NFL 2012

[cmlancas]

Ronde Barber's still got it; Bucs looked good.

Also, Broncos looked amazing last night...anyone else thinking the Colts made a mistake?   

[shiznitz]

Ronde Barber's still got it; Bucs looked good.

Also, Broncos looked amazing last night...anyone else thinking the Colts made a mistake?   

Manning coming off the sidelines after an hour of watching The Rapist play and popping a TD in downs was awesome.  Glad to see the Pats will have at least one potential contender.  Holy shit did they look good.

[Paelos]

I can't imagine what the Colts would have had if they kept Manning and let him start in front of Luck.

[01101010]

Ronde Barber's still got it; Bucs looked good.

Also, Broncos looked amazing last night...anyone else thinking the Colts made a mistake?   

I don't think the Colts made a mistake. They are rebuilding and I doubt Manning would have survived behind that patchwork line they have now. At least Luck can endure a year or two before the Colts ramp back up.


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

Might be the only highlight all season, but I think that one was for Jimmy Brown. 

[JWIV]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step. 

Bonus Peyton Gif

[K9]

Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte looked pretty awesome last night I thought. Jeffries and Bush too. The Bears might actually have an offense this season!

[Nebu]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step. 

I was laughing out loud watching him dissect the Pittsburgh defense with the no huddle.  Even with the loss of velocity on his passes, he still has a level of field vision that is unmatched.  It's obvious that Peyton knows the X's and O's better than nearly every NFL player to date.  The guy is a study of how knowing the details of the game can positively affect your ability on the field. 

[sickrubik]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step.  

Bonus Peyton Gif

The point that he started having fun made me realize that us Broncos fans are in for one helluva season. The three straight sacks at the end had me giddy as well. <3 Von Miller.

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step. 

I was laughing out loud watching him dissect the Pittsburgh defense with the no huddle.  Even with the loss of velocity on his passes, he still has a level of field vision that is unmatched.  It's obvious that Peyton knows the X's and O's better than nearly every NFL player to date.  The guy is a study of how knowing the details of the game can positively affect your ability on the field. 

The proof was when he was toying with Troy Polamalu.

[cmlancas]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step. 

I was laughing out loud watching him dissect the Pittsburgh defense with the no huddle.  Even with the loss of velocity on his passes, he still has a level of field vision that is unmatched.  It's obvious that Peyton knows the X's and O's better than nearly every NFL player to date.  The guy is a study of how knowing the details of the game can make you one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time

FIFY

Although much credit should be given to McGahee.  Was running with a purpose last night.

[Paelos]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step. 

I was laughing out loud watching him dissect the Pittsburgh defense with the no huddle.  Even with the loss of velocity on his passes, he still has a level of field vision that is unmatched.  It's obvious that Peyton knows the X's and O's better than nearly every NFL player to date.  The guy is a study of how knowing the details of the game can positively affect your ability on the field. 

My friend and I were both chuckling that he does better in the no-huddle because he doesn't have to listen to the shitty Broncos offensive coordinator. He just calls in his own plays. We're betting that at least once every single game, Peyton points to his helmet mic getting suddenly "disconnected" and he just does his own thing.

[naum]

Yah, Peyton was ridiculous last night and doesn't look to have lost a step.  

I was laughing out loud watching him dissect the Pittsburgh defense with the no huddle.  Even with the loss of velocity on his passes, he still has a level of field vision that is unmatched.  It's obvious that Peyton knows the X's and O's better than nearly every NFL player to date.  The guy is a study of how knowing the details of the game can positively affect your ability on the field.  

I'd hold off on the accolades for Manning just yet.

That Steeler defense is a sorry lot, even looking more pathetic than the bunch that got chewed up by Tim Tebow in the playoffs last year. No pass rush (their down lineman are now old and feeble), shoddy tackling (which even in down Steeler D years has always been a plus), poor man to man coverage, etc.…  …even when sending 7-8+, Manning still had plentiful time to setup and throw -- the only time they sacked him was on unusual blitz schemes, that the Broncos eventually adjusted for.

Tebow, 316 YD, 2 TD, 15 YPA
Manning, 253 YD, 2 TD, 9.7 YPA

And Polamalu, since getting abused by Rodgers in the SB loss to the Packers, outside of a few big plays at line of scrimmage, has been subpar, at least on pass defense.

[sickrubik]

One of your examples how bad the Steelers was was about how the Broncos adjusted to the scheme... but Manning/Broncos don't have any reason to have accolades?

Seriously. Go back and look at that tape, especially when it comes to A) That the broncos adjusted for the scheme, and B) Manning's signal calling, picking up on blitzes and adjusting them and eating them up, and making Polamalu look foolish.

Sure, Steelers were missing some individuals, but to say that Manning had no reason to have an accolades for how he played is disingenuous at best.

[Paelos]

We'll see how he does against the Falcons on the road. Falcons have a good offense, but I'm not sold on their new defensive scheme at all.

[sickrubik]

We'll see how he does against the Falcons on the road. Falcons have a good offense, but I'm not sold on their new defensive scheme at all.

