NFL Thread

[voiceover]

*slinks back into the thread*

There are people I like here who are fans of AFC East squads.  So I'd like to mutter an apology for accusing your teams of wussing out.

[stealinghome]

No way is the AFC East weaker than the South. 

[mojoween]

I can't give up sports radio/TV because I use the timing during my work day.  First and Last wasn't too bad.  Mike & Mike is my concern because Greeny is so prone to hyperbole and I'm going to hear several different breathless proclamations that Tommy is the greatest QB ever!!!1!1!!!

And to the end of time, I may be able to concede he is the greatest QB of the 2000's. But I cannot rank him above Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and John Elway because Brady did not play under their rules and so I don't know if he could what he does now back then.  

Just run the ball on third and one, Atlanta.  It's not that hard.

[twoods]

Hey my team is from the AFC East and I agree with you. It's pathetic that nobody challenges the Pats every single year. They had a lot of injuries this year so could have been taken advantage of but nobody did. Then Carr got injured so there goes the one team that could have beaten them in the playoffs.

I wonder if the Atlanta D started playing timid because they kept getting flagged for defensive holding. Also Atlanta, run the damn ball next time. They were doing well with their run game and then they stopped- those dumb plays were all with Ryan holding the ball for too long. Sigh....they had one thing to do and now we have to hear about it for the rest of the offseason. 

[DrSpaceman73]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I can't give up sports radio/TV because I use the timing during my work day.  First and Last wasn't too bad.  Mike & Mike is my concern because Greeny is so prone to hyperbole and I'm going to hear several different breathless proclamations that Tommy is the greatest QB ever!!!1!1!!!

And to the end of time, I may be able to concede he is the greatest QB of the 2000's. But I cannot rank him above Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and John Elway because Brady did not play under their rules and so I don't know if he could what he does now back then.  

Just run the ball on third and one, Atlanta.  It's not that hard.

Falcons just blew it, will keep repeating it. 

I think BB is not actually on the dark side with his hoody.  He may really be a Jedi.  "You will pass the ball in obvious running situations".

On top of the fact that last drive to tie the game, three different times, ball could have easily been intercepted and was dropped.

I will just repeat this cements my hate for the Falcons.  From lukewarm I don't really care about them to I just can't stand them for blowing that game. 

[Fukui San]

2 hours ago, twoods said:

Hey my team is from the AFC East and I agree with you. It's pathetic that nobody challenges the Pats every single year. They had a lot of injuries this year so could have been taken advantage of but nobody did. Then Carr got injured so there goes the one team that could have beaten them in the playoffs.

I wonder if the Atlanta D started playing timid because they kept getting flagged for defensive holding. Also Atlanta, run the damn ball next time. They were doing well with their run game and then they stopped- those dumb plays were all with Ryan holding the ball for too long. Sigh....they had one thing to do and now we have to hear about it for the rest of the offseason. 

I would say the Patriots were relatively healthy this year.  They lost Gronk which sucked, but they had Bennett to have at least one very good all around TE.  OL was intact this year, and the other dings weren't long term or to critical players.  That's as good as you can ask for.

[merylinkid]

Falcons got cute with their game plan.   When up by 25, you run the ball to take time off the clock.   They chew up the clock, Brady doesn't have time to score all those points in the 4th quarter.   But it is what it is.   The game was played the way it was, not the way it should have been.  

Noticed how Goodell wussed out of handing the Lombardi Trophy last night.   Goodell needs to grow up.   

[Fukui San]

I second the AFC south as being the weakest division. If the Pats were there in place of Indy, they might never lose a division game.  In the last 10 years (2007-2016):

Jax: 53-107, 0-4 vs. NE

Ten: 73-87, 0-3 vs. NE

Hou: 82-78, 1-6 vs. NE (2 playoff games)

Indy is 100-60 during that time, but only 3-8 vs. the Pats and haven't beat them since 2009.  They've been the true beneficiaries of a tomato can division.  The AFC East actually plays the Pats a little tougher than the rest of the league in terms of win percentage, believe it or not.

[basiltherat]

Evil is stronger than good, so enjoy your spoils, Pats' fans.

Good thing Shanahan is leaving ---- Lucky Frisco!

Note to players:  if elected MVP in 2017 -- REFUSE IT !!!

[Fukui San]

9 minutes ago, basiltherat said:

Evil is stronger than good, so enjoy your spoils, Pats' fans.

Good thing Shanahan is leaving ---- Lucky Frisco!

Note to players:  if elected MVP in 2017 -- REFUSE IT !!!

A wise man once said: Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.

[xaxat]

The city of Pittsburgh got a higher Nielsen rating for the Super Bowl than both Atlanta and Boston.

