NFL 2015

[WayAbvPar]

Ok. times to fold all the NFL teams in Ohio and move the Hall of Fame.


What a fucking clusterfuck. There is a reason Burfict didn't get drafted. He is literally a psychopath.

[Malakili]

I have never seen anything more Bengals in my life.

[HaemishM]

The only way that could have been more Bengals was if 1) they'd played the Browns and lost and 2) AJ McCarron had been injured and somehow Dalton had come in as QB. Jesus. What a clusterfuck.

Stupid, blatant idiocy like the Burfict hit that got the in field goal range that was just compounded by Pacman Jones Pacman'ing it up to add 15 MORE yards to it - that's the kind of stupid shit that got Jim Schwartz fired in Detroit. I mean, it LITERALLY cost them a playoff game. And it wasn't like both teams hadn't already been warned by plenty of flags before for the same kind of chippy bullshit. That's a total lack of discipline and it's entirely on that coaching staff. That Burfict has been a serial shitfuck for at least the last two seasons with multiple fines just shows that Marvin Lewis is doing a shit job of keeping that team under control.

I kept falling asleep during the KC/Houston game so didn't see much at all. But 30-0? I think the book is finally written on Brian Hoyer and the last page says "Backup - break glass only in case of emergency." DeAndre Hopkins is a beast, just like I thought he'd be, but he can't save a team with an offense that bad.

[Merusk]

I went to the movies rather than watching the Bungles so I didn't see anything prior to Pacman's final hit. What's this helmet-to-helmet hit that didn't get called on the Steelers and the Steeler's coach pulling on a player's hair thing I'm seeing people bitch about all over Facebook? (Because the game was lost due to unequal foul calls. They "only called out Cincinnati")

[Malakili]

At some point in the game earlier on a Bengals player was running out bounds after a play a little out of control, as happens sometimes, and a Pittsburgh coach kind of grabbed him / held him up and then gave him a pull by the hair as he came by.  But he DID get a personal foul called him on that, so I don't see how you could complain they didn't get the call.

The other one was a hit on Giovanni Bernard that probably was a penalty and did result in a turnover because Bernard looked like he got knocked out cold and fumbled the ball.  It wasn't a cheap shot the way the Burfict did, but he did hit him with the crown of the helmet. I've heard conflicting things about whether or not it should have been a penalty and I can never keep track of what is or isn't with those things when the guy is a runner.

But none of it matters, because haha fucking Bengals.

[Merusk]

Caught more in a reddit thread. That the helm-to-helm wasn't called but the shoulder-to-helm WAS called were totally bullshit inconsistencies, I agree. However, LOL NFL reffing this year.

Apparently the coaching thing was being confused. It's two separate incidents, the first being the one you just mentioned. The second was that the Steeler's line coach was on the field talking shit at the players after Jones' bullshit. Apparently the penalty that was called was for touching the Ref, incited by the Steelers' coach, not for the hit. (Which seems wrong)

A few Cowboys fans pissing about the touchdown "Catch" by the Steelers. I get it.
https://streamable.com/ct59

That's not a catch in any sane world, but this should have been.
http://gfycat.com/InsecureExemplaryCockerspaniel

[Paelos]

Bungles gonna bungle. How do people expect otherwise?

[Malakili]

Caught more in a reddit thread. That the helm-to-helm wasn't called but the shoulder-to-helm WAS called were totally bullshit inconsistencies, I agree. However, LOL NFL reffing this year.

They aren't the same call.  The one is a hit with the crown of the helmet on a runner, the other is a hit to the head of a defenseless receiver.  Separate rules govern the two plays.

[HaemishM]

The Gio Bernard hit that resulted in the fumble was called absolutely right. He's not a defenseless receiver, he actually took a few steps and turned - if he HAD been a defenseless receiver, it would not have been a fumble, it would have been an incomplete pass. Since he was a runner, the dude hitting him put on a perfectly legal hit. One could argue that it shouldn't be a legal hit if the same kind of hit on a "defenseless receiver" IS a penalty, but LOL NFL RULEBOOK. And while we are talking about LOL NFL RULEBOOK, technically the goddamn fumble on the Bernard hit should have been a Steelers touchdown because the dude picked up the fumble and ran it back for a TD but since it wasn't called a fumble, the review only allows the refs to put the ball where the fumble was recovered and not allow the guy to return down the field. That whole play was one of those edge cases that point to a number of really stupid fucking rules choices in the rulebook, but it was not a failure on the refs' part to call the game correctly.

There could have and probably should have been some damn ejections in that game, both of players AND coaching staff. Way too much chirping, pushing, shoving and the Steelers staff in particular really got themselves into places they should not have. It still doesn't change the fact that the Bungles lost their shit at the absolute worst possible time and deserved to lose because of it.

