2009 NFL

[caladein]

(Funny how I remember an Onion video about hockey for its ending Football gag.)

[Stewie]

Dolphins bitchslapped the hapless Bills!!
Shoulda beat the Colts as well :(

As far as the wildcat goes I was getting kinda tired of hearing it but more and more it is just becoming another formation. I am starting to treat it the same way I would as any other formation.
With so many teams ruining a wildcat package now the commentators are slowly but surely treating it as nothing special and just another formation. IE they are lining up in the shotgun, three wide, spread, wildcat etc.

As far as defenses just scheming for the wildcat. its not that simple as the wildcat creates an additional man on the offensive side of that ball that can block by removing the QB. This creates issues for defenses. Another issue with the wildcat is that with a back coming in motion as the ball is snapped you will end up with the def line having to respect that motion and this also can create gaps that the extra blocker can just make worse and lead to decent gains on a regular basis.

Personally I would love to see my team just line up in a standard Pro Set and ram the ball down the other teams throat, but whatever gets the job done is fine by me.

[Bunk]

If your team had a real QB like the Bears, you wouldn't need wildcat.

[Stewie]

Listen here slapnuts. My team has a real QB now. And Henne's arm is just as good as Cutler's.
He may not be at cutler's overall level just yet but he will be soon.

Also my team does not have a fragile effeminate MLB like yours :P





 

[Hoax]

Henne will never be as good as Cutler, trust.  I watched Henne his entire college career, nothing should make you silly enough to think that he will be NFL playoff game winning.

[Stewie]

I'm curious what makes you say that.
He clearly has all the physical attributes.

I know he has a penchant for staring down his receivers now, but he can be broken of that habit.
This last game he did an excellent job of managing the game. What I really liked that he was always placing the ball where there was no chance at a pick. Granted he missed some throws because of this but he erred on the side of no turnover. This is a trait taht most young qb's fail to display.

As he gets more comfortable he will start making these throws.
Mentally he seems like he "gets it". Granted this is just one start and I didn't see him in college. For all I know the next game could be a gong show, but I really don't think so. He may never be quite as good as Cutler as you say but "I" do think the potential is there for him to be as good.

[HaemishM]

So yeah, Packers/Vikes? FUCK ME.

The Packers are a bit of a mess. The offensive line is still fucking criminally bad. Why did we resign Chad Clifton again? Oh right, so he could be injured, miss important early season games and cause such a huge reshuffle of the line that it brings the whole offense down. Need to flush the whole unit down the drain and start again, because this team will never be a playoff team without an O line worth a shit. Despite 8 sacks and a wall of purple in Rodgers face all night, he still almost managed to tie the game or at least get close enough to make it interesting. Ryan Grant can't run, but I blame that on the O line for the most part. They can't run block, they can't pass block. They are young, slow and stupid.

The defense, however, was even worse. Look, I realize the Vikes had Brett Favre at QB, and he can thread passes into double coverage. But the Pack couldn't even get coverage right. How many passes did Favre throw to a guy that was WIDE FUCKING OPEN? Answer: too fucking many. It's not like these are premier quality wideouts and tight ends, these are mediocre at best players when they don't have #4 throwing to them. Al Harris looked completely lost most of the night, as if he had no clue who he was supposed to cover. I could have made those passes with guys that wide open. And why is Kampman constantly dropping into coverage on important third downs? I don't care if he's a linebacker or a defensive end, he should most definitely be rushing the passer on passing downs. The fact that Green Bay couldn't get a good pass rush on Favre with 4-5 guys while the Vikes rushed 4 and were in Rodgers face all goddamn night shows the difference in these teams. They stopped Peterson, but let guys like Shancoe and Rice beat them. Really?

The Pack needs a complete overhaul at the O Line and in the defensive backfield. Woodson and Harris aren't going to be around forever, and there is NOBODY on the bench that can hold these guys jocks. Safety position is also fucked, because Bigby can't keep from spraining his vagina.

[Nebu]

Let's find some positives here.  The Packer defense did an excellent job against the run.  Against the Vikings O-line and Adrian Peterson, this is no small feat.  Second, the Packers have two of the best cover corners in football.  Unfortunately, they got hit with some shitty calls and are supported by two HORRIBLE safeties. 

We agree that the Packers need an offensive line, a standout receiver that isn't past their prime, and some kind of running game.  Aaron Rogers did an excellent job if you consider the pressure he was under all night.  With a good line, he could become one of the top QB's in the league.   

[HaemishM]

They have a standout receiver in Greg Jennings, and both James Jones and Jordy Nelson could be ok #2's if Driver goes out. But they can't catch the ball if Rodgers is on his back all night. And Grant can't run without an O line. Every problem they have on offense could be fixed with an O line. The corners - I'd like to blame last night's coverage on the shitty safeties (and yes, those refs called some ticky-tacky bullshit) but both Woodson and Harris are getting old. I'm afraid by the time the O line is sorted, they'll be retired.

