NFL Football- It's FANtastic!

[Ozzu]

So for all you who were worried about the Cowboys having to eat snow, you best be worrying about whether Green Bay can make it past their first game, like I said in an earlier thread.

Brett Favre doesn't play well in the snow/cold weather anymore. You should've been hoping for GB to win so they could secure home field advantage.

He can't play at Texas Stadium either. It's a win win really.

[naum]

07 Playoff Scenarios heading into final week

* Steelers/Jaguars rematch likely unless Chargers lose to Raiders
* Titans beat Indy, and Browns are done
* Redskins in driver seat for final NFC spot, Vikings and Saints couldn't take care of business in week 16.

/progon

+ Redskins advance almost by default since Dallas has nothing to play for but you never know, especially with this year's crop of NFC pretenders.

+ Pats go 16-0, and most likely will waltz to Superbowl. But don't discount Jaguars from knocking them out — they can out-physical NE and if they own scrimmage battle, those 30something LBs on NE side will be beat down by Drew and Taylor. Obviously Garrard can't make any muffs. But they might have to get pass Indy first, and I don't think they match up as well against Indy.

+ NFC blows and anybody could take it. and it wouldn't surprise me either way if Cowboys are the ones to be served up for another AFC victor, or if they lose in the first round to the Redskins. But Redskins have to tackle Bucs|Seahawks first (assuming they beat Cowboys in week 17).

+ No more MNF Kornholio!

[HaemishM]

Green Bay not in the championship game? I don't see it. Look at their competition.

They get a bye the first round, and will end up playing either: Giants, Seahawks, Bucs or the Redskins/Vikings. They've already shown they can beat the Vikings with and without Peterson, and Tavaris Jackson has been decidedly shitty the last two weeks. The Redskins shouldn't scare ANYBODY, especially not with Campbell out. Todd Collins? Not going to do much against Dallas, not going to do much against Green Bay.

The Giants? Not happening. I fully expect the Giants to lose their first-round playoff game, no matter who they play. They almost coughed it up against Buffalo. If they play anybody that can shut down their running game (and the Bucs can, possibly the Seahawks), they are done. If the Giants have to go to Green Bay, it won't matter how bad Favre plays in the cold, Eli will play MUCH MUCH WORSE.

Now both the Seahawks and the Bucs have teams that could beat Green Bay. But I don't see it. Both the Bucs and the Pack have damn good defenses, and Green Bay's offense is just plain better. The Seahawks have no running game and I don't think Hasselback can go into Lambeau and play as well as Favre can. Outside of Dallas, there isn't any scary competition in the NFC for Green Bay.

The AFC is similary grim if you aren't Indy or NE. The Steelers are done without Willie Parker. They can't beat the Jags, IMO, barring an injury to Fred Taylor or Garrard or Jones-Drew. They could beat both the Titans or the Browns in the first week, and maybe they could beat the Chargers the next week - I'd make that a push. But they can't beat Jacksonville.

The Chargers can beat both the Titans or the Browns, but not the Jags. Whether they will or not depends on which Chargers team shows up.

However, Indy having a bye week is actually a negative for them. They don't do good on bye weeks. Though it may give them a chance to have Harrison back, they are such a rhythm team that it will be the second half of their first playoff game before they'll get on track. I expect the Chargers, Jags or Steelers could beat them.

But it doesn't matter who beats who. The Pats are winning the AFC.

[Paelos]

Who's going to beat the Cowboys in the NFC? Nobody has yet, with the exception of Philly who isn't there.

I think it's going to be Dallas v. Pats in another "OMG I WISH IT WOULD BE CLOSE BUT IT WON'T AT ALL!" Superbowl.

[stray]

I think it could be really close. There IS a way to beat the Pats, and Dallas probably has the best shot out of anyone.

[Hoax]

Not true, the only teams with the balls to beat the pats are the Eagles and Steelers.  Everybody else is so busy trying to play the right cute combination of clever zones to stop Brady that they never touch him and he takes them apart dunking it to Kevin Faulk for 20 yard gains or running it himself to convert 3-10+ like the fucking whore he is.

Then while the game still seems to hang in the balance suddenly the defense will shutdown the opposing offense as the Pats staff makes their adjustments and the Pats running game will start gashing the ever living fuck out of their hapless opponents as they get destroyed in the trenches.  Game over man.

Brady is Kurt Warner, with more talent, more drive, more passion for the game of football and a bit more toughness.  You can't beat him unless he's making mistakes and he only makes mistakes when he's flustered.  But he's far from unflappable.  Fuck up his rhythm, hit him hard, cheapshot him, fuck with his WR's and he will be running to the ref every other play stomping his feet and crying like a bitch.