Also, how is the Bryant TD catch from last night not a catch? It deserved to be a catch just as much as Dez Bryant's catch from last season's playoff game deserved to be a catch. But again, LOL NFL RULEBOOK.

[Shannow]

Does this cost Marvin Lewis his job? Because fucking hell if this doesn't nothing will.

[Segoris]

Incoming laces out jokes after the Min botched hold/kick!

[01101010]

Incoming laces out jokes after the Min botched hold/kick!

 

[Rasix]

Another year, another lucky as fuck Seattle playoff win.

[Azuredream]

How the fuck do you miss that? At that range, aren't NFL kickers like 99.9% accurate? Jesus. That kicker should fear for his life.

edit: Actually, whose fault was that? Did the holder hold it wrong or did the kicker kick it wrong?

[01101010]

The Gio Bernard hit that resulted in the fumble was called absolutely right. He's not a defenseless receiver, he actually took a few steps and turned - if he HAD been a defenseless receiver, it would not have been a fumble, it would have been an incomplete pass. Since he was a runner, the dude hitting him put on a perfectly legal hit. One could argue that it shouldn't be a legal hit if the same kind of hit on a "defenseless receiver" IS a penalty, but LOL NFL RULEBOOK.

Technically it should have been called since he lead with the crown of his helmet. Otherwise, perfectly fine and should have been a touchdown.

Pacman Jones penalty...sigh. WTF was Porter doing out there and why was he not flagged since Munchak was flagged earlier for just tugging a guy on their own sideline. But Joey Porter out on the field among all the Bengal players? Tomlin needs to control his coaches... oh wait.

That said... LOLBungles. Hilarious.

[Shannow]

Welp if Seattle goes on to win the whole thing we know who to blame.  Fuuuuuck.

[sickrubik]

This is the best worst weekend of football imaginable.

[Malakili]

I dunno, I got a hell of a lot of entertainment out of the last two minutes of the game last night.

[Segoris]

How the fuck do you miss that? At that range, aren't NFL kickers like 99.9% accurate? Jesus. That kicker should fear for his life.

edit: Actually, whose fault was that? Did the holder hold it wrong or did the kicker kick it wrong?

The holder did hold it wrong by not spinning the ball to get the laces out. The holder also had the laces in during Walsh's 47yd FG earlier in the game, but he actually made that one.

[sickrubik]

I dunno, I got a hell of a lot of entertainment out of the last two minutes of the game last night.

So did I. I did say best, but it's been filled with terrible play.

[WayAbvPar]

If the Hawks play like that next week Carolina is going to boat race them. Wonder if the offense was off balance because they practiced all week (and likely game planned) for Lynch to play and then he fucked off at the last minute. D was decent, but needs to be better.

[HaemishM]

Jesus, Minnesota. Way to piss away your defense's good work in the last quarter. But oh the sheer joy of watching your kicker shank the fuck out of that kick? Magical.

These playoffs, they doth truly suck most mightily. The football gods are angry indeed for our transgression of keeping the Ginger Hammer employed.

[01101010]

So much for home field advantage. 

[HaemishM]

YAY! The Packers of old return for 3 quarters at least, which was enough to win the game. Onward to Arizona where they will get the unholy shit kicked out of them, especially if they start that game the same way they did this one.

Kirk Cousins is going to get paid. He may not get Peyton Manning money, but I wouldn't bet against getting Andy Dalton money. A starting QB who can throw more TD's than INT's and stay vertical is worth a whole shitload of money. The team is actually not as bad as they were early in the season and I think he's actually become a competent QB. If the Racial Slurs won't pay him (hint: they will), there's at least 8 other teams where he'd be an upgrade.

[Malakili]

There is going to be one big circus week in March to see who is going to pay too much (read: anything) to pick up the battered carcass of RGIII as a result too.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, that's going to be the real fun of the NFL offseason. Since there aren't really any big name great QB draft prospects, somebody is just going to pay an idiotic amount to watch this guy chuck pick sixes.

[Hoax]

Article 8(f):

"If a player uses any part of his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet and facemask is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protecting those players who are in virtually defenseless postures . . ."

Deadspin on the hit: http://deadspin.com/giovani-bernard-and-the-unfortunate-hit-that-knocked-1752060073

So yeah the hit is always illegal on Bernard. Defenseless doesn't matter. You can't lead with your helmet like that. Let alone lower your helmet, lead with it, and launch into the jaw of your opponent. That's where the "wtf" reaction from the players comes from. Every player knows that hit is illegal. They just didn't call it.