[DollEyes]

47 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

A wise man once said: Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.

Spaceballs' Dark Helmet was many things, but "wise" wasn't one of them-and he still lost. 

Atlanta hasn't been burned this badly since Gone With the Wind. 

[Fukui San]

39 minutes ago, xaxat said:

The city of Pittsburgh got a higher Nielsen rating for the Super Bowl than both Atlanta and Boston.

They greatly enjoyed 75% of the game!

[Ohwell]

I would have rooted for anyone in the NFC as long as they beat the Patriots, so I didn't have any particular feelings for the Falcons.  That said, I do feel badly for the Falcons fans this morning.   It's bad enough to be hung over today and having to go to work, but even worse to be hung over and PISSED! 

[Kip Hackman]

Wow. I was depressed after the Panthers lost last year, but last night had to be so much worse for Falcons fans.  Absolutely soul crushing.

[Ohwell]

I thought there was too much going on in Lady Gaga's halftime show, with all the fireworks and drones and waaaaay too many dancers.

[Constantinople]

2 hours ago, DollEyes said:

Atlanta hasn't been burned this badly since Gone With the Wind. 

  There was a land of
Falcons and a Football Field
called the Georgia Dome...

  Here in this pretty world,
Kyle Shanahan took his last bow.

  Here was the last ever to
be seen of Matty Ice and his
Passes Fair, of a 28-3
3rd quarter Super Bowl lead...

  Look for it only in books,
for it is no more than a
dream remembered.

  A Civilization gone with
     the wind...

[voiceover]

52 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I thought there was too much going on in Lady Gaga's halftime show, with all the fireworks and drones and waaaaay too many dancers.

Missed it, mostly because I'm not interested in what they've done to the halftime show for the past decade+*

Just like Season Finales have bored me for years (for god's sake just have a nice little one-off where no one dies or gets pregnant!) -- every year the performers engage in a "Top This!" and it's much too much on a day I'd rather just watch football.

An immodest proposal: why not showcase some college marching bands?  Like they used to?  Or is that too "Get off my lawn!"?

As re: the weakest division in the AFC: who cares what the South's record against NE is?  The point is, their division opponents have had their share of good games (division opponents are a known quantity, for starters), but not consistently good enough to seriously challenge NE for years.  This is how it was for Buffalo for awhile in the 90s.

*I did watch Prince.  Because, Prince.

[Bastet]

5 minutes ago, voiceover said:

Missed it, mostly because I'm not interested in what they've done to the halftime show for the past decade+*

I normally skip it for the same reason, but I found I couldn't look away from this one as soon as it started.  It was a great little mini-show, interesting to both look at and listen to, without me saying, "Oh, just get on with it already" like I've done so many times.

And, yeah, Prince will probably forever be the gold standard of halftime performances.

[BitterApple]

21 minutes ago, voiceover said:

Missed it, mostly because I'm not interested in what they've done to the halftime show for the past decade+*

 

I didn't either, mainly because I was afraid of Beyonce crashing it or Gaga turning into a political rant. I used the time to take my dog out and run to the store for more soda. I'm glad to hear she kept it neutral but I still have no desire to watch the replay.

[ganesh]

20 hours ago, Carey said:

Looks like I'm sticking with my preseason pick of New England, though my score shifted from 31-27 to 35-31.

Wow. Close!

[irisheyes]

As an Atlanta resident and a lifelong Colts fan, I hope Brady and Belicheck die slow and horrible deaths someday. It's in payback for all the slow and horrible deaths they've put me through. 

[mojoween]

"Purple Rain" IN the rain?  Yeah, nothing will top that.

I keep seeing how epic of a game that was and while it would have been to me if Atlanta won for purely selfish reasons, it actually wasn't a very good game.  Just because the score was close doesn't automatically make it compelling.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, voiceover said:

An immodest proposal: why not showcase some college marching bands?  Like they used to?  Or is that too "Get off my lawn!"?

That's what I'd like to see.  Bring back the bands!

[mojoween]

A school in Atlanta posted a picture of the excuses kids gave this morning for being late ("overslept", "dr. appt.", etc.) and by far the best were two kids who said "Falcons depression" and one who said "failed to rise up."  I hope they don't get demerits since they were not only honest, but clever!

[Ohwell]

To the Atlanta Falcons:

[stealinghome]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

"Purple Rain" IN the rain?  Yeah, nothing will top that.

I keep seeing how epic of a game that was and while it would have been to me if Atlanta won for purely selfish reasons, it actually wasn't a very good game.  Just because the score was close doesn't automatically make it compelling.

