NFL 2010

[Zetleft]

I'm hanging my entire season on Carson Palmer now. Joy.

Looking in a mirror.  My work league I ended up with Kolb and Palmer too.  RBs will have to carry that mess.

[Paelos]

I ended up picking up the QB from Oakland that replaced slackass Jason Campbell. That's right, I'm pinning my bye week chances on Oakland. 

[Chimpy]

Watching Michael Vick fail is one of the wonderful treasures that the NFL offers the discerning fan.

The only way that failure could be better was if he played for Dallas.

[HaemishM]

I would pay money to see Jerry Jones' face when Vick got sacked for a fumble to keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs.

[Sjofn]

Big lose for Kevin Kolb.  But nobody really gives a shit about that.

Except the people who fantasy drafted him.  

My family league is so in the shitter now.   Kolb and Flacco were my gifts from the autodraft.    

My autodraft picked Flacco and some backup QB (in ... Tampa?). I wound up picking up Hasselbeck to be my other QB. 

[Rasix]

Girls playing fantasy football.  WAT?

[Ingmar]

I also had Kolb (but with the 'amazing' Chad Henne as a backup. Nothing against him in actual practice but he's a terrible fantasy QB.) I ended up being able to grab Vick off of waivers, though. Mixed feelings about that, because I don't really like rooting for him, but...

[Sjofn]

Girls playing fantasy football.  WAT?

I know, it's crazy! I even beat Ingmar in our match up last weekend. 

[Nevermore]

There's five women in my 14 team league.

[Sjofn]

I think there's only two in mine this year (out of 12 teams), but I can't think of a single time I've played in a fantasy league where I've been the only woman.

[Paelos]

Like being a Yankees fan, being a Cowboys fan means accepting that people love it when you suck:

[Chimpy]

It is not that those of us who are non-bandwagon fans enjoy the Cowboys sucking, it is that we like to give a big "fuck you" to all the obnoxious fans that won't shut up about how the Cowboys are "America's Team" (hint, they aren't) and saying shit like "How 'bout dem Cowboys!" all the time.

[HaemishM]

I blame the grab bag full of douche that is Jerry Jones.

[Paelos]

It is not that those of us who are non-bandwagon fans enjoy the Cowboys sucking, it is that we like to give a big "fuck you" to all the obnoxious fans that won't shut up about how the Cowboys are "America's Team" (hint, they aren't) and saying shit like "How 'bout dem Cowboys!" all the time.

Certainly not "America's Team" anymore. We lost that when Irvin, Aikman, and Emmit finally left the building.

However a Neislen Rating Index indicates that the Cowboys are by far the #1 television ratings grabber in the NFL as of last year. Next was the Steelers, then the Giants, and tied in a distant 4th were the Bears/Packers/Vikings.

How 'bout dem Cowboys? 

[Cyrrex]

Probably because those are the teams everyone watches in hopes that they will suffer humiliating defeat.  I would gladly watch a Texan/Cowboy matchup this weekend, despite the fact that I hate the one team and am indifferent to the other.  Ratings do not necessarily equal love.  I find it far more interesting that GB and Minnesota (and even Pittsburgh) were in that list....those are small markets.  That probably actually means that people like those teams.

Also, fuck the Cowboys.

[Paelos]

Love us or hate us, just keep watching America!

[Segoris]

Ratings do not necessarily equal love.  I find it far more interesting that GB and Minnesota (and even Pittsburgh) were in that list....those are small markets.  That probably actually means that people like those teams.

Also, fuck the Cowboys.

IIRC, even when those teams are losing they still generally get good ratings since they are the classic, and most recognized, NFL teams. I think without the recent success of the Pats and Saints, they'd be replaced by SF and Mia who also generally have a decent following from what I remember.

[Ingmar]

The 49ers are a hard team to love right now, and I don't mean that only because they've not been very successful. They used to be a team full of likeable, charismatic guys. Now, from the coach on down, the asshole factor seems a lot higher to me than to when I grew up watching them. Nobody ever seems to smile anymore, they don't seem like they're having fun, and that makes them less fun to watch.

[Hoax]

None of that matters if you have a QB. The Niners haven't had a QB that anyone could stand in the post Young era. Garcia was a nice guy and everyone misses him now and wishes him well but at the time he was too fruity too small and had too ugly a release not to mention he obviously lacked any leadership in the locker room.

Nothing more needs to be said about Alex Smith.

