You know what I'm watching--Philly v. Dallas. But I guess that isn't till tonight. Baltimore v Cincy should be a good one.
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I also want to see Saints-Panthers. If Fox has a good offensive game plan ready, I think that could be a tricky one for Nawlins. They don't stop the run too well.
I hope the Panthers can compete and Jake doesn't turn the ball over. Brees is putting up Montana-like numbers thus far. He'll have to watch out for Peppers though.
This is an odd feeling as a Saints fan--seeing your team go down by 14 in the first quarter and never really getting worried about it. I knew they could come back, and they did.
I know what you mean. The Saints seem to always have the ability to come back and win. And they did again.
But this has a way of taking something from the team. There's gets to be a feeling of "unease" after a while.
As a player you start thinking, "wow, we are a team of fate!" or, "man, we can't do anything wrong!"
That eventually catches up with a team. They let a hole get dug a little too deep...
As opposed to the Colts right now. They expect to win. They know they are better then the other team. Every game. Every down. And the are grinding down teams.
The Saints still feel to me like they are surprising teams.
Fortunes made and lost: The Great sg has Miami w/ 10 confidence points and humble I the Pats with 11 confidence points. Someone has put the con in confidence here. Time and tide will tell.
Bold moves all around on that one.
At the half hard to tell which of us has been bold, which foolish.
One thing about Miami--they're the only team that does the wildcat with any interest. Insofar as NE, watching them, it sure strikes me that Welker is more essential to them than Moss, but either Miami's secondary is lights out great or the whole raft of NE receivers have a problem getting open in the endzone.
The other game available on cable in No. Cal tells me that you can stick a fork in Chicago, and Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide out in the game today--short, long, over the middle, by the sidelines, jump ball--a complete receiver.
So reports on Cincy-B-more?
Yeah, 3rd Q, Cincy still up 17-0. Flacco's been picked off twice, and it looks like I wasted a whole lot of confidence points hatin' on the Who Dey Bengals.
B-More is done. I thought there was no way they'd lose to Cincy twice in one year, but it appears the Bengals are just a little for real.
Bmore almost cooked my fantasy football goose--I started Flacco, Rice, Mason and Hauschka in my FF league and if not for Rice and some other reliables (M.Turner, V.Davis, Saints D) I would have been done for. Stunning that the Bengals could have the Ravens' # like that.
BOOM, Bengals draw first blood (as of 1:15)
This should be good, both as a game and as part of a stellar Bengals season so far
Indy is scary. They're flying below the radar...
Indy is underwhelming though. They slid by last week and slid by again this week. That might be good or bad, but I'm expecting a serious let down soon.
They have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the AFC, so they'll likely hit a rough patch sooner or later. That said, they're 8-0 despite two rookie starting CBs and a mediocre-at-best run game. It's good to be a Colts fan. :-)
Well, yes and no on the tough schedule. The only game that'll probably give them any trouble is the Ravens in Baltimore, though B'more is so up-and-down this season. The only other better-than-mediocre teams are the Pats and Broncos, both played in the warm dome in Indy. Were those games in Denver or New England, I'd call them really tough games, but as is, they'll just be good games, but I think Indy will win.
Three weeks ago I picked Indy to go to the SuperBowl; they're schedule's been really soft (no good NFC teams, no Steelers, no Cinci, other good AFC teams playing AT Indy), they're going to rack up the best AFC record, thus the AFC championships are going to go through Indy's dome where Peyton doesn't have to worry about the cold.
You don't think that Brady/Moss are secretly smiling with two rookies in the starting defensive backfield?
I believe they are.
I expect them to attack them right away and try to make Indy play catch up.
Should be a good game.
Didn't Indy just lose Bob Sanders for the season? Colts need that guy to win, he gives them their edge and without him it's hard to see them winning this year.
Not just Sanders but Tyjuan Wagner and Marlin Jackson, too and Kelvin Hayden for a month. I'm a Colts fan, but has there ever been a Super Bowl team with their defense so banged up?
