NFL Week XVI

[Fökai 0]

God, why did the Niners win today?

 

Stupid stupid stupid. They better pray that Houston takes a lineman, or that they throw next week's game.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

God, why did the Niners win today?

 

Stupid stupid stupid. They better pray that Houston takes a lineman, or that they throw next week's game.

 

IF Casserly is still GM (odds are he won't be, but you never know) that is a possibility. Charlie the Clown seems to make the stupid pick whenever possible (see: taking Seth Wand in the 3rd round, taking Bennie Joppru over Jason Whitten).

[mike546 0]

The Giants are in deep trouble, as the injuries to the Pierce, Emmons, and now Blackburn are starting to kill the D. We had a freaking practice squad player, Alonzo Jackson, as our starting MLB in the 4th quarter.

 

Also, the disapearance of Plaxico Burress is killing this tedam. After dropping an easy TD catch on the first play of the game, he was basically non-existent the rest of the way. He hasn't caught a TD pass in a while, and Amani Toomer has been out playing hm for the last month and a half. Eli was fine today, it was just Will Allen and the secondary fucking everything up.

 

 

To me it seemed like the Giants got away from what wins them games, and that is Tiki Barber. He had what, 12 touches? It was as if Coughlin wanted to use THIS GAME....on THE ROAD of all places, to prove Eli was ready to take the team on his shoulders and win a big game.

 

They really started to in the 2nd quarter, but basically had to abandon it for the fact they were down by 8 or more basically the entire 2nd half. I really should have seen the los coming, the injuries are just too much.

[2GOLD 0]

God, why did the Niners win today?

 

Stupid stupid stupid. They better pray that Houston takes a lineman, or that they throw next week's game.

 

IF Casserly is still GM (odds are he won't be, but you never know) that is a possibility. Charlie the Clown seems to make the stupid pick whenever possible (see: taking Seth Wand in the 3rd round, taking Bennie Joppru over Jason Whitten).

 

If Casserly is stupid he'll keep the pick and take Bush.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah but the thing is, are the Cowboys actually eliminated? I mean I thought that if they win and Carolina loses next week then they get in the playoffs along with the Skins, Giants, Bucs, Bears, and Seahawks.

 

The odd thing about the Cowboys is that they could very well beat any of the other playoff teams in the NFC. When can you say that about a #6 type seed?

[2GOLD 0]

Yeah but the thing is, are the Cowboys actually eliminated? I mean I thought that if they win and Carolina loses next week then they get in the playoffs along with the Skins, Giants, Bucs, Bears, and Seahawks.

 

The odd thing about the Cowboys is that they could very well beat any of the other playoff teams in the NFC. When can you say that about a #6 type seed?

 

Well, if the Vikings win back to back and the Bears lose back to back then the Vikings would win the North knocking the Bears down to five. So the Cowboys and the Panthers would be gone while the Vikings, Bears and Redskins would get in.

 

I think. The Viks just cause everyone a headache. Now if the Viks lose then yes a Panthers lose would put the Boys in ahead of the Panthers.

 

Plus I'm pretty sure the Bears could be knocked out of the playoffs with back to back loses. If the Bears lose to GB and Minn, and Carolina/Redskins win then the Bears are out and the Bucs would move into second. So the playoff teams would be Seattle, Tampa, NY, Minnesota, Carolina and Washington. That is if the Giants win, course if the Giants lose then the Redskins win the East and the Giants are out of the playoffs.

 

...basically this is all a mess unless the Vikings lose or the Bears win. Then it all becomes much easier.

Edited December 25, 2005 by 2GOLD

[Fökai 0]

IF Casserly is still GM (odds are he won't be, but you never know) that is a possibility. Charlie the Clown seems to make the stupid pick whenever possible (see: taking Seth Wand in the 3rd round, taking Bennie Joppru over Jason Whitten).

 

If Casserly is stupid, he'll keep the pick and take Bush.

Casserly is stupid, so he will take Bush. Reggie is basically last on their need list, and I don't see how his presence will suddenly improve their team. They have less pieces in place than the Niners or Jets, who honestly are each a marquee player and a good free agent offseason away from being respective .500 teams. The Texans just need an entire offensive line overhaul, as well as a complementary wideout.

