2009 NFL

[HaemishM]

Holy fuck but have the Giants self-destructed or what? That was a curbstomping. The Giants couldn't get anything going.

[Paelos]

Holy fuck but have the Giants self-destructed or what? That was a curbstomping. The Giants couldn't get anything going.

 


Dallas 38 - 17 Seahawks
 

[JWIV]

Holy fuck but have the Giants self-destructed or what? That was a curbstomping. The Giants couldn't get anything going.

 


Dallas 38 - 17 Seahawks
 

Oh, if we're playing this game  . . .   How about the Ravens defense finally deciding to fucking show up this season.     Landry is still playing soft as hell, but WOOO  gotta love giving Orton and his pornstache their first loss this season.

[Hoax]

Its really annoying that when the Bengals are finally getting it together the AFC North has to be an ultra competitive 3 horse race.  The next 2 weeks will decide so much in that Division -- Cincy v Bmore & Pitt v Denver then Cincy v Pitt & Bmore gets a free win aka plays the Browns.  Fucking huge.  If the Bengals can't win at home coming off the bye despite the fact that the Ravens are playing crazy well, deserve to have way more wins then they do and don't like that they lost once to us already...  Fucking season defining games scare the shit out of me.

[Nevermore]

The only thing more delicious than somehow hanging 30 points on the Jets and beating them despite only getting 100 total yards of offense are the bitter tears that came flowing out of their locker room after the game.   

[Murgos]

I love the Dolphins this year, so much fun to watch.

[Brogarn]

Holy fuck but have the Giants self-destructed or what? That was a curbstomping. The Giants couldn't get anything going.

I turned the game off sometime during the first half and got some stuff done around the house. The Giants are fucking terrible and unfortunately, we don't have an exciting QB to lift up the entire team like Peyton does. We also lost Strahan. So when the O-Line goes soft or D has a shitty secondary due to injuries and bad play, there's noone there who can step up and get everyone motivated to keep trying.

[HaemishM]

Eli could do it... he's just sucking ass this year. I don't know if it's the teams he's playing against or the foot injury throwing him off or what, but he has played TERRIBLY the last two games. The running game has almost disappeared. What happened to the grind it out running game? They just seem to give up on it the minute they get some adversity.

As for the Packers, it was a great game once Aaron Rodgers remembered that he was dropping back to throw the ball instead of just to stand there and wait for Minnesota to pummel him. Seriously, the O-Line did pretty well in that game, but at least 4 of those sacks were on Rodgers and not the line. The Pack still has no running game to scare anyone. And for some reason, they've completely forgotten how to call slant routes. This team is crazy good at slant routes, but they just don't call them anymore. 2007? It was slant route after slant route. The wideouts have the speed to burn motherfuckers on slant routes. Instead it's all curls in the soft spot of the zones or long posts or streaks. I don't know what the fuck happened to their playcalling.

[Fordel]

I love the Dolphins this year, so much fun to watch.

Seriously, they are easily my favorite game to see every week.

[Trippy]

I think Eli's foot is bothering him more than the team is letting on.

[HaemishM]

I think Eli's foot is bothering him more than the team is letting on.

If it isn't, that team is in a shitload of trouble.

[Trippy]

They are in trouble in any event if they can't fix the problems on D. They are giving up way too many big plays.

[Ingmar]

I think Eli's foot is bothering him more than the team is letting on.

As someone who has had plantar fasciitis I am positive this is the issue. It can be really, really painful at times, and I can't really imagine going out and playing football week after week within just a few days of having it diagnosed. The other big problem is if my experience is any indicator, it isn't going to heal if he keeps playing on it.

[HaemishM]

Too bad their only option for resting Eli starts and ends with David Carr as the starting QB.

[Cyrrex]

Eli could do it... he's just sucking ass this year. I don't know if it's the teams he's playing against or the foot injury throwing him off or what, but he has played TERRIBLY the last two games. The running game has almost disappeared. What happened to the grind it out running game? They just seem to give up on it the minute they get some adversity.

As for the Packers, it was a great game once Aaron Rodgers remembered that he was dropping back to throw the ball instead of just to stand there and wait for Minnesota to pummel him. Seriously, the O-Line did pretty well in that game, but at least 4 of those sacks were on Rodgers and not the line. The Pack still has no running game to scare anyone. And for some reason, they've completely forgotten how to call slant routes. This team is crazy good at slant routes, but they just don't call them anymore. 2007? It was slant route after slant route. The wideouts have the speed to burn motherfuckers on slant routes. Instead it's all curls in the soft spot of the zones or long posts or streaks. I don't know what the fuck happened to their playcalling.

I won't admit to having watched a great deal of Aaron Rodgers last year...but wasn't Green Bay's use of the slant route primarily a Brett Favre thing?  I have this idea in my head that he is the best slant route passer I've ever seen - I never associated it with Green Bay specifically.

[HaemishM]

Favre was great at it, but it isn't exclusive to him unless he called most of those routes in '07 as an audible. But considering the receivers are mostly the same now as then, the offensive scheme is the same and Rodgers has a good arm, I see no reason to drop it as a play-calling or audible option. He could use with a lot more 3-step drops and quick hitch passes and let those fast receivers run with the ball.

[Cyrrex]

Favre was great at it, but it isn't exclusive to him unless he called most of those routes in '07 as an audible. But considering the receivers are mostly the same now as then, the offensive scheme is the same and Rodgers has a good arm, I see no reason to drop it as a play-calling or audible option. He could use with a lot more 3-step drops and quick hitch passes and let those fast receivers run with the ball.

