NFL Thread

[mojoween]

It’s gross.  

[Fukui San]

Woo!  Congratulations to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens on winning the Super Bowl!

Ugliest Super Bowl in history, but we'll take it!

[Carey]

Man, if the 2000 Baltimore Ravens played against the Rams today, the score would have been 30-3 with several defensive turnovers and scores

[ketchuplover]

Go Pack Go!

[NUguy514]

I love both teams, but good lord, that was the worst Super Bowl I've ever seen.  By the beginning of the fourth quarter, I was like:

What a fucking terrible game that was.  I feel like the MVP should've the collective viewing audience who managed to survive the entire game.  And Nate Burleson's amazeballs suit.

[caracas1914]

Just to let it sink in.

Brady and Coach Bill snagged their 6th Super Bowl ring in 9 appearances in 18 years.

I mean, damn.

[crimsongrl]

14 hours ago, xaxat said:

It's pretty amazing that on the day of the Super Bowl, we still don't know where the Raiders will be playing next season. 

The Oakland Raiders are in talks with the San Francisco Giants about playing their home games next season at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

[mojoween]

I would have to rank this as the third worst Super Bowl of all time*

First is XXXV, and not just because the Giants threw up all over themselves

Second is the Butler interception.  RUN THE BALL, Pete.

And now this.  I’m so tired of the Pats with the completely made up chip on their shoulder.  You wanna be the villain?  Embrace it.  Stop crying about it.

*I’ve only been paying attention since XX, and that brought the “Super Bowl Shuffle”, which automatically elevates it to awesome.  

[Guest]

I’m always happy for a Pats win but that was ugly. It’s not that it was low scoring. It was that there weren’t many big plays - offensively or defensively, so it looked less like the defenses exceling and more like two teams who couldn’t get things done. 

[jcin617]

34 minutes ago, deaja said:

I’m always happy for a Pats win but that was ugly. It’s not that it was low scoring. It was that there weren’t many big plays - offensively or defensively, so it looked less like the defenses exceling and more like two teams who couldn’t get things done. 

Let’s just hope the Pats play more exciting football in SB LIV.

[merylinkid]

Other teams have 6 Super Bowls wins.   But they accumulated them over decades with different coaches and QBs.   The Pats are the ONLY team to do it with the same coach and QB combination.   That is amazing.   

 

But yeah boring game.    I look forward to next season with more Mahomes and Goff.   They will get their chance to shine.   Brady can't play forever.

 

The company line of "No one gave us a chance" got really annoying.   Especially in the post game when literally everyone on the Pats who was interviewed said it.    Thank goodness the analysts started calling it out.

 

Oh special mention to Tracy Wolfson who was trying to get the post game interview with Brady and got run over by the mob.   She hung in there, fought her way through and got the interview.   But even Brady was telling reporters and hangers on to back off it wasn't safe.  

[Lamb18]

Since I didn't care who won, I actually liked the game because there was more suspense in who would score a touchdown first, let alone who would actually win.  But I like good defensive games.  

[jcin617]

40 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

Oh special mention to Tracy Wolfson who was trying to get the post game interview with Brady and got run over by the mob.   She hung in there, fought her way through and got the interview.   But even Brady was telling reporters and hangers on to back off it wasn't safe.  

That throng was utterly ridiculous.   There should be some kind of buffer for the players/coaches to congratulate each other and let the hosting network reporter get their questions in before the mob descends.  I was glad to hear Brady repeatedly tell them to back off.

Edited February 4, 2019 by jcin617

[Colorado David]

Yep, that was a yawner. Even the commercials.

[Fukui San]

This is a game for football nerds to watch the All-22 tape and geek out that the Pats played 80% zone after being predominantly single high safety man all year, and that Wade Phillips designed schemes that looked like man coverage when it was actually zone. Just nod your head and back away.

50 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

The company line of "No one gave us a chance" got really annoying.   Especially in the post game when literally everyone on the Pats who was interviewed said it.    Thank goodness the analysts started calling it out.

I think by next year they will be quoting posts on random message boards.  "On October 19, 2019 Mojoween said I should have thrown three picks! How you like me now!?" <rides off on Duck Boat>

[ganesh]

All teams do a version of that though, and there was plenty of talk at 11-5 that they weren't the "Pats" anymore. 