[Nebu]

I'll give you the point on the receivers, but Grant wouldn't cut it even with a decent line.  I do agree that their defense is running into some trouble with the aging corners.  The problem is money.  You can only fix one problem at a time.  Maybe the best strategy for Green Bay would be to buy a solid O-line and hope that they can win games 35-31.  It would be exciting to watch and keep the fans interested until they could fix their defensive backfield.  

If you look at the most recent NFL drafts, it seems that teams recognize the need for offensive linemen (3 OT went in the top 10 picks in 2009).  I think the problem is that a) good linemen often take a few years to mature and b) people fill seats to watch the money positions.  Now that they have Rodgers, they have some added incentive to buy a line.  They need to take a good look at the free agent market this year and shore up a spot using a pick from the first two rounds. 

[HaemishM]

I think Grant's decent. He's certainly better than Wynn or Brandon "I Sprained My Labia Again" Jackson.

[Nebu]

I think Grant's decent. He's certainly better than Wynn or Brandon "I Sprained My Labia Again" Jackson.

He's good enough to make the LB's think about the play action.  That's all GB needs with Rogers at QB.  This is going to be a passing offense first no matter who they have in the backfield.  Like St. Louis of old, Indy, or New Orleans a good RB will just open up the passing game more. 

[Rasix]

I'm just amazed that Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski were able to call the action with that much Favre cock in their mouth.  Guy had a very good game, but good God, I thought we were done with this crap.

[Cyrrex]

If they keep winning, you'll hear it every week.  Either how he single handedly one the game, or how he single handedly stepped aside and let AP win the game.  Jaworski I don't mind so much, but Gruden was nearly intolerable.

If they've truly turned into a three headed monster (passing, running, solid defense), then look the fuck out.

[Nebu]

The fourth head will be their demise.  The one that calls the plays... like last night.  Way to let Green Bay stay in the game, guys!

[Nevermore]

If they keep winning, you'll hear it every week.  Either how he single handedly one the game, or how he single handedly stepped aside and let AP win the game.  Jaworski I don't mind so much, but Gruden was nearly intolerable.

If they've truly turned into a three headed monster (passing, running, solid defense), then look the fuck out.

The content of Gruden's commentary isn't bad but I can't listen to him anymore ever since it was pointed out that his analysis sounds like it's being read by Jack Burton.

[Brogarn]

I'm just amazed that Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski were able to call the action with that much Favre cock in their mouth.  Guy had a very good game, but good God, I thought we were done with this crap.

Just last week I was thinking that ESPN's Monday night is actually better this year with Gruden ( I didn't say great, I said better). Then they slobbered on Favre's knob all night last night and I turned it off at half time. Favre's a great quarterback. He really is. Retirement bullshit aside, the guy's got great presence, has a great time (which affects the team and side line), and plays exceptionally well. But we don't need to repeat that with every breath. We know. We get it. Let's just call the game, shall we?

[HaemishM]

Gruden is worlds better than fucking Kornhole, but he is a loud talker. It's like a rabid asshole is screaming in my ear all night. And yes, the knob slobbering was fierce.

[Cyrrex]

Gruden is worlds better than fucking Kornhole, but he is a loud talker. It's like a rabid asshole is screaming in my ear all night. And yes, the knob slobbering was fierce.

Despite all the bullshit last night, I have to empathically agree.  Kornholio was a nightmare.

[Brogarn]

Despite all the bullshit last night, I have to empathically agree.  Kornholio was a nightmare.

Seriously. I hated that fucking guy.

[01101010]

Derrick Anderson: 2-17 for 23y and one INT with a passer rating of what? 15? and they win the game. talk about a  I think Brady Quinn is in a bathroom somewhere trying to slice his wrists with those safety scissors at this very moment. Seriously, how the hell do you lose your starting position to THAT?

[Triforcer]

Its my theory that Quinn (or hell, any other Brown) could potentially be a Pro-Bowler or one of the greatest ever.  But we'll never know, because Cleveland sucks talent from any player's immortal soul.  If Manning or Brady or Favre had went there, they would have been out of the league in 2-3 years as busts. 

[01101010]

Its my theory that Quinn (or hell, any other Brown) could potentially be a Pro-Bowler or one of the greatest ever.  But we'll never know, because Cleveland sucks talent from any player's immortal soul.  If Manning or Brady or Favre had went there, they would have been out of the league in 2-3 years as busts. 

Amazing to think Tim Couch was slated to be where Manning is now. Cleveland does have a talent of training their sports players for the next level, at least in baseball. Football, you are dead on though. I'd like to watch next year's draft and have a mic on the guy Cleveland picks just to hear the moan of despair as it leaves his lips.

[Hoax]

Bengals 4-1, top of the division, defense playing well, offense still needs to get a lot better but should be possible if Palmer continues to knock the rust off.  We'll see if they can win a must-win game next week at home or if they finally succumb to typical can't handle success bullshit.  Also should be interesting to see a massively improved secondary against the scariest WR on the planet.

