NFL Week 17
 

Alright let's do this thang!


News out of Indy is that Pagano is on his way out. But I'm not sure that's a smart play. As an in division rival's huge fan, I think Paganao has been a good coach for the Colts. Thoughts?

It was either Pagano or Grigson who got the boot, and Grigson has another year on his contract left.

Pagano probably wouldn't even want to come back if they offered him a new contract. He and Grigson supposedly hate each other. I also have to wonder what coach would want to play for a GM that micromanages their decision including which offensive lineman to start.

As a Colts fan I'll miss Pagano. I'm not sure he's a superbowl winning coach mind you but he's certainly one of the better coaches out there. I'll wish him luck (pun not intended) at Philly or wherever he ends up.

Talk in Westwood that Mora is off to Miami

Blah. Another shitty hire by Ross.

As far as the Colts go, Grigson put together that shitty roster and should be given the boot.

dola,

Urban Meyer has said that an NFL team has contacted him gauging his interest in being an NFL coach. I have to wonder if this wasn't part of Jim Irsay's "big game hunting" he has planned for his next Head Coach hire.

Hopefully Irsay gets to Mora before Ross does! :lol:

Agreed that he's a decent coach and not what the real problem is in Indy. That roster Grigson has put together is terrible.

Although what the Colts wouldn't give to have been able to keep Arians

I'd rather keep Carroll than bring in Mora. A team that has been mediocre for nearly a decade hiring a coach whose teams mostly under perform, doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.2481302

Not looking good for Coughlin.

Report: Ryan Grigson continued to play Trent Richardson to make trade look better - Stampede Blue

I can't imagine anyone wanting to coach for Grigson

I'm not sure how great the Coughlin era has been. Sure, they won 2 SB, but they also missed the playoffs in 7 of his 12 seasons. Each time they won the SB, they got hot at the right time and let's face it, not every heave gets a David Tyree helmet catch.

That being said, he's done as well as many coaches in the era and the average shelf life of a coach seems to be about 3-4 seasons so more power to him.

If Arizona beats Seattle in the afternoon, will the Vikes/Packers game be a tanking battle to see who can be the #5 and play the Redskins?

Grigson should go before Pagano I think, but this is the way it worked out. I'm sure Grigson will be following him out the door next season

well given how the Cards just destroyed GB, I wouldn't blame GB for tanking. :) Minnesota played them close, and could have beat them at the end of the game, so I'm hoping GB is who ends up facing the Cards in the playoffs.

Cards are not going to let up with the #1 seed still possible, and Carolina plays TB at the same time-be interesting to see if Seattle folds early.

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That's 2 more SB's than most coaches have. :) Mara seems to be very loyal to his head coaches, and kept Coughlin a year or two more than he should have probably. I think with his questionable 4th quarter decisions this season though , he's finally wore out his welcome. (sorry Lathum!)

I'd rather play at home, even though Seattle is perceived as the greater threat, especially if we're talking about a Seattle team that would have lost two straight going into the playoffs in this scenario.

We will see how the Vikings look on Sunday but they've looked like hell against both Green Bay and Seattle. Would much rather see them against the Washington football club.

I think MIN is who WAS wants to pull, so... :)

I know at lot of this has to do with the next head coach but there are so many other questions that I have when it comes to the Dolphins.

1. Who is selecting the players and what is that person's philosophy? Is this team being built by Mike Tannenbaum or Dennis Hickey? Is it a team whose strength with be the offense or the defense? I would say it is the latter but it has had a horrible linebacking corps and an average secondary for a couple years now. The team has gone back and forth trying to be a passing team and then a running team offensively. Unfortunately, they have half-assed every attempt. A passing team with no number one receiver. A running team with a horrible O-line or no real threat at RB. That leads me to the next question.

2. Is Ryan Tannehill an above average NFL QB? Eleven QBs were drafted in the 2012 draft. I feel like we have a general idea about eight of them good or bad. The other three are B.J. Coleman (7th rounder, GB), Chandler Harnish (7th rounder, IND) and Tannehill. I don't know what to make of him. I think he is a guy who would be good with a good running game that he can go play action off of but I don't think anyone really knows.

It is hard to get to caught up in who the next HC is when I don't know if that coach will have a chance to work with at solid roster and at least an above average QB.

I think he's done as well as he could with the talent he's been given. He took over a bad team and it took a few seasons to turn it into one that could get to the playoffs. And he's had some really shitty luck. After the first SB win, it looked like the Giants were turning the corner into being a really good football team that would lead the division for at least a few years (started the 2008 season 11-1)....then Plaxico shoots himself in a NY night club and the season falls apart.

A few years later, he has Cruz, a decent team again, win another improbable SB, but a few bad drafts catch up to them as well as some salary cap hell and they stall some. Then they draft Beckham and the passing game looks like it's going to be deadly...and Cruz wrecks his knee and misses a year and a half. And JPP blows his hand up.

