2009 NFL

[Brogarn]

Oh and Tony Dungy is great on "Football Night in America", Rodney Harrison sucks.  Something about him makes me want to punch my TV.

He comes off as an overly arrogant douchebag. I'm not sure if that's really him or if that's just him being uncomfortable in front of the camera.

[01101010]

Something about the field at Heinz this weekend... I mean that Oak/Pitt game was insane at the end and so was the Cin/Pitt game the day before. Actually was a fabulous football weekend in Pittsburgh aside from the losing, which I don't mind so much...(keeps the natives in check around here).

[Sky]

What the hell happened to the Vikes? The Cards put on a hell of a show last night, both of the Card's lines were superb.

[Rasix]

Favre threw a vintage Favre interception.  What we now call a "Cutler". 

Shut down AP, contain the pass rush, and hope Favre has a few senior moments and you can beat them. It's not terribly easy to accomplish the first two and Favre hasn't really shown that he's in his late season decline yet.

[Brogarn]

Vikings had a bad game and the Cardinals had an exceptional one and get less credit than they deserve for being a good team.

[Hoax]

That throw and catch to Boldin along the sideline was a top 10 of the season play candidate.

[Murgos]

Vikings had a bad game and the Cardinals had an exceptional one and get less credit than they deserve for being a good team.

Everyone has been anticipating a Favre collapse in December, the real question is, is this it?  Also, last season Arizona didn't get their act together until late in the season, so I'm curious to see if they are for real.

[HaemishM]

I cannot believe NO pulled that off.  No way Washington can lose that game, and somehow they managed it.

Washington Redskins: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory one game at a time.

How the fuck do you miss that chip shot to ice the game? As for the OT fumble, I still think that that was an incomplete pass, but hey, I'm not going to look a gift fumble in the mouth.

Loved watching the Cowboys start their usual December self-destruct sequence. The Giants won that game for one reason: they actually tackled the Cowboys' running backs. There weren't a lot of missed tackles, so the 'Boys couldn't get a good running game going. Romo didn't suck, but he couldn't carry the team on his own.

FUCK YOU, FAV-RAH! You got beat by the Cards. That was another game where the defense didn't miss a lot of tackles and that was what kept Peterson bottled up. And goddamnit, but the Cards have the best wideout corp in the game, hands down. Boldin's touchdown where he pulled the ball in from behind him and then just ran around motherfuckers? Beautiful.

Now I need the Packers to cream the Ravens and my football weekend will be complete.

[naum]

Vikings had a bad game and the Cardinals had an exceptional one and get less credit than they deserve for being a good team.

Everyone has been anticipating a Favre collapse in December, the real question is, is this it?  Also, last season Arizona didn't get their act together until late in the season, so I'm curious to see if they are for real.

Arizona is a better team in 2009 than 2008.

Defensive line, when healthy, one of the best in league (Dockett, Berry), secondary is above average, arguably best receiver unit, improved running game (Beanie Wells) and future Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner…

…looming weakness would be in the form of a crushing hit on Warner (of which he is far more susceptible than any of the other top notch NFL QBs) that delivers career ending concussion and leaves Cardinals fate to Leinart.

[01101010]

The Cards will be saved if they are the wildcard team methinks. No one should be THAT good in other teams' buildings....

[Sky]

Leinart's not too bad and you've gotta have some love for teams that close the season strong going into the playoffs.

But...I don't see them beating the Saints.

[Nevermore]

I thought Minnesota might have had a chance to beat the Saints, but not after seeing the way they played last night.

[Hoax]

Writing the Vikings off after that game seems silly to me.  The Cards are a playoff team, a superbowl team and improved in every way from last year.  It was a home game and the Cards played their best game of the season from what everyone is saying.

Its possible that this is the end of the Vikings but considering their defense let them down, then AP got shut down, then Favre threw some picks in that situation all the people who are stroking their Favre can't play a full season hard on are way ahead of themselves.

[Nevermore]

I'm not writing off the Vikings as some kind of bad team.  I still think they're the second best team in the NFC.  I just don't give them much of a chance against the Saints.

