NFL 2013

[sickrubik]

To be fair, Washington looks REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. But yeah, this Eagles offense is high powered.

[HaemishM]

I  see the NFC East will truly be a clown car of fail this year.

[Yegolev]

 

[sickrubik]

Philly was making a STRONG case early in the game. That high speed offense really slowed down in the second half, though.

[ghost]

Just wait until midseason, when coaches have had a chance to watch a little tape.   

[HaemishM]

Looking at Philly's performance in the first half, take into account JUST HOW BAD the Washington offense was playing. That kind of high tempo offense is going to wear a defense out normally - even more so when the goddamn offense gets all of 3 first downs in 2 quarters. What was it that made that offense slow down? 1) Michael Vick, the human turnover machine and 2) the Washington offense staying on the field. That game should have been an absolute route, but it wasn't. Vick's inability to read blitzes as well as his inaccuracy as a passer did as much to slow that offense down as anything. They will score some points, and they will be better than they were last year, this is true. But when Vick goes south, that offense is going to get hammered. At least their defense is better than it was last year. Still, that whole division is just a sloppy mess. Games involving those teams are going to be excruciating to watch.

So did that Houston/San Diego game change the dynamic in the AFC a bit? San Diego certainly looked better than last year - for 2.25 quarters. As soon as Houston got back into the game, though, Rivers fell apart. Their defense looks improved - when it's not on the field for 90% of the quarter. Houston, however, looks extremely vulnerable on defense, especially in the secondary. Of course, they also didn't have Ed Reed at safety so that may be part of the reason. Either way, I think the AFC West may be the most competitive division in the AFC - and that should not be. But the other 3 divisions have at best 2 good teams in them, whereas San Diego may surprise some people this year. It's going to be a scrum at the bottom to see who sucks worse - Jacksonville, Oakland, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, The Jets, Buffalo and Tennessee.

[MrHat]

Looking at Philly's performance in the first half, take into account JUST HOW BAD the Washington offense was playing. That kind of high tempo offense is going to wear a defense out normally - even more so when the goddamn offense gets all of 3 first downs in 2 quarters. What was it that made that offense slow down? 1) Michael Vick, the human turnover machine and 2) the Washington offense staying on the field. That game should have been an absolute route, but it wasn't. Vick's inability to read blitzes as well as his inaccuracy as a passer did as much to slow that offense down as anything. They will score some points, and they will be better than they were last year, this is true. But when Vick goes south, that offense is going to get hammered. At least their defense is better than it was last year. Still, that whole division is just a sloppy mess. Games involving those teams are going to be excruciating to watch.

Vick just needs to do enough to let Shady do his thing.

[sickrubik]

Suh fined $100,000


Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole.

[Paelos]

He's just going to be tossed out of the league at some point if he doesn't cut this shit out.

[Ingmar]

Suh was fined $100,000 by NFL vice president of operations Merton Hanks

I hope he did his dance to celebrate afterwards. Also, given the relative visibility of their offences, I'd hate to be Clay Matthews right about now.

[ghost]

There's just no way Suh isn't on roids.  He's too unstable. 

[Segoris]

Suh was fined $100,000 by NFL vice president of operations Merton Hanks

I hope he did his dance to celebrate afterwards. Also, given the relative visibility of their offences, I'd hate to be Clay Matthews right about now.

A favored player on one of America's favorite teams? Little to worry about, maybe $25k for someone without a lot of previous trouble.

[Paelos]

Kaepernick had it coming. 

[Hoax]

Suh was fined $100,000 by NFL vice president of operations Merton Hanks

I hope he did his dance to celebrate afterwards. Also, given the relative visibility of their offences, I'd hate to be Clay Matthews right about now.

A favored player on one of America's favorite teams? Little to worry about, maybe $25k for someone without a lot of previous trouble.

If that's a low visability team the player would be suspended.

[Malakili]

If that's a low visability team the player would be suspended.

I don't know... Matthew's hit was out of bounds and late, but it was basically a legal tackle if it were in bounds.  Suh's was plain dirty and going for someone's legs can end their career. 

[Segoris]

If that's a low visability team the player would be suspended.

I don't know... Matthew's hit was out of bounds and late, but it was basically a legal tackle if it were in bounds.  Suh's was plain dirty and going for someone's legs can end their career.  

It's a whole different world to perform a legal tackle on someone in bounds and bracing for it than on someone who let up their effort and is out of bounds while supposedly protected.

Otherwise, I dunno about the low viability player being suspended or not....I never see them

[Trippy]

If that's a low visability team the player would be suspended.

I don't know... Matthew's hit was out of bounds and late, but it was basically a legal tackle if it were in bounds.  Suh's was plain dirty and going for someone's legs can end their career. 

Clothes-line tackles in bounds typically result in personal fouls too.