The only QB I can remember recently being enjoyable was that kid from I believe Washington who was 3rd string and also played special teams. He was a blast.

[Segoris]

I agree with Ingmar that they are hard to love, but I'd guess that they still maintain a pretty good fanbase between Singletary/Crabtree/Davis/Gore/Willis. No, it's not topping the charts thanks to losing season in the shadow of the 80s and 90s with the number of legends and hall of famers they had in those two decades, but still a pretty large fan base.

None of that matters if you have a QB.

If it was any other team, I'd say that I think it's more about having a solid focal point in general than it is the QB, and then give the Bears as an example. Seeing it is the 49ers and their history of QBs, yeah...you need a high quality QB or for that defense to be better than Bal and Pitts combined at this point to maintain that fanbase they had up until about 7-10 years ago.

[caladein]

Trying to freeze the kicker with a timeout negates your team's blocked FG, I love it so.  And it happened to the Saints for extra deliciousness.

[Paelos]

Trying to freeze the kicker with a timeout negates your team's blocked FG, I love it so.  And it happened to the Saints for extra deliciousness.

I love it when that bullshit backfires. The rules committee seriously just needs to outlaw that on kicks. It would be simple to say that you have to call the TO before the players come set to the line on kicks.

[Sjofn]

Horrible football weekend for me. Even the Jets winning (which I sort of suspect they won't) won't make me feel better since they're a distant fourth place in "teams I root for" behind the Giants, "whoever is playing the Eagles" and "whoever is playing the Cowboys." :(

I feel sort of weird about how completely indifferent I am to the Redskins. Always have been! The most I can work up is "man I really hate that they're still named that."

[01101010]

So I moved from Pittsburgh, South Hills region down to good ol' Darlington, SC. Me and the roommate hit up a local sports bar with a senior VP at her company to watch the Browns play since he is a HOOG Browns fan. Now granted, the Browns are the Browns, but in that packed sports bar, every god damn time the Steelers did anything positive the whole place erupted in applause, and part of my soul died. I suspect the only real place to move to in order to get away from these fuckin fans is Dallas, TX which is   anyway... (no offense to anyone living there).

edit: Just noticed the JETS are on again in prime time. I am starting to get sick of Sancheese.

[Sjofn]

You could move to the Bay Area and watch what it's like when an entire region pretends football doesn't exist because oh God consider the alternative.

[01101010]

You could move to the Bay Area and watch what it's like when an entire region pretends football doesn't exist because oh God consider the alternative.

Actually, now that you mention it when I lived out there it was rather peaceful (circa 1997ish)

[Paelos]

Obligatory: HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS! 

[Muffled]

I know right?  They didn't look completely awful! 

Of course this means I'm now 0 for 2 on my predictions on this forum.

You guys will just have to take my word that I have been right once or twice in the past, and may be right again some day.

[Ingmar]

Niners are well on their way to yet another spate of coordinator replacements. Good times. 

[shiznitz]

Obligatory: HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS! 

Eagles lead the division.   

And next on Ripley's Believe It Or Not!....

[HaemishM]

Trying to freeze the kicker with a timeout negates your team's blocked FG, I love it so.  And it happened to the Saints for extra deliciousness.

I love it when that bullshit backfires. The rules committee seriously just needs to outlaw that on kicks. It would be simple to say that you have to call the TO before the players come set to the line on kicks.

Amen. I am so fucking sick of that shit. I'm trying to watch a game, and the fucking coaches keep interrupting the flow to try to "get in the heads" of the kicker. How about just not letting them get into fucking field goal range in the first place? Also, what the fuck is wrong with Garrett Hartley? Holy shit, that was a bad bad miss. No one to blame that on but the kicker.

The Colts looked good but not dominant, which is what I expect from them this year. The Broncos looked good but not championship caliber. And put me on the "All you fuckers who run down Kyle Orton can suck a nut" club, because you know what? He's actually a decent QB. He'll never be elite, but he's a shitload better than Rex Grossman (not hard) and I might put him in the Cutler level of play. Getting out of Chicago looks like the best thing that could have happened to him. McDaniels' system seems to fit him very well. He had more yards than Manning, he just had a few throws that didn't work and his running game could not bail him out. Seriously, 4 downs on the 1 and you can't punch it in? Wooga.

