NFL 2016

[Shannow]

Their turnover ratio has been a problem this year.

Plus the scuttlebutt this morning is that they called the QB sneak on 1st down not to score but to chew up time. BB didn't trust the defense to stop a FG drive to end the game.

Bad idea imho.

[Goumindong]

Eh. You gotta call the sneak sometimes. There really wasn't anything wrong with the Pats play calling. They ran the play that Seattle should have run in the Super Bowl. You can run through the middle or you can throw to the outside and Gronk appears to be the best TE in the game.

Sometimes you take your best chance and things don't work out. Doesn't mean that it wasn't your best shot.

[Cyrrex]

It also kinda looked like Gronk fucked himself by initiating the contact and trying to draw the flag.  He may have been better off, you know, just trying to catch the ball.

[Goumindong]

It also kinda looked like Gronk fucked himself by initiating the contact and trying to draw the flag.  He may have been better off, you know, just trying to catch the ball.

Maybe. But probably not. Gonk has over 6 inches and 100 pounds on the guy trying to defend him. The play calls for attempting the draw because its a high liklihood play on both sides. You're liable to catch and get DPI.

It is more likely that Gronk was a step too slow due to the undiagnosed hole in his lung

[Cyrrex]

I guess my point is that I think Gronk can generally take Kam one on one, so that might have been a higher % play.  But whatever, I'll take the result. 

[Paelos]

Seattle's doing their late season NFL Cockroach act again. Never dead. Ever.

[TheWalrus]

Heh.

[Malakili]

Giants are the same team they were last year, but this time they are winning the close games at the end.

Unfortunately, in both cases they are a profoundly mediocre team whether they go 6-10 or 10-6. 

[WayAbvPar]

It also kinda looked like Gronk fucked himself by initiating the contact and trying to draw the flag.  He may have been better off, you know, just trying to catch the ball.

Maybe. But probably not. Gonk has over 6 inches and 100 pounds on the guy trying to defend him. The play calls for attempting the draw because its a high liklihood play on both sides. You're liable to catch and get DPI.

It is more likely that Gronk was a step too slow due to the undiagnosed hole in his lung

Or you know, 3 inches and 33 pounds. But who's counting?

[HaemishM]

So the Packers are really, really fucking bad. Like fucking awful bad. PUTRID. Their defense is so thin, they can't cover anybody. Dom Capers is a fucking idiot savant who can't defend if his team can't blitz the QB. FFS, they gave up THREE deep touchdown passes on the same goddamn route. On the last one, they had a fucking linebacker trying (and failing obviously) to cover the fastest wide receiver on Washington's team. Ted Thompson's idea of only building through the draft and only signing free agents one every 3-4 years is a goddamn failure. He lucked into the Super Bowl and now he and his fucking PotatoHead coach are probably going to miss the playoffs without a miracle. Way to waste the last best years of a future HOF QB, assholes.

[Goumindong]

It also kinda looked like Gronk fucked himself by initiating the contact and trying to draw the flag.  He may have been better off, you know, just trying to catch the ball.

Maybe. But probably not. Gonk has over 6 inches and 100 pounds on the guy trying to defend him. The play calls for attempting the draw because its a high liklihood play on both sides. You're liable to catch and get DPI.

It is more likely that Gronk was a step too slow due to the undiagnosed hole in his lung

Or you know, 3 inches and 33 pounds. But who's counting?

Clearly not me!

[HaemishM]

[01101010]

This whole season has been the worst I've seen since I started watching football. I think the Browns are under the impression that the players are on strike and they went ahead and filled the roster with replacement/scab players. The AFC north is dog shit. The officiating has been the worst I can remember, are these replacement refs still? No one can tackle, opting for some fucking dumb hit and run stuff. 11 games in and I don't have a care to give for the rest of the season. Even this shithole town I live in seems less RAH RAH STEELERSOMGWTFBBQ! than it has in the last 7 years I have been here.

[Malakili]

The NFL is nearly unwatchable this year.  No doubt about it.

[Sky]

Not only is the officiating bad, it's actually interfering with gameplay. Stuff like taking too long to set the ball and get away while winding the clock at the end of a half and I forget the other one a couple weeks back where an officiating procedural problem impacted the game with lost time or a replay of a down because he was out of position or something. Totally aside from terrible calls.

I've also seen a couple games where there didn't seem to be a camera parallel to the goal line? How is that even a thing. Even setting aside those nice little marker cams, there should be officiating cams fucking everywhere. Then just officiate from a central location with people watching the live footage.