[twoods]

Yes, but they were the favorites to win the SB. People did give them a chance, especially most of the analysts that had them winning so there was no need for them to push the underdog/victim narrative.  After some of their ugly losses this season, they definitely cleaned things up (especially on defense). This was not the same team from earlier in the year and it was apparent. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by twoods

[Crs97]

Not to be too political, but my favorite analysis of the game was a random comment that both teams played as though the winner had to spend a day at the White House.

[BitterApple]

4 hours ago, deaja said:

I’m always happy for a Pats win but that was ugly. It’s not that it was low scoring. It was that there weren’t many big plays - offensively or defensively, so it looked less like the defenses exceling and more like two teams who couldn’t get things done. 

I'm a Pats fan as well and damn, that was a weird game. Nothing was happening yet I was sick with panic fearing someone on the defense was going to screw up and get a penalty or get burned on a play that would change the momentum of the game. Thankfully it didn't happen, but they've had some shaky performances this year and Brady wasn't exactly playing lights out last night.

[DrSpaceman73]

Very boring game

Goff and the Rams OL looked awful.  No idea why Gurley was out so long.  McVey didn't seem to make any offensive adjustments. 

Brady really did, and had to do, very little in that game.  Just throw it to Edelman, who was wide open, most of the night. 

Brandin Cooks, dropped two TDs.  Both were tough catches, but one should have been still made and the other still could have been made, right through his hands twice. 

That game though was all BB and coaching, stopping the Rams. 

Rams did a great job as well on D, just not as good as the Patriots

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, twoods said:

there was no need for them to push the underdog/victim narrative.

You may know that the Patriots have their own airplane used to fly to games.  I got shots of it when they flew into Charlotte to play the Panthers in the preseason.

What you may not know is that they used the call sign "Underdog" for their flights...

[topanga]

31 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Goff and the Rams OL looked awful.  No idea why Gurley was out so long.  McVey didn't seem to make any offensive adjustments. 

Were we ever told the truth about whether Gurley’s knee played a role in his limited number of touches?

Sick of Brady, sick of Belichick. But I can’t deny their greatness and the Patriots’ dynasty. Yeah, they’re cheaters, so I’ll never really respect them. But they have so much talent that they never really needed to cheat. 

The Rams were always a long shot. But from the first snap, Goff never played like he believed he could win. And that does count for something. Ask Nick Foles. Ask Eli—twice. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by topanga

[ganesh]

Gurley's going to be great when he's healthy, but I have a feeling he'll be banged up a lot and never be able to play a full season. 

[Crs97]

4 hours ago, merylinkid said:

The company line of "No one gave us a chance" got really annoying.

I don’t think anyone on the Patriots understands the difference between “Nobody thinks we can win” and “Nobody wants us to win.”  Very different meanings.

[Fukui San]

Like Crash Davis said in Bull Durham, "If you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you are! And you should know that!" Belichick has Baseball Annie'd the entire franchise.

[NUguy514]

3 hours ago, ganesh said:

All teams do a version of that though, and there was plenty of talk at 11-5 that they weren't the "Pats" anymore. 

I'm a Pats fan, but come on: no one predicted they would lose.  You cannot play the underdog card when no one thinks you'll lose.  Just because so many people didn't want them to win doesn't mean that all those people thought they wouldn't win.  As @Crs97 said, there is a big, important difference there.

[Danny Franks]

I really, really can't wait for Bill Belichick to retire. As great a brain for the sport as Tom Brady has, the lion's share of the Patriots' success is down to Belichick, and the unheralded coaches he employs (not the high profile chumps like McDaniels, but the lesser known, positional coaches who seem able to get the best out of whoever Belichick gives them). They'll continue to win without Brady, as long as Belichick is there.

[jcin617]

17 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

I'm a Pats fan, but come on: no one predicted they would lose.  You cannot play the underdog card when no one thinks you'll lose.  Just because so many people didn't want them to win doesn't mean that all those people thought they wouldn't win.  As @Crs97 said, there is a big, important difference there.

I'm sure they understood they weren't really the underdog for the SB;  the whole "no one believed we could do it" mantra was more for the season at large when folks weren't really expecting much of them - I know I wasn't.    I really didn't think they'd get by that AFC game.