Payton has 4 receivers that will get blown up for their QB's sake every down if that's what it takes.  Brady doesn't.  He has Faulk and possibly Welker although I'm still hardly sold on that guy being the second coming of whoever that white guy was for Denver for all those years.  People need to come after him, hard.  He might still beat you but at least your giving yourself a shot.  Counting on him to just fuck up and fall into your lap is stupidity.  Also Dallas has fucking awful safety's.  Roy Williams is utter crap in coverage and I can't even think of the other guy atm.  I used to blame Parcells for asking too much of them but I'm pretty sure they just suck at this point.

P.S.  In the superbowl Bellichek will eat Romo for lunch.  He will come after him so fast and so hard, and will have told his guys to fucking hurt him.  Gaurentee it.  Say what you want but that guy plays to fucking win, ends justify the means and all that.  Romo's a smiley dumbass who will be doing that huck-throw where he's ducking as he heaves the ball with nothing but a prayer, I'm sure that'll work just great.   

[stray]

Not true, the only teams with the balls to beat the pats are the Eagles and Steelers.  Everybody else is so busy trying to play the right cute combination of clever zones to stop Brady that they never touch him and he takes them apart dunking it to Kevin Faulk for 20 yard gains or running it himself to convert 3-10+ like the fucking whore he is.

I definitely don't think Dallas could ever stop the Pats. I think they have a chance to win though if they tried to outscore them. They're the only team around with the right elements to pull that off. Not just Romo/Witt/TO, but Barber -- he could be crucial. New England's run defense is weak, and Barber's already made asses out of them once. Dallas would have to use him far more than they're used to though.

[Paelos]

Not true, the only teams with the balls to beat the pats are the Eagles and Steelers.  Everybody else is so busy trying to play the right cute combination of clever zones to stop Brady that they never touch him and he takes them apart dunking it to Kevin Faulk for 20 yard gains or running it himself to convert 3-10+ like the fucking whore he is.

I definitely don't think Dallas could ever stop the Pats. I think they have a chance to win though if they tried to outscore them. They're the only team around with the right elements to pull that off. Not just Romo/Witt/TO, but Barber -- he could be crucial. New England's run defense is weak, and Barber's already made asses out of them once. Dallas would have to use him far more than they're used to though.

Dallas won't do it though. We abandon the run entirely too fast when things get quick and dirty. It's part of our retarded offensive strategy to just say fuck it and start heaving the ball over the middle.

[WayAbvPar]

Dallas doesn't have the secondary to stop the Pats for an entire game. When your starting safeties are Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin (both big hitters/pseudolinebackers), it is just a matter of time and a few play actions before you can beat them deep. Repeatedly.

[Zetleft]

Dallas doesn't have the secondary to stop the Pats for an entire game. When your starting safeties are Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin (both big hitters/pseudolinebackers), it is just a matter of time and a few play actions before you can beat them deep. Repeatedly.

What we need is a good horse collar tackle on Brady   

[HaemishM]

Who's going to beat the Cowboys in the NFC? Nobody has yet, with the exception of Philly who isn't there.

I think it's going to be Dallas v. Pats in another "OMG I WISH IT WOULD BE CLOSE BUT IT WON'T AT ALL!" Superbowl.

You are correct.

I think Green Bay COULD beat Dallas, I just don't think they will.

[WayAbvPar]

Dallas doesn't have the secondary to stop the Pats for an entire game. When your starting safeties are Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin (both big hitters/pseudolinebackers), it is just a matter of time and a few play actions before you can beat them deep. Repeatedly.

What we need is a good horse collar tackle on Brady   

If it involved a gruesome compound fracture ala Theismann I would be ecstatic.

[El Gallo]

The Colts have a shot at beating the Pats in a shootout of Harrison gets healthy.  I don't see anyone else coming close via the shootout route.

The only other way I see them losing is playing a team like the Jags, Chargers or Steelers in a nice, windy sleetstorm where the Pats cannot throw. If the game is just about running and stopping the run, I think they can be beaten.

[stray]

The Colts? They seem to be more dependent on defense more than they ever were. It'd never work.

[HaemishM]

The Colts? They seem to be more dependent on defense more than they ever were. It'd never work.

They've been without Marvin Harrison for half the season, and Gonzalez has just now gotten comfortable in the offense and Peyton with him. They've missed a big offensive weapon, their O line hasn't been as good (also because of injuries and retirement) when Ugoh has been out and they've even missed Dallas Clark on a few games. Their reliance on defense isn't because the team isn't as good, it's because they are playing half the B-team on offense.

[Abagadro]

Heck of a ball game. That 22 unanswered in the second half was impressive.