[HaemishM]

The NFL does not mandate replay cameras in the stadiums AT ALL. They totally rely on the TV coverage cameras for all their replay feeds. Which yes, is a goddamn fucking crime considering how little money that would cost in relation to how much fucking money the NFL makes. Also, the refs are not professionals (i.e. full-time dedicated pros) which I think is crackers as well.

I think I've seen maybe 5 games this year that were worth watching. The rest is pretty shit.

[Shannow]

Ironically or not Belichick keeps advocating for cameras on the goal line and everywhere each year at the offseason meetings.

That DeAndre Hopkins out of bounds call was terribad.

[Goumindong]

The NFL does not mandate replay cameras in the stadiums AT ALL. They totally rely on the TV coverage cameras for all their replay feeds. Which yes, is a goddamn fucking crime considering how little money that would cost in relation to how much fucking money the NFL makes. Also, the refs are not professionals (i.e. full-time dedicated pros) which I think is crackers as well.

I think I've seen maybe 5 games this year that were worth watching. The rest is pretty shit.

It really is stupid. But i mean, it might cost 12 million dollars/year* to pay for full time professionals! The NFL would go bankrupt! And Cameras, those things are expensive!

*Assumes that each NFL ref would receive 100k above their current compensation.

[Ginaz]

The NFL is nearly unwatchable this year.  No doubt about it.

Even though it's a big step down in the quality of players and coaches overall, I've found the Canadian Football League MUCH more enjoyable to watch this year than the NFL.  The NFL has been a dumpster fire since Day 1 this season.

[HaemishM]

The Thanksgiving Football was 1/3 turkey and stuffing, 2/3rds that nasty greasy fat scum that sits under the turkey after everyone has gorged and has no energy left to clean up.

The good (yet painful): it's time to admit that the Dallas Cowboys are actually a good team. They have been involved in the most watchable, entertaining games I've seen this season (which admittedly is a small portion of the shit sandwich of games the season has been). Their defensive backfield is where they are a bit weak but their offense is fun to watch. They aren't so shit scared on 3rd down and more than 4 that they might as well just punt on 3rd down (see my description of the Vikings below). When they have a long 3rd down to go, they actually throw the ball to the marker or beyond which is so rare these days it's like an entirely different game is being played. Meanwhile, the Washington Racial Slurs aren't a great team, but they are certainly good enough to make the playoffs. And if Philly wins on Monday night against the Packers (which is a good bet), every team in the NFC East is above .500. That shouldn't happen but suddenly this division got better while all of the others in the NFC got much much worse. Dak Prescott is not being asked to carry the team but he's also not being given training wheels on his receiver's routes which is again, something I really appreciate.

The ugly: I didn't even watch the Steelers/Colts game because seriously... Scott Tolzien? I'm supposed to be excited about watching him try to make the bits of tinsel and broken dreams that the Colts are without Andrew Luck? If Luck isn't playing, this Colts team isn't even competitive in the shittastic AFC South. The Steelers are Jekyll and Hyde depending on what day it is, though they do still have one of the best receiving corps in the game.

And the bad: Both Minnesota and Detroit are one-and-done playoff teams at best. Detroit has a good QB, no running game worth mentioning and their coaching staff is the most bland, vanilla coaching staff I can think of. They might well win the division, though, because the rest of the North is hot garbage on a dumpster fire. Minnesota has no offensive line, their QB is so fragile that the OC won't let him hold the ball longer than the 3 seconds it takes the defensive line to get to him so every route run is 3-7 yards and back. Deep game? What's that? I'm sure we can score more than 13 points if we just throw nothing but screens, short curl routes and 5-and-outs all game? I know we have no running game and wouldn't even if the Child-Beater was carrying the ball. What's that? We can't make a first down on anything longer than a 3rd and 3? Fuck it, let's just punt on 3rd down. Might as well. I'm sure our stud defensive line and pro bowl level corners won't magically wilt in the 4th quarter after being on the field for 45 minutes of 60. Why yes, I did hire Chip Kelly's last offensive coordinator because he did so well with this QB last year. In short, the Lions aren't very good, but the Vikings are 6-4 only because they've played some shitty teams. Amazingly enough, I still don't think the Bradford trade was all that bad because Shaun Hill would have been worse.

[Sky]

Dak Prescott is not being asked to carry the team but he's also not being given training wheels on his receiver's routes which is again, something I really appreciate.

