Official NFL 2010-2011 Thread

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Jeff - I was looking at the standings, and it occurs to me that 17 games with 6 weeks to play (plus playoffs, I presume?) is not an insurmountable lead - and that's exactly the lead he has over lower-middle pack guys like me, never mind the contenders.

 

No, not insurmountable at all. But he's been a winning machine lately, so from a trending standpoint, he's the guy to beat!

 

I'm pretty sure I'm a lost cause. Way too many 5-7 point weeks.

[kanker.]

antimatter's gonna have to have to have a real bad week or two for any of us to get in it

[GovernorSilver]

I really enjoyed watching Vick play last night despite the fact he's playing for the Eagles . Everything seems to be coming together for him; the athleticism along with good decision making at his position. It should be a great game next week. Though I thought the same thing before last night's game.

 

 

Giants-Eagles definitely has NFC game of the week written all over it. Vick, Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy vs. a tough Giants D that has knocked out an unusual number of QBs.

 

As long as the Giants players don't taunt Eagles offensive players in pregame (as they alleged was done by the Redskins' Landry and possibly another defensive player) the game should be close and hard fought.

 

The Chargers-Broncos follow up that matchup on Monday night. The Chargers for their part will be sure to entertain with a special teams oopsie or two.

[ProfD]

As I mentioned to brotha K offline, the Skins were completely Vick-timized last night.

 

I hate that it happened to my team but I'm glad Vick showed that he can still play the game.

 

I'm not sure I like the contract that the Redskins just gave McNabb, but, at least IMHO, McNabb is NOT the problem with this offense. It's the fact that the offensive line remains among the worst units in the entire NFL, with players who regularly start who not only have no business starting on an NFL team but have no business even being on an NFL roster. (Yes, I'm talking about you Stephon Heyer and Kory Lichtensteiger.) It's also the fact that the Redskins have virtually no real threats (and absolutely zero depth) at receiver, whereas many other teams have multiple weapons at that position.

 

It's really, really hard to be a Redskins fan these days. And the shellacking that they're taking tonight on national television is another bitter pill....

 

Noah

Noah, I completely agree with your assessment of the O-line. I feel similarly about our D.

 

I'm OK with the contract they gave McNabb if it truly has built-in escape clauses as some have reported.

 

Otherwise, there are holes on the O-line and in the D that need to be filled immediately.

 

Again, my biggest problem with the Skins is they have zero killer instinct.

[MikeT156]

I was listening to Merril Hoge on the radio last night. He said the the Skins were covering their gaps on Defense last night and were really not a fault for Vick's performance. He said Vick was throwing extremely accurate long balls and was "impossible" to stop last night. The only way to have a chance against him is to sack him. He said that the Philly line was giving him enough time to pass or run and it was the best performance he's season by a QB this season.

 

 

Mike T.

[GovernorSilver]

I was listening to Merril Hoge on the radio last night. He said the the Skins were covering their gaps on Defense last night and were really not a fault for Vick's performance. He said Vick was throwing extremely accurate long balls and was "impossible" to stop last night. The only way to have a chance against him is to sack him. He said that the Philly line was giving him enough time to pass or run and it was the best performance he's season by a QB this season.

 

 

Mike T.

 

DeSean Jackson beat Landry deep for the first TD. This was just after Landry's alleged taunting of Jackson. For a slower WR, that might have been considered "tight" coverage, but Jackson was behind Landry by at least 2 yds, which for an ultrafast WR is practically a mile of separation.

 

I can't say of course if the alleged taunting was true, but the Eagles did appear to play with huge chips on their shoulders, as if they were enraged, while remaining disciplined enough to execute their schemes.

[ProfD]

I was listening to Merril Hoge on the radio last night. He said the the Skins were covering their gaps on Defense last night and were really not a fault for Vick's performance. He said Vick was throwing extremely accurate long balls and was "impossible" to stop last night. The only way to have a chance against him is to sack him. He said that the Philly line was giving him enough time to pass or run and it was the best performance he's season by a QB this season.

IMO, despite that Vick had an incredible game, the Skins DC didn't make enough adjustments to contain and/or put more pressure on him.

[MikeT156]

What has been described as a "Melt Down" in Pittsburgh has its first casualty. Jeff Reed, long time kicker got the ax today. I hope there's more to follow. That "game" was a disgrace.

 

 

Mike T.

[Griffinator]

I'm sure the Pats will take Reed. He'd be an upgrade over Cincy castoff Shane Graham...

[MikeT156]

Though I doubt the Pats will take Randle El. They have receivers that can catch the ball. Randle dropped several sure catches. One in or around the end zone in the first quarter. Receivers have to catch the ball when its right in their hands. Maybe he's next to get the ax.

