NFL 2011

[Chimpy]

The "defense is dead" conversation won't stop until they roll back a few of the more ridiculous rules of the last few years like the "tuck rule", the "quarterback takes one step left or right and it can't be intentional grounding", and this new fangled "catch when the ball touches the ground" bullshit.

[Johny Cee]

Pats should rip up the Ravens, which is fine because the Ravens just don't do anything for me.

Yeah the Ravens are huge underdogs right now against the Patriots and given how inconsistent Flacco still is it doesn't look good for the Ravens. On other hand the Giants were even bigger underdogs against the Packers and look what happened there

Edit: grammar is hard

Really?  While the Packers were favored, almost everything I heard gave the Giants a legit upset shot if they played well, between the earlier meeting and the Giants performance the last couple of weeks.  The last few days, the media narrative was swinging back the other way as it was being pointed out that too many were picking the Giants to upset the Packers. 

I don't think that anyone picked the Giants to drub the Packers, but no one would have been too surprised if the Giants won in a shootout...  especially since the Packers squeaked by the Giants in the regular season in a shootout.


I just don't see how the Ravens beat the Pats without Tom Brady going down to injury early in the game.  I don't think the Ravens can put the points on the board to keep up, and I don't think their D will slow down the Pats enough. 

[Sjofn]

The "defense is dead" conversation won't stop until they roll back a few of the more ridiculous rules of the last few years like the "tuck rule", the "quarterback takes one step left or right and it can't be intentional grounding", and this new fangled "catch when the ball touches the ground" bullshit.

Tch, Eli managed to intentionally ground last week. It's hard, but it still happens! 

[Trippy]

Pats should rip up the Ravens, which is fine because the Ravens just don't do anything for me.

Yeah the Ravens are huge underdogs right now against the Patriots and given how inconsistent Flacco still is it doesn't look good for the Ravens. On other hand the Giants were even bigger underdogs against the Packers and look what happened there
Edit: grammar is hard

Really?  While the Packers were favored, almost everything I heard gave the Giants a legit upset shot if they played well, between the earlier meeting and the Giants performance the last couple of weeks.  The last few days, the media narrative was swinging back the other way as it was being pointed out that too many were picking the Giants to upset the Packers. 

I don't think that anyone picked the Giants to drub the Packers, but no one would have been too surprised if the Giants won in a shootout...  especially since the Packers squeaked by the Giants in the regular season in a shootout.

Well "huge" might be somewhat of an overstatement but the spread on the Packers / Giants game was Packers -8.5. The current spread on the Patriots / Ravens game is Patriots -7.5.

[Johny Cee]

Well "huge" might be somewhat of an overstatement but the spread on the Packers / Giants game was Packers -8.5. The current spread on the Patriots / Ravens game is Patriots -7.5.

Spread is just how the bettors are betting, so it reflects popular bias, and since it's an all or nothing bet spread can end up exaggerating results.  Sports insiders and professionals were so overwhelmingly picking the Giants for the upset that some people were going "whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on...  that's still the GB Packers and Aaron Rodgers out there."

I just don't see how the Ravens can beat the Pats, given their strengths and weaknesses and expecting both to have typical games....  I mean, unless Tom Brady is taken out by a sniper during their first possession, or Welker and Hernandez kill each other in a bloodsport style no holds barred fight tournament the night before (and even then, Gronk would probably have 3 TDs).


Likewise, I think the 49ers are a much, much, much harder matchup for the Giants then the Saints (or even the Pats!).  Like the first matchup, it probably comes down to who makes a mistake.  Should be an amazing football game though!

[01101010]

My gut reaction is, why on earth pick Alex over Eli ever? Then I rewatch the highlights of Alex over Drew and think... well there goes that idea.

[naum]

Packers looked out of sync, and their offensive line woes came to an apex when pitted against a solid Giant defensive line. Also, Giant receivers have been solid, and made the catches whereas Packer receivers did not. Also, you cannot turn the ball over like the Packers did and expect to win come playoff time.

Ravens fan should be troubled as Texans deserved to win that game and if Houston still had Schaub (or even Leinart), they prevail. A poor display on home turf for Baltimore and I fathom that Patriots monster TEs will have their way with Baltimore defensive backfield and Flacco will meltdown in the big game again.

Missed the 49er-Saint game (which from highlights, looked like the best of the weekend), but the pillaging of Tebow by New England showcases Patriots the class of the playoff field, though anything can happen come next Sunday.

