NFL Thread

[Snowprince]

Trade out those first 3 field goals for touchdowns, Flynn could have played the second half...it should have been 28 - 0 by then.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Snowprince

[twoods]

I don't blame that Packer who slid after the interception- why try to run it and fumble the ball? He had maybe about 5 yards until he got tackled. This is clearly on the coaching staff who didn't put this game out of reach.

It's hard to hate the Seahawks after watching Wilson's interview. Guy is so humble and really credited his team for not giving up on him and the game. The God stuff didn't bother me that much.

[Sweets McGee]

Packers fan here. I did not expect to win today but man, you can't choke away a game like that. I'm going to go crawl under a rock until MLB spring training.

[diet7up]

Good game, but disappointing result. The momentum changed as soon as Seattle scored to make it 19-14. I knew they would kick and recover an onside kick. And to allow Seattle to make that 2 point conversion was maddening. I was happy that Mason Crosby was able to tie the game but I just knew Seattle would win the coin toss and then score. Did the Packers ever test Richard Sherman after he appeared to hurt his arm?

[Minneapple]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

THAT WAS THE VIKING-EST PACKER CHOKE EVER.

 

AS A VIKINGS FAN I WILL REVEL IN THE PACKER TEARS.

 

AS A BADGER FAN, I STILL LOVE YOU, RUSSELL WILSON.

[Mean Machine]

Huge props to Green Bay. 

 

Why?  That team should be ashamed of themselves.  They totally gave that game away.

[AimingforYoko]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

THAT WAS THE VIKING-EST PACKER CHOKE EVER.

 

AS A VIKINGS FAN I WILL REVEL IN THE PACKER TEARS.

 

AS A BADGER FAN, I STILL LOVE YOU, RUSSELL WILSON.

Oh, the cheeseheads are going to be crying in their beer on this one. "Viking-esque" is apt.

[mojoween]

I had a feeling going in to today that the second game would not be very competitive and here we are.

I was thinking about the networks showing the SB and wondered why ABC wasn't in the mix since they do NBA on ESPN games on ABC all the time, so why not for football?

[DrSpaceman]

Pathetic showing by the Colts.

Honestly i would have rather they just lost last week than watch this. Its the same thing against NE every time the play and the Colts never stop it

[AimingforYoko]

Some teams are built to beat the Patriots (Ravens, Giants, the team they will be facing in Glendale, etc.) and some aren't. The Colts can't run or stop the run, bad combo.

[yourpointis]

I wonder what the outcome of this game would have been if the Colts would have actually shown up for it instead of sending in their collegiate/high school replacements. 

[Fukui San]

Trent Richardson out vs. New England for "personal reasons" and Xavier Nixon missed the team plane and is also out. WTF?

Apparently they were the smart ones.

[mojoween]

Seriously there are six minutes left and Brady is throwing 45 yard passes up 38 points. I may not have been rooting for the Colts, but that is such a dick move. I mean, I know the Colts can't stop the run but there is just no reason for

Brady to still be in the game throwing bombs. He got creamed, too which is almost like instant karma.

[DrSpaceman]

Seriously there are six minutes left and Brady is throwing 45 yard passes up 38 points. I may not have been rooting for the Colts, but that is such a dick move. I mean, I know the Colts can't stop the run but there is just no reason for

Brady to still be in the game throwing bombs. He got creamed, too which is almost like instant karma.

Nothing but class from the Pats.

[Snowprince]

I had a feeling going in to today that the second game would not be very competitive and here we are.

I was thinking about the networks showing the SB and wondered why ABC wasn't in the mix since they do NBA on ESPN games on ABC all the time, so why not for football?

Because of their contract with the league. ABC/ESPN has exclusive rights to the Monday Night games and the NFL is very unlikely for traditional reasons to play a Super Bowl on a Monday. That may come up in the next TV contract negotiations, but I doubt it.

[DrSpaceman]

Some teams are built to beat the Patriots (Ravens, Giants, the team they will be facing in Glendale, etc.) and some aren't. The Colts can't run or stop the run, bad combo.

The Colts run defense against every team except the Pats is not horrible. Its not great, but its mediocre.

This is just poor coaching when it happens 3 games in a row. You knew it was coming. No adjustments, just let it happen again. Its terribly disappointing as a fan when you see this game after game vs. the same team.

