NFL Week 14 Thread

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Isn't that what a playoff-bound team is supposed to do?

Yes. But too bad they didn't play the same way against Denver, San Diego and Denver.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Yes. But too bad they didn't play the same way against Denver, San Diego and Denver.

So they suck. Duly noted.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Can i turn the Giants game off and put my daughter to bed or does it make me a bad fan if they come back?

If your daughter is watching the Giants game she should already be asleep.

[larrymcg421]

5 of Miami's wins are by 4, 4, 2, 4, and 6 points.
4 of their losses are by 3, 2, 3, and 4 points.

They are trying to kill me this year.

Also, is this an acceptable distribution of close games? Please advise.

[RedKingGold]

49ers win! It's a meaningless win record wise, but a huge win confidence wise.

[tucker rocky]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

49ers win! It's a meaningless win record wise, but a huge win confidence wise.

If only today's win came in front of the Seattle home crowd.

[Jas_lov]

Why didn't the Seahawks just let Gore score on 1st down and goal? Seemed like their only option with no TOs. They'd have over 2:00 to get a TD down 5 or 7 instead of 25 seconds to get a FG.

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by tucker rocky

If only today's win came in front of the Seattle home crowd.

Anything can happen in a one game playoff. If the 49ers have to go there and win, then so be it.

[DaddyTorgo]

If Gronk's got an ACL...well let's just say they've looked a whole lot more dangerous offensively with him on the field.

At some point all these injuries have to take a toll.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

When ahead and found it. Through week 12 they had the win expectation of a 7-8 win team.

http://imgur.com/a/YL8t7

And that's 7-8 wins through 12 weeks, which they had (they had 8). So, they were on the higher end of the range, but probably more than a couple of bad bounces from .500.

Edit: The swing generally for "luck" through 12 weeks appears to be up to 1.5 wins in either direction. Even assuming great QBs and head coaches don't help you win close games at all (and vice versa for bad QBs and coaching), luck doesn't seem like a huge factor, at least in terms of deciding how a good a team is generally (obviously it can make a huge difference in playoff races decided by a game.)

[Thomkal]

Good to see my Cards get off their losing streak against their conference mates. Still in there with a chance to make the playoffs, but still have to play SF and SEA.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Good to see my Cards get off their losing streak against their conference mates. Still in there with a chance to make the playoffs, but still have to play SF and SEA.

I think the Rams just really suck.

[Comey]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

49ers win! It's a meaningless win record wise, but a huge win confidence wise.

False. The wild card spots in the NFC are up for grabs...both of them. SF had to win to stay ahead of Arizona and Dallas/Philly.

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by Comey

False. The wild card spots in the NFC are up for grabs...both of them. SF had to win to stay ahead of Arizona and Dallas/Philly.

Oh sure, but conventional wisdom was that the 49ers would lose this one, but win their final three for the last spot. They would still control their destiny, and honestly, if they can't beat the Bucs, Falcons and Cards, then they shouldn't be in the postseason to begin with.

[Comey]

Bucs have been much better (though I know SF will be road favorites, and rightfully so), and Arizona is on the road. That's no gimmie. I think they should win all three too, but 2-1 is more likely.

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by Comey

Bucs have been much better (though I know SF will be road favorites, and rightfully so), and Arizona is on the road. That's no gimmie. I think they should win all three too, but 2-1 is more likely.

Week 17 will be irrelevant if the 49ers win the next two, they already have the division tiebreaker over the Cards.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I'm a Pats fan, and I can admit that was a gift call (refs have decided so many games both ways for the Pats this year)

Here's my fan rationalization (not having watched the game, but seen the replays later, etc):

That was a gift for Cleveland. Without it, Brady puts them in the endzone with no time left. Because of the PI call, New England scored too quick, and gave Cleveland some time left to go the other way.

Or at least I'd like to think Brady would have scored anyway.

But agreed, not PI, and frankly he really should have caught the ball.

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by frnk55

What the hell! Patriots win all the time with comebacks. God I'm so sick of that team.

This. Plus Infinity.


The only saving grace to them winning is the Broncos need to keep winning which should help Manning beat Brady's TD record. I'm definitely pulling for that.

But the Pats have the Bengals right behind them. I'd love to see a Pats loss setting up a divisional game between them at Bengals. I think Cincy wins that. They look damn good.

[ColtCrazy]

As for my Colts, they aren't just backing into the playoffs. They are backwardly, drunkenly, stumbling into the playoffs. Amazing how much the loss of Reggie Wayne changed this team. This all but sets up a Colts-Chiefs wild card matchup, and that scares the hell out of me.

[B & B]

Im fully expecting a Carolina comeback in this game, at least enough to give America some TV drama.

[Buccaneer]

Let me get this straight. You have one of the greatest QBs and certainly one of the best comeback QBs of all time, not to mention a team effort when the pressure is on, and some people are sick of that? How many QBs or teams can score on a last second TD pass or needing two scores to in a minute to win? Not quitting used to be a virtue but I guess some fans of other teams are content to see their team lose.

