2014 NFL Regular Season, Week 17

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Honestly, we can take that to the extreme. Without that offensive line Murray wouldn't lead the NFL in rushing. If defenses didn't have to respect the passing game with Romo, Bryant and Witten, Murray wouldn't lead the league in rushing. If the Cowboys hadn't finally hired an offensive coordinator who was committed to running the ball, then Murray would've had another average season.

I have no issues with Murray being in the MVP conversation, but I wouldn't dismiss Romo either. YMMV.

Easy to dismiss Romo. We've seen what he does when he has to be depended on. Look at Thanksgiving when the Eagles shut down Murray.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Watt is the best player in the NFL right now and I don't think it's close. No other player is dominating his position at the level he is. IMO he's hands down the MVP.

Rodgers will win it though. Best QB on a playoff team.

I'd chose Watt too

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Given the questions that we have thrown at so many QBs recently, can we start asking some of those questions of Matt Ryan?

Ryan is a top 10 QB. If you can't win with a top 10 QB the problem is probably not the QB.

They have a bottom 3 defense this year. That along with the fact that the front office believes Steven Jackson is still a viable option as a RB needs to be the questions asked.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Easy to dismiss Romo. We've seen what he does when he has to be depended on. Look at Thanksgiving when the Eagles shut down Murray.

Pretty much every QB does that when he has to carry a team entirely. Look at Matt Ryan today...

[EagleFan]

Touchdown Hawks! Touchdown Packers.

Looking like the road to SB is going through the 12th Man with a stop at the Frozen Tundra.

[MIJB#19]

If the difficult division or schedule is a reasonable argument, then Dallas didn't play a difficult division/schedule at all. They had the easiest schedule in the league, second easiest to Houston if you take away their record against those teams. But to be fair, that schedule isn't much different than those of any team from the AFC North, AFC South, NFC North or NFC South teams. Dallas' schedule is easier than those of Denver and Seattle though.

[molson]

With some teams (Broncos, Packers, Seahawks) pulling away in the last few minutes (Arizona game doesn't matter if those other 3 games hold up), it looks like we have this:

Byes: #1 Pats, #2 Broncos

#6 Ravens At #3 Steelers/Bengals Winner
#5 Steelers/Bengals Loser At #4 Colts

Byes: Seahawks, Packers

#6 Lions At #3 Cowboys
#5 Cardinals At #4 Panthers

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Ryan is a top 10 QB.

If that's true then there must not be more than 9 other QB's capable of being worth a flying fuck in the entire league.

Ryan is a joke, I just feel sorry for people who give a shit about the Falcons being forced to endure watching his loser ass week in & week out.

[EagleFan]

Nice play by Earl Thomas punching that ball out just a few inches before he got to the line.

[MizzouRah]

Fitting last game for the Rams.. pretty much sums up another losing season. Hill sucks and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with stupidity.

At least we had a good draft.. now we need to do it again, quarterback should be a very real concern.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Easy to dismiss Romo. We've seen what he does when he has to be depended on. Look at Thanksgiving when the Eagles shut down Murray.

The Eagles did that against a team on 3 and a half days rest. Look what happened when the Cowboys had a week and a half to prep for the game against the Eagles.

Look at how bad the Cowboys offense was against the Cardinals to show how much Romo means to it.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Ryan is a top 10 QB. If you can't win with a top 10 QB the problem is probably not the QB.

They have a bottom 3 defense this year. That along with the fact that the front office believes Steven Jackson is still a viable option as a RB needs to be the questions asked.

If Matthew Stafford lost a game at home with the division title/playoff spot on the line, he would be getting killed tomorrow. Hell, questions are being asked of Drew Brees now. Not sure why Ryan would be exempt from the same treatment.

[Solecismic]

It's hard to compare positions in the NFL. Quarterback is easily the hardest position to learn in any sport. And today's passing offenses are more and more complex. Interceptions kill you, and incompletions are one of the most important stats in football.

I'm probably always going to go with a great quarterback on a playoff team. Watt is a phenomenal player, but quarterbacks are on another level.

Please tell me Suh will now miss next week's game. I'm tired of these Lions and the way they just don't understand the spirit of the game.

[larrymcg421]

So we're gonna use team accomplishments to bash Romo when it suits the argument, but then dismiss them when it doesn't?