ANd I am sure some experts out there are going to focus on Luck and his poor numbers. He would have literally had to score every time he had the ball to win this game. Not a meaningful stop all night vs. NE for the COlts except for the INT

ANd they have the ball at the 45 yard line at the end of the half and DOWN THE BALL. TAKE A SHOT DOWNFIELD!!! You might get luck or might get a pass INT and shot at a FG. I don't get it. In the larger scheme would make no difference, but you are passing up a shot you had at least, take a chance

[twoods]

I wish Brady had more shots at him when he's still in the game up by that much. This is why they are so unlikable, and why the Super Bowl will be hard to stomach. Smug vs smugger. Why couldn't the Colts have showed up today?

Speaking of poor coaching, why in the world did Rodgers not pick on the injured Sherman- he wouldn't have been able to stop or deflect much with his injured arm.

[mojoween]

I didn't mean putting the SB on a Monday, I just meant putting ABC into the rotation with the other three networks.

[Bastet]

Maybe it's the residual high of the Seahawks victory, but I was quite sanguine in resigning myself to a Patriots win and barely batted an eye at this game.  I'm sure if I liked the Colts rather than not caring about them one way or the other (and disliking Luck), it would have been a more frustrating game, but I just sort of shrugged.  My prediction had been for Indy to keep it fairly even for the first half and then get slowly but thoroughly trounced in the second, but I was certain they were going down.  So having that confirmed was less painful than a Patriots win can be.

 

I'd have rather been spared enduring NE in the Super Bowl, but whatever.  My "please, just give me this" wish at the start of the playoffs was to have a team to root for rather than just holding my nose and rooting against the Patriots, so I'm happy.

 

And if, heaven forbid, the Patriots do beat the Seahawks, at least I'll still know the Giants beat their ass twice. 

Edited January 19, 2015 by Bastet

[King of Birds]

THAT WAS THE VIKING-EST PACKER CHOKE EVER.

 

AS A VIKINGS FAN I WILL REVEL IN THE PACKER TEARS.

Minneapple with the caps lock truth! As a Vikings fan, I did not mind seeing the implosion happen to GB.

[MarkHB]

I didn't mean putting the SB on a Monday, I just meant putting ABC into the rotation with the other three networks.

They were in the rotation back when the Sunday night game was the cable game and MNF was on ABC.  I think it boils down to "the network showing the cable game doesn't get to be in the Super Bowl rotation."

 

And I'm a lifelong Pats fan, so I'm overjoyed and looking forward to Tom Terrific hopefully getting his fourth ring.  (Incidentally, when I say "lifelong Pats fan," I mean I remember watching games as a kid in the Chuck Fairbanks - Jim Plunkett - Sam "Bam" Cunningham era, when they were the team that practically invented stadium naming rights.)

[xaxat]

It still pisses me off that Blount managed to quit his way onto a Super Bowl team.

[Mean Machine]

Looks like Seattle's opening up as a slight underdog against New England.  Gonna money-line them while I can.  I see them rolling the Patriots just like they did Denver last year.

[Snowprince]

I'd bet that's based on the injuries to Sherman and Thomas.

[ihavenoidea]

Wow at that Packers implosion.  I think their demise actually started on that 3rd and 19 or whatever it was and they rush only 3 and Wilson stood back there for a week until he found a guy for the first down.  I think that was late 3rd quarter.  The 2nd bonehead move was sliding after the interception, dude had a wide open field in front of him, he could have gotten at least closer to field goal range to put them up three scores.  Then came the 3 runs, all for negative yards, you have one of the top QB's in the league and you don't trust him to throw it??  Then of course, the doinked play by the Bostick guy, I feel for him the most because there were soooo many ways the Packers lost that game, but that guy will have to see that play being rerun the rest of his life.  After that it was like the Packer defense panicked and just gave up.

[Rina99]

Pathetic showing by the Colts.

Honestly i would have rather they just lost last week than watch this. Its the same thing against NE every time the play and the Colts never stop it

 

Well, I'm happy the Colts didn't lose last week.  They graciously took out the Broncos for me last week.  Actually, this playoffs has been wonderful, as none of the teams I didn't want there (Broncos, Steelers, Ravens) made it to the conference championship game.  

 

I don't dislike either the Seahawks or the Patriots, and I enjoyed watching both teams this season as my own team was pretty much out of contention before September ended.  So while it won't have the potential of giving me the happy giggles like Seahawks beat-down of the Broncos last year did, at least I won't be disgusted if either team won.  So win-win for me!

[Minneapple]

Then of course, the doinked play by the Bostick guy, I feel for him the most because there were soooo many ways the Packers lost that game, but that guy will have to see that play being rerun the rest of his life.

