Official NFL Thread

[GoodAsGould]

To be fair defensive stats are skewed for the patriots by their amazing offense. Teams are almost forced to abandon the run because they fall behind so quickly and go to pass only... which leads to more interceptions and sacks also makes them 1 dimensional. Also, I think his point was that the Jags are better suited for a game in poor conditions. And with their running back tandem plus I think sturdy defense that could be true to a point... although this season I would never bet against the Pats to win.

[DBAHO]

Garrard is a QB that doesn't make many mistakes as well.

 

So at least I think it would be an interesting matchup, and the Pats would probably have to get the running game going a bit.

 

I'd still definitely pick NE though.

[IlliniKrush]

hubris

[witesoxfan]

To be fair defensive stats are skewed for the patriots by their amazing offense. Teams are almost forced to abandon the run because they fall behind so quickly and go to pass only... which leads to more interceptions and sacks also makes them 1 dimensional. Also, I think his point was that the Jags are better suited for a game in poor conditions. And with their running back tandem plus I think sturdy defense that could be true to a point... although this season I would never bet against the Pats to win.

 

You can't take that away from their defense though. The two units do play for the same head coach.

 

Their defense is better than Jacksonville's. Just because they have a good offense doesn't mean you have to handicap the defense because they aren't on the field a lot.

[GoodAsGould]

You can't take that away from their defense though. The two units do play for the same head coach.

 

Their defense is better than Jacksonville's. Just because they have a good offense doesn't mean you have to handicap the defense because they aren't on the field a lot.

 

Lol, you dont think the Jags defense would look better if they had the highest scoring offense on the other side? Any defense is going to look better when the opposition are forced to be 1 dimensional. I actually think the Pats defense can be very vulnerable to a team that doesnt fall behind due to the Pats offense.

[Gene Honda Civic]

How the f*** is that a penalty?

[fathom]

Why does it look like Orton is always throwing to the opposition? I have no idea how he hasn't thrown a pick tonight.

[fathom]

That was the worst intentional grounding call in history.

[Brian]

Why does it look like Orton is always throwing to the opposition? I have no idea how he hasn't thrown a pick tonight.

 

I've noticed this as well. I think he looks off defenders pretty good.

 

And yes, no clue how that was intentional grounding. Refs have been horrible all year, all league.

[knightni]

There ya go, Orton-lovers.

 

Enjoy that?

 

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Orton looked AWFUL last night and I still think he's awful, but it's hard to judge any skill players on this team when you consider how historically bad this offensive line is. Nobody though can argue his last pass, had a man wide open for a TD and threw the ball 3 yards in the wrong direction, that was inexcuseable.

 

In the NFL, teams turn things around all the time. We've still got a great defensive nucleus that's relatively young (Anderson, Harris, Tillman, Vasher, Briggs... if he's back) and great roll players. Sure, there's work to be done, but the Bears can get good again quickly.

 

The Bulls are still just one player away from being a top team in the East. If Pax ever answers the need of an inside scorer, they will be lethal.

 

As for the Sox... that's another story entirely.

 

The Bulls may be one player away, but they'll never get him. That's how the NBA works, you have to get the really good player first or it's too late, only way the Bulls get that guy is giving up the core, so they are screwed either way.

 

As for the Bears, the offense has 11 spots that are holes (Berrian will be gone), the defense will lose Briggs, Urlacher has an arthritic back, Anderson can't stop the run, yeah they have a really good DT and good corners, but the rest of the defense is a ? too.

Edited December 18, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[hitlesswonder]

Orton looked AWFUL last night and I still think he's awful, but it's hard to judge any skill players on this team when you consider how historically bad this offensive line is. Nobody though can argue his last pass, had a man wide open for a TD and threw the ball 3 yards in the wrong direction, that was inexcuseable.

 

I think Orton is probably an OK backup QB. For the most part, his decisions on when/where to throw were usually good and he can throw short and medium passes pretty well. He just doesn't have the arm to throw deep (e.g. the last play). Playing Orton is fine, but it's not going tell anyone anything -- he's not great so he can't overcome the terrible O-line, no running game, and generally handsless receivers. The question is: is he awful or just mediocre. With that offense, there's no way to tell. But, everyone should realize at this point that Grossman is a better QB.

 

[witesoxfan]

Phuck the fins

[Palehosefan]

Ouch, Willie Parker out for season with broken Fibula. Hopefully he can make a nice recovery for next year. At least his buddy Fred Taylor will finally get into the Pro-Bowl.

Edited December 21, 2007 by Palehosefan

[Gregory Pratt]

Season's over for Pittsburgh!

 

Pittsburgh might've been able to give the Patriots a big challenge in the playoffs. No more!

[Gregory Pratt]

Every so often you happen across a little story so perfect that you just have to share it, even if it doesn’t really have much to do with anything else. This story is about New England coach Bill Belichick.

 

These days, with the Patriots undefeated and all, figuring out what makes Belichick tick is like the Holy Grail for football fans and sportswriters and business leaders, too. The guy is the best at what he does. The guy has won three Super Bowls as a head coach, two more as an assistant, and now he’s coaching what many consider the best team ever.

 

There are those who think it isn’t too difficult to figure Belichick’s success. He is obsessed, he’s smart, he’s cranky, he’s meticulous, and he’s willing to push pretty much any boundary in order to win. It’s like that old line from “Citizen Kane”: “It’s no trick making a lot of money when all you want to do is make a lot of money.”

 

But obsessed, smart, cranky, meticulous, competitive — these words describe 80 percent of coaches. There’s something else.

 

Last year, Belichick coached the Pro Bowl. As you guessed he took it too seriously. On Friday — a day normally reserved for a short practice and lots of beach time, Belichick gathered everyone together.