 

Heads need to roll. The fans are in an uproar, starting with me.

 

 

Mike T.

[GovernorSilver]

If the Steelers have a long snapper who won't screw up his blocks, yet is unwanted due to house-cleaning, the Chargers will gladly take him.

 

Kaeding might be back for the Broncos game. Despite Kris Brown's miss vs. the Pats, he's been serviceable enough. Thus, I doubt the Chargers will get into a bidding war for Reed.

 

Steeler castoff Tyrone Carter seems to be doing ok in SD, although his contributions have been nimimal. He's just one of 3 free agent safeties picked up to try to fix special teams. I suppose they've had a positive impact on the coverage units, as no big returns have been sighted in weeks. The blocking continues to be a problem though.

[ProfD]

What has been described as a "Melt Down" in Pittsburgh has its first casualty. Jeff Reed, long time kicker got the ax today. I hope there's more to follow. That "game" was a disgrace.

Reed definitely will not remain unemployed for long. IIRC, he was a Pro Bowler. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery.

 

As for the Steelers, I don't know that purging players will change their fortunes. Unless they lose their next game.

 

Otherwise, this season is one of parity. It is harder to predict who will win any given match-up.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Though I doubt the Pats will take Randle El.

 

They might need a backup QB.

[MikeT156]

Heinz Field is like swimming in Ketchup for kickers. I've seen better dirt bike tracks. Reed's poor performances may also be in his head. I saw replays of the kicks he attempted in the meltdown on Sunday Night. He was even worse than the rest of the Steelers, he choked when we needed ANY kind of points. Randle El choked too. The Steelers look like a bunch of has-beens and a group of never-was players. What went on Sunday Night was not parity, it was a reenactment of Custer's last stand.

 

The Steelers can't rely on the players that are over 30 that spend more time on IR than on the field. Time to put them out to pasture and draft/trade/buy other players.

 

Tyrone Carter was a marginal player, that's why they let him go. Of course, they took back another marginal player for the pass defense, McFadden. He's just as bad as he was when they got rid of him last time.

 

Time for new blood.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[Geoff Grace]

Though I doubt the Pats will take Randle El.

 

They might need a backup QB.

Why? Are the Patriots about to play the Giants?

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[richwhite9]

The Steelers can't rely on the players that are over 30 that spend more time on IR than on the field. Time to put them out to pasture and draft/trade/buy other players.

Time for new blood.

 

Mke T.

 

The Patriots are exploiting what has been apparent in the NFL this decade. Players over the age of 32 have a very short shelf life in the NFL. A club who will trade good picks for player 31 or older? Take them in a heartbeat and start rebuilding. It used to be about managing the salary cap and its evolved into something entirely different in the NFL.

 

In some ways it began with Belichick when he dismantled the Terry Glenn and Bledsoe Patriots with their expensive linemen. It was a game that relied on expensivce WRs, QBs, and Offensive Linemen. It was big play inefficient. Better to go younger and run smaller, high execution percentage plays with Brady.

[DanL]

I was listening to Merril Hoge on the radio last night. He said the the Skins were covering their gaps on Defense last night and were really not a fault for Vick's performance. He said Vick was throwing extremely accurate long balls and was "impossible" to stop last night. The only way to have a chance against him is to sack him. He said that the Philly line was giving him enough time to pass or run and it was the best performance he's season by a QB this season.

IMO, despite that Vick had an incredible game, the Skins DC didn't make enough adjustments to contain and/or put more pressure on him.

 

I don't think he had time to adjust, it was 28-0 pretty quick.

[ProfD]

I was listening to Merril Hoge on the radio last night. He said the the Skins were covering their gaps on Defense last night and were really not a fault for Vick's performance. He said Vick was throwing extremely accurate long balls and was "impossible" to stop last night. The only way to have a chance against him is to sack him. He said that the Philly line was giving him enough time to pass or run and it was the best performance he's season by a QB this season.

IMO, despite that Vick had an incredible game, the Skins DC didn't make enough adjustments to contain and/or put more pressure on him.

 

I don't think he had time to adjust, it was 28-0 pretty quick.

True. But, that's why the DC gets paid so much bread. Then again, maybe that's why he is a former HC.

 

[Magpel]

The new model for hiring kickers in the NGl seems to be: rotate them. Fire 'em when they hit a crisis and hope you land a guy on a long term hot streak like a Vinatieri or a Stover or a Jason Hansen.