Yeah--torn biceps. Marlin Jackson's out for the year, too. Melvin Bullitt's played really well in place of Sanders, and the two rookies at CB (Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey) are surprisingly talented, so that's helped.
As far winning it all--I don't know. Too early to tell. That running game will have to get better, though.
Forgot about Wagner; he had been solid, too.
I haven't checked to see if Bob Sanders is on IR or not. If he comes back for the playoffs, all is well. Actually, I think read that he is on IR but I don't want to believe it. That guy is a lot of fun to watch play. He carries a lot of muscle on his upper body, and already has a small frame, so this injury isn't too much of a surprise.
Losing their SAM lb, Tyjuan Hagler, is a tough blow. He was playing great this year for them.
The biggest issue I see with the Colts moving forward is what motownjunk hit on: getting their running game going. If they can't get more on the ground, they'll one and done in the playoffs.
8-0 record 3 of the past 5 seasons(including this season) for the Colts.
I think this Ravens fan needs to invoke Lombardi. "WHAT THE HELL'S GOIN ON OUT THERE?
Best part of the day is that Tampa Bay has pulled out their throwback bright orange jerseys.
A-effin'-men. Can we all agree that the 90's revamps of several NFL teams were terrible? Bucs go back to orange, my Broncos go back to their Orange Crush look, Rams go back to their more yellow-y unis (new rule: the more you look like Deacon Jones, the more you are awesome), Pats go permanently back to their Minute-Man-in-a-3-point-stance helmets and color scheme, and--
*whispered* I even kinda like the 90's Jets uni package, the one with the all green helmets. Yeah, I know. */whisper*
Also, I don't know if any of y'all are in on this NFL RedZone channel, but...holy god is it awesome.
Cant agree with you there. Creamsicle is awesome as a throwback nostalgic indulgence, but seeing those effeminate uniforms (forgive me for being an unevolved Tampa fan) and all the losing and humiliation they represented on a daily basis...I just couldnt stomach it. We needed our new Red and Pewters to turn the tide on our past and reinvent ourselves under Dungy.
Now, it WAS great karma to see them banish the losingness that those jerseys represented once and for all (what a strange turn of fate, ff gods!). I'd be happy if they never brought out the throwback Bucco Bruce's ever again.
Creamsickles.
Ugliest color on a football uniform ever. Looks like something that should be worn in the WNBA.
Watching on game channel- is P. Manning hurt? They have Wayne throwing the ball.
From now on, I'm just going to pull confidence numbers out of a hat. All this forethought is killing me.
Agreed!
I randomly assigned confidence points this week. I went about 50% on games last week, but lost all my big confidence point games. So far working out for me.
I know I didn't take as much time on my picks as I usually do, but I am fucking slaughtered. One correct pick so far, and one of my other picks is behind.
These teams not covering the spread is killing me! And Tampa Bay, SERIOUSLY?!
Tampa Bay upsetting Green Bay? Detroit up 14 on Seattle? Carolina up 14 on New Orleans? WTH is happening this week?
Will someone please now admit Rogers is not the truth? He's not ready, not Favre - he won't even be in Green Bay in a year or two. Remember Magic man? No, remember Matt Cassell?
Did anyone ever really think Rogers was the truth? Or just a guy who isn't going to keep throwing ridiculous interceptions in the most important games the way Favre does?
Not the truth? Maybe. He's not Farve, he's not a legend. What he is, is a decent quarterback. Obviously, he's not going to win every game. He may not even get them to a playoff for a while. I don't know if you noticed, though, but he's putting up some of the best fantasy numbers of any of the quarterbacks in the league right now. His biggest problem? He also has the most sacks of any quarterback. If their O-line would toughen up, he could do a lot more. And yes, Fantasy points doesn't translate necessarily to success in real games, but to say he's not a good quarterback is ridiculous.
Nobody could do much behind a line that leaks pass rushers like a sieve. Rogers has some talent, but GB needs to get some big thick guys who can block for him.
Yup. Offensive line sucks. Running game below average.
Rogers is a good QB. He's getting no help so far from the rest of the offense.