 

In the Niners' case, Barlow can be moved for a third-round pick, which can turn into another lineman that can usurp Kwame Harris. Of course, if Bush goes to the Texans, Nolan can trade down or grab Mario Williams, who fills a pressing need at defensive end. I know it may sound stupid, but the the only positive coming out of today's win is the emergence, sort of, of Frank Gore. He's a gifted running back and someone I have faith in starting next season if we don't get Bush. If he can fight off the injury bug, Gore is a good selection for the future. It'll still sting if Bush is grabbed one selection ahead of San Fran.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Wait a minute, the Packers potentially have a shot at knocking their oldtime rivals out of the playoffs by winning tommorrow?

 

That's going to make the game at Lambeau pretty interesting tommorrow. Throw out the records for this one, I think.

[NoCalMike 0]

The odd thing about the Cowboys is that they could very well beat any of the other playoff teams in the NFC. When can you say that about a #6 type seed?

 

 

Well you could say the same about the Redskins, I mean thus far they have beaten THIS SEASON, Chicago, Seattle, and now the Giants. That is three of the four division leaders, not to mention the Bucs, which came down to the wire IN TAMPA, and two plays in a row where the Skins D made big plays to seal the game but were robbed on both plays(Yeah I am a bitter asshole sometimes).

 

The tough part for the Skins is that it is likely they will have to play every playoff game on the road, which is a lot to overcome.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

If only the Bills could have played this consistent all year. The D was solid for the most part against a tough offensive team and the O scored points when needed. McGee and Holcomb both had great games and it makes me wonder what might have been if this was the effort put forth the entire season.

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

The Niners were my upset special in my office pool. Woo 60 $$$$$

[strummer 0]

Basically what I ascertained yesterday through the net and word off mouth is that if the Vikings lose, the NFC playoff picture is pretty clear and straight forward

 

If the Vikings WIN, then it is going to be a real FUCKED UP Week 17

[iggymcfly 0]

Is it just me or do the Panthers still seem like the team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl? You just know that the Seahawks are going to choke at some point; it's too ingrained in their history for them not to. I say they get through their first game fine, but lose against whoever they face in the conference championship.

 

The 2 and 3 seeds will be the Bucs and Bears, quarterbacked by Chris Simms and Rex Grossman respectively. Now anyone who ever watched Simms play at Texas, knows that he's the worst big-game choker in football history. No way in hell he leads a team to the Super Bowl. I guess the Bears have a shot, but I'd still take an experienced Carolina team over them, especially since Grossman has only started like five games this year.

 

Thoughts? I think Indy's pretty solid on the AFC side, but the NFC's so muddled, that I think a 5 or 6 seed could easily represent them in the Super Bowl. If the Panthers don't do it, then Washington's got a good shot as well. I'm intentionally ignoring the Giants as a Manning/Manning Super Bowl would be so vomit-inducing that I'd have to hide in the hills of Malaysia until a month after it was over.

[Slayer 0]

Wait a minute, the Packers potentially have a shot at knocking their oldtime rivals out of the playoffs by winning tommorrow?

 

That's going to make the game at Lambeau pretty interesting tommorrow. Throw out the records for this one, I think.

For once (or twice, really) we have a common goal

[Black Lushus 0]

If only the Bills could have played this consistent all year. The D was solid for the most part against a tough offensive team and the O scored points when needed. McGee and Holcomb both had great games and it makes me wonder what might have been if this was the effort put forth the entire season.

 

They probably should have went with Holcomb from day one, gave JP a little bit more time to learn and gel...my guess is Mularkey was pressured into that one...

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Is it just me or do the Panthers still seem like the team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl? You just know that the Seahawks are going to choke at some point; it's too ingrained in their history for them not to. I say they get through their first game fine, but lose against whoever they face in the conference championship.

 

The 2 and 3 seeds will be the Bucs and Bears, quarterbacked by Chris Simms and Rex Grossman respectively. Now anyone who ever watched Simms play at Texas, knows that he's the worst big-game choker in football history. No way in hell he leads a team to the Super Bowl. I guess the Bears have a shot, but I'd still take an experienced Carolina team over them, especially since Grossman has only started like five games this year.

 

Thoughts? I think Indy's pretty solid on the AFC side, but the NFC's so muddled, that I think a 5 or 6 seed could easily represent them in the Super Bowl. If the Panthers don't do it, then Washington's got a good shot as well. I'm intentionally ignoring the Giants as a Manning/Manning Super Bowl would be so vomit-inducing that I'd have to hide in the hills of Malaysia until a month after it was over.

 

The Bears has beaten Carolina already, why wouldn't they again? And Grossman has not started a game this year yet. He made his first appearance all year last week.

[Gert T 0]

Don't worry even the AFC's JV will beat Minnesota tonight.

