Kinetic

1. It's tough to say, as we're now halfway through the season and that team isn't exactly bubbling over with talented players just waiting for an opportunity. I would imagine that there would be more of an emphasis on "fundamentals," but probably not a marked uptick in wins. 2. They're in mildly deep shit, because they're in the one AFC division where a team is clearly running away with it. A loss to Tennessee would put them squarely behind the 8-ball for the rest of the year, and I don't get the sense that this team is good enough or consistent enough to deal with that sort of pressure. That said, I think they'll beat Tennessee to keep their AFC South hopes alive. 3. When Dallas loses this week, they'll be in deep shit. This team is imploding. People will point to the decreased productivity of the offense because that's where all of the stars are, but this whole debacle really goes on their defense. They've been awful all year. I firmly believe that Dallas will finish somewhere in the .500 area and miss the playoffs. 4. I understand and accept Goodell's desire to "expand the brand" and all that. It's done wonders for the NBA, and the NFL is significantly more popular domestically than is the NBA. So it follows that if these dirty foreigners with their greasy money and boiled foods were to be exposed to NFL football in all its glory, they'd take to it. Whether or not this will actually happen remains to be seen, but I understand the idea behind it. And last year's Miami-New York game was a barnburner, too, wasn't it? 5. They need for Steven Jackson to continue playing well and they need to keep forcing turnovers. New England needs to come to terms with the fact that this is a lost season and just stop winning games already. Sheesh.

I'm probably going to be saying this all year, but this is a really huge game for the Bucs. The Carolina game was certainly more crucial in terms of standings, but this one is more important as far as perception is concerned. I think a lot of people still don't buy Tampa as a contender this year, and beating a really hyped Dallas team (even one that just got shellacked by St. Louis) at home will go a long way towards changing that. Nothing I've seen over the last few weeks suggests to me that Garcia is going to have any trouble picking Dallas's secondary apart, and I don't think they'll be able to move the ball on us with any sort of consistency. Bucs by 14.

Dallas Cowboys @ St. Louis Rams L San Diego Chargers @ Buffalo Bills W New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers W Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears W Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals W Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs W Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins L San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants W Detroit Lions @ Houston Texans W New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders L Cleveland Browns @ Washington Redskins W Indianapolis Colts @ Green Bay Packers L Seattle Seahawks @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers W Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots L Week: 9-5 Overall: 65-37

You're blowin' my mind, man.

Well, there's just a lot fewer people watching wrestling now. Have you seen WWE's ratings recently? They're terrible. So it's not just the jaded intellectuals here at TSM. There are some genuinely stupid people who have decided to look elsewhere for their weekly fix of 'roided-up dudes rubbing on one another.

So. Sammy Morris has a monster game and Matt Cassel plays with Brady-like efficiency as the Pats crush Denver to keep their season afloat. New England is like that thing from the movie The Thing That Wouldn't Die. They won't die.

Why does Atlanta have a hockey team? I subscribe to the notion that hockey should only be played in parts of the world where it's actually possible to play ice hockey outdoors at any point in the year. Would the NHL be lessened somehow if there were no Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, LA Kings, or Memphis whateverthefucks?

There was this: Pretty high-concept stuff. Unfortunately, we killed their board, so none of our hilarious threads and comments have been preserved. Society's loss, I guess.

I think we should invade each other's anuses.

I heard a rumor that Marvin tried to get in on the Make-a-Wish Foundation thing so he could meet Glenn Beck, but was turned away because he's too old. And that he was so distraught that he drank 10 Rockstar energy drinks in one sitting, just to take his mind off of it. And then he posted furiously on the Glenn Beck message board for hours on end, until he was banned. And then he sank into a deep depression.

We've already done that. Don't you remember the Avril Lavigne board invasion of 2002? Time to brush up on your TSM history, Skywarp!(.) Edit: This was in reference to Skywarp!'s post, although much of it applies to Venkman's post as well.

Georgia Bulldog football is the only thing that anybody cares about around here. When the basketball team made their miracle run through the SEC Tournament earlier this year, I didn't hear one word about it locally. Nobody gave a shit. The Braves are probably second with the Falcons being third. People understandably couldn't care less about the Hawks. Does Atlanta have a hockey team?

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that you personally believe Chicago to be the best in the NFC. I was questioning how Sportsline came to those grades, is all. And Garcia has been flawless in his two games since being reinserted as the starter, so he'll be the guy unless he gets hurt. I suspect that you're right about Chicago winning their division and being a playoff team, as I'm really liking Orton right now.

Is that the same Chicago team that gave up 41 points at home to Minnesota yesterday? I like the Bears all right and they're obviously getting a lot more out of their "skill position" guys than anyone predicted, but they're hardly the best team in the NFC. What are they basing these grades on?

"Femme Fatale" is a little lacking (although I don't dislike it at all), but "I'll Be Your Mirror" is pleasant enough. Clearly "All Tomorrow's Parties" is the highlight of her songs on that album.

Had a fairly comfortable win this week. That decision to pick up Dominic Rhodes (a fellow Abilene-Cooper Cougar) paid dividends. I also scooped up Jeremy Shockey this week, and although he didn't have much of a game this Sunday I think he could be one of the keys to my success down the stretch. 5-2.

Florida has several opportunities to get back into contention here. They need to beat a strong Georgia team, a strong FSU team, and probably an undefeated Alabama team in the SEC championship. And then they'll still need either Penn State or Texas or both to lose to get into the BCS championship game. This is why that whole "losing at home to Ole Miss" thing was such a monumental fuckup and so devastating.

I'm loving the Bucs right now. The defense is just ferocious and the offense is consistently finding ways to move the ball. I'd say we're currently the 2nd best team in the NFC, right behind the Giants.

Why would the cable company go and cut my cable and internet off just because I hadn't paid the bill in several months? I mean, I'm ruining my credit. Isn't that punishment enough?

Dallas Cowboys @ St. Louis Rams San Diego Chargers @ Buffalo Bills New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants Detroit Lions @ Houston Texans New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders Cleveland Browns @ Washington Redskins Indianapolis Colts @ Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots

Didn't he have his neck broken by a botched Doomsday Device? He was kind of running on fumes during the Southern Justice era, and after Phineas Godwin was kidnapped, crucified, and turned into Mideon by the Undertaker he was never heard from again.

That's totally innate, man. You need to have your head checked.

1. Yes, sort of, and maybe. The Pacman thing was low-risk and it's not as though the Cowboys under Jerry Jones have a sparkling image or a legacy of good character guys. I'm kind of liking Romo being out and can definitely see the Bucs going into Texas Stadium and paying the Cowboys back for that Thanksgiving Day debacle a few years ago. 2. They won't beat anyone. 0-16. 3. Nope. Seems like the Cards are a lock to win that division and go one-and-done in the playoffs. 4. Grant, I guess. Not really sure what's going on with Addai, but it's entirely possible that Grant was a flash in the pan who was wise to get his money before it was discovered that he isn't very good. 5. Hmmm. I'm still not sold on the Redskins, but I think the Giants game was more a case of New York not coming to play than it was of Cleveland being any good. Washington definitely takes this one.

Good thread.