 

“I didn’t come all the way out here to get embarrassed,” he barked at the best players in professional football. Then, he had them practice their substitutions as if they were junior high kids. He yelled “punt team” and had the punt team run on the field. Field-goal team. Second-team offense. Faster. Again.

 

That insanity already tells you a lot about Belichick. But that’s not the story. No, the story comes from the game itself and involves Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez. As you know there are no role players in the Pro Bowl. It’s a game of stars. That means some stars have to do some grunt work. Every year, coaches put Gonzalez — now a nine-time Pro Bowler — on the kickoff return team.

 

“I don’t know why they keep doing that,” Gonzalez says.

 

Nobody knows, but one of the byproducts is that Gonzalez’s family and friends get to laugh hysterically. It is one of the highlights of their Hawaii trip, watching Gonzalez look helpless and try his best to avoid contact on the kickoff team. Hey, come on, the Pro Bowl is a reward. Everybody says so. Nobody goes there to get hurt blocking on kickoffs.

 

So, first kickoff, Gonzalez stood back, the kick flew over his head, and he sort of looked for someone to block. Someone ran around him and tackled the return man. Business as usual. Only there was Belichick. He did not look at Gonzalez. He stared grimly at the field — you know that Belichick look. He did not even seem aware of Gonzalez’s existence.

 

Then, as Tony ran by, Belichick said this: “Why don’t you (bleeping) block somebody, Gonzalez.”

 

Gonzalez turned to look. Was that Bill Belichick? Was he joking? Belichick had the most disgusted look on his face. He still would not look at Gonzalez.

 

“It’s like I was a piece of dirt,” Gonzalez would say.

 

It was beyond imagination. Belichick had cursed at Tony Gonzalez, the best tight end in football, for missing a block. In a Pro Bowl game. On the kickoff return team. This would be like, what, your boss coming up to you at your Sales Person of the Year party and swearing at you because your shoes aren’t right for the occasion.

 

Gonzalez was mad. Hopping mad. Who in the heck did Bill Belichick think he was anyway? Gonzalez was no kid. He’d played for four different coaches. He knew how they acted. But still … the gall of this guy. Didn’t he have any idea how hard Gonzalez worked to get here to the Pro Bowl. For what? To get treated like that?

 

Gonzalez stewed, grumbled, kept looking over at that coach. Next kickoff, Gonzalez went out there, and he was still enraged. He didn’t need this. The ball was kicked over his head, and Gonzalez saw the defender coming hard, and … you bet. Gonzalez clocked him. Took him out.

 

Then, Gonzalez was sure to walk by Belichick. Yeah, what do you have to say now, Mr. Genius? Again Belichick did not even look Gonzalez’s way. Stared straight at the field. That’s right. Tony walked, and Belichick did not say a word. And then, with Gonzalez almost out of range, Belichick barely whispered: “Nice block.”

 

“How did you feel when he said that?” I asked Gonzalez. He looked sheepish. He’s almost 32 years old. He will soon own every meaningful tight-end record there is. He should have long ago stopped worrying much about what coaches thought of him, especially other teams’ coaches.

 

“I felt really good,” he admitted.

 

“So you’re saying that seven words from Bill Belichick got you to block hard on the kickoff unit at the Pro Bowl?” I asked.

 

Sometimes you get to the heart of something without even trying. Gonzalez smiled and summed up the story that may explain why Bill Belichick is the best around.

 

“Hey,” Gonzalez said. “I’m coachable.”

 

I love it.

[jackie hayes]

I love it.

 

“I didn’t come all the way out here to get embarrassed,” he barked at the best players in professional football. Then, he had them practice their substitutions as if they were junior high kids. He yelled “punt team” and had the punt team run on the field. Field-goal team. Second-team offense. Faster. Again.

 

It's tough to take a writer seriously when he uses one of his paragraphs to describe his own personal f***-fantasy. Complete with pedophilia! "As if they were junior high kids", indeed.

 

GP, you're slipping if you actually think puff pieces like this have any value. Have some f***ing standards, man.

[Gregory Pratt]

There is room for hack journalism in my heart; there is room for puff pieces. Besides, it's a good story.

[jackie hayes]

There is room for hack journalism in my heart; there is room for puff pieces. Besides, it's a good story.

Gonzalez didn't block. Gonzalez blocked. Riveting.

[DBAHO]

CHARLESTON -- Unprecedented free publicity and proceeds from Eastern Illinois Romo No. 17 jerseys were not enough. Tony Romo also has donated $100,000 to the university where he played quarterback in obscurity compared to these days as a Dallas Cowboys quarterback and subject of countless gossip magazines and Web sites.

 

Eastern Illinois associate athletic director John Smith said it was the largest one-time donation he has received in his 11 years in athletics development.

 

“What was really neat about it was even though Tony is making his living through athletics, he is giving a portion of it to communications studies, which shows he is interested in the entire university,” Smith said. “We are just appreciative and it’s neat to see how he remembers us.”

 

Smith received the handshake and EIU donation from the school’s biggest star before Sunday’s game.

[whitesoxfan101]

Ehh I'm not impressed. Justin McCariens donated a quarter of a million to our new facilities and he doesn't have anywhere near the paper that Romo has. In all seriousness, that's a nice gesture though.

[Gregory Pratt]

Good for Bears fans...

 

...the season is a success!!

[Gregory Pratt]

Dear New York Weather,

 

Please cooperate with Mr. Brady next week.

 

Love,

 

Me.

[greasywheels121]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3171368

 

Fantastic.

[Chisoxfn]

Thats a ton of money for a safety, who is great when he's healthy, but is injury prone. The Patrick Crayton signing was a steal for the Cowboys.