarter, down by 8 points, pound the ball with Portis and make sure you don't put Romo back on the field. Instead, he insists on continuing to throw the ball almost every down. Playing the entire 4th quarter with nothing but pass plays ensures that Campbell's going to throw an INT. Dallas's secondary isn't great, but it's good enough to stop that.

The more I watch the Cowboys, the more I think the game with the Packers could go either way. The Cowboys running game is better than the Packers, but I think they are about even on pass offense. I'd put the both defensive lines and linebacker corps at even, with the Cowboys maybe having a slight edge on linebackers, but the Packs D line being better rushers. I think the Pack's secondary is just better than the Cowboys' secondary though. Next Thursday's game in Dallas is going to be an AWESOME game. Home-field advantage may be the only deciding factor.

Unfortunately, thanks to the Steelers losing to the FUCKING JETS, and the Colts being so ordinary without Harrison, I'm not sure anyone can stop the goddamn Pats. Which means another boring ass Super Bowl. That's just my midseason prediction, one which I really hope does not come true.

[WayAbvPar]

Great move by NBC to put that riveting game on instead of the Seattle/Chicago game. I am sure the ratings were fantastic in the greater Masshole area. The rest of the country tuned out midway through the 1st quarter.

[UD_Delt]

HOLY FUCK, THE BROWNS WON!!

I left the TV in disgust when they "lost" and half the team was in the locker room.  What an insane finish.  Watch this:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80448909

Finally the Browns DON'T get fucked!

Jamal finally figured out the secret, he's just gotta be more careful in the future to not make it so obvious.

[MrHat]

Ya dude, that cracked me up.

I was laughing so hard and no one else saw it, Jamal Lewis High-Fived the fucking Referee.

[Sky]

Haemmy, don't underestimate the loss of Freeney from an already injury-stricken team. Not only do they lose their premiere pass rush guy (though he's so fast you can get runs in on him), but most teams have been double-teaming him, loading up his side. Having that extra offensive guy is a boon to every team they play.

Imo Colts are out of the running now. If they can get everyone healthy by the playoffs, maybe. The NFL got much less interesting in the last two weeks, NE has stepped into total domination mode.

I don't buy this shit about running up the score. It's pro ball, they're playing with a chip on their shoulders, and it's fun to see. Great practice on running 4th down plays. Madden made a good point at the end about it being worse that Buffalo was still trying to score with a couple minutes left in the game and they had no hope of winning.

[HaemishM]

Freeney's loss is big, but I think they can cope. The rest of the D-Line is still pretty damn good, they just picked up Simeon Rice and they can scheme pretty well on defense. After all, they won most of the regular season games last year with a defense that was letting everyone run all over them. Now, if they lose Sanders (and thus their run defense) as well, yeah, they might just be done.

But really, once the Colts lost to the Pats, the season was pretty much over anyway. No one is playing at the Pats level. No one. I'm not even sure any team in the NFL is capable of playing at that level currently.

[cmlancas]

I think Dallas, Green Bay, and Indy all have a legitimate chance to beat the Pats. Each has a decent to solid running game and dangerous weapons in the passing game to hurt the opposition. Defenses on each of the three teams also are good to excellent.

I'd like to see a GB/NE Super Bowl. I think it'd be a hell of a game.

[Trippy]

I think Dallas, Green Bay, and Indy all have a legitimate chance to beat the Pats. Each has a decent to solid running game and dangerous weapons in the passing game to hurt the opposition. Defenses on each of the three teams also are good to excellent.

I'd like to see a GB/NE Super Bowl. I think it'd be a hell of a game.

Indy won't be able to beat them at Foxborough with all the injuries they have now. Green Bay has two very good corners and may be able to shut down Moss but it's not clear if they can cover all the rest of them. Dallas's corners aren't as good as GB's but they have a better pass rush and right now Brady has obscene amounts of time to throw.

[HaemishM]

Green Bay...Each has a decent to solid running game

That does not compute. Have you WATCHED the Pack try to run the ball this year? Solid is not what I would use to describe their running game.