USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2006 While I agree about Denver being the #1 defense, NFL has them at 4th, behind San Diego (1), Chicago (2), and Baltimore (3). Weird. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2006 That's if you're talking about yardage. The Broncos are first in scoring defence at 7.3 ppg. Bears are second at 9.8, Ravens third at 11.5. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2006 No, I'm talking overall defense, but that probably falls in line with the yardage deal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2006 No, I'm talking overall defense, but that probably falls in line with the yardage deal. It does. They measure "total defense" by yards per game. They should have a total defense stat that incorporates both yardage defense and scoring defense somehow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2006 Why not average it out? Since the Bears are #2 in both categories, and the Broncos are #4 in yards and #1 in scoring, the Ravens are #3 in both, San Diego... well I dunno about them, it should be: Bears 1st (), Broncos 2nd, Ravens 3rd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Princess Leena Report post Posted October 26, 2006 I'd add the Giants, Panthers and possibly Eagles to the contenders. Bills to the losers. Redskins are heading there as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted October 27, 2006 I'll agree with you on the Panthers. Fuck, the whole NFC South is full of contenders. I think the Giants' only quality win thus far has been against the Falcons, but after that, New York hasn't been all that impressive, and I don't think they're a real title contender just yet. Philadelphia hasn't beat a single team with a winning record as of yet, and are currently on a two-game skid. They look a lot like the pre-T.O. Eagles squads that were one-dimensional McNabb trying to do it all with a great defense team, except the defense isn't quite as good as it used to be, at least up front. The secondary is still great, though, but they're not that impressive and all the McNabb hype earlier this season has quieted down for a reason. He's certainly doing all he can to keep them winning though, I'll give `em that. I'd let the Bills and Redskins lose another game before officially adding them to the losers category. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted October 27, 2006 Also, a really good article I just read from the New York Times' Michael Lewis on getting inside the head of a head coach preparing for the next week. He's examining Bill Parcells here, in what looks like in between Week 1 and Week 2, but Lewis is an excellent football writer (he's written a couple good books, the latest one being The Blind Side) and manages to get inside Parcells' noggin pretty well. Very interesting read, albeit kind of long for some of you more casual fans. Link: What Keeps Bill Parcells Awake at Night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2006 Nice to see a TSM NFL thread make it to page 2 before the games start. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted October 27, 2006 Yeah, that happens when I'm around often. 6 times in two pages. Jesus, I have no life. That, or I care very little for other sports here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Seattle (4-2) at Kansas City (3-3): Chiefs are a curious team, up and down. Seattle won't have Hasselbeck and maybe not Alexander so they Chiefs should get a home win by about 7. Might want to rethink this one. Damon Huard injured his groin and is questionable to start, leaving KC with their emergency QB, who I've never heard of (Brodie Croyle is his name, I think). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Croyle was a good QB at Alabama, but this is a steep learning curve. And I'd hardly call him "emergency" considering he was drafted to take over for Trent Green when he hung his cleats up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Well, emergency in that he's the third QB on the depth chart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Because Herm is an idiot... or a smart guy for letting Croyle sit and learn. Much like Cutler in Denver or Leinart in Arizona before Warner got yanked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Hey, Brodie Croyle is gonna start an NFL game. Good for him. He won't suck, but he won't impress either. At the very least you learn how to manage a game at Alabama, so maybe this is the week that KC finally leans on and has a breakout rushing game like everyone expected before the season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spaceman Spiff 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 Man, I have Hasselbeck on my fantasy team, then picked up Huard off waivers to replace him. Guess I gotta go w/ Brad Johnson now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Paul Report post Posted October 28, 2006 The Romo Era should be a funny one. Barber vs Barber this week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2006 What I like about Tiki v.s. Ronde is that unlike the Manning Bowl or other games where they say it's McNabb v.s. T.O. or whatever, it's actually a pair of players that will physically interact during the game. I'll never understand the hype surrounding offensive player versus offensive player games. And the MNF commercials are dubbing the Vikings "the new Purple People Eaters." Let's not go nuts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted October 29, 2006 The Eagles aren't contenders until they can run the ball. If you can't run the ball, you can't step on anybody's neck at the end of the game. You can't eat the clock when you have the lead but no ground game and it puts undue stress on the defense. I didn't get to watch the game where they lost to the Giants, but I strongly suspect this is why they blew that lead. They need a potent ground attack to bring them to the next level. Donovan McNabb is a good quaterback and he does everything you can ask of him, but passing the ball is only one half of the offense. Winning in the NFL isn't easy but who really is scared of the teams the Eagles have beaten? We're going to see if the Giants are for real this season. I'm a Giants fan and I was happy with throughout last season, but I never felt they were a championship calibre team. They are an extremely talented team, but I felt their lack of discipline kept them from getting ot the next level. They were one of the most penalized teams in the league last year, but they still won games. When you can spot opposing teams extra yards and still beat them, that speaks volumes abou tthe talent you have on that team. Eli Manning is a potential Pro Bowler with Pro Bowl calibre weapons surrounding him. He had Tiki Barber behind him having one of the best NFL seasons that a running back has ever had as well as a solid veteran receiver in Amani Toomer, a hard to defend receiver who could block down-filed for the running backs in Plaxico Burress and a tight end who can gain yards after the catch. The defense was injured