[blackwing]

Everything about last night was boring.  I'm a big fan of Maroon 5, but that halftime show was BORING.  And I know some people loved it, but what was up with him taking off his shirt?  There are kids that watch.  My kids like Maroon 5 and the halftime show was pretty much the only thing they were looking forward to.  After the shirt came off, we all sat there for a full minute in silence.  Then my daughter says, "ummmm....." and then my son says "why did he take his shirt off"?  It was just a little awkward.

Was hoping for different song choices.  "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved" are classics but they are a bit boring live.  Why not "Misery", "Makes Me Wonder", "Maps" or "Payphone"?

I was hoping that Big Boi would break out into "Hey Ya", the only song by Outkast that most people can remember.  Maybe Andre wouldn't let him do it?  But then again he did sing "The Way You Move".

Commercials weren't as good as in the past.  I did like all the medieval themed Bud Light commercials but especially the Game of Thrones one.  The Doritos commercial with the Backstreet Boys and Chance the Rapper was fun, and of course the NFL one was great.

[Bastet]

I got a migraine - my first one in years - in the second half.  So, the Rams offense actually made me ill.  It's a real shame how poorly they played, because Wade Phillips's defense had Tom Brady completely befuddled, which was a thing of beauty.

[Fukui San]

47 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I was hoping that Big Boi would break out into "Hey Ya", the only song by Outkast that most people can remember.  Maybe Andre wouldn't let him do it?  But then again he did sing "The Way You Move".

Hey Ya was 100% Andre, though. It's too bad they couldn't reunite Outkast. That would have been a worthy moment. But maybe Andre isn't down for supporting the league. Or he's just weird. All are possibilities.

[TVbitch]

Adam Levine is about as white bread as you can get. Him trying to rap dance along side the rappers was... 

Also, in interviews when he was taking heat for not having a pre-game press conference, he hinted that there would be some kind of social statement made during the performance, but the only statement made was: We are boring.  

[NUguy514]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

And I know some people loved it, but what was up with him taking off his shirt?

Because he's the most insane narcissist in the entire world?  Seriously, no one is more in love with Adam Levine than Adam Levine, and I'm 107% sure he ran backstage as soon as his set was done, watched a replay of it, and masturbated to himself.  He's. the. worst.

[Minneapple]

5 hours ago, topanga said:

Were we ever told the truth about whether Gurley’s knee played a role in his limited number of touches?

Gurley said after the game that he's fine. The Rams made him the richest running back in the league only to have him sit on the sideline in the most important game of the year. Fuck that. Play your superstar. 

[twoods]

He had one good run wiped out by a hold, and then McVay forgot he existed. You’re going to lose if you are solely relying on a jittery third year QB. Aren’t the Pats crappy at stopping the run? I know they played zone a lot and were crowding the box, but a few outside runs should have been warranted. Really disappointed that the “genius, offensive minded” coach couldn’t adjust in the second half.

[stealinghome]

I don’t believe for a second that Gurley isn’t injured. McVay is too smart to pull a Malcolm Butler the year after Belichick probably pissed away the Super Bowl by doing it. I think they just haven’t wanted to admit how banged-up Gurley is.

[Archery]

6 hours ago, jcin617 said:

I'm sure they understood they weren't really the underdog for the SB;  the whole "no one believed we could do it" mantra was more for the season at large when folks weren't really expecting much of them - I know I wasn't.    I really didn't think they'd get by that AFC game.

This.  The first half of the season was a disaster. Even Boston sports talk radio was resigned to the "well, it'll be a rebuilding year" narrative.  The Pats lost a SB they were supposed to win; they didn't have Amendola; Gronk was injured a lot of the time; Edelman sat out 4 games -- the analysts were all saying that this was going to be an off year for the Pats.  And then there was the neverending narrative of Tom is old and he and Belichick were ready to part ways.  People panicked when they were going up against the Chiefs -- that was the worst case scenario.  So yeah, in many circles, the Pats were never expected to make it through the AFC rounds.  Goff was supposed to do to Brady what Brady had done in the 2002 SB.   

[voiceover]

My favorite Pats knock was the "Tom Brady...<did this>" list on my hometown sports talk station:

"Tom Brady...burned down Cheryl's 'She Shed'."

[Minneapple]

2 hours ago, stealinghome said:

I don’t believe for a second that Gurley isn’t injured. McVay is too smart to pull a Malcolm Butler the year after Belichick probably pissed away the Super Bowl by doing it. I think they just haven’t wanted to admit how banged-up Gurley is.