The Jets winning chapped my ass, but really, they were good. I also hate that Edwards got the winning TD. Fuckhead. Miami threw the ball too much, IMO. Ronnie Brown should have gotten more touches. Sanchez is starting to look like a capable QB. The fact that Cameron Wake never touched him pretty much ensured the Jets would have a good offensive game.

TONIGHT! PACKERS AND BEARS!

[Chimpy]

TONIGHT! PACKERS AND BEARS!

And it is football weather too. Was down to almost 40 degrees here, 2 hours south of Chicago, last night.

[Segoris]

Yeah, during game-time tonight it should be a high of 60 and low of 50, classic football weather for one of the best rivalries.

The Colts looked good but not dominant, which is what I expect from them this year. The Broncos looked good but not championship caliber. And put me on the "All you fuckers who run down Kyle Orton can suck a nut" club, because you know what? He's actually a decent QB. He'll never be elite, but he's a shitload better than Rex Grossman (not hard) and I might put him in the Cutler level of play. Getting out of Chicago looks like the best thing that could have happened to him. McDaniels' system seems to fit him very well. He had more yards than Manning, he just had a few throws that didn't work and his running game could not bail him out. Seriously, 4 downs on the 1 and you can't punch it in? Wooga.

In general, I think the Colts are right where they should be. They are pacing themselves well, not rushing to win, and yesterday they put points on the board without Garcon and Gonzalez while Wayne was held up by Champ Bailey (which as a Manning+Collie owner made me happy). Also, Orton is usually successful vs Ind's defense averaging what, 300 ypg coming into Sunday's game? I think yesterday went about as well as expected. IMO, what really hurt was Den being held to 36 running yards between Maroney and Buckhalter, as unless you have Manning/Brees/Brady at the helm it will be that much harder to punch it in while in the red zone without a running threat. That is obvious, but yesterday just proved that rule more true than ever (5 rz trips for 6 points for Den). Though great job by Den's O-line for only giving up 1 sack (to Mathis), and only a combined 3 tackles and 1 assisted tackle to Mathis and Freeney is remarkable. Even more credit to them since a lot of what I saw was 1v1 match ups vs two monster D-linemen.

Also, Orton vs Grossman? Way to set the bar really, REALLY low . I do think McDaniels' system is the perfect fit for Orton which leads to a lot of his success. I don't think Orton leaving Chi was ever questioned as being bad for Orton, what was questioned was Cutler being in a bad position by moving to Chi and if McDaniels was crazy for doing that trade. So far, it seems he knew what he was doing.

As for freezing kickers, I hate it but I can't think of a single fair rule that would not be exploitable by a defense, or unfair to a defense, while preventing it.

[HaemishM]

Also, Orton vs Grossman? Way to set the bar really, REALLY low . I do think McDaniels' system is the perfect fit for Orton which leads to a lot of his success. I don't think Orton leaving Chi was ever questioned as being bad for Orton, what was questioned was Cutler being in a bad position by moving to Chi and if McDaniels was crazy for doing that trade. So far, it seems he knew what he was doing.

Yeah, the Grossman comparison was obviously heavily slanted. But really, I think Orton could do at least as well as probably 5 or 6 other QB's that are starting on teams out there, and he's gotten a bad rap he doesn't deserve. Cutler is a fucking retard, though. I think he'd have done just as well as Orton in that system, maybe better. Throwing his little hissy fit set him back at least a year and I expect Martz' offense will improve his TD numbers but with a lot more INT's and sacks.

Seriously, WTF is up with Kansas City? Are they really good enough to challenge for a playoff spot or is it a scheduling thing?

[Segoris]

I agree Orton is not a bad QB (definitely not as bad as most give him credit of being), but I think that he looks better than most QBs today since many aren't that great right now or are in systems that don't work for them. So yes, he's arguably a top 10 QB now, but the bar is low where he would normally be 15th-20th, which would still be better than most would give him credit for.

As for KC, it is mostly a schedule thing. They should be 2-1 with their schedule (maybe 1-2 if SF played like they did vs NO), but SD's pile of shit they produced in wk1 allowed KC to be 3-0. They aren't a good 3-0 team, and coming up they have a bye in wk4, then are away in Ind and Hou. So I believe that they're soon to be 3-2 imo, but then they have another easy two weeks at home following that Hou game (hosting Jac and Buf). Ultimately, one of the easiest schedules and they could make a playoff run if SD doesn't wake up (though SD has been solid after some bad starts to recent season).