[MikeT156]

Jeff Reed has gotten in trouble with the law around Pittsburgh this past year too. When he drinks booze, sometimes he takes his frustrations out on men's rooms in convenience stores, destroys property, and blackens the Steelers name. The Rooneys don't like to have troublesome players on their roster. That's why I was a bit surprised that they didn't dump Rottenburger for his continued womanizing trouble and rape. If they didn't just pay him a huge signing bonus, they might have tried to trade him or just cut him.

 

I believe it was former Steelers GM Donahoe that said when he was first hired by the Rooneys they told them they only wanted "well adjusted" players on their roster. Tom said "We won't win any games if we do that". The Rooneys don't like shady people or players that keep getting in trouble with the law. Reed's failure to make critical FG's was the end for him. They even cut Santonio Holmes because of his continued problems with the law. Many people in football couldn't believe they did that. Yet, we still have Ben on the Roster. I guess it comes down to reality. How many "franchise QB's" do you find in a lifetime? Sometimes the answer is NONE.

 

 

Mike T.

[Griffinator]

Question is, is Big Ben really the "franchise" QB you want? Or is he just an average QB with above-average ability to take a hit in the pocket and stay on his feet?

[MikeT156]

Well Scott, if you look at the roster of former Steelers QB's over the last 25 years, I'd say he's the best QB we've had since Bradshaw. No? After Bradshaw was gone, we had Mark Malone I understand the reason he got the QB job was because he was dating one of the Rooney's daughters. Then of course there was Bubby Brister.... Neil O'Donnell who was pretty good but had a tendency to throw the ball to defensive backs in playoff games. Lets not forget Kordell Stuart that could run but threw the ball like a girl, just like me.

 

Personally, I don't care for Ben. He's a but hole, the people around Pittsburgh don't like him, he's a rapist, and not a decent human being. BUT, he's better than what else is out there. Let's face it, there's only ONE Tom Brady. And he knows the Steelers Defenses better than the Steelers players do. We have a choice of one.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[Joe Muscara]

Tom Brady isn't a "but hole"? My impression is he's a jerk and that what he has above Ben off-field is that he stays out of trouble. If their QB skills were equal, Brady would only have a slight edge because of that, IMNSHO.

[MikeT156]

Why do you think he's a jerk? Example? If he was a big but hole I don't know if he would have the woman he ended up with, would he?

 

 

Mike T.

[richwhite9]

Question is, is Big Ben really the "franchise" QB you want? Or is he just an average QB with above-average ability to take a hit in the pocket and stay on his feet?

 

He looked pretty darn sharp when he first returned. Really, really, sharp.

[richwhite9]

Why do you think he's a jerk? Example? If he was a big but hole I don't know if he would have the woman he ended up with, would he?

 

 

Mike T.

 

The break up angle with Bridget Moynahan pregnant got some nasty press. Tom trades pregnant acrtress for younger Victoria Secret's model stuff.

 

Not that I much care or have any real insight into his private life outside of the grocery aisle.

[MikeT156]

Yeah, dumping a pregnant woman for another woman was bad timing, if nothing else. But I remember back in the dark ages before all the girls had birth control pills about women that were sleeping around that got pregnant would pick a lucky "winner" out of all them for a shot gun wedding. That usually didn't work out.

 

There could be a lot of reasons why Brady left Bridget, who knows.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[Joe Muscara]

Why do you think he's a jerk? Example? If he was a big but hole I don't know if he would have the woman he ended up with, would he?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

As if that was a criterion at all for telling whether a guy wasn't a jerk.

 

Look, I don't know if Brady is a jerk, but he seems like a jerk. I admit I could be wrong. Maybe he's just arrogant when he's on the field and okay the rest of time, which would be understandable in order to be competitive.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Well Scott, if you look at the roster of former Steelers QB's over the last 25 years, I'd say he's the best QB we've had since Bradshaw.

 

He is unquestionably the best Steelers QB since Bradshaw.

 

But much like musicians, if we judged professional athletes on the basis of their ethics and personalities (as opposed to just talent), we'd have a short list of players to watch. I still think Pittsburgh will end up as a playoff team this year.

[Bridog6996]

Yeah, dumping a pregnant woman for another woman was bad timing, if nothing else. But I remember back in the dark ages before all the girls had birth control pills about woman that were sleeping around that got pregnant would pick a lucky "winner" out of all them for a shot gun wedding. That usually didn't work out.

 

There could be a lot of reasons why Brady left Bridget, who knows.

 

Agreed. Plus, Tom and Giselle have a kid, so I don't think Bridget being pregnant was the deciding factor. In the end, though, who cares? Doesn't affect anyone here.

 

For what it's worth, I've never heard Tom say or do anything that would make me label him as a jerk, but personal stuff means very little to me anyway. I don't watch the games because I want to be Tom Brady's best friend.