[Arles]

Suh just "accidentally" steps on Rodgers bad calf twice

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Arles

Suh just "accidentally" steps on Rodgers bad calf twice

Isolated incident

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

If that's true then there must not be more than 9 other QB's capable of being worth a flying fuck in the entire league.

Ryan is a joke, I just feel sorry for people who give a shit about the Falcons being forced to endure watching his loser ass week in & week out.

As unbelievable as that may sound, Ryan is actually top10 in passer rating, completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt, passing touchdowns and lowest interception percentage.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Fitting last game for the Rams.. pretty much sums up another losing season. Hill sucks and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with stupidity.

At least we had a good draft.. now we need to do it again, quarterback should be a very real concern.

Fisher is a very good coach and has you a beast mode defense for years to come. All your guys need is a QB.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Fisher is a very good coach and has you a beast mode defense for years to come. All your guys need is a QB.

As was pointed out in another thread, Fisher has six winning seasons in twenty years as an NFL head coach. Not sure that paints him as a good coach.

I'm starting to think he is mediocre at best.

[bulletsponge]

onside punt looks fun, every team that gets a safety should try it

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Fisher is a very good coach and has you a beast mode defense for years to come. All your guys need is a QB.

Most people don't get to have 10 non-winning seasons in 16 years of coaching.

[miked]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

I wonder if Mike Smith has his office packed?

I don't see why, he made the playoffs 4 times in his first 5 seasons. They decided to sign an aging RB (two different ones) and have drafted poorly. Jackson has averaged 3.5 ypc in his 2 seasons and has been hurt. They carry a tiny RB behind him. They let Gonzalez go (or I should say retire without replacing him). Their best pass rusher is Kroy Bierman who is better known for his marriage than his play. The defense gets no pressure, the CBs are exposed, and the OL stinks. Matt Ryan is what he is, he does not need to throw 600+ times a year.

Anyway, /rant. I just remember the years before Smith. If there is anyone that should go, it should be Dimitroff. With the exception of 2008 (Ryan, Decoud, Baker, Lofton) and 2011 (Jones), their drafting has not been good. Their FA signings have not been that good. Maybe a new GM first.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by miked

Anyway, /rant. I just remember the years before Smith. If there is anyone that should go, it should be Dimitroff. With the exception of 2008 (Ryan, Decoud, Baker, Lofton) and 2011 (Jones), their drafting has not been good. Their FA signings have not been that good. Maybe a new GM first.

I actually agree with you. But I think Smith will be the fall guy.

[miked]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

If that's true then there must not be more than 9 other QB's capable of being worth a flying fuck in the entire league.

Ryan is a joke, I just feel sorry for people who give a shit about the Falcons being forced to endure watching his loser ass week in & week out.

You have a selective memory. If you think the Falcons are better off without him, you are crazy. They'd be better off with a pass rush, a RB who isn't either 5 feet tall or 33 years old, maybe an OL that could give Ryan a second, and maybe a TE who could catch a pass. Ryan should not be throwing 600 times per year, going in to today, he had the 3rd highest attempts in the league and nearly the same passer rating as Brady, Luck, Rivers, Wilson and some other all pros.

Ryan is not the problem, Smith is not the problem. The problem is the GM thinking the crap he's putting out there (besides Ryan and Jones) should win 10 games.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Didn't quite understand that challenge...

Became irrelevant with the 2 pt overturn but they would have really needed that timeout too.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

As unbelievable as that may sound, Ryan is actually top10 in passer rating, completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt, passing touchdowns and lowest interception percentage.

And then there's performing when it actually matters.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by miked

Their best pass rusher is Kroy Bierman who is better known for his marriage than his play.

I am disgusted you made me investigate the significance of his marriage.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

As unbelievable as that may sound, Ryan is actually top10 in passer rating, completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt, passing touchdowns and lowest interception percentage.

You are bringing logic and facts to an emotional gunfight.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I am disgusted you made me investigate the significance of his marriage.

I'm embarrassed I kinda guessed RHoA but I figured it was one of the black girls instead of pop superstar Kim Zolcik

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

You are bringing logic and facts to an emotional gunfight.

But as we all know, statistics can be deceiving in football. Matt Ryan is statistically decent, but has nothing to show for those statistics. Not that all of it is his fault.

