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Guest Tzar Lysergic

NFL week X! DIVISIONAL DESTRUCTION!

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Guest Vitamin X

I agree that they might be a one and done in the playoffs, but I think you have to credit San Diego's defense for playing as well as they did against Indianapolis. They have a lot of injuries on that defense, particularly in the front seven, that were part of the reason Purple Jesus ran for all those yards the week before.

 

The problem on the offense, from my guess, is Philip Rivers. I never thought he was going to be the solution in San Diego, and thought it was idiotic to draft him when they had a perfectly competent and veteran quarterback in Drew Brees already. Norv Turner isn't a very good head coach (great OC, though), but as many people have said, San Diego has too much talent for him to fuck it up that bad. Is he better than Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, or Belichick? Absolutely not. I think San Diego improves down the stretch and becomes more like the team we were familiar with last year (remember things change the closer we get to playoff time- last year Indianapolis had an awful defense and was a relatively average squad, and they were able to hang tight and win it all in the end). I don't think they're going to be quite the offensive powerhouse they were, and as I said, the injuries on D are going to end up killing them in the playoffs, but they might surprise some people.

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I agree about the defense 100%. My problem with the offense is that they have become almost too preditable in a way. That and Turner simply doesn't use LT enough for my liking. Its becoming a problem that defenses are figuring out ways to contain LT and take him out of games. Rivers hasn't proved to me that he can lead a team to victory.

 

 

On a sort of unrealted note, VX has me believing the gap between the AFC and NFC isnt as wide anymore. I dont think San Diego or even Pittsburgh are that much better than the Cowboys and Packers. Also, are the middle of the road AFC teams really that much better than the middle of the road NFC teams? The NFC is definetly a more competetive conference than the AFC. I just think the NFC is starting to gain some ground on the AFC after a rather dra decade.

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Guest Vitamin X

The two most competitive divisions in football (well, if Chicago really get its shit together) are in the NFC. The AFC South, after looking strong initially, looks weak against "real" teams, and is pretty much a one-team race. The AFC North is between the Browns and Steelers. And the other two divisions in the AFC are pathetic. I'd venture to say that even the NFC South is stronger than the AFC East, while both West divisions suck ass. I mean, you have the Pats between the NFC South and the AFC East, but that's about the only really strong team. I'd take the Bucs, Panthers, Saints, or Falcons over the Jets and Dolphins and probably the Bills as well right now.

 

As for who the best team in the NFC is, I'm going to be a homer like Cowboy up there and probably say Green Bay, if only because their defense is better and they're only getting better down the stretch, while having played much stronger opposition. The only challenge Dallas has gotten all season has been from New England and the two NFC North teams they've played. They responded well against Chicago (or rather Rex Grossman), and held Minnesota in check, but obviously faltered against the Patriots. Both teams have had a lucky win or two in games they should've put away earlier (like Green Bay against the first Minnesota game and Washington, Dallas against Buffalo and New York).

 

Either way, I think both teams are destined to meet twice this season, so we'll see how it turns out then. My biggest fear with the Packers is the team imploding like it did in 2002 when they had the 8 game winning streak and finished 12-4 only to lay an egg against Atlanta at home. I think McCarthy is a much better coach than Sherman at this point, though, because they're improving week after week. Dallas has the same weaknesses that can be exploited but for one reason or another haven't been yet.

 

I'll be interested in seeing how they fare against Washington this week. Sure the Redskins O isn't all-world, but their defense can give Dallas a good challenge for once.

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I'm still waiting for the inevitable implosion of Dallas with Wade Phillips at the helm

 

Unless he finally breaks the curse of "Coordinators who inexplicably keep getting head coaching jobs", since it doesn't look like Norv's going to do that

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Unless he finally breaks the curse of "Coordinators who inexplicably keep getting head coaching jobs", since it doesn't look like Norv's going to do that

 

Didn't Belichick already break that one?

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The AFC South has looked weak against real teams? Can you expand on this as I didn't know that Tennessee losing by a combined 4 points against Indy and TB was considered a weak showing.

 

I'm assuming your most competitive divisions are the NFC East and NFC North. Anyway, the Giants have only won against teams with losing records, save for Washington, who is barely above .500, and probably won't be after next week. How is that looking good against real teams? They've lost to the two good teams they've faced, rather convincingly. Jacksonville has a tendency to look bipolar admittedly, but for the most part they've been on. Record-wise this is the most competitive division in football, the AFC South. There's no way anyone other than the Cowboys or the Packers win the East and North. Detroit's only solid win was against Tampa Bay, and they've looked pretty poorly in other games. Both of these divisions have one really good team and a few one and done calibre playoff teams (maybe). The Bears might make that division competitive, but after struggling through more than half of the season I'm not sure.