The first 2.5 quarters sucked as a viewing experience, I agree, but the last 1.5 turned into can't-look-away TV.

[topanga]

5 minutes ago, stealinghome said:

The first 2.5 quarters sucked as a viewing experience, I agree, but the last 1.5 turned into can't-look-away TV.

The last quarter was yelling-at-the-TV time for me. "What are you doing, Ryan??? You can't take a sack now!!!"   "Who's on Edelman? Who's on Edelman? Who's on...wait, did he actually catch that ball????

I hate the Patriots, but I gotta give them their props for the way they came back. Feeling bad for the Falcons players, but they did it to themselves. "They were who we thought they were, and we let 'em off the hook."

[Constantinople]

15 hours ago, mojoween said:

And to the end of time, I may be able to concede he is the greatest QB of the 2000's. But I cannot rank him above Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and John Elway because Brady did not play under their rules and so I don't know if he could what he does now back then.

4 years separate Brady and Elway's first Super Bowl victories, and 6 years separate their second.  I think it was about the time Brady won his second that Peyton Manning and the Colts started whining that the game was too physical.  So it's not as if the Brady and Elway played in different geologic eras.  But even if we look a little further back, Brady, Elway and Marino each won the same number of Super Bowls in the 80s, a decade in which Jim Plunkett's success was only exceeded by Joe Montana's.  

For that matter, the assumption always seems to be that players from the past were better, but we know no more about how past players would perform today than present day players would perform in the past.  I tend to doubt that Terry Bradshaw is smart enough or accurate enough to have succeeded in today's game, at least not to the point of winning 4 Super Bowls.  I'm even more skeptical if every few years Bradshaw had to face losing Harris, Swann or Stallworth due to free agency or the salary cap, not to mention key members of the Steel Curtain.  But I could be wrong.

Most say the game was rougher, but if today's players played in the past, they'd be able to player rougher than they do today.  I don't know if it's true, but I'm told that today's players are, on the whole, faster and bigger than those of yesteryear.  According to Newton, basic laws of the physical world, such as force equaling mass times acceleration, apply equally everywhere at all times (at least until Roger Goodell decides otherwise).  That would suggest that today's faster and larger players would arrive at the point of impact with more force than yesterday's slower and smaller players.

So let's not get too dewy-eyed about the past.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Constantinople

[mojoween]

Scott Pelley from the CBS Evening News must have lost money on the Falcons.

He was talking about the Bushes and the coin toss and he said "the Falcons won the toss, but they just couldn't come back from a 25 point lead."

It made me laugh and sob at the same time.

I'm not saying the past or present is better .  All I am saying is that I personally do not think you can compare the QB's from such vastly different eras and declare one better than the other, because you just don't know.  Although I cannot imagine Tommy having his current success against LT or Bruce Smith or Mean Joe Greene.

[Minneapple]

5 hours ago, voiceover said:

Missed it, mostly because I'm not interested in what they've done to the halftime show for the past decade+*

Just like Season Finales have bored me for years (for god's sake just have a nice little one-off where no one dies or gets pregnant!) -- every year the performers engage in a "Top This!" and it's much too much on a day I'd rather just watch football.

An immodest proposal: why not showcase some college marching bands?  Like they used to?  Or is that too "Get off my lawn!"?

Yeah, because Pepsi or whatever other major sponsor is not going to pay to sponsor a college marching band.

I actually always enjoy the halftime show. It's great cheesy entertainment and they always get artists who put on a great show. Bruno Mars a few years ago I was meh about, but his halftime show blew me away. I don't think the artists engage in a "top this!" battle, but I think each artist has found something new and different to do. Remember that the Super Bowl is not just about football. A hundred million people are watching, millions of whom don't normally watch football. 

(Too bad Prince died, because the Super Bowl is in Minneapolis next year and he would have put on another amazing show.)

5 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

For that matter, the assumption always seems to be that players from the past were better, but we know no more about how past players would perform today than present day players would perform in the past.  

 

1 minute ago, mojoween said:

I'm not saying the past or present is better .  All I am saying is that I personally do not think you can compare the QB's from such vastly different eras and declare one better than the other, because you just don't know.  Although I cannot imagine Tommy having his current success against LT or Bruce Smith or Mean Joe Greene.

It's a different league. It's a pass-happy, flag-happy league. LT (who was coked up all the time) and Bruce Smith would probably have not had such an easy time whacking around quarterbacks in this day and age. Wasn't it Bruce Smith who snapped Joe Montana's hand back, breaking it? A guy like Ronnie Lott, who was constantly headhunting, would not have such an easy time of that nowadays. And notably the league these days has one thing that wasn't there in Montana's time: Free agency and more player movement between teams. Montana had Jerry Rice for his whole career.