Burfict's hit might only be illegal because its 100% a defenseless WR call. I'm not sure if he even made contact with his helmet, rather than lined him up with his shoulder like it was a nasty hockey hit. I mean lets call it what it was, he was head hunting their best WR coming across the middle, aka playing like a Steeler / fearsome defender. But it was a terrible time to do it given the game situation. IF he knew the catch hadn't been made. Because Brown had barely taken a couple of steps after attempting the catch. So that's probably a penalty and always getting called all season.

Why Joey Porter gets to be on the field, or really the Steelers coaches get to do anything they do that entire game is who knows. The game was completely emotionally out of control from the Gio hit onwards if not before.

[sickrubik]

I'm not sure if he even made contact with his helmet, rather than lined him up with his shoulder like it was a nasty hockey hit.

He ABSOLUTELY hit him in the helmet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=walv7WQxlJg

It's not even up for discussion and never has been.

[HaemishM]

It was out of control WAY before the Gio Bernard hit. It probably started when the Steelers coach grabbed dude's hair on the sidelines in the first/second quarter. The refs just didn't do anything to control it other than tossing flags and they probably should have started tossing people after about the 3rd or fourth pushing and shoving match.

The NFL needs red cards.

[Hoax]

I'm not sure if he even made contact with his helmet, rather than lined him up with his shoulder like it was a nasty hockey hit.

He ABSOLUTELY hit him in the helmet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=walv7WQxlJg

It's not even up for discussion and never has been.

I meant Burfict didn't use his own helmet on the hit, just his shoulder. Sorry for lack of clarity.

Its pretty awesome though that of everything that happened that's the only hit they are talking about suspension for. That hit is nasty but its clearly made with an attempt to fuck someone up as cleanly as possible. He pulls up and makes sure he only hits with his shoulder. Because that's what the rule says you have to do, not hit with your helmet. Unless you are Steeler in which case, go ahead and knock people out with your helmet... nbd

[HaemishM]

I think for the "defenseless receiver" thing, you can use the shoulder too, so long as you hit the player's helmet with whatever you hit him with.

[Hoax]

Yeah if the WR is defenseless you basically can't hit them at all. I think I posted that. Burfict's hit is always called a penalty bc its a WR who tried to make a catch and then got laid out. So defenseless WR. But Burfict's hit has the chance of being legal in some other situation.

The Shazier hit should never be legal on anyone anywhere under any circumstance according to the rules. But Burfict will get a fine/suspension because nfl.  

[Rasix]

It was out of control WAY before the Gio Bernard hit. It probably started when the Steelers coach grabbed dude's hair on the sidelines in the first/second quarter. The refs just didn't do anything to control it other than tossing flags and they probably should have started tossing people after about the 3rd or fourth pushing and shoving match.

The NFL needs red cards.

They need to implement college's rules on targeting and the "two personal fouls = ejection" rule. Additionally, repeated ejections should lead to escalating suspensions. If you want player safety to be a priority, then you need to punish those that actively compromise it.

The overall behavior in the NFL has seemingly gone into the toilet this season. It was a rarity when I didn't hear a lot about the "chippiness" of a game.  Of course, this could be lazy/bad announcing as much as anything else.

[01101010]

Yeah, tap a QB or a receiver in the act of making a catch and its 15yds.

The Porter thing would have been somewhat bearable IF he was not immediately engaging the Bengals. Taking care of your players is one thing, but looking at the pictures, he was full on confronting the Bengals, with not even a glance at Brown.

The real fun begins when Brown turns around and plays this weekend and avoids the concussion protocol completely.

[Goumindong]

I'm not sure if he even made contact with his helmet, rather than lined him up with his shoulder like it was a nasty hockey hit.

He ABSOLUTELY hit him in the helmet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=walv7WQxlJg

It's not even up for discussion and never has been.

I meant Burfict didn't use his own helmet on the hit, just his shoulder. Sorry for lack of clarity.

Its pretty awesome though that of everything that happened that's the only hit they are talking about suspension for. That hit is nasty but its clearly made with an attempt to fuck someone up as cleanly as possible. He pulls up and makes sure he only hits with his shoulder. Because that's what the rule says you have to do, not hit with your helmet. Unless you are Steeler in which case, go ahead and knock people out with your helmet... nbd

Burfict should be suspended for that hit but damn did the Steelers get away with some shit in that game. Besides that hit the flags came down in favor of the Steelers on basically every play and for no reason.

The first unsportsmanlike Burfict got the receiver took three steps, turned down field, lowered his head, and got hit shoulder to shoulder. Then the Steelers helment to helmet after 1/2 steps and its not called? Looked a lot like 2006 for this Seattlite.

Only difference was that in this game the announcers seemed to be in on the job too.