NFL Week XIII

[Black Lushus 0]

The guy with the hair, Polamalu can be the next big star for the defense.

 

Polamalu is over-rated. Every week someone blows smoke up his ass, calling him a great safety ... I just don't see it. Look at the TD run in the game yesterday, if he hit & wraps the guy (as every football player is taught from day one) he prevents (or at least postpones) a TD. Instead, he just projectiles himself towards the guy's legs, and then lies there as the guy's momentum carries him into the end zone.

 

 

 

Polamalu...yeah I've mentioned him before in one or two other threads...I'm tired of hearing the announcers toot his fucking horn when he's constantly getting burned...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

He's not constantly getting burned. He constantly makes big plays and, while he has lapses (like any third year player does) in his tackling form, he has been improving in coverage every week. He's also explosive in stopping the run and blitzing (less so in blitzing recently, but part of that is scheme). He was a big reason why the Steelers shut down Manning last week -- he's fast enough that he can fake the blitz and drop back into coverage while not getting beat. Most of the criticisms of Troy Pola are invalid due to the fact that LeBeau is trying to do too much with him. For example, some people say that he should've had deep half on the bomb to Harrison to start the game last week, but Pola doesn't choose when to blitz.

 

This week, he helped Taylor shut down Chad Johnson again. The Bengal offense, if you watched the game, wasn't really THAT exceptional; they were given a short field most of the time. Pola didn't have his best game, but then again, he had at least 2 PD's and almost had an interception that would've tied the game at the 2 minute warning. It wasn't a bad throw, either; he simply read and reacted on a ball thrown to Johnson and used his incredible athleticism to actually get in front of Johnson after he had been beat on the underneath curl. He's only going to get better.

[Black Lushus 0]

Tyler I'm not just talking last week, I'm talking ALL THE TIME...

[nl5xsk1 0]

Re: Polamalu. I don't think he's terrible. I just don't think he's the amazing safety that a lot of Steelers fans say he is. He's a very good safety who's hyped to be the next Ronnie Lott ... which he's not. He's not even as good as Ed Reed. It's telling to me that the only people who really call Polamalu anything special is Steelers fans ... methinks that a bit of hometown bias might be happening.

 

And a quote from Willis Mcgahee: "I'm over 1,000 yards. That's my highlight of the day. It's out of my hands. If I called the plays, I'd have 60 carries.'' Next time try pretending to care that your team lost, Willie.

[Black Lushus 0]

the Bills are a complete mess...sure Willis needs some tact, but really, they have the same record as the Lions...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

In other news, Ed Reed is completely and utterly overrated.

[Black Lushus 0]

In other news, Ed Reed is completely and utterly overrated.

 

now THAT we can agree on, my friend!

[nl5xsk1 0]

In other news, Ed Reed is completely and utterly overrated.

 

now THAT we can agree on, my friend!

I won't disagree that Reed's overrated, but if I had to field a team to play a game of football with the fate of the world hanging in the balance ... I'd take Reed over Palumalo without a second thought.

[Guest Vitamin X]

So which safeties in the league aren't overrated?

 

(By the way, you can throw Darren Sharper on the "overrated" pile)

[KingPK 0]

Going into homer mode here but if this year hasn't made it any more clear, Rodney Harrison is probably the MMP (Most Missed Player).

 

But safety has to be one of the toughest positions to play on D, especially if the rest of the secondary is relying on you to recognize things and call certain coverages.

[CanadianChris 0]

Bears-Colts better happen. Best defense and best offense. And with the game in Detroit, it's a very Midwestern Super Bowl. It better happen. Screw the Jaguars, Bengals, Seahawks, Broncos, and NFC South.

Out of all the teams out there, the Bears are probably the team that would provide the Colts with the widest margin of victory. You could be looking at 56-zip.

[Guest Leelee]

So which safeties in the league aren't overrated?

 

(By the way, you can throw Darren Sharper on the "overrated" pile)

 

Madieu Williams is underrated.