[Johny Cee]

My gut reaction is, why on earth pick Alex over Eli ever? Then I rewatch the highlights of Alex over Drew and think... well there goes that idea.

Because it isn't just Alex.  The SF D is good, the special teams are good, and running is good.  SF is a complete team, with an above average QB who is showing increasing moments of brilliance.

The entire Giants team needs to show up and have a good day.  Instead, if they played the Saints, then Eli would need to have a good game and if just one other portion of their team had a good day they could get the win.

[HaemishM]

Fuck, I still feel like shit after that game last night. What an amazing weekend of football, capped off by the biggest turd laid in the middle of Lambeau Field since 2007. Fucking Giants.

Houston just proved to me that my picks for the Super Bowl were all wrong. The Ravens should not have won that game, AT ALL. Two things gave them that game: 1) Jacoby Jones forgot how to field punts and 2) T.J. Yates is not ready to be a starting NFL QB. Yet. I mean, WTF was Jones thinking trying to grab that bouncing punt? It's not like he's got some clear field ahead of him, the defender was within 5 yards and he was inside his own 20. YOU DO NOT TOUCH THAT BALL, EVER. YOU ARE NOT DEVIN FUCKING HESTER. And then he flubs the second kick, and runs backwards for the third. Way to give the Ravens short fields, dickstamp. And yet, the Ravens STILL couldn't put the game away until late. They should have mangled this team, but Flacco was terrible. The Texans' D was good, stopping Ray Rice but when the Ravens just needed a third down conversion, Flacco couldn't step up and make the throws. Of course, neither could Yates which leads me to believe the game would have been different if Schaub had been there (or hell, even Jake Delhomme who was sitting on the bench going, "I could have made that"). Yates did ok, but I felt like the gameplan shackled him a little much. They tried to rely on that naked bootleg too much and the Ravens sniffed it out after the first time. I really think New England is just going to manhandle the Ravens in Foxboro.

I fell asleep and fast forwarded through much of the Pats/Broncos game, especially after the Pats went up 21-0 in the first quarter. Why did it have to be Brady that finally rid me of this troublesome priest quarterback? Brady is on fire, and their defense is doing enough with Flacco playing like shit that I think the Pats win by a TD or more.

San Francisco is a championship caliber team. And frankly, it felt good to see Alex Smith be one of the main reasons they beat the Saints. I normally would root for the Saints, but I wanted to see the Niners win so I could see this team go into Lambeau. I think that would be much more interesting game than the game we're going to get. Give the Niners all the credit in the world. Their defense was knocking motherfuckers out. Their offense didn't turn the ball over, and Smith actually made some plays with his arms AND legs. That bootleg was just amazing, but the catches Vernon Davis made to seal the game - that's what makes watching football so rewarding. Especially when you see the emotion on that man's face when he reailzes just what he's done. After all the shit the Niners team has put their fans through the last decade, it's a great feel good story.

Oh my God, Green Bay, what the fuck? I can't honestly say the fuckups they made were down to 3-week layoff rust. They just played BAD. Not ordinary, BAD. REALLY BAD. 8 dropped passes? That's like 3 games worth of dropped passes for this team normally. Rodgers just flat out MISSED two or three really big pass plays (one to Jennings, one to Finley and I think one more). And then the fumbles, something I have no fucking explanation for. The fumbles weren't even necessarily good hits, guys just could not hold on to the ball. I have no explanation. But the worst part was how bad their pass coverage was. 75% of the passes Manning completed were to a guy with NOBODY within 5 yards of him. The amount of times guys just flat blew coverage was sickening. It's not like the Giants were even doing such elaborate things, the Packers corners and safeties just didn't seem to know who to cover or what their roles were. You can't give Eli that many open looks, he will eat you alive throwing to your grandmother, much less NFL caliber receivers. I don't think the Giants defense played all that great, either. They got SOME pressure on Rodgers, causing him to run, but in a game where the Packers are clicking, Rodgers makes those passes and the recievers make the catches. And what the fuck was McCarthy thinking with that first onside kick? Probably thinking, "My defense can't fucking cover a paraplegic, better give it back to Rodgers!" The worst performance the Packers have had in over a year. One of the reasons Lambeau used to be such a fortress was that Favre got BETTER when the temperature got colder. Rodgers doesn't seem to have that quality, at least not yet.