[HaemishM]

Actually, I think the Vikes match up quite well to the Saints for one reason. The Saints' defense, even at its best this year, cannot stop Adrian Peterson like the Cardinals did. Their defense is not even close to being on par with the Cards or the Vikings. While their O line probably could stop the pass rush of the Vikings as well as the Cards did (because the Cards O line isn't great), the Saints defensive line and linebackers aren't nearly as good at tackling AP as the Cards were last night. The only question about the Saints/Vikes matchup is can the Saints passing game outscore the Vikings running/passing game?

[Ingmar]

Their defense is not even close to being on par with the Cards or the Vikings.

This is not borne out statistically, at least.

Scoring defense: NO is within a point and a half of the other two
Passing defense: They're almost even with the Vikings on yards/game and well ahead of Arizona, and notably have more pass deflections than anyone else
Rushing defense: This is where they suffer, they're way behind the Vikings and about 10 yards/game behind Arizona (but not as far behind as Arizona is behind them on passing)
Other misc stats: NO has a lot less sacks, but a bunch more turnovers forced (more INTs than the other 2 teams put together.) They've also scored *8* defensive touchdowns.

All in all I think they hold up pretty well under scrutiny. They're probably a little behind overall, but with all those turnovers and extra points scored I think they make up for being a little weak against the run.

You might also want to note that NO has more rushing yards/game and rushing TDs than Minnesota does, so I wouldn't necessarily write that part of their offense off.

Now I'd say NO has probably played a weaker schedule, so grain of salt, etc.

[Paelos]

Loved watching the Cowboys start their usual December self-destruct sequence. The Giants won that game for one reason: they actually tackled the Cowboys' running backs. There weren't a lot of missed tackles, so the 'Boys couldn't get a good running game going. Romo didn't suck, but he couldn't carry the team on his own.

Romo didn't suck? That's all you're going to give the guy? 41/55, 392 yards, and 3 TDs with no picks? He had the best QB rating of anybody for the week!

The Cowboys lost because Barber fumbled the ball away at the end of the first half, giving the Giants an easy TD. Then the defense forgot how to play and let Jacobs rumble 75 yards on a screen pass. THEN, the special teams let them get TD on an 80 yard punt return.

It had nothing to do with Romo and everything with the team literally taking 3 plays off.

[Brogarn]

Now I need the Packers to cream the Ravens and my football weekend will be complete.

And there you have it...

[JWIV]

Now I need the Packers to cream the Ravens and my football weekend will be complete.

And there you have it...

Pretty much.   Packers spanked the Ravens hard.   

[HaemishM]

It had nothing to do with Romo and everything with the team literally taking 3 plays off.

That was kind of my point. Romo didn't lose them that game, and despite the great stat line, he also didn't win them that game. Good QB's have great stats when their team loses them the game. Great QB's (like every cocksucker has proclaimed Romo to be) gets his team a win despite the foibles of his team. When Romo is on, he does that. After November and when it's really counted, Romo hasn't. Until he gets over that hump, he'll have the same rep Peyton Manning did before he won his Super Bowl. Good stat guy, can't win the big one. Only Romo hasn't even won the little big one yet.

[Paelos]

Hard to win tough games when you're coached by the Pillsbury Dough Puppet.

[sickrubik]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJzbIt37FVo

[HaemishM]

Fucking cajuns.

[sickrubik]

I thought the video was bad enough when they were mixing alcohol and firearms, but then the guy rams is head into the screen. I really thought the video was going a different direction at that point.

[Bungee]

Now that's just unreal. Talk about a team that somehow, someway just quit. Do they want a coach gone? Losing to the 1-11 BROWNS?! WTF am I gonna do with the Towel now...

[Triforcer]

Bah.  Now my Browns won't get Suh 

[01101010]

As a Browns fan, last night was kittens and blood. Great for Cleveland fans to get a win over a past arch rival. Ohio football is strange in that we have been such perennial losers for so long that in terms of big time football, there are only two golden rules - beat Michigan and beat Pittsburgh. The game last night was just horrible on both sides of the ball save the Browns D, but to beat the Steelers and end their hopes of the playoffs (unless some miracle happens) makes the medicine go down.

As a Browns fan in Pittsburgh, its all the sweeter finally watching that arrogance in the fans dry up as they try to rationalize what the hell just happened. I am going to listen intently to all the reasons today about why Pittsburgh imploded.

