NFL, Week 7

[sluggo]

Good game btw the Eagles and Browns. Garcia showed some grit. The Browns might contend for the last wild card spot before it's all done.

Jacksonville showed me something today, trading scores with the Colts through the last 15 minutes to win on a 53-yd FG. It's hard to believe they're actually leading the Colts in that division now.

And go figure out the Dolphins. 4 TDs all year, and they equal that in one game while blowing out the Rams for their first win. They got their first 1st quarter points of the year, their first two rushing TDs, they didn't turn the ball over once, and outscored the Rams 17-7 in the 4th to put it away. They hadn't scored 17 in a GAME all year.

I think the Jets are a really good team, but I think they blew this game by letting the Pats score that TD at the end of the first half. We'll see how it turns out.

[Robert Sharp]

Now that the Titans are clearly gone, I am cheering for the Jags to win the AFC south. If they weren't in our division, I would be a fan of the Jags. I love defensive oriented teams..tough teams that win with grit. And I like to see our division get well represented.

[Bub, Andrew]

The Pack is back. Two blowouts in a row. Seems their coaching problem was really a problem with the Offensive Coordinator. The guy has angioplasty so Sherman starts calling plays and BOOOM. Explosive offense returns.

Yeah, yeah, they beat the Lions and Cowboys, but still.

Also, wtf happened to the Falcons today?

[Robert Sharp]

The Falcons have been overrated all year and someone finally came to play against them. I picked the Chiefs to dominate them, though I could never have guessed the score. Vick just doesn't have the West Coast thing down yet...it takes time (usually about 3 years).

[Bub, Andrew]

Yeah, sure, their offense has struggled. But their defense is top rated. 56 points?

[Warlord of Mars]

I don't know how anyone could have even put Atlanta's D in the top 10 during the pre-season/offseason. Like Seattle's D, it's crashing to earth.

[Bub, Andrew]

I don't know how anyone could have even put Atlanta's D in the top 10 during the pre-season/offseason. Like Seattle's D, it's crashing to earth.

They didn't. It got top rated after the first few games. Good to see Donatell can still choke though. But then again, I think it's also clear that Kansas still has Offense even if it did take them this long to wake the fuck up.

How is St. Louis taking the Miami drubbing?

[Jason Levine]

Good game btw the Eagles and Browns. Garcia showed some grit. The Browns might contend for the last wild card spot before it's all done.



Being a Browns fan means getting used to heartbreaking losses. Two reactions to that game: 1) I thought Garcia was at the top of his game, especially considering that he had no receiving corps to speak of; 2) As soon as I saw the Browns go into that soft, 3-man line D in OT, I knew McNabb would burn them with a run. Oh well, despite the depleted WRs, the Browns are improving. Yeah they might contend, considering their weak division.

[VegasRobb]

I was pulling for the Jets, too bad they couldn't pull it off.

Miami, Arizona and Kansas City wins didn't surprise me at all. All three of those teams were just waiting to break out.

I like Leftwich answering his early season critics. I didn't make any sense, maybe the fans down there equate NFL and NCAA football as the same thing. There aren't any polls in the NFL, you don't have to be undefeated to compete for the Super Bowl.

What the heck happened in the Dallas / Green Bay game? It was nice to see Green show some 2003 form though.

[SolomonGrundy]

....zzzzzt.....
Another Week, another Win.
Now the regular season record is secured, it is time to focus on kicking the crap out of everyone else.

Pitt is next. Ah, too bad K.Stewart is no longer there, always enjoyed watching him freak out.

What a week for being a Bostonian.
Sox, Pats and BC.
WTF is next? The Bruins will win the cup? The Celtics win a playoff game?!?

[BaconTastesGood]

Now the regular season record is secured, it is time to focus on kicking the crap out of everyone else.

Whatever man. I love the Pats, but the fact is they don't CRUSH anyone. Their margin of victory has been incredibly slim -- last year their average margin of victory was far below that of any other team in the playoffs.

Pitt is next.

Everyone is expecting Belichick to crush BenR, and I expect it as well, but if BenR does pull it off (the Cowboys had a reasonably complex defense as well) you can go ahead and anoint him King of Pittsburgh.

[SolomonGrundy]

So much for beating Pitt.
Ouch.
All our streaks are ending. WS , Pats win, Givens 1st down catches...
Any doubt, that they will move the Pats down to like 20 in the Power Rankings now?
Can't wait for the remach in the playoffs.

Bacon- there is only one stat that counts , the last one posted. i don't care if it is 21 points or 1 point, a W is a W or in this case a L is an L, if Brady threw for 90 yards or 4000. Don't let your Fantasy Football Bias overlook the team. I personally like the fact that we can hold on to a win that is close. how many times have you seen the Pats push someone out of field goal range, or cause a turnover inside the 20?


It will be a good game next week, I can't tell if ST L is a good team or not, one week they look awesome, the next, meh.

[dannimal]

It's one thing to point to the scoreboard at the end of the game and say "Hey, we won", it's another thing to brag about moving on to "kicking the crap out of everyone else" when the team hasn't kicked the crap out of most teams to begin with.

There's nothing wrong with winning games because of coaching and execution instead of just pummeling teams, but don't try to defend it with claiming a fantasy football bias or other nonsense.

[Robert Sharp]

It will be a good game next week, I can't tell if ST L is a good team or not, one week they look awesome, the next, meh.

The real problem is your secondary. Law is out (a cast?!) and Gay left the game too. I like Wilson, but he hasn't prepped to be a CB this year. The Rams are the most pass-happy team in the NFL (though the Patriots tried to take that title against Pitt). That spells trouble for a Patriots offense that isn't really known for its scoring and is suffering at WR.

