52 replies to this topic

[CRASHER]

Ahhhh, December football….the big games are bigger….and the anti-football games are even more anti’er!!

Three Division winners crowned and a 4^th playoff spot is locked up already (geesh, shows you the amount of bad teams

we got in the league), I don’t have a lot of time today (this is busy season in the world of self-employed IT also)…so let’s

get moving…..Though only THREE 4pm games?? Stupid NFL, learn how to make a damn schedule….really…..you didn’t

miss much in the Denver squash last night….so be glad I took my time with this!

Sunday Dec. 9:
1pm:
Phily at Tampa Bay:
You know Tampa Bay hasn’t beaten ANYONE in their six wins (Carolina, KC, Minn, SD, Oak, Carolina….ok winning in Minnesota was almost impressive, but still that’s alotta AIDS they beat up on there)….and yes you can say and be fooled by all the points the Eagles put up last week…you can even have a good ol’ JR moment and yell “BRYCE BROWN!! BRYCE BROWN….BUH GAWD BRYCE BROWN!!!!”….but I ain’t fooled, the Dallas defense is an injured mess and the Eagles took advantage (though I’d not be upset to see another 200 yard game outta Brown mind you…)…. Tampa’s MO is to beat up on the lesser teams….hell it’s what Schiano’s “legacy” is built on…so here ya go again….
Winner: Tampa
Game Quality: DUD

Dallas at Cincinnati:
This one MATTERS….well least in theory…the Cowboys are still mathematically in the playoff hunt…and the Bengals are nipping at the Steelers heels too (and throwing darts at a big pic of Joe Flacco after THAT stinker last week)…the Bengals D got hot against the Giants and has kept rolling, only allowing 11 points a game in the last 4, and Green-Ellis is on a 3-game 100 yard+ rushing streak…capable defense….competent offense with balance, yeah the Cowboys got neither of that…sh!t, Marvin Lewis might even be a better coach then Garrett (that’s sad)…so while this seems like a big game… CM Punk is not impressed….I won’t be either….
Winner: Bengals
Game Quality: ** ¾ (one of the more relevant 1pm games)

St. Louis at Buffalo:
Now while this game has zero meaning (except for the upgrade in draft position for the loser) but damn it’s intriguing…mostly because you have NO IDEA what you will get from either damned team here….the Bills are as erratic as anyone, but they’re running the ball and getting some defense from that billion dollar front four of theirs….while the Rams have twice played the 49ers, beat the RG 3-skins to the max…but still lost to the Jets and Dolphins….well the Rams are 0-3 vs the AFC East….hell maybe it’s a trend? I’ll buy that as a good reason as any right?? Should be an interesting one at least!
Winner: Bills
Game Quality: ** ¾

Atlanta at Carolina:
Atlanta keeps rolling….they stumble a lot when they roll….but they still end up rolling in the end….Carolina….geesh I don’t know what to think of last week’s game….how could you, that game was all emotion and mixed feelings and all that weird stuff (I’ll save the Belcher jokes for facebook, when you do what he did you lose all rights and means to defend yourself in my eyes, so I instantly turn to cheap-shots, wise-cracks…and well being myself)….but anyway….Carolina has been playing better, but they still find ways to lose these kinda games, while the Falcons are making a living off winning them….that makes this pretty simple….if not a lil awkward….so moving on…..
Winner: Atlanta
Game Quality: ** ¾ (Atlanta doesn’t put teams away…it adds drama)

Chicago at Minnesota:
Jared Allen averages two sacks a game at home vs the Bears….does this shock you with that crappy o-line of theirs? The Vikings still have mister Peterson (and if you don’t think he’s the comeback player of the year I will spear you with an old hockey stick!), but not much else….Percy Harvin is done for the year and Christian Ponder’s been suffering since….this might be an ugly mess of a football game, and losing it does end the Viking season…but the Bears should find a way in this one…..they got too much to play for as well….I miss the pouty whiney Jay Cutler though……
Winner: Bears
Game Quality: *** (GO GO AP!!!)

Chiefs at Cleveland:
Well the Chiefs go on the road this week….a good thing, this team gets a chance to deal with all that “non-football stuff”….and the Browns get to feast on another crappy AFC West team this week, sadly at 4-8 all this does is give the Browns hope for next year, but Richardson, Weedon, the receivers…this might be a team on the up for next season…a good December run helps with that, shame they have a BRUTAL December schedule….
Winner: Browns
Game Quality: * (too awkward to call Chiefs anti-football)

