Official NFL 2010-2011 Thread

[MikeT156]

Some really bad news for the Steelers. We lost Aaron Smith for the season AGAIN this season. He was out 11 games last year, and now this. He was one of the two key players that were missing on the Defense in last year's dismal season. The other missing link was Troy Polamalu. I sure hope we don't lose him again or we can pack up our bags and go home.

 

 

Mike T.

[kanker.]

Go Pack!

[Geoff Grace]

Whew! That was close!

 

Green Bay 28, Minnesota 24

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Griffinator]

Interesting wrinkle in the Minny/GB game.

 

On 2nd and 30, Matthews deliberately threw his own helmet off in the middle of that play, with no help from anyone around him.

 

Last I checked, removing your helmet in the field of play is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty - 15 yards and an automatic first down.

 

Just sayin'

 

Oh well, it'll be easier next week as I root for the Pats to take care of business against what is really a shell of the Vikings team that nearly won it all last year.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

What a thoroughly enjoyable weekend of football.

 

By the way (though I'm sure you already know this): the Raiders' 59 points versus the Broncos was their highest point total in team history, and the 7th highest in league history since the merger.

[steadyb]

Stealers were given the win this week on a blown call.

 

Wouldn't you agree, Mike T.?

[steadyb]

"MIAMI -- Ben Roethlisberger and several other players waged an end-zone scrum for a loose ball so frantic the officials were unable to determine a winner.

 

That gave the game to the Steelers.

A video review determined Roethlisberger's late touchdown was instead a fumble, but because it was unclear who recovered, Pittsburgh kept the ball and kicked the game-winning field goal on the next play to beat the Miami Dolphins 23-22.

 

 

"Just a bizarre kind of play. You hate to win it that way, but you'll take a win," Roethlisberger said.

Said Miami linebacker Channing Crowder: "The refs called a wonderful game -- for the Steelers."

With Pittsburgh trailing 22-20 and facing third-and-goal at the 2, Roethlisberger fumbled as he dived across the goal line on a quarterback draw. The play was ruled a touchdown as both teams scrambled for the ball.

After a review, referee Gene Steratore announced Roethlisberger fumbled before scoring. But Steratore said replays were inconclusive regarding which team recovered, and the Steelers were awarded possession at the half-yard line, allowing Jeff Reed to kick an 18-yard field goal with 2:26 left.

"I have to have clear video evidence of the team recovering the fumble," Steratore said after the game. "It is a pile of bodies in there, and you don't have a clear recovery."

Several Dolphins argued Miami linebacker Ikaika Alama-Francis recovered. Did the Steelers steal one?

"We will take it and exit stage left," coach Mike Tomlin said."

[Magpel]

Wow, I couldn't possibly have had a worse Pick 'em week. I am going to need a few double-digit win weeks to get back in the picture, I'm afraid.

 

I have a cautiously bad feeling about the Giants game this week, as the Cowboys are the most deceptively bad team in the league (although watching the Chargers yesterday, you'd have to say they're right there with them as the ultimate self-beaters).

 

And the Giants--three fame win streak and all--have not been putting it all together.

 

But...I love the prospect that a win really buries the Cowboys...actually, I keep thinking that and then I look around. Where is the indisputably good (not great) team in the NFC? There isn't one, as far as I can see. Do I need to take a closer look at Atlanta? I haven't seen them at all this year, but there 5-2 surprises me almost as much as Tennessee's 5-2. I have seen the Titans a few times this year. They're nothing special. But they've 5-2 and in first place.

 

So anyway, if there was ever year to start 1-5 and make the playoffs, this is it.

 

And as an aside on an aside: is this the new NFL? Injuries so transform the competitive landscape right out of the gate, and with an 18-game season coming, the NFL is going to lose star power because no player will be reliably in the lineup week to week. Careers will be shorter. Howie Long's editorial on helmet-to-helmet suspensions was ludicrous, except for his last point: if the league was really concerned with its biggest problem, they'd be looking at a 14-game season, not 18.

[GovernorSilver]

Forget the missed field goal.