I'm not saying the Rams will win..they have their own issues. I'm just saying the Patriots are vulnerable right now and the sharks are circling. Fortunately for Pats fans, their coach seems to always have some spare shark repellent for just such ocassions.

[BaconTastesGood]

So much for beating Pitt.
Ouch.

In all fairness, I think NE was at a huge disadvantage going into this, with Law, Dillon, and (during the game) Light all out. Everyone is blaming Brady, but good God, if Light's replacement was made out of airgel the Pitt defenders wouldn't have had it any easier.

Bacon- there is only one stat that counts , the last one posted.

Yes, yes, the warcry of those teams that just barely squeeze out wins. Every year there's the team that, by dint of luck, had the ball bounce their way -- but ask Dick Jauron, Jim Fassel, and John Fox how much you can rely on that. =)

Don't let your Fantasy Football Bias overlook the team.

I don't do FF. My point is simply that teams that are REALLY dominant tend to have dominant wins (cf. 1985 bears) instead of just barely squeaking by with a single fluke play at the end of the game.

Yes, a W is a W, but winning, on average, by like 8 points is a pretty grim way of pulling it together. I mean, come on, Tuck Rule?

It will be a good game next week, I can't tell if ST L is a good team or not, one week they look awesome, the next, meh.

Martz is a modern day Barry Switzer -- gettng by on a talented team that somehow manages to do well no matter how bad the coaching. Holt, Bruce, Faulk, Bulger, S. Jackson make for a scary offense, even if they're just making up plays in the huddle.

[Jason Becker]

So much for beating Pitt.
Ouch.

In all fairness, I think NE was at a huge disadvantage going into this, with Law, Dillon, and (during the game) Light all out. Everyone is blaming Brady, but good God, if Light's replacement was made out of airgel the Pitt defenders wouldn't have had it any easier.



So what? Every team has people hurting now. The Steelers had to go with a rookie QB week 3 and they have lost Casey Hampton for the year it looks like. Although its damn impressive what the Patriots have done with the win streak they lost yesterday because the Steelers simply played better than them.

[BaconTastesGood]

So what? Every team has people hurting now.

You will often find that at the end of the year, the teams left standing are the ones where their intended starters are almost completely healthy.

The Steelers had to go with a rookie QB week 3 and they have lost Casey Hampton for the year it looks like.

Right, and the rookie QB happens to be the best rookie QB since Marino, and looks like he has a legit chance at breaking several rookie QB records.

Although its damn impressive what the Patriots have done with the win streak they lost yesterday because the Steelers simply played better than them.

Right, I'm not saying that the Pats were doomed or should have lost, or that the Steelers were lucky, only that the Pats were hurting real bad. Seriously, I think the injury to Light was probably the worst, but that and the predictable reversion to a pass oriented offense when Dillon went down -- Weis has gone pass wacky before.

Anyway, NE has always done more with less since Belichick took over.

FWIW, I'm not a fan of any specific team, which makes me a rare anomaly in this world -- a huge NFL fan of the game, but who doesn't have a favorite team, player, nor do I play FF =)

[BaconTastesGood]

I want you to chew on this.

Yesterday, Ben Roethlisberger faced the most dominant team over the past three or four years. In that game, he went 18/24, 196, 2/0.

A year ago, he was playing Bowling Green, where his stats were 19/28, 231, 0/1.

So against the world chamipion New England Patriots, Ben Roethlisberger had a higher completion percentage (75% vs. 68%), more touchdowns (2 vs. 0), and fewer interceptions (0 vs. 1 ) than against Bowling Green.

[Shmtur]

So against the world chamipion New England Patriots, Ben Roethlisberger had a higher completion percentage (75% vs. 68%), more touchdowns (2 vs. 0), and fewer interceptions (0 vs. 1 ) than against Bowling Green.

Somehow I don't think he was playing against Bowling Green with Plaxico and co. on his side.

[BaconTastesGood]

Somehow I don't think he was playing against Bowling Green with Plaxico and co. on his side.

Oh please. He also wasn't playing against Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vincent Wilfork, Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson, and Willie McGinest.

One other person from Miami(OH) was drafted (5th round, lineman). One person from Bowling Green, total, was drafted (6th round, QB, Josh Harris). Neither team was quite the awesome powerhouse of NFL talent.

[Robert Sharp]

One other person from Miami(OH) was drafted (5th round, lineman). One person from Bowling Green, total, was drafted (6th round, QB, Josh Harris). Neither team was quite the awesome powerhouse of NFL talent.

True, although Jacob Bell has been just as impressive at his position as Ben has. Of course, since Bell is an OG, no one will know that except those of us in Tennessee who get a chance to watch him play.

[extarbags]

The best thing so far this entire season was T.O.'s complete ownage of Ray Lewis this week.

That is all.

[Jason Becker]

So what? Every team has people hurting now.

You will often find that at the end of the year, the teams left standing are the ones where their intended starters are almost completely healthy.


Also the ones who adapt and have players that that step up to the challange.

The Steelers had to go with a rookie QB week 3 and they have lost Casey Hampton for the year it looks like.

Right, and the rookie QB happens to be the best rookie QB since Marino, and looks like he has a legit chance at breaking several rookie QB records.

They still were forced to go with him very early which is arguably the biggest challange for a team since the QB position can be said to be the most important. He has turned out to be one of those guys who has stepped up though. The Steelers are hurting just like the Patriots were but they delivered on Sunday and the Patriots didn't

[olaf]

We need a QT3 fantasy league.

olaf