[ColtCrazy]

I'm never content to see the Colts lose. They aren't playing well and a Chiefs matchup isn't a good one but I'll be damned if I'm not in those stands cheering them on just as I was in 2010 when they went 2-14.
But as far as being sick of the Pats, I'm sure many fans of other teams are. If anything, you should count that as a testament to their continued resiliency. I'll never say "Brady sucks" because he doesn't. He's definitely one of the top 10 QBs of all time. But to watch them pull of the Saints game (because the Saints couldn't have played that worse) and the Browns game (because the Pats made the plays and Cleveland is cursed) it's just annoying. They've reached Yankee and Ohio St. range for me. I want to see them lose almost as much as I want to see the Colts win.

[Lathum]

Is it just me or does Grimm look like a fucked up show?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Is it just me or does Grimm look like a fucked up show?

Grimm's fun. It's a "monster of the week meets police procedural" mashup that's heavy on the monster, light on the policework, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

A good Friday night show.

And it helps that the redhead is easy on the eyes.

[ColtCrazy]

Up 5 going into this game. Had the Panthers D. He has Colston. Guess whose down 30 now? I still have McCown to play tomorrow, but I'm not seeing 30 from him.

[jbergey22]

Saints defense looks real good tonight. Is home field more important to the Saints than any other team?

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by ColtCrazy

Up 5 going into this game. Had the Panthers D. He has Colston. Guess whose down 30 now? I still have McCown to play tomorrow, but I'm not seeing 30 from him.

30 might be tough but the Cowboys have given up top 5 most fantasy points to QBs this year so you have hope.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

Saints defense looks real good tonight. Is home field more important to the Saints than any other team?

Pretty important to Seattle as well.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Pretty important to Seattle as well.

True. They may have crossed that barrier though where they can win a tough road game. Not so convinced on the Saints.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

True. They may have crossed that barrier though where they can win a tough road game. Not so convinced on the Saints.

The scary thing with Seattle is that they seem invincible at home. They're good enough to win on the road, but just unbelievably good at home. If not for that game where Tampa got a big early lead on them at home earlier in the year, I'd be getting pretty hyperbolic right now and saying that Seattle is basically already in the super bowl.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Let me get this straight. You have one of the greatest QBs and certainly one of the best comeback QBs of all time, not to mention a team effort when the pressure is on, and some people are sick of that?

Yes? I hate watching the same team(s) win all the damned time. It gets boring. I had no real affinity for NE before Brady, thought it was nice that the franchise finally got a SB ring after its historical futility, and then got sick of them. For a stretch, it's fine. Going on 15 years? Fucking go away already. But they won't go away, and the longer they hang around makes me all the more wishing for the day that they will go back to being 4-12.

ETA: I know you can't understand this Bucc, but in my NFL - and in the NFL of many others - they're the bad guy. And most of the time, you don't root for the bad guy.

[molson]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Yes? I hate watching the same team(s) win all the damned time. It gets boring. I had no real affinity for NE before Brady, thought it was nice that the franchise finally got a SB ring after its historical futility, and then got sick of them. For a stretch, it's fine. Going on 15 years? Fucking go away already. But they won't go away, and the longer they hang around makes me all the more wishing for the day that they will go back to being 4-12.

ETA: I know you can't understand this Bucc, but in my NFL - and in the NFL of many others - they're the bad guy. And most of the time, you don't root for the bad guy.

You must have missed the FOFC debate a few weeks back where it was determined that winning had nothing to do with the dislike of a team.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm down 11.84 points with Witten playing tomorrow night. Winner of my game goes to the playoffs, loser goes home. 0.5 ppr. Witten's scored fewer than that in 8 of 12 games so far. I really, really need a TD from him tomorrow.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I'm down 11.84 points with Witten playing tomorrow night. Winner of my game goes to the playoffs, loser goes home. 0.5 ppr. Witten's scored fewer than that in 8 of 12 games so far. I really, really need a TD from him tomorrow.

8 catches 80 yards. Good luck.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Thanks. Going to be close, I think. Alfred Morris and TY Hilton really hurt, especially given that I had Joique Bell, Roddy White, DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Ellington on the bench who all outperformed both of them.

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

30 might be tough but the Cowboys have given up top 5 most fantasy points to QBs this year so you have hope.

Ended up down 31. My bench outscored him, so on the event I can get exactly 31 from McCown, I win. It's the 1st round of the playoffs. Need a shootout tomorrow!!!!

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I'm really impressed with the technology from Fox. Automatically superimposing the yard numbers isn't an easy task.

Thought the same thing when I saw it watching a replay of the Eagles-Lions game. Kudos to the guys who came up with that tech.

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I'm a Pats fan, and I can admit that was a gift call (refs have decided so many games both ways for the Pats this year)

The thing that was weird about that call was, to me, the actual infraction happened seconds earlier when the defender was holding the receiver at about the 5 yard line. But they didn't throw the flag for that, they threw it for the phantom PI in the end zone. Maybe trying to get it right after the fact?

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

If Gronk's got an ACL...well let's just say they've looked a whole lot more dangerous offensively with him on the field.

At some point all these injuries have to take a toll.