49'ers 3-2, fucking stomped, no Frank Gore but still, Hill looked like the talent we all know he pretty much is and everything went wrong.  Defense played like shit as well.  That was a sad sad game.

Broncos 5-0, after week 1 (versus my Bengals) I find this hard to believe, fuckers, but they beat the lame ass Pats, so hooray.  The Pats btw who absolutely got gifted a game the week before by the refs.  Fucking bullshit Tom Brady.  The sox got swept though so Sunday was a great day to be at a sport's bar, sad Bostonians make my day.

[HaemishM]

What a shitty day of shitty NFL matchups. How bad was it? My 12 game on CBS started with the first half of the Raiders-Giants game, switched at halftime to the Steelers-Lions game, when that didn't pan out they turned on the Bengals-Ravens game and finally ended with the Browns-Bills before switching the Pats-Broncos game at 3. The Bengals got gifted a win by some overzealous defensive backs on the Ravens and some overflaggy refs. I think Ray Lewis is going to shiv the next ref he sees.

The Raiders are just fucking putrid. Who thought Jamarcus Russell could be an NFL QB? He can't even see a rusher running directly at him from the front side. That team is becoming a black hole of talent drainers.

Yeah, the Browns are just so goddamn bad, and yet Buffalo loses to them when their QB completes 2 passes? How the fuck did the coach even keep Anderson on the field? I'm surprised the fans didn't riot in the stands for having to pay to watch such a shitty contest.

Who is the worst team in the NFL? We have plenty of candidates? Rams? Raiders? Browns? Bills? Redskins? Panthers? Chiefs? Bucaneers? Titans? I really hope the matchups on TV are better next week, because this week was slit the wrist territory.

[Paelos]

I was very excited because this was the first weekend I've had off from traveling to stay home and watch football from start to finish. About halfway through Sunday, I just started watching movies. It was horrid.

[Nevermore]

Fun game tonight, though.  Henne might turn out to be pretty good after all.  Maybe in the off season they can get him some real receivers.

[Bungee]

The redskins are a mere 2-3 and Jim Zorn is on the hot seat, Their 2-3 start is even more disturbing when you consider this amazing stat.

It's week 6, and this Sunday the Redskins will be facing their 6th consecutive WINLESS team. Let that sink in for a moment.

Here's their opponent's records at the time they played

Giants 0-0 - gotta love a technicality
Rams 0-1
Detroit 0-2
Tampa Bay 0-3
Carolina 0-3 - they had a bye in week 4
Kansas City 0-5

[Murgos]

That Monday night Dolphins/Jets game was about the most fun I've had watching a game all season.

[Stewie]

Phins Win!!!

Oh and Hoax, Im still waiting to hear your rational for saying "nothing should make you silly enough to think that he will be NFL playoff game winning."

[Brogarn]

Moving into a new house so was way too tired to watch more than the first half last night. I was also initially bummed that I missed the entirety of Sunday's games, but then I've read the recaps and your posts here and am actually happy I was painting walls instead. Good game last night, though. At least what I saw of it.

Speaking of ESPN's Monday Night Football, I think I'm going to write in a suggestion to change the name to Monday Night Hyperbole because they can't go 30 seconds without mentioning how a player on the field IS THE BEST EVER! And omg, they had a sandwich earlier and it WAS THE BEST EVER! And did you see that cornerback? I gotta say HE'S THE BEST EVER!

Seriously. I was fucking tired already. I didn't need the hype machine.
 

[Cyrrex]

Phins Win!!!

Oh and Hoax, Im still waiting to hear your rational for saying "nothing should make you silly enough to think that he will be NFL playoff game winning."

Well, they won't likely even make the playoffs for one.  AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

You'll have to forgive me, I'm just pissed that the Jets lost - seeing as how I picked them to win, the stupid pigfuckers.

[Hoax]

Phins Win!!!

Oh and Hoax, Im still waiting to hear your rational for saying "nothing should make you silly enough to think that he will be NFL playoff game winning."

Let me get this straight, you won a late night game versus the Jets, with a big help from the fact that teams still can't seem to handle the Wildcat, on a day when Rex Ryan said that was one of the worst defensive efforts he's ever been a part of (I believe him) and now you want me to change my mind about Henne?  No.  He's never going to carry a team to a playoff win.  Ever.  If they can play great defense and smash teams in the mouth he might get to throw over the top and some idiots will claim he won a game.  But he's not Big Ben, he wont go from a QB who manages the game to one who just goes out and wins them.  I'm confident because I watched 75% of the games in his college career and every single big game he ever had.  The kid does not have what it takes.

[stu]

And yet, Parcells (who has most likely watched 100% of his games) still drafted Henne. You're so full of shit it's probly spilling onto your keyboard. Henne completed 20 of 26 passes for crying out loud.

[Trippy]

One good game does not make somebody the next Joe Montana.