NFL 2014

[Paelos]

Packers still aren't ready for primetime, no matter how many analysts keep insisting they are. They have problems on both lines, and only Rodgers keeps them remotely in games.

That was like three weeks ago. It wasn't that hard to see on paper. When you suck on both sides of the ball in the trenches, your QB can't bail you out all the time.

[HaemishM]

With Bulaga at right tackle, they aren't that bad. Without him, that line seems to be falling apart. It also doesn't help that their center is a rookie because they guy they were going to start is hurt.

[Mithas]

Bulaga did play yesterday. Though I don't think he is 100%.

[Paelos]

I agree that injuries have hurt the Packers both last year and this year to a degree.

They Packers are also getting sacks, they are tops in the league. So is Jacksonville oddly.

The problem for the Pack on defense is the run. They can be ground down into a fine paste. They give up 150+ on the ground a game, and it kills their momentum when they can't score easy on the offensive side. Their Time of Possession is 30th in the league because they can't get the defense off the field.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, losing Raji to a season-ending injury killed the Pack's defense up the middle. It doesn't help that Brad Jones is useless as an inside linebacker though he's also been injured so we're playing with a backup in that spot as well. We can stop the pass so just run it up our gullet!

[Merusk]

No, sport pundits, Cincinnati is not even close to being the best team in the AFC. Wake the fuck up. They demolished a shitty Titans team, beat an Atlanta team at home that is not as good as their record indicates especially on the road and beat the Ravens team who almost lost to CLEVELAND. This is still a team that has collapses spectacularly in the playoffs the last 323 years. That said, there's no reason they can't run away with this division.

Small correction. Not that they've made it often enough in that timeframe, but in the entirety of my time living in the city that's been the case. Cincinnati is One-and-done in any postseason scenario. They can't help themselves.

It IS amusing in a very sad, sad way to hear local sportscasters who are fans talk breathlessly about the possibility of a SuperBowl run during the first few weeks of the season, though, just like the last 10 years of Marvin Lewis.

[Paelos]

Cincy can still win that division falling down, assuming they take care of Baltimore.

[Merusk]

I didn't say they couldn't.  I'm  at the "SUPERBOWL BOUND CUZ WE'RE AWESOME" stars-in-their-eyes guys who don't realize a playoff berth is because the rest of the division is crap.

[Paelos]

The Falcons are doing the same thing. TEAMS THAT DON'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS DON'T HANG 50+ IN THE NFL.

Yeah, well teams like Tampa Bay don't come around but once in a blue moon. They may go 0-16 unless they find something functional.

[HaemishM]

The Falcons are really similar to the Bengals. Their division is wide open because none of those teams are being consistent and only New Orleans should scare people, though not nearly so much as they did last year. Carolina is one Cam Newton injury or two defensive suspensions/injuries from totally collapsing.

[K9]

Carolina has Mike Tolbert as their feature back...

[Rasix]

Discount double...arrrrrrg.

[HaemishM]

That has got to be one of the funniest things to happen to a Detroit Lion since Suh neckstomped the Packers center. Tulloch can go suck a dick.

[Zetleft]

He was one of my starting linebackers in my other league.... yeah 

[HaemishM]

Gone for the season. He apparently didn't do enough pumping.

[Nebu]

The third pump gets a flag/injury every time.

[HaemishM]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGJb2iLvOKE

On another note, I though the Bears' secondary was bad what with just generally being a bad defense and so many injuries. No, apparently the Jets are worse. Like much worse. Brandon Marshall had like half a leg and still managed to get a catch. Alshon Jeffrey is hurt too but still caught a bunch. If it hadn't been for Jay Cutler forcing so many throws into double and triple coverage, the Jets would have gotten killed. Also, Cutler still makes really fucking stupid decisions with the football. The only reason he didn't throw more picks last night is that Alshon Jeffrey is a goddamn freak of nature. Geno Smith, however, threw more than enough bad balls for the both of them. That pick six he threw to start the game should NEVER have been thrown. Even if he hadn't overshot the running back on the screen, that guy had 2 Bears defenders right up next to him. There was nowhere to throw that ball to. Kid obviously has some talent but he needs to get his head out of his ass. Having talent to throw to won't help if you throw into triple coverage (see Cutler above). And now Jets' fans want Mike Vick to start? Really? Have you not seen this guy play the last 2 seasons in Philly? He couldn't even keep the starting job on Chip Kelly's team and I think anybody could throw TD's in that offense. Plus, he has never learned how not to get himself injured. Jets fans don't deserve a good team, but then neither do Philly fans.