I agree it's hard to compare quarterbacks across eras, but if you do compare, I don't think it's close. Brady is the greatest of all time. I don't like him either, I think he's a total dink, but nobody else has won four Super Bowl MVPs (though I will say James White deserved it yesterday). 

[stealinghome]

The digs at Goodell just keep coming, I love it.

I think Brady and White should've been co-MVPs.

[mojoween]

I knew it was going to be Patricia's stupid shirt before I even clicked on it.

I am beyond over that narrative.  The Pats are 17-2 and Super Bowl champions.  The more this goes on, the lower class it looks (not against you, stealinghome).

[Ohwell]

It would be nice if the Patriots and their fans knew how to win graciously.  Which they don't.  Which is why I hate them. 

[morriss]

Quick quiz-   What are the only 2 honest sports left in the world  ??????

answer-    wwe wrestling  and   nfl football

[Constantinople]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I'm not saying the past or present is better .  All I am saying is that I personally do not think you can compare the QB's from such vastly different eras and declare one better than the other, because you just don't know.

I agree.  That's why I usually don't compare players of different eras, unless I'm feel like shitting all over one.

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

Although I cannot imagine Tommy having his current success against LT or Bruce Smith or Mean Joe Greene.

Last spring Lawrence Taylor said he was the 3rd best defensive player in the history of the game, behind Reggie White and Deacon Jones, and suggested J.J. Watt was the 4th best.  Later that year, J.J. Watt's Texans lost 27-0 to the Patriots rookie 3rd string quarterback, who was making his first NFL start with 3 days of preparation.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Constantinople

[Minneapple]

The Patriots and their fans are looking like petty idiots. You won the Super Bowl, now get the fuck over it. Goodell gets his power from the owners and Bob Kraft is one of those owners. Is anyone wearing a shirt with a photo of Kraft looking like a clown on it?

Martellus Bennett has already said he's skipping the White House visit. I wonder if others will join him.

[twoods]

It's the Patriots- is anyone shocked by this display of douchism? It's like they won their first SB.  Bennett has been the only guy I've admired for refusing to go to the WH even though he knows a lot of his teammates are Trump supporters. He's standing up for what he believes in, and I can't fault him for that.

[nowandlater]

8 hours ago, voiceover said:

An immodest proposal: why not showcase some college marching bands?  Like they used to?  Or is that too "Get off my lawn!"?

1. College marching bands are part of college footall. Don't we get enough of them during the college season?

2. College bands get boring after awhile.

3. College marching bands DO perform during halftime. Last year, the Cal Marching Band (from my alma mater) supported Coldplay. Two years ago, Arizona State's marching band supported Katy Perry. The Florida A&M Marching Band supported Prince.

[Constantinople]

I've never trusted college marching bands since the Cal-Stanford game.  Or Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.  I forget which.

3 hours ago, Minneapple said:

...nobody else has won four Super Bowl MVPs (though I will say James White deserved it yesterday).

There are exceptions, such as last year, but I think it's getting to the point where the Super Bowl MVP needs to be broken in two:  Most Valuable Winning Quarterback and Most Valuable Non-QB.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

It would be nice if the Patriots and their fans knew how to win graciously.  Which they don't.  Which is why I hate them. 

Why do you say that?

[topanga]

2 hours ago, twoods said:

It's the Patriots- is anyone shocked by this display of douchism? It's like they won their first SB.  Bennett has been the only guy I've admired for refusing to go to the WH even though he knows a lot of his teammates are Trump supporters. He's standing up for what he believes in, and I can't fault him for that.

I haven't seen any of the Patriot fan reactions and choose not to. And I don't like the Patriots at all, but didn't they earn the right to talk a little junk? Their team just won the Super Bowl by making the biggest comeback in SB history.  As a fan, I'd feel I have the right to flex a little. 

Giants fans still talk junk about the two SBs they won against Brady. I also think they earned the right to talk junk. 

[ganesh]

The Boston police reported there were no Superbowl related arrests either, so I'm not seeing a problem with fans getting hyped up about winning arguably the most exciting superbowl ever. 

[caracas1914]

I'm trying to figure out which NFL fandom would have "let it go" if their star QB had been slapped with  a 4 game suspension, draft picks, etc by a commissioner who dragged out and completely bungled an investigation.

So it's not a matter of Patriots fans being petty and resentful, it's that that is what fans do. Uh, it's fandom.

The thought of Raider, Steeler, Giants, etc (pick your poison) fans  hypothetically being so much more "classy" is fucking hilarious.