 

Of course I say that following a home loss to Buffalo. Nice win yesterday Angle. A little too much of a party atmosphere at PBS.

[iggymcfly 0]

I just remembered somebody comparing Grossman's stats through three games to Orton's for this season, but I guess those were Grossman's stats from last year. Anyway, the point still stands. He's not a very experienced QB to be winning playoff games.

 

And you can't just say "X team beat Y team" and expect it to hold much water. The Browns beat the Bears earlier in the season, but I wouldn't expect them to do it again. I'm just saying that I think there's a pretty good chance that a young inexperienced QB would choke in the playoffs in this situation.

 

Roethlisberger last year was worlds better than Grossman or Orton this year, and he didn't get the job done his first year in the postseason either.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Well you're assuming too much. It's entirely possible the Panthers miss out on the playoffs.

 

Nevermind on the Minnesota point.

Edited December 25, 2005 by Porter

[Guest Vitamin X]

It is pretty incredible to think about, that the only team that's clinched a playoff berth in the NFC is Seattle. Even Chicago and New York aren't technically guaranteed playoffs yet.

 

From Sports Illustrated's Don Banks:

Seattle Seahawks, it's yours to lose.

 

Because nobody else seems to want to win the NFC.

 

• Carolina doesn't want it. With a division title and a playoff berth on the line at home, the Panthers couldn't beat the fading Cowboys.

 

• The NFC East-leading New York Giants don't want it. They couldn't come close to slowing down the rampaging Redskins, a team they beat 36-0 a mere eight weeks ago.

 

• And for most of Saturday, NFC contenders Tampa Bay and Atlanta didn't seem to want to win much of anything. The Bucs and Falcons bumbled their way through overtime and came within 15 seconds of playing to a tie, before Tampa Bay eliminated Atlanta with a wild 27-24 victory secured on a 41-yard Matt Bryant field goal.

 

• Even Washington, the second-hottest team in the conference after Seattle, now faces the uncertainty of whether starting quarterback Mark Brunell will return from a knee injury for the Redskins' pivotal regular-season finale at Philadelphia next weekend.

 

All of which leaves us knowing little more than we knew about the confounding NFC and its playoff picture than we did entering the penultimate week of the regular season. One way or another, clarity must prevail by next week.

 

Seahawks, it's all up to you. An entire conference is yours for the taking.

 

• I know it's great fun to follow the races for the wild-card berths, but do so realizing that it's significantly tougher for a wild-card qualifier to win the Super Bowl now that the NFL has eight division winners and just two wild-card teams in each conference (thanks to realignment in 2002).

 

Why? Because in the current format, a wild-card team can't have a first-round home playoff game like it formerly could. Both Denver in 1997 and Baltimore in 2000 were wild cards that won the Super Bowl, but both had a first-round game at home and thus didn't need to win three road games in a row to get to the Super Bowl.

 

Only one team in NFL history has won three consecutive road games in the playoffs -- the 1985 New England Patriots, who were blown out by Chicago in the Super Bowl.

 

The lesson? Your next Super Bowl champion is almost certainly going to be one of your eight division winners. The wild cards are just invited to the party to fill out the field.

 

• Well at least the Chargers weren't eliminated from playoff contention by another one of their patented last-second losses. After its first five defeats this season were decided by a mere 14 points combined (all by four points or less), San Diego was fairly well manhandled, 20-7, at Kansas City's muddy Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

 

The Chargers have scored more than 400 points and may wind up having beaten as many as five or six playoff teams this season -- the Giants, Patriots, Chiefs, Redskins and Colts (with a game against Denver next week) -- but they won't be in the postseason themselves.

 

Remarkable.

 

• Don't look now, but the Falcons (8-7) must knock off Carolina at home next week or their mind-boggling streak of never having consecutive winning seasons will still be intact.

 

• I know the Bengals are all giddy about snapping their 15-year playoff drought, winning the AFC North and putting five players on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. But that was an ugly loss at home to Buffalo with a shot at the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye on the line, Cincy. The Bills hadn't won a road game all season, but they took the gleam out of the Bengals' eyes.

 

• Here's a shocking statistic for you: That was the first 100-yard rushing game of the season for Dallas running back Julius Jones. And the two touchdowns he scored at Carolina were his first visits to the end zone since a Week 3 win against San Francisco. Jones, a rookie sensation last year, finished with 194 yards on 34 carries -- 101 yards more than his second-best game this season.

 

• Not a veteran move, Steve Smith, getting ejected for touching an official in the third quarter of Carolina's most critical game of the season. But then, I imagine John Fox might have mentioned that to you.