Now, the Giants have had IMO a few good drafts and are starting to put together a good team. JPP will be back to form next season, hopefully...though I'm not optimistic he'll be what he was, Cruz comes back. Another good draft, with some moves in FA (and they have the cap space to sign a few good veterans) and they will really be on the right track.

I think they were better overall this year than last, and that they are in position to be better next year. I'd prefer they give the coaching staff another year to see if they can completely right the ship, but they are clearly running low on patience and it won't surprise me if the Giants have a completely new coaching staff along with a new GM next year.

Maybe, but I think the Redskins are going to get killed by whoever they end up facing. There are 5 decent teams in the NFC and none of them are in the East.

+1.

Seattle is facing some interesting injuries heading into Sunday, but this is a team that hasn't lost by more than 10 points since Wilson took over at QB. They may lose the game, but I'd be very surprised if they fold/get blown out. All streaks come to an end at some point of course, but it's not something that has happened in the last few seasons anyway. Hell, last week was the first time this season they didn't hold a lead at some point in the 4Q. So that streak was broken, but generally points towards them being competitive week in, week out.

As an aside, the last two seven-win teams to reach the playoffs defeated the wild card.

No one is giving up a home playoff game without a fight.

(sorry if this has been mentioned in other week threads-don't remember it) So hey Cam Newton what did you do over the holidays? Answer:

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton calls birth of son 'a wonderful thing'

I don't remember that he was about to become a father by anybody-not seeing it anywhere on NFL.com (watch some one post it now). Given the presence of "NFL insiders" hard to believe no one reported on it. It means nothing on the field of course, but figured it would merit a mention somewhere? And about the name Cam? Chosen? No, no pressure at all with a name like that. Glad to see the child's mother and Chosen appear to be doing okay.

Love that they bumped the Chiefs/Raiders game to 3:25 time slot. It'll feel more like the final day in the Premier League in the AFC West with both games playing at the same time not knowing the results of the other game in advance.

Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker are out Sunday against Tampa. Safety Kurt Coleman and Ted Ginn are both currently listed as Doubtful.

Of all of the potential off-season changes, firing Grigson would be the most desirable. Worst meathead GM since Millen.

On a camping trip one time as a child, I complained a great deal about the variety of my mothers chosen newton. I preferred strawberry, she bought fig instead.

I find it interesting that for all the flak Pagano and Grigson are getting right now, the Colts are 40-23 under their regime which I assume is better than the majority of teams in the NFL. I guess that's what one mediocre season can do for you.

I doubt they are 40-23 if they don't come in owning the #1 pick in the league and going with Luck, which was a no-brainer.

I look at the talent Grigson has acquired outside of Luck and it makes the job Pagano has done all the more incredible. I'd rather have him in Miami than someone like Jim Mora.

The answer is...

Dennis Hickey, Miami Dolphins part ways

Okay, little word of advice I could use: what would you do if in my situation as described below?
After 16 weeks of predicting scores in the NFL, I rank 29th in the overall Yahoo Pro Pickem League. Going into week 17, I'm 7 picks behind first place, which has me believe the only chance to win the overall title is by having (at least) 7 picks differently and have all those games go my way. The alternative could have been to pick who I really think will win and hope to win one of the sub-groups I rank 2nd in (fans of no particular franchise, fans from outside the USA), but both groups are also lead by the same overall leader. Second alternative is picking against all the favorites and hoping at least 11 games will see the underdog win (which is quite the stretch). Finally, because there are 6 late games, I could go as low as 2 or 3 underdogs and then adjust my late game picks based on how many picks are different compared to said overall leader. Decisions, decisions...

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam will fire Mike Pettine - NFL.com

He will probably be relieved after all the drama he went through with "Johnny Football"

Paging Chip Kelly. Please report to the Browns front office.

MIJB, definitely go massive contrarian this week, pick plenty of underdogs and hope for a nutty week, which definitely happens in Week 17.

Speaking of which... this is a weird week for DFS players. What teams are going to play to win for four quarters? Awfully hard to say. I am doubling up Matt Ryan and Julio Jones as my main stack, but can't say I love it.

Haslem and Kelly would at least be entertaining.

super pissed off...we usually get the ravens jammed down our throats here...but the second ravens game of the year i want to watch....and its not on!

That's exactly my thinking.
It feels weird to pick against a lot of teams this week, but I agree that week 17 has the potential to get wacky.

So far, so good: 7 picks different from the overall leader in the 10 early games. Here's hoping things will get wacky!

If the damn Jets lose and the Bengals have to play the Steelers...

I wrote the Steelers off for the year after that boondoggle against the Ravens last week. If they don't make the playoffs this year they earned it.

Giants defense doing what they do best...leaving Tight Ends wide open in the middle of the field.

If only Rashad Jennings ran like he was playing for his job all the time...

DeAngelo Williams probably has some sort of a midfoot or ankle injury.

I'm not sure any of the division winners are all that scary to play in the AFC.

The Steelers are picking up right where they left off last week in terms of quality of play.

I can't find an answer to what happens if the Pats, Broncos and Bengals all end at 12-4.