So Gurley is lying? McVay is still lying? Both of them said before and after the game that Gurley is healthy. So that would be a really crazy coverup. If he's injured just say so and all the questions stop. 

[merylinkid]

They were trying to use them both, while being careful of Gurley.   He's healthy but not 100%.    Unfortunately when you do running back by committee neither one gets into a game rhythm with the QB.    When the QB is already rattled, that hurts even more.  

[Magog]

Quote

But yeah boring game.    I look forward to next season with more Mahomes and Goff.   They will get their chance to shine.   Brady can't play forever.

I'm pretty certain that not only Mahomes & Goff will not be playing in the Super Bowl next season, but neither one of them will even make it to the AFC (Mahomes) & NFC (Goff) Championship Game.

BTW, the Patriots parade is happening today. A dive into the Amazon River would be more fun than watching that crummy parade. Frankly, I think Adam Levine needs to take a dive into the Amazon River for that revolting halftime show. At least, that will of brought some entertainment.

Edited February 5, 2019 by Magog

[ganesh]

If Gurley wasn't hurt, then they looked like they were worried one shot would knock him out of the game. He didn't play for like 4 weeks. 

[Lamb18]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:13 AM, Moose135 said:

You may know that the Patriots have their own airplane used to fly to games.  I got shots of it when they flew into Charlotte to play the Panthers in the preseason.

What you may not know is that they used the call sign "Underdog" for their flights...

Patriots better not win any more Super Bowls because they won't be able to fit all the trophies on the tail anymore. #6 will be a tight fit.

[caracas1914]

All this early talk about Mahomes and the Chiefs’ being the SB favorites, yup that’s what that kid needs now:  the added pressure in his second year after his breakout.

We don’t know *yet* if Mahomes will progress to greater heights, or if this was his best shot at a SB.

The more interesting development I think is if the Chiefs falter how long will Andy Reid be good enough as head coach.

[xaxat]

Looks like the OAKLAND Raiders will still be a thing next year. 

Mark Davis is an awful businessman. I hope, as a condition for their "return", Oakland asks for a healthy settlement on their lawsuit.

[topanga]

On 2/5/2019 at 11:11 PM, caracas1914 said:

The more interesting development I think is if the Chiefs falter how long will Andy Reid be good enough as head coach.

And that’s the issue. Andy Reid is a really good coach. But he isn’t quite a great coach. The Eagles had successful seasons under him, got close to the SB many, many times. Got to the SB once but lost. 

The Chiefs have had similar seasons under him. Good regular seasons but underachievement in the playoffs. 

Does Andy have what it takes to get over his personal hump?

[Fukui San]

I don't know if there's anyone better in the league at offensive X's and O's than Andy Reid.

He's a complete nonfactor in defensive strategy.

There may not be a worse coach in the league in managing the clock and timeouts.

He needs a voice in the coaches' box to remind him about such issues, like Ernie Adams does to Belichick.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

On 2/7/2019 at 9:33 AM, topanga said:

And that’s the issue. Andy Reid is a really good coach. But he isn’t quite a great coach. The Eagles had successful seasons under him, got close to the SB many, many times. Got to the SB once but lost. 

I'm one of the few people in Philly who actually liked Reid as a coach so I find myself defending him when people run him down.  I totally agree that he can't clock manage to save his life but he's more than good enough to have multiple championship wins.  No one will ever convince me otherwise that the Eagles loss in SB 39 wasn't a direct result of cheating.  As for his other losses?  The NFC Championship loss against AZ in '09 was squarely on the defense---just like the Chiefs sickening loss to the Pats this year.  But I get it.  The head coach gets the glory and takes the blame.  

[merylinkid]

2 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

 No one will ever convince me otherwise that the Eagles loss in SB 39 wasn't a direct result of cheating.

The Eagles loss in the Super Bowl was a direct result of Donovan McNabb being too gassed to run the 2 minute offense.   Also his throwing up on the field didn't help.   Didn't he also set the record for interceptions in a game?

Of course Andy Reid stuck with Donovan McNabb as his QB faaaaaaar longer than he should have.

[mojoween]

The AAF isn’t bad so far.  It feels closer to college than pro though, and I miss kicking.