[lam48]

Some Patriots fans are definitely obnoxious. And I think that some of them act as if their team has never won a SuperBowl before.They need to stop whining and enjoy their team winning for the 5th time. They are already supporting the most hated franchise in  the NFL, they need to stop making people dislike the team more with some of their behavior.

I hope they don't win a SuperBowl again for a long time.

And I definitely don't think this year's SuperBowl was the greatest SuperBowl ever. Tom didn't play well throughout much of the game and Atlanta lost that game with poor play calling in the second half. And who really is happy for their Patriots winning again except mostly their fans? I don't think that a lot of casual fans/people who are fans of football in general are happy for them.

Edited February 7, 2017 by lam48

[caracas1914]

14 minutes ago, lam48 said:

Some Patriots fans are definitely obnoxious. 

True.  Not disputing some fans get bad.   Just like *some* Giants fans,  Steeler fans, Cowboys fans, Raider, fans are definitely obnoxious.

Now to the real outrage...Terrelll Owens snubbed by the HOF?   He's on the short list of all time best receivers...I mean, seriously.

[twoods]

I felt bad for TO when I saw him smiling and dancing during one of the SB commercials. I wonder if he was expecting a HOF nomination so thought that the commercial would be extra sweet for him. Hope he's there next year.

Nobody is saying that other fan bases are not obnoxious (except maybe the Browns and Bills since they never win anything), it's just that some Pats fans are acting as if their team never won before. I know this year is extra special because of the sanctions, but come on.It's definitely not in this board but in social media. I'm guessing half those bozos are just trolls and not even real fans. 

I wouldn't definitely not give my team a pass if they were caught cheating twice. It's embarrassing and there would be no excuses. Someone had to unfortunately be the fall guy this time, and lucky for Pats fans it was Brady who used his anger to fuel them to win another ring. 

[Magog]

Quote

I haven't seen any of the Patriot fan reactions and choose not to. And I don't like the Patriots at all, but didn't they earn the right to talk a little junk? Their team just won the Super Bowl by making the biggest comeback in SB history.  As a fan, I'd feel I have the right to flex a little. 

Giants fans still talk junk about the two SBs they won against Brady. I also think they earned the right to talk junk. 

I may of been disappointed by the outcome, but I don't have a problem with the Patriots fans celebrating. They team just won another Super Bowl & made an epic comeback doing it. At least it isn't the Cowboys that did that. That would of been much worse. 

Quote

Last spring Lawrence Taylor said he was the 3rd best defensive player in the history of the game, behind Reggie White and Deacon Jones, and suggested J.J. Watt was the 4th best.  Later that year, J.J. Watt's Texans lost 27-0 to the Patriots rookie 3rd string quarterback, who was making his first NFL start with 3 days of preparation.

In what universe is J J Watt is even on the same level as those 3 legends? There is a better chance of the Texans winning a Super Bowl in the next 10 years than J J Watt being as great as these legends. I can name at least 10 defensive players in NFL history that are way better than J J Watt. 

Since ESPN can't make fun of Cleveland anymore with their sports failures (thank you Cavaliers) & I know they're still very bitter about that, they can start making fun of Atlanta. They can thank Matt Ryan & the Falcons for that. What a bunch of losers. I hope that Matt Ryan gets a chance to see that commercial from Buick with Cam Newton in it because that is going to be him in next year's Super Bowl. 

Buick Super Bowl commercial with Cam Newton

 

I also hope that the 49ers enjoy having Kyle Shanahan as their new Head Coach & him bring even more failure to the organization as he did in the Super Bowl.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Magog

[DrSpaceman73]

I don't mind Pats fans celebrating. 

I just tire of hearing about Goodell and how its payback for suspending Brady and punishing the team.  The "how dare you punish our team for cheating" narrative I tired of right about the time it started 2 years ago.  The "deflator" took the balls before the game in a room by himself and did not ever give a good explanation why.  The Pats lost the "benefit of the doubt" in cases like this long ago, after Spygate.  In fact the league specifically changed the rules about such situations because of them. 

Fine you won, the team is great.  I never doubted that.  Doesn't mean I will like your team or ever think differently of what happened either in Spygate or Deflategate.  Winning doesn't prove everyone was wrong about those situations.  And just because Goodell is just as disliked as the Pats organization around the league doesn't negate what the Pats did and have likely done for years. 

And I give more credit to BB than Brady for their success.  They went 3-1 this year without Brady, one game with a 3rd string QB.  They are 14-6 without Brady since 2008.  If Brady retired today, the Pats I think would still be contenders. 

[Jx223]

According to ESPN Steve Sarkisian has just agreed to be the Falcons new OC.