So the real marquee matchup next Sunday is again the NFC Championship, which I'm looking more forward to than any potential Super Bowl matchup of the teams we have left. I have to root for the Niners now, because I really like the way they are playing. The Ravens should be better, but aren't. I think San Fran can find a way to slow Brady down enough for their offense to win. But those goddamn Giants... they really do play the best when it looks like they are destined to lose. I'm really starting to hate them.

[shiznitz]

The Pats using the TE from the backfield was pure gold.  Plus using the no huddle on the first drive.  Good ideas by the coaches to twist things up. 

[Trippy]

Jim Caldwell gone

[Paelos]

Took them long enough.

[Rasix]

In this picture, Jim Caldwell is:

a) Ecstatic
b) Concerned
c) Concealing a small bird in his hands.

[Ingmar]

I've never seen him so excited!

[Tannhauser]

Irsay is an anti-Vulcanite.  There I said it!

[Chimpy]

Why the hell would you pass for the end zone on two straight downs when you were second and one with almost a minute left?

That kicker is getting a pink slip methinks.

[K9]

What a terrible way to lose a game; I feel really sorry for Rice and the others who played a solid game. That kicker has to go.

I'm happy the Pats. won, because I think in general they are the better team. The O needs to step up a bit, although I thought the D had a good game.

Also I thought Gronk was done after that hit 

[shiznitz]

Flacco lost that game.  When he was flushed to the right , he only had to scamper and slide 2 yards to get 1st and goal.  Then pound it in with Rice and the Ravens go to the Super Bowl. 

[Ruvaldt]

What a terrible way to lose a game; I feel really sorry for Rice and the others who played a solid game. That kicker has to go.

They had a ton of opportunities to get the ball into the endzone.  It's not the kicker's fault that the Ravens' offense wasn't able to score with that many downs at the red zone.  Sure, Cundiff probably should have made the kick, but he also shouldn't have had to even try.

[ghost]

Flacco lost that game.  When he was flushed to the right , he only had to scamper and slide 2 yards to get 1st and goal.  Then pound it in with Rice and the Ravens go to the Super Bowl. 

The kicker sure didn't help much.   

What a game!

[Zetleft]

Cundif isn't even a Cowboy anymore but still finds a way to piss me off.   So sick of the pats.

[Merusk]

So. Many. Ace ventura references on Facebook.

"Laces Out!" 

[JWIV]

Probably should have made that kick?  PROBABLY?  It's 32 fucking yards out, it's a god damn extra point.  And step off Flacco - he hit Evans square in the hands, and he fucking gets butter fingers and drops it in the endzone.  Flacco played a fine game - receivers have to step up and hold on to the damn ball when it hits them in both hands.

[caladein]

I'd like to apologize to any Ravens fans, as Cundiff was my fantasy kicker this year and clearly still had some of the stink left on him come today.

[Sjofn]

I can't take another half arghghghgh

[Tannhauser]

Who knew Flacco would not be the one to lose the game for them?  Ravens did a good job, even took the lead, but the Pats just get the breaks.  Was funny to see Tom Brady admit he sucked.

The Niners/Giants game is good stuff.  Just tough football with some big plays.  Eli is an elite QB and the Giants are hustling around.  Damn can Cruz play some ball!  The Niners are solid and I really like the tough running of Frank Gore.

 

[Nevermore]

Ravens win that game if the receiver doesn't drop the ball in the end zone.  Kicker should have never had to have been in the position to kick more than an extra point.

Fucking Patriots.

[Sjofn]

That hit his kneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee graaaaaaaah

Ahem.

[Chimpy]

What the fuck is with punt returners hanging around a ball that has bounced?

 

[Tannhauser]

Manning to Manningham for a hard won TD.  Giants O vs. Niners D is the battle tonight for me.  How many playmakers do the Giants farkin' HAVE?

[Sjofn]

Man, the 49ers defense was sort of meh in the first half, but they've been pretty damn good in the second half.

[Chimpy]

That was a bullshit telegraphed whistle there.

[Ingmar]

What the fuck is with punt returners hanging around a ball that has bounced?

 

Our regular returner is out, Ginn wouldn't make that error probably.

[Chimpy]

These overtime rules are stupid. Just make it a ten minute overtime period and no sudden death or do it like high school and college where you trade possessions.

[Tannhauser]

I like the new OT rules, but not poor Ed having to recite them before the coin toss.