It's so frustrating being an Eagles fan. I mean only Philly could lose horribly to the worst team in the league then follow it up the next week with a big win against the Giants. Still, my bet goes on the Eagles. Not that I'd ever bet against my team (nor would I ever in my right mind root for Jerry's boys).
Reid has the Cowboys' number. 14-6 record against them.
Big key to the game here? Jason Witten. Eagles even with Witherspoon now are still a bit vulnerable down the middle.
On the Eagles side? Please please please Reid run the ball. Run the BALL.
Should there be a mandatory "suspension" if you suffer a concussion? And if so, how long should you be out? The second question would probably require a viewer with a medical degree. I realize there are various degrees of the severity of a concussion. Boomer Esiason made the suggestion on the NFL Today that concussion victims should sit out 1 month for a first "offense" and another concussion in the same season should put you out for the rest of the season. It should be noted that in rugby the player must sit out 3 weeks after the first concussion and 6 weeks after the second.
I agree with the notion, but I can't say if 4 weeks is a suitable amount of time.
I think there should be something, and that might be a good place to start, but I got the feeling from the Gladwell article that we still don't have enough research to determine how such an anti-concussion regime should be implemented. Of course, people who know a lot more about this stuff than a guy who read one new yorker article might have a pretty good system hashed out. Anyway, if you could coldcocked and are out for a few minutes, maybe four weeks isn't enough.
This is about a college player but what happened to Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best yesterday should be more grist for the concussion mill.
Yesterday, he vaulted over a couple defenders to get into the end zone, kinda flipped onto his back in the air, and fell on his back and head as he scored. He was knocked unconscious as his helmet flew off his head on impact.
I almost brought this up. It was a breathtaking moment, especially right after he fell when his body went spreadeagle bouncing off the ground and, his helmet having fallen off, the expression on his face was positively ghoulish--about as ugly a football moment as I have ever seen. Immediately, the Oregon State team went to their knees to pray--that serious. He was immobile, wheeled of on a cart under a blanket with a oxygen mask on.
And yet it happened on a spectacular effort in which he hurdled himself into the endzone and was flipped as he did so by a clean hit: there were no helmet to helmet or anything else. And no doubt whether he had had a mild concussion the week before or no concussion, that hit and that fall would have done its damage. Today in the game against the 49ers, Tennessee's wide out Gage caught a ball way up in the air and was hit from behind just as hard, simply landed on his back better, and jumped right up.
Best really is a good kid, with a world of talent, and the word is that it was "only a concussion," ie no spinal injury, good news really because when I saw it, when everyone saw it, it looked much, mush worse.
I'm glad it wasn't a spinal cord injury, but it seems that the effects of repeated concussions -- and especially repeats that come at close intervals -- take a much longer time to manifest than do "obvious" injuries like a spinal cord injury. I know you know all this. I guess my point is that your comment seems to indicate the need for just the kind of waiting period EllisCarver suggests, because a) football players are not going to take themselves out of the game b) players are going to keep trying to make great plays, and c) a lot of injuries come on clean hits. A mandatory waiting period takes pressure off both the coaches and the players to make calls that may be detrimental to the team.
I think so, especially in HS. There is a case goign on here where a star RB has had several Concussions, passed out on his way to school this week, and the coach is telling everybody he is 100%. Needless to say playoffs started this weekend. DIsgusting.
As a Cincy native, University of Cincinnati alum and a Bengals fan from the beginning, I'm living a surreal life, what with all the winning football, college and pro being played in my hometown. If all goes well perhaps I can look forward to the kind of identity crisis Red Sox fans went through in 2004.
I am jealous of Bearcats fans, Brian Kelly must be a joy to watch coach your team.
It's time for my weekly Ray Rice update.
Almost at 1000 total yards after 8 weeks? That man is a star. Can ESPN start talking about him please? He's far and away the most productive member of the Ravens offense. And the Ravens are GOOD
Unfortunately, the Ravens aren't good. They're solidly in the middle of the pack, an 8-8 or 9-7 caliber team. They're good enough to beat bad teams, but they'll lose most of their games against playoff caliber teams.