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Unless he finally breaks the curse of "Coordinators who inexplicably keep getting head coaching jobs", since it doesn't look like Norv's going to do that

Didn't Belichick already break that one?

Belichick's admittedly forgettable tenure in Cleveland is a far cry from the wake left behind by Phillips (failing with Elway, benching Flutie for Johnson, that gape-mouth look he gets when his team loses at the last second as with the Music City Miracle or Joe Montana's Mile High Comeback) or Norv, whose head coaching career was best summed when Bill Simmons said something along the lines of "When Norv takes his dog for a walk, does the dog quit after they reach the end of the driveway?"

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Benching Flutie for Johnson wasn't his fault. He was pressured into it by Wilson.

 

And my mouth was gaping open at that FORWARD PASS as well.

 

Wade Phillips was the last Buffalo coach to keep them competitive, and his style is well-suited for Dallas, where Parcells no doubt alienated a bunch of the players with his hard line shit. Phillips is a good coach.

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The Thursday night game in a few weeks could be very important as it might determine home field advantage in the playoffs. If Green Bay can't somehow win the first time around, they probably don't stand much of a chance against Dallas in January either.

 

I'm not really liking the idea of the Packers maybe playing against Terrell Owens in another playoff game.

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Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face

Any time is too much time, which was probably your point.

 

Man, the NFL fuckin' sucks this year. Green Bay has made it out of the Blob Of Mediocrity, so at least there's another team that can be said is having a good season, so now it's

 

New England

Dallas

Green Bay

Indianapolis

Everyone Else

St. Louis

Miami

 

And you know Miami will go 2-14 just to disappoint everyone.

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Guest Tzar Lysergic

RE: Miami-Which of these do they win?

 

@ PHI

@ PIT

vs. NYJ

@ BUF

vs. BAL

@ NE

vs. CIN

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I hope Miami wins a couple at least, and San Fran keeps losing the rest of the season. As it is now it looks like the Pats are gonna have a top 5 pick in the draft come April.

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Any time is too much time, which was probably your point.

 

Man, the NFL fuckin' sucks this year. Green Bay has made it out of the Blob Of Mediocrity, so at least there's another team that can be said is having a good season, so now it's

 

New England

Dallas

Green Bay

Indianapolis

Everyone Else

St. Louis

Miami

 

And you know Miami will go 2-14 just to disappoint everyone.

 

I generally agree with all of this, except I think Pittsburgh and the NY Giants have shown enough to differentiate themselves from the blob of mediocrity as well. Neither one's making the Super Bowl, but they are better than the teams consituting "Everyone Else."

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Anyone think that all these Colts' injuries are a result of them being undersized at a number of positions or is it just plain bad luck?

 

It looks like Freeney's gonna be out for 3-4 weeks, possibly the rest of the season.

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Anyone think that all these Colts' injuries are a result of them being undersized at a number of positions or is it just plain bad luck?

 

It looks like Freeney's gonna be out for 3-4 weeks, possibly the rest of the season.

 

 

It's not bad luck, it's football. Guys get hurt. The Colts have been extremely lucky in recent years to keep all of their regulars healthy. Some of that luck has run out this year, but the injury story is overplayed. A lot of teams have dealt with the same thing.

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RE: Miami-Which of these do they win?

 

@ PHI

@ PIT

vs. NYJ

@ BUF

vs. BAL

@ NE

vs. CIN

 

Well, Miami has a half-decent shot at winning three of those (Jets, Baltimore, and Cincy). I'd say the game against The Jets is the most likely win for The Fins. Hell with that schedule The Fins might fuck up and end up with a better record than not only The Rams but The Raiders and 49ers too.

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Guest Vitamin X

With that schedule? The other four games you mentioned are no shots in hell for them to pick up a win.

 

Although, of course, I would love to see them beat New England. But wouldn't we all.

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One of those wins will probably be vs the Ravens

Did you get whiplash from turning around on the Ravens so fast?

 

I seem to remember him not having a neck.

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With that schedule? The other four games you mentioned are no shots in hell for them to pick up a win.

 

Although, of course, I would love to see them beat New England. But wouldn't we all.

 

I think they have a outside shot at beating Buffalo on the road. I mean it's not like The Bills ran over them last weekend.

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I'd say Dallas is better then Green Bay. Their offense is more explosive and they have a lot more weapons at their disposal. The only real weakness I see in the Cowboys is the secondary being able to cover the deep part of the field.

 

Green Bay might be able to beat the Cowboys at home in December because of the advantage of being used to the weather, but I don't see them having a chance at Texas Stadium. Romo and the Cowboys having home field advantage in the playoffs could be just what they need to keep at ease a young QB.

 

Of course, I desperately hope I am wrong.

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