[tazelbain]

That was ridiculous.  Giants bring folding to a new art.

[Abagadro]

You have to give the Pats some props though. Brady under throws a wide open Moss on a sixty yard bomb on a straight fly pattern. What do they do the very next play? Sixty yard bomb on a fly pattern to Moss for a touchdown. That is some in-your-face-nails-shit.

[Paelos]

You have to give the Pats some props though. Brady under throws a wide open Moss on a sixty yard bomb on a straight fly pattern. What do they do the very next play? Sixty yard bomb on a fly pattern to Moss for a touchdown. That is some in-your-face-nails-shit.

I don't give them much credit beyond recognizing it was open. The DB was limping like crazy after the first miss and they exploited it. Good call? Hell yes. Worthy of respect? It was simply there.

[Abagadro]

It's a ballsy call on 3rd and 10 as it is generally a low percentage play, particularly when you just did it and it is now a clear passing situation where you are likely to at least face a cover-2 (and therefore safety help).

I know it is fashionable to hate the Pats, but from a football standpoint, they are an amazing machine to watch. I hope they take it all the way to 19-0.

[stray]

Lol, I think I'm SERIOUSLY fucked up. And blind. I went to out earlier, glanced at the game here and there (without glasses), and was under the impression all night that the Pats lost. Are you tellingme that they won? Again???

[Paelos]

It's a ballsy call on 3rd and 10 as it is generally a low percentage play, particularly when you just did it and it is now a clear passing situation where you are likely to at least face a cover-2 (and therefore safety help).

I know it is fashionable to hate the Pats, but from a football standpoint, they are an amazing machine to watch. I hope they take it all the way to 19-0.

He was one guy on a route. It's not like there weren't two more shorter options on the same play. Brady just saw he was outstandingly wide open and heaved it. Any QB and any receiver could make the same play 9/10 times in the NFL. Moss just started running forward and nobody bothered to pick him up at all. It was a complete defensive collapse more than an outstanding offensive play call.

As far as the Pats go, they probably will go all the way, but I don't think they are fun to watch at all. It is too machine-like and boring for me, plus I can't stand Tom Brady or Randy Moss as human beings. That being said, I do respect their accomplishment from a football standpoint. It's astounding that they actually pulled it off, and frankly never looked to be in doubt about it at any point in the season.

[tazelbain]

FOr 50 minutes the Giants played like a world class Football team.  For 10 they did not.  Playing against any other team those 10 minutes would have not been fatal.  Patriots deserve props for that.  They would have gotten even more props if they didn't rely on the Giants to trip on their dicks to win.

[Montague]

Speaking of tripping on dicks, my FF team is in our league's Super Bowl but half my starting lineup is waiver wire pickups thanks to injuries and teams packing it in. Go go Todd Collins, TJ Duckett and Roydell Williams!

[stray]

Uh, what makes Brady a bad human being again? 

[Phildo]

Uh, what makes Brady a bad human being again? 

This?

[Abagadro]

If banging supermodels makes you bad, I don't want to be good.

[Paelos]

If banging supermodels makes you bad, I don't want to be good.

I'm all for banging supermodels. It's the fathering bastard children and having nothing to do with them part that leaves me a little pissed. There are tons of examples of this in the NFL, but they try to keep it quiet most of the time.

[Velorath]

If banging supermodels makes you bad, I don't want to be good.

I'm all for banging supermodels. It's the fathering bastard children and having nothing to do with them part that leaves me a little pissed. There are tons of examples of this in the NFL, but they try to keep it quiet most of the time.

I missed the part in the article where it say he has nothing to do with his kid.

[Abagadro]

He's 4 months old. It's not like he can have a game of catch with him. When you have split up with the mother of an infant, I'm not exactly sure what you are supposed to do to "having something to do with it."   

[Velorath]

He's 4 months old. It's not like he can have a game of catch with him. When you have split up with the mother of an infant, I'm not exactly sure what you are supposed to do to "having something to do with it."   

But... but... fathering children out of wedlock is wrong!

[stray]

I'm sure that kid won't have to work for the rest of his life.

Doesn't make him bad for not being able to work things out with the chick though. Shit happens, unfortunately.

[Paelos]

He's 4 months old. It's not like he can have a game of catch with him. When you have split up with the mother of an infant, I'm not exactly sure what you are supposed to do to "having something to do with it."   

But... but... fathering children out of wedlock is wrong!

Laugh all you want, but that's part of my moral code, and I don't think it's a sign of good character at all.

[Margalis]

It seems highly unlikely that Brady is going to have much to do with his kid, and yes that does seem a little wrong to me.

[SnakeCharmer]

Tom tell you that over a beer one night, or just a general feeling you get from hanging out with him?