alot last year and they acquired players who could contribute to the defense this year. I felt last year was a year of growth for the Giants. All they had to do was add discipline to the talent they already had on the field. If they can wn their non-divisional matchups this year, the Giants have a shot at the Super Bowl. They are the best team in their division and can easily go undefeated in their diovision. With Tiki Barber in the backfield, it's only a matter of time before they win a championship, but their window of oppurtunity is closing. The Redskins suck. With a rookie QB having his first career start almost midway through the season, I think the Cowboys are in a rebuilding year and I have trouble seeing Bill Parcells lasting another season in Dallas. I could see if the Cowboys had a solid team, but that offensive line is shit and the defense is mediocre. The Falcons are not going to the playoffs this year. Michael Vick can make spectacular plays with his feet, but the defenses in the NF South are very good. YOu have to be able to do more than just run the ball and cross your fingers to win that division. Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson are a solid pair of receivers as long as Steve Smith can stay healthy and Keyshawn can remove some of the burden from Steve Smith. The Panthers running backs need to stay healthy this season too. I don;t know what the hell is the damn deal with the Buccaneers. Are they losing because they don't have QB or a single standout receiver? If I was a football player, I would love to play a road game against the Saints just because I'm an assshole. To say last year was hard for New Orleans would be an understatement, but there's football to be played damnit. Someone has to have the balls to be ruthless enough to go into New Orleans and beat the Saints' asses. I would show them no mercy and give the fans a good show while stomping them. I think I'm going to root against the Saints from this point on. It would be some real bullshit if they won that division this year. In a perfect world, poplitics would stya out of sports. The Vikings are a perrenial potential wildcard team and I have no explanation why. The Bears are who we thought they are. If you wanna crown 'em, than crown em. Unless they win homefield advantage, I'm not sold on the Bears going to the Super Bowl just yet and people need to stop comparing this team to the '85 Bears team. The last time I checked, there was maybe one potential Hall of Famer on this team and the jury's still out on him. The Seahawks might not make the playoffs this year. I think they peaked last year but I could be wrong. They're dropping like flies, but Deion Branch has to add something to their playoff chances...right? The Rams are going to maker some noise this year and probably disappear next year when their schedule has the cance to get hard again. That division is maybe tied with the AFC East for being the shittiest divison in the NFL and probably beating them out slightly. We just need to see how good the Patriots reall are. The Patriots lost their offesnive and defensive coordinators last year, number one and two receivers this year as well as players who have been key defensive contributors in the past and they'll still win their divison. Something in me wants to see them beat the Colts in the playoffs again this year. The AFC West is a bunch of underachieving teams who I can; take seriously. The AFC North is competitive to an extent, but if Steve McNair is the QB he's supposed to be, the Ravnes better win that damn divison. All of their games looked winnable on paper this year. The Bengals are the damn Portland Trailblazers of the NFL and we know how many championships they've both won. The Steelers are goong to fall short this year, but they'll be back strong next year if they draft wisley. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted October 29, 2006 I really like the Bengals/Blazers analogy. "Politics" or not, you're a fool to pick against New Orleans at home until someone beats them in the Superdome. Barring a thorough collapse (which is notgonnahappen.com), their first loss at home will be in the playoffs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MFer 0 Report post Posted October 29, 2006 Poll: Do you guys think the Saints would be as good this year if there was no Katrina? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Felonies! Report post Posted October 29, 2006 I really like the Bengals/Blazers analogy. "Politics" or not, you're a fool to pick against New Orleans at home until someone beats them in the Superdome. Barring a thorough collapse (which is notgonnahappen.com), their first loss at home will be in the playoffs. The Ravens, Bengals, 49ers, Redskins, and Panthers are the remaining visitors. The Bengals could do it, I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Paul Report post Posted October 29, 2006 The Panthers could as well. The Saints come to NY week 16. In the off season, I figured that would be an easy one. Fuck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted October 29, 2006 Poll: Do you guys think the Saints would be as good this year if there was no Katrina? It's hard to say. Much like the city, the team has undergone so much change resulting from the storm that it's nearly impossible to say how well they'd be doing if the whole ordeal never happened. Haslett would be gone I'm sure, but that's all I can say for certain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Princess Leena Report post Posted October 29, 2006 Poll: Do you guys think the Saints would be as good this year if there was no Katrina? Yes. Most of the players don't really give a hoot about the New Orleans' fans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Felonies! Report post Posted October 29, 2006 Poll: Do you guys think the Saints would be as good this year if there was no Katrina? Yes. Most of the players don't really give a hoot about the New Orleans' fans. Joe Horn does!!! Most of them, though, I dunno, I'd hope that they have some basic sense of sympathy, but one never can tell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted October 29, 2006 I think it'd be pretty damn hard to be there for at least a few months of the year and not care. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MFer 0 Report post Posted October 29, 2006 Maybe the fact that many of their key guys(Brees, Bush, Colston, some players on D) weren't around last year helped. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Princess Leena Report post Posted October 29, 2006 I don't doubt that everyone has sympathy for the situation, but to suggest that they're playing harder for the fans! Hogwash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted October 29, 2006 The Bengals are the damn Portland Trailblazers of the NFL and we know how many championships they've both won. The Bengals have never won a championship while the Portland Trailblazers won for the 1976-77 season, what's your point? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