 

The two gift fumbles in the first half (along with the two other fumbles and the INT) were what I was talking about.

 

Fact: If SD doesn't make those bonehead mistakes, they probably win this going away.

 

Fact: If SD's defense hadn't put on the heroic effort they did, the Pats win this going away.

 

Nope, this one was gift-wrapped. The Chargers gave it away.

 

I'm so glad our band practices are on Sundays. The focus and effort we've been putting into preparing for our first real gigs (Nov. 19 in DC, 20th in Pitt, Dec 4 in DC) has kept my mind off the misery of my Chargers' season.

 

Bad special teams play and fumbles have been killing this team. I have never seen a team ranked #1 in both offense and defense play this poorly. Normally when you sack Tom Brady 4 times, hold his offense to just about 200 yds, and put up more than 350 yds of your own offense, you should win.

[MikeT156]

by steadyb:

 

Stealers were given the win this week on a blown call.

 

Wouldn't you agree, Mike T.?

 

No, not anymore than the calls against the FAKERS opponents on their way to STEALING an NBA Championship.

 

Steelers mistakes almost gave Miami the game.

 

Edit: Favre played like a washed up has been for much of the game last night. He had his moments, both good ones and bad ones. I was afraid that would eventually happen to a future HOF player that stayed too long in a game for young men, not gray toppers.

 

 

Mike T.

[Griffinator]

I don't think the Steelers call was as decisive as Steady makes it sound.

 

Let's not forget, Miami had 2 minutes after that play to drive down the field and get a FG of their own - and they failed, miserably.

[MikeT156]

Two Steelers turnovers in the first quarter were gifts to Miami that they didn't capitalize on. They didn't punch either possession into the end zone for touchdowns. They had the chance to get up 14-0 on the Steelers in the first quarter. That could have been a back breaker. Miami shit the bed.

 

 

Mike T.

[BP3]

It was tough listening to Troy Aikman call yesterday's game. He's awful.

 

Now here's some classic Aikman.....

 

[video:youtube]BynBZNiE9EA

 

 

[sakari lindhen]

@Magpel...agree that 18 games seems idiotic given the amount of injuries already - and all the players on IR.

 

@Mike, I disagree about Favre...I think he played more or less the same way he ALWAYS has....great play and TD strikes mixed in with some unbelievable interceptions...just like he has every year...you dont set the career record for interceptions overnight!

 

...I deserve extra points for conistency. I get 5 or 6 right, week in, week out in the pick'em pool...I am going to start having the cats make my picks...

[MikeT156]

I don't know, Peter King of CNNSI said he looked 61 not 41. His coach was very upset about his lack of any kind of judgement with some of the picks he threw. He was just not using his head. He was always a "gun slinger', but he's just an interception factory now.

 

Its long past time for him to retire to his farm.

 

 

Mike T.

[richwhite9]

It's no country for old men.

 

Now Favre has two fractures. Is this good or bad that he won't be throwing to Randy Moss against the Pats.

 

I don't know. I don't relish the Pats ending Favre's career if he plays but if he does--so be it.

 

As far as Moss goes that push off reminded me why I was glad to see him leave the Pats. I watched it several times and it didn't look at all necessary. Most frustrating.

[Geoff Grace]

Those weren't interceptions; they were completions to Packers team members--just like Favre always used to make.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Griffinator]

It's no country for old men.

 

Now Favre has two fractures. Is this good or bad that he won't be throwing to Randy Moss against the Pats.

 

He hasn't been throwing to Randy Moss against anyone else, at least not deep.

 

I don't know. I don't relish the Pats ending Favre's career if he plays but if he does--so be it.

 

I won't be surprised if he starts, but I'd be surprised if he makes it out of the first quarter alive. BB will certainly be dialing up the blitz regularly, and from all angles.

 

As far as Moss goes that push off reminded me why I was glad to see him leave the Pats. I watched it several times and it didn't look at all necessary. Most frustrating.