The Falcons need to look to the Cowboy blueprint from this year. Find them a young workhorse running back to take the pressure off of Ryan and the defense and have a coordinator that is committed to running the football.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And then there's performing when it actually matters.

When I looked, I was actually surprised his stats are what they are. But the key numbers are missing: wins.

[Thomkal]

Please. Please, Please Football Gods, let Drew Stanton be healthy enough to start next week against Carolina. Horrible loss after that first half, they should have been the ones with momentum and the Niners should have been flat.

Good luck to all the fans of the teams that made the playoffs (even Carolina)

[miami_fan]

Wow, Roman Harper is still in the league. Good to know.

[Dutch]

Thomkal. Josh Freeman is available.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

The Falcons need to look to the Cowboy blueprint from this year. Find them a young workhorse running back to take the pressure off of Ryan and the defense and have a coordinator that is committed to running the football.

Which is what every team that doesn't have a top 5 QB needs to do. It's easy to blame the QB when you're not winning though. You can easily rationalize one position needs upgraded rather than accepting the fact that the entire roster needs an overhaul.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Which is what every team that doesn't have a top 5 QB needs to do. It's easy to blame the QB when you're not winning though. You can easily rationalize one position needs upgraded rather than accepting the fact that the entire roster needs an overhaul.

But I'm pretty sure most of us felt the same way about the Cowboys coming into this season.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Dutch

Thomkal. Josh Freeman is available.

UH..no thanks.

[Solecismic]

2015 Draft Order:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Tennessee
3. Jacksonville
4. Oakland
5. Washington
6. New York Jets
7. Chicago
8. Atlanta
9. New York Giants
10. St. Louis
11. Minnesota
12. Cleveland
13. New Orleans
14. Miami
15. San Francisco
16. Houston
17. Kansas City (if CIN beats PIT), otherwise San Diego
18. San Diego (if CIN beats PIT), otherwise Kansas City
19. Buffalo
20. Philadelphia
21-24. Wild Card Losers

[Solecismic]

Until last season, Ryan was building an incredible number of regular-season wins.

Playoffs are hard to control. Until David Tyree did his My Sharona of the NFL thing, Tom Brady was Montana-ish in his playoff record. Since then, he's been pedestrian. What changed?

It's hard to separate performances in football, but I've heard enough praise of Ryan and his stats are good. I don't think the problem in Atlanta is at quarterback.

[kingfc22]

Harbaugh officially out. "Mutual decision" my ass.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by stevew

Most people don't get to have 10 non-winning seasons in 16 years of coaching.

From everything that is said about Fisher throughout the NFL especially among GMs and other coaches they would disagree. He has consistently done more with less. YMMV if a Steelers fan of course��

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Harbaugh officially out. "Mutual decision" my ass.

I have a feeling this will be a decision that will haunt 49er fans for years to come.

Originally Posted by Galaril

From everything that is said about Fisher the entire NFL would disagree. He has consistently done more with less.

The proof is in the pudding though. At some point you would think he would have to produce results instead of living off a reputation.

[stevew]

What is the deal with the Sunday night theme? Is it required to make this a different show than the previous preview show? I didn't realize how awful this was.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by stevew

What is the deal with the Sunday night theme? Is it required to make this a different show than the previous preview show? I didn't realize how awful this was.

The NBC pregame show is plain sleep inducing.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Harbaugh officially out. "Mutual decision" my ass.

It must be hard to take getting so obviously outbid by a college team.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Matthean

It must be hard to take getting so obviously outbid by a college team.

I think the Niners wanted him gone or else they could have forced him to coach the final year of his deal. I doubt this had anything to do with money.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

I think the Niners wanted him gone or else they could have forced him to coach the final year of his deal. I doubt this had anything to do with money.

According to John Clayton the players still like him and play hard for him, but the front office absolutely can't stand him. He was gone no matter what their record was this year.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

I think the Niners wanted him gone or else they could have forced him to coach the final year of his deal. I doubt this had anything to do with money.

They obviously wanted him gone, or the rumblings of him being traded to Cleveland wouldn't have happened. If Michigan hadn't gone so high for an offer, I think things get more interesting. He could has gone from San Fran to somewhere else. Out of all of the teams that wanted him, a college had the balls to go after him with the strongest offer.

[stevew]

Didn't realize it was possible to score on special teams. Wow.

[stevew]

Dalolton