 

Bostick wasn't even supposed to go for the ball. He was supposed to act as a screener or blocker for Jordy Nelson, who was in on the play specifically to catch that football. But yes, Bostick will see that play on TV and in his nightmares. For many years to come.

 

There were many factors that led to Green Bay's utter meltdown, but I would argue that the No. 1 factor was the conservative playcalling. On the road, in a game like this, I like to see teams take more risks, put their foot on the opponent's throat when they can (literally, I suppose, if they're Ndamokung Suh).

[nowandlater]

I didn't mean putting the SB on a Monday, I just meant putting ABC into the rotation with the other three networks.

 

I assume that part of Fox, CBS and NBC's deal is to carry the Super Bowl every 3 years. Making every 4 years would piss off those networks and likely result in a big reduction in their rights fees.

 

The contract is with ESPN, and though ESPN and ABC are under the same Disney umbrella, it's totally separate. That's why the Rose Bowl or the playoffs aren't televised on ABC. (Even though Jimmy Kimmel and ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir contributed to ESPN's college national championship coverage.)

[Rick Kitchen]

So Gary Kubiak is the new Denver coach. Still carrying Elway's clipboard, I see.

[Danny Franks]

Seriously there are six minutes left and Brady is throwing 45 yard passes up 38 points. I may not have been rooting for the Colts, but that is such a dick move. I mean, I know the Colts can't stop the run but there is just no reason for

Brady to still be in the game throwing bombs. He got creamed, too which is almost like instant karma.

 

It's The Patriots Way. Run up the score and then blame the other team for it.

 

Sorry, but the Ravens were the only team in the AFC who were going to beat the Patriots. This game was over before it even began, and I can't believe anyone but the most ardent Colts fan thought they had a hope in hell of winning in Foxborough. Hopefully, we'll see that the Ravens were the only team that was going to beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl as well, because I'd rather see those preening, posing juveniles repeat than see Brady and Belichick get another one.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing Denver fall apart next year as they continue to try riding Peyton Manning's dessicated arm to success. Hope both Elway and Kubiak end up regretting their little 'why do we need to bother interviewing anyone, my pal gets the job!' arrangement.

[bmasters9]

I'm definitely not watching XLIX. Why?! Because Green Bay had that NFC Final-- had it!--and flat blew it. And of course, New England winning again on the AFC Final. That said, no Super Bowl for me. 

[Jx223]

The Patriots/Colts game wasn't that enjoyable for me to watch. I think it would have been a good idea to take Tom out a bit earlier in the game, when New England  had it put away. He risked being injured when he was kept in the entire game, there was no need to take that risk, when the Patriots knew that they already had that game won.

 

Also there is a report out there that the NFL is investigating the Patriots for using deflated footballs during their game yesterday against the Colts. If they are found guilty of this, they could lose some draft picks.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2334592-patriots-reportedly-investigated-by-nfl-for-using-deflated-footballs-vs-colts

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24976543/report-nfl-investigating-patriots-for-deflating-footballs

Edited January 19, 2015 by Jx223

[benteen]

So Gary Kubiak is the new Denver coach. Still carrying Elway's clipboard, I see.

 

Heheh.  I found it funny that John Fox took the blame for the Broncos season yet Elway gets a pass despite the fact he set up the team that Fox coached.

 

The last five minutes of that Seattle/Packers game were amazing.  Packers definitely choked that game away and there were so many times they could have finished it.  But exciting game.

 

Pats/Colts was brutal.  Luck had a bad game but the Colts have to start building a team around him.

 

About Pete Carroll, yep.  Colin Cowherd pointed out if you're going to blame Urban Meyer (the Fred Sanford of college football) for leaving Florida in shambles, you have to blame Carroll for doing the same at USC.  Of course, Cowherd was in his full superstar ass-kissing mode (he's a jock sniffer and excuse maker when it comes to the biggest stars in sports) but he was right on that one.

[merylinkid]

Carroll has also lost OTA days next year for having contact practice in OTAs this year.   You are not supposed to do that under the contract CBA.   Rules, what rules?

 

I have decided that Elway would rather protect his legacy as a Denver QB who brought 2 Super Bowls to the team, than let another QB win one.   That is the only explanation for getting rid of a coach with a winning record and hiring Kubiak.   He even said Fox was let go because they didn't agreed how to take it to the next level -- winning in the playoffs.   Kubiak is still trying to figure out how to win in the regular season.   Just a stupid move all around.