It'll be a good test for both teams, given the complete shitstorm that is the Chiefs this season.

[HaemishM]

This Sunday's theme should be "Shitty Refs and the Cornerbacks Who Love Them Long Time."

Seriously, fuck me the officiating was bad yesterday. Now, it's usually bad so this is nothing new. However, the badness this time was one of complete and utter inconsistency. We're used to the "I just breathed on his arm and got a pass interference call against me" that the NFL has mandated over the last 5 years. Unfortunately, the replacement refs weren't - which is why there were an absolute SHITTON of interceptions yesterday. Receivers (and in some cases cornerbacks) were getting MUGGED yesterday without a flag. In a similar vein, offensive linemen had a field day. Every game I watched, there was at least one or two blatant clothesline style hold blocks from a left tackle on some charging DE or LB, and not a flag was thrown. The "illegal block in the back" bullshit call that I so despise (seriously, fuck that rule - take it back to clipping, a below the belt at the knees block is illegal and leave the rest alone) also got a bunch of no calls. Normally, I'd be fine with all these no calls, as it's a bit back to the way it used to be - but I've been so conditioned to expect these calls because of the league's emphasis on them that their absence is really pronounced. And that call at the end of the Arizona/Seattle game with the Hawks getting an extra timeout? That's just fucking egregious and somebody out to lose their job over it. I would suggest Goddell or whoever thought locking out the refs would be a good idea, but we know that won't fucking happen.

The games? Welp, RG III is for-fucking-real. Now, I'm not going to go out on a limb and say that the New Orleans defense was all that good, mind you. But he played well, he had poise, he was accurate and he didn't throw any picks. The game plan for him was fucking brilliant. Start him off with bubble screens and short, high percentage throws to get him in rhythm and get his confidence up. Then gradually start adding on. He ate it up and the Saints never really had much answer for him. Washington's defensive front is also really good. They are going to DESTROY lesser teams front lines. I look forward to them really pancaking Vick.

Speaking of the dog killer, hey look, he just threw another INT. 56 fucking passes? That's crazy. And it was against Cleveland who couldn't muster an offense behind an equally shitty rookie QB with no one to throw to. It's going to be a LONG YEAR in Cleveland. I expect Colt McCoy might be starting sometime this season, so there's that to look forward to.  

Peyton is back, baby. Yes, Polamalu has always been weak in pass coverage. Tough. He's what you got. I notice he didn't do too much run stopping either. Not that the rest of the Steelers D did all that much stopping either. Manning finally has a decent running game, and yes, he played better when the O coordinator shut the fuck up and let him be awesome. That Broncos defense is better than any defense Peyton has ever had but I knew that already. I think the Steelers are definitely going to be on the decline this year. Their run game is sub par, and the Rapist can't carry that team deep into the playoffs. Their defense is tough but suspect. Good thing they get 2 games against Cleveland and 2 games against Flacco this year.

LOL Arizona - Kevin Kolb shines in the place he shines best - coming in for an injured QB. Controversy incoming!!!!

Matthew Stafford just threw another INT. The Rams. THE RAMS. Say that again over and over and realize you have to play the Bears twice. And speaking of the Bears, I hope the Chicago faithful don't get too excited just yet. They put up monster points against the Colts and Andrew Luck don't play defense. That team has a new head coach, new D coordinator and new defensive scheme that may not be suited to some of their defensive stars like Freeney. I'm not saying the Bears won't be better than last year (how could they not be?) but let's not get overly excited yet. Your defense is still getting old and Cutler is still standing behind that suspect O line.

Green Bay and San Francisco. I see that no one taught the Packers defense how to tackle again this year. And worse, they forgot how to cover anybody. At least three plays in the first half they had busted ass coverage that left a receiver over the middle, no one within 10 yards of him. No turnovers, inability to run the ball and at times inability to CATCH the ball - Packers lose. Luckily, this was against probably the best defense in the country. The Niners D is playing out of its mind. Also, see my rant about the refs and pass interference above - though I should be thankful. Their no call on the illegal block in the back allowed Randall Cobb to score a TD on a punt return. But the tackling... Morgan Burnett ought to have started running his laps after the game and should still be running them. I don't know what the fuck he was thinking trying to back into Frank Gore to force him out of bounds but that ain't how you tackle somebody. Tackling as a whole is becoming a lost art, though, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Still, as bad as the refs were, the Packers lost this one all on their own. If the Bears new look offense is really good, it should have a field day against this secondary.

Fuck these games tonight. Talk about a shittastic first MNF lineup.  

[Paelos]

The Packers defense, much like the Patriots defense, will be the reason they don't win a title this year.

[HaemishM]

I would tend to agree with you unless I see some improvement.

[Segoris]

I'm not saying the Bears won't be better than last year (how could they not be?) but let's not get overly excited yet. Your defense is still getting old and Cutler is still standing behind that suspect O line.