Ravens at Redskins:
This is a fascinating game….RG3 is everything Joe Flacco wishes he was… dynamic ….accurate…carrying his team on his back…shows up big in important and RIVALRY GAMES (yes I mean last week asshat!)….and he shows up on the road too…wow it’s “kick on Joe Flacco Friday”…I like it! Ravens are all beat up on defense, Suggs is hurt again…I just gotta stick with the hot hand here….the Purple Haze got washed away in the late November Rain here…..this should be a fun watch!
Winner: Redskins
Game Quality: ****

San Diego at Pittsburgh:
Christmas comes early in San Diego….looks like FINALLY Norv and the Lord of NO RINGS (AJ Smith) are FINALLY on their way out ….you guys can ‘steal’ Jason Garrett from Dallas ….please? The Steelers are getting healthier and what team better to put Ben out there and let him practice and not worry about actually getting hit while getting back into things? Oh wait…Dallas is NEXT week, either way this is a tune-up game for the Steelers and another reason to clean the house in San Diego….
Winner: Steelers
Game Quality: DUD (just go away Norv and AJ!)

Colts at Tennessee:
The Colts are on all cylinders now….the coach is out of chemo…everything’s going their way….the Titans have lost 4 of 5 and it gets uglier from there….the o-line is bad, hell the whole team is bad….I really got nothing witty to add here and I just wanna be done with this….so I’m moving along here…..
Winner: Colts
Game Quality: DUD

NY Jets at Jacksonville:
So let’s see….no M J-D, no Cecil Shorts, no Jennings, no the other running back the Jags lost, did you know the Jets and Cards COMBINED for 170 passing yards? A Drew Brees quarter pretty much…the Jets were not impressed by THE GREATEST 29 YARDS PASSING AND TOUCHDOWN EVVEEERRR….and it’s back to Sanchez….. 32 sacks combined by both of these teams….oh my God, this is anti-football HEAVEN indeed!! This is more a gift from the NFL then the sh!tpile Cin-Phi game on birthday actual on Thursday…add in the Teebow drama and Rex being smart enough to NOT play him (face it world, Teebow sucks) ummm..oh wait…someone has to win and it’s NOT ME?? Alrighty….
Winner: Jets
Game Quality: This is an orgasm of anti-football!!!

4pm:
Miami at 49ers:
An angry 49er team hosting an AFC team kinda stumbling and not looking too good at this point (it’s not the QB in Miami, the team around him doesn’t make plays or break games for them and it costs them)….the Niners only have a game and ½ lead on Seattle and a head to head game with them coming….this is no time for the Niners to mess around….sadly they still are with the QB situation, but it doesn’t matter who the QB is (until the playoffs hit), San Fran is deeper, stronger and flat out BETTER then the Dolphins are…this won’t be pretty…..
Winner: 49ers
Game Quality: * ½

Arizona at Seattle:
We go from massive epic win games at one, to three average games at 4!?!?!? What the hell?!??! I really want to choke out the idiot that makes this schedule….Arizona is only 2 losses away from my magic number 10 and damn I am fired up about that! Lindsay Lohan is still the drunken mess at QB…and we all know Seattle is the juggernaut at home (want to talk about a team with some impressive wins? GB, Chicago, New England, even Dallas too)….and they owe Seattle something for Week One….so yeah, kick/wham/STUNNER time!!
Winner: Seattle
Game Quality: DUD

Saints at NY Giants:
Drew Brees is 4-0 with 11 TDs and no picks against the Giants….that’s one of those stats that scares the crap out of you in this match-up…but the Saints are still crap on defense, the Giants are getting healthier and it’s VERY dangerous to pick against the Giants when there’s a trend…plus that gaping hole called the Saints defense is way way way too much for me to ignore…..
Winner: Giants
Game Quality: ***

8pm:
Lions at Green Bay:
The Lions do find never, more amazing and quite honestly sports entertaining ways to lose football games….though as long as Calvin is chasing Jerry Rice for the receiving yards record the Lions will matter….even just a little…the Packers are getting healthier (though weird this team is at its best when they’re all beat-up)…adding Ryan Grant to give them a sniff of a running game….winning 6 of their last 7….yeah…and it’s the Lions….this is an obvious one….
Winner: Packers
Game Quality: DUD

Monday Dec. 10:
Houston at New England:
How did Monday Night start getting the good games again and Sunday Night get the stinkers? Feels a lil Old School don’t it?? The big, bad Patriots and the physical up and coming Texans…with their defense and the running game….damn this is a fascinating match-up! The Texan strength does flow into what New England likes to do on D…and the Pats are expert in spreading them out and picking you apart….I should be all over the Pats here, but I have a feeling in my gut (smaller as it may be)….and I can’t shake it…it just feels like it’s Houston’s time and this is their moment to shine here…..
Winner: Houston
Game Quality: ****

NFL Power Rankings Week 13:
AFC:

• Houston…the Colts are a dot in the rear view mirror….
• New England….gotta earn it this week
• Denver….much love for out-punking team Schiano
• Baltimore….worst first place team in the NFL now….
• Indianapolis….beating the teams they should…a good formula

NFC:

• Atlanta…can you be erratic, inconsistent and end up 15-1!?!?
• Washington….co-hottest team in the NFC, do you spell RG3… M-V-P?
• Green Bay…WE LOVE THE NFC NORTH!!!!
• NY Giants….they’re just trying to make you write them off, I ain’t buying!
• Seattle…adding impressive ROAD wins to the resume…

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I tend to agree with you Crash, re: the Pats. This is one the Pats really have to win to stave off the pretender label...and the fact that it's in NE should really help their cause. If they lose, they're pretty much stuck at the #3 or #4 seed, no matter what they do from then on out. Houston needs this one too, as the Colts still have a shot here (if Houston loses and the Colts win, Houston is 11-2 and the Colts are 9-4...and the Colts still have two games against the Texans, plus two pretty easy games against the Titans and Chiefs...yes, it's a major major major longshot, but Houston would clearly love to take care of business THIS week and not have to worry much about the Colts games). So there's a lot at stake for both teams.

Yeah, it does feel like Houston is going to take this one...somehow it does feel like it's "their time". Hoping I am wrong of course...

EDIT: Just checked out Houston's last 5 games...they're 5-0, but haven't really been that great:

21-9 over 5-7 Buffalo
13-6 over 8-4 Chicago
43-37 OT over 2-10 Jacksonville
34-31 OT over 4-8 Detroit
24-10 over 4-8 Tennessee

Always better to win close and/or ugly than to lose in the same fashion, but Houston's last five opponents were 23-37 combined (.383 winning%). NE's last 6 games (all wins for NE) came against opponents that were a bit better, but not by that much...33-38-1 record combined (.465 winning %). Going to learn a lot about both of these teams come Monday.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976, 07 December 2012 - 04:02 PM.

[MantaRay]

While I tend to side with your Ravens/Redskins prediction, the only thing I have in my favor is the MNF jinx.
It actually is to our benefit in this game that our weak pass rush won't/can't over pursue RGIII. I would rather see him stay in the pocket than run amok on us.

I guess I will have to wait and see if Flacco considers this a home game.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

It will be interesting, if Flacco continues to have the "meh" kind of year he's having, and should the Ravens go one and done in the playoffs, if they start to wonder if Flacco's their guy or not. Clearly any talk of him being elite is shelved for the forseeable future, but it's not a must for the QB to be elite. But soon the question for the Ravens will be can we win two or playoff rounds with this guy, or possibly get to and win a Super Bowl? Can he get any better than he is right now (which seems to be somewhere between meh and pretty good these days)?

[MantaRay]

The REAL issue for the Ravens is that Flacco's contract is up after this year.....He earned about $6.7 million this year, so I am curious how the negotiations go if we go "one and done" in the playoffs.

[CRASHER]

The REAL issue for the Ravens is that Flacco's contract is up after this year.....He earned about $6.7 million this year, so I am curious how the negotiations go if we go "one and done" in the playoffs.

If they're one and done or Flacco plays on the road like he's done this year....you might be the first one chasing him out the door....

You heard this idiot idea out of Schiano to replace kickoffs with?? I'd have hated this idea from any legit NFL coach....this just adds to my wanting to burn his house down

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

If they're one and done or Flacco plays on the road like he's done this year....you might be the first one chasing him out the door....

You heard this idiot idea out of Schiano to replace kickoffs with?? I'd have hated this idea from any legit NFL coach....this just adds to my wanting to burn his house down

Funny you should say that Crash, my first thought was "Geez, you've been an NFL head coach for, what, a whopping 12 games, and now YOU'RE going to start rewriting the rules?" I'm all for trying to improve safety for NFL players, but something about this whole thing rubs me the wrong way...especially since it came from Schiano.

[MantaRay]

If they're one and done or Flacco plays on the road like he's done this year....you might be the first one chasing him out the door....

You heard this idiot idea out of Schiano to replace kickoffs with?? I'd have hated this idea from any legit NFL coach....this just adds to my wanting to burn his house down

1. I would not kick Flacco out the door as I would upgrade our offensive play calling. We have too much talent to be so middle of the road on offense. I am done with Cam Cameron. It's time to move forward.

2. In fairness to Schiano, didn't a Rutger's player get paralyzed on a Kick Return while he was coaching?

[CRASHER]

Funny you should say that Crash, my first thought was "Geez, you've been an NFL head coach for, what, a whopping 12 games, and now YOU'RE going to start rewriting the rules?" I'm all for trying to improve safety for NFL players, but something about this whole thing rubs me the wrong way...especially since it came from Schiano.