[JWIV]

Watching the Ravens implode is killing me.  But seeing the Steelers do it even more so makes the pain go away.

[Cyrrex]

I enjoy watching the Steelers lose as much as the next fellow, but could they please not do it so much when I'm counting on their defense to put up at least 15 points for my fantasy league playoff game?  It was god damned Cleveland, for chrissakes!

[Brogarn]

WTF happened last night? I mean, I'm definitely one for dancing on the grave of your hated teams, but holy shit; Cleveland?? 

[01101010]

I enjoy watching the Steelers lose as much as the next fellow, but could they please not do it so much when I'm counting on their defense to put up at least 15 points for my fantasy league playoff game?  It was god damned Cleveland, for chrissakes!

Cleveland's defense has not been that bad this year, though most of the starters are on IR now (which makes last night even more wtf-ish). The offense however... yeah, how the fuck do you win a game when your quarterback throws under 100 yards on 6 completions and your starting HB is also sub 100 rushing? You give the ball to the only player on the team. Why LeBeau did not have 2 people accounting for him is beyond me - though the Steelers special teams have sucked ass all year.

[HaemishM]

I didn't watch the game last night - after all, it's the fucking Browns against the Steelers. Should be a walk for Pittsburgh right?

Holy fuck. Just looking at the box score fills me with bafflement. SIX FUCKING COMPLETIONS? AND YOU WIN? AND THERE ARE NO TURNOVERS ON EITHER SIDE?

How fucking bad was that game? It sounds like it was pure awful.

[Murgos]

I watched about 10 minutes of the game and then when flicking through channels ended up watching part of a show about professional BBQ contestants in the south and forgot the game was even on.  So yeah, pretty F'ing bad.

[naum]

I didn't watch the game last night - after all, it's the fucking Browns against the Steelers. Should be a walk for Pittsburgh right?

Holy fuck. Just looking at the box score fills me with bafflement. SIX FUCKING COMPLETIONS? AND YOU WIN? AND THERE ARE NO TURNOVERS ON EITHER SIDE?

How fucking bad was that game? It sounds like it was pure awful.

Shame in Steeler Nation.

From Super Bowl Champs driving for seven to now, arguably, one of the worst teams in the league.

Coming into Cleveland, at 6-6, could have easily been 11-1, considering that Steelers have coughed up 5 4th quarter leads.

Against the 32nd ranked run defense and 32nd ranked pass defense, could not even muster a touchdown.

Roethlisberger sacked 8 times by that 32nd ranked defense.

Browns score only TD, 1st rushing TD of the year for them and almost put a 200 spot in yards rushing against Steelers.

Steelers secondary and special teams woes continue, and defense seems to be challenged at simple tackling, something that even past mediocre Steeler squads never displayed.

Watching, just thinking and yelling "COME ON MAN", but it looks like they quit on the season already. Or maybe age has caught up to some of them — Farrior looks done, Ward should have sat the game out, it looks like they need to replace 4/5 of the offensive line and 2/3 of the defensive line, gut the secondary, start over on special teams, etc.…

And Tomlin and Lebeau who looked like geniuses last season, appear brain locked and badly outcoached this season.

[El Gallo]

The defense's job is to keep the other team from scoring.  The Steelers defense is #3 in the NFL in points allowed.  Hell, after this week it will likely be #2.  This despite havinig 2 of their best players out for most of the year. It's absurd to blame Lebeau and defense for this season.  The offense is #14 in points scored.  Shockingly, the combo of (mediocre-at-best line)+(QB who holds on the ball too long)+(WRs who can't get open quickly) isn't quire the path to glory we all expected.  And the special teams is just abysmal - four interception kickoff returns for TDs and several other very long returns? It's enough to make one forget the FG-kicking debacle in chicago.

If the game's 40% offense, 40% defense, and 20% special teams, a team with a 13-3 defense, an 8-8 offense, and an 0-16 special teams should come out to about 8-8 or 9-7, which looks like we're headed.

On the bright side, unless Dallas has a crazy run we'll still be alone with 7 Super Bowls.  I still feel oddly dead inside.