 

• Well, well, well, Patrick Ramsey is heard from. And what a way to mark his return to the scene, with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on his first possession in two months. Ramsey, the Redskins' forgotten quarterback, took over for the injured Brunell in the third quarter and finished off Washington's big 35-20 win over the Giants.

 

• No more calls, we have a winner. That wraps it up for Cadillac Williams. With a 150-yard rushing day against Atlanta, the Bucs running back is your NFL offensive rookie of the year in waiting.

 

• I can't remember the last time I saw a defender take down Jerome Bettis by himself on first contact.

 

• Maybe you're all way ahead of me on this one, but I just realized that if San Francisco does indeed earn the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and selects Reggie Bush, their two top running backs will be named (Frank) Gore and Bush. I'm guessing their competition in training camp will be close.

 

• Is Ricky Proehl ever not open? Had the Panthers' defense not faded in the final minutes against Dallas, the Carolina veteran receiver had himself another game-winning touchdown.

 

• Kind of ironic isn't it, that after all those long plane flights east for the Chargers that they handled with aplomb, it was the relatively short jaunt to Kansas City that doomed San Diego's playoff chances once and for all?

 

• And it's advantage Houston (2-13) in the reverse race that is the Reggie Bush Sweepstakes. I saw the Texans winning at home in an upset over Jacksonville on Saturday, with the 49ers (3-12) losing at St. Louis. Of course just the opposite happened.

 

• They've had their problems offensively since quarterback Byron Leftwich went down with a cracked bone in his ankle several weeks ago, but the Jacksonville Jaguars took care of a lot of potential headaches with a 21-point fourth quarter in that playoff-clinching 38-20 win at Houston.

 

• To all those who left the Steelers for dead when they were 7-5 and on a three-game losing streak -- and you know who you are -- somebody owes Bill Cowher and Co. a bit of an apology. The Steelers walloped the Browns 41-0 Saturday and they might just do the same to Detroit next week at home to wrap up an AFC wild-card berth.

 

• Tell me there's no one left in Kansas City who thinks the Chiefs shouldn't find Priest Holmes a new NFL home in 2006 and go with Larry Johnson as their No. 1 running back ... Anyone? ... Good.

 

• Before he injured a knee in the second half, Brunell had himself a heck of a first quarter against the Giants. He threw three touchdown passes in the opening 15 minutes. Two of them went to his favorite receiver, Santana Moss, and one went to Giants rookie middle linebacker, Chase Blackburn, who returned the interception 31 yards for the score.

 

• Trade for Ricky Williams anyone? Miami played the situation just right this year and now has itself a fairly valuable commodity in their veteran backup running back.

 

• Take that, LaDainian Tomlinson. Washington's Clinton Portis can both run and throw for a touchdown, too. As for Chris Cooley, you can't stop the Redskins' second-year tight end. You can only hope to contain him.

Edited December 25, 2005 by Vitamin X

[Guest Flyboy]

Looks like the Saints' are Leinart bound. *dances a jig*

[iggymcfly 0]

I'll dance that jig with you... as a Jets fan.

 

I hate to be a broken record here, but Leinart's going to make Ryan Leaf look like Joe Montana.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'm somewhat inclined to agree with you iggy, but why do you think so?

[Slayer 0]

I doubt Leinart will provide us with classic moments like "LEAVE ME ALONE ALLRIGHT! KNOCK IT OFF!"

 

Besides, as far as Heisman busts go, let us not forget Eric Crouch. At least Leaf (I know, not Heisman winner, but still) played in an NFL game

[nl5xsk1 0]

The quality of the recent USC QBs leads me to believe that Leinart will be an adequate QB. Not necessarily the next Carson Palmer, but most likely not the next Ryan Leaf, either.

[Slayer 0]

Fuck. It almost looked like GB was going to pull that one off...

 

On the plus side, it means Chicago will rest their players next week for Minnesota, but I know a shitload of shit has to fall in place for the Vikings to get in even if they win out.

[packwingfn 0]

That would be funny if Baltimore beats Minnesota however.

[mike546 0]

Go Boller Go!

[mike546 0]

Who the hell is QBing for the Ravens right now? Is that REALLY Kyle Boller?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I am absolutely amazed that Boller has put up back to back almost perfect games.

 

248/3/0

 

I still wish I had faith in him playing as well as he has the last 2 games next year. But with the recieving threats he has (Mason/Clayton/Heap), I suppose theres no reason for that not to be next year, especially if he can manage to play a full season.