Not to mention the idea....it's just....not....football.....what's next....removing tackling?? (*sigh* probably)

1. I would not kick Flacco out the door as I would upgrade our offensive play calling. We have too much talent to be so middle of the road on offense. I am done with Cam Cameron. It's time to move forward.

2. In fairness to Schiano, didn't a Rutger's player get paralyzed on a Kick Return while he was coaching?

1. can the QB not be a major part of the problem?

2. So? Is it unfortunate.....absolutely....is he the only coach to have a player's career end way way too soon? Not even close....it's more arrogance out of him to speak up when it's not really his place....not yet....let a Reid or a Belicheck make that kinda suggestion

[MantaRay]

1. A great OC can make a good QB look better than he is. Conversely a great QB can look mediocre if the game plan doesn't set the team up for success, including in-game adjustments. Which is where I believe Flacco falls.

2. He has experience where most coaches don't.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Not really seeing greatness with Flacco to date. Overall I'd say he's had a pretty good career.

[MantaRay]

Flacco has the arm strength and the smarts to be an elite QB.

If he had better coaching on the OC side with a more coherent game day strategy he could win championships.

I would love for Flacco to be allowed more freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage. He is far too restricted.

Flacco also needs to be more vocal in the huddle and in game planning preparation.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Flacco has the arm strength and the smarts to be an elite QB.

If he had better coaching on the OC side with a more coherent game day strategy he could win championships.

I would love for Flacco to be allowed more freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage. He is far too restricted.

Flacco also needs to be more vocal in the huddle and in game planning preparation.

When I said "blowing up the Ravens" a while back, this is what I meant.

First the "greatest receiving corp ever", now this. You have Flacco winning championships now with a better OC and game strategy. I'll give you that he could possibly win a championship down the road, but I think he's one of those guys that will need a lot of other pieces in place to accomplish that. I think that IF he had all of those pieces, I don't think the Ravens would necessarily have to upgrade the QB position...Flacco won't be pretty or flashy, but he should be able to do enough and avoid just enough mistakes to give his team a shot at a championship. But I think the team around him absolutely has to be stacked on both sides of the ball for that to happen.

I don't know, I know you watch more Ravens games than I do, but from what I'm seeing, I don't see a guy who's being held back and isn't being utilized to the best of his ability...I see a guy who's pretty good with some odd quirks (especially the home/away) who's probably reached his ceiling, and won't get much better than he is right now.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Damn...'Skins really carving up the Ravens that first quarter....have a shot to finish off a 3-and-out to start the 2nd quarter though...

EDIT: 170 yards for Baltimore and 189 for the 'Skins with about 10 mins left in the second.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976, 09 December 2012 - 01:58 PM.

[MDPucks]

So far the Week 14 WTF Award goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[NJDevs4978]

So far the Week 14 WTF Award goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Or Atlanta, although you kinda figured they'd have a letdown one of these weeks with a huge lead for homefield. Plus Carolina was out for blood after Matt Ryan supposedly told a couple of the Panthers 'get the fvck off my field' after Atlanta's home win earlier lol

Edited by NJDevs4978, 09 December 2012 - 03:25 PM.

[MantaRay]

When I said "blowing up the Ravens" a while back, this is what I meant.

You have Flacco winning championships now with a better OC and game strategy. I'll give you that he could possibly win a championship down the road, but I think he's one of those guys that will need a lot of other pieces in place to accomplish that. I think that IF he had all of those pieces, I don't think the Ravens would necessarily have to upgrade the QB position...Flacco won't be pretty or flashy, but he should be able to do enough and avoid just enough mistakes to give his team a shot at a championship.

The past few years Flacco has been two dropped passes from the Superbowl and potential championships. So it's not far fetched.

The pieces are here now. We do great in the hurry up because Flacco runs the show, not Cameron. Again, he has the tools to be great, he needs the coaching to help make him great.

[MDPucks]

Or Atlanta, although you kinda figured they'd have a letdown one of these weeks with a huge lead for homefield. Plus Carolina was out for blood after Matt Ryan supposedly told a couple of the Panthers 'get the fvck off my field' after Atlanta's home win earlier lol

Division road game; gigantic lead for the top seed; week after beating New Orleans... I'm willing to give Atlanta slack for their no-show in Charlotte.

Pittsburgh's in the AFC wild card dogfight, getting Ben back, at home in crappy weather against a California team traveling that's coached by Norv Turner.

Steelers laying the bigger egg by far.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Ravens did a hell of a job tightening up...just 6 points allowed after giving up TDs on Washington's first two drives.

EDIT: Until that last one

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976, 09 December 2012 - 04:07 PM.

[MDPucks]

2nd straight week the Ravens defense gives up a long drive to tie/win in the final minutes to a back-up QB.