 

Yeah, it wasn't. Like I said before, with my loyalties being as split as they are, them losing last night makes it much easier to root solely for the Pats, who have something to lose if they lose this game.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Romo out 8 weeks with a broken collarbone. As if Dallas' season wasn't already in the crapper. Sheesh.

[kanker.]

Hey Raiders fans....

 

relive the glory of yesterday

 

[Griffinator]

Hey Raiders fans....

 

relive the glory of yesterday

 

 

That'd be awesome, if I was willing to install that intrusive piece of crap software.

[Magpel]

Wow. Did my team just turn the ball over 5 times, give up an 85 yard punt return...and win?

[DanL]

Wow. Did my team just turn the ball over 5 times, give up an 85 yard punt return...and win?

Yes. Yes they did.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Tuesday Morning (Keyboard) Cornerback -- Week 7

 

Before I delve into this weeks TMC, lets begin by taking a closer look at the Raiders historic win over the Broncos.

 

 It was the 100th regular-season meeting between the two teams.

 59 points: the Raiders franchise record.

 Tied for the 7th-most points by a team since the AFL/NFL merger.

 The 3rd-most points in a game by a road team since the merger.

 Tied for the 2nd-most points by a team through 3 quarters since 1940.

 The most ever by a road team through 3 quarters.

 

There. I just had to get that out of my system. One last personal observation before I move on... check out this win-loss-win pattern I managed to achieve for the week.

 

http://www.klopmeyer.com/guest/jk_nflweek7.png

 

WWWW-LLLLL-WWWWW. Wow. In any case, it was a pretty decent week of picks for many of us. Lets take a look at what happened in the week seven Pick 'Em Pool.

 

Of the 13 of us, eight managed to all get in the 8-9 point range for the week. ProfD, richwhite9, griffinator, Geoff Grace, and I all scooped up nine points, while kanker, antimatter, and dB ended up with eight. Only saku (6), Mid Life Crisis (5), and Magpel (4) didnt do quite as well, and Im sorry to say that once again, GovernorSilver didnt make his picks until after the early games had begun. Im even sorrier that Jay didnt get picks in at all.

 

The high-confidence teams across the board were Atlanta (over Cincinnati) and KC over Jacksonville; both choices were unanimous from all of us. Another unanimous choice was the Steelers over the Fins, which we were all wrong about (they didnt cover the spread, as we saw).

 

Divisional Musings

 

NFC East: With a victory on Monday night, the Giants have emerged as the leader of this division. But are they really a great team, despite the 5-2 record? They played terribly on MNF and won only because the depth of suckitude of their opponent. Speaking of whom, the only team in this division thats out of contention is Dallas, and with Romo breaking his collarbone last night, Im pretty sure the Jon Kitna era isnt going to lead to greatness.

 

NFC North: Im having trouble caring about any of these four teams. Its a sea of mediocrity with Chicago and GB tied at 4-3. Favres broken ankle means that Tavaris Jackson will be likely leading the Vikings down the drain, with only the Lions to pad their fall to the bottom.

 

NFC South: Last weeks NFL power rankings still had the Saints as the highest-ranked NFC team. Thats not going to continue. In fact, the entire NFC seems like the minor leagues of the NFL at the moment. At 5-2, Atlanta is shaping up to be the best team in the conference... well see how long it lasts that way.

 

NFC West: Its a terrible division, but Seattle is looking pretty decent so far. I dont see Arizona or St. Louis winning more than a few more games this year, and San Francisco will remain as the laughingstock of the league (not counting Buffalo, of course).

 

AFC East: Between the Jets and the Pats (both 5-1), its tough to say how this division will end up. Its probably more a matter of who will stay healthy the longest. Miami tends to fade as the season progresses, and the Bills.... well....

 

AFC North: If pressed to pick a Super Bowl contender so far this year, I guess Id reluctantly say that the Steelers have the best shot. However, the Ravens are a strong and well-rounded team. Again, injuries (or lack thereof) will be crucial to the overall success between these two.

 

AFC South: The Titans keep winning, dont they? I dont think its a given that the Colts are the leader in this division any more; in fact, Im not sure theyre better than the Texans.