[Robert 0]

I'm sorry but the Bears would get killed by the Colts, unless they can score a bunch of points of INT's and fumbles. The Colts are good against the run, and that would be the worst SB since Oakland/Tampa. I like the Bear's D, but it'd be to hard. Oh yeah, Jay Mariotti can go fuck himself for wanting Bush to end up on the west coast.

[Guest Leelee]

Words can't even describe my disappointment at the Bills' effort today. How you can go from a dominating performance to giving up 21 straight points to lose is beyond me. I'm not looking forward to watching a month of meaningless games, that's for sure.

 

I can't really add on to this, you've summed it all up already...very disappointing season...huge let down...is Mularkey on the hotseat now?

 

Nope.

 

All of Buffalo blames Donahoe, and many blame Losman. Mularkey probably has at least another year of suckage before the heat is on.

 

is it safe to give Losman the "Rob Johnson Part Duex" tag like we talked about once before?

 

Didn't get the Miami game here, so I don't know... but, he did throw 3 TD's.

 

Losman got a break from the Buffalo media, because he was hated heavily before they put Holcomb in, mostly due to unrealistic expectations... then when Holcomb faced some decent teams and finally showed he wasn't any better... people finally accepted this wasn't the Bills year, and settle for Losman getting a year of experience under his belt.

 

And I must say that he was slowly improving before the Miami game, so he still has some time.

 

Donahoe will be the scapegoat of all of this, however. Which I can't really disagree with... McGahee was about his only good move.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

I don't think I'd take Reed over Pola, even if I distance myself from homerism as much as possible. Reed's hype happened because in '03, he was a lucky motherfucker. At least half (if not all) of his pick sixes were off of tipped balls, which means he's in the right place at the right time -- perhaps that's an argument that he didn't get beat and that's skill, but on most of those pick sixes, he was playing deep half. Which means, basically, any serviceable safety that knows not to let anyone behind you could've made the picks. Without his "playmaking", he's marginal. He's an decent starter, but he's not nearly as explosive as advertised.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I don't think INT's are the best way to judge a safeties skills. I go more by tackles (particularly unassisted) and forced fumbles. INT's - to me - are more crucial for CB's.

 

I'm not going to bother going to NFL.com to 'research' this but off the top of my head, Polumalo (do I EVER spell that name right?!?) had that great year last year, with a ton of tackles, but had very few the year before and hasn't had many this year. Over a longer career, Reed has been more consistent (I'd say he averages 70something per year).

 

And I'll be honest, I picked him arbitrarily when I referenced his name earlier ... I really just wanted to name an above-average safety that's currently playing to say that Palumalo wasn't as good as. I don't think either are amazing safeties in the grand scheme of things.

[CanadianChris 0]

Snowing in Philly. Nice.

[razazteca 0]

Would'nt it be great if the fans threw snowballs at the refs and the seahawks during the game or at halftime?

[Guest Leelee]

No, it wouldn't be. Throwing snowballs at games always gets someone hurt.

[Slayer 0]

Just ask the NY Giants from a couple years back

[Red Baron 0]

Wow.

 

But this is Seattle, and I'm still waiting for them to somehow fuck up.

[CanadianChris 0]

I thought the Eagles were going to lose, but I didn't think they'd be getting slaughtered like this. Two INT->TDs and another INT returned to the 3 to set up another TD.

 

28-0 Seattle.

[Red Baron 0]

Consider it almost 35-0 now. Nice catch by Hackett.

[razazteca 0]

Looks like it will be a shutout

[the pinjockey 0]

Please just kill me now. If this wasn't Reggie White's night, I bet the stadium would be 90% empty already.

[CanadianChris 0]

Please just kill me now. If this wasn't Reggie White's night, I bet the stadium would be 90% empty already.

This is Reggie White night? That just makes it sadder.

[mike546 0]

Of course the Giants are coming to come out flat next week and lose.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Holy crap, did I wake up and see the 1998 Eagles out there?

 

I had tickets to go there tonight, thank god I had a presentation to do...

[the pinjockey 0]

If I send a quick email to an ABC affiliate, do you think they would be willing to show the White ceremony instead of the 2nd half?

[Red Baron 0]

42-0.