[sickrubik]

It wasn't a clothes line tackle. It was "just" a hit out of bounds.

video to illsutrate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_cq5dPRzTg

Matthews arm wraps around Kaep's arm and his hand hits him square in the chest. It would have been a completely legal hit if it were in bounds. Matthews was dirt dumb for hitting him when he did, but it wasn't a dirty play (as in a clothesline).

[sickrubik]

At this rate, we may be without Von Miller for the year.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/09/10/von-miller-in-more-legal-trouble/

[Ingmar]

He doesn't get Kaep in the front of the neck or anything but the arm looks over the shoulder to me, not around his arm.

[sickrubik]

If it's shoulder, it's near the end of it. But even then it's still a legal hit.. well, aside from the out of bounds part of it.

[Velorath]

When Matthews finally gets a grip on Kaepernick, it's further down the shoulder/arm, but that first impact is right on the side of Kaepernick's head. You pause it in the right spot and you can pretty much see Matthews' bicep flush with Kaep's facemask.

[K9]

Suh fined $100,000


Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole.

I'm sure that will put a real dent in his $11.5M signing bonus.

[Malakili]

It's a whole different world to perform a legal tackle on someone in bounds and bracing for it than on someone who let up their effort and is out of bounds while supposedly protected.

Of course it is, that is why it is a 15 yard penalty.  Not every personal foul deserves a fine.

[Paelos]

I wouldn't fine Matthews anything. He went after a guy but it was a late hit and nowhere on the body that was dangerous. The penalty was enough.

If I was power ranking performances from the weekend, I'd go:

1 - SF
2 - Denver
3 - Packers
4 - Rams
5 - Chiefs
6 - Cowboys
7 - Saints
8 - Bears
9 - Texans
10 - Jets

[MrHat]

I'd put Saints a little higher.

[Mithas]

I wouldn't fine Matthews anything. He went after a guy but it was a late hit and nowhere on the body that was dangerous. The penalty was enough.

If I was power ranking performances from the weekend, I'd go:

1 - SF
2 - Denver
3 - Packers
4 - Rams
5 - Chiefs
6 - Cowboys
7 - Saints
8 - Bears
9 - Texans
10 - Jets

The Chiefs played Jacksonville. Just sayin.

[sickrubik]

When Matthews finally gets a grip on Kaepernick, it's further down the shoulder/arm, but that first impact is right on the side of Kaepernick's head. You pause it in the right spot and you can pretty much see Matthews' bicep flush with Kaep's facemask.

Watching it again, I think it just missses, but I'm really really not interested in Zaprudering this god damn thing. The overall point is that even if his bicep hit his facemask, it's incidental and still not a dirty fucking hit to compare against someone like Suh.

It was a boneheaded and penalty worthy hit, but only because it was out of bounds.

[K9]

I wouldn't fine Matthews anything. He went after a guy but it was a late hit and nowhere on the body that was dangerous. The penalty was enough.

If I was power ranking performances from the weekend, I'd go:

1 - SF
2 - Denver
3 - Packers
4 - Rams
5 - Chiefs
6 - Cowboys
7 - Saints
8 - Bears
9 - Texans
10 - Jets

Jets? Surely you troll sir 

They just, just beat the Bucs, who are a pretty dire team in their own right. The Chiefs beat the Jags, which I'm pretty sure a team of blind lepers could do, and the Rams squeaked past the Cardinals, another middle-of-the-road team. All of those teams belong in at least the bottom 16, probably the bottom 10 of the current power rankings.

This is a silly list, and you sir are a silly man. 

[ghost]

Or maybe it's just that everyone sucks?

[Paelos]

I'm not power ranking the teams overall, I'm doing them after a game.

And the Jets winning a game that everyone expected them to lose? That goes top 10.

[Nevermore]

The Jets won because the Bucs played a shitty, shitty game, not because the Jets are any good.  I'd have stuck Philly at 10 just for that first half.

[HaemishM]

The Matthews hit was absolutely NOT dirty, nor was it a clothesline. The only thing wrong with it was that he hit the guy out of bounds - you could maybe argue that since he launched himself into the air, it was a bit cheeky but not dirty. He does that between the hashmarks, everyone's happy except Kap, who feels like he got hit by a Mack truck.

[Paelos]

The Jets won because the Bucs played a shitty, shitty game, not because the Jets are any good.  I'd have stuck Philly at 10 just for that first half.

No way am I putting Philly in the top 10, they are one hit from being donzo for the season. I want to see 3 games out of that thing first.

[Segoris]

Wanting to see 3 games out of Philly first is fair if you have the same requirement of seeing 3 wins out of NYJ first as well.


I'd say Atl, Phi, NE, DET, Cin, Minn, Was are all better than NYJ with NYJ having no reason to be in the top 15 even. SD arguably as well, they blew a 28 point lead but not many expected them to hit double digits of offensive scoring - that is a bigger feat against a tough defense compared to NYJ beating a middle of the pack TB.

I'll be crazy with you though and say/agree that KC belongs in top 10 (probably 10-12) right now even if they only went against Jac, not as crazy to say top 5 though.