 

AFC West: Take the last five years of the AFC West and flip them, and you have KC on top, followed by Oakland, with Denver and San Diego battling for the bottom slot. I wouldnt have believed it if you told me over the summer, but Im starting to think that either the Chiefs or the Raiders might have an opportunity to make the playoffs. Maybe.

 

Looking ahead, week 8 is full of pretty wishy-washy games. Tennessee at San Diego might be good, in that a loss will cement SD as a lottery team. Pittsburgh at NO on Sunday night comes at an important juncture to both teams, as does the MNF game between Houston and Indy. In any case, enjoy them! Were coming into the halfway point of the regular season and anything could still happen, but once its done, its all over but the crying.

 

See you next time!

[Magpel]

 

NFC East: With a victory on Monday night, the Giants have emerged as the leader of this division. But are they really a great team, despite the 5-2 record? They played terribly on MNF and won only because the depth of suckitude of their opponent. S

 

Um, dawg, the NYG D has stuffed some of the better offenses in the league in consecutive weeks. Nobody can run against them, and they've now knocked out five QBs, which is not a point of pride to me, but it does illustrate that our pass rush, Osi in particular, is back.

 

In terms of yard per game, the Giants D is 3rd against the run and 2nd against the pass. In the NFL.

 

IF IF IF we can curtail the crazy turnover problems and find some special teams competence, I think this is a pretty serious team, especially with the O-line finding its form the last few weeks.

 

But we shall see. Our first game out of the bye is the NFC West Powerhouse Seahawks...

[MikeT156]

I'd reluctantly say the Steelers in the AFC North too. We lost Aaron Smith for the season (again) and he is one of best pass rushers the Steelers have on the roster. We have other injuries, but it goes with the territory. The Steelers are not impressing me as much as some of the sports writers.

 

 

Mike T.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

 

NFC East: With a victory on Monday night, the Giants have emerged as the leader of this division. But are they really a great team, despite the 5-2 record? They played terribly on MNF and won only because the depth of suckitude of their opponent.

 

Um, dawg, the NYG D has stuffed some of the better offenses in the league in consecutive weeks.

 

And if you can keep doing that while not having five turnovers in a game, you have a pretty great shot of being the leaders of the NFC (which at this point isn't saying a lot, but can still take you to a Super Bowl).

[GovernorSilver]

It's so strange how my Pick Em season parallels my Chargers' season. I was out late Saturday night and woke up late Sunday. That kind of sucks as an excuse, I know. The previous Sunday, I had the rare church orchestra gig in the morning, followed almost immediately by going with my housemate/bandmate to the National Gallery of Art because she really wanted to see the Arcimboldo exhibition.

 

The Giants look like the team to beat in the NFC East, fo sho. Their D is more proven than the Chargers', although the Bolts D looked really good against their first elite-level opposing QB (Tom Brady).

 

The Chargers took the Titans to the woodshed last year. I fully expect the Titans to return the favor in spades this coming weekend because of the Bolts' inability to hold onto the ball on offense, and their incompetent special teams.

[kanker.]

It's so strange how my Pick Em season parallels my Chargers' season. I was out late Saturday night and woke up late Sunday. That kind of sucks as an excuse, I know. The previous Sunday, I had the rare church orchestra gig in the morning, followed almost immediately by going with my housemate/bandmate to the National Gallery of Art because she really wanted to see the Arcimboldo exhibition.

I actually pulled off the road and into a Starbucks Sunday to get my picks in - I was driving my daughter to a college visit...

[antimatter]

It's so strange how my Pick Em season parallels my Chargers' season. I was out late Saturday night and woke up late Sunday. That kind of sucks as an excuse, I know. The previous Sunday, I had the rare church orchestra gig in the morning, followed almost immediately by going with my housemate/bandmate to the National Gallery of Art because she really wanted to see the Arcimboldo exhibition.

I actually pulled off the road and into a Starbucks Sunday to get my picks in - I was driving my daughter to a college visit...

 

 

Gotta love that kind of pickem pool dedication.