NFL 2012

[Paelos]

How bout dem Cowboys? 

[JWIV]

I'm actually a bit surprised since the first half was sure a whole lot of Romo being Romo.

[Malakili]

Injuries in the secondary for the Giants basically decided that game. 

[Sjofn]

TIME TO FIRE COUGHLIN

[Malakili]

TIME TO FIRE COUGHLIN

 

Cowboys looked legitimately good though.  Better than I've seen in a while.  It is going to be a tough division this year, even more so than usual.

[Paelos]

So is Cleveland happy to see Art Modell dead today?

[HaemishM]

Motherfucking Cowboys.

The Giants defense just basically took the second half off. Of course, having a fifth string cornerback out there was a SERIOUSLY big contributing factor, but not being able to stop the run after halftime certainly didn't help. Arm tackling, over pursuit, and just plain missing coverage killed that team. How the fuck does a #3 receiver no one has ever heard of come out of nowhere to shit all over a top-rated defense? Apparently, because that top-rated defense can't cover a lame dog without a pass rush. What's worse is the pass rush got fucked by not being able to contain on the edge. The ends were rushing inside, Romo ducks and moves outside and suddenly they can't catch him.

And what the fuck Victor Cruz? Three drops? Did we finally see the real Victor Cruz show up? Eli had at least 4 maybe 6 drops that would have been first downs or at least significant gains. And holy shit the running game went NOWHERE. Yeah, let's let Brandon Jacobs go and put it all on Ahmad Bradshaw, who can't stay healthy in a real 2-back system, and a rookie with a history of fumbling problems. Not that Jacobs was any great loss but they could have at least have signed somebody like Ryan Grant to provide some veteran presence behind Bradshaw.

I'm mostly mad because I hate the Cowboys and Eli is my QB on both fantasy teams. Motherfucker.

[01101010]

So is Cleveland happy to see Art Modell dead today?

Do we get a team that is at least mildly competitive? No?

Then no... don't give a shit.  

Now if this broke whatever the fuck curse is hanging over the Browns... then yeah. But that is TBD.

[Paelos]

I'm mostly mad because I hate the Cowboys and Eli is my QB on both fantasy teams. Motherfucker.

 

[Sjofn]

Wookit dat widdle puppy, d'awwww.

Eli's one of my QBs too (he's basically my team mascot), but our little FFB league is so teeny we get to start TWO quarterbacks. So hopefully Drew Brees has a good week. 

[shiznitz]

I'm mostly mad because I hate the Cowboys and Eli is my QB on both fantasy teams. Motherfucker.

 

Eli's ability to win close games in a pinch is not a good indicator if his fantasy value.  Plus, he always looks rough early in the season.  Even so, I have him as one of 2 QBs in another league as well because he was available in the mid rounds.

[sickrubik]

Sjofn is neglecting to tell you her OTHER QB.

[HaemishM]

I suspect I'll be making the Eli face often this season.

EDIT: Also, was it just me, or did those replacement refs miss at least 2 or 3 holding calls on the offensive lines of both teams, as well as at least one really fucking blatant interference call in the end zone?

[sickrubik]

The perception I had from last night's officiating is that it was pretty much normal officiating. Neither side seems to be complaining and I haven't seen any commentary complaining about it either.

But really, if you hadn't said "replacement" in that sentence, it would look EXACTLY like every post ever about any game.

[Paelos]

The NFL isn't stupid. They put the absolute best bunch of refs they had on that game to show everything was fine.

The test will be on Sunday when they can't hide the shitty ones.

[Segoris]

That's exactly what I heard as well, and it was a very smart move.

[Tannhauser]

The real refs are human too...

"1998 NFL Thanksgiving Day Game: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions: This controversial call changed the game of football forever … or at least the coin toss. The Steelers and Lions were tied and the game was sent into overtime. The coin was flipped midfield and, according to Steelers RB Jerome Bettis, he called tails. The coin landed tails side up and the referee declared the Lions the winner of the toss.

Confusion erupted. Bettis screamed at officials that the referee had gotten the toss result wrong. Referee Phil Luckett, the official who declared the toss, later told reporters that Bettis had called ''heads-tails'' and Luckett, according to NFL rules, went with the first thing he heard out of Bettis’ mouth. The Lions went on to win in overtime and Steelers fans have never forgotten.

No one will ever know if Bettis said heads or tails first, but the rules regarding the coin toss have been since changed to avoid any further controversy. "

Edit:  Remove tag

[Sjofn]

Sjofn is neglecting to tell you her OTHER QB.

I do enjoy that I have a Manning Monopoly. 

[sickrubik]

Wow.

"In a stunning development, players suspended for their roles in the Saints' 2009-2011 Bounty Scandal have had their bans overturned on appeal."

[HaemishM]

Yeah, just saw that. Totally throws the whole thing up in the air. If the players are off the hook, what about the coaches? You'd think at least Payton, Vitt and Loomis have some options for appeal? Gregg Williams is fucked, but, seriously... fuck that guy.

[sickrubik]

Yeah, just saw that. Totally throws the whole thing up in the air. If the players are off the hook, what about the coaches? You'd think at least Payton, Vitt and Loomis have some options for appeal? Gregg Williams is fucked, but, seriously... fuck that guy.

The coaches aren't part of the CBA, from which this is cascading. Basically, it was ruled that this was a pay-for-performance pool. Because of that, it's up to the system arbitrator to dish out punishment, not Goodell.

[Ingmar]

Also I think probably the coaches get held to a bit of a higher standard here. It is, after all, part of the players' job description to do what coaches tell them to.

[sickrubik]

I fully expect new suspensions to come down, probably shorter, and much more transparency. It doesn't sound like they ruled the players not guilty, but that the situation was handled incorrectly.

[Segoris]

https://twitter.com/JonVilma51/status/244155959625269248

Jonathan VilmaVerified‏@JonVilma51

 Victory is mine!!!! -stewie griffin

 

[Paelos]

I never understood why the players were suspended. I understood exactly why the coaches were. It's a management v. employee issue.

[sickrubik]

It's not really a matter of "why", but of "whom". This wasn't an exoneration of charges.

[Trippy]

I fully expect new suspensions to come down, probably shorter, and much more transparency. It doesn't sound like they ruled the players not guilty, but that the situation was handled incorrectly.

Proving intent to injure is going to be tricky.

[WayAbvPar]

Ugh, Matthew Stafford is having a nightmare game. Detroit looks like dogshit. Ditto for Houston. And Buffalo.

[Tannhauser]

Lions win ugly.  Once again, the Lions playoff hopes ride on Staffords arm.  Can a brother get a defense?

[Triforcer]

Goddammit, Browns.  Another fucking season of losing every game 13-10 because we struck out YET AGAIN on QBs, but manage to field a decent defense. 

[01101010]

Lions win ugly.  Once again, the Lions playoff hopes ride on Staffords arm.  Can a brother get a defense?

Goddammit, Browns.  Another fucking season of losing every game 13-10 because we struck out YET AGAIN on QBs, but manage to field a decent defense. 

So let's merge teams and move to Toledo! 

[Tannhauser]

So the Toledo Brions?

[MrHat]

Didn't have access to a TV today really (stuck at work), so I ended up streaming NFL games from Sky Sports.

It's jarring to hear a british announcer announcing American Football.

[MuffinMan]

I'm having a terrible time finding streams so far, including this past Wednesday.

[Paelos]

I have absolutely no idea what's going on in the NFL this week. Or football for that matter this week. So many teams that are favored going to absolute shit.