Did you just forget about the first 10 games of the season for the Bears, you know, the ones before Forte and Cutler got injured where they were a strong 7 and 3? That actually will be a tough act to follow. The remaining 6 games of last season was awful and it's damn near impossible to not be better than that. Yes, the defense is getting old but they're still very good in a working system. There are some things to be excited about though. The offense no longer has to listen to Martz and is much more balanced as a result, which will cause troubles down the line for defenses, especially now that Cutler has one true #1 WR and another up and coming, not to mention two halfbacks who could easily be a feature back for most teams. The O-line is weak though, but with faster delivery and better targets it will appear better than it is, but it will usually get the job done. Still lots to improve on but it's a good start.

Optimistic and excited is good for Bears fans right now because it's deserved. Being realistic, though, is realizing that Chi will be taking the #5 seed in the NFC while probably ending up 1 game behind GB who will be fighting for the #1. It will be possible to take that top seed from them, but Chi is still the underdog in that competition.


Edit- agree wit the rest, though I always enjoy watching Bal regardless of who they play

[Ingmar]

It is funny watching Niners fans who are unable to come to grips with Alex Smith being good. I have a friend who is going through all kinds of contortions after that game trying to give him no credit, after doing it all last season as well. This next game is the one where it all falls apart, I swear!

[HaemishM]

Alex Smith is going to be good enough so long as he can keep the INT's down. That's always been the big killer with him. He's never going to light up the stadium, never going to be elite, but he doesn't have to be so long as they can run the ball and play good defense. I'd say he's Dilfer Mk2 but he's better than that.

As for Chicago fighting for the #5 spot, I could easily see them wining the division with Green Bay and Detroit scrapping it out over that #5 spot. Green Bay's defense is just so damn suspect. Detroit has a worse secondary with a better pass rush. The key to the Bears will be depth and injuries. If their defense can stay relatively healthy, they can win that division.

[Trippy]

Alex Smith is going to be good enough so long as he can keep the INT's down. That's always been the big killer with him.

He set the new Niners record for consecutive passe completions without an INT with 185. Steve Young had the record at 184.

[Bunk]

As a Bears fan, I am practically salivating for Thursday night.

[Sjofn]

Alex Smith is going to be good enough so long as he can keep the INT's down. That's always been the big killer with him.

He set the new Niners record for consecutive passe completions without an INT with 185. Steve Young had the record at 184.

HALL OF FAME, HERE HE COMES 


I lost my FFB match up this week. I didn't start Peyton because I wanted to see if his head got knocked off in the first week or not. As it did not, I think I will be benching Eli in favor of Peyton (we get to start two QBs, because our league is tiny, and my other one is Brees). I just know he'll sense it and feel sad and not even know why. 

[Paelos]

He'll probably realize the curse is over and unleash the fury. 

[Sjofn]

Hey, he was totally on my team last year too. 

[Johny Cee]

Is anyone else tired of the Harbaughs?  I'm tired of seeing their meatheady faces gabbing on the sideline.

During the Baltimore game, John called a timeout to bitch out the refs for the personal foul call on the hit to the QB.  His player launched head first into the QB and didn't even make the effort to get his arms up like he was pretending to tackle rather that trying to hit as hard as he could.  And then you burn a time out so you can bitch about it?

[Paelos]

Is anyone else tired of the Harbaughs?

No. I think they are probably the best coaching stories in the league. They've taken two franchises and elevated them to new levels, and two struggling QBs that are becoming stronger due to their support.

[01101010]

No. I think they are probably the best coaching stories in the league. They've taken two franchises and elevated them to new levels, and two struggling QBs that are becoming stronger due to their support.

Well, Jim - yeah I can agree. John - jury is still out till they win another SB, since that is the pinnacle and they were already there once.

[Paelos]

I think the John story is going to be huge once the Joe Flacco elevation comes into play.

[01101010]

Flacco has plenty of time to fuck everything up, as history points out. One game into the season... and this goes for all the teams. The turnaround in San Fran is a great story for sure though.

[Paelos]

I don't think Flacco will fuck it up this season. He's finally able to make throws that only 5 other guys in the league can make. His arm was never in question, just his accuracy and mentality.

[HaemishM]

I don't think Flacco will fuck it up this season. He's finally able to make throws that only 5 other guys in the league can make. His arm was never in question, just his accuracy and mentality.

I think it's been his mentality that is fucking him up all along. That "can't win the big game" thing is going to stick with him. Either Ray Rice or Flacco is going to have to carry this team in a Championship game, and I'd put money on Rice over Flacco for that. I think he's only slightly better than Sanchez - they can both be really good, and then turn around and choke on a chicken bone.

[ghost]

The Ravens don't even need Flacco to be that good.  Their defense is damned good.

[Paelos]

Ravens and Niners Super Bowl.

HARBAUGH BOWL!

Make your reservations now. That's my pick.

[HaemishM]

The Ravens don't even need Flacco to be that good.  Their defense is damned good.

You'd think that, but the last two years, it's been Flacco's flaws that have kept them out of the Super Bowl. And this year they are without Suggs, and Lewis and Reed are a year older. I don't see them getting to the Super Bowl if Flacco doesn't take that next step up.