[benteen]

Cowherd is talking about Carroll now and all the issues he's had.  It's a lot.

[Danny Franks]

Carroll may be completely innocent in this one, but the amount of Seahawks players who tested positive for PEDs over the last couple of years has been quite something. To me it looked like a culture in that locker room. And like I say, Carroll may not have known anything about it. But on the other hand he may have, given his previous conduct.

 

The Pats deflating footballs? Silly, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was some truth behind it. I firmly believe Belichick would do absolutely anything to give his team an advantage in any given game. Ideally within the rules, but he's shown before that he'll break them.

 

I have decided that Elway would rather protect his legacy as a Denver QB who brought 2 Super Bowls to the team, than let another QB win one.   That is the only explanation for getting rid of a coach with a winning record and hiring Kubiak.   He even said Fox was let go because they didn't agreed how to take it to the next level -- winning in the playoffs.   Kubiak is still trying to figure out how to win in the regular season.   Just a stupid move all around.

 

 

I think Elway fancies himself as a Jerry Jones style despot, ruling over every aspect of the team but with the added immunity of being a Broncos legend. It's no real surprise that he basically gave Kubiak the job on the spot, given their friendship and Kubiak's likely agreement with everything Elway wants to do. But it's crazy for Kubiak to accept it, because the message of the last week is, 'win the Super Bowl. Nothing less is good enough'. And Kubiak is not going to win the Super Bowl with this team. I think that sticking with Manning's deteriorating arm will have them fail to win the division next year.

[DrSpaceman]

It's The Patriots Way. Run up the score and then blame the other team for it.

 

Sorry, but the Ravens were the only team in the AFC who were going to beat the Patriots. This game was over before it even began, and I can't believe anyone but the most ardent Colts fan thought they had a hope in hell of winning in Foxborough. Hopefully, we'll see that the Ravens were the only team that was going to beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl as well, because I'd rather see those preening, posing juveniles repeat than see Brady and Belichick get another one.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing Denver fall apart next year as they continue to try riding Peyton Manning's dessicated arm to success. Hope both Elway and Kubiak end up regretting their little 'why do we need to bother interviewing anyone, my pal gets the job!' arrangement.

 

 

I think Elway wanted Kubiak, for whatever reason, and that is why he fired Fox.  He didnt decide after the Fox firing, it was the reason for the Fox firing.

 

Though I have no idea, nothing Kubiak has done as a coach would make me fire a decent one to hire him instead.  I know they go way back, but still, objectively, firing Fox for Kubiak makes little sense.  Fox is not a great coach, but he is a good one.

 

Deflated balls had nothing to do with why the Colts lost.  Wish Kravitz would not have published that, let someone else take it.  Looks like whining from the COlts side.  They just got outcoached and outplayed in every phase. 

 

On the other hand BB would choke his own mother (I have no idea if she is alive and don't care) if he thought it would help them win a game, rules or no rules.  He never really did admit to anything about spygate, never admitted what he did was explicitly against the rules

[yourpointis]

Deflated balls had nothing to do with why the Colts lost.  Wish Kravitz would not have published that, let someone else take it.  Looks like whining from the COlts side.  They just got outcoached and outplayed in every phase.

 

 

I hate defending the Patriots, but if those footballs were deflated and gave the Patriots an advantage, wouldn't it offer the same advantage to Andrew Luck? Also, if those deflated footballs were only given to the Patriots offense, that would involve the officials knowing in advance of this and that is a conspiracy that even I who practically lives on the grassy knoll seriously doubts happened. The Colts were simply outplayed in all three phases of the game. I still hate the Patriots and do believe that that organization will bend and possibly break the rules to win but not in this situation. Although you never know.

[Danny Franks]

I hate defending the Patriots, but if those footballs were deflated and gave the Patriots an advantage, wouldn't it offer the same advantage to Andrew Luck? Also, if those deflated footballs were only given to the Patriots offense, that would involve the officials knowing in advance of this and that is a conspiracy that even I who practically lives on the grassy knoll seriously doubts happened. The Colts were simply outplayed in all three phases of the game. I still hate the Patriots and do believe that that organization will bend and possibly break the rules to win but not in this situation. Although you never know.

 

I don't think it had anything to do with the result, and my grasp of physics is shaky enough that this may be completely wrong but:

 

A deflated ball is easier to grip and catch, but probably much harder to throw deep. So with the Pats' short passing game, it could end up being an advantage over Luck, who loves slinging long passes. I would guess that's the basis of the charge. Whether it has any truth to it, I don't know. If it is, then it proves again that Belichick will bend the rules despite himself. An easy game, a blowout win, and he just can't help himself.