If you believe all the Favre hype, which is often exaggerated (duh), then he was the driving force behind those plays....they weren't even real audibles.  They say that he had such a rapport with some of those guys that he could just get eye contact with them at the line and they'd know he wanted them to run the slant.  He does seem to have a way of developing that kind of chemistry with receivers, so I tend to believe it.

Edit:  none of which changes the fact that I think you are correct, and that Rodgers could certainly run more slants.  Hell, it seems like one of the most effective pass plays there is, and I don't understand why all teams don't run them like crazy.

[Rasix]

Slant isn't exactly a hard pass to throw.  When writers were bagging on how bad Brees was at a certain time in San Diego they'd mention that he couldn't even throw a slant.

[Sjofn]

Too bad their only option for resting Eli starts and ends with David Carr as the starting QB.

At this point I figure it can't get worse. Even if it is David Carr. :(

[SnakeCharmer]

Last nights Saints / Falcons game was as good an NFL game as I've seen in a while.  Some seriously good hitting going on.

[sigil]

So, who beats the Saints?

[SnakeCharmer]

Considering it's the Saints, the most cursed team in all of football?

Probably everyone left on their schedule.

[JWIV]

Considering it's the Saints, the most cursed team in all of football?

Probably everyone left on their schedule.

Depends on the weather come late November/December and if they have to depend less on Brees' arm and instead turn to their running game.

[Paelos]

Saints are strong lately, but I'm not sure they can face a team that can put pressure on them without throwing massive blitz packages. You blitz Brees, and he'll pick you apart with receivers that aren't household names. That's pretty solid.

That being said, the saints will run away with the NFC South. The Falcons won't beat them head-to-head, Tampa's awful, and Carolina barely has a pulse. Basically, and SHOCKINGLY, I think the only team that beats the Saints is the Vikings because of their defensive line.

[Trippy]

Considering it's the Saints, the most cursed team in all of football?

Probably everyone left on their schedule.

Depends on the weather come late November/December and if they have to depend less on Brees' arm and instead turn to their running game.

The Saints' running game is ranked higher than its passing game currently.

[SnakeCharmer]

The formula for winning in the NFL is to have an above average QB that won't lose the game for you, a decent running game, a serviceable defense, and to stay healthy.  There's really not much more of a trick than that.  

The Saints got a bit dinged up in this last game:  their center, Pierre (I think) took a nice lick to the head but still played, and one of their CBs went out (for how long, I don't know).  Also, Cedric Ellis is still hurt.  If they to get back healthy pretty quick and Brees plays llike Brees the rest of the season, the sky is the limit.

But.

They're still the Saints.  Something will go wrong.  That oblong, funny shaped ball bounces in wierd directions at times.  They need to wrap Brees in bubblewrap and put him under 24 hour armed guard observation protection to keep him away from sharp objects, blunt objects, moving objects, and other people in between games.  Last thing he needs is some freakish accident (cutting his hand open, smashin his hand, tripping over something and blowing out his knee, or an overzealous fan begging for an autograph and losing their balance and stabbing him in the eye with a sharpee).  

Because he plays for the Saints.  And weird shit can and does happen.

[Trippy]

Even if Brees got injured and couldn't play for the rest of the season I still don't see them losing to the Rams, Bucs (twice) and the Redskins even with a rookie QB or *gasp* Mark Brunell. So that would make them 11 - 5 or 10 - 6 if they lose to just one of the above teams (assuming they lose all their other games).

[HaemishM]

The key to the Saints season is that defense. That offense has rolled along with and without a running game ever since Brees got there. As long as he's healthy, they'll be fine offensively. But if those corners drop off, the team will fall off a cliff. Those guys are covering people and covering them WELL. Greer and Sharper have been monsters and Roman Harper ain't bad either. If that defense can continue to perform at even a serviceable level, they will go far into the playoffs.

Look at the NFC teams likely to make the playoffs: Vikings, Cardinals, Atlanta, Philly, Dallas, Giants, and either Green Bay, Chicago or San Francisco. The only defenses I can see shutting them down is the Vikings or Philly. Maybe the Giants or the Packers if either one learns how to cover on a consistent basis. Everyone on that list except San Fran or Chicago can be relied on to put up decent points on any given week, but do you think any of those offenses can put up consistent offensive numbers like the Saints week in and week out? I think the most likely on paper matchup for the NFC Championship is a Vikings/Saints matchup at the Superdome.

[Evildrider]

All I have to say is Go Vikes!

Fuck even if Favre only plays this year and maybe another, he's still the best QB they've had in years.  They've had QB problems for way too long.

[Sky]

I've been enjoying watching the Vikings this year. Nice to see a team that is more or less clicking. While Favre and AP are having fun, I like watching Jared Allen :) He's now my favorite NFL player not named Dwight Freeney. I want Allen and Freeney as my ends on my dream team D.

[Evildrider]

Allen is a friggin beast! 

[Trippy]

Assuming Aaron Rodgers is on the other side.

[Triforcer]

The key to the Saints season is that defense. That offense has rolled along with and without a running game ever since Brees got there. As long as he's healthy, they'll be fine offensively. But if those corners drop off, the team will fall off a cliff. Those guys are covering people and covering them WELL. Greer and Sharper have been monsters and Roman Harper ain't bad either. If that defense can continue to perform at even a serviceable level, they will go far into the playoffs.

The Saints are a top 5 or 6 running team.  I know, I didn't believe it either.  That's what makes them so scary this year. 

[SnakeCharmer]

So, who beats the Saints?

Carolina, from the looks of things.

Saints need a run defense.

[Trippy]

So, who beats the Saints?

Carolina, from the looks of things.

Or not.