[Nevermore]

It was the moveable object vs the resistible force.

[K9]

As a Bears fan, I'm pretty happy with our pick in Kyle Fuller so far  

Also, Martellus Bennett is making a case as a top Tight End in this offense.

[WayAbvPar]

I drafted Bennett in both my leagues (as a back up to Witten in one, but have started him every week so far). I was pretty sure he would fit in well in Chicago. He is a dumbfuck, but he is also big, athletic, and can catch the ball.

[MrHat]

What is that? An 80% INT rate from the first one?

[Cyrrex]

Watching Colts vs Titans.  No idea why they picked to show this game, but fine.

I just cannot see it with Andrew Luck.  I admit to being annoyed by the hype he gets, but the fact of the matter is that his accuracy is questionable and he makes some really shitty decisions several times a game.  This has been my impression every time I have seen him play, and it is the same impression watching only a single quarter of a game where he still is up 17-0.  The reason he is up by that score is because the Titans are shockingly inept.  In fact, I think nobody ever really talks about how easy he has it in that division.  Yeah, we talk about how easy the Colts have it, but Andrew Luck specifically benefits from playing some really, really shitty teams.

Now that I've talked shit about him, I'll add this much.  He seems like a guy who knows how to win, and that is important.  Also, the 50% of the time he isn't doing shitty stuff, he looks great. 

[Mithas]

I think he will turn into a fine QB in a few years. He'll stop making so many stupid decisions. Or he can be like Favre and make a career out of bad decisions. The AFC South may be the worst division in football, so yes they will win it and get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

[Cyrrex]

The Favre comparison is apt.  I think he is a gunslinger, not a cerebral QB.  And he will be a fine QB.  But he is far from great right now, and the constant knob schlobbing grates my nerves.

[Cyrrex]

Meanwhile, poor Charlie Whitehurst.  Dude is playing his butt off, and he is getting an almost hilarious lack of help from his teammates.  He was never going to come in and actually win, but fuck me if these guys don't drop everything thrown at them.

[Bunk]

Can we have the replacement refs back please? I'd prefer them just calling the Bears/Packer game randomly compared to this crew just plain making calls wrong. Over and over.

The Bears defence may suck, but Rogers really doesn't need 30 yards in phantom calls to help him out every drive.

Defensive holding on a fucking Field Goal? Um, yea, he kind leaned to one side you see and pulled on the guy, and um, yea, that's 1st and goal!
Sorry, that screams of the league going "here's an obscure call we haven't made in a while (never that I've seen watching football for thirty years) - keep your eye out for something that resembles it"
I'm fully expecting a Pyramiding call before the end of this game.

[Paelos]

Steelers, lulz. L2P 4 quarters.

[Mithas]

Steelers, lulz. L2P 4 quarters.

Haha.

The Bucs should have been playing Glennon since week 1.

[Nevermore]

The Bucs should have been playing Glennon since week 1.

Ya think? 

[Paelos]

Philly high powered offense AMIRITE? 

[Mithas]

So the score tonight will be 72-68 right?

[Mithas]

Boy was I wrong. Saints looked terrible. This season is strange. I think there are just a whole lot of mediocre teams that look fantastic one week and really shitty the next.

[MrHat]

Boy was I wrong. Saints looked terrible. This season is strange. I think there are just a whole lot of mediocre teams that look fantastic one week and really shitty the next.

It's so strange. I'm cementing a theory about bounce backs and changing personnel. Seems that whenever a major starter goes down the team sucks. Then next game they win then the game after that the team is terrible again (cousins).

[Paelos]

HOW BOUT DEM COWBOYS!

 

[Nebu]

Boy was I wrong. Saints looked terrible. This season is strange. I think there are just a whole lot of mediocre teams that look fantastic one week and really shitty the next.

I don't think it was so much that the Saints looked terrible as the Dallas defense looked inspired/prepared.