 

It has happened in the college game though, with USC being fined for deflating balls against Oregon in 2012. So there is something to the idea.

[yourpointis]

I don't think it had anything to do with the result, and my grasp of physics is shaky enough that this may be completely wrong but:

 

A deflated ball is easier to grip and catch, but probably much harder to throw deep. So with the Pats' short passing game, it could end up being an advantage over Luck, who loves slinging long passes. I would guess that's the basis of the charge. Whether it has any truth to it, I don't know. If it is, then it proves again that Belichick will bend the rules despite himself. An easy game, a blowout win, and he just can't help himself.

 

It has happened in the college game though, with USC being fined for deflating balls against Oregon in 2012. So there is something to the idea.

 

 

I'm aware of the advantage that a deflated football will give to a qb, but it brings into question that if these balls were deflated, why couldn't Andrew Luck take notice of this, address the situation with his coaches and thus make adjustments to his passing game. 

[xaxat]

After participating in that mauling of the Colts, Vince Wilfork went on to help rescue a woman from an overturned car.

[Magog]

 

Also there is a report out there that the NFL is investigating the Patriots for using deflated footballs during their game yesterday against the Colts. If they are found guilty of this, they could lose some draft picks.

 

I guess that ESPN doesn't have much to talk about during Super Bowl hype week that this is even newsworthy. I don't like the Patriots very much & I don't think this story is worth my time.

 

When Josh Cribbs messed up the punt in the 1st quarter, I knew that the Colts are not going to win that game. 

 

As for Packers - Seahawks, that game was a lot of fun to watch, especially the last 5 minutes & overtime. I was happy with the outcome of that game. I'm sure that the Seahawks fans that left early before the comeback are kicking themselves right now for missing something as epic as this. 

 

Hopefully, there will be a repeat of last year's Super Bowl. 

Edited January 19, 2015 by Magog

[mojoween]

To be fair to ESPN this one time, multiple different outlets reported on the deflated Patriots balls.

It's like all Belichick can do is go up to and over the edge of the rules. He can't help himself.

[Constantinople]

A deflated ball is easier to grip and catch, but probably much harder to throw deep. So with the Pats' short passing game, it could end up being an advantage over Luck, who loves slinging long passes. I would guess that's the basis of the charge.

 

I don't see why it would help a short passing game over a deep passing game.

 

And if it did, why didn't they deflate the balls when playing Joe "Bombs Away" the week before?

[Danny Franks]

I don't see why it would help a short passing game over a deep passing game.

 

And if it did, why didn't they deflate the balls when playing Joe "Bombs Away" the week before?

 

I'm not saying they did do it, nor do I really care. The Patriots could have played with eight men and beaten the Colts, so who gives a shit? I'm just offering my guess on how the deflated ball is supposed to help. And my guess is that it would hinder the deep passing game a lot more than the short passing game, because the ball would be less streamlined and smooth through the air.

 

If they had done it against the Ravens, then perhaps they would have come a little close to getting that convincing win that so many Patriots fans were claiming was inevitable beforehand, instead of getting the shit scared out of them by the Ravens again, in their home stadium. It's becoming almost an annual tradition.

[mojoween]

Here is an interesting stat - since the end of the 2003 season, the starting AFC quarterbacks in the Super Bowl have been Brady, Brady, Roethlisberger, Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, Manning, Roethlisberger, Brady, Flacco, Manning, Brady.

And if it weren't for a poorly-defended pass in the AFC championship game, that Flacco would have been swapped out for Manning.

So much for parody.

[Snowprince]

More useless trivia:

 

As the designated home team, Seattle will have the choice of jersey color. They're 1-1 in previous Super Bowls, winning in white and losing in blue. Which way will they go this lap?

Edited January 20, 2015 by Snowprince

[merylinkid]

How does which team is the "home" team get decided?

 

Also, apparently each team supplies balls to the game.   Each team then uses the balls they supplied when they are on offense.   So the Pats deflating their balls (hehehehehehehe, I'm 12) would only benefit the Pats, not the Colts.   The Colts used their own balls (hehehehehehe).

Edited January 20, 2015 by merylinkid

[Bastet]

How does which team is the "home" team get decided?

 

I believe they just alternate between AFC and NFC from year to year.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Bastet

[mojoween]

Yep...according to Google-fu, the NFC is home in odd numbered games and the AFC home in even games.