I think teams are starting to figure out their offense--they've struggled as often as not in the last 4 or 5 weeks. Rice is a stud, but he's the only difference maker they have on offense. Rush 4, shadow Rice, and make Flacco beat you downfield. Flacco is a pretty good decision maker but right now has some big holes in his game. He's really only good at 1 throw--the 10-15 yard out. He is poor at deep passes and inexplicably bad at throws across the middle.
On the other side of the ball, this is not the Ravens defense of yore. They're OK, but don't get much pressure with the front 4, are too predictable in their blitzes, and the corners are just plain bad.
I think the Ravens need to start seeing what Kelly Washington can offer in a steady WR2 role. His numbers are off the charts for the small sample size of opportunity he's been given. I think he could ball out and make life a little easier for Derrick Mason, who teams are focusing on.
Slowest.Pre-game.Ever.
....ughhhh....
Well, the Niners' season was fun while it lasted. Time for them once again to plummet a little further, win a few toward the end to get fans' hopes up, and stink again next year.
What really peed me off about today was how Mike Nolan-esque the team looked. Sloppy, no focus...all the things Sing was supposedly fixing. Of course, not having an NFL quarterback doesn't help matters.
It's still early in his coaching career, obviously, but I'm starting to wonder if Singletary will prove to be one of those coaches whom players start to tune out. Too much rah-rah, not enough calm.
That's part of why I'm a big Ken Whisenhunt fan. He radiates calm and the air of someone who is always in command. He gets fired up, of course, but he's always professional and also knows how to keep things light when it's the right time to do so.
The Cardinals were super-lucky to get him, and it's a big reason, if not the biggest, that they became super as a team last year, and hopefully again in the future at some point.
The 49er offensive line is and has been mediocre all season. They do not have a quarter back--Hill can't pass the ball down the field; Smith overthrows, makes bad decisions, stares down his receivers and waits a hair too long to throw, so coverage always catches up to them, and turns the ball over--those two fumbles, the one where he's holding the ball in one hand at hip level--sheesh. He might be a hair better if they just got into a spread hurry up, but that's not a way to win.
Gore and Davis are very good. It's hard to tell about Crabtree yet. He looks ok catching the ball, except when he doesn't and it bounces of his hands into the opposing secondary, and I'm still waiting to see him do something after the catch.
Tne 49ers do not know how to finish drives or games. Their defense is pretty good, Willis is a wonder, but their special teams are anything but special. I'm listening to Singletary, and he says the o line is ok and Smith is ok, only they turned the ball over--yeah, they turned the ball over when o line caved in and the heat was on Smith.
I'm impressed with Alex Smith. He definitely needs to have more pocket presence, but everything else can come through experience, and he has always had what it takes physically.
Quarterbacks get a label and more often than not it is negative. Shaun Hill is a great example of this. He doesn't fit the mold of what people expect of a QB, so it is a lot to overcome. He doesn't have the arm strength or I guess "look" like a QB, but he is tough, a good athlete, and has a very quick release to make up for the arm strength.
The Clams did NOT lose today.
Ouch- Austin just went 49 yards for a TD. I was hoping the kid was a flash in the pan.
And that was the game.
One half of the season down, one half to go (duh) and the Cowboys have passed the first couple of hurdles. As grim as things may have looked after the losses to the Giants and the Broncos and OT against KC, there were nuggets of positives in there, too, if one cared to look.
Now the Cowboys have some momentum going: 1 game up in the division coupled with a gutsy - though far from flawless - win in Philly. Next challenge is to build on the momentum through Thanksgiving, i.e. no let down against the Pack and certainly take care of business against the Redskins and the Raiders. Of all that leads to the showdown with the Giants the first Sunday in December, but the Cowboys haven't established themselves enough to risk getting caught looking ahead.
If they play strong football through the Giants, they'll be poised to make a statement in the last month of the season . . . and beyond. But they're going to need to be playing well because that last month is brutal.
Cautious optimism at this point that they're gelling into a real contender. But first things first - Smack the Pack !
If the Bucs DL could sack Rodgers six times, I suspect the Boys can too.