I wrote this season off from day one, but now they have to have a decent season, get my hopes up, and eventually get bounced from the playoffs in ignominious fashion.

Fuckers.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Yes? I hate watching the same team(s) win all the damned time. It gets boring. I had no real affinity for NE before Brady, thought it was nice that the franchise finally got a SB ring after its historical futility, and then got sick of them. For a stretch, it's fine. Going on 15 years? Fucking go away already. But they won't go away, and the longer they hang around makes me all the more wishing for the day that they will go back to being 4-12.

ETA: I know you can't understand this Bucc, but in my NFL - and in the NFL of many others - they're the bad guy. And most of the time, you don't root for the bad guy.

You must have really hated Steelers of the 1970s and 49ers of the 1980s. I understand that success and talent bring envy; we all hate the Yankees after all.

[Butter]

I think I am now able to judge the crappiness of the defense that the Bengals are playing by how well Dalton does. He was good yesterday, which tells me the Colts defense is not very good.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

You must have really hated Steelers of the 1970s and 49ers of the 1980s. I understand that success and talent bring envy; we all hate the Yankees after all.

I was too young to really get the 70s Steelers, but I remember my dad pulling for the Rams in SB XIV. So that's where I probably get this from.

Yes, I absolutely tired of the 49ers. Reveled in the 40-8 game, but then they wound up winning the SB, so hollow victory. I respected them, but was happy when they eventually went in the tank (I like players like Montana, Rice, Young, Lott - just got tired of seeing them win so much). Disliked the (NHL) Oilers in the 80s, but then they were always beating the Flyers. Got sick of the 90s Braves. Rooted for the Jazz against the Bulls.

[Buccaneer]

Cuervo, I understand. I grew up hating the cowboys/raiders/Vikings/steelers - the same four teams that were in the playoffs nearly every stinking year. I loved it when someone else won their divisions, like the Cardinals one year, as well as the Oilers.

[BillJasper]

I'm surprised Shanahan still has a job this morning.

[jbergey22]

I dont mind dominate teams. I miss the rivalries of football when I was a child of the 80s because of dominate teams facing off.

When Dallas/Washington would play it was much watch football.

I dont think we have many great rivalries anymore because teams dont stay on top long enough to create great rivalries.

Maybe the Seahawks/49ers can be the next great rivalry or the Pats/Broncos.

Ravens/Steelers would probably be the most recent great rivalry IMO.

[Arles]

Somehow, Green Bay is 1/2 game out of first. I have to give it to them for their resiliency - to come back and beat Atlanta with a bunch of backups after the crazy pic 6 put the Falcons up 21-10 at the half.

I doubt the Packers pull this off, but with Detroit - nothing is a given

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

Ravens/Steelers would probably be the most recent great rivalry IMO.

I think Pats/Colts qualified when Peyton Manning was in Indianapolis.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Arles

Somehow, Green Bay is 1/2 game out of first. I have to give it to them for their resiliency - to come back and beat Atlanta with a bunch of backups after the crazy pic 6 put the Falcons up 21-10 at the half.

I doubt the Packers pull this off, but with Detroit - nothing is a given

Yes, the Lions are the gift that keeps on giving.

Given all of the significant injuries that both the Bears and Packers have suffered this year and the relative good fortune health-wise the Lions have experienced, the current records of those three teams are a pretty strong condemnation of the Lions. They've all but been handed the division and seem completely uninterested in it.

If they don't win the division this year, it may very well be time for a change in the coaching staff. The team is too undisciplined, makes too many mental mistakes and seems too predictable.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Yes, the Lions are the gift that keeps on giving.

Given all of the significant injuries that both the Bears and Packers have suffered this year and the relative good fortune health-wise the Lions have experienced, the current records of those three teams are a pretty strong condemnation of the Lions. They've all but been handed the division and seem completely uninterested in it.

If they don't win the division this year, it may very well be time for a change in the coaching staff. The team is too undisciplined, makes too many mental mistakes and seems too predictable.

Coughlin gets fired by the Giants, he might be the perfect short-term fit to get the Lions over the hump.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Coughlin gets fired by the Giants, he might be the perfect short-term fit to get the Lions over the hump.

Never happen. Been a terrible year but ownership is very loyal. Would need a few more years of epic collapse before he is shown the door. Plus at his age I don't see him starting over somewhere else.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

I dont mind dominate teams. I miss the rivalries of football when I was a child of the 80s because of dominate teams facing off.

When Dallas/Washington would play it was much watch football.

I dont think we have many great rivalries anymore because teams dont stay on top long enough to create great rivalries.

Maybe the Seahawks/49ers can be the next great rivalry or the Pats/Broncos.

Ravens/Steelers would probably be the most recent great rivalry IMO.

Seahawks / 49ers seems to be the only one where the players seem to genuinely dislike each other. You could argue Ravens / Patriots, but that dislike was mainly one way.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Seahawks / 49ers seems to be the only one where the players seem to genuinely dislike each other. You could argue Ravens / Patriots, but that dislike was mainly one way.

I think for awhile there you could lump the Steelers/Ravens in that category.