I give equal credit to Ezekiel Elliot. That opens up a lot of options for Dak. But yeah, they're fun to watch and at the same time it's goddamned rookies showing how to play the game.

[HaemishM]

Elliot is a damn beast. Part of it is that yes, they have a helluva offensive line. The other part is that the kid is just really good and is only going to get better if he stays healthy.

[Paelos]

Elliot is a damn beast. Part of it is that yes, they have a helluva offensive line. The other part is that the kid is just really good and is only going to get better if he stays healthy.

Dallas games go like this: We look okay in the first half, run a good bit, but it's usually close. Second half the offensive line is wearing other team out and we're going on 4+ minute drives that punish their defense into submission. It's akin to watching Alabama play other college teams. When you're THAT dominant up front against opponent you will eventually impose your will in the 4th quarter and win games.

If you look at 2nd half time of possession, Dallas is 2nd in the league at 55% behind Philly. They just will hold the ball and not give you a chance to come back unless you score on every possession.

[Shannow]

Hrrm how bad does the NFL want the Cowboys in the Superbowl this year?

[HaemishM]

Hey now, Sam Bradford just isn't one of the anointed QB's that gets their head protected. If he wants protection, he should just throw more touchdowns. 

Seriously, I don't know how the fuck they missed that call, but amazingly, I ain't sad. Minnesota losing gives Green Bay a better shot at the playoffs, so fuck the Vikings. I also want to see Dallas be the #1 NFC seed, which appears very likely, and then drop a giant turd against the shittiest wild card team in their first round. One-and-Done Jerry Jones face gives me so much joy.

[Shannow]

i One-and-Done Jerry Jones face gives me so much joy.

I think that's something the whole country can agree on. (fuck Cowboy fans)

[Bunk]

The replay showed it in pretty fine detail. The Ref to Bradford's right saw the arm hitting the shoulder (which you could see him telling Bradford after) and it likely blocked his view of the arm that smacked him in the face. The Ref that was to the left of Bradford that could have seen it followed the ball with his eyes, so was already looking away during the follow through.

Either way I don't think the face smack directly affected Bradford's shitty throw, so I don't feel too bad about it.

[HaemishM]

No it didn't affect his throw, but it would have given them a retry at half the distance to the goal, so it definitely affected the outcome of the game (or the potential outcome).

[01101010]

Fuck both these teams and the refs. That said, the cowboys might fizzle out, but good teams win these types of games... I'm actually pulling for them for the past few weeks. Not the cowboys as much as Dak and Zeke.

[HaemishM]

Thing is, the Cowboys are a good team. They have decent wideouts, a stud running back, their QB is just not turning the ball over, and their defense is unspectacular but consistently solid. They also have a kicker who isn't missing field goals and their punting doesn't seem to be bad either. You can win a Super Bowl with a team like that.

EDIT: Or to add to that thought, you can at least GET to the Super Bowl with a team like that in the NFC especially. The NFC is a goddamn dumpster fire (not that the AFC is much better).

[01101010]

I am getting the same effect I had for Favre. I don't particularly like GB in any way, but I would root for them because I liked Favre. My team, for worse, is the Browns, but I have a special liking to some players that make me root for the team they are on. Loved Jerry Rice but disliked almost all the rest except for maybe Clark and Montana. Loved Largent, but hated the Seahawks. Pretty sure I had an Atwater jersey at some point because he was my all time fav defender but there was the whole Denver Broncos hatred that came with being a Browns fan.

[Rasix]

Vintage late season Atlanta.

[Paelos]

Vintage late season Atlanta.

So glorious. There's a blowhard here in Atlanta radio that was so confident they'd win the division 5 weeks ago he guaranteed he'd ride a bike to whatever city won.

[Shannow]

Looking at the schedules I'd say they still will, but in the hope that some radio blowhard has to have a heart attack on a bicycle, go Bucs!

[Paelos]

Looking at the schedules I'd say they still will, but in the hope that some radio blowhard has to have a heart attack on a bicycle, go Bucs!

Go Bucs in general, I'd love to stick this new stadium PSL sale up their tailpipe after they've been struggling to fill the building. The Georgia Dome had ZERO problems that couldn't have been handled with a $100M renovation project, and it would have been awesome for 20 years. Instead, they spent almost $2B on a monstrosity people will still show up late too unless